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CNN Live At Daybreak
Missing Bride-to-Be; Samantha Runnion Case; Ethics Rule
Aired April 28, 2005 - 05:00 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 COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Straight ahead on DAYBREAK, missing in Georgia. A bride to be goes for a quick jog, but she's been gone a long time.
Plus, a spunky attitude and a curious nature help a grandmother unravel a terrorist plot.
Plus, the sights, the sounds, the music. But what goes on behind the scenes at "American Idol?"
It is Thursday, April 28. This is DAYBREAK.
And good morning to you. From the Time Warner Center in New York, I'm Carol Costello, along with Chad Myers.
"Now in the News," there's been an assassination of an Iraqi official today. The deputy director of intelligence has been gunned down. It comes the day after a female lawmaker was killed outside of her Baghdad home.
The death toll in that Japanese train wreck has now grown to 106. More bodies were found today in the twisted metal debris, including the engineer. The commuter train jumped the tracks Monday and hit an apartment building outside of Osaka.
President Bush steps into the spotlight tonight. He's scheduled a news conference to talk about his plans for changing Social Security and his approach to those high gas prices.
That wayward whale that wandered up the Delaware River for miles and miles is at it again, but he's not in the Delaware River this time. The 12-foot beluga whale has now been spotted beneath the bridge on the Schuylkill River about 65 miles from the ocean.
Maybe he's taking a river tour, Chad.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: He's headed up to sea. Oh, Carol, the Schuylkill River. Oh.
COSTELLO: Poor Helis.
MYERS: No, get into the clean water, come on. You know the way.
Good morning.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COSTELLO: All right. Thank you, Chad.
MYERS: You're welcome.
COSTELLO: Our top story this morning, a 32-year-old Georgia woman getting ready for her wedding on Saturday takes a jog on Tuesday night. Jennifer Wilbanks has not been seen or heard from since. Her fiance, her mother, her family, her friends are very worried.
Ross Cavitt, of our Atlanta affiliate, WSB, has more for you.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN MASON, MISSING WOMAN'S FIANCE: And I went out looking for her and never found her anywhere. I drove all around the area here that I could think of that she might have been.
ROSS CAVITT, REPORTER, WSB (voice-over): Fiance John Mason says Jennifer Wilbanks' run just before sunset was nothing out of the ordinary, that she failed to come back within an hour was. Days away from her big weekend wedding, Jennifer's mother says the 32-year-old seemed wrapped up in the planning.
JOYCE PARRISH, MOTHER OF MISSING WOMAN: She was telling me to come by her office today, she had a list of all the vendors for the wedding and their numbers, cell phone numbers in case...
CAVITT: The mother and daughter had talked just a few hours before Jennifer disappeared.
PARRISH: She said, "Mama, you're going to be with me all day."
CAVITT: John Mason first called family, then police. And by daybreak, hundreds were involved from the search, from cops to citizens. They looked at every apartment, wooded field, and plastered posters on every post.
People like Dottie Stewart, who doesn't know either family, dropped work for the day to help out.
DOTTIE STEWART, SEARCHER: Because it could happen to my family, anybody's family. You know, nobody's safe. You can't even go out and run in the evening without worrying about who's going to grab you.
CAVITT: Police admit, despite the massive sweep, the clues are few and far between. Family members insist the last possible scenario could be a bride to be with cold feet.
MASON: She left out of here with just a radio and her clothes that she had on. Her cell phone's in there, her credit cards, her pocketbook, her money, her keys to her car, her diamond. Everything that she owns is in the home. If it's cold feet, it's the weirdest case of cold feet I've ever seen.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: That was reporter Ross Cavitt of our affiliate, WSB, in Atlanta. Police have scheduled a news conference an hour from now at 6:00 a.m. Eastern. Of course when that happens we'll bring it to you live.
A 12-year-old Mexican girl is heading back to Florida today three days after she disappeared from a Tampa-area motel. We have a happy ending for you this morning. Margarita Aguilar-Lopez was found last night with her alleged abductor in a Wal-Mart parking lot in South Carolina.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHIEF MIKE RADZILOWSKI, BRADENTON, FLORIDA, POLICE: It just happened so fast. They called us and let us know that they recovered her safe, got the individual, and then we started rounding up everybody to come out here and tell you the good news.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: The 25-year-old suspect now in jail in South Carolina. But he may soon be sent back to Florida.
A California jury is deliberating the fate of a man accused of killing 5-year-old Samantha Runnion. Her disappearance nearly three years ago gained national attention when it triggered one of the first Amber Alerts.
CNN's Miguel Marquez takes a look at the events behind the case and the man behind the search for that missing girl.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Her name was Samantha Runnion. As soon as she was abducted, Sheriff Mike Carona knew he was in a race against time.
MICHAEL CARONA, ORANGE COUNTY SHERIFF: If you don't find that child within the first three hours, 74 percent of the children are dead.
MARQUEZ: But this sheriff was ready, a deputy at Samantha's house just four minutes after she was taken, a sketch of the suspect widely circulated. And he used what was then a new method to tell the county a child was missing, an Amber Alert.
CARONA: During the early hours we were very, very hopeful, again because we had such a quick response. Unlike a lot of other law enforcement agencies across this country, we had already run an Amber Alert.
MARQUEZ: So hopeful he made a promise to Samantha's mother.
