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CNN Live Sunday
Interview With Sjodin Family Friend Bob Hales; Serial Molester Arrested In Oregon; John Kerry "Meets The Press"
Aired April 18, 2004 - 18:00 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: I'm Carol Lin. CNN SUNDAY straight ahead, but these headlines first. Spain's new prime minister Jose Luiz Rodriquez Zapatero orders his country's troops out of Iraq. He made the announcement a day after assuming office. The U.S. says it plans to continue working with Spain in fighting the war on terror.
Reuters news agency reports at least 20 people are injured following an explosion in the basement of a nine-story dormitory in Moscow. Officials suspect a gas leak. The blast caused damage to the building and shook nearby apartment blocks.
Police in Oregon today capture a convicted child rapist who has confessed to molesting more than 200 victims. Police arrested 49- year-old Edward Stokes at a laundromat. More details in just a moment.
Good evening. I'm Carol Lin. Welcome to CNN LIVE SATURDAY (sic). Ahead, the heartbreaking end to the Dru Sjodin case. Searchers have found the college student's body. Tonight, we'll hear from a Sjodin family friend who worked tirelessly on the case.
The search for a convicted sex offender has end out west. Edward Stokes is back in custody. CNN's Miguel Marquez is live from Los Angeles with the latest on this case.
MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We've been following this for several days. A serial child molester and selfdescribed monster, Edward Harvey Stokes, is in police custody, arrested in Gresham, Oregon, a suburb of Portland, while doing laundry.
A spokesman for police in Gresham says two officers took Stokes into custody around 9:00 a.m. Pacific time at a laundromat after a tip came in from a woman who had seen news reports about Stokes.
Now, Stokes was let out of prison on April 7 in Orange County, California after a sentence was overturned by an appellate court. He had been serving a 19-year to life sentence for the sexual battery of a 16-year-old boy. While serving an earlier sentence for child molestation in Colorado, Stokes wrote to a prison therapist that he had 212 victims.
After being let out, Stokes applied for a driver's license in Washington State and investigators say he gave a false address. Two arrest warrants, one for perjury, the other for forgery, were issued by a Washington superior court. Stokes is now with detectives at this moment and an ambulance he purchased, they say, which was parked south of Gresham, Oregon in Clackamas County, Oregon. Investigators wanted to search the ambulance. Stokes gave them permission, but only if he could be present for the search. A spokesperson for Multnomah County Jail says Stokes will be booked there on a no-bail warrant and could be arraigned as early as tomorrow -- Carol.
LIN: Miguel, clarify something for us. Obviously, this is a man, you know, he admitted to molesting hundreds of kids, but specifically he was let out on a technicality, and it seems that they just want him on these lesser charges. They are not actually hunting him down again because of the molestation charges, are they?
MARQUEZ: They are not hunting him down because of the molestation charges, but his sister did -- who lives in Washington State, did come out and say that she feared what he would do if let out again. Stokes, in this letter to a prison therapist in Colorado, all but admitted that he was a serial child molester and feared what he himself would do if let out again.
So, there was great concern in the law enforcement community that this individual, who had been let out and was convicted several times of sex offenses, would be out there again doing the same stuff. And when he lied on his application for his -- for his driver's license, they took the opportunity to get him back in custody -- Carol.
LIN: So the objective is to try to keep him behind bars as long as possible.
MARQUEZ: He's on a no-bail warrant, so he'll be extradited back to Washington State where he'll stand trial on those. And because he's a convicted child molester, he will probably face a more complicated sentencing and jail process because of that.
LIN: Thank you very much, Miguel Marquez.
MARQUEZ: Well, the body of a missing pregnant woman was found today in Edgefield, South Carolina. 29-year-old Tamar Dunnstan was abducted when she walked in on a burglary at her mothers home in Augusta, Georgia. Police say a man has been arrested. He is charged with murder and kidnapping.
And the man accused of kidnapping University of North Dakota student Dru Sjodin may soon face federal murder charges. The 22-year- old's body was found in Minnesota yesterday, near the suspect's hometown.
Joining me on the telephone is private investigator Bob Heels. He is also a Sjodin family member. Bob, I'm just -- give us an idea of how the family is doing today.
BOB HALES, PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR (via telephone): It's been pretty tough. I haven't been around Dru's mother today, because she went home yesterday and I'll see her this evening. In general, it's pretty somber. It's something that we were prepare for, but not prepared for.
LIN: From an investigator's standpoint, the evidence that the investigators have from the crime scene, whatever information they may have garnered from Alfonso Rodriguez, the suspect in custody, how are they going to be able to put this murder case together? It's relatively circumstantial. They still need to link him to the body. They've got him on the kidnapping apparently.
HALES: Yes, and I don't think that will be too difficult. I'm not the expert that should address that, that should come from law enforcement, but certainly we're all very confident that that evidence will be there.
LIN: Have the investigators talked at length with the Sjodins about what evidence they have and the kind of case they are able to put together?
HALES: The only evidence they know about what was they had before, not what they've found since yesterday, other than Dru.
LIN: I'm wondering, did the family over the last five months or certainly recently, how did their feelings about whether their daughter may still be alive, how did that evolve? Did they think that she was dead and were not surprised when she was found?
HALES: No, I think, you know, you always carry that little bit of hope around that there's something that happened that we don't understand and that somehow, somewhere she's going to be found alive. But, obviously, once you get the notification that hope is taken away from you. And I think, you know, they feared the worse all along, but you do always carry that hope.
