As the search for the fugitive named as a witness to the Birmingham abortion clinic bombing enters its fourteenth frustrating day, FBI agents decline to discuss the video that may reveal a bureau blunder. TIME writer Greg Fulton reports that the fugitive allegedly rented the tape at a store near his home on the night of the bombing. "That would suggest he only went on the run after the FBI went public with his name," says Fulton. In other words, if Rudolph's name hadn't been broadcast on TV that night, he might have been home when investigators arrived the next day. The video in question has not been returned to the store.
Despite a string of false leads, federal agents are confident of apprehending Rudolph: "They think he's hiding in the woods in North Carolina, by himself. They've got 100 people out there, and they're going to get him," says Fulton. The title of the missing video has not been disclosed.