CARONA: Where it became personal for me is the first time I had to sit down with Erin Runnion and ask her for a picture of Samantha so we could get that out to the public and telling her, much like I'm looking you in the eyes and saying, "I'll bring Samantha home alive." MARQUEZ: Carona all but begged the public for help and he got it, thousands of phone calls, tips, but soon came the call no one wanted to hear.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, my God we found a dead body. Please hurry. OK. I'm in the Ortegas, OK? Ortega Mountains I'm in Riverside County, OK?
MARQUEZ: The sheriff, a self-described by-the-book man, went into denial.
CARONA: To a person we didn't want to believe it. There was an absolute sense of denial by all of us.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They believe they found a small child, the body of a small child here in this ravine.
MARQUEZ: The race to save Samantha had failed. Now Mike Carona's mission was a manhunt. Again, he made it personal.
CARONA: Don't sleep. Don't eat because we're coming after you. We will take every resource that's available to us to bring you to justice.
MARQUEZ: Within days the hunt was over. Alejandro Avila was arrested. Again, the sheriff didn't mince words.
CARONA: I am 100 percent certain that Mr. Avila is the man who kidnapped and murdered Samantha Runnion.
MARQUEZ: Later when thousands came to mourn the little girl and the sheriff rose to speak, something remarkable happened. First they applauded. Then they stood. Later, even the president would thank the sheriff.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I want to congratulate you for your good work in helping make your community as safe as possible.
MARQUEZ: The race to save Samantha was not in vain. Just days after her death, California made Amber Alerts a state law. Congress and the president soon followed. Samantha's mother, Erin, became an advocate for child safety.
ERIN RUNNION, SAMANTHA'S MOTHER: Since then there have been 40, over 40 Amber Alerts issued in the State of California and every single child has been recovered alive.
MARQUEZ: But almost two years later the case that grabbed Mike Carona's heart still doesn't let go. He gave his word to Samantha's mother and he failed to keep it.
CARONA: I did make a commitment to her mother and I failed in that original commitment and that part, that's the -- that's the one that you just grapple with and sticks with you. I mean, the rest of your life, probably will the rest of my life. MARQUEZ: This sheriff will always remember the little girl he never met.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: Sheriff Carona is currently the co-chair of the Amber Alert system. The suspect accused of Samantha Runnion's murder could face the death penalty if he is convicted.
In other news "Across America" now, a federal jury in New Jersey has convicted a British man for trying to sell shoulder-fired missiles to terrorists. But the so-called terrorists were actually undercover agents.
Prosecutors say Hemant Lakhani believed the missiles were meant to shoot down commercial airliners. The defense claims he was entrapped by the government. Sentencing is scheduled for August 8.
A suspected serial arsonist is under arrest in Maryland. Thomas Sweatt is charged with setting five fires so far. An elderly woman died in one of those fires. Prosecutors believe Sweatt could be responsible for as many as 40 fires in the Washington area over the past few years. He's scheduled back in court for a detention hearing.
In Hampton, Virginia, newlyweds return home from their honeymoon to find their house has burned down. And get this: police have arrested their best man from their wedding. Police say they don't have a motive for the alleged arson.
The school board in Odessa, Texas, has voted to add a bible class to the high school curriculum. More than 6,000 supporters have signed a petition calling for the class, but some fear a constitutional fight could be coming. The class would most likely be offered as an elective history or literature class starting in the fall of 2006.
An about-face in Washington. The House has voted overwhelmingly to rescind controversial changes in ethics rules. This makes it easier once again to investigate alleged wrongdoing by lawmakers, specifically Majority Leader Tom DeLay. But it's also bound to have a ripple effect.
CNN congressional correspondent Ed Henry explains.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How was that conference?
REP. TOM DELAY (R-TX), MAJORITY LEADER: It was a great conference.
ED HENRY, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This is why Republicans retreated. The ethics questions swirling around Tom DeLay were taking their toll on the majority leader and his party.
REP. TOM DELAY (R-TX), MAJORITY LEADER: You guys better get out of my way. Where's our security? HENRY: Back in January, Republicans changed the ethics rules to make it harder to launch investigations of misconduct. Democrats allege this was an attempt to shield DeLay.
Speaker Dennis Hastert insists the changes were meant to protect all members. But he acknowledges the only way to end the controversy is to restore the old rules and let the ethics panel investigate whether DeLay let lobbyists pay for overseas trips.
REP. DENNIS HASTERT (R-IL), SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: Right now we can't clear his name. The media wants to talk about ethics as long as we're at a stalemate. That's all that is in the press today, is the ethics stalemate. We need to move forward. We need to get this behind us.
HENRY: In private, other Republicans are even blunter. One lawmaker said he's worried the Democratic line of attack that Republicans were being arrogant may be effective because there's some truth to it. But there could be political fallout for both parties as the scrutiny of DeLay has a ripple effect.
Republican and Democratic lawmakers are scurrying to amend their own travel records. And staffers flocked to a closed-door refresher course on the ethics rules this week.
JASON ROE, HOUSE REPUBLICAN AIDE: You know, I think in a political sense, absolutely, everyone is concerned that this thing is ratcheting up the partisanship in Washington. But I think everyone is a little on edge about what we're going through right now.
HENRY (on camera): Republicans are the ones who are on edge now because they're not sure how the Tom DeLay investigation will end up. But they're vowing to retaliate by pushing for investigations of top Democrats.
Ed Henry, CNN, Capitol Hill.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: Over at the White House, the president has a prime- time news conference tonight on Social Security and on energy. You know, specifically as it applies to those record gas prices we've been paying. The president says the nation's dependence on oil from overseas is like a foreign tax on the American people.