LIN: I know you are heading their way. What do you hope you'll be able to do for the family?
HALES: Just be there with them. Be supportive, and, you know, just do for them whatever I can.
LIN: It's a big loss. And still a trial ahead. Thank you very much Bob Hales.
Well, there's a candlelight vigil scheduled for tonight at the University of North Dakota in remembrance of her.
In the meantime, we want to turn now to the latest events in Iraq. It has been a deadly weekend for U.S. troops: 11 have been killed in the latest round of violence. That brings the U.S. death toll to 700.
Spain's new prime minister is ordering Spanish troops in Iraq to return home. Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero made the announcement just hours after taking office.
A day and a half of calm in Fallujah was broken today as well. U.S. marines killed six gunmen during a battle around a mosque. No talks on stopping the fighting were scheduled today. And there is still no word on the fate of Matt Maupin. A U.S. soldier being held hostage in Iraq. National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice says the U.S. is not negotiating with quote, "killers and thugs for their release, but something is being done to free them."
The Reverend Jesse Jackson is more than willing to negotiate. He's ready to travel to Iraq to try to free Maupin and U.S. contractor Thomas Hamill.
Jackson has a history of getting American hostages out of hostile places. Consider this, back in 1984, he was instrumental in the release of a Navy pilot in Syria. And during the first Gulf War, Jackson went to Iraq and brought home civilians who were being kept as so-called guests of Saddam Hussein. Now in 1999, he was able to help win the release of three American soldiers, the Serbs captured during the Kosovo war.
Well, it was a day of tears and prayers in Batavia, Ohio. Church services took on a special meaning in and near the hometown of Matt Maupin. CNN's Chris Lawrence is there right now -- Chris.
CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Carol, not only is Matt Maupin's family getting just a ton of support from their hometown, but all over the country, literally. Earlier they got a call from Jessica Lynch's mother and just a few minutes ago, just got off the phone with the former P.O.W. herself.
Jessica Lynch talked about some of her own experiences and tried to encourage Carolyn Maupin to stay hopeful for her son Matt.
And what we've seen today literally has been an outpouring of affection for this family in church earlier, we heard hymns sung. We saw people praying as people came out of church. They talked about what an impact this has had on their own lives here in this community. But they are getting that support not only from here, but from all over the country.
As you mentioned, Carol, Reverend Jesse Jackson is working to try to contact the family. He is willing to work to try to negotiate the release of Matt Maupin. Of course, the U.S. government has stated its position that it will not negotiate. But they are also giving a lot of support to the family, because right now they've got a team of about 10 people at the house, including some specially trained counselors who are trained to deal with hostage situations -- Carol.
LIN: All right. Thank you very much, Chris Lawrence, out there in Batavia, Ohio.
Coming up at 10:00 Eastern, Americans putting themselves in harm's way. The risks and the incredible money to be made in Iraq. I'm going to be talking with two American contractors who narrowly escaped with their lives. I'm going to be talking with them also about their friend and co-worker, American hostage Thomas Hamill on our prime-time show at 10:00 Eastern. So, please join me. What's next for Iraq now that one of Washington's strongest supporters is pulling out? CNN's White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux looks at the possible implications.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): President Bush, eager to hold the coalition in Iraq together, Sunday saw signs of a crack, Spain's new prime minister announced that his country was immediately pulling out its troops. Earlier, National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice tried to blunt the blow that was to come.
CONDOLEEZZA RICE, NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: We know that the Spanish have been talking about perhaps pulling their forces out. I would not be surprised at all if they do. We know there are others who are going to have to assess how they see the risk. But we have a vibrant and robust coalition on the ground.
MALVEAUX: The coalition with troops on the ground now numbers 33. Spain's new leader initially had said he'd keep troops in place provided a new U.N. Security Council resolution would give him political cover. The White House released a statement saying, we are grateful to our other coalition partners for their recent expressions of solidarity. We will continue our close cooperation with our NATO ally Spain in fighting the war against terror. Lawmakers expressed regret and concern.
SEN. JOE LIEBERMAN, (D-CT) ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE: I hope that al Qaeda does not misinterpret this. And I hope it's temporary and the Spaniards will be back.
MALVEAUX: Spain's pullout comes at a crucial time for the Bush administration, now trying to galvanize support on Iraq from Arab leaders. Another challenge for Mr. Bush's Middle East policy: Israel's assassination of Hamas' new leader. It was just last week Mr. Bush endorsed Israel's plan to pull out of Gaza but keep some of the West Bank settlements in place. The green light for that, which enraged many Palestinians and many Arabs has fueled the perception for some in the Arab world that Mr. Bush also gave the go-ahead for the Hamas assassination.
CONDOLEEZZA RICE, NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: Given that we had just talked about trying to get the road map under way in the Middle East, trying to get the Gaza disengagement plan under way, then the timing is not helpful.
SEN. JOHN WARNER, (R-VA) ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE: The timing of this assassination concerns me, because just as you saw pictures earlier of literally tens of thousands of people in the Palestinian areas expressing their remourse, expressing their anger, that same picture is on every television camera, every television set in Iraq.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MALVEAUX: And more critical Middle East talks this week. Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage traveling through the region. Also, President Bush to meet with Jordan's King Abdullah here at the White House on Wednesday -- Carol.
