It all reminds you of a Vegas boxing match. "In this corner, the mother of the missing baby, who keeps changing her story, who doesn't look or act desperate enough, Deborah Bradley!" Faint applause from the cheap seats with boos and sneers from the those at ring side.
"And in this corner, the attorney who shows up only on network TV, from New York and Itally, who doesn't always have his script accurate, Joooooooooe Tacopina!"
And the show continues.
The parents of missing Baby Lisa Irwin, Deborah Bradley and Jeremy Irwin, were on The Today Show this morning. We were all curious rubber necks waiting and watching what made this news worthy. In speaking with local reporters in Kansas City, the timing couldn't be worse. Their attention is focused more on the one year anniversary of the devastating Joplin, Missouri, tornado and the President's appearance at a local high school commencement there tonight.
Now, the parents are saying that Jeremy's debit card information was stolen back in November and the card was used to make a $69 purchase on a website that changes names. But, the site now belongs to a stationery company who claims not to know what they are talking about.
Folks, this is not new news. I knew about this back in December 2011. Remember when Kansas City figure head attorney John Picerno went on the Fox News Channel and claimed there was a new tip. This is that tip. I was told that Jeremy's banker shared the information with him and Jeremy, in turn, contacted the FBI.
So, they are just now bringing it to public attention some six months later. Why have they held this "card" up their sleeve?
Further, if law enforcement has been given this information and they know the site where the card was allegedly used, they should also know where an order for a new ID shipped, if it occurred?
And why would you change the name of an infant and leave a paper trail? Why not get a whole new birth certificate with a new name and date of birth?
The optimists, or Deborah-huggers, would say today's appearance is to keep Lisa's name out there. Really? If that were the case, wouldn't she be annoying law enforcement on a daily basis, out combing the streets doing just that?
In my opinion, this does not appear to be anything at all. Watching The Today Show interview today is five minutes of my life I will not get back.
During today's interview in New York, family attorney Joe Tacopina again brought up the alleged phone call from Deborah's phone to that of Megan Wright's phone the night Lisa was last seen. He mentioned that Megan was the "on-again, off-again" girlfriend of who he called "Jersey Joe". Who the hell is "Jersey Joe"? Come on, Tacopina. Either keep up with this case like the rest of us or get briefed before you go on the air. Tacopina, you are Joe. The alleged person of interest you speak of is Jersey or John Tanko.
In the segment this morning on NBC, it was referenced that a neighbor saw a man with a baby early that morning. Prior to discontinuing active work on this case a few months back, I was told that this neighbor was no longer convinced that was "Jersey" and may have just been caught up in the hype.
Ann Curry, the Today host in this morning's interview, pointed out that Deborah was crying while the "set-up" piece ran summarizing the case's story. As the camera cut to Bradley, she was misty. In the five hours I spent with Bradley, the only time I saw her cry was when she complained about what people were saying about her on Facebook and admitting she was using aliases to be a part of it.
Which is this? Is it Munchausen or narcissism?
