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American Morning
Atlanta Child Murders Case Reopened; Prom Pressures
Aired May 12, 2005 - 08:30 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: Now in the news, two men who flew a single-engine plane into restricted airspace around Washington could face fines and suspensions, but no formal charges. Security officials evacuated several buildings, including the capital and the White House. It turned out the pilot and his one-person crew got lost on their way to North Carolina. The men were arrested, and then questioned for hours and then released.
Iraqi police say militants have killed at least a dozen people in two car bombings in Iraq this morning. Some 60 others were wounded in those attacks. The violence follows a series of suicide bombings attacks on Wednesday that killed nearly 60 Iraqis.
In Illinois, the man accused of brutally killing his daughter and her best friend remains in police custody this morning. A judge denied bail to Jerry Hobbs, after prosecutors said he confessed to beating the girls in a fit of rage, and then stabbing them 31 times. Hobbs apparently told investigators he was angry with his daughter and thought she was having too much latitude with what she could and could not do. Hobbs is set to be back in court next month.
In Santa Maria, California, Michael Jackson is defending his love for children. The defense played a videotaped interview with Jackson on Wednesday, and is set to show more clips this morning. It could be the closest Jackson comes to taking the stand. Jurors also heard from star witness Macaulay Culkin. The actor denies anything inappropriate ever happened between him and Michael Jackson.
Some critics say new rules are turning driver's licenses into national-identification cards, known as the Real I.D. Act. The measure is aimed at keeping illegal immigrants from getting driver's licenses. Supporters say terrorists will have a harder time hiding in the United States, but advocacy groups says the new law discriminates against immigrants -- Bill.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Carol, thanks for that.
I want to get back to the story we've been talking about throughout the week, these new developments now in the Atlanta child murder case that we've been watching. Police in Georgia are forming a cold case squad now to investigate the murders of six different children killed almost 25 years ago. That's because there was one police chief who believes that Wayne Williams is serving a life sentence for two killings and that he is innocent after all.
Here's Fredricka Whitfield this morning in Atlanta.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHIEF LOUIS GRAHAM, DEKALB COUNTY POLICE: It has nagged at me for 22 years.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): So much so that Dekalb County police chief Louis Graham reopened six cases involving the Atlanta area child murders from 1979-1981. Graham was on the task force working on the string of killings and has never believed music promoter Wayne Williams was responsible. Williams is the only person tried and convicted in connection with the murders that tormented the black community for nearly two years. He's currently serving two life sentences for two of killings.
GRAHAM: I'm going into this to try to determine who murdered these children.
WHITFIELD: Children whose parents are still grieving.
SIRLENA COBB, PARENT OF MURDERED CHILD: This did a whole lot of stuff to my family.
WHITFIELD: Sirlena Cobb says her son Christopher Richardson was the ninth child killed during the spree.
COBB: I don't feel that Wayne Williams killed my son, and I am so happy that Police Chief Graham opened this case back up.
WHITFIELD: Why now? Chief Graham says a recent interview of Williams, conducted by Atlanta radio personality Frank Ski, was one impetus.
FRANK SKI, ATLANTA RADIO PERSONALITY: He said some things. And moreso than that, it was just Wayne Williams as a person. You know, the two men he was convicted of killing were over 200 pounds. They were grown men, 21 and 27 years old. And Wayne Williams is this little short, fragile guy.
WHITFIELD: Lynn Whatley is Williams' attorney.
LYNN WHATLEY, WILLIAMS DEFENSE ATTORNEY: We have new evidence that number one, will show Wayne Williams' conviction is false. But we also have evidence that's going to have to be developed. We have evidence of identifying perpetrators of some of these murders.
WHITFIELD: Graham assembled a cold case squad of five detectives to pursue every lead indefinitely.
WHITFIELD (on camera): Still the question, how will Graham's cold case squad proceed? The chief says they have lots of phone tips. All may not pan out, but in his words, he wants to give all of it an open, honest review.
Fredricka Whitfield, CNN, Tucker, Georgia.
(END VIDEOTAPE) HEMMER: Also the chief says that since his announcement of re- opening the case, his department has been receiving a flood of tips and possible new leads, too. That case continues in Georgia.
(WEATHER REPORT)
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Its an annual rite of spring. High school students putting on their finest then heading off to the prom. There are lots of anxious moments for students and their parents, too. This morning, we begin a special series on prom night pressures.
Kelly Wallace has more. Kelly, good morning. How romantic, just you and the couples going off to the prom.
KELLY WALLACE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Just -- you know, we gave them a lot of privacy. A camera following their every move. Doesn't it bring back memories?
O'BRIEN: Mostly good, some bad, yes.
WALLACE: Some bad. Well, there are lots of memories. There are also lots of pressures, as we talk about, and there are reasons for this anxiety. Take a look at some of the numbers. According to national highway statistics, more than half of all fatal car crashes on typical prom weekends involve alcohol. And according to a book on relationships and teens released last year, almost half of teens said they expected to go all the way on prom night.
Well, we wanted to get a first-hand look at the excitement and pressures. We traveled to Delaware and follow around one fabulous senior and her family.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WALLACE (voice-over): 17 and headed to the senior prom. Kristin Brinkley of Delmar, Delaware, sums it up with one word.
