1 00:00:05,120 --> 00:00:08,119 Speaker 1: From My Heart Radio. This is missing on nine eleven, 2 00:00:08,480 --> 00:00:10,879 Speaker 1: the story of one woman who vanished on the eve 3 00:00:10,960 --> 00:00:14,319 Speaker 1: of history and my quest to find her. I'm your host, 4 00:00:14,600 --> 00:00:53,159 Speaker 1: John Wallzac. This is the sound of the lobby of 5 00:00:53,200 --> 00:00:56,600 Speaker 1: two World Trade Center, the South Tower, captured on August 6 00:00:57,760 --> 00:01:01,560 Speaker 1: one by sound engineer Benchia Ben, a film and TV 7 00:01:01,720 --> 00:01:05,480 Speaker 1: veteran whose credits include The Wire, Fargo and The Big Lebowski, 8 00:01:05,800 --> 00:01:09,200 Speaker 1: made twenty recordings that day. They stand out as high 9 00:01:09,319 --> 00:01:13,839 Speaker 1: quality audio artifacts. None have ever been published until now. 10 00:01:14,600 --> 00:01:18,240 Speaker 1: Close your eyes, listen. You're in the lobby of the 11 00:01:18,240 --> 00:01:21,720 Speaker 1: World Trade Center. You're in an elevator. Only two weeks 12 00:01:21,800 --> 00:02:47,079 Speaker 1: before nine eleven. All right, m y y way. It 13 00:02:47,240 --> 00:02:48,720 Speaker 1: was the time when they have a tar event trying 14 00:02:48,720 --> 00:02:54,840 Speaker 1: to get thing. Only seventeen days later and again Darien 15 00:02:54,919 --> 00:02:57,799 Speaker 1: said that Will Trade said, yeah, you fellas have a 16 00:02:57,840 --> 00:02:59,840 Speaker 1: tree one here you set up to where the building? 17 00:03:00,160 --> 00:03:02,040 Speaker 1: Can you go to pay that because we have injured 18 00:03:02,080 --> 00:03:20,320 Speaker 1: all over the place. Okay, all right, thank you, very 19 00:03:20,400 --> 00:03:26,919 Speaker 1: sick Billy want lobby getting up in the lobby of 20 00:03:27,040 --> 00:03:30,000 Speaker 1: two lobby and Bill okay, okay, we have like the 21 00:03:30,120 --> 00:03:32,160 Speaker 1: every big in fact, we have vengeance. Go over and 22 00:03:32,280 --> 00:03:36,920 Speaker 1: building four uh, billy everyday air grating, body works. They're 23 00:03:36,920 --> 00:03:40,200 Speaker 1: having numerous people were broken light who was the blood? 24 00:03:40,640 --> 00:03:42,720 Speaker 1: They want to know where we would pretty game in 25 00:03:42,800 --> 00:03:46,240 Speaker 1: the buildings so they can bring everybody down two World 26 00:03:46,320 --> 00:03:49,720 Speaker 1: in the lobby, the lobby. Okay, okay, all right, friend. 27 00:03:51,560 --> 00:03:55,960 Speaker 1: This recording was made at AM. By that point, thousands 28 00:03:56,000 --> 00:03:58,840 Speaker 1: of victims have been evacuated away from the towers, out 29 00:03:58,880 --> 00:04:01,560 Speaker 1: of the danger zone. But there was a triage area 30 00:04:01,800 --> 00:04:04,240 Speaker 1: set up in the South Tower lobby for victims who 31 00:04:04,240 --> 00:04:11,280 Speaker 1: couldn't walk. What snayha, they're helping. It's possible, but unlikely anyway. Yeah, 32 00:04:11,320 --> 00:04:14,200 Speaker 1: I'm looking to find out. I'm a Ragius kid nurse. 33 00:04:14,280 --> 00:04:16,760 Speaker 1: I'm currently working right now and I wanted to help out. 34 00:04:17,040 --> 00:04:19,400 Speaker 1: I know they have a triage place set up at 35 00:04:19,440 --> 00:04:22,920 Speaker 1: West Chamber. Yes, is there anything else? Uh? You know, 36 00:04:23,360 --> 00:04:26,480 Speaker 1: any you know path I could take to get there 37 00:04:26,480 --> 00:04:29,000 Speaker 1: at the help? Um, what are they doing? And they 38 00:04:29,240 --> 00:04:31,400 Speaker 1: calling in nurses or what? I don't think they're not 39 00:04:31,480 --> 00:04:34,240 Speaker 1: calling in nurses and das in here, right and it's 40 00:04:34,240 --> 00:04:40,520 Speaker 1: realized I haven't Yeah, no, now they're not calling us. 41 00:04:40,520 --> 00:04:42,960 Speaker 1: Who the dators into the site? You needed to stay 42 00:04:43,000 --> 00:04:46,320 Speaker 1: at the hospitals through all hospitals or want a hospital. Yeah, 43 00:04:46,480 --> 00:04:49,520 Speaker 1: they cure. You're working right now at Bassol. I'm working 44 00:04:49,680 --> 00:04:52,280 Speaker 1: in a in a hospital right now. I was going 45 00:04:52,440 --> 00:04:55,480 Speaker 1: to uh go there. Okay. Now they want over the 46 00:04:55,680 --> 00:04:57,240 Speaker 1: docks and right now they want all the dassors and 47 00:04:57,320 --> 00:05:02,719 Speaker 1: notions to stay at the Bassole. Okay, okay, right. First 48 00:05:02,760 --> 00:05:06,440 Speaker 1: responders wanted people out, not in, even if they were 49 00:05:06,600 --> 00:05:12,360 Speaker 1: well intentioned doctors or nurses. One more tape AM a 50 00:05:12,480 --> 00:05:18,599 Speaker 1: call from the south tower lobby the emergency two World 51 00:05:18,640 --> 00:05:21,880 Speaker 1: Trade Center. We have injured people in the lobby of 52 00:05:21,960 --> 00:05:25,039 Speaker 1: the building. They need medical attention. They're on the south 53 00:05:25,120 --> 00:05:27,960 Speaker 1: side of the building. However, they're not gonna be able 54 00:05:27,960 --> 00:05:29,520 Speaker 1: to come in that way. They have to figure away 55 00:05:29,560 --> 00:05:31,320 Speaker 1: into it because we've got the bree all over the 56 00:05:31,440 --> 00:05:47,760 Speaker 1: outside of the building. Okay, okay, uh that's two World 57 00:05:47,839 --> 00:05:51,359 Speaker 1: Trade Center, right, that's correct, Two World Trade Center, okay, okay. 58 00:05:51,400 --> 00:05:53,400 Speaker 1: And they're on the south side of the lobby. Actually 59 00:05:53,480 --> 00:05:56,720 Speaker 1: have more than one occupant engine, but we have looks 60 00:05:56,760 --> 00:05:59,040 Speaker 1: like serious injuries. They got the guy sitting up on 61 00:05:59,080 --> 00:06:01,239 Speaker 1: a chair. I don't know how that happened, but Jerry 62 00:06:01,279 --> 00:06:19,400 Speaker 1: reported hold up the mn SO, hold on paper. That's wow. No, 63 00:06:19,480 --> 00:06:30,560 Speaker 1: I don't mean why we've got any and you in 64 00:06:30,600 --> 00:06:36,080 Speaker 1: the lobby. Yes, we all first floor Loop Street. It's 65 00:06:36,080 --> 00:06:50,920 Speaker 1: between Liberty Street and Church Street, the building and West Street. Well, 66 00:06:51,040 --> 00:06:54,520 Speaker 1: it's it's already a job, man, it's it's E. M. 67 00:06:54,680 --> 00:06:58,200 Speaker 1: S is not picking up. Okay, Well maybe you could 68 00:06:58,279 --> 00:07:00,560 Speaker 1: keep trying. I gave you my infrom and I kind 69 00:07:00,560 --> 00:07:02,599 Speaker 1: of gotta get gold. This was my job. Okay, Look, 70 00:07:03,279 --> 00:07:10,680 Speaker 1: we're sorry, Slarry, Bill, I S E. And what's the celephone? 71 00:07:10,680 --> 00:07:21,360 Speaker 1: Have you calling from? Seven? Okay? I supposed to be there. Okay, 72 00:07:21,440 --> 00:07:28,200 Speaker 1: you're welcome, bye, bye luck. Five minutes later, the tower collapsed. 73 00:07:30,960 --> 00:07:33,960 Speaker 1: Nine eleven may have been the most photographed event in history, 74 00:07:34,360 --> 00:07:38,360 Speaker 1: but nearly all footage was captured outside the towers. From inside, 75 00:07:38,560 --> 00:07:43,040 Speaker 1: we have nine one one calls, voicemail, dispatched tapes, oral histories, 76 00:07:43,120 --> 00:07:47,160 Speaker 1: and emails, but very few photos and videos. It's hard 77 00:07:47,240 --> 00:07:50,600 Speaker 1: to imagine now, but in two thousand one, no smartphones, 78 00:07:50,800 --> 00:07:54,080 Speaker 1: no social media. As it pertains to snay Ha. That's 79 00:07:54,120 --> 00:07:57,640 Speaker 1: critical because any image of her in the towers solves 80 00:07:57,720 --> 00:08:02,080 Speaker 1: this case. Surpri using Lee, there was no comprehensive list 81 00:08:02,160 --> 00:08:05,200 Speaker 1: of footage captured in the Towers on nine eleven, so 82 00:08:05,400 --> 00:08:08,520 Speaker 1: I made my own. In the end, I confirmed forty 83 00:08:08,600 --> 00:08:12,920 Speaker 1: five photos. Thirty three were taken by one man, John Labriola, 84 00:08:13,120 --> 00:08:16,320 Speaker 1: as he evacuated the North Tower, twelve were taken by 85 00:08:16,360 --> 00:08:20,760 Speaker 1: five other people, and two are unconfirmed. As for video, 86 00:08:21,160 --> 00:08:24,080 Speaker 1: we have dramatic footage from the North Tower captured by 87 00:08:24,160 --> 00:08:28,400 Speaker 1: French filmmaker Jewels not a plus one other short unconfirmed video. 