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CNN Live At Daybreak

Iraq Violence; Homeless Killing; Hurricane Update

Aired May 31, 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, an all- out offensive targets the insurgency in Iraq, but is Operation Lightning moving as fast as the Pentagon predicted?
Plus a chilling crime and what police say the motive is behind it. Two teenagers accused of committing murder just for something to do.

Plus...

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRIS ROCK, COMEDIAN: If you had offered me a job making $6 an hour, you know, whatever, 20 years ago, I would have took it and never told a joke.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Chris Rock talks about his new movie and his life as a comedian.

It is Tuesday, May 31. 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," Indonesia has been shaken by another earthquake. This one is a moderate 5.4 magnitude, but it was centered in almost the same spot as the quake that spawned the killer tsunami six months ago.

Two U.S. citizens accused of aiding terrorists are scheduled to appear in separate federal courtrooms today. Court papers say the two were recorded in a New York apartment allegedly pledging their allegiance to al Qaeda and Osama bin Laden.

An aid worker in Sudan has been arrested after releasing a report alleging widespread rapes in the Darfur region. Paul Foreman, the head of the Dutch arm of Doctors Without Borders, is charged with spreading false information, but the agency says the information came directly from women who said they were raped by Sudanese soldiers.

Final details on the Live Aid relief concert are expected this morning. Live Aid founder Bob Geldof is expected to reveal the African and concert -- the African aid concert's lineup of acts. The event is scheduled for July 2 to coincide with the upcoming G8 economic summit. Chad.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Carol. Carol. Carol.

COSTELLO: Did I tell you never, never to take vacation when I'm not taking vacation?

MYERS: Carol, I had to go to a wedding. I'm so sorry.

COSTELLO: A poor excuse.

(LAUGHTER)

COSTELLO: Hey, how was the baby on the flight?

MYERS: He was perfect. You know what we did? We took one of -- a little laptop so we could watch his little DVD, his Baby Einstein thing, and we all...

COSTELLO: He's like 6 months old.

MYERS: He still knows what it is. And then we gave him a little bottle as soon as the plane took off, a little bottle of Pedialyte, and he just sucked the Pedialyte, never had the ears pop problem, flew like a champ.

COSTELLO: That's terrific.

MYERS: He's Gold Medallion now. No, I'm just kidding.

Good morning, Carol. Talk about the weather here for a second.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: Thank you, Chad.

MYERS: You're welcome.

COSTELLO: On to the fight for Iraq. The worst has been confirmed in a Memorial Day plane crash. The military says four U.S. Air Force personnel and an Iraqi are dead after their plane went down near Baghdad. It was a fixed wing Iraqi air force plane used for reconnaissance and surveillance. The cause of the crash still under investigation.

Also in Iraq, Iraq's defense minister says Iraqi forces will wring Baghdad like a bracelet around an arm. It's part of a massive crackdown on insurgents called Operation Lightning. That offensive is already under way. Let's have more now from CNN's Ryan Chilcote.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RYAN CHILCOTE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Iraq's security forces are launching their largest military operation since the fall of Saddam Hussein. Forty thousand Iraqi police and soldiers will take part in Operation Lightning, a massive dragnet for insurgents that will stretch throughout the entire Iraqi capital.

Iraqi police will take the lead, setting up checkpoints on the city's limits and in its numerous neighborhoods. They'll also be doing house-to-house searches and launching raids. Thousands of Iraqi soldiers and more than 10,000 U.S. troops will back them up as the Iraqi military tries to switch its posture and goes on the offensive.

South of Baghdad, in the city of Hilla, two suicide bombers took aim at Iraq's own security forces. The first suicide bomber blew himself up next to a line of police recruits. As people ran to attend to the victims, a second detonated his explosives.

More than two dozen Iraqis were killed. More than a hundred wounded. It left desperation and grief in its aftermath, but little surprise. Insurgents have killed nearly 800 Iraqis this month.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHILCOTE: Carol, Operation Lightning really has two objectives. First of all, Iraq's security forces would like to restore the Iraqi people's confidence in their ability to protect them. And second, this is an opportunity for Iraq's security forces to show that, far from always being the ones who are targeted, they can find some targets of their own here in the Iraqi capital -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Also, Ryan, we're getting word of a crash involving Italians. Can you tell us more about that?