You are paying an average of $2.20 a gallon now. The president wants to encourage building new oil refineries on closed military sites, constructing new nuclear plants, and expanding tax credits to people who own hybrid and fuel cell cars.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BUSH: Our demand for gasoline grows, which means we're relying more on foreign imports of refined product. To encourage the expansion of existing facilities, the EPA is simplifying rules and regulations. I will direct federal agencies to work with states to encourage the building of new refineries on closed military facilities, for example, and to simplify the permitting process for such construction.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: CNN's coverage of the president's news conference begins at 8:00 Eastern tonight. He's expected to appear at the podium about 8:30 p.m. Eastern.
We wanted to talk more about energy costs, because there are several components to the gas problem. Oil companies, for one, are making humongous profits.
Chad, get this.
MYERS: Yes?
COSTELLO: Are you listening?
MYERS: I am.
COSTELLO: Today, the world's largest publicly traded oil company, ExxonMobil, is expected to report it made almost $8 billion so far this year.
MYERS: Yes. But you know what, Carol?
COSTELLO: What, Chad?
MYERS: That's a publicly traded company. If you want to buy shares of Exxon, you can share in the wealth. This isn't some big brother with a big thumb on us. You've got to be smarter than the markets sometimes.
COSTELLO: Well, you get on Google, you find out how much a share costs in ExxonMobil and see how many of us can afford it.
MYERS: Carol, I bought a bunch of gas stocks about two years ago when I knew these oil prices were going up. I've done very well.
COSTELLO: I can feel anger at you, directed right at you...
MYERS: Go. Go right ahead. I feel like Kramer (ph) on CNBC. Go right ahead.
COSTELLO: OK. Going on with our components of energy costs -- meanwhile, Saudi Arabia, our biggest oil supplier, has limited short- term oil production, and all the while a lot of you are driving gas guzzlers like SUVs.
MYERS: Absolutely. I've got to -- one of my cars broke down, and I took the car back in for service yesterday. They gave me one of these SUVs.
I got it on full. I drove from my house to the station so far, and it's on three-quarters of a tank. And I'm supposed to bring it back full, but I can just see the money flying out the tailpipe.
COSTELLO: Man, you're...
MYERS: You know, there's something else I wish President Bush would give tax credits for, insulation. Remember they did this back in the '70s. Throw some more insulation in your attic.
COSTELLO: Oh, in your home.
MYERS: In your home.
COSTELLO: I was thinking cars.
MYERS: And then you -- well, no. In your home.
COSTELLO: I understand.
MYERS: And then you don't have to use as much oil or natural gas to heat your house.
COSTELLO: Anyway -- definitely true. Actually, all of that brings us to our DAYBREAK e-mail "Question of the Day."
High gas prices, just who is responsible? I don't know. What do you think?
MYERS: This will be a long list, Carol.
COSTELLO: DAYBREAK@CNN.com. DAYBREAK@CNN.com. That's DAYBREAK@CNN.com.
Oh, and, by the way, Chad, here's a breakdown of gas prices.
MYERS: Oh, yes.
COSTELLO: Let's say you pay $2.58 for a gallon of gas...
MYERS: Right?
COSTELLO: ... which is the price in parts of California right now.
MYERS: Sure.
COSTELLO: $1.12 is the actual cost of oil. Eighty-seven cents goes to refiners, 52 cents goes to taxes, and gas station owners get seven cents. So when they're whining, they're whining for a reason.
MYERS: Yes. That actual cost of oil is really up there compared to where it was.
COSTELLO: Isn't that something?
MYERS: Yes.
COSTELLO: Coming up on DAYBREAK, she had some surprises for the jury. One of Michael Jackson's ex-wives will be back in court today. We'll have a full trial update for you just ahead at 20 minutes past.
At 34 minutes past the hour, we'll meet an unlikely hero who may have saved the country from the millennium bomber.
And we're going behind the scenes of "American Idol" to find out what really goes on after the music stops. Yes, we're on to scandal. That's at 56 past.
But first, here's a look at what else is making news this Thursday morning.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: A little Aerosmith just for Jay, our floor manager, who loves Aerosmith.
The international markets are in positive territory this morning. Tokyo's Nikkei up more than three point, the London FTSE up nearly 24. The German DAX up almost 16 points.
Your news, money, weather and sports. It's 5:19 Eastern. Here's what's all new this morning.
Police in Georgia looking for clues in the disappearance of a bride to be. Jennifer Wilbanks never returned home Tuesday night after she went out for a jog. She's scheduled to be married on Saturday.
The Iraqi National Assembly has been meeting for more than an hour now. They're considering a proposal from Prime Minister- Designate Ibrahim al-Jaafari to fill 36 ministries.
In money news, a reported increased oil reserve sent prices down more than $2.50 a barrel. The price drop in oil futures was also fueled by President Bush's announcement of a plan to build more refineries.
In culture, the Mary Kay Letourneau wedding is coming to a TV near you. Ugh!
"Entertainment Tonight" nabbed exclusive rights to all aspects of this May event. The ex-teacher is marrying her former six-grade pupil. It was that affair that sent her to prison for nearly eight years.
Oh, I just -- I have to go on now. I just can't say anymore about that.
In sports, a House committee hear testimony from NFL officials about steroids and drug testing policies. Congress is discussing legislation aimed at preventing steroid use in sports. No active NFL players were called on to testify -- Chad.
MYERS: Good morning, Carol. A little local weather now this morning for you.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COSTELLO: Thank you, Chad.
MYERS: You're welcome.
