Published: December 19, 2002
preview / download SPECIAL GUESTS INCLUDE THE PARENTS OF MISSING GIRL ELIZABETH SMART AND RONALD LANTZ, WHOSE 911 CALL HELPED BRING IN THE SUSPECTED DC SNIPERS
NEW YORK — December 19, 2002 — Paula Zahn, host of CNNs American Morning With Paula Zahn, joins THE JOHN WALSH SHOW this Friday to review some of the biggest headlines from this past year. From the brazen child abductions over the summer to the sniper attacks in Washington that captured the nations attention for weeks, 2002 was a year of major news stories. Walsh and Zahn review video footage, speak with some of the people who were involved in the stories and also discuss some lighter moments from this years celebrity headlines. This episode of THE JOHN WALSH SHOW airs Friday, December 20, 2002 (syndicated, check local listings for time and station).
Lois and Ed Smart, whose daughter Elizabeth has been missing since she was kidnapped from the familys home in June, talk with Walsh and Zahn about the continuing efforts to find their daughter. The Smarts also talk about the stress of having a missing child, especially during the holiday season. Lois believes they are able to get through it because of our great faith and we know we will see her again, if not in this lifetime, than in the next. This is the Smarts second appearance on THE JOHN WALSH SHOW. They first appeared on the show in September, along with Erin Runnion, whose daughter Samantha was abducted and murdered earlier this summer, and Angela and Ernie Williamson, whose daughter Casey was also abducted and murdered.
When truck driver Ronald Lantz pulled into a rest stop in Maryland on the night of October 23, little did he know that he would find himself at the epicenter of one of the biggest news stories of the year. Lantz heard a broadcast of the license plate of suspected sniper John Muhammad and noticed right away that the car was parked a short distance from his truck. Without hesitation, he called 911 and within minutes, police had finally apprehended Muhammad and Lee Malvo, suspects in a deadly rampage of sniper shootings across Maryland and Virginia. Humble and soft spoken, Lantz says he never really thought about what a dangerous situation he was in until later, and now says, I just want people to look at me and think I did something that was right for our country.
Walsh and Zahn also review the sex abuse scandal that has rocked the Catholic Church over the past year. Joining them in studio is Daniel Dugo, who claims to have been molested by his priest when he was an altar boy. Dugo now crusades to help others who were similarly abused. He discusses how he refused to take a monetary payoff from the church that would have required him to keep silent about the abuse.
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