LIN: All right. Thank you very much, Suzanne. We've got more on this story out of the Middle East. Israel says killing yet another Hamas leader was not an act of revenge, but an act of self-defense. CNN's John Vause looks at how the killing of Abdul Aziz Rantisi has shaken Gaza to its core.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN VAUSE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For the second time in less than a month, anger, grief and calls for revenge on the streets of Gaza as Palestinians mourn the death of another leader of the militant group Hamas. Abdel Aziz Rantisi was carried on an open stretcher, his face uncovered to show the wounds from the Israeli missile strike which claimed his life.
As Hamas promised, 100 retaliations.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sooner or later, we are going to achieve our goal.
VAUSE: Tens of thousands of Palestinians turned out in angry protest across the West Bank.
In Nablus, they burned effagies of the Israeli prime minister and President George W. Bush. Many in this region believe unwavering U.S. support for Israel has emboldened Ariel Sharon.
JIBRIL RAJOUB, ARAFAT SENIOR ADVISER: It was not possible for Israelis to assassinate Rantisi and Ahmed Yassin beforehand, without receiving a green light from the American administration which became a partner to the Israeli occupation.
VAUSE: Israel has been on high alert since the targeted killing. Most Israelis believe a reprisal attack is only a matter of time. At his weekly cabinet meeting, the Israeli prime minister congratulated his security force on a successful operation.
ARIEL SHARON, PRIME MINISTER OF ISRAEL (through translator): The policy on which I act is built on the effort of reaching a political process. And on the other side, to fight the terror organizations.
VAUSE: Among Hamas, Rantisi was regarded as a hard-line militant, refusing peace negotiations, instead, calling for the destruction of Israel. When he became leader of Hamas, he knew he was a marked man, saying, when his time came, he preferred to be killed by an Apache helicopter. Few could predict it would happen so soon.
(on camera): Hamas says it has now appointed a new leader but won't say who it is. It's a job which now comes with the very real threat of an Israeli death sentence. John Vause, CNN, Gaza.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LIN: Ah, we've got the latest on Bob Woodward's new book. It's drawing some criticism.
ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: When and how did President Bush make the decision to go to war in Iraq? That is the focus of that new book set to be released this week. I'm Elaine Quijano in Washington. I'll have that story coming up.
LIN: And later, they've got the hit songs and the top videos and apparently, they've got what it takes to move America. We'll take a look at "TIME" magazine's list of the 100 most influential people, which includes Outkast.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LIN: A new book coming out on Tuesday claims that President Bush unilaterally decided to go to war with Iraq months before publicly giving up the diplomatic effort at the United Nations. Portions of Bob Woodward's latest book "Plan Of Attack" are in the Washington post today.
CNN's Elaine Quijano joins us though from Washington with a closer look. Elaine, I know you've got a chance to read some of the excerpts, what do you think?
QUIJANO: It's fascinating, Carol. Journalist and author, Bob Woodward makes a number of assertions, including this: according to Reuters, which cites an interview to be aired on "60 Minutes" tonight, Woodward says Saudi Arabia's ambassador to the U.S. promised President Bush the Saudis would cut oil prices before November to ensure the U.S. economy is strong on election day.
Now also Woodward maintains that just two months after September 11, the president directed Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to start developing a plan for military action in Iraq.
The excerpts also describe events closer to the start of the war, including a meeting in January of 2003 in which Vice President Dick Cheney invited the Saudi Arabian ambassador to his West Wing office.
Now, according to the exerpt, the vice president allowed the ambassador to view a secret war plan map that was supposed to be off limits to foreigners. Also, at that meeting, were Defense Secretary Rumsfeld and chairman of the joint chiefs General Richard Myers.
Now the account describes the ambassador asking for a copy of the map to which Rumsfeld says, I would rather not give it to you, but you can take notes if you want.
Now, this morning on CNN's "LATE EDITION" General Myers was asked about that account. Although he hadn't read it, he was aware of it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEN. RICHARD MYERS, CHAIRMAN, JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF: It sounds, basically correct, and at that time, we were looking for support of our allies and partners in the region, Saudi Arabia has been a strategic partner in the region for a very long time. We were looking for their support.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
QUIJANO: Now this morning, National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice appeared to deny another issue raised in the book that the Saudi ambassador learned of the Iraq war plan even before Secretary of State Colin Powell. Rice said Powell was privy to all of this and knew what the war plan was -- Carol.
LIN: Elaine, any reaction yet out of the White House or any reaction likely to a book?
QUIJANO: Well, certainly Condoleezza Rice appearing today already addressing some of the questions that have been raised in the book, saying that some of the ways that it was characterized, the events that happened, simply did not take place that way. This example with Secretary of State Powell being just one of them.
This is not something, though, that was done without the president's knowledge. The interviews that were conducted for this included interviews of President Bush, as well as interviews of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.
In addition to that, Bob Woodward says he also compiled notes on official records, phone communication, that sort of thing. All of that information not a secret to this White House. Perhaps a little bit of unhappiness, though, at the events that have been portrayed.
LIN: All right. Thank you very much, Elaine Quijano in Washington.
You can hear more from Bob Woodward himself tomorrow on CNN. He'll be a guest on LARRY KING LIVE. So be sure to tune in at 9:00 Eastern, 6:00 Pacific.