KRISTIN BRINKLEY, DELMAR HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR: It has to be perfect. It just has to be. There can be no other way.
WALLACE: There's a different pressure for her mom.
PEGG BRINKLEY, KRISTIN'S MOTHER: I look at Kristin, and people see her as she's 17 and she's doing this and she's going there, but I see her -- still see her as my baby.
K. BRINKLEY: Perfect hair, perfect day.
WALLACE: Back at home, surrounded by her tight-knit family, the finishing touches.
(on camera): Well, Mom, are we nervous?
P. BRINKLEY: Well, I tell you, there's a level of anxiety that goes with it, yes. WALLACE (voice-over): And those anxieties include drinking and driving. Three weeks ago, Kristin and her classmates were shown this sobering account of what can happen if kids drink and drive. The Delmar High School principal went classroom to classroom, offering his cell phone number in case of emergency and this message.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Under no circumstances whatsoever should you get behind the wheel of an automobile if you've consumed an alcoholic beverage.
WALLACE: Mom's concerns? Other kids on the road.
P. BRINKLEY: It's in the back of your mind that if there's the potential, more than ordinarily, because you have multiple schools having proms at the same time. And so you've got the potential for something to go wrong.
WALLACE: And what about those pressures of sex on prom night?
P. BRINKLEY: The message for Kristin is that -- your sexual relations are to wait until you're married. That's the way that goes. And she's aware of that.
WALLACE: But now, it's time to let her baby go.
ANTHONY BRINKLEY, KRISTIN'S FATHER: I'm just going to have a problem with her date.
WALLACE (on camera): What are you going to tell Carl (ph)?
A. BRINKLEY: Huh?
WALLACE: What are you going to tell Carl?
A. BRINKLEY: Well, I can't air it. You can't put it on camera.
WALLACE: It's a private discussion.
A. BRINKLEY: Yes, uh huh.
WALLACE: But he'll get the message.
A. BRINKLEY: Real quick.
WALLACE (voice-over): When Carl arrives, the message is clear.
P. BRINKLEY: Keep your hands up like that!
WALLACE: And then the couple, who have been dating since last summer, are off. Kristin's mom has given her a 2:00 a.m. curfew. That's two hours later than usual.
P. BRINKLEY: When 2:00 comes and she comes in the door, I'll be tickled. That's how that's going to go. So, I will be relieved.
(END VIDEOTAPE) WALLACE: And a huge thanks to Kristin Brinkley and her family. Tomorrow, Kristin takes us along to the prom. Will she meet her curfew? How does she handle pressures about drinking and sex? Find out what happens tomorrow, right here on AMERICAN MORNING.
O'BRIEN: You know, it was interesting to listen to her mom's concerns, though. Especially, I think, about alcohol, and with all the other schools having proms, too, on the same weekend. Are there things that the schools are doing to try to make the prom safe but still fun for the kids?
WALLACE: There are. We talked about some of the things this school's doing in Delaware. Others schools after-school -- after-prom activities, sanctioned after-prom activities, so that the kids aren't going to the beach or aren't going out and drinking. They try and do other things, too, Soledad. They have these mock DWI accidents, complete with a car, victims, even some parents pretending their kids have died, writing obituaries to try and convey again the impact of what happens when kids drink and get behind the wheel.
O'BRIEN: I feel sorry for Carl. I love that her dad said, it's unprintable what I'm going to say to Carl.
WALLACE: I think Carl was getting tired of the cameras by the end of the night, you'll.
O'BRIEN: Yeah, poor Carl.
WALLACE: No privacy for Carl.
O'BRIEN: I'm looking forward to tomorrow.
Kelly, thanks.
WALLACE: Sure.
O'BRIEN: Bill.
HEMMER: All right, we'll get a break here in a moment. There's this painkiller linked to deadly side effects that may soon go back on the market. Andy's "Minding Your Business" on that story.
And watching Jeopardy can be good for your brain. So says Sanjay. He's next on AMERICAN MORNING after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: Welcome back, everybody. As part of CNN's silver anniversary, some of our network anchors and reporters have made cameos on Jeopardy this week.
HEMMER: Last night, the good doctor had his chance. Here's Sanjay Gupta. Have a look here.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Science, 800.
ALEX TREBEK, JEOPARDY HOST: Took a look.
SANJAY GUPTA, CNN SR. MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi. I'm CNN senior medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta. I've reported on the threat of H5N1, better known as this potential pandemic transmitted by fowl.
TREBEK: Frank?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What is Hong Kong flu?
TREBEK: No. Grace or Shane? Shane.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What is the avian flu?
TREBEK: That's it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O'BRIEN: I would have gotten that right. Hey, Sanjay. Was that fun?
GUPTA: That means I'm doing my job here.
No, it was kind of fun. So I had to bring some more questions. I'm getting used to this Alex Trebek thing. Let me try and ask a couple questions myself.
O'BRIEN: (INAUDIBLE) to comfortable. Go ahead, bring it on.
GUPTA: And I got -- full disclosure, we had three questions, and apparently you guys saw the answers. So we got three new questions now. they have not seen the answers.
HEMMER: What, you can't do it that way?
O'BRIEN: You don't get the answers?
GUPTA: They made a quiz show about that.
HEMMER: Yeah, they did.