COSTELLO: Michael Jackson's ex-wife is scheduled to be back on the stand today. And if today's testimony is anything like day one, both sides in the case better look out. CNN's Ted Rowlands has the story from Santa Maria, California.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Michael Jackson's ex-wife didn't say what she was expected to on the witness stand. In opening statements, the prosecution told the jury that a videotaped interview Debbie Rowe did to help Michael Jackson was scripted. But under oath yesterday, Rowe adamantly denied that, saying, "No one tells me what to say."
LAURIE LEVENSON, LEGAL ANALYST: Up to now, she's actually gone against the prosecution's case, because she said she wasn't scripted, she wasn't coerced, she spoke her mind.
ROWLANDS: As prosecutors expected, Rowe was the first witness to directly tie Jackson to the video by saying that Jackson personally asked her to do the interview. She also says Jackson promised she'd be able to see her children once things "settled down."
Rowe is currently in a custody battle with Jackson, but on the stand she seemed to have a lot of affection for him. At one point, Rowe broke down, saying she wanted to be reintroduced to her children and reacquainted with Jackson. When asked why she wanted to see Michael Jackson, her voice cracked, saying, "He's my friend."
CRAIG SMITH, LEGAL ANALYST: You have to wonder, what is it that she sees in Michael Jackson? Because she obviously sees something in there that you have to assume that -- that she thinks it's good. And the jury just has to be wondering what that is.
ROWLANDS (on camera): One of the things that Debbie Rowe said in that videotaped interview she did for Michael Jackson was that he was a great father. Well, on the stand, she said that she was lying about that. She is expected to be back on the stand when court resumes.
Ted Rowlands, CNN, Santa Maria, California.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Oh, good music this morning.
MYERS: There you go.
COSTELLO: You know, we're talking about high gas prices this morning. And it's really not very funny when you're filling up. But, Chad, it was funny last night with David Letterman and Jay Leno.
MYERS: That's because they're rich.
(LAUGHTER)
COSTELLO: And they have good senses of humor.
MYERS: OK.
COSTELLO: Let's check out our "Late Night Laughs" segment.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAVID LETTERMAN, TALK SHOW HOST: How about the price of gas? Isn't it crazy?
Listen to this. Because of the high price of gas, Domino's is now charging a $1 delivery fee. Can you believe that? But don't worry. The pizza will still arrive piping cold.
(APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAY LENO, TALK SHOW HOST: There was one kind of embarrassing moment when the prosecution asked Debbie Rowe if she would point out the man who was her husband for three years and she pointed to LaToya.
They say girls as young as 9 are using steroids. Which means if they come to your door with some of those Girl Scout cookies, you better buy them!
(LAUGHTER)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MYERS: That was pretty good, actually.
COSTELLO: That was pretty good. It made me laugh.
Hey, time for our DAYBREAK "Eye Openers." They're good ones, too, Chad. Another day, another bear story.
MYERS: I know.
COSTELLO: Oh. Did you see that one falling out of a tree in Wisconsin?
MYERS: Yes. He fell most of the way.
COSTELLO: Oh. He got stuck on a branch. If he hadn't been hit with a tranquilizer dart, I bet that would have really hurt.
The 200-pound bear had been sleeping underneath a truck, but jumped up the tree when he was shot at by -- with a tranquilizer gun. He will be released into the wild. He's OK.
MYERS: He is OK.
COSTELLO: This little guy would be an appetizer for that bear.
MYERS: Doh!
COSTELLO: Look. His name is Dakota. Dakota was held for ransom after someone stole his owner's truck with the little doggie inside. Police nabbed the dognapper when he tried to collect a $500 ransom.
MYERS: And get this, Carol. The guy was arraigned on charges, including threatening with extent to -- intent to extort. And he was held on $500 bail, which was the $500 he wanted from the other guy.
COSTELLO: That's just desserts. Good.
Oh, good. Another animal story. Look at this.
MYERS: Oh.
COSTELLO: This is a rare white alligator. It's on display at the aquarium in New Orleans. Legend says that anyone who looks into the eyes of a white alligator will have a year of good luck.
MYERS: Ooh.
COSTELLO: OK, Chad. Let's look.
MYERS: Yes.
COSTELLO: We're all looking.
MYERS: I don't know if the picture works or not.
COSTELLO: Oh, we're only staring into one eye. Does it have to be both?
MYERS: That would be hard, at least at the same time. They're on opposite sides of his head.
COSTELLO: Even if he were -- exactly. If he were facing us it would be hard.
MYERS: That's right.
COSTELLO: Do you have any e-mails yet?
MYERS: You know what? I got -- I got a couple. I don't know if our e-mail server is working very well this morning. But the one that I did have, I did print it out. It's over on my printer, Carol.
High gas prices is what we're asking. Who is responsible. And I think there's, you know, a fairly long list here.
The one that I got, though, from Ginny (ph) says, "I think the ones that have stalled the energy bill are partly to blame, too, for the higher gas prices. We are far behind this energy tax bill."
And another one I got also said that it's our fault that these things are so high, these gas prices are so high, because we're spending so much at the pump because we are putting these big vehicles on the road and just sucking the gas down as fast as we can put it in.
COSTELLO: A little reality check this morning. More to come on DAYBREAK.
Also, here's what's all new in the next half-hour.
A coin toss gets zero tolerance at a Pistons game. We'll tell you what happened to one fan's 25 cents' worth.
Plus, this grandmother might move a bit slower these days, but it was her quick eye and fast thinking that caught a nervous criminal bent on a terror attack.