President Bush heads to South Florida later this week. His rival, Democratic presidential candidate, John Kerry, is already there campaigning for votes. And finding himself on the defensive. CNN's senior political correspondent Candy Crowley reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CANDY CROWLEY, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Sporting a newly acquired Florida tan, John Kerry observed the Sunday rituals: church service and "Meet the Press," where he pushed his position that the road out of Iraq goes through the White House.
SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: It may well be that we need a new president. A breath of fresh air to re-establish credibility with the rest of the world so that we can have a believable administration as to how we proceed.
CROWLEY: Plagued by poll numbers showing over half of American believe Kerry says whatever he thinks people want to hear at the time, the Senator was pressed to explain his statements and his record. First, his vote for the Iraq resolution and then his vote against a spending bill to fund it.
KERRY: That vote would never have prevented any of those: the body armor, ammunition, or anything from getting to our troops.
CROWLEY: Raising the retirement age and means testing Social Security.
KERRY: No, I rejected that. We looked at it and we found we don't have to do it.
CROWLEY: A 1971 statement when Kerry said the U.N. should oversee the deployment of troops.
KERRY: That's one of those stupid things that a 27-year-old kid says when you are fresh back from Vietnam and angry about it.
CROWLEY: A Vietnam-era statement wide-spread atrocity.
KERRY: Where did all that dark hair go, Tim? That's a big question for me.
You know, I thought a lot for a long time about that period of time, the things we said. And I think the word is a bad word. I think it's an inappropriate word.
CROWLEY: Critiquing Kerry's performance later, Republicans said the Senator only added to the confusion surrounding his record. The Bush campaign was particularly eager to highlight Kerry's rule out a future against funding the war in Iraq.
The audience was a good deal friendlier by the time Kerry arrived at the University of Miami to deliver the usual.
KERRY: Misleading America again about everything.
CROWLEY (voice-over): Kerry's trip to Florida is a mixture of fund-raisers and rallying the faithful. It will include a Monday appearance with former rival Senator Joe Lieberman, where else, in Palm Beach County, home of the butterfly ballot. Candy Crowley, CNN, Miami.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LIN: Well, it's the biggest sacrifice in war: a soldier laying down his life. We are going to take a closer look at the lives lost in Iraq as the death toll continues to climb.
And who has the biggest impact on you? Politicians, actors, millionaires? Still to come, "TIME" magazine's top 100 influential people.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LIN: Right now we want to focus on some of the men and women who have given their lives in Iraq. It's part of our new segment, "On the Front Lines." Each week we are going to take a closer look at the personal stories out of this war, including the Americans serving in Iraq. Here's CNN's Beth Nissan.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BETH NISSAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Since April 3, the families of more than 80 U.S. troops have heard the news they parade they would not hear. The son, the daughter, the husband, the father, the loved one serving in Iraq, had been killed there in two of the bloodiest weeks for U.S. troops since the war began.
The fighting, and who is doing the fighting has changed since then. Of the first 500 American military fatalities in Iraq, 4 out of 5 were U.S. Army, but of the U.S. troops killed in the last 2 weeks, only half were army: from the 1st infantry, the 1st armored, 13 from the 1st Cavalry. All but one of them killed in attacks in Baghdad.
The other half, 41 of the dead, were marines, from the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force. Almost all of whom died in Al Anbar Province, which includes Fallujah, center of the fiercest recent fighting.
April 6 was especially deadly for the Marines there: 10 died in that one day in gun fights with insurgents. For more than one-third of the casualties in the last two weeks, hostile fire was the listed cause of death. 18 others were killed in rocket-propropelled grenade attacks, 10 more by IED, improvised explosive devices, including two women, bringing the total of American military women killed in Iraq to 19.
Most of these troops died on the scene, 12 others survived the battle, but died later of injuries, despite the efforts of combat medics on the battlefield and surgeons in forward field hospitals. The daily listing of the fallen: 12 on April 4, eight on April 8, 15 on April 9, 8 more on the 11, came in such quick succession that it was hard to get a clear picture of who they were. Most were young. 11 were teenagers, some just months out of high school. Almost one- third were under 21. Not even old enough to order a beer in a bar.
They came from every region in the United States, but especially the midwest and the south. 13 from Texas. Another 13 from California. A few came from big cities, St. Louis, Houston, most hailed from smaller towns. Boxite, Arizona, Bear, Delaware, Versailles, Kentucky.
Hometown newspapers have struggled to keep up, to write profiles of those killed in the last two weeks. Stories giving details missing from Department of Defense notices. Who was married? Who had left behind young children? Whose wife was expecting a son in August?
Behind the numbers, the totals. There were glimpses of the individual people who had been lost. Private Noa Boyd, 21, who played guitar for friends back in Nebraska, who talked about starting a band when he got back to the U.S.
Private First Class Christopher Cobb, who played the violin and died in his second month in Iraq at age 19.
Staff Sergeant Alan Walker, 28, who wrote poetry and was planning a trip to Ireland this summer.
Captain Brent Murell, 27, who dreamed of being a 4 star general one day.
Sergeant Hiroldo Moreno, 23, who dreamed he would die in battle. And did, on April 6, in Ashula (ph), Iraq.
These losses, and more than 70 others in the last 2 weeks alone. These losses added to the inevitable list of casualties in any war. A list, that in this war, is nearing 700.