GUPTA: All right, here's our first question. Okay, the first one. This hard-shelled, high-calorie nut native to Australia is also called the Queensland Nut.
HEMMER: Macadamia.
O'BRIEN: Yes.
GUPTA: They both got it. All right, Soledad. You're both pretty smart. Next question: The mineral which occurs in such forms as sand and quartz is the main material in most rocks.
O'BRIEN: Silicon.
GUPTA: That's right.
Last question. You guys are good. Ken Jennings, look out.
HEMMER: She's two for two; I'm one for two.
O'BRIEN: Oh, in the form of a question, what is -- so I would have lost, wouldn't I have.
GUPTA: Actually, that's a good point. What is -- All right. Get it for this one.
O'BRIEN: Sorry.
GUPTA: Last question: In 1972, this country returned control of Okinawa to Japan.
HEMMER: What is the United States?
GUPTA: There you go! Ahhh!
HEMMER: Got to be, right.
O'BRIEN: You rock, Billy.
GUPTA: You guys should be morning anchors. You do a nice job.
O'BRIEN: Tell us then exactly how this works. I mean, is there any evidence that doing things like game shows or, you know, things that you have to sort of put focus on in your mind to answer tricky questions makes you any smarter or makes you any -- you know, changes your brain physiology?
GUPTA: A really good question. We really wanted to find the answer to this, because, you know, a lot of people, like Ken Jennings, was able to answered 2,600 questions over several shows.
What we found -- we talked to a lot of people about this -- is actually trivia -- being good at trivia makes you really good at trivia.
O'BRIEN: Oh.
GUPTA: Makes you really good at doing that sort stuff. But when it comes to analytical skills, when it comes to problem-solving skills, there's really no difference in people who are really good at those games. So if you're at home getting those questions wrong, don't feel terrible about it. That just means you're not good at trivia.
HEMMER: You're a brain surgeon. You're a neurosurgeon. How does this make a person smarter? Is it stimulation. Is it reminders. What does it do? Like this guy like Ken Jennings, right here. What did he win, like 100,000 shows in a row?
GUPTA: Yeah, I mean, 2,600 questions in a row -- or 2,600 questions overall. But it doesn't really make you smarter. And I think that's really the heart of the issue here. It makes you good at trivia. And I think that that's what people sort of are focusing in on.
O'BRIEN: But I thought doctors were saying do things like crossword puzzles, kind of keep your brain sharp, because that will help you avoid things like Alzheimer's. Isn't that right?
GUPTA: That's right. And that's different. And it's important to draw the distinction actually between trivia and things like crossword puzzles, but also things like video games. We actually looked at video games as well. A lot of kids playing video games out there, and there's some real benefits to that potentially, because you're actually working yourself through mazes, you're learning how to recognize different shapes, put those shapes together very quickly, your visual/spatial skills much better, faster reaction times as well. All these things as a result of video games. A lot of parents out there saying, wait a second, you know, I'd rather that my kid just study. But there is some benefit to video games.
Now, you mentioned crossword puzzles as well. There's been a lot of studies specifically with crossword puzzles and dementia, Alzheimer's Disease. And they found that people who are puzzlers, people who do more puzzles, frequent puzzlers, 28 percent of them developed dementia -- I'm sorry, infrequent puzzlers, and frequent puzzlers, actually 11 percent developed dementia. So less than half. And that's pretty significant.
HEMMER: Well, it's like a workout for the brain then, right?
GUPTA: It is. And thinking of the brain like a muscle -- I'm not trying to be glib, but you can actually think of the brain like a muscle and exercise it like you would any other muscle in your body.
HEMMER: You got any more questions?
GUPTA: That's it. You guys did really well.
O'BRIEN: Bring it on. Bring it on.
GUPTA: I'll come armed tomorrow with more.
O'BRIEN: If you could only do Jeopardy with two people.
HEMMER: I'll help you, help me.
O'BRIEN: Right, exactly.
HEMMER: And we'll get him, as teams.
See you next hour. Sanjay's going to come back with the next installment of that series. Great series too. It's called "Real Science Behind TV's CSI." So we'll get to it next hour.
O'BRIEN: In a minute, Sanjay.
Well, actress Sharon Stone has a new addition to her family. She just adopted a baby boy who was born in Texas. Stone named him Laird Vahn (ph) Stone. I like it, kind of. Stone also has a 4-year-old son from her marriage to her former husband, Phil Bronstein.
A Ukrainian immigrant's dreams of becomes America's idol have fallen flat. Nineteen-year-old singer Anthony Fedorov sent packing on last night's show. That leaves now three contestants, Bo Rice (ph) -- Bice (ph), I guess the name, Carrie Underwood and Vonzell Solomon (ph). They're all competing, of course, for the idol title. The show's finale is set just 12 days from now.
HEMMER: You're watching that show a lot, aren't you?
O'BRIEN: No. I never watch it. Well, you know, I never do their last names. I just know by their first names when we talk about it. But I never watch. I mean, they all could win; none could win. I'd be fine with it.
GUPTA: Really sad about that.
HEMMER: This dementia stuff --
O'BRIEN: What, you watch "American Idol.".
GUPTA: No. I don't know who any of these people are.
O'BRIEN: But many people do.