88 00:08:29,040 --> 00:08:34,640 Speaker 1: So forty five confirmed photos, one confirmed video, to unconfirmed photos, 89 00:08:35,000 --> 00:08:40,599 Speaker 1: one unconfirmed video. That's it. The most complete account of 90 00:08:40,679 --> 00:08:42,920 Speaker 1: what it was like in the Towers on nine eleven 91 00:08:43,160 --> 00:08:45,680 Speaker 1: is a book called One and two Minutes by Jim 92 00:08:45,760 --> 00:08:48,600 Speaker 1: Dwyer and Kevin Flynn of the New York Times. It's 93 00:08:48,640 --> 00:08:51,920 Speaker 1: a remarkable work of narrative journalism. I read it twice. 94 00:08:52,600 --> 00:08:55,600 Speaker 1: Jim died last year. Kevin still works for the Times. 95 00:08:55,840 --> 00:08:58,559 Speaker 1: We focused on the floors that seem to have the 96 00:08:58,640 --> 00:09:02,360 Speaker 1: most substantial influence on the day, meaning the floors where 97 00:09:02,360 --> 00:09:05,360 Speaker 1: there are the planes that actually struck, and then the 98 00:09:05,440 --> 00:09:09,559 Speaker 1: floors above, and we split them up among the five reporters. 99 00:09:09,600 --> 00:09:12,640 Speaker 1: For example, I had the windows on the World, which 100 00:09:12,760 --> 00:09:15,559 Speaker 1: was the top of the of the North Tower, and 101 00:09:16,120 --> 00:09:19,720 Speaker 1: began to try to construct what had happened at Windows 102 00:09:19,800 --> 00:09:23,120 Speaker 1: on the World. I told you I located forty nine 103 00:09:23,160 --> 00:09:26,800 Speaker 1: photos and videos taken inside the towers during the attacks. 104 00:09:27,320 --> 00:09:30,200 Speaker 1: But there are two things I haven't told you. First, 105 00:09:30,679 --> 00:09:33,199 Speaker 1: at least one photo was taken out Windows on the 106 00:09:33,240 --> 00:09:36,400 Speaker 1: World on top of the North Tower, only fifteen minutes 107 00:09:36,480 --> 00:09:39,560 Speaker 1: before flight eleven hit the tower. It shows three men 108 00:09:39,720 --> 00:09:43,360 Speaker 1: at the risk Waters Financial Technology conference. It was taken 109 00:09:43,400 --> 00:09:46,679 Speaker 1: by a Bloomberg photographer who left right before the planehead 110 00:09:47,080 --> 00:09:49,839 Speaker 1: I don't know the photographer's name. Did they take any 111 00:09:49,920 --> 00:09:53,880 Speaker 1: other photos that morning, I don't know neither, just Kevin Flynn. 112 00:09:54,200 --> 00:09:57,000 Speaker 1: I never had the name of the photographer. Yeah, so 113 00:09:57,520 --> 00:10:00,839 Speaker 1: someone who took some pictures and then them developed. And 114 00:10:01,240 --> 00:10:03,280 Speaker 1: it may have been that Bloomberg just wanted to protect 115 00:10:03,320 --> 00:10:06,680 Speaker 1: the privacy of that person. Maybe they were upset about 116 00:10:06,760 --> 00:10:09,640 Speaker 1: having been there and escaped or whatever. But anyway, I 117 00:10:10,200 --> 00:10:13,920 Speaker 1: never got that name. Kevin and I also discussed snay 118 00:10:14,000 --> 00:10:17,840 Speaker 1: House case. The North Day footage is at least all 119 00:10:17,960 --> 00:10:21,800 Speaker 1: incompensing to the point where I think that she probably 120 00:10:21,840 --> 00:10:25,960 Speaker 1: would have reported in to the command desk had she arrived. 121 00:10:26,080 --> 00:10:29,600 Speaker 1: I mean, she sounds like she was a responsible person right, 122 00:10:29,760 --> 00:10:31,839 Speaker 1: And so I don't think she would just like have 123 00:10:32,040 --> 00:10:36,160 Speaker 1: freelance and gone up the stairs without talking to those people. 124 00:10:36,200 --> 00:10:37,880 Speaker 1: And I feel like she would have been captured on 125 00:10:38,040 --> 00:10:42,120 Speaker 1: camera in the North Tower. So I think that looking 126 00:10:42,200 --> 00:10:45,240 Speaker 1: for her in the South tower makes more sense because 127 00:10:45,240 --> 00:10:48,760 Speaker 1: there's no footage of the South tower. Basically Kevin saying 128 00:10:48,800 --> 00:10:51,880 Speaker 1: that if ran into the North Tower, she likely would 129 00:10:51,880 --> 00:10:54,760 Speaker 1: have gone to the lobby command center. Then day footage 130 00:10:54,840 --> 00:10:57,079 Speaker 1: gives us a good view of the North Tower lobby 131 00:10:57,480 --> 00:10:59,800 Speaker 1: and there's no sign of snay huh. So if she 132 00:11:00,040 --> 00:11:02,319 Speaker 1: in into the towers, it's likely she went to the 133 00:11:02,400 --> 00:11:05,439 Speaker 1: South tower. And there are zero photos and no video 134 00:11:05,760 --> 00:11:09,679 Speaker 1: taken in the South Tower lobby besides Labriola and the 135 00:11:09,760 --> 00:11:12,200 Speaker 1: nor Day Brothers. I don't think that there and there's 136 00:11:12,240 --> 00:11:15,960 Speaker 1: certainly some photographs from outside the building from taking from 137 00:11:16,000 --> 00:11:19,640 Speaker 1: the news photographers, but actually inside the building, I don't 138 00:11:19,640 --> 00:11:22,360 Speaker 1: think that there's much beyond that. Yeah, So I've been 139 00:11:22,400 --> 00:11:25,480 Speaker 1: able to document, well, the vast majority of what exists, 140 00:11:25,559 --> 00:11:28,040 Speaker 1: like you said, is the no Day Brothers and John 141 00:11:28,120 --> 00:11:31,920 Speaker 1: Labriola's photos. Past that, I've been able to document nine 142 00:11:32,160 --> 00:11:37,719 Speaker 1: other photographers and videographers, but all extremely limited many just 143 00:11:37,840 --> 00:11:41,360 Speaker 1: a single image from inside the building. From inside the building. 144 00:11:41,400 --> 00:11:44,160 Speaker 1: So I'm looking at it right now, and there are 145 00:11:44,360 --> 00:11:47,520 Speaker 1: three there's a videographer and two photographers. I haven't been 146 00:11:47,559 --> 00:11:51,680 Speaker 1: able to confirm, but what I have one picture from three, 147 00:11:51,800 --> 00:11:57,839 Speaker 1: from one from the one, five from to from the 148 00:11:57,920 --> 00:12:01,559 Speaker 1: sixty one, and then the Were you aware that the 149 00:12:01,679 --> 00:12:06,319 Speaker 1: FBI recovered a disposable camera at ground zero that included 150 00:12:06,360 --> 00:12:08,599 Speaker 1: images taken on the upper level of one of the 151 00:12:08,960 --> 00:12:14,280 Speaker 1: towers and developed the images after nine eleven. No, this 152 00:12:14,480 --> 00:12:17,480 Speaker 1: is the second thing I haven't told you. It's fascinated 153 00:12:17,559 --> 00:12:21,559 Speaker 1: me for eighteen years. Shortly after nine eleven, the FBI 154 00:12:21,800 --> 00:12:25,240 Speaker 1: located a disposable camera at ground zero in the pocket 155 00:12:25,280 --> 00:12:27,199 Speaker 1: of a man who jumped or fell from one of 156 00:12:27,240 --> 00:12:32,280 Speaker 1: the towers. No one I interviewed, authors, experts, curators knew 157 00:12:32,320 --> 00:12:35,160 Speaker 1: about these photos. I first heard about them in two 158 00:12:35,240 --> 00:12:37,960 Speaker 1: thousand three when I read a Baltimore Sun article by 159 00:12:38,040 --> 00:12:43,240 Speaker 1: Laura Sullivan profiling the FBI's Explosives Unit. Three paragraphs immediately 160 00:12:43,400 --> 00:12:46,360 Speaker 1: captivated me. I cut them out and saved them all 161 00:12:46,440 --> 00:12:50,199 Speaker 1: these years. Quote. There is one other piece of evidence 162 00:12:50,280 --> 00:12:52,560 Speaker 1: of the events leading to the collapse of the towers, 163 00:12:52,760 --> 00:12:56,160 Speaker 1: that few outside the unit. No of unit members found 164 00:12:56,200 --> 00:12:58,679 Speaker 1: a disposable camera and the pocket of a man who 165 00:12:58,800 --> 00:13:01,439 Speaker 1: jumped from one of the tower. When they developed the 166 00:13:01,559 --> 00:13:05,480 Speaker 1: film months later, investigators found a chilling chronology of the 167 00:13:05,559 --> 00:13:08,840 Speaker 1: man's experience that morning. The photos show the man, who 168 00:13:08,880 --> 00:13:11,800 Speaker 1: appears to be a construction worker, standing at the window 169 00:13:11,880 --> 00:13:15,320 Speaker 1: as the other tower burns behind him. The photos, which 170 00:13:15,360 --> 00:13:17,880 Speaker 1: include pictures he took as well it's a few taken 171 00:13:17,920 --> 00:13:21,839 Speaker 1: by someone else, also capture other jumpers falling. The man 172 00:13:21,960 --> 00:13:25,800 Speaker 1: looks stricken, his face one of shock and disbelief. His 173 00:13:25,920 --> 00:13:29,040 Speaker 1: family is aware of the photos, investigators said, but it's 174 00:13:29,080 --> 00:13:32,439 Speaker 1: not asked to see them. The units investigators were initially 175 00:13:32,520 --> 00:13:35,280 Speaker 1: confused by the film because the last pictures on the 176 00:13:35,400 --> 00:13:38,360 Speaker 1: roll show the man laughing among friends at a birthday party. 