SAN DIEGO (CBS 8) - A News 8 investigation has uncovered new information about the criminal investigation involving Lakeside teen Hannah Anderson.
James DiMaggio's sister is also speaking out in her first interview since her brother was shot and killed by FBI agents in Idaho.
Lori DiMaggio, the sister of the accused kidnapper, came out swinging against the San Diego County Sheriff's Department and the media in an exclusive interview with CNN Tuesday.
"There is no evidence. The only evidence that has come forward at this point is that these two bodies were found on his property," Lori DiMaggio said. "I would like to remind you that at this point my brother is still a suspect. He is not a killer. He is accused."
There is a long list of unanswered questions in the case that the Sheriff's department is declining to answer, starting with a Border Patrol checkpoint in the East County.
After the alleged kidnapping, DiMaggio and Hannah were seen on surveillance video driving through the checkpoint in Pine Valley.
News 8 wanted to know why Hannah didn't try to escape or alert one of the armed, federal agents that she had just been kidnapped. But the Border Patrol and the Sheriff's department have refused to talk about what happened. They won't even confirm whether the checkpoint was staffed, opened or closed when DiMaggio's vehicle passed through.
Then there are the surveillance cameras that News 8 spotted just this week at the Mountain Top Market in Boulevard, located a 1 1/2 miles west of DiMaggio's burned-out home. They likely captured DiMaggio and Hannah driving past on Highway 80 on August 3rd, but we'll never know what the video showed. The owner of the market said detectives never came by to get the footage, and it was automatically erased two weeks after the murders.
Detectives also overlooked a surveillance camera at the Golden Acorn Casino in Boulevard, and another one across the street from Sweetwater High School, where DiMaggio picked up Hannah from cheer camp August 3.
In addition, the principal of Sweetwater High School said detectives never approached the school with questions about Hannah Anderson, DiMaggio, or potential surveillance video recorded on campus.
In her interview, DiMaggio's sister cast blame on Hannah herself.
"I know that the Hannah Anderson that I saw a few nights ago on the television is certainly not the girl who stayed in my home three weeks prior to them disappearing," said Lora DiMaggio. "I remember vividly telling my brother 'she's trouble'."
"(Hannah) stated that she was very upset with her mother. She blamed her mother for her father moving to Tennessee... do you believe everything a 16-year-old tells you?" Lori DiMaggio told CNN.
Unanswered Questions:
What is the Sheriff's timeline of events in this case (based on the FBI interview of Hannah Anderson)?
Sheriff Bill Gore has declined to be interviewed by News 8, as well as other media outlets, seeking answers. Sheriff spokesperson, Jan Caldwell, emailed News 8 saying, "We aren't doing any more interviews on this case" and "…CNN wanted to do an interview and (Sheriff Bill Gore) expressly explained we are done with this. Time for Hannah to begin the rest of her life."
What was the content of the "handwritten note" seized from DiMaggio's home in Boulevard?
The note was found when detectives searched DiMaggio's burned-out house in Boulevard. The Sheriff's spokesperson emailed News 8 saying, "many portions of this investigation cannot be discussed. Sorry this is one of them."
Will the "handwritten note" or the "letters from Hanna" (sic) seized from DiMaggio's home be returned to DiMaggio's sister?
"No, I do not believe so," according to an email from Sheriff's spokesperson, Jan Caldwell.
Was the Pine Valley checkpoint staffed (open or closed) when checkpoint cameras recorded DiMaggio and Hannah driving through it at 12:10 a.m. on Sunday, August 4?
According to Geralrdo Gutierrez, an agent with the Border Patrol's Information & Communication's Division, "Information requests regarding the DiMaggio case should be directed to the lead agency, which is the San Diego Sheriff's Department. The U.S. Border Patrol does not discuss specifics regarding operations and/or tactical resource assignments." The Sheriff's department referred News 8 back to the Border Patrol.
If the checkpoint was open, why didn't Hannah try to alert the armed Border Patrol agents that she had been kidnapped, and that her mother and brother were in trouble?
The Sheriff's Department has declined to comment.
Will the U.S. Border Patrol release the surveillance video from the checkpoint?
News 8 has submitted a federal Freedom of Information Act request with the Border Patrol for the video. The U.S. Border Patrol has not responded to News 8's request.
Where did DiMaggio and Hannah stop and spend the night(s) on the road to Idaho? Did Hannah attempt to escape while DiMaggio slept overnight?
The San Diego Sheriff's Department has declined to be interviewed.
Were the "two used condoms" seized from DiMaggio's home tested for DNA? If so, was there a mixture of DiMaggio's DNA and a female's DNA? Has a female been identified as a source of DNA on the condoms?
The San Diego Sheriff's Department has declined to be interviewed.
Why didn't Hannah know her mother and brother were dead? What did she tell law enforcement about how she was taken from the Boulevard home without knowing that her family members were deceased?
The San Diego Sheriff's Department has declined to be interviewed.
Did Hannah know that her mother, Christina, and brother, Ethan, were in trouble when she was kidnapped from the home? What did she believe happened to Christina and Ethan?
The following question and answer were posted on Hannah's ask.fm page:
Q: What was the first thing that came to your mind when u got kidnapped?
A: If my mom and Ethan were Ohkay.
How did Hannah's cell phone get burned in the fire?
The following question and answer were posted on Hannah's ask.fm page:
Q: Did you have your phone when you got kidnapped?
A: No it was burned in the fire with everything else.
What did Hannah say happened to her cell phone and how did Hannah's cell phone get turned off shortly after she was picked up from Sweetwater High School?
Why did Hannah tell the horseback riders, "We're all in trouble now"?
On Hannah Anderson's ask.fm page, she responded to this question, "I don't remember saying that."
What evidence indicates that DiMaggio "tortured" Christina Anderson and her son Ethan?
Search warrants reveal Hannah's mother, Christina Anderson, was beaten to death with a crowbar. The medical examiner could not determine the cause of death for Ethan Anderson. Toxicology testing has not been completed on the deceased.