Beth Nissan, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LIN: And we will continue to honor those who make the biggest sacrifice on the front lines. And bring you other stories from the front lines as well. We're going to be right back, after a quick break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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Aired April 18, 2004 - 18:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Carol Lin. CNN SUNDAY straight ahead, but these headlines first. Spain's new prime minister Jose Luiz Rodriquez Zapatero orders his country's troops out of Iraq. He made the announcement a day after assuming office. The U.S. says it plans to continue working with Spain in fighting the war on terror.
Reuters news agency reports at least 20 people are injured following an explosion in the basement of a nine-story dormitory in Moscow. Officials suspect a gas leak. The blast caused damage to the building and shook nearby apartment blocks.
Police in Oregon today capture a convicted child rapist who has confessed to molesting more than 200 victims. Police arrested 49- year-old Edward Stokes at a laundromat. More details in just a moment.
Good evening. I'm Carol Lin. Welcome to CNN LIVE SATURDAY (sic). Ahead, the heartbreaking end to the Dru Sjodin case. Searchers have found the college student's body. Tonight, we'll hear from a Sjodin family friend who worked tirelessly on the case.
The search for a convicted sex offender has end out west. Edward Stokes is back in custody. CNN's Miguel Marquez is live from Los Angeles with the latest on this case.
MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We've been following this for several days. A serial child molester and selfdescribed monster, Edward Harvey Stokes, is in police custody, arrested in Gresham, Oregon, a suburb of Portland, while doing laundry.
A spokesman for police in Gresham says two officers took Stokes into custody around 9:00 a.m. Pacific time at a laundromat after a tip came in from a woman who had seen news reports about Stokes.
Now, Stokes was let out of prison on April 7 in Orange County, California after a sentence was overturned by an appellate court. He had been serving a 19-year to life sentence for the sexual battery of a 16-year-old boy. While serving an earlier sentence for child molestation in Colorado, Stokes wrote to a prison therapist that he had 212 victims.
After being let out, Stokes applied for a driver's license in Washington State and investigators say he gave a false address. Two arrest warrants, one for perjury, the other for forgery, were issued by a Washington superior court. Stokes is now with detectives at this moment and an ambulance he purchased, they say, which was parked south of Gresham, Oregon in Clackamas County, Oregon. Investigators wanted to search the ambulance. Stokes gave them permission, but only if he could be present for the search. A spokesperson for Multnomah County Jail says Stokes will be booked there on a no-bail warrant and could be arraigned as early as tomorrow -- Carol.
LIN: Miguel, clarify something for us. Obviously, this is a man, you know, he admitted to molesting hundreds of kids, but specifically he was let out on a technicality, and it seems that they just want him on these lesser charges. They are not actually hunting him down again because of the molestation charges, are they?
MARQUEZ: They are not hunting him down because of the molestation charges, but his sister did -- who lives in Washington State, did come out and say that she feared what he would do if let out again. Stokes, in this letter to a prison therapist in Colorado, all but admitted that he was a serial child molester and feared what he himself would do if let out again.
So, there was great concern in the law enforcement community that this individual, who had been let out and was convicted several times of sex offenses, would be out there again doing the same stuff. And when he lied on his application for his -- for his driver's license, they took the opportunity to get him back in custody -- Carol.
LIN: So the objective is to try to keep him behind bars as long as possible.
MARQUEZ: He's on a no-bail warrant, so he'll be extradited back to Washington State where he'll stand trial on those. And because he's a convicted child molester, he will probably face a more complicated sentencing and jail process because of that.
LIN: Thank you very much, Miguel Marquez.
MARQUEZ: Well, the body of a missing pregnant woman was found today in Edgefield, South Carolina. 29-year-old Tamar Dunnstan was abducted when she walked in on a burglary at her mothers home in Augusta, Georgia. Police say a man has been arrested. He is charged with murder and kidnapping.
And the man accused of kidnapping University of North Dakota student Dru Sjodin may soon face federal murder charges. The 22-year- old's body was found in Minnesota yesterday, near the suspect's hometown.
Joining me on the telephone is private investigator Bob Heels. He is also a Sjodin family member. Bob, I'm just -- give us an idea of how the family is doing today.
BOB HALES, PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR (via telephone): It's been pretty tough. I haven't been around Dru's mother today, because she went home yesterday and I'll see her this evening. In general, it's pretty somber. It's something that we were prepare for, but not prepared for.
LIN: From an investigator's standpoint, the evidence that the investigators have from the crime scene, whatever information they may have garnered from Alfonso Rodriguez, the suspect in custody, how are they going to be able to put this murder case together? It's relatively circumstantial. They still need to link him to the body. They've got him on the kidnapping apparently.
HALES: Yes, and I don't think that will be too difficult. I'm not the expert that should address that, that should come from law enforcement, but certainly we're all very confident that that evidence will be there.
LIN: Have the investigators talked at length with the Sjodins about what evidence they have and the kind of case they are able to put together?
HALES: The only evidence they know about what was they had before, not what they've found since yesterday, other than Dru.
LIN: I'm wondering, did the family over the last five months or certainly recently, how did their feelings about whether their daughter may still be alive, how did that evolve? Did they think that she was dead and were not surprised when she was found?
HALES: No, I think, you know, you always carry that little bit of hope around that there's something that happened that we don't understand and that somehow, somewhere she's going to be found alive. But, obviously, once you get the notification that hope is taken away from you. And I think, you know, they feared the worse all along, but you do always carry that hope.