177 00:13:38,840 --> 00:13:41,160 Speaker 1: They took the film to a photo expert in the unit, 178 00:13:41,360 --> 00:13:45,040 Speaker 1: who explained that disposable camera film is developed in reverse. 179 00:14:10,720 --> 00:14:13,920 Speaker 1: Laura is now an award winning investigative journalist for NPR. 180 00:14:14,400 --> 00:14:16,760 Speaker 1: She wrote that article at the dawn of social media. 181 00:14:17,200 --> 00:14:20,160 Speaker 1: It was quickly forgotten, but it's stuck with me for 182 00:14:20,320 --> 00:14:22,680 Speaker 1: more than a decade. I've tried to get the photos 183 00:14:22,720 --> 00:14:26,360 Speaker 1: from the FBI. I failed, And I know what you're thinking, 184 00:14:26,760 --> 00:14:30,200 Speaker 1: Why do you need these photos? If they're graphic and upsetting, 185 00:14:30,440 --> 00:14:32,840 Speaker 1: If the man's family doesn't want to see them, why 186 00:14:32,920 --> 00:14:35,960 Speaker 1: should you to me? There there's a pruder film of 187 00:14:36,040 --> 00:14:39,520 Speaker 1: nine eleven, the only photos captured high in the towers, 188 00:14:39,760 --> 00:14:43,160 Speaker 1: presumably above the point of impact during the attacks before 189 00:14:43,200 --> 00:14:47,200 Speaker 1: the towers fell. Their singular and unique a point of view, 190 00:14:47,440 --> 00:14:51,360 Speaker 1: unlike any other documenting a monumental moment in American history. 191 00:14:52,000 --> 00:14:55,040 Speaker 1: There's an ethical debate to be had about which, if any, 192 00:14:55,200 --> 00:14:58,640 Speaker 1: should be published, but that's for a future date because 193 00:14:58,760 --> 00:15:02,600 Speaker 1: so far the FBI has refused to release them. In fact, 194 00:15:02,760 --> 00:15:06,920 Speaker 1: it appears the FBI lost the photos, raising critical questions 195 00:15:07,040 --> 00:15:11,160 Speaker 1: about how the bureau catalog and handled nine eleven evidence. 196 00:15:11,680 --> 00:15:15,840 Speaker 1: Since I filed multiple Foyer requests trying to get the photos, 197 00:15:16,280 --> 00:15:20,560 Speaker 1: every time the same answer no. First, the FBI said 198 00:15:20,560 --> 00:15:23,320 Speaker 1: it couldn't find any responsive records. Then it said that 199 00:15:23,360 --> 00:15:27,000 Speaker 1: I didn't reasonably describe them. I appealed the latest denial. 200 00:15:27,320 --> 00:15:30,320 Speaker 1: The Department of Justice denied my appeal. The d o 201 00:15:30,480 --> 00:15:34,320 Speaker 1: J said my request would quote require the FBI to 202 00:15:34,440 --> 00:15:38,880 Speaker 1: conduct an unreasonably burdensome search. Your request is not reasonably 203 00:15:38,960 --> 00:15:41,840 Speaker 1: described because you did not characterize the record SAW it 204 00:15:41,960 --> 00:15:44,560 Speaker 1: in such a way that they could be located without 205 00:15:44,720 --> 00:15:50,080 Speaker 1: individually pulling and reviewing thousands of files. End quote. That's 206 00:15:50,120 --> 00:15:53,880 Speaker 1: a crop of shit. We're talking about extremely unique, one 207 00:15:53,960 --> 00:15:57,840 Speaker 1: of a kind photos eleven evidence, but the FBI can't 208 00:15:57,880 --> 00:16:01,760 Speaker 1: find them without individually pulling and reviewing thousands of files. 209 00:16:02,520 --> 00:16:06,880 Speaker 1: So two possibilities here. Either the FBI is stonewalling or 210 00:16:07,120 --> 00:16:11,040 Speaker 1: the FBI lost them. Yes, lost. If I ask you 211 00:16:11,160 --> 00:16:13,600 Speaker 1: to find your car keys and you can't locate them 212 00:16:13,680 --> 00:16:16,680 Speaker 1: without digging through a thousand boxes, what would you call that? 213 00:16:18,600 --> 00:16:21,360 Speaker 1: Last year, I got fed up, so I emailed FBI 214 00:16:21,440 --> 00:16:24,520 Speaker 1: Director Christopher Ray. His office bounced me to the Public 215 00:16:24,560 --> 00:16:27,480 Speaker 1: Affairs office, which bounced me back to the FBI's in 216 00:16:27,560 --> 00:16:31,920 Speaker 1: transigent FOIA office. Here's what I wrote. Quote. I'm seeking 217 00:16:32,000 --> 00:16:35,120 Speaker 1: images developed from a disposable camera recovered as part of 218 00:16:35,160 --> 00:16:38,800 Speaker 1: a massive investigation of immense public interest. The images were 219 00:16:38,800 --> 00:16:41,920 Speaker 1: already shown to a reporter. I described them in detail. 220 00:16:42,120 --> 00:16:45,280 Speaker 1: They are extremely unique, and yet the FBI's response is 221 00:16:45,320 --> 00:16:47,800 Speaker 1: that the records SAW are not detailed enough to find 222 00:16:47,840 --> 00:16:51,680 Speaker 1: their location. How is that possible unless I'm missing something, 223 00:16:52,040 --> 00:16:54,040 Speaker 1: and I'm trying to give the bureau a fair chance 224 00:16:54,120 --> 00:16:57,240 Speaker 1: to respond here. I interpret that as either stonewalling my 225 00:16:57,360 --> 00:17:00,560 Speaker 1: request or that the bureaus system for story nine eleven 226 00:17:00,600 --> 00:17:04,440 Speaker 1: evidence is so disorganized it can't locate these images, in 227 00:17:04,560 --> 00:17:08,240 Speaker 1: which case, past these specific photos, this becomes a bigger story. 228 00:17:09,119 --> 00:17:13,280 Speaker 1: The FBI responded, quote, good afternoon. The records are not 229 00:17:13,440 --> 00:17:16,480 Speaker 1: detailed enough to find their location. As such, it would 230 00:17:16,480 --> 00:17:20,560 Speaker 1: be unduly burdensome to pull and review thousands of files, respectfully, 231 00:17:20,800 --> 00:17:26,359 Speaker 1: Public Information Officer, The FBI has consistently been a nightmare 232 00:17:26,400 --> 00:17:29,000 Speaker 1: to work with, and not just in this case. It's 233 00:17:29,040 --> 00:17:33,119 Speaker 1: been sued multiple times over its FOIA practices. Regardless of 234 00:17:33,200 --> 00:17:36,840 Speaker 1: your politics, you should care about this because nobody benefits 235 00:17:36,920 --> 00:17:40,399 Speaker 1: when the nation's premier law enforcement agency decides more or 236 00:17:40,480 --> 00:17:43,040 Speaker 1: less that it doesn't give a shit about FOIA requests. 