What do the networks consider vital information for their viewers? ABC, NBC and CBS again on Thursday offered the latest about the "firestorm" engulfing the National Football League. Yet, these same outlets have ignored a shocking act of domestic terrorism within the United States. Ali Muhammad Brown allegedly murdered 19-year-old Brendan Tevlin on June 25th. According to CNN, he told police: "My mission is vengeance for the lives, millions of lives are lost every day. Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, all these places where innocent lives with being taken every single day." [MP3 audio here.]
He chillingly added, "So, a life for a life." Brown apparently gunned down Tevlin in New Jersey, shooting the college student multiple times. ABC, CBS and NBC have, thus far, not uttered a word on this act of terrorism. What have they been covering instead? In addition to obsessing over the NFL, Good Morning America devoted a minute and a half on Thursday to Prince Harry's birthday party and how raucous it would be. CBS This Morning offered four and half minutes to Madam Secretary, a new show about a female Secretary of State (airing, naturally, on CBS).
NBC's Today allowed four minutes on how to "sick-proof your home from germs."
Instead of covering such frivolous topics, the three networks could have followed their cable colleagues. Although MSNBC has unsurprisingly avoided the Tevlin murder, CNN and Fox News have been covering it regularly.
On Monday's CNN Tonight, Pamela Brown recounted the shocking details:
PAMELA BROWN: Police say the man seen here in handcuffs is 29-year-old Ali Muhammad Brown, the prime suspect in a killing spree stretching from New Jersey to Washington State, one allegedly motivated by his hatred of U.S. foreign policy. Brown's alleged victims, all adult males with no known connection to him. Police say between April and June of this year, he killed three people in Washington State, allegedly shooting them late at night in quiet locations, execution-style. A few weeks later in New Jersey, 19-year-old college student Brendan Tevlin was found dead inside his SUV from multiple gunshot wounds.
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BROWN: Brown allegedly telling police, "My mission is vengeance for the lives, millions of lives are lost every day. Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, all these places where innocent lives with being taken every single day. So a life for a life."
Brown allegedly killed three other people in Washington State. On Wednesday's On the Record, Greta Van Susteren spoke to Tevlin's grief-stricken parents.
Instead of investigating this story, Today's Matt Lauer on Thursday fretted about football, trumpeting: "New Day, new scandal. Yet another NFL player involved in a domestic abuse case." ABC's Good Morning America looked at the NFL "firestorm."
A transcript of the September 15 CNN Tonight segment can be found below:
ALISYN CAMEROTA: Listen to this story. A man accused of a killing spree that targeted strangers across the country says he was avenging Muslim deaths in the Middle East. So why aren't prosecutors calling him a terrorist? CNN's Pamela Brown has more.
PAMELA BROWN: Police say the man seen here in handcuffs is 29-year-old Ali Muhammad Brown, the prime suspect in a killing spree stretching from New Jersey to Washington State, one allegedly motivated by his hatred of U.S. foreign policy. Brown's alleged victims, all adult males with no known connection to him.
Police say between April and June of this year, he killed three people in Washington State, allegedly shooting them late at night in quiet locations, execution-style. A few weeks later in New Jersey, 19-year-old college student Brendan Tevlin was found dead inside his SUV from multiple gunshot wounds.REV. BRIAN NEEDLES: When you bury somebody like that, 19 years old, we don't have any answers.
BROWN: Police say they traced the gun used in all of the killings to Brown. Court documents show he confessed and told investigators he strictly follows the Muslim faith and had become angry with the, quote, "evil the government was allowing to take place in the U.S." Brown allegedly telling police, "My mission is vengeance for the lives, millions of lives are lost every day. Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, all these places where innocent lives with being taken every single day. So a life for a life." Sources say Brown was born in the U.S. and has family living in New Jersey. He was convicted of bank fraud in 2004 and served time in jail. At the time, reports said, the FBI tried unsuccessfully to link the case to fundraising for terrorists in Africa. Authorities say one of Brown's co-defendants later fled to Somalia to fight with the terrorist group al Shabaab. And while authorities aren't labeling Brown a terrorist or charging him under federal terrorism statutes, the allegations of his bloody crusade to kill Americans are now raising questions.
AMY JEFFRES, FORMER PROSECUTOR: Based on the statements he's made, I believe you could prove that this was a terrorism offense. But that doesn't necessarily determine whether it should be prosecuted in federal court or state court.
BROWN: Right now Brown faces state murder charges, which carries a life sentence. And in Washington state he faces the death penalty. And authorities could still bring additional charges.
In his initial court appearance in New Jersey, Brown pleaded not guilty. We did reach out to his attorney and are still awaiting a comment back. And it's worth that authorities aren't saying that Brown was motivated by a specific terrorist group and these alleged killings happened before the bombing campaign on ISIS. Alisyn?