And a reminder. Our e-mail "Question of the Day," high gas prices, who's responsible? Let us know what you think, DAYBREAK@CNN.com.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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Aired April 28, 2005 - 05:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Straight ahead on DAYBREAK, missing in Georgia. A bride to be goes for a quick jog, but she's been gone a long time.
Plus, a spunky attitude and a curious nature help a grandmother unravel a terrorist plot.
Plus, the sights, the sounds, the music. But what goes on behind the scenes at "American Idol?"
It is Thursday, April 28. This is DAYBREAK.
And good morning to you. From the Time Warner Center in New York, I'm Carol Costello, along with Chad Myers.
"Now in the News," there's been an assassination of an Iraqi official today. The deputy director of intelligence has been gunned down. It comes the day after a female lawmaker was killed outside of her Baghdad home.
The death toll in that Japanese train wreck has now grown to 106. More bodies were found today in the twisted metal debris, including the engineer. The commuter train jumped the tracks Monday and hit an apartment building outside of Osaka.
President Bush steps into the spotlight tonight. He's scheduled a news conference to talk about his plans for changing Social Security and his approach to those high gas prices.
That wayward whale that wandered up the Delaware River for miles and miles is at it again, but he's not in the Delaware River this time. The 12-foot beluga whale has now been spotted beneath the bridge on the Schuylkill River about 65 miles from the ocean.
Maybe he's taking a river tour, Chad.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: He's headed up to sea. Oh, Carol, the Schuylkill River. Oh.
COSTELLO: Poor Helis.
MYERS: No, get into the clean water, come on. You know the way.
Good morning.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COSTELLO: All right. Thank you, Chad.
MYERS: You're welcome.
COSTELLO: Our top story this morning, a 32-year-old Georgia woman getting ready for her wedding on Saturday takes a jog on Tuesday night. Jennifer Wilbanks has not been seen or heard from since. Her fiance, her mother, her family, her friends are very worried.
Ross Cavitt, of our Atlanta affiliate, WSB, has more for you.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN MASON, MISSING WOMAN'S FIANCE: And I went out looking for her and never found her anywhere. I drove all around the area here that I could think of that she might have been.
ROSS CAVITT, REPORTER, WSB (voice-over): Fiance John Mason says Jennifer Wilbanks' run just before sunset was nothing out of the ordinary, that she failed to come back within an hour was. Days away from her big weekend wedding, Jennifer's mother says the 32-year-old seemed wrapped up in the planning.
JOYCE PARRISH, MOTHER OF MISSING WOMAN: She was telling me to come by her office today, she had a list of all the vendors for the wedding and their numbers, cell phone numbers in case...
CAVITT: The mother and daughter had talked just a few hours before Jennifer disappeared.
PARRISH: She said, "Mama, you're going to be with me all day."
CAVITT: John Mason first called family, then police. And by daybreak, hundreds were involved from the search, from cops to citizens. They looked at every apartment, wooded field, and plastered posters on every post.
People like Dottie Stewart, who doesn't know either family, dropped work for the day to help out.
DOTTIE STEWART, SEARCHER: Because it could happen to my family, anybody's family. You know, nobody's safe. You can't even go out and run in the evening without worrying about who's going to grab you.
CAVITT: Police admit, despite the massive sweep, the clues are few and far between. Family members insist the last possible scenario could be a bride to be with cold feet.
MASON: She left out of here with just a radio and her clothes that she had on. Her cell phone's in there, her credit cards, her pocketbook, her money, her keys to her car, her diamond. Everything that she owns is in the home. If it's cold feet, it's the weirdest case of cold feet I've ever seen.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: That was reporter Ross Cavitt of our affiliate, WSB, in Atlanta. Police have scheduled a news conference an hour from now at 6:00 a.m. Eastern. Of course when that happens we'll bring it to you live.
A 12-year-old Mexican girl is heading back to Florida today three days after she disappeared from a Tampa-area motel. We have a happy ending for you this morning. Margarita Aguilar-Lopez was found last night with her alleged abductor in a Wal-Mart parking lot in South Carolina.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHIEF MIKE RADZILOWSKI, BRADENTON, FLORIDA, POLICE: It just happened so fast. They called us and let us know that they recovered her safe, got the individual, and then we started rounding up everybody to come out here and tell you the good news.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: The 25-year-old suspect now in jail in South Carolina. But he may soon be sent back to Florida.
A California jury is deliberating the fate of a man accused of killing 5-year-old Samantha Runnion. Her disappearance nearly three years ago gained national attention when it triggered one of the first Amber Alerts.
CNN's Miguel Marquez takes a look at the events behind the case and the man behind the search for that missing girl.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Her name was Samantha Runnion. As soon as she was abducted, Sheriff Mike Carona knew he was in a race against time.
MICHAEL CARONA, ORANGE COUNTY SHERIFF: If you don't find that child within the first three hours, 74 percent of the children are dead.
MARQUEZ: But this sheriff was ready, a deputy at Samantha's house just four minutes after she was taken, a sketch of the suspect widely circulated. And he used what was then a new method to tell the county a child was missing, an Amber Alert.
CARONA: During the early hours we were very, very hopeful, again because we had such a quick response. Unlike a lot of other law enforcement agencies across this country, we had already run an Amber Alert.
MARQUEZ: So hopeful he made a promise to Samantha's mother.
CARONA: Where it became personal for me is the first time I had to sit down with Erin Runnion and ask her for a picture of Samantha so we could get that out to the public and telling her, much like I'm looking you in the eyes and saying, "I'll bring Samantha home alive." MARQUEZ: Carona all but begged the public for help and he got it, thousands of phone calls, tips, but soon came the call no one wanted to hear.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, my God we found a dead body. Please hurry. OK. I'm in the Ortegas, OK? Ortega Mountains I'm in Riverside County, OK?