237 00:17:43,800 --> 00:17:46,880 Speaker 1: To learn more about the disposable camera photos, I wrote 238 00:17:46,920 --> 00:17:49,879 Speaker 1: to Donald sac Laban in two thousand three. He was 239 00:17:49,960 --> 00:17:53,160 Speaker 1: the agent in charge of the FBI's explosives unit. He's 240 00:17:53,240 --> 00:17:55,840 Speaker 1: the person who showed the photos to Laura Sullivan, the 241 00:17:55,880 --> 00:17:59,560 Speaker 1: Baltimore Sun reporter. Sac Laban is now in prison in 242 00:17:59,640 --> 00:18:03,200 Speaker 1: twenty thirteen, he pleaded guilty to both child porn charges 243 00:18:03,440 --> 00:18:06,800 Speaker 1: and to leaking classified information. I mailed him a letter 244 00:18:06,960 --> 00:18:10,840 Speaker 1: in prison. He wrote back, quote, Mr Wallsac, I don't 245 00:18:10,880 --> 00:18:13,080 Speaker 1: think there's much I can add to your information about 246 00:18:13,160 --> 00:18:16,280 Speaker 1: those photos. As best I can recall, the film slash 247 00:18:16,400 --> 00:18:19,520 Speaker 1: camera was found at the w TC site and sent 248 00:18:19,600 --> 00:18:22,040 Speaker 1: to our lab for processing. I mentioned it in the 249 00:18:22,080 --> 00:18:25,520 Speaker 1: Baltimore Sun article, mostly because it was a unique item. 250 00:18:25,800 --> 00:18:28,600 Speaker 1: I do not recall the name of any person associated 251 00:18:28,680 --> 00:18:31,720 Speaker 1: with the camera. There were hundreds of thousands of photos 252 00:18:31,800 --> 00:18:35,520 Speaker 1: related to the nine eleven investigation. I imagine these images 253 00:18:35,560 --> 00:18:38,399 Speaker 1: are tucked away in some storage bin. Good luck with 254 00:18:38,440 --> 00:18:43,840 Speaker 1: your endeavors, sincerely, Donald suck Laban, I wrote again, pushing 255 00:18:43,880 --> 00:18:48,760 Speaker 1: for details. He responded, Dear Mr Wallzac, as you may know, 256 00:18:49,000 --> 00:18:52,600 Speaker 1: I'm currently serving a term of incarceration for disclosure of 257 00:18:52,720 --> 00:18:56,080 Speaker 1: national security information. While the items you seek may not 258 00:18:56,200 --> 00:18:59,399 Speaker 1: be classified, I still do not feel comfortable discussing them. 259 00:18:59,680 --> 00:19:02,280 Speaker 1: I the interview to the Baltimore Sun with the full 260 00:19:02,400 --> 00:19:05,920 Speaker 1: knowledge and authorization of the FBI. I no longer hold 261 00:19:06,000 --> 00:19:10,919 Speaker 1: that authority. Good luck with your endeavors, sincerely, Donald suck Lavin. 262 00:19:12,200 --> 00:19:15,720 Speaker 1: There was one final person to interview the only civilian 263 00:19:15,840 --> 00:19:19,440 Speaker 1: to ever see these photos. I'm Laura Sullivan. I'm a 264 00:19:19,600 --> 00:19:23,399 Speaker 1: correspondent with NPR. I started out as a print reporter 265 00:19:23,920 --> 00:19:26,840 Speaker 1: and one of my first real jobs in journalism was 266 00:19:26,920 --> 00:19:29,200 Speaker 1: as a two year intern at the Baltimore Sun, and 267 00:19:29,359 --> 00:19:31,840 Speaker 1: that turned into a real job at the Baltimore Sun, 268 00:19:32,320 --> 00:19:35,280 Speaker 1: which is where I was on nine eleven. I was 269 00:19:35,320 --> 00:19:39,520 Speaker 1: a reporter in Baltimore. So I was covering. This is 270 00:19:39,560 --> 00:19:42,199 Speaker 1: back in the heyday of newspapers, and we had all 271 00:19:42,280 --> 00:19:45,160 Speaker 1: kinds of resources, and there was actually a beat where 272 00:19:45,240 --> 00:19:48,320 Speaker 1: you covered the National Security Agency in the Naval Academy, 273 00:19:48,400 --> 00:19:51,920 Speaker 1: which were like our local agencies in that area of 274 00:19:52,000 --> 00:19:54,520 Speaker 1: our of the Baltimore Sun readers, and so that was 275 00:19:54,640 --> 00:19:57,639 Speaker 1: my beat, and I remember the morning sort of hearing 276 00:19:57,720 --> 00:20:00,720 Speaker 1: it on the radio. Actually, I mean as print reporters, 277 00:20:00,880 --> 00:20:03,040 Speaker 1: you know, we sort of started day late and ended 278 00:20:03,080 --> 00:20:05,840 Speaker 1: it late, and I remember jumping in my car and 279 00:20:05,880 --> 00:20:08,879 Speaker 1: sort of driving down to Annapolis, not really sure what 280 00:20:09,080 --> 00:20:11,360 Speaker 1: I was going to be covering at all. The next 281 00:20:11,440 --> 00:20:14,040 Speaker 1: day they sent me to Washington and I never left 282 00:20:14,600 --> 00:20:17,800 Speaker 1: after that, And so I started covering the Justice Department, Homeline, 283 00:20:17,800 --> 00:20:22,199 Speaker 1: Security Department, and all kinds of terrorism and the FBI. 284 00:20:22,520 --> 00:20:26,680 Speaker 1: And it was crazy. It was every single day for 285 00:20:26,960 --> 00:20:29,560 Speaker 1: for months and months and months. It just never ended. 286 00:20:30,040 --> 00:20:32,320 Speaker 1: And so you know that brings us to this this article. 287 00:20:32,480 --> 00:20:34,640 Speaker 1: So I email you out of the blue this year 288 00:20:34,680 --> 00:20:36,840 Speaker 1: and I say, I want to talk to you about 289 00:20:36,840 --> 00:20:38,959 Speaker 1: an article you wrote eighteen years ago. Did you kind 290 00:20:39,000 --> 00:20:42,159 Speaker 1: of just wonder like, what what is this? What is this? 291 00:20:42,560 --> 00:20:45,440 Speaker 1: It's like, oh my god, what did I possibly right? 292 00:20:45,600 --> 00:20:49,840 Speaker 1: What did I do? Now? Been some who? I mean, 293 00:20:49,920 --> 00:20:51,960 Speaker 1: you're just you're saying, oh god, it must have I 294 00:20:52,040 --> 00:20:57,720 Speaker 1: must have just done something crazy twenty years ago. So 295 00:20:58,000 --> 00:21:00,960 Speaker 1: on December one, two thousand three, you wrote this article 296 00:21:01,040 --> 00:21:04,520 Speaker 1: for The Sun headlined FBI team puts together pieces from 297 00:21:04,560 --> 00:21:07,400 Speaker 1: scenes of terror bombings. When I asked you about the article, 298 00:21:07,480 --> 00:21:09,200 Speaker 1: did you remember it immediately or did you have to 299 00:21:09,240 --> 00:21:12,520 Speaker 1: go dig around for it? I had a sudden flash 300 00:21:12,960 --> 00:21:19,359 Speaker 1: of being in the FBI's evidence area, and I thought, 301 00:21:19,760 --> 00:21:21,720 Speaker 1: I think there was some sort I did some sort 302 00:21:21,760 --> 00:21:25,040 Speaker 1: of story about the thing that came to my mind 303 00:21:25,119 --> 00:21:29,520 Speaker 1: when you said something about the camera was picturing Mohammed 304 00:21:29,640 --> 00:21:32,520 Speaker 1: addas suitcase. I don't know. I was like, I don't 305 00:21:32,560 --> 00:21:35,359 Speaker 1: really remember this story at all. I'm not sure I 306 00:21:35,440 --> 00:21:37,840 Speaker 1: remember too much about it, but I had a flash 307 00:21:38,119 --> 00:21:40,840 Speaker 1: of Mohammed out as suitcase, and I was like, I 308 00:21:40,920 --> 00:21:42,560 Speaker 1: think there was some sort of story. And then I 309 00:21:42,680 --> 00:21:45,040 Speaker 1: went and looked for it. I couldn't find it. It 310 00:21:45,200 --> 00:21:46,720 Speaker 1: was like I didn't know what the search for. I 311 00:21:46,840 --> 00:21:50,720 Speaker 1: was like Laura Sullivan's son camera, Like it was like 312 00:21:50,840 --> 00:21:53,320 Speaker 1: there was no way to even find the story. So 313 00:21:53,440 --> 00:21:56,800 Speaker 1: then thankfully you sent it to me, So then it 314 00:21:56,880 --> 00:21:59,640 Speaker 1: and then it came sort of rushing back. I don't remember, 315 00:22:00,119 --> 00:22:02,160 Speaker 1: you know, it's like you you just have little pieces. 316 00:22:02,280 --> 00:22:04,440 Speaker 1: You know, you've done thousands of stories, and I just 317 00:22:04,600 --> 00:22:07,880 Speaker 1: have little pieces of that. After I read the story, 318 00:22:07,960 --> 00:22:10,760 Speaker 1: I remember the room, I remember that suitcase. I don't 319 00:22:10,800 --> 00:22:13,040 Speaker 1: know why that left such an impression on me. I 320 00:22:13,119 --> 00:22:15,480 Speaker 1: think because it was like, you know, this it was 321 00:22:15,520 --> 00:22:17,960 Speaker 1: like brand new because I never made it onto the flight, 322 00:22:18,160 --> 00:22:21,240 Speaker 1: and you know, it just was so creepy. Here was 323 00:22:21,400 --> 00:22:25,600 Speaker 1: Mohammadada's suitcase. And then I remember him showing me the photos. 