LIN: I know you are heading their way. What do you hope you'll be able to do for the family?
HALES: Just be there with them. Be supportive, and, you know, just do for them whatever I can.
LIN: It's a big loss. And still a trial ahead. Thank you very much Bob Hales.
Well, there's a candlelight vigil scheduled for tonight at the University of North Dakota in remembrance of her.
In the meantime, we want to turn now to the latest events in Iraq. It has been a deadly weekend for U.S. troops: 11 have been killed in the latest round of violence. That brings the U.S. death toll to 700.
Spain's new prime minister is ordering Spanish troops in Iraq to return home. Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero made the announcement just hours after taking office.
A day and a half of calm in Fallujah was broken today as well. U.S. marines killed six gunmen during a battle around a mosque. No talks on stopping the fighting were scheduled today. And there is still no word on the fate of Matt Maupin. A U.S. soldier being held hostage in Iraq. National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice says the U.S. is not negotiating with quote, "killers and thugs for their release, but something is being done to free them."
The Reverend Jesse Jackson is more than willing to negotiate. He's ready to travel to Iraq to try to free Maupin and U.S. contractor Thomas Hamill.
Jackson has a history of getting American hostages out of hostile places. Consider this, back in 1984, he was instrumental in the release of a Navy pilot in Syria. And during the first Gulf War, Jackson went to Iraq and brought home civilians who were being kept as so-called guests of Saddam Hussein. Now in 1999, he was able to help win the release of three American soldiers, the Serbs captured during the Kosovo war.
Well, it was a day of tears and prayers in Batavia, Ohio. Church services took on a special meaning in and near the hometown of Matt Maupin. CNN's Chris Lawrence is there right now -- Chris.
CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Carol, not only is Matt Maupin's family getting just a ton of support from their hometown, but all over the country, literally. Earlier they got a call from Jessica Lynch's mother and just a few minutes ago, just got off the phone with the former P.O.W. herself.
Jessica Lynch talked about some of her own experiences and tried to encourage Carolyn Maupin to stay hopeful for her son Matt.
And what we've seen today literally has been an outpouring of affection for this family in church earlier, we heard hymns sung. We saw people praying as people came out of church. They talked about what an impact this has had on their own lives here in this community. But they are getting that support not only from here, but from all over the country.
As you mentioned, Carol, Reverend Jesse Jackson is working to try to contact the family. He is willing to work to try to negotiate the release of Matt Maupin. Of course, the U.S. government has stated its position that it will not negotiate. But they are also giving a lot of support to the family, because right now they've got a team of about 10 people at the house, including some specially trained counselors who are trained to deal with hostage situations -- Carol.
LIN: All right. Thank you very much, Chris Lawrence, out there in Batavia, Ohio.
Coming up at 10:00 Eastern, Americans putting themselves in harm's way. The risks and the incredible money to be made in Iraq. I'm going to be talking with two American contractors who narrowly escaped with their lives. I'm going to be talking with them also about their friend and co-worker, American hostage Thomas Hamill on our prime-time show at 10:00 Eastern. So, please join me. What's next for Iraq now that one of Washington's strongest supporters is pulling out? CNN's White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux looks at the possible implications.
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SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): President Bush, eager to hold the coalition in Iraq together, Sunday saw signs of a crack, Spain's new prime minister announced that his country was immediately pulling out its troops. Earlier, National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice tried to blunt the blow that was to come.
CONDOLEEZZA RICE, NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: We know that the Spanish have been talking about perhaps pulling their forces out. I would not be surprised at all if they do. We know there are others who are going to have to assess how they see the risk. But we have a vibrant and robust coalition on the ground.
MALVEAUX: The coalition with troops on the ground now numbers 33. Spain's new leader initially had said he'd keep troops in place provided a new U.N. Security Council resolution would give him political cover. The White House released a statement saying, we are grateful to our other coalition partners for their recent expressions of solidarity. We will continue our close cooperation with our NATO ally Spain in fighting the war against terror. Lawmakers expressed regret and concern.
SEN. JOE LIEBERMAN, (D-CT) ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE: I hope that al Qaeda does not misinterpret this. And I hope it's temporary and the Spaniards will be back.
MALVEAUX: Spain's pullout comes at a crucial time for the Bush administration, now trying to galvanize support on Iraq from Arab leaders. Another challenge for Mr. Bush's Middle East policy: Israel's assassination of Hamas' new leader. It was just last week Mr. Bush endorsed Israel's plan to pull out of Gaza but keep some of the West Bank settlements in place. The green light for that, which enraged many Palestinians and many Arabs has fueled the perception for some in the Arab world that Mr. Bush also gave the go-ahead for the Hamas assassination.
CONDOLEEZZA RICE, NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: Given that we had just talked about trying to get the road map under way in the Middle East, trying to get the Gaza disengagement plan under way, then the timing is not helpful.
SEN. JOHN WARNER, (R-VA) ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE: The timing of this assassination concerns me, because just as you saw pictures earlier of literally tens of thousands of people in the Palestinian areas expressing their remourse, expressing their anger, that same picture is on every television camera, every television set in Iraq.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MALVEAUX: And more critical Middle East talks this week. Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage traveling through the region. Also, President Bush to meet with Jordan's King Abdullah here at the White House on Wednesday -- Carol.
