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Rae Carruth's Mother Vows to Continue to Fight for Son's Freedom

Aired January 22, 2001 - 1:15 p.m. ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

LOU WATERS, CNN ANCHOR: We are going to join Nick Charles, in Charlotte, who joins us now with the latest on the Rae Carruth murder trial and sentencing.

NICK CHARLES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Lou, Rae Carruth was sentenced to 18 years minimum, 24 years maximum in jail without parole.

I am with the mother of Rae Carruth, Theodry Carruth.

Theodry, your emotions right now, your son is going to be in jail for the next quarter century, if Judge Lamm's sentencing sticks and the appeal doesn't go through. His life was spared. How do you feel?

THEODRY CARRUTH, RAE CARRUTH'S MOTHER: Well, first of all, I would like to thank God for his life being spared and, as I told you earlier, if God can spare his life, he can overturn those three other charges on Rae. I don't believe that my son will spend 18 years in prison.

CHARLES: From a legal perspective, then, you plan on fighting for your son's freedom?

CARRUTH: That is correct. We will appeal the decision. I think that we're sitting in a pretty good position for that to be granted. I know that God is not going to let my son spend 18 years in prison for something he didn't do.

CHARLES: What was the truth here? The just said, this wasn't a compromised verdict...

CARRUTH: It would a compromised verdict. I think what they did was they tried to please me. They knew I didn't want to lose my son. So they gave me my son. But they also gave the Adams family a victory, so to speak. He was convicted of something, you know.

CHARLES: How surprised were you that friends of your son, Michael Kennedy for one, an acquaintance, the mother of your son's child, Michelle Wright (ph); Amber Turner (ph), former girlfriend of Rae; and also Candace Smith (ph) all turned against Rae Carruth.

CARRUTH: OK, if you understand, look how long ago they gave their first statements. He is great guy. It fit. It fit his personality. Then you have to wonder, what happened six months ago? What happens during the course of a year? Who talked to them? and who persuaded them to change their testimonies? Candace Smith got in court and said, I lied twice. Michael Kennedy said, I lied twice. Michelle told everybody what a wonderful father he is, which he is. I think she was insulted when one of the Panthers got on the stand and say that little Rae didn't even have his own bedroom, and that Rae was concerned about the child support that he was sending her.

That, you know, given all that I don't feel that that was a reason for her to turncoat on Rae. That is my grandson's father. And she is my grandbaby's mother. And regardless to what comes or goes, nothing will change in that.

CHARLES: What did Rae say to you after the sentencing? I know you have spent time with him. You visited him. You spoke on the phone. What is his attitude? And what are his emotions now?

CARRUTH: Rae is very hopeful. Dave is hopeful. I'm hopeful. We are going to continue in prayer. And Rae too believes that he is not going to spend all that time in jail.

CHARLES: And finally, what would you say to the victim's family?

CARRUTH: I would say to the victim's family, truthfully, in their hearts, and I really want them to search their hearts, my son didn't do this. My son didn't pull the trigger. You don't have somebody kill your daughter on credit. There was never any money exchanged. You know, I think that the police officer invented that, and it just grew about Rae shooting Cherica, which we knew that she didn't.

But whatever comes or goes, that is my grandbaby, that is their grandbaby. And we are going to have to come to some neutral ground about that.

CHARLES: Theodry Carruth, the mother of Rae Carruth, will continue to fight for her son's freedom.

That is it, Lou, from Charlotte.

WATERS: OK, Nick Charles.

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