324 00:22:26,080 --> 00:22:28,320 Speaker 1: So walk me into that evidence bay. What was the 325 00:22:28,520 --> 00:22:30,840 Speaker 1: big cavernous warehouse? What? What do you remember of this? 326 00:22:31,040 --> 00:22:33,560 Speaker 1: The weirdest thing is I can't remember where I was 327 00:22:33,760 --> 00:22:36,000 Speaker 1: was I in Virginia. Was I in Maryland. I'm sure 328 00:22:36,040 --> 00:22:37,600 Speaker 1: I didn't get on a plane for this story. They 329 00:22:37,640 --> 00:22:40,640 Speaker 1: would have never paid for that. So it was somewhere 330 00:22:40,680 --> 00:22:44,000 Speaker 1: in the vicinity of d C. And I do remember 331 00:22:44,240 --> 00:22:46,879 Speaker 1: it took a long time to get these sort of 332 00:22:46,960 --> 00:22:49,200 Speaker 1: this sort of access to these interviews. But this was 333 00:22:49,280 --> 00:22:51,960 Speaker 1: my be, you know, covering the FBI. And I was 334 00:22:52,040 --> 00:22:55,000 Speaker 1: always asking to do features, especially when you're sort of 335 00:22:55,080 --> 00:22:57,840 Speaker 1: at the sun. You gotta fight against the big dogs 336 00:22:57,880 --> 00:23:00,239 Speaker 1: at the Times and the Post and and they're right, 337 00:23:00,440 --> 00:23:02,680 Speaker 1: always trampling all over your So the more features you do, 338 00:23:02,840 --> 00:23:04,440 Speaker 1: the more people you get to know. And so I 339 00:23:04,520 --> 00:23:07,320 Speaker 1: was always asking for things like this, And I was 340 00:23:07,320 --> 00:23:09,959 Speaker 1: always like taking random tours of things. Whenever they had 341 00:23:09,960 --> 00:23:12,240 Speaker 1: a tour, I was like, I'll go, and uh, you know, 342 00:23:12,400 --> 00:23:14,680 Speaker 1: blood Drive, I'll go. This is the kind of stuff 343 00:23:14,680 --> 00:23:16,240 Speaker 1: I did a lot of. And I remember it was 344 00:23:16,320 --> 00:23:19,000 Speaker 1: a giant room. It was very clean, and it was 345 00:23:19,119 --> 00:23:22,280 Speaker 1: very gray, that's my memory of it. I remember walking downstairs. 346 00:23:22,720 --> 00:23:26,720 Speaker 1: It was just like concrete and metal and big and 347 00:23:27,160 --> 00:23:32,760 Speaker 1: gray and open. And uh, I barely remember the the 348 00:23:32,840 --> 00:23:36,399 Speaker 1: guy Satchel Ben at all. And he comes across like 349 00:23:36,480 --> 00:23:40,440 Speaker 1: a really great character in my story. Sort of tragic 350 00:23:40,520 --> 00:23:43,600 Speaker 1: the way that ended. But then he just went through 351 00:23:44,240 --> 00:23:46,920 Speaker 1: the stuff. There was just piles of stuff, like like 352 00:23:47,040 --> 00:23:52,000 Speaker 1: plastic tubs, like labeled plastic tubs of stuff that they had, 353 00:23:52,240 --> 00:23:54,520 Speaker 1: which I found riveting, just sort of like the little 354 00:23:54,600 --> 00:23:57,879 Speaker 1: details of the day. And then I remember him showing 355 00:23:57,960 --> 00:24:02,560 Speaker 1: me these photographs, which really struck me. The photographs themselves 356 00:24:03,320 --> 00:24:06,760 Speaker 1: weren't that these were not professional photos. These were just 357 00:24:06,880 --> 00:24:10,320 Speaker 1: sort of like they they weren't in an of them. 358 00:24:10,400 --> 00:24:12,760 Speaker 1: It was like a man in sort of a beige 359 00:24:12,840 --> 00:24:15,639 Speaker 1: outfit standing by a window. That's like my memory of 360 00:24:15,720 --> 00:24:18,840 Speaker 1: these photos. I remember the birthday party thing too, but 361 00:24:19,000 --> 00:24:22,200 Speaker 1: it wasn't like a dramatic photo. It was just sort 362 00:24:22,240 --> 00:24:25,040 Speaker 1: of the emotional pull of them that they were taken 363 00:24:25,280 --> 00:24:29,800 Speaker 1: in this moment of just tragedy. And so I just 364 00:24:30,680 --> 00:24:33,440 Speaker 1: I don't know, they just always they that they resonated 365 00:24:33,520 --> 00:24:37,440 Speaker 1: with me. It's interesting because so I've read this article 366 00:24:37,520 --> 00:24:40,000 Speaker 1: when I was fifteen. I was on a Christmas vacation 367 00:24:40,160 --> 00:24:42,280 Speaker 1: with my family and I saw it in the newspaper. 368 00:24:42,480 --> 00:24:45,239 Speaker 1: I'm so impressed you were reading the newspaper fifteen. Can 369 00:24:45,280 --> 00:24:48,000 Speaker 1: I just say, well, that's what I was gonna say 370 00:24:48,160 --> 00:24:50,120 Speaker 1: it dates me too, because I actually cut it out 371 00:24:50,160 --> 00:24:52,720 Speaker 1: of the paper. Um, I still have it somewhere. And 372 00:24:52,840 --> 00:24:54,960 Speaker 1: then all these years later I had to go figure 373 00:24:55,000 --> 00:24:57,399 Speaker 1: out why I had these three paragraphs like who wrote this? 374 00:24:57,520 --> 00:25:01,040 Speaker 1: Where did this come from? You know? But uh, and 375 00:25:01,119 --> 00:25:03,119 Speaker 1: that that was the light reading I was doing around 376 00:25:03,200 --> 00:25:05,960 Speaker 1: Christmas in two thousand three. I mean, yeah, do you 377 00:25:06,080 --> 00:25:11,480 Speaker 1: were in some kind of a dark place like terrible thing? 378 00:25:14,000 --> 00:25:15,879 Speaker 1: It's stuck with me, I mean it. You know, all 379 00:25:15,960 --> 00:25:18,480 Speaker 1: these years, I've saved that little piece of paper, so 380 00:25:18,520 --> 00:25:20,200 Speaker 1: I wanted to talk to you more or less for 381 00:25:20,280 --> 00:25:22,800 Speaker 1: the last eighteen years. You know what I find so 382 00:25:22,960 --> 00:25:26,000 Speaker 1: frustrating and reading this article now is the sentence that 383 00:25:26,080 --> 00:25:28,600 Speaker 1: I wrote, apparently where I said his family is aware 384 00:25:28,600 --> 00:25:30,960 Speaker 1: of the photos but has not asked to see them. 385 00:25:31,160 --> 00:25:33,840 Speaker 1: I'm like, what, Like, I want to go back and 386 00:25:33,920 --> 00:25:36,040 Speaker 1: inquire more about that. What do you mean they don't 387 00:25:36,040 --> 00:25:38,000 Speaker 1: want to see them? Are you sure you've showed them? 388 00:25:38,040 --> 00:25:40,679 Speaker 1: How you sure you've talked to them? Who was this family? 389 00:25:41,080 --> 00:25:44,600 Speaker 1: I just I'm frustrated with myself that I didn't follow 390 00:25:44,720 --> 00:25:47,000 Speaker 1: up with that a little bit more like, you know, 391 00:25:47,119 --> 00:25:49,800 Speaker 1: I just took his word for when he said, well, well, 392 00:25:50,000 --> 00:25:52,080 Speaker 1: we let the family know that we had these, but 393 00:25:52,200 --> 00:25:53,800 Speaker 1: they have not asked to see that. I don't know. 394 00:25:53,920 --> 00:25:56,760 Speaker 1: I don't know why that. It's something about it doesn't 395 00:25:56,760 --> 00:25:58,959 Speaker 1: sit with me, right. You know, It's interesting all these 396 00:25:59,040 --> 00:26:02,199 Speaker 1: years I had to actually go back and find the articles, 397 00:26:02,240 --> 00:26:04,040 Speaker 1: so I didn't remember who wrote it. I just knew 398 00:26:04,080 --> 00:26:06,200 Speaker 1: I had this little piece of paper that described the 399 00:26:06,520 --> 00:26:09,480 Speaker 1: disposable camera. But I always wondered, like, why didn't this 400 00:26:09,600 --> 00:26:12,960 Speaker 1: reporter follow up? Like it's such a fascinating little tidbit. 401 00:26:13,040 --> 00:26:16,600 Speaker 1: It immediately captivated me. Um so that and then as 402 00:26:16,640 --> 00:26:18,800 Speaker 1: soon as I found out that you wrote the article, 403 00:26:18,920 --> 00:26:20,719 Speaker 1: and I'm like, oh, well, she went on to very 404 00:26:20,760 --> 00:26:24,119 Speaker 1: distinguished career where she had, you know, three three peabodies 405 00:26:24,200 --> 00:26:26,960 Speaker 1: and a lot of serious investigative work. That's why. That's 406 00:26:27,000 --> 00:26:29,240 Speaker 1: why she didn't follow up on the disposable camera. But 407 00:26:29,680 --> 00:26:33,239 Speaker 1: I think because I saw the photos, I think there 408 00:26:33,359 --> 00:26:35,640 Speaker 1: was kind of a sense of like, okay, I've seen them, 409 00:26:36,080 --> 00:26:39,359 Speaker 1: and you know that I remember them not being like 410 00:26:39,720 --> 00:26:44,200 Speaker 1: very The photos themselves were not the thing that was gripping, 411 00:26:44,400 --> 00:26:46,440 Speaker 1: you know. It was literally like a man in a 412 00:26:46,560 --> 00:26:49,159 Speaker 1: construction outfit or in something beige standing in front of 413 00:26:49,160 --> 00:26:51,119 Speaker 1: