◆ SpookStack

, t rest of the weeHK. AClVilies Leiu indoors immediately after school, yeouuay, uyove aren’t being closed altogether. "t'g a tough decision for anyone this report. MESSAGES: Killer delights in manipulating police and media FROM PAGE AL Washington, Spotsylvania County, Manassas, Fairfax County and Ash- Jand, Authorities are waiting for ballistics tests to confirm what they already suspect—that yesterday’s killing of a bus driver in Maryland was also the sniper’s work. Investigators. discovered the killer’s second known message to police, along with a .228-caliber shell casing, in Ashland after a -;maw lephon: 2 “to the task force’s toll-free tipline, one investigator said. ‘ Several members of the task force, who did not want their names used, said the shell casing matches the one found in the woods near the Bowie middle school where a 19-year-old boy was shot Oct 7. They described the most recent note as “poorly written” and “vaguely threatening.” But investigators said they believe the bad grammar and broken sentences were written that way on purpose. . te Montgomery police Chief Charles Moose has tried five times over three days to reach out to the sniper through the media. In anews conference Sunday, he read this intriguing and confus- ing statement: “To the person who left us a message at the Ponderosa ~ lastnight. You gave usa telephone niimber. We do want to talk to you. Call us at the number you provid- ed. Thank you.” : Then, Monday morning, the chief indicated he would soon respond to the sniper’s letter. But Moose returned to the podium later that afternoon with no reply. “Phe person you called could nothear everything you said,” the chief said. “Cali usback.” Then, ina news conference yester-- day afternoon, Moose said: “We have received-a communication-and we will be responding soon.” Last night, the chief made a brief. statement, saying police could not respond inthe electronic manner the sniper requested, but “we remain open and ready to talk to you about the options you have mentioned.” He continued: “It is important that we do this without anyone Bush hits trail to help Republican candidates _ DOWNINGTOWN, Pa.—Shifting from nearxelentless campaign fund Ealsing fo getout-tlie-vote jnode,Pres: * Fane Drenleeemd reatane amatawtattns d.tplophong,aplloamotinn ten OY else getting hurt.” . Moose confirméd that the sniper did call yesterday after the shooting death of 85-year-old Conrad Johnson, a Maryland bus driver getting ready for his morning route. . Some officials on the massive task force hunting the sniper believe yesterday's fatal shooting in Aspen Hill, Md., was the gun- man's way ofreplyingto the chief's Sunday-night callback requests -- force investigatorsaid yesterday. The sniper’s letter made mone- tary demands and,promised more violence ifhis deniands aren’tmet. The Associated Préessreported that the gunman asket*for millions of dollars, but sources wouldn’t con- - firm the amount yésterday, Van Zandt saidtit’s common for serial offenders {o.communicate with police in somié'sort of way. He said such killers: often try to mislead police initheir messages. For example, VaiyZandt said the killer’s request forimoney is most likely a “red herri ig, somethinghe isn’t really interebfed in at all.” The chilling thréat to children came at the endkéf the sniper’s message, along ‘with a phone number. Th tasky force is now answering the phone number the sniper provided. x, ° A man has éalled that number and spoken to ‘investigators, but his voice is muffled, as though he is trying to disguise it, task force . ifvestigators said.yesterday. Van Zandt said) the killer is using the messag4s primarily to taunt police and further terrorize communities. Héypaid it’s likely that children arettio more at risk than anybody else, “but you certainly. can’t igrjore a message like that, What cai he worse than Despite the thyeat, it’s most likely the killey’s next victim simply will be dnyone—child or adultunfortunate enough to wander into his cross hairs. Retired FBI. ‘profiler Robert Ressler, another Spotsylvania resident, said the sniper takes loss Bush jokingly lamented while plugging the vote-getting abilities-of GOP gubernatorial candidate Mike Fisher, who won his state attorney geuletal race in 2000, iavtanhars. mille ahead. o Moose,” a fasie police and media. “The only way for criminals, like these to satisfy themselves is to believe they have ultimate control,”-he said. ; The killer loves to see the aftermath of his actions on televi- sion, Ressler said. “Whoever’s doing this is on an ego trip that won't quit,” he said. “And when the governors of Vir- zinia and Maryland, and the Presi- crimes, itjust feeds their fire? * David Berkowitz, the. gtinman tehind New York City’s 1970s “Son of Sam” murders, told Ressler in prison interviews that his shooting spree was his biggest achievement. “He was a loser his entire life,” Ressler said. “He told me the most important thing he ever did in HjS life was.when he had his letters printed in the New York newspa- Berkowitz is serving a 865-year prison:sentence bi New York for the shooting deaths of six people. The killer who terrorized New York so long ago converted to Chris- tianity in jail years ago and is now pleading for the sniper to end his spree: “Stop hurting innocent peo- ple,” wrote Berkowitz. “Hopefully, it will be over soon with the arrest of the person or persons responsible.” He added that the case has been painful for him. “It is as ifT am reliving a nightmare. The past— my past—is so painful for me to * deal with. It is a time-I’d prefer to forget. Now it is all coming back -in all its ugliness and horror.” Van Zandt said he investigated and interviewed numerous serial killers and other heinous offenders during his career, and “(the sniper] is as bad a person as I’ve ever seen. ‘He's a killing machine. He's hecome a Hannibal Lecter with a gun.” Van Zandt said this killer, more than any other he’s‘ known, defies any of the common serial-killer descriptions that have evolved over the years, such as spree killer or mass murderer. “Byerybody want to pigeonhole this guy, buthesimply doesn’ tfitinto any of the known pigeonholes.” voters has a margin of error of 4 percentage points. Race is neck-and-neck for Maryland-governor RALTRIMORE—2wo. weeks Messages to sniper Montgomery County Police Chief Charles Moose has‘attempted to communicate with the person who left a message and a phone number at the scene of a shooting at the Ponderosa restaurant in Ashland. His statements: Sunday eventng:,“To.the person sdent of the'Uhited Slate a Sa whe fetus a message.at.the , Pondérésa lastnight. You gave us a telephone number. We do-wantte talk to you. Call us at the number you provided. Thank you:” Monday morning: “The message that needs to be delivered Is that we are going to respond to a méssage that wehave received. We are preparing our response at this time.” Monday afternoon: “The person you called could not hear every4*"" y thing you said. The audio was unclear and we want to get it right. Call us back so that we can clearly understand.” . Yesterday, afternoon: “We have recelved a communication and we ‘will be responding soon.” Last night: “These past several days, you have attempted to communicate with us, We have researched the options you stated and found. that it Is not possible electronically to comply in the manner that you requested. “However, we remain open and =: ready to talk to you about the options you have mentioned. It ts Important that we do this without anyone else getting hurt, *Gallus at the Samé fiumber you used before to obtain the 800 number that you have requested. If you would feel more comfortable, a private post office box or another secure methad can be provided. “You indicated that this is about more than violence. We are walting to hear from you.” In Florida, Jeb Bush slightly aliead th poll MIAMI—Gov. Jeb Bush was narrowly leading Democratic chal- Jengex Bill:McBride.on theeve of , the.danAidatad Tact delata ii -the