LIN: All right. Thank you very much, Suzanne. We've got more on this story out of the Middle East. Israel says killing yet another Hamas leader was not an act of revenge, but an act of self-defense. CNN's John Vause looks at how the killing of Abdul Aziz Rantisi has shaken Gaza to its core.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN VAUSE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For the second time in less than a month, anger, grief and calls for revenge on the streets of Gaza as Palestinians mourn the death of another leader of the militant group Hamas. Abdel Aziz Rantisi was carried on an open stretcher, his face uncovered to show the wounds from the Israeli missile strike which claimed his life.
As Hamas promised, 100 retaliations.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sooner or later, we are going to achieve our goal.
VAUSE: Tens of thousands of Palestinians turned out in angry protest across the West Bank.
In Nablus, they burned effagies of the Israeli prime minister and President George W. Bush. Many in this region believe unwavering U.S. support for Israel has emboldened Ariel Sharon.
JIBRIL RAJOUB, ARAFAT SENIOR ADVISER: It was not possible for Israelis to assassinate Rantisi and Ahmed Yassin beforehand, without receiving a green light from the American administration which became a partner to the Israeli occupation.
VAUSE: Israel has been on high alert since the targeted killing. Most Israelis believe a reprisal attack is only a matter of time. At his weekly cabinet meeting, the Israeli prime minister congratulated his security force on a successful operation.
ARIEL SHARON, PRIME MINISTER OF ISRAEL (through translator): The policy on which I act is built on the effort of reaching a political process. And on the other side, to fight the terror organizations.
VAUSE: Among Hamas, Rantisi was regarded as a hard-line militant, refusing peace negotiations, instead, calling for the destruction of Israel. When he became leader of Hamas, he knew he was a marked man, saying, when his time came, he preferred to be killed by an Apache helicopter. Few could predict it would happen so soon.
(on camera): Hamas says it has now appointed a new leader but won't say who it is. It's a job which now comes with the very real threat of an Israeli death sentence. John Vause, CNN, Gaza.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LIN: Ah, we've got the latest on Bob Woodward's new book. It's drawing some criticism.
ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: When and how did President Bush make the decision to go to war in Iraq? That is the focus of that new book set to be released this week. I'm Elaine Quijano in Washington. I'll have that story coming up.
LIN: And later, they've got the hit songs and the top videos and apparently, they've got what it takes to move America. We'll take a look at "TIME" magazine's list of the 100 most influential people, which includes Outkast.
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LIN: A new book coming out on Tuesday claims that President Bush unilaterally decided to go to war with Iraq months before publicly giving up the diplomatic effort at the United Nations. Portions of Bob Woodward's latest book "Plan Of Attack" are in the Washington post today.
CNN's Elaine Quijano joins us though from Washington with a closer look. Elaine, I know you've got a chance to read some of the excerpts, what do you think?
QUIJANO: It's fascinating, Carol. Journalist and author, Bob Woodward makes a number of assertions, including this: according to Reuters, which cites an interview to be aired on "60 Minutes" tonight, Woodward says Saudi Arabia's ambassador to the U.S. promised President Bush the Saudis would cut oil prices before November to ensure the U.S. economy is strong on election day.
Now also Woodward maintains that just two months after September 11, the president directed Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to start developing a plan for military action in Iraq.
The excerpts also describe events closer to the start of the war, including a meeting in January of 2003 in which Vice President Dick Cheney invited the Saudi Arabian ambassador to his West Wing office.
Now, according to the exerpt, the vice president allowed the ambassador to view a secret war plan map that was supposed to be off limits to foreigners. Also, at that meeting, were Defense Secretary Rumsfeld and chairman of the joint chiefs General Richard Myers.
Now the account describes the ambassador asking for a copy of the map to which Rumsfeld says, I would rather not give it to you, but you can take notes if you want.
Now, this morning on CNN's "LATE EDITION" General Myers was asked about that account. Although he hadn't read it, he was aware of it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEN. RICHARD MYERS, CHAIRMAN, JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF: It sounds, basically correct, and at that time, we were looking for support of our allies and partners in the region, Saudi Arabia has been a strategic partner in the region for a very long time. We were looking for their support.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
QUIJANO: Now this morning, National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice appeared to deny another issue raised in the book that the Saudi ambassador learned of the Iraq war plan even before Secretary of State Colin Powell. Rice said Powell was privy to all of this and knew what the war plan was -- Carol.
LIN: Elaine, any reaction yet out of the White House or any reaction likely to a book?
QUIJANO: Well, certainly Condoleezza Rice appearing today already addressing some of the questions that have been raised in the book, saying that some of the ways that it was characterized, the events that happened, simply did not take place that way. This example with Secretary of State Powell being just one of them.
This is not something, though, that was done without the president's knowledge. The interviews that were conducted for this included interviews of President Bush, as well as interviews of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.
In addition to that, Bob Woodward says he also compiled notes on official records, phone communication, that sort of thing. All of that information not a secret to this White House. Perhaps a little bit of unhappiness, though, at the events that have been portrayed.
LIN: All right. Thank you very much, Elaine Quijano in Washington.
You can hear more from Bob Woodward himself tomorrow on CNN. He'll be a guest on LARRY KING LIVE. So be sure to tune in at 9:00 Eastern, 6:00 Pacific.