HEMMER: Thirty-million a week.
O'BRIEN: We know people do.
HEMMER: In a moment here, "The Beast" is making a comeback. Andy tells us why Miller Brewing is hyping subpremium beer. Back in a moment here with Andy and Jack after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: All right, welcome back. Here's Jack.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Beer maker goes against the grain and starts pumping up its cheapest brew. This stuff is horrible. Andy Serwer's here "Minding Your Business."
ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" COLUMNIST: And he should know.
CAFFERTY: Well, there was a time a long time ago. I don't indulge anymore.
SERWER: Not anymore.
O'BRIEN: What are we talking about?
CAFFERTY: There's beer and then there's other stuff.
SERWER: We're going to talk about arthritis drugs first. Smooth transition here, from arthritis drugs to beer. CAFFERTY: I'm sorry.
SERWER: OK.
CAFFERTY: Screwed that thing up.
SERWER: No, that's -- no, that's fine. Pfizer is saying that its drug Bextra, which is one of the cox-2 inhibitors that have been so controversial over the past year, will be back on the market. You may remember that Pfizer took this drug off the market in April, after the FDA found problems. Celebrex, its other cox-2 inhibitor drug, is still on the market, but has a strongest black box warning on it. Bextra did $1.4 billion in sales in 2004.
It looks like people are acting up over here.
We're going to talk about beer here. Miller is going to be promoting, for the first time in a long time, "The Beast." Milwaukee's Best, which is frankly, a low-end beer. There's no other way to put this. And there you go. That's a low -- and "The Beast" doesn't have such a great reputation. In fact, one thing Miller wants to do is get rid of the name "The Beast." I'm sorry, everyone calls it "The Beast."
And Miller has been on the rebound lately and the company wants to get rid of what it says its one-trick kind of rep. The problem for Miller is that the cost of making Miller and the cost of making Milwaukee's Best are identical, so when they're selling Miller, they're making a couple bucks more a six-pack than they are with Milwaukee Best.
"Wall Street Journal" has this story. Beeradvocate.com, here's some things they're saying about Milwaukee's Best. "Dang, this is swill!" "Never liked this brew." "Pours out to a cheap yellow color with quite a bit of carbonation." "Metallic taste and odor." Blah blah. Miller's got its work cut out for them.
HEMMER: We used to call it Milwaukee Mud.
SERWER: Milwaukee Mud. All right.
O'BRIEN: I never drank that stuff.
SERWER: Soledad. Only premium beer for you.
O'BRIEN: That's right. That's right, Andy!
SERWER: Let's talk about the markets a little bit yesterday. We had a little bit of scare on Wall Street with the airplane incident over the Capitol, but the stocks ended up for the day. Retail sales just coming across the tape this morning. Very good. 1.4 percent, up in April, the best showing since September. Wal-Mart down a little bit, though -- Jack.
CAFFERTY: That's good retail sales number.
SERWER: It is very good, yes.
CAFFERTY: Thanks, Andy. Time now for "The Cafferty File."
A Seattle woman sued a neighbor after her cat was mauled by his dog. She was awarded $45,000 by a judge on Monday. Paula Romer's (ph) cat Yofie (ph) -- or maybe it's a cat with two names, Yo Fi -- was called when the neighbor's dog broke through the fence last year. A Seattle district judge ordered the dog's owner pay Romer 30 grand for the value of the cat.
SERWER: Wow.
CAFFERTY: Come on. $15,000 for emotional distress, $90 for Yofie's cremation, $80 in medical expenses and $24.12 in interest. Romer's lawyer thinks this is largest ever pay-out ever for the loss of a pussy cat.
Thailand's version of "The Farmer's Almanac." Look at these pictures. An ancient plowing ceremony in which sacred oxen predict the upcoming rice planting season. Wednesday, the oxen plowed a symbolic furrow in the ground, then ate from a special bowls of maize and grass that signaled abundant rain and healthy crops. When offered a dish of -- a range of dishes, the Thai bulls steered clear of alcohol, which signifies trade and transport. The sacred oxen made similar predictions last year and they were dead wrong. Thailand had the worst drought in years and rice production was down 11 percent, but we thought the pictures were cute.
A German woman -- this is my favorite story in a long time -- a German woman chose to spend three months in jail instead of paying a $90 parking ticket. 38-year-old Maria Bruner (ph) said jail time was better than her family. The mother of three said she had enough of trying to make a living as cleaner while her husband sat around and did nothing. Maria said, quote, "As long as I get food and a hot shower every day, I don't mind being sent to jail. It means I can finally get some rest and relaxation without having to cook, wash and clean for everyone."
O'BRIEN: We hear you, sister.
CAFFERTY: The police officer who arrested Maria said she repeatedly thanked him and smiled and waved as she was driven off to the (INAUDIBLE).
SERWER: Take me!
CAFFERTY: Bless her heart.
HEMMER: And after her 90 days, she's looking for an extension.
CAFFERTY: She may act up in jail and they may hold her over.
SERWER: Bad behavior.
O'BRIEN: You never know.
CAFFERTY: Smack a guard around or something and get her sentence extended.
HEMMER: Thank you, Jack.
