Flight attendant who thwarted shoe bomber helps block his move to cushy new jail
The heroine who stopped shoe bomber Richard Reid from blowing up a packed jetliner has helped thwart his attempt to move to a cushy UK jail.
Former flight attendant Cristina Jones was left concerned after being informed that the Brit was attempting to transfer from his supermax cell in the States.
The 61-year-old, whose quick-thinking actions in 2001 saved the lives of 198 people on board, told the Mirror she previously added her voice to oppose his move, ultimately seeing his bid denied.
The former American Airlines hostess said: “I was contacted as they were notifying me he had made a petition to be transferred back to the UK.
Shoe bomber Richard Reid pictured in jail (Neil Atkinson)
Cristina Jones blocked his move (Dave Allocca/Starpix/REX/Shutterstock)“It was my understanding that they would always contact me with updates of which they previously did.
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“They sought my opinion over his petition, which was, of course, negative. I opposed his move back to Britain.”
The former American Airlines hostess was one of many voices that expressed concern the convicted terrorist wanted to return to the UK. His bid for a transfer was ultimately blocked by the US Government.
Ms Jones was recently left disturbed after Reid disappeared from his cell at Florence ADX in Colorado, sparking fears he could have left the States.
Reid was no longer listed in the custody of America’s Bureau of Prisons (BoP), with officials refusing to explain his disappearance and only returned after two weeks missing.
The passport of failed shoe bomber Richard ReidMs Jones added: “His disappearance from the prison system was shocking to me.
“I was under the understanding that any new developments of his custody would be relayed to me. “I would like to know why he was not in custody and where he was.”
In a statement to the Mirror, officials confirmed Reid was not in the prison system.
Federal Bureau of Prisons spokesman Benjamin O’Cone said: “There are several reasons why an inmate may be referenced as ‘not in BOP custody’.
“Inmates who were previously in BOP custody and who have not completed their sentence may be outside BOP custody for a period of time for court hearings, medical treatment or for other reasons.
“We do not provide specific information on the status of inmates who are not in the custody of the BOP for safety, security, or privacy reasons.”
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The shoe he used to try and kill passengers onboard the plane (Getty Images)At the beginning of June, London-born Reid, 49, was not detained in Florence ADX, where he is held alongside some of the world’s most dangerous men.
Prison officials refused to reveal his whereabouts or why he had been taken from the bureau’s system when approached by the Mirror.
He has since been returned.
Reid’s crime is why, to this day, passengers worldwide are forced to remove their shoes for scanning by airport security before boarding a flight.
Ms Jones, 61, had worked as an attendant for almost 20 years when she came in contact with the would-be shoe bomber.
It was three days before Christmas 2001 and only three months after the September 11 terrorist attacks.
While walking down the aisle, Ms Jones smelled smoke and saw Reid fumbling with his shoe.
She said at the time: “I walked up and said, “Stop’ and grabbed him,”
“It’s a situation where you have to do something. At that moment, there wasn’t a lot of time to make a choice.”
Reid bit down on her thumb so hard he scared her for life. She banged into a tray table before eight passengers came to her aid.
They strapped him to a chair with their own belts and safety belts.
Two doctors sedated Reid, and the flight was diverted to Boston.
Her quirking thinking actions, along with colleague Hermis Moutardier, saved all 184 passengers and 14 crew onboard the *Boeing* 767-300.
Experts found Reid’s device contained 10 ounces of explosives, enough to bring down the jet as it made its way from Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris, France, to Miami, Florida.
On October 4, 2002, Reid pleaded guilty to eight terrorism-related charges.
He was sentenced to life in prison and fined $2 million.
The Brit, who prosecutors believe received training in Afghanistan from al Qaeda, was taken to Florence ADX, known as the Alcatraz of the Rockies.
He was held in solidarity confinement among the world’s most dangerous criminals, including drug lord El Chapo, hate preacher Abu Hamza and 9/11 terrorist Zacarias Moussaoui.
After several years inside a concrete cell, he was successful in being moved into a more open area of the prison.
Travis Dusenbury, 53, (corr)(pictured), one of the only men ever to be freed from Florence, told the Mirror how he recalled meeting Reid in the “stepped-down unit”.
At the time, the American Muslim was a trusted inmate and given the job of an orderly, mopping floors, wiping walls and general cleaning duties.
He was allowed out of his cell without handcuffs allowing him to talk with those in their cells.
One of them was Reid, who he knew as Abdel Rahim.
He said: “I never agreed with any of what the terrorists did. They knew that. I made no secret of it.
“I thought it was cowardice what they had done.
“I’m glad Rahim didn’t manage what he set out to do. We never talked about his crime, but I found him to be a very softly-spoken man who only wished for peace after I met him.
“He is exceptionally knowledgeable in Islam and often offers guidance.
“He was a world away from what the world knows him as.”
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