President Bush heads to South Florida later this week. His rival, Democratic presidential candidate, John Kerry, is already there campaigning for votes. And finding himself on the defensive. CNN's senior political correspondent Candy Crowley reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CANDY CROWLEY, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Sporting a newly acquired Florida tan, John Kerry observed the Sunday rituals: church service and "Meet the Press," where he pushed his position that the road out of Iraq goes through the White House.
SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: It may well be that we need a new president. A breath of fresh air to re-establish credibility with the rest of the world so that we can have a believable administration as to how we proceed.
CROWLEY: Plagued by poll numbers showing over half of American believe Kerry says whatever he thinks people want to hear at the time, the Senator was pressed to explain his statements and his record. First, his vote for the Iraq resolution and then his vote against a spending bill to fund it.
KERRY: That vote would never have prevented any of those: the body armor, ammunition, or anything from getting to our troops.
CROWLEY: Raising the retirement age and means testing Social Security.
KERRY: No, I rejected that. We looked at it and we found we don't have to do it.
CROWLEY: A 1971 statement when Kerry said the U.N. should oversee the deployment of troops.
KERRY: That's one of those stupid things that a 27-year-old kid says when you are fresh back from Vietnam and angry about it.
CROWLEY: A Vietnam-era statement wide-spread atrocity.
KERRY: Where did all that dark hair go, Tim? That's a big question for me.
You know, I thought a lot for a long time about that period of time, the things we said. And I think the word is a bad word. I think it's an inappropriate word.
CROWLEY: Critiquing Kerry's performance later, Republicans said the Senator only added to the confusion surrounding his record. The Bush campaign was particularly eager to highlight Kerry's rule out a future against funding the war in Iraq.
The audience was a good deal friendlier by the time Kerry arrived at the University of Miami to deliver the usual.
KERRY: Misleading America again about everything.
CROWLEY (voice-over): Kerry's trip to Florida is a mixture of fund-raisers and rallying the faithful. It will include a Monday appearance with former rival Senator Joe Lieberman, where else, in Palm Beach County, home of the butterfly ballot. Candy Crowley, CNN, Miami.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LIN: Well, it's the biggest sacrifice in war: a soldier laying down his life. We are going to take a closer look at the lives lost in Iraq as the death toll continues to climb.
And who has the biggest impact on you? Politicians, actors, millionaires? Still to come, "TIME" magazine's top 100 influential people.
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LIN: Right now we want to focus on some of the men and women who have given their lives in Iraq. It's part of our new segment, "On the Front Lines." Each week we are going to take a closer look at the personal stories out of this war, including the Americans serving in Iraq. Here's CNN's Beth Nissan.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BETH NISSAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Since April 3, the families of more than 80 U.S. troops have heard the news they parade they would not hear. The son, the daughter, the husband, the father, the loved one serving in Iraq, had been killed there in two of the bloodiest weeks for U.S. troops since the war began.
The fighting, and who is doing the fighting has changed since then. Of the first 500 American military fatalities in Iraq, 4 out of 5 were U.S. Army, but of the U.S. troops killed in the last 2 weeks, only half were army: from the 1st infantry, the 1st armored, 13 from the 1st Cavalry. All but one of them killed in attacks in Baghdad.
The other half, 41 of the dead, were marines, from the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force. Almost all of whom died in Al Anbar Province, which includes Fallujah, center of the fiercest recent fighting.
April 6 was especially deadly for the Marines there: 10 died in that one day in gun fights with insurgents. For more than one-third of the casualties in the last two weeks, hostile fire was the listed cause of death. 18 others were killed in rocket-propropelled grenade attacks, 10 more by IED, improvised explosive devices, including two women, bringing the total of American military women killed in Iraq to 19.
Most of these troops died on the scene, 12 others survived the battle, but died later of injuries, despite the efforts of combat medics on the battlefield and surgeons in forward field hospitals. The daily listing of the fallen: 12 on April 4, eight on April 8, 15 on April 9, 8 more on the 11, came in such quick succession that it was hard to get a clear picture of who they were. Most were young. 11 were teenagers, some just months out of high school. Almost one- third were under 21. Not even old enough to order a beer in a bar.
They came from every region in the United States, but especially the midwest and the south. 13 from Texas. Another 13 from California. A few came from big cities, St. Louis, Houston, most hailed from smaller towns. Boxite, Arizona, Bear, Delaware, Versailles, Kentucky.
Hometown newspapers have struggled to keep up, to write profiles of those killed in the last two weeks. Stories giving details missing from Department of Defense notices. Who was married? Who had left behind young children? Whose wife was expecting a son in August?
Behind the numbers, the totals. There were glimpses of the individual people who had been lost. Private Noa Boyd, 21, who played guitar for friends back in Nebraska, who talked about starting a band when he got back to the U.S.
Private First Class Christopher Cobb, who played the violin and died in his second month in Iraq at age 19.
Staff Sergeant Alan Walker, 28, who wrote poetry and was planning a trip to Ireland this summer.
Captain Brent Murell, 27, who dreamed of being a 4 star general one day.
Sergeant Hiroldo Moreno, 23, who dreamed he would die in battle. And did, on April 6, in Ashula (ph), Iraq.
These losses, and more than 70 others in the last 2 weeks alone. These losses added to the inevitable list of casualties in any war. A list, that in this war, is nearing 700.
Beth Nissan, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LIN: And we will continue to honor those who make the biggest sacrifice on the front lines. And bring you other stories from the front lines as well. We're going to be right back, after a quick break.
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