In a moment here, how real is everything you see in the hit show "CSI: Miami"? The answer may surprise you. Sanjay's back behind the scenes as we continue in a moment here after this on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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Aired May 12, 2005 - 08:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Now in the news, two men who flew a single-engine plane into restricted airspace around Washington could face fines and suspensions, but no formal charges. Security officials evacuated several buildings, including the capital and the White House. It turned out the pilot and his one-person crew got lost on their way to North Carolina. The men were arrested, and then questioned for hours and then released.
Iraqi police say militants have killed at least a dozen people in two car bombings in Iraq this morning. Some 60 others were wounded in those attacks. The violence follows a series of suicide bombings attacks on Wednesday that killed nearly 60 Iraqis.
In Illinois, the man accused of brutally killing his daughter and her best friend remains in police custody this morning. A judge denied bail to Jerry Hobbs, after prosecutors said he confessed to beating the girls in a fit of rage, and then stabbing them 31 times. Hobbs apparently told investigators he was angry with his daughter and thought she was having too much latitude with what she could and could not do. Hobbs is set to be back in court next month.
In Santa Maria, California, Michael Jackson is defending his love for children. The defense played a videotaped interview with Jackson on Wednesday, and is set to show more clips this morning. It could be the closest Jackson comes to taking the stand. Jurors also heard from star witness Macaulay Culkin. The actor denies anything inappropriate ever happened between him and Michael Jackson.
Some critics say new rules are turning driver's licenses into national-identification cards, known as the Real I.D. Act. The measure is aimed at keeping illegal immigrants from getting driver's licenses. Supporters say terrorists will have a harder time hiding in the United States, but advocacy groups says the new law discriminates against immigrants -- Bill.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Carol, thanks for that.
I want to get back to the story we've been talking about throughout the week, these new developments now in the Atlanta child murder case that we've been watching. Police in Georgia are forming a cold case squad now to investigate the murders of six different children killed almost 25 years ago. That's because there was one police chief who believes that Wayne Williams is serving a life sentence for two killings and that he is innocent after all.
Here's Fredricka Whitfield this morning in Atlanta.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHIEF LOUIS GRAHAM, DEKALB COUNTY POLICE: It has nagged at me for 22 years.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): So much so that Dekalb County police chief Louis Graham reopened six cases involving the Atlanta area child murders from 1979-1981. Graham was on the task force working on the string of killings and has never believed music promoter Wayne Williams was responsible. Williams is the only person tried and convicted in connection with the murders that tormented the black community for nearly two years. He's currently serving two life sentences for two of killings.
GRAHAM: I'm going into this to try to determine who murdered these children.
WHITFIELD: Children whose parents are still grieving.
SIRLENA COBB, PARENT OF MURDERED CHILD: This did a whole lot of stuff to my family.
WHITFIELD: Sirlena Cobb says her son Christopher Richardson was the ninth child killed during the spree.
COBB: I don't feel that Wayne Williams killed my son, and I am so happy that Police Chief Graham opened this case back up.
WHITFIELD: Why now? Chief Graham says a recent interview of Williams, conducted by Atlanta radio personality Frank Ski, was one impetus.
FRANK SKI, ATLANTA RADIO PERSONALITY: He said some things. And moreso than that, it was just Wayne Williams as a person. You know, the two men he was convicted of killing were over 200 pounds. They were grown men, 21 and 27 years old. And Wayne Williams is this little short, fragile guy.
WHITFIELD: Lynn Whatley is Williams' attorney.
LYNN WHATLEY, WILLIAMS DEFENSE ATTORNEY: We have new evidence that number one, will show Wayne Williams' conviction is false. But we also have evidence that's going to have to be developed. We have evidence of identifying perpetrators of some of these murders.
WHITFIELD: Graham assembled a cold case squad of five detectives to pursue every lead indefinitely.
WHITFIELD (on camera): Still the question, how will Graham's cold case squad proceed? The chief says they have lots of phone tips. All may not pan out, but in his words, he wants to give all of it an open, honest review.
Fredricka Whitfield, CNN, Tucker, Georgia.
(END VIDEOTAPE) HEMMER: Also the chief says that since his announcement of re- opening the case, his department has been receiving a flood of tips and possible new leads, too. That case continues in Georgia.
(WEATHER REPORT)
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Its an annual rite of spring. High school students putting on their finest then heading off to the prom. There are lots of anxious moments for students and their parents, too. This morning, we begin a special series on prom night pressures.
Kelly Wallace has more. Kelly, good morning. How romantic, just you and the couples going off to the prom.
KELLY WALLACE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Just -- you know, we gave them a lot of privacy. A camera following their every move. Doesn't it bring back memories?
O'BRIEN: Mostly good, some bad, yes.
WALLACE: Some bad. Well, there are lots of memories. There are also lots of pressures, as we talk about, and there are reasons for this anxiety. Take a look at some of the numbers. According to national highway statistics, more than half of all fatal car crashes on typical prom weekends involve alcohol. And according to a book on relationships and teens released last year, almost half of teens said they expected to go all the way on prom night.
Well, we wanted to get a first-hand look at the excitement and pressures. We traveled to Delaware and follow around one fabulous senior and her family.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WALLACE (voice-over): 17 and headed to the senior prom. Kristin Brinkley of Delmar, Delaware, sums it up with one word.