CHILCOTE: What we have at this point is from the Italian Defense Ministry. They are saying that one of their helicopters did indeed go down in a crash this morning in southern Iraq. They say that they found the wreckage of that helicopter about 13 miles south of the city of Nasiriyah. They're also saying that all four Italian servicemen onboard that helicopter were killed in the crash -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Ryan Chilcote live in Baghdad this morning.

Here in the states, police in Bellefontaine, Ohio, say they may never know the motive behind the deadly shootings there. Six people killed in a murder-suicide. Police believe the shootings were carried out by 18-year-old Scott Moody.

Moody and one of his victims were scheduled to graduate from high school later that same day. His 15-year-old sister the only survivor. She managed to call her stepsister, who discovered the bodies and made this panicked call to police.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

CALLER: Oh my God! God! The son is (INAUDIBLE)!

OPERATOR: What?

CALLER: Oh my God! I found the son, too. He's been killed...

OPERATOR: What's the matter? CALLER: ... his girlfriend... Oh my God!

OPERATOR: What's going on, honey?

CALLER: The son and the girlfriend are beat up, too.

OPERATOR: I need the address, honey.

CALLER: (INAUDIBLE). She's the only one that's awake.

OPERATOR: She's -- there's only one awake?

CALLER: Yes.

OPERATOR: How many people -- how many people have been beat up?

CALLER: Four. Four. (INAUDIBLE). There's five. There's another one. Oh my God. There's one in the living room, too.

OPERATOR: OK. What's going on right now, honey?

CALLER: She's telling me that there's five dead. There's another one on the couch.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Stacy Moody remains in critical condition. She was shot in the neck.

Now to Florida, where police say two teenagers beat up a homeless man, beat him to death, actually, for fun because they were bored. The boys have been charged with murder. Investigators say the teenagers confessed to the crime, but one boy's family says it's all a mistake.

Paul Milliken of Central Florida News 13 has the story from Volusia County, Florida.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAUL MILLIKEN, REPORTER, CFN 13 (voice-over): Appearing in court for the first time, Jeffrey Spurgeon says just two words...

JEFFREY SPURGEON, DEFENDANT: Appoint one.

MILLIKEN: ... "Appoint one," asking for a public defender. The 18-year-old is accused of beating a homeless man to death in this wooded area near Holly Hill.

Investigators found the body Saturday. By Sunday, Spurgeon and a 14-year-old boy had been arrested.

VICKI SPURGEON, MOTHER: This is not something he would do.

MILLIKEN: Spurgeon's mother Vicki watched her son in court, convinced he's taking the blame for his friends. V. SPURGEON: And my son will not tell. And he'll say that he did it all. He's did it before. He's took the blame several times for his friends.

MILLIKEN (on camera): Spurgeon's mother says she thinks several neighborhood teens were involved in the beating. And deputies have confirmed more arrests are possible.

(voice-over): It was Spurgeon's mother who called authorities about the body, but she says it was not done to put her son behind bars.

V. SPURGEON: It was a rumor that there was a body, a homeless man laying in the woods on 13th and Nova (ph). So I called in an anonymous tip and said, "I heard this and I wanted to know if it was true."

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Some of you may be released today...

MILLIKEN: Jeffrey Spurgeon is not released. He's being held in jail with no bond. To deputies, he's a confessed killer who says he beat a man for fun. To his parents, he's a boy who fell in with the wrong crowd.

In Volusia County, Paul Milliken, Central Florida News 13.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: The 14-year-old boy charged in the attack is being held in a juvenile detention center, and his family could not be reached for comment.

It looks like a case of a copycat crane climber in Atlanta. That's right, yet another man scaled a crane in the same entertainment district where that 56-hour crane standoff took place last week.

This guy went about halfway up a 300-foot crane last night, smoked some cigarettes, walked around for about five hours, and then he decided he'd just come down. You can see him climbing down in that picture.

In the meantime, the Florida murder suspect involved in last week's crane standoff is due in court this morning for an extradition hearing. Authorities will discuss Carl Roland's return to Pinellas County, Florida, where he's charged with killing his ex-girlfriend. Roland was denied bond in an Atlanta hearing.