a window. It wasn't like he was like holding up 414 00:26:51,160 --> 00:26:54,080 Speaker 1: a sign saying goodbye to his family, or you know, 415 00:26:54,200 --> 00:26:56,920 Speaker 1: taking pictures of people huddled in a corner. It wasn't 416 00:26:57,040 --> 00:27:00,560 Speaker 1: like that. There was no there was no drama to 417 00:27:00,840 --> 00:27:03,959 Speaker 1: the actual photographs themselves. It's like he took a picture 418 00:27:04,040 --> 00:27:07,080 Speaker 1: of the building burning across the street. So like when 419 00:27:07,119 --> 00:27:08,960 Speaker 1: you would imagine, I guess you would do if you 420 00:27:09,040 --> 00:27:12,000 Speaker 1: didn't think you were necessarily going to die. But you 421 00:27:12,119 --> 00:27:14,760 Speaker 1: maybe we're getting sense. I don't. I'm just you know, 422 00:27:14,840 --> 00:27:17,760 Speaker 1: I'm just extrapolating like what he might have been thinking, 423 00:27:17,840 --> 00:27:20,800 Speaker 1: Like he had a camera on him, the building, his head, 424 00:27:20,880 --> 00:27:23,399 Speaker 1: he takes some photos and then things turn for the 425 00:27:23,480 --> 00:27:26,040 Speaker 1: worse for him. So maybe for that, I was like, 426 00:27:27,800 --> 00:27:30,840 Speaker 1: it wasn't the photos themselves, but that it captured this 427 00:27:31,000 --> 00:27:34,520 Speaker 1: moment that was his last moments that he didn't really 428 00:27:34,600 --> 00:27:37,120 Speaker 1: know when he was taking the photos were his last moments. 429 00:27:37,520 --> 00:27:40,320 Speaker 1: It's interesting though, because you say it doesn't capture anything dramatic, 430 00:27:40,400 --> 00:27:42,800 Speaker 1: but it's a high level view of one of the 431 00:27:42,880 --> 00:27:45,320 Speaker 1: towers burning, and you wrote in the article that it 432 00:27:45,359 --> 00:27:48,119 Speaker 1: also shows people falling out of the towers. So and 433 00:27:48,240 --> 00:27:52,680 Speaker 1: I don't remember that as well. But yeah, that's what 434 00:27:52,880 --> 00:27:55,879 Speaker 1: I must have seen, and they captured other jumpers falling. 435 00:27:55,960 --> 00:27:59,040 Speaker 1: He must have been taking a picture of the maybe 436 00:27:59,200 --> 00:28:02,359 Speaker 1: the jumpers and other building, or the jumpers in his 437 00:28:02,480 --> 00:28:06,080 Speaker 1: building falling. It's interesting because obviously I've told you I've 438 00:28:06,080 --> 00:28:09,360 Speaker 1: tried to obtain the photos for literally eleven eleven years now. 439 00:28:10,080 --> 00:28:12,280 Speaker 1: But even if obviously if I got them, I wouldn't 440 00:28:12,320 --> 00:28:16,040 Speaker 1: just immediately published some there's obviously a huge ethical question 441 00:28:16,119 --> 00:28:18,679 Speaker 1: of what to publish. But since I haven't seen them, 442 00:28:18,880 --> 00:28:21,760 Speaker 1: as far as I know, you're the only civilian who's 443 00:28:21,800 --> 00:28:24,560 Speaker 1: ever seen the photos. And I'll also tell you that 444 00:28:25,200 --> 00:28:29,440 Speaker 1: literally nobody knows they exist. So your article came out 445 00:28:29,880 --> 00:28:31,840 Speaker 1: at an interesting moment because it's right at the dawn 446 00:28:31,880 --> 00:28:34,800 Speaker 1: of social media and it's very hard to see that 447 00:28:35,000 --> 00:28:38,400 Speaker 1: detail escaping people today. But at the time, you know, 448 00:28:38,520 --> 00:28:41,160 Speaker 1: nobody remembers this article. You couldn't even find it, like 449 00:28:41,240 --> 00:28:43,200 Speaker 1: I had to go digging for it. And so like 450 00:28:43,280 --> 00:28:45,840 Speaker 1: I've interviewed Kevin Flynn, who co wrote a hundred in 451 00:28:45,880 --> 00:28:48,360 Speaker 1: two minutes, I interviewed the chief curator of the nine 452 00:28:48,400 --> 00:28:52,240 Speaker 1: eleven Museum. I've talked to authors zero people that I've 453 00:28:52,240 --> 00:28:55,840 Speaker 1: talked to are aware of these photos. And from my perspective, 454 00:28:55,920 --> 00:28:58,680 Speaker 1: what part of why it captivated me is because so 455 00:28:58,880 --> 00:29:01,920 Speaker 1: few photos and videos were captured in the towers on 456 00:29:02,000 --> 00:29:05,680 Speaker 1: nine eleven, that because it was this turning point in technology. 457 00:29:06,120 --> 00:29:08,360 Speaker 1: I actually went through and found every single photo and 458 00:29:08,520 --> 00:29:12,200 Speaker 1: video that I could, including confirmed, confirmed and unconfirmed photos 459 00:29:12,240 --> 00:29:14,160 Speaker 1: and videos, and it was less than fifty I think 460 00:29:14,160 --> 00:29:16,920 Speaker 1: it was forty nine. So these are are really presumably 461 00:29:17,200 --> 00:29:20,320 Speaker 1: you know, he died, so presumably taken above the point 462 00:29:20,360 --> 00:29:23,320 Speaker 1: of impact. So these are really unique view of a 463 00:29:23,400 --> 00:29:26,840 Speaker 1: monumental moment in American history that we've never seen before. 464 00:29:27,000 --> 00:29:30,320 Speaker 1: Taken high up in the towers. There's there's nothing like them. Um. 465 00:29:30,400 --> 00:29:33,280 Speaker 1: And I think when I read that, I mean, you've 466 00:29:33,320 --> 00:29:36,120 Speaker 1: seen the photos. But I think that when people learn 467 00:29:36,160 --> 00:29:38,400 Speaker 1: about these photos again, there's just going to be this 468 00:29:38,600 --> 00:29:41,920 Speaker 1: really strong, I don't want to say morbid curiosity, because 469 00:29:41,960 --> 00:29:44,959 Speaker 1: it's beyond it's beyond that, because it's such a different 470 00:29:45,240 --> 00:29:47,880 Speaker 1: point of view of history. What else do you remember 471 00:29:47,880 --> 00:29:50,520 Speaker 1: about them? That they were that I did not know 472 00:29:50,640 --> 00:29:52,920 Speaker 1: who it was, and he did not tell me, and 473 00:29:53,040 --> 00:29:55,880 Speaker 1: I already knew that I was like in a special 474 00:29:56,000 --> 00:29:58,880 Speaker 1: space and there was only so much I could push. 475 00:29:59,400 --> 00:30:03,280 Speaker 1: I definitely never knew who this camera belonged to, or 476 00:30:03,360 --> 00:30:05,360 Speaker 1: who or who or even who took the photo. I mean, 477 00:30:05,400 --> 00:30:08,240 Speaker 1: who you know? Is the birthday party the same thing. 478 00:30:08,680 --> 00:30:11,680 Speaker 1: There wasn't like a lot of clarity, and there wasn't 479 00:30:11,760 --> 00:30:13,720 Speaker 1: and there was still a real sense, I mean, this 480 00:30:13,840 --> 00:30:16,080 Speaker 1: was just two years after. There was a real sense 481 00:30:16,160 --> 00:30:18,720 Speaker 1: that this stuff was very private, that this belonged to 482 00:30:19,520 --> 00:30:23,120 Speaker 1: the grieving families of the victims, and that it was 483 00:30:23,240 --> 00:30:25,920 Speaker 1: not to be chased down, or that I was not 484 00:30:25,960 --> 00:30:28,160 Speaker 1: supposed to go knock on someone's door and say, why 485 00:30:28,200 --> 00:30:29,959 Speaker 1: don't you want to see these photos? Or did they 486 00:30:30,000 --> 00:30:32,440 Speaker 1: even know? Do you know these photos? It was like 487 00:30:32,480 --> 00:30:34,200 Speaker 1: I was lucky to be there in the first place, 488 00:30:34,760 --> 00:30:38,920 Speaker 1: looking at the toothbrushes of the hijackers. I mean, I mean, 489 00:30:38,960 --> 00:30:40,800 Speaker 1: where are the toothbrushes? I guess I you know. And 490 00:30:40,880 --> 00:30:43,920 Speaker 1: it's part of this doesn't surprise me at all, by 491 00:30:43,960 --> 00:30:47,040 Speaker 1: the way, because I'm working on this story that this 492 00:30:47,400 --> 00:30:51,400 Speaker 1: is not. That's about nine eleven, and the FBI cannot 493 00:30:51,480 --> 00:30:56,360 Speaker 1: find the only known video of the nine eleven hijackers 494 00:30:56,480 --> 00:30:59,479 Speaker 1: at an apartment party in the Los Angeles about nine 495 00:30:59,520 --> 00:31:02,520 Speaker 1: months before the attack. It is the only known video 496 00:31:02,800 --> 00:31:05,720 Speaker 1: of the hijackers. Multiple people saw it from the nine 497 00:31:05,760 --> 00:31:09,080 Speaker 1: eleven Commission, and they have lost it. They have lost 498 00:31:09,200 --> 00:31:13,080 Speaker 1: let me repeat this. They have lost the only video 499 00:31:13,880 --> 00:31:17,480 Speaker 1: of Hamsey and Midhar who win Los Angeles before the attacks. 