MARQUEZ: The sheriff, a self-described by-the-book man, went into denial.
CARONA: To a person we didn't want to believe it. There was an absolute sense of denial by all of us.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They believe they found a small child, the body of a small child here in this ravine.
MARQUEZ: The race to save Samantha had failed. Now Mike Carona's mission was a manhunt. Again, he made it personal.
CARONA: Don't sleep. Don't eat because we're coming after you. We will take every resource that's available to us to bring you to justice.
MARQUEZ: Within days the hunt was over. Alejandro Avila was arrested. Again, the sheriff didn't mince words.
CARONA: I am 100 percent certain that Mr. Avila is the man who kidnapped and murdered Samantha Runnion.
MARQUEZ: Later when thousands came to mourn the little girl and the sheriff rose to speak, something remarkable happened. First they applauded. Then they stood. Later, even the president would thank the sheriff.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I want to congratulate you for your good work in helping make your community as safe as possible.
MARQUEZ: The race to save Samantha was not in vain. Just days after her death, California made Amber Alerts a state law. Congress and the president soon followed. Samantha's mother, Erin, became an advocate for child safety.
ERIN RUNNION, SAMANTHA'S MOTHER: Since then there have been 40, over 40 Amber Alerts issued in the State of California and every single child has been recovered alive.
MARQUEZ: But almost two years later the case that grabbed Mike Carona's heart still doesn't let go. He gave his word to Samantha's mother and he failed to keep it.
CARONA: I did make a commitment to her mother and I failed in that original commitment and that part, that's the -- that's the one that you just grapple with and sticks with you. I mean, the rest of your life, probably will the rest of my life. MARQUEZ: This sheriff will always remember the little girl he never met.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: Sheriff Carona is currently the co-chair of the Amber Alert system. The suspect accused of Samantha Runnion's murder could face the death penalty if he is convicted.
In other news "Across America" now, a federal jury in New Jersey has convicted a British man for trying to sell shoulder-fired missiles to terrorists. But the so-called terrorists were actually undercover agents.
Prosecutors say Hemant Lakhani believed the missiles were meant to shoot down commercial airliners. The defense claims he was entrapped by the government. Sentencing is scheduled for August 8.
A suspected serial arsonist is under arrest in Maryland. Thomas Sweatt is charged with setting five fires so far. An elderly woman died in one of those fires. Prosecutors believe Sweatt could be responsible for as many as 40 fires in the Washington area over the past few years. He's scheduled back in court for a detention hearing.
In Hampton, Virginia, newlyweds return home from their honeymoon to find their house has burned down. And get this: police have arrested their best man from their wedding. Police say they don't have a motive for the alleged arson.
The school board in Odessa, Texas, has voted to add a bible class to the high school curriculum. More than 6,000 supporters have signed a petition calling for the class, but some fear a constitutional fight could be coming. The class would most likely be offered as an elective history or literature class starting in the fall of 2006.
An about-face in Washington. The House has voted overwhelmingly to rescind controversial changes in ethics rules. This makes it easier once again to investigate alleged wrongdoing by lawmakers, specifically Majority Leader Tom DeLay. But it's also bound to have a ripple effect.
CNN congressional correspondent Ed Henry explains.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How was that conference?
REP. TOM DELAY (R-TX), MAJORITY LEADER: It was a great conference.
ED HENRY, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This is why Republicans retreated. The ethics questions swirling around Tom DeLay were taking their toll on the majority leader and his party.
REP. TOM DELAY (R-TX), MAJORITY LEADER: You guys better get out of my way. Where's our security? HENRY: Back in January, Republicans changed the ethics rules to make it harder to launch investigations of misconduct. Democrats allege this was an attempt to shield DeLay.
Speaker Dennis Hastert insists the changes were meant to protect all members. But he acknowledges the only way to end the controversy is to restore the old rules and let the ethics panel investigate whether DeLay let lobbyists pay for overseas trips.
REP. DENNIS HASTERT (R-IL), SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: Right now we can't clear his name. The media wants to talk about ethics as long as we're at a stalemate. That's all that is in the press today, is the ethics stalemate. We need to move forward. We need to get this behind us.
HENRY: In private, other Republicans are even blunter. One lawmaker said he's worried the Democratic line of attack that Republicans were being arrogant may be effective because there's some truth to it. But there could be political fallout for both parties as the scrutiny of DeLay has a ripple effect.
Republican and Democratic lawmakers are scurrying to amend their own travel records. And staffers flocked to a closed-door refresher course on the ethics rules this week.
JASON ROE, HOUSE REPUBLICAN AIDE: You know, I think in a political sense, absolutely, everyone is concerned that this thing is ratcheting up the partisanship in Washington. But I think everyone is a little on edge about what we're going through right now.
HENRY (on camera): Republicans are the ones who are on edge now because they're not sure how the Tom DeLay investigation will end up. But they're vowing to retaliate by pushing for investigations of top Democrats.
Ed Henry, CNN, Capitol Hill.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: Over at the White House, the president has a prime- time news conference tonight on Social Security and on energy. You know, specifically as it applies to those record gas prices we've been paying. The president says the nation's dependence on oil from overseas is like a foreign tax on the American people.