KRISTIN BRINKLEY, DELMAR HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR: It has to be perfect. It just has to be. There can be no other way.
WALLACE: There's a different pressure for her mom.
PEGG BRINKLEY, KRISTIN'S MOTHER: I look at Kristin, and people see her as she's 17 and she's doing this and she's going there, but I see her -- still see her as my baby.
K. BRINKLEY: Perfect hair, perfect day.
WALLACE: Back at home, surrounded by her tight-knit family, the finishing touches.
(on camera): Well, Mom, are we nervous?
P. BRINKLEY: Well, I tell you, there's a level of anxiety that goes with it, yes. WALLACE (voice-over): And those anxieties include drinking and driving. Three weeks ago, Kristin and her classmates were shown this sobering account of what can happen if kids drink and drive. The Delmar High School principal went classroom to classroom, offering his cell phone number in case of emergency and this message.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Under no circumstances whatsoever should you get behind the wheel of an automobile if you've consumed an alcoholic beverage.
WALLACE: Mom's concerns? Other kids on the road.
P. BRINKLEY: It's in the back of your mind that if there's the potential, more than ordinarily, because you have multiple schools having proms at the same time. And so you've got the potential for something to go wrong.
WALLACE: And what about those pressures of sex on prom night?
P. BRINKLEY: The message for Kristin is that -- your sexual relations are to wait until you're married. That's the way that goes. And she's aware of that.
WALLACE: But now, it's time to let her baby go.
ANTHONY BRINKLEY, KRISTIN'S FATHER: I'm just going to have a problem with her date.
WALLACE (on camera): What are you going to tell Carl (ph)?
A. BRINKLEY: Huh?
WALLACE: What are you going to tell Carl?
A. BRINKLEY: Well, I can't air it. You can't put it on camera.
WALLACE: It's a private discussion.
A. BRINKLEY: Yes, uh huh.
WALLACE: But he'll get the message.
A. BRINKLEY: Real quick.
WALLACE (voice-over): When Carl arrives, the message is clear.
P. BRINKLEY: Keep your hands up like that!
WALLACE: And then the couple, who have been dating since last summer, are off. Kristin's mom has given her a 2:00 a.m. curfew. That's two hours later than usual.
P. BRINKLEY: When 2:00 comes and she comes in the door, I'll be tickled. That's how that's going to go. So, I will be relieved.
(END VIDEOTAPE) WALLACE: And a huge thanks to Kristin Brinkley and her family. Tomorrow, Kristin takes us along to the prom. Will she meet her curfew? How does she handle pressures about drinking and sex? Find out what happens tomorrow, right here on AMERICAN MORNING.
O'BRIEN: You know, it was interesting to listen to her mom's concerns, though. Especially, I think, about alcohol, and with all the other schools having proms, too, on the same weekend. Are there things that the schools are doing to try to make the prom safe but still fun for the kids?
WALLACE: There are. We talked about some of the things this school's doing in Delaware. Others schools after-school -- after-prom activities, sanctioned after-prom activities, so that the kids aren't going to the beach or aren't going out and drinking. They try and do other things, too, Soledad. They have these mock DWI accidents, complete with a car, victims, even some parents pretending their kids have died, writing obituaries to try and convey again the impact of what happens when kids drink and get behind the wheel.
O'BRIEN: I feel sorry for Carl. I love that her dad said, it's unprintable what I'm going to say to Carl.
WALLACE: I think Carl was getting tired of the cameras by the end of the night, you'll.
O'BRIEN: Yeah, poor Carl.
WALLACE: No privacy for Carl.
O'BRIEN: I'm looking forward to tomorrow.
Kelly, thanks.
WALLACE: Sure.
O'BRIEN: Bill.
HEMMER: All right, we'll get a break here in a moment. There's this painkiller linked to deadly side effects that may soon go back on the market. Andy's "Minding Your Business" on that story.
And watching Jeopardy can be good for your brain. So says Sanjay. He's next on AMERICAN MORNING after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: Welcome back, everybody. As part of CNN's silver anniversary, some of our network anchors and reporters have made cameos on Jeopardy this week.
HEMMER: Last night, the good doctor had his chance. Here's Sanjay Gupta. Have a look here.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Science, 800.
ALEX TREBEK, JEOPARDY HOST: Took a look.
SANJAY GUPTA, CNN SR. MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi. I'm CNN senior medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta. I've reported on the threat of H5N1, better known as this potential pandemic transmitted by fowl.
TREBEK: Frank?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What is Hong Kong flu?
TREBEK: No. Grace or Shane? Shane.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What is the avian flu?
TREBEK: That's it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O'BRIEN: I would have gotten that right. Hey, Sanjay. Was that fun?
GUPTA: That means I'm doing my job here.
No, it was kind of fun. So I had to bring some more questions. I'm getting used to this Alex Trebek thing. Let me try and ask a couple questions myself.
O'BRIEN: (INAUDIBLE) to comfortable. Go ahead, bring it on.
GUPTA: And I got -- full disclosure, we had three questions, and apparently you guys saw the answers. So we got three new questions now. they have not seen the answers.
HEMMER: What, you can't do it that way?
O'BRIEN: You don't get the answers?
GUPTA: They made a quiz show about that.
HEMMER: Yeah, they did.