500 00:31:18,120 --> 00:31:21,080 Speaker 1: And they no longer have any idea where this video is. 501 00:31:21,200 --> 00:31:25,080 Speaker 1: This video existed, it's it's it's in a footnote of 502 00:31:25,160 --> 00:31:27,880 Speaker 1: the nine eleven Commission. The nine eleven Commission. People saw it. 503 00:31:28,680 --> 00:31:31,920 Speaker 1: It was a real thing, and it is totally gone. 504 00:31:32,360 --> 00:31:34,600 Speaker 1: They have no idea where this thing is. I don't 505 00:31:34,640 --> 00:31:38,400 Speaker 1: know how you lose, like I mean, there's a lot 506 00:31:38,400 --> 00:31:40,520 Speaker 1: of evidence from this, I'll give them that, But like 507 00:31:41,320 --> 00:31:45,120 Speaker 1: disposable camera, they lost the video of the hijackers before 508 00:31:45,200 --> 00:31:48,680 Speaker 1: the attacks. So I don't know where this stuff goes. 509 00:31:48,880 --> 00:31:51,040 Speaker 1: I mean, I actually I do after all these years 510 00:31:51,120 --> 00:31:55,960 Speaker 1: of covering law enforcement, that somebody needs it for something else, 511 00:31:56,120 --> 00:31:58,120 Speaker 1: and then they put it in a different box, and 512 00:31:58,200 --> 00:32:00,240 Speaker 1: then somebody takes it home because they want to review 513 00:32:00,280 --> 00:32:03,000 Speaker 1: the evidence, and now it's in somebody's basement, and then 514 00:32:03,520 --> 00:32:07,680 Speaker 1: somebody dies and then they send it out to junk 515 00:32:07,800 --> 00:32:11,200 Speaker 1: or whatever. That's what happens to this stuff. It's interesting 516 00:32:11,280 --> 00:32:13,320 Speaker 1: because that's the other big issue here. So part of this, 517 00:32:13,520 --> 00:32:16,720 Speaker 1: part of what interests me is obviously the images themselves. 518 00:32:16,800 --> 00:32:19,120 Speaker 1: But yeah, I thought the same thing. I mean, I 519 00:32:19,160 --> 00:32:21,600 Speaker 1: didn't know that about the video obviously. That's that's that's 520 00:32:21,680 --> 00:32:24,160 Speaker 1: kind of incredible because I already scripted this episode. This 521 00:32:24,320 --> 00:32:26,240 Speaker 1: is the last piece of it before we put it together, 522 00:32:26,680 --> 00:32:28,600 Speaker 1: and that that's something that I raised. Two is just 523 00:32:29,240 --> 00:32:31,760 Speaker 1: how is this evidence stored? How is it cataloged? Like 524 00:32:32,120 --> 00:32:33,800 Speaker 1: I didn't know. I didn't know that about the video. 525 00:32:33,920 --> 00:32:36,480 Speaker 1: But even these images that I've always gotten to know 526 00:32:36,600 --> 00:32:38,880 Speaker 1: when I filed for a requests, which you know from 527 00:32:38,920 --> 00:32:42,520 Speaker 1: the FBI, doesn't surprise me. But uh, but the different 528 00:32:42,560 --> 00:32:45,640 Speaker 1: excuses every time, and the most recent was we wouldn't 529 00:32:45,640 --> 00:32:49,200 Speaker 1: be able to locate these without manually sorting through thousands 530 00:32:49,240 --> 00:32:52,760 Speaker 1: of files and thousands of boxes. And I hesitated to 531 00:32:52,880 --> 00:32:55,840 Speaker 1: use at first the word lost. But it's like I 532 00:32:56,000 --> 00:32:58,240 Speaker 1: I joke in the show, like if if I ask you, 533 00:32:58,840 --> 00:33:01,080 Speaker 1: you know, where are your car keys and you say, well, 534 00:33:01,160 --> 00:33:03,040 Speaker 1: I'm going to go search through three thousand boxes to 535 00:33:03,080 --> 00:33:06,480 Speaker 1: find them, like you lost them, They've got a lost. Well, 536 00:33:06,520 --> 00:33:10,000 Speaker 1: the other thing is those three thousand photographs. It's been 537 00:33:10,040 --> 00:33:13,520 Speaker 1: twenty years. They belong to the American public. These things 538 00:33:13,560 --> 00:33:18,200 Speaker 1: should be accessible, foilable, and open to public viewing. At 539 00:33:18,240 --> 00:33:21,200 Speaker 1: this point, there's not a lot of secrets that need 540 00:33:21,280 --> 00:33:24,760 Speaker 1: to be kept after nine eleven. And I guess I'm 541 00:33:24,960 --> 00:33:28,840 Speaker 1: obviously a journalist, but I just feel that this belongs 542 00:33:28,880 --> 00:33:32,080 Speaker 1: in the public sphere. And if there are thousands of 543 00:33:32,160 --> 00:33:35,640 Speaker 1: photographs from nine eleven, then we should be able to 544 00:33:35,720 --> 00:33:38,160 Speaker 1: see them and and people should be able to review 545 00:33:38,240 --> 00:33:40,400 Speaker 1: them for just this reason, so that we can track 546 00:33:40,440 --> 00:33:43,400 Speaker 1: down exactly what happened that day and what that experience 547 00:33:43,480 --> 00:33:46,680 Speaker 1: is was like, so that we don't forget it. Yeah. Absolutely, 548 00:33:46,720 --> 00:33:49,560 Speaker 1: And beyond these photos specifically, there's still so many unanswered 549 00:33:49,640 --> 00:33:53,360 Speaker 1: questions obviously about the hijackers, about possible foreign ties to 550 00:33:53,760 --> 00:33:56,640 Speaker 1: Saudi Arabia, about I was looking at the timeline of 551 00:33:56,800 --> 00:33:59,520 Speaker 1: the hijackers recently. I was just in Portland, Maine a 552 00:33:59,560 --> 00:34:02,680 Speaker 1: few months ago, and I've drove by the motel where 553 00:34:02,720 --> 00:34:05,920 Speaker 1: they stayed on September ten, and and and there's just 554 00:34:06,080 --> 00:34:07,800 Speaker 1: you know, there's still the quote, why were they in Portland? 555 00:34:07,880 --> 00:34:10,719 Speaker 1: Like there are auto was in Portland. There's so many 556 00:34:10,800 --> 00:34:15,520 Speaker 1: unanswered questions, Um, I agree with you. I'm working on 557 00:34:15,640 --> 00:34:20,200 Speaker 1: that right now. Well, I guess I'll ask you in 558 00:34:20,400 --> 00:34:22,920 Speaker 1: terms of the FBI. Obviously you have much more experience 559 00:34:23,040 --> 00:34:25,080 Speaker 1: working with this kind of stuff than I do, and 560 00:34:25,239 --> 00:34:27,120 Speaker 1: I want to be fair to the FBI. Am I 561 00:34:27,200 --> 00:34:29,480 Speaker 1: missing something or like I I? Like I said, I 562 00:34:29,560 --> 00:34:31,920 Speaker 1: hesitated to use the word lost, but I've tried for 563 00:34:32,000 --> 00:34:34,719 Speaker 1: eleven years and they've thrown a million different excuses at me, 564 00:34:34,760 --> 00:34:37,040 Speaker 1: and it just by their own admission, they can't find 565 00:34:37,120 --> 00:34:39,279 Speaker 1: these these images and you're telling me they can also 566 00:34:39,360 --> 00:34:41,800 Speaker 1: find a video that was cited in the nine eleven report. 567 00:34:42,800 --> 00:34:44,640 Speaker 1: Is there something I'm missing or is It's just like, 568 00:34:44,800 --> 00:34:46,600 Speaker 1: is there a Do you think that there's a bigger 569 00:34:47,000 --> 00:34:50,600 Speaker 1: systemic problem with how nine eleven evidence was cataloged and handled? 570 00:34:50,800 --> 00:34:53,160 Speaker 1: I think that's an excellent question, and I mean I do. 571 00:34:53,400 --> 00:34:55,879 Speaker 1: I wish I knew the answer to it. I'd say 572 00:34:56,320 --> 00:34:59,520 Speaker 1: the fact that there isn't just a very clear outline 573 00:34:59,560 --> 00:35:02,399 Speaker 1: of what there is and where it exists, then yeah, 574 00:35:02,520 --> 00:35:06,880 Speaker 1: there's a problem with how this evidence was handled over time. 575 00:35:07,239 --> 00:35:10,359 Speaker 1: It was a sprawling investigation. This was the largest investigation 576 00:35:10,440 --> 00:35:16,200 Speaker 1: and FBI history, and it's warehouses full of stuff. But 577 00:35:17,160 --> 00:35:19,800 Speaker 1: there's really no excuse for not knowing at this point 578 00:35:20,000 --> 00:35:22,839 Speaker 1: exactly what you have, where it is, and what it means. 