You are paying an average of $2.20 a gallon now. The president wants to encourage building new oil refineries on closed military sites, constructing new nuclear plants, and expanding tax credits to people who own hybrid and fuel cell cars.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BUSH: Our demand for gasoline grows, which means we're relying more on foreign imports of refined product. To encourage the expansion of existing facilities, the EPA is simplifying rules and regulations. I will direct federal agencies to work with states to encourage the building of new refineries on closed military facilities, for example, and to simplify the permitting process for such construction.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: CNN's coverage of the president's news conference begins at 8:00 Eastern tonight. He's expected to appear at the podium about 8:30 p.m. Eastern.
We wanted to talk more about energy costs, because there are several components to the gas problem. Oil companies, for one, are making humongous profits.
Chad, get this.
MYERS: Yes?
COSTELLO: Are you listening?
MYERS: I am.
COSTELLO: Today, the world's largest publicly traded oil company, ExxonMobil, is expected to report it made almost $8 billion so far this year.
MYERS: Yes. But you know what, Carol?
COSTELLO: What, Chad?
MYERS: That's a publicly traded company. If you want to buy shares of Exxon, you can share in the wealth. This isn't some big brother with a big thumb on us. You've got to be smarter than the markets sometimes.
COSTELLO: Well, you get on Google, you find out how much a share costs in ExxonMobil and see how many of us can afford it.
MYERS: Carol, I bought a bunch of gas stocks about two years ago when I knew these oil prices were going up. I've done very well.
COSTELLO: I can feel anger at you, directed right at you...
MYERS: Go. Go right ahead. I feel like Kramer (ph) on CNBC. Go right ahead.
COSTELLO: OK. Going on with our components of energy costs -- meanwhile, Saudi Arabia, our biggest oil supplier, has limited short- term oil production, and all the while a lot of you are driving gas guzzlers like SUVs.
MYERS: Absolutely. I've got to -- one of my cars broke down, and I took the car back in for service yesterday. They gave me one of these SUVs.
I got it on full. I drove from my house to the station so far, and it's on three-quarters of a tank. And I'm supposed to bring it back full, but I can just see the money flying out the tailpipe.
COSTELLO: Man, you're...
MYERS: You know, there's something else I wish President Bush would give tax credits for, insulation. Remember they did this back in the '70s. Throw some more insulation in your attic.
COSTELLO: Oh, in your home.
MYERS: In your home.
COSTELLO: I was thinking cars.
MYERS: And then you -- well, no. In your home.
COSTELLO: I understand.
MYERS: And then you don't have to use as much oil or natural gas to heat your house.
COSTELLO: Anyway -- definitely true. Actually, all of that brings us to our DAYBREAK e-mail "Question of the Day."
High gas prices, just who is responsible? I don't know. What do you think?
MYERS: This will be a long list, Carol.
COSTELLO: DAYBREAK@CNN.com. DAYBREAK@CNN.com. That's DAYBREAK@CNN.com.
Oh, and, by the way, Chad, here's a breakdown of gas prices.
MYERS: Oh, yes.
COSTELLO: Let's say you pay $2.58 for a gallon of gas...
MYERS: Right?
COSTELLO: ... which is the price in parts of California right now.
MYERS: Sure.
COSTELLO: $1.12 is the actual cost of oil. Eighty-seven cents goes to refiners, 52 cents goes to taxes, and gas station owners get seven cents. So when they're whining, they're whining for a reason.
MYERS: Yes. That actual cost of oil is really up there compared to where it was.
COSTELLO: Isn't that something?
MYERS: Yes.
COSTELLO: Coming up on DAYBREAK, she had some surprises for the jury. One of Michael Jackson's ex-wives will be back in court today. We'll have a full trial update for you just ahead at 20 minutes past.
At 34 minutes past the hour, we'll meet an unlikely hero who may have saved the country from the millennium bomber.
And we're going behind the scenes of "American Idol" to find out what really goes on after the music stops. Yes, we're on to scandal. That's at 56 past.
But first, here's a look at what else is making news this Thursday morning.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: A little Aerosmith just for Jay, our floor manager, who loves Aerosmith.
The international markets are in positive territory this morning. Tokyo's Nikkei up more than three point, the London FTSE up nearly 24. The German DAX up almost 16 points.
Your news, money, weather and sports. It's 5:19 Eastern. Here's what's all new this morning.
Police in Georgia looking for clues in the disappearance of a bride to be. Jennifer Wilbanks never returned home Tuesday night after she went out for a jog. She's scheduled to be married on Saturday.
The Iraqi National Assembly has been meeting for more than an hour now. They're considering a proposal from Prime Minister- Designate Ibrahim al-Jaafari to fill 36 ministries.
In money news, a reported increased oil reserve sent prices down more than $2.50 a barrel. The price drop in oil futures was also fueled by President Bush's announcement of a plan to build more refineries.
In culture, the Mary Kay Letourneau wedding is coming to a TV near you. Ugh!
"Entertainment Tonight" nabbed exclusive rights to all aspects of this May event. The ex-teacher is marrying her former six-grade pupil. It was that affair that sent her to prison for nearly eight years.
Oh, I just -- I have to go on now. I just can't say anymore about that.
In sports, a House committee hear testimony from NFL officials about steroids and drug testing policies. Congress is discussing legislation aimed at preventing steroid use in sports. No active NFL players were called on to testify -- Chad.
MYERS: Good morning, Carol. A little local weather now this morning for you.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COSTELLO: Thank you, Chad.
MYERS: You're welcome.
