Apparently Richard was injured from a fall on the ice before this even happened. Poor thing couldn't have put up much of a fight.
ISSUES WITH JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL
Trail of Murder and Kidnapping?; Judge Trades Convictions for CashAired February 21, 2011 - 19:00:00 ET
Joining me now, Mike and Susan Coder. Susan is the Russells` niece.
First of all, thank you for joining us. I know this has got to be so hard on your family. What is going through your mind and your heart right now as you watch this horror unfold, Susan?
SUSAN CODER, NIECE OF THE RUSSELLS: Well, Uncle Dick and Aunt Gladis are very much a part of our family. I mean, when we have get-togethers, they`re there, and it`s just they`re not now, and it`s very difficult. I mean, we just want them back. We -- you know, that`s all that matters to us. You know, we need them.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: I can`t even imagine what these two people in their mid-80s might be going through. They need their medication. Do they not, Susan?
S. CODER: Yes, they do, very, very much.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: What would you say to Sam Littleton if he happens to be watching somewhere on the lam right now, holding these people you love so much as hostages, if that`s the case? What would you say to him?
S. CODER: Just that we want them back. We -- they`re part of our family. We need them.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Why on earth would he take them? I mean, what is -- what do they have to do with him, except that they sold him the house he was in?
S. CODER: That`s a very good question. We haven`t been able to figure that out. You know, there`s -- I suppose money, car, whatever, but we don`t really know.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: If you had one thing to say, if your grandparents -- I`m sorry, if your uncle and aunt were watching right now, what would you say to them to keep them strong?
S. CODER: Just, we want you back. We miss you. We need you. You know, hang in there. I don`t know. Just we want them back.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Neighbors were the first to alert police that something was very terribly wrong at the Russells` house. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I am worried about my neighbors. They`re an elderly couple. I walked around the house. A back door was open.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Hank Kies, you are a friend of the missing elderly couple. You spoke to them the morning they went missing. What did they say? Did they indicate that there was anything amiss?
HANK KIES, FRIEND OF THE RUSSELLS (via phone):
Nothing was amiss when I talked to them. I called to ask if Dick would like to ride along to the Lions district cabinet meeting.
And she said his blood sugar was around 4 -- a little over 400 which is dangerous. And -- but she said, "You want to talk to him?" So I did. And we talked, and I asked him how`s come he was gimping around.
And he said, "Well, I had to go out and feed the cats." And he fell on the ice and injured his ankle, break still severe. VELEZ-MITCHELL: Oh, my God. So this guy was injured even before.
KIES: And I`ve known them approximately 50 years, so...
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Oh, my God.
Here`s my big issue tonight. Now, was somebody sleeping with the enemy here? Tiffany Brown`s mother, the dead woman`s mother, was actually living with this guy, the suspect, Sam Littleton, even after Tiffany was found dead. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DEBORAH NEELEY, TIFFANY BROWN`S MOTHER: Laid down beside me for five nights and knew it. God help him. God help him. They better catch him before we do.
more at link
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1102/21/ijvm.01.html