579 00:35:23,640 --> 00:35:26,920 Speaker 1: So I'm sure you know the years that I've covered them. 580 00:35:27,120 --> 00:35:30,000 Speaker 1: This is a budget issue, this is a resources issue. 581 00:35:30,040 --> 00:35:33,000 Speaker 1: It takes people, take space, it takes you know, you've 582 00:35:33,000 --> 00:35:36,239 Speaker 1: got to rent these things, and there's sometimes there's not 583 00:35:36,320 --> 00:35:38,839 Speaker 1: always a will to keep all of that. And then 584 00:35:38,880 --> 00:35:40,600 Speaker 1: you also have to have somebody, I mean, you basically 585 00:35:40,680 --> 00:35:43,000 Speaker 1: need a library of people to organize it all and 586 00:35:43,080 --> 00:35:45,839 Speaker 1: put it into some kind of form that people can 587 00:35:46,080 --> 00:35:49,160 Speaker 1: can find it. But what I think is somewhat it's 588 00:35:49,280 --> 00:35:52,560 Speaker 1: very hard for them to defend is why there aren't copies. 589 00:35:52,680 --> 00:35:54,879 Speaker 1: There should have been copies of these photos. There should 590 00:35:54,880 --> 00:35:57,120 Speaker 1: have been copies of these video of the video, and 591 00:35:58,239 --> 00:36:01,600 Speaker 1: that I don't understand at all. Are you still trying 592 00:36:01,640 --> 00:36:05,160 Speaker 1: to obtain or find the video? Yeah, it's gone though, 593 00:36:05,239 --> 00:36:09,239 Speaker 1: it's gone, like they've pretty much acknowledged a and then 594 00:36:09,360 --> 00:36:11,560 Speaker 1: then the legal case that they're in right now that 595 00:36:11,640 --> 00:36:17,480 Speaker 1: they can't find it. Huh, Okay, Well, these photos in particular, 596 00:36:17,640 --> 00:36:20,360 Speaker 1: you know, like I said, nobody that I've talked to 597 00:36:21,360 --> 00:36:24,560 Speaker 1: knows about them. And from the point of history. I 598 00:36:24,920 --> 00:36:26,680 Speaker 1: guess I would ask you, would you want to see 599 00:36:26,719 --> 00:36:28,360 Speaker 1: them again if you had, if you had the opportunity, 600 00:36:28,360 --> 00:36:32,480 Speaker 1: I'm assuming the answer is yes, Yes, I definitely would 601 00:36:32,560 --> 00:36:34,480 Speaker 1: like to see them again, and I think the rest 602 00:36:34,520 --> 00:36:37,760 Speaker 1: of the public should see them too. I just hope 603 00:36:38,080 --> 00:36:41,080 Speaker 1: that all of this evidence is somewhere, you know. I 604 00:36:41,160 --> 00:36:44,239 Speaker 1: hope these photos and I hope their toothbrushes, and I 605 00:36:44,320 --> 00:36:47,600 Speaker 1: hope all of it has been kept somewhere, because while 606 00:36:47,640 --> 00:36:50,799 Speaker 1: it feels like it's just like a macabre like kind 607 00:36:50,880 --> 00:36:55,399 Speaker 1: of look into a tragedy that caused so much pain 608 00:36:55,600 --> 00:36:59,080 Speaker 1: to somebody, and it feels like you're just like stuck 609 00:36:59,120 --> 00:37:02,759 Speaker 1: in the details, it's in the details that that all 610 00:37:02,840 --> 00:37:06,000 Speaker 1: the information is. It's like I think, over time and 611 00:37:06,080 --> 00:37:08,799 Speaker 1: over the decades that passed like nine o leven will 612 00:37:08,840 --> 00:37:11,960 Speaker 1: become just this thing that happened in history, and it 613 00:37:12,360 --> 00:37:14,359 Speaker 1: you know, it's gonna end up like kids are gonna 614 00:37:14,400 --> 00:37:17,320 Speaker 1: watch it and you know, oversimplified years from now, and 615 00:37:17,400 --> 00:37:20,000 Speaker 1: it's just going to become this kind of this moment 616 00:37:20,160 --> 00:37:22,879 Speaker 1: that that isn't real anymore, and there's something in these 617 00:37:22,960 --> 00:37:27,200 Speaker 1: details and and actually looking at the belongings of the 618 00:37:27,239 --> 00:37:30,480 Speaker 1: hijackers and the belongings of the victims on that day 619 00:37:30,640 --> 00:37:33,880 Speaker 1: that make it real and that make people understand that 620 00:37:34,040 --> 00:37:37,200 Speaker 1: this was this horrific thing that our country endured and 621 00:37:37,360 --> 00:37:41,439 Speaker 1: is still dealing with twenty years later. And that's why 622 00:37:42,320 --> 00:37:44,759 Speaker 1: all of these things are so important, and we can't 623 00:37:44,920 --> 00:37:47,399 Speaker 1: lose them, and we need to make sure that they're 624 00:37:47,400 --> 00:37:50,160 Speaker 1: available so that people can see them because it brings 625 00:37:50,200 --> 00:37:57,040 Speaker 1: you back in such a real way. Homework one. If 626 00:37:57,080 --> 00:37:59,640 Speaker 1: you know the name of the Bloomberg photographer who left 627 00:37:59,680 --> 00:38:02,160 Speaker 1: window us on the world right before the attacks began, 628 00:38:02,440 --> 00:38:05,879 Speaker 1: please contact us too. If you work on the hill, 629 00:38:06,120 --> 00:38:09,439 Speaker 1: if you're a reporter, or if you're concerned citizen, fight 630 00:38:09,520 --> 00:38:12,640 Speaker 1: for Fourier reform, especially as it pertains to the FBI. 631 00:38:13,160 --> 00:38:16,240 Speaker 1: The bureau should be more transparent. It shouldn't be allowed 632 00:38:16,280 --> 00:38:19,840 Speaker 1: to indiscriminately trample over foil law with that bid excuses. 633 00:38:20,400 --> 00:38:23,280 Speaker 1: And if you're a National security or d o J reporter, 634 00:38:23,719 --> 00:38:27,560 Speaker 1: ask the FBI about how it handled catalog and stored 635 00:38:27,719 --> 00:38:31,280 Speaker 1: nine eleven evidence about why it can't locate specific unique 636 00:38:31,320 --> 00:38:35,800 Speaker 1: photos evidence without manually sorting through thousands of files. You 637 00:38:35,840 --> 00:38:38,160 Speaker 1: can reach us by phone at one eight three three 638 00:38:38,440 --> 00:38:42,040 Speaker 1: New tips that's one eight three three six, three, nine, 639 00:38:42,320 --> 00:38:47,000 Speaker 1: eight four seven seven again one eight three, three, six, three, nine, 640 00:38:47,320 --> 00:38:50,040 Speaker 1: eight four seven seven, or you can reach us via 641 00:38:50,120 --> 00:38:53,520 Speaker 1: email at tips at iHeart media dot com. That's tips, 642 00:38:53,760 --> 00:38:57,080 Speaker 1: t I p s at iHeart media dot com. Also, 643 00:38:57,320 --> 00:39:00,960 Speaker 1: we obtained unique, unpublished nine eleven an audio, which we 644 00:39:01,080 --> 00:39:03,399 Speaker 1: plan to share with you soon, so keep an eye 645 00:39:03,440 --> 00:39:06,959 Speaker 1: on our feed. Ben Bolan is our executive producer, Paul 646 00:39:07,000 --> 00:39:10,760 Speaker 1: Decan is our supervising producer, Chris Brown is our assistant producer, 647 00:39:11,080 --> 00:39:14,279 Speaker 1: Seth Nicholas Johnson is our producer. Sam Ti Garden is 648 00:39:14,280 --> 00:39:17,600 Speaker 1: our research assistant, and I'm your host and executive producer 649 00:39:17,800 --> 00:39:22,080 Speaker 1: John Waalzac. Cover art by Pam Peacock, Donald Sockleman, voiced 650 00:39:22,160 --> 00:39:25,000 Speaker 1: by Ben Boland. Special thanks to Tamika Campbell at I 651 00:39:25,120 --> 00:39:28,080 Speaker 1: Heeart and to Christoph Zapary in New Orleans. Also thank 652 00:39:28,120 --> 00:39:31,640 Speaker 1: you to Ben Chia, Kevin Flynn, Laura Sullivan, and ASoP Rock. 653 00:39:32,040 --> 00:39:35,320 Speaker 1: I highly recommend Kevin's book one hundred and two Minutes, 654 00:39:35,560 --> 00:39:38,520 Speaker 1: The Unforgettable Story of the Fight to Survive Inside the 655 00:39:38,560 --> 00:39:42,319 Speaker 1: Twin Towers. Original theme music by ASoP Rock. Check out 656 00:39:42,320 --> 00:39:45,239 Speaker 1: a SOOPS website at ASoP rock dot com. If you 657 00:39:45,360 --> 00:39:48,360 Speaker 1: like this show, check out our first season, Missig in Alaska, 658 00:39:48,640 --> 00:39:52,240 Speaker 1: about the nineteen seventy two disappearance of two congressmen missing 659 00:39:52,280 --> 00:39:54,359 Speaker 1: on nine eleven. Is a co production of I Heart 660 00:39:54,440 --> 00:39:55,920 Speaker 1: Radio and Greenfork Media