GUPTA: All right, here's our first question. Okay, the first one. This hard-shelled, high-calorie nut native to Australia is also called the Queensland Nut.
HEMMER: Macadamia.
O'BRIEN: Yes.
GUPTA: They both got it. All right, Soledad. You're both pretty smart. Next question: The mineral which occurs in such forms as sand and quartz is the main material in most rocks.
O'BRIEN: Silicon.
GUPTA: That's right.
Last question. You guys are good. Ken Jennings, look out.
HEMMER: She's two for two; I'm one for two.
O'BRIEN: Oh, in the form of a question, what is -- so I would have lost, wouldn't I have.
GUPTA: Actually, that's a good point. What is -- All right. Get it for this one.
O'BRIEN: Sorry.
GUPTA: Last question: In 1972, this country returned control of Okinawa to Japan.
HEMMER: What is the United States?
GUPTA: There you go! Ahhh!
HEMMER: Got to be, right.
O'BRIEN: You rock, Billy.
GUPTA: You guys should be morning anchors. You do a nice job.
O'BRIEN: Tell us then exactly how this works. I mean, is there any evidence that doing things like game shows or, you know, things that you have to sort of put focus on in your mind to answer tricky questions makes you any smarter or makes you any -- you know, changes your brain physiology?
GUPTA: A really good question. We really wanted to find the answer to this, because, you know, a lot of people, like Ken Jennings, was able to answered 2,600 questions over several shows.
What we found -- we talked to a lot of people about this -- is actually trivia -- being good at trivia makes you really good at trivia.
O'BRIEN: Oh.
GUPTA: Makes you really good at doing that sort stuff. But when it comes to analytical skills, when it comes to problem-solving skills, there's really no difference in people who are really good at those games. So if you're at home getting those questions wrong, don't feel terrible about it. That just means you're not good at trivia.
HEMMER: You're a brain surgeon. You're a neurosurgeon. How does this make a person smarter? Is it stimulation. Is it reminders. What does it do? Like this guy like Ken Jennings, right here. What did he win, like 100,000 shows in a row?
GUPTA: Yeah, I mean, 2,600 questions in a row -- or 2,600 questions overall. But it doesn't really make you smarter. And I think that's really the heart of the issue here. It makes you good at trivia. And I think that that's what people sort of are focusing in on.
O'BRIEN: But I thought doctors were saying do things like crossword puzzles, kind of keep your brain sharp, because that will help you avoid things like Alzheimer's. Isn't that right?
GUPTA: That's right. And that's different. And it's important to draw the distinction actually between trivia and things like crossword puzzles, but also things like video games. We actually looked at video games as well. A lot of kids playing video games out there, and there's some real benefits to that potentially, because you're actually working yourself through mazes, you're learning how to recognize different shapes, put those shapes together very quickly, your visual/spatial skills much better, faster reaction times as well. All these things as a result of video games. A lot of parents out there saying, wait a second, you know, I'd rather that my kid just study. But there is some benefit to video games.
Now, you mentioned crossword puzzles as well. There's been a lot of studies specifically with crossword puzzles and dementia, Alzheimer's Disease. And they found that people who are puzzlers, people who do more puzzles, frequent puzzlers, 28 percent of them developed dementia -- I'm sorry, infrequent puzzlers, and frequent puzzlers, actually 11 percent developed dementia. So less than half. And that's pretty significant.
HEMMER: Well, it's like a workout for the brain then, right?
GUPTA: It is. And thinking of the brain like a muscle -- I'm not trying to be glib, but you can actually think of the brain like a muscle and exercise it like you would any other muscle in your body.
HEMMER: You got any more questions?
GUPTA: That's it. You guys did really well.
O'BRIEN: Bring it on. Bring it on.
GUPTA: I'll come armed tomorrow with more.
O'BRIEN: If you could only do Jeopardy with two people.
HEMMER: I'll help you, help me.
O'BRIEN: Right, exactly.
HEMMER: And we'll get him, as teams.
See you next hour. Sanjay's going to come back with the next installment of that series. Great series too. It's called "Real Science Behind TV's CSI." So we'll get to it next hour.
O'BRIEN: In a minute, Sanjay.
Well, actress Sharon Stone has a new addition to her family. She just adopted a baby boy who was born in Texas. Stone named him Laird Vahn (ph) Stone. I like it, kind of. Stone also has a 4-year-old son from her marriage to her former husband, Phil Bronstein.
A Ukrainian immigrant's dreams of becomes America's idol have fallen flat. Nineteen-year-old singer Anthony Fedorov sent packing on last night's show. That leaves now three contestants, Bo Rice (ph) -- Bice (ph), I guess the name, Carrie Underwood and Vonzell Solomon (ph). They're all competing, of course, for the idol title. The show's finale is set just 12 days from now.
HEMMER: You're watching that show a lot, aren't you?
O'BRIEN: No. I never watch it. Well, you know, I never do their last names. I just know by their first names when we talk about it. But I never watch. I mean, they all could win; none could win. I'd be fine with it.
GUPTA: Really sad about that.
HEMMER: This dementia stuff --
O'BRIEN: What, you watch "American Idol.".
GUPTA: No. I don't know who any of these people are.
O'BRIEN: But many people do.
HEMMER: Thirty-million a week.
