On Wednesday, New Mexico prosecutors appeared to have dropped the ball as a group of suspected Muslim extremists were released on a technicality. Despite a dead three-year-old child being found in their compound, 11 starved children, and claims they were being trained to carry out school shootings, five suspects were let go all because prosecutors missed a crucial deadline.
It was shocking and terrifying news, but it apparently didn’t deserve any airtime on the CBS Evening News.
Instead of reporting on the bungled court case, CBS thought it was more important to spend one minute and 43 seconds reporting on English and French fishermen fighting over the scallop fishing grounds in the English Channel. ABC’s World News Tonight downplayed the release, dedicating only 25 seconds to it.
This omission by CBS came after their previous reports refused to note how law enforcement described all the suspects as “Muslim extremists.” And they went to great lengths to avoid even alluding to Islam being involved in the horrific case. In an August 13 report, they noted that the Qurans authorities found littered throughout the compound as just “books written in Arabic.” They also described the “exorcism” the young boy allegedly died during as a “religious” ritual.
NBC was one of the only networks unafraid to call it like it was. They were the first network in the “big three” to not pull the punch and use “Muslim extremism” to accurately inform their viewers. They also were not afraid to use it on Wednesday evening.
“[W]e begin with the stunner out of a courtroom in New Mexico. A judge there today dropping all charges against a group of suspected Muslim extremists,” announced fill-in anchor Savannah Guthrie to kick off NBC Nightly News. “Men and women accused of starving 11 children on a remote desert compound. One child found dead and most shocking of all, prosecutors said those kids were being taught to kill.”
The entire report was filled with an air of utter shock, as reporter Miguel Almaguer intoned when he noted: “This just after prosecutors submitted a handwritten document seized from the compound titled ‘Phases of a Terrorist Attack.’ The dismissal a shocking turn of events in the case that started with a dead child and an alarming threat.”
While most of the five suspects were released, prosecutors did refile charges on two of them.
Alarmed by the messy nature of the investigation and prosecution, NBC pursued authorities for serious answers. They got none:
The FBI, prosecutors, and the Sheriff's Department all refusing repeated requests by NBC News to answer questions about the handling of the case. Including why NBC's Gadi Schwartz was able to walk among the piles of potential evidence like large amounts of ammo or body armor that were left behind uncollected. Or why a court order resulted in the compound being destroyed, including the underground tunnel, which is now buried in rubble.
“Tonight, many fear the suspects will soon be released back into the community,” Almaguer concluded.
The transcripts are below, click "expand" to read:
NBC Nightly News
August 29, 2018
7:01 p.m. EasternSAVANNAH GUTHRIE: Good evening. I'm Savannah Guthrie in for Lester tonight and we begin with the stunner out of a courtroom in New Mexico. A judge there today dropping all charges against a group of suspected Muslim extremists. Men and women accused of starving 11 children on a remote desert compound. One child found dead and most shocking of all, prosecutors said those kids were being taught to kill. Was this some kind of terrorist training camp and how did this case collapse? The new developments we just learned tonight from NBC’s Miguel Almaguer.
[cuts to video]
MIGUEL ALMAGUER: In Taos New Mexico, all charges dismissed against the suspects accused of child abuse and alleged terrorism at a secret desert compound. The charges dropped on a technicality after prosecutors failed to meet a preliminary hearing deadline.
(…)
ALMAGUER: Late today, the district attorney refiling charges against two of the suspects including conspiracy and abuse of a child resulting in death. This just after prosecutors submitted a handwritten document seized from the compound titled “Phases of a Terrorist Attack.” The dismissal a shocking turn of events in the case that started with a dead child and an alarming threat.
Five suspected Muslim extremists accused of abusing 11 children while training them to use an assault rifle for future school shootings, according to court documents. The raid on the compound has been plagued with problems. Investigators say this is where they found 11 starving children and the body of a 3-year-old hidden in this underground tunnel.
The FBI, prosecutors, and the Sheriff's Department all refusing repeated requests by NBC News to answer questions about the handling of the case. Including why NBC's Gadi Schwartz was able to walk among the piles of potential evidence like large amounts of ammo or body armor that were left behind uncollected. Or why a court order resulted in the compound being destroyed, including the underground tunnel, which is now buried in rubble. Tonight, many fear the suspects will soon be released back into the community. Miguel Almaguer, NBC news.
ABC's World News Tonight
August 29, 2018
6:42 p.m. EasternDAVID MUIR: Meantime, there is a new headline tonight after those children were rescued from that remote compound in northern New Mexico. One child was discovered dead on the property, a 3-year-old. The judge now dismissing charges against three adults arrested at the site earlier this month. Prosecutors missing a deadline to establish, quote, “probable cause.” Two other adults are still charged with the death of that 3-year-old boy. Prosecutors say some of the 11 children rescued were being trained to be school shooters.
