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CNN Live Saturday
Dr. Laura's Mother Apparently Murdered
Aired December 21, 2002 - 18:12 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: The world of talk radio is in shock over the apparent violent death of the Laura Schlessinger's estranged mother. Reporter Jim Moret is following the case in Los Angeles for us and has more on this -- Jim.
JIM MORET, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Carol.
Beverly Hills Police were back on the scene at this Beverly Hills condominium to continue their homicide investigation of 77-year-old Yolanda Schlessinger, the estranged mother of syndicated radio talk show host, Dr. Laura Schlessinger.
Police were back inside the condominium where earlier this week they found the badly decomposed body of an elderly woman whom they believe to be Dr. Laura Schlessinger's mother. Police were first tipped off my neighbors who said they had not seen Yolanda Schlessinger for at least two months.
Police would only say the body had been there for a substantial period of time. And based on that period of time, the initial autopsy results were inconclusive as to both identity and cause of death. However, the coroner's office indicated that it does point to a homicide.
Now, even though police were not clear about who the victim was, Dr. Laura Schlessinger was. Both on her Web site, DrLaura.com, and to her some 12 million radio listeners she issued this statement yesterday, quote:
"I'm horrified by the tragic circumstances of my mother's death, and so sad to learn that she died as she chose to live -- alone and isolated. My mother shut all of her family out of her life over the years, though we made several futile attempts to say connected. My God rest her soul."
Dr. Laura Schlessinger, by her own admission had been estranged from her mother for years. By Dr. Laura's account it was her mothers fault. She apparently walked off a job as her secretary back in 1986.
I spoke with two of the investigators who walked out of the condominium, after being inside for only about 40 minutes. They said they had nothing additional to report. They would if they could, they said.
I also talked with one of the neighbors who said that she had known Yolanda Schlessinger for sometime. She said she was very friendly, never indicated that Dr. Laura was her daughter. However, once she saw Dr. Laura on TV she immediately saw the resemblance. And she said that many of the residents of this condominium are justifiably concerned given the fact that police now say this is a homicide investigation.
They should have more to report later this week.
Jim Moret, reporting live from Beverly Hills, California. Carol, back to you.
LIN: All right, Jim. Did the neighbors give you any indication about how Yolanda Schlessinger lived? Who her friends were? Who any suspects might be?
MORET: Well, the neighbor that I talked to said that she never, to her recollection, had any visitors and indicated to her, the neighbor, that she was alone and had no one in her life. The neighbor, as a matter of fact, indicated that she didn't even know the woman had ever been married.
She said that Yolanda Schlessinger said to her several times she had plans to move out of the state, wanted to leave this area. And that she was very concerned because she hadn't seen her in two to three months. And that's what first gave other neighbors cause for alarm. That's what lead to them calling the police.
LIN: Yes, because I think what was so shocking about this, as well -- other than the nature of the crime -- was just how long it took for anybody to discover the body.
MORET: Well, apparently, there were some unresolved and unpaid homeowner's dues. And also mail that was piling up, but I agree with you. It is very unusual given the fact that nobody had seen a woman, who they apparently had seen quite often. And as the one woman I talked to said, you know, we're all just getting along with our lives. We're all so busy. I didn't notice that mail was piling up. And I hadn't seen her and I hadn't really thought about that until this all developed.
And I think it is simply a matter of people being very busy with their own lives and simply not taking notice of a woman, who by her own accounts was all alone.
LIN: Right. Just so sad, so sad -- for all of us with elderly parents. It is just something to give pause and to think about.
Thank you very much, Jim Moret. Good to see you out there in Los Angeles.
MORET: Thank you, Carol.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired December 21, 2002 - 18:12 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: The world of talk radio is in shock over the apparent violent death of the Laura Schlessinger's estranged mother. Reporter Jim Moret is following the case in Los Angeles for us and has more on this -- Jim.
JIM MORET, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Carol.
Beverly Hills Police were back on the scene at this Beverly Hills condominium to continue their homicide investigation of 77-year-old Yolanda Schlessinger, the estranged mother of syndicated radio talk show host, Dr. Laura Schlessinger.
Police were back inside the condominium where earlier this week they found the badly decomposed body of an elderly woman whom they believe to be Dr. Laura Schlessinger's mother. Police were first tipped off my neighbors who said they had not seen Yolanda Schlessinger for at least two months.
Police would only say the body had been there for a substantial period of time. And based on that period of time, the initial autopsy results were inconclusive as to both identity and cause of death. However, the coroner's office indicated that it does point to a homicide.
Now, even though police were not clear about who the victim was, Dr. Laura Schlessinger was. Both on her Web site, DrLaura.com, and to her some 12 million radio listeners she issued this statement yesterday, quote:
"I'm horrified by the tragic circumstances of my mother's death, and so sad to learn that she died as she chose to live -- alone and isolated. My mother shut all of her family out of her life over the years, though we made several futile attempts to say connected. My God rest her soul."
Dr. Laura Schlessinger, by her own admission had been estranged from her mother for years. By Dr. Laura's account it was her mothers fault. She apparently walked off a job as her secretary back in 1986.
I spoke with two of the investigators who walked out of the condominium, after being inside for only about 40 minutes. They said they had nothing additional to report. They would if they could, they said.
I also talked with one of the neighbors who said that she had known Yolanda Schlessinger for sometime. She said she was very friendly, never indicated that Dr. Laura was her daughter. However, once she saw Dr. Laura on TV she immediately saw the resemblance. And she said that many of the residents of this condominium are justifiably concerned given the fact that police now say this is a homicide investigation.
They should have more to report later this week.
Jim Moret, reporting live from Beverly Hills, California. Carol, back to you.
LIN: All right, Jim. Did the neighbors give you any indication about how Yolanda Schlessinger lived? Who her friends were? Who any suspects might be?
MORET: Well, the neighbor that I talked to said that she never, to her recollection, had any visitors and indicated to her, the neighbor, that she was alone and had no one in her life. The neighbor, as a matter of fact, indicated that she didn't even know the woman had ever been married.
She said that Yolanda Schlessinger said to her several times she had plans to move out of the state, wanted to leave this area. And that she was very concerned because she hadn't seen her in two to three months. And that's what first gave other neighbors cause for alarm. That's what lead to them calling the police.
LIN: Yes, because I think what was so shocking about this, as well -- other than the nature of the crime -- was just how long it took for anybody to discover the body.
MORET: Well, apparently, there were some unresolved and unpaid homeowner's dues. And also mail that was piling up, but I agree with you. It is very unusual given the fact that nobody had seen a woman, who they apparently had seen quite often. And as the one woman I talked to said, you know, we're all just getting along with our lives. We're all so busy. I didn't notice that mail was piling up. And I hadn't seen her and I hadn't really thought about that until this all developed.
And I think it is simply a matter of people being very busy with their own lives and simply not taking notice of a woman, who by her own accounts was all alone.
LIN: Right. Just so sad, so sad -- for all of us with elderly parents. It is just something to give pause and to think about.
Thank you very much, Jim Moret. Good to see you out there in Los Angeles.
MORET: Thank you, Carol.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