O'BRIEN: We know people do.
HEMMER: In a moment here, "The Beast" is making a comeback. Andy tells us why Miller Brewing is hyping subpremium beer. Back in a moment here with Andy and Jack after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: All right, welcome back. Here's Jack.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Beer maker goes against the grain and starts pumping up its cheapest brew. This stuff is horrible. Andy Serwer's here "Minding Your Business."
ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" COLUMNIST: And he should know.
CAFFERTY: Well, there was a time a long time ago. I don't indulge anymore.
SERWER: Not anymore.
O'BRIEN: What are we talking about?
CAFFERTY: There's beer and then there's other stuff.
SERWER: We're going to talk about arthritis drugs first. Smooth transition here, from arthritis drugs to beer. CAFFERTY: I'm sorry.
SERWER: OK.
CAFFERTY: Screwed that thing up.
SERWER: No, that's -- no, that's fine. Pfizer is saying that its drug Bextra, which is one of the cox-2 inhibitors that have been so controversial over the past year, will be back on the market. You may remember that Pfizer took this drug off the market in April, after the FDA found problems. Celebrex, its other cox-2 inhibitor drug, is still on the market, but has a strongest black box warning on it. Bextra did $1.4 billion in sales in 2004.
It looks like people are acting up over here.
We're going to talk about beer here. Miller is going to be promoting, for the first time in a long time, "The Beast." Milwaukee's Best, which is frankly, a low-end beer. There's no other way to put this. And there you go. That's a low -- and "The Beast" doesn't have such a great reputation. In fact, one thing Miller wants to do is get rid of the name "The Beast." I'm sorry, everyone calls it "The Beast."
And Miller has been on the rebound lately and the company wants to get rid of what it says its one-trick kind of rep. The problem for Miller is that the cost of making Miller and the cost of making Milwaukee's Best are identical, so when they're selling Miller, they're making a couple bucks more a six-pack than they are with Milwaukee Best.
"Wall Street Journal" has this story. Beeradvocate.com, here's some things they're saying about Milwaukee's Best. "Dang, this is swill!" "Never liked this brew." "Pours out to a cheap yellow color with quite a bit of carbonation." "Metallic taste and odor." Blah blah. Miller's got its work cut out for them.
HEMMER: We used to call it Milwaukee Mud.
SERWER: Milwaukee Mud. All right.
O'BRIEN: I never drank that stuff.
SERWER: Soledad. Only premium beer for you.
O'BRIEN: That's right. That's right, Andy!
SERWER: Let's talk about the markets a little bit yesterday. We had a little bit of scare on Wall Street with the airplane incident over the Capitol, but the stocks ended up for the day. Retail sales just coming across the tape this morning. Very good. 1.4 percent, up in April, the best showing since September. Wal-Mart down a little bit, though -- Jack.
CAFFERTY: That's good retail sales number.
SERWER: It is very good, yes.
CAFFERTY: Thanks, Andy. Time now for "The Cafferty File."
A Seattle woman sued a neighbor after her cat was mauled by his dog. She was awarded $45,000 by a judge on Monday. Paula Romer's (ph) cat Yofie (ph) -- or maybe it's a cat with two names, Yo Fi -- was called when the neighbor's dog broke through the fence last year. A Seattle district judge ordered the dog's owner pay Romer 30 grand for the value of the cat.
SERWER: Wow.
CAFFERTY: Come on. $15,000 for emotional distress, $90 for Yofie's cremation, $80 in medical expenses and $24.12 in interest. Romer's lawyer thinks this is largest ever pay-out ever for the loss of a pussy cat.
Thailand's version of "The Farmer's Almanac." Look at these pictures. An ancient plowing ceremony in which sacred oxen predict the upcoming rice planting season. Wednesday, the oxen plowed a symbolic furrow in the ground, then ate from a special bowls of maize and grass that signaled abundant rain and healthy crops. When offered a dish of -- a range of dishes, the Thai bulls steered clear of alcohol, which signifies trade and transport. The sacred oxen made similar predictions last year and they were dead wrong. Thailand had the worst drought in years and rice production was down 11 percent, but we thought the pictures were cute.
A German woman -- this is my favorite story in a long time -- a German woman chose to spend three months in jail instead of paying a $90 parking ticket. 38-year-old Maria Bruner (ph) said jail time was better than her family. The mother of three said she had enough of trying to make a living as cleaner while her husband sat around and did nothing. Maria said, quote, "As long as I get food and a hot shower every day, I don't mind being sent to jail. It means I can finally get some rest and relaxation without having to cook, wash and clean for everyone."
O'BRIEN: We hear you, sister.
CAFFERTY: The police officer who arrested Maria said she repeatedly thanked him and smiled and waved as she was driven off to the (INAUDIBLE).
SERWER: Take me!
CAFFERTY: Bless her heart.
HEMMER: And after her 90 days, she's looking for an extension.
CAFFERTY: She may act up in jail and they may hold her over.
SERWER: Bad behavior.
O'BRIEN: You never know.
CAFFERTY: Smack a guard around or something and get her sentence extended.
HEMMER: Thank you, Jack.
In a moment here, how real is everything you see in the hit show "CSI: Miami"? The answer may surprise you. Sanjay's back behind the scenes as we continue in a moment here after this on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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