COSTELLO: Michael Jackson's ex-wife is scheduled to be back on the stand today. And if today's testimony is anything like day one, both sides in the case better look out. CNN's Ted Rowlands has the story from Santa Maria, California.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Michael Jackson's ex-wife didn't say what she was expected to on the witness stand. In opening statements, the prosecution told the jury that a videotaped interview Debbie Rowe did to help Michael Jackson was scripted. But under oath yesterday, Rowe adamantly denied that, saying, "No one tells me what to say."
LAURIE LEVENSON, LEGAL ANALYST: Up to now, she's actually gone against the prosecution's case, because she said she wasn't scripted, she wasn't coerced, she spoke her mind.
ROWLANDS: As prosecutors expected, Rowe was the first witness to directly tie Jackson to the video by saying that Jackson personally asked her to do the interview. She also says Jackson promised she'd be able to see her children once things "settled down."
Rowe is currently in a custody battle with Jackson, but on the stand she seemed to have a lot of affection for him. At one point, Rowe broke down, saying she wanted to be reintroduced to her children and reacquainted with Jackson. When asked why she wanted to see Michael Jackson, her voice cracked, saying, "He's my friend."
CRAIG SMITH, LEGAL ANALYST: You have to wonder, what is it that she sees in Michael Jackson? Because she obviously sees something in there that you have to assume that -- that she thinks it's good. And the jury just has to be wondering what that is.
ROWLANDS (on camera): One of the things that Debbie Rowe said in that videotaped interview she did for Michael Jackson was that he was a great father. Well, on the stand, she said that she was lying about that. She is expected to be back on the stand when court resumes.
Ted Rowlands, CNN, Santa Maria, California.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Oh, good music this morning.
MYERS: There you go.
COSTELLO: You know, we're talking about high gas prices this morning. And it's really not very funny when you're filling up. But, Chad, it was funny last night with David Letterman and Jay Leno.
MYERS: That's because they're rich.
(LAUGHTER)
COSTELLO: And they have good senses of humor.
MYERS: OK.
COSTELLO: Let's check out our "Late Night Laughs" segment.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAVID LETTERMAN, TALK SHOW HOST: How about the price of gas? Isn't it crazy?
Listen to this. Because of the high price of gas, Domino's is now charging a $1 delivery fee. Can you believe that? But don't worry. The pizza will still arrive piping cold.
(APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAY LENO, TALK SHOW HOST: There was one kind of embarrassing moment when the prosecution asked Debbie Rowe if she would point out the man who was her husband for three years and she pointed to LaToya.
They say girls as young as 9 are using steroids. Which means if they come to your door with some of those Girl Scout cookies, you better buy them!
(LAUGHTER)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MYERS: That was pretty good, actually.
COSTELLO: That was pretty good. It made me laugh.
Hey, time for our DAYBREAK "Eye Openers." They're good ones, too, Chad. Another day, another bear story.
MYERS: I know.
COSTELLO: Oh. Did you see that one falling out of a tree in Wisconsin?
MYERS: Yes. He fell most of the way.
COSTELLO: Oh. He got stuck on a branch. If he hadn't been hit with a tranquilizer dart, I bet that would have really hurt.
The 200-pound bear had been sleeping underneath a truck, but jumped up the tree when he was shot at by -- with a tranquilizer gun. He will be released into the wild. He's OK.
MYERS: He is OK.
COSTELLO: This little guy would be an appetizer for that bear.
MYERS: Doh!
COSTELLO: Look. His name is Dakota. Dakota was held for ransom after someone stole his owner's truck with the little doggie inside. Police nabbed the dognapper when he tried to collect a $500 ransom.
MYERS: And get this, Carol. The guy was arraigned on charges, including threatening with extent to -- intent to extort. And he was held on $500 bail, which was the $500 he wanted from the other guy.
COSTELLO: That's just desserts. Good.
Oh, good. Another animal story. Look at this.
MYERS: Oh.
COSTELLO: This is a rare white alligator. It's on display at the aquarium in New Orleans. Legend says that anyone who looks into the eyes of a white alligator will have a year of good luck.
MYERS: Ooh.
COSTELLO: OK, Chad. Let's look.
MYERS: Yes.
COSTELLO: We're all looking.
MYERS: I don't know if the picture works or not.
COSTELLO: Oh, we're only staring into one eye. Does it have to be both?
MYERS: That would be hard, at least at the same time. They're on opposite sides of his head.
COSTELLO: Even if he were -- exactly. If he were facing us it would be hard.
MYERS: That's right.
COSTELLO: Do you have any e-mails yet?
MYERS: You know what? I got -- I got a couple. I don't know if our e-mail server is working very well this morning. But the one that I did have, I did print it out. It's over on my printer, Carol.
High gas prices is what we're asking. Who is responsible. And I think there's, you know, a fairly long list here.
The one that I got, though, from Ginny (ph) says, "I think the ones that have stalled the energy bill are partly to blame, too, for the higher gas prices. We are far behind this energy tax bill."
And another one I got also said that it's our fault that these things are so high, these gas prices are so high, because we're spending so much at the pump because we are putting these big vehicles on the road and just sucking the gas down as fast as we can put it in.
COSTELLO: A little reality check this morning. More to come on DAYBREAK.
Also, here's what's all new in the next half-hour.
A coin toss gets zero tolerance at a Pistons game. We'll tell you what happened to one fan's 25 cents' worth.
Plus, this grandmother might move a bit slower these days, but it was her quick eye and fast thinking that caught a nervous criminal bent on a terror attack.
And a reminder. Our e-mail "Question of the Day," high gas prices, who's responsible? Let us know what you think, DAYBREAK@CNN.com.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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