In other news "Across America" now, plumes of smoke reached hundreds of feet into the air after a fuel tanker rolled over and burst into flames near Orlando. The driver was killed. Police say they think the truck was going too fast for a curve.

Bidders in Chesterfield, Virginia, had a chance to own what they call a piece of American history. They were bidding on Ku Klux Klan robes, hoods and emblems. One of the hoods sold for $1,000 and will reportedly be put into an African-American museum. The pilot of this small float plane is OK after his rough landing in a lake near Detroit. He suffered only minor cuts and bruises. The pilot says the plane flipped over when he tried a water landing with wheels down.

Still to come on DAYBREAK, after two months of testimony, the Michael Jackson trial is winding down. We'll look at what we can expect this week.

And later, a CNN "Security Watch." What led federal investigators to two Americans accused of conspiring to help al Qaeda and Osama bin Laden?

And what would today's Chris Rock say to a younger Chris Rock 15 years ago? You'll hear it later.

But first, here's a look at what else is making news this Tuesday.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Chad, I'm sure you know it is graduation time across the country.

MYERS: And that's why I was in Cincinnati, too, Carol.

COSTELLO: Ah, so this...

MYERS: A couple of things.

COSTELLO: ... this e-mail question is perfect for you then.

MYERS: Yes. Yes.

COSTELLO: Who was graduating?

MYERS: My wife's cousin's daughter. No relation to me at all.

COSTELLO: She's going on to college?

MYERS: She is.

COSTELLO: She is. Is she going to get a Bachelor's Degree or is she going to get on and get an MBA?

MYERS: Not an MBA, but probably a vet degree.

COSTELLO: Oh.

MYERS: So there could -- yes, so obviously extended college, not just a four-year degree.

COSTELLO: That is excellent. Maybe she should think about an MBA though, because...

MYERS: I know. Did you see the numbers here? COSTELLO: It's amazing, isn't it? MBA graduates are in high demand for top jobs. A new survey shows employers expect to offer new MBAs a base salary of, get this, nearly $73,000 a year.

MYERS: And 58 percent of the companies expect to give a signing bonus.

COSTELLO: That's insane.

MYERS: For just the new grad.

COSTELLO: The overall compensation package, Chad, including benefits and other perks for an MBA hire averages $93,770, and that is sweet.

MYERS: That's pretty -- and that's realistic, I think, for a lot of -- even the moderate and medium business schools. You're talking about Wharton, you talk about places like UVA -- Darden. Some of those colleges, some of those graduates are going to be $200,000 or higher just to walk out of school.

COSTELLO: That's great. But for those students just going on to get their Bachelor's Degree, I don't know, the job market doesn't look all that great. A lot of them are going home to live with mom and dad.

MYERS: I tell you what, some places -- I was talking to a guy that works for Union Pacific. Even for guys that want to work the line at Union Pacific, they're not even taking any applicants, or they weren't for a while, that didn't have a college degree. You know, I'm talking $16 an hour or so to work the line.

COSTELLO: Wow.

MYERS: So, yes, what is that -- what is your realistic job expectation if you are graduating today or tomorrow or next week, the class of 2005? What are you thinking?

COSTELLO: Yes, is the class of 2005 hopeful? We want to know. We want to hear from you this morning, DAYBREAK@CNN.com.

MYERS: Hopeful if you have an MBA.

COSTELLO: It takes a lot of time and a lot of money, though.

MYERS: Oh, it does.

COSTELLO: Your news, money, weather and sports. It's 5:16 Eastern. Here's what's all new this morning.

The CIA is checking out a new audiotaped message believed to be from terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. It was posted on an Islamic Web site and addressed to Osama bin Laden. In it, the speaker says he suffered only a minor wound in combat but is still directing insurgent attacks. The Vatican has officially begun the process of beatifying Pope John Paul II. Witnesses are being asked to testify about his virtues. The process is part of the last formal step before the late pontiff can be declared a saint.

In money news, the "Revenge of the Sith" was tops at the box office over the long holiday weekend. "Episode III" pulled in just over $70 million in the United States and now has topped half a billion dollars worldwide. And that happened in less than two weeks.

In culture, Paris is engaged to Paris. Paris Hilton says that's hot to her longtime boyfriend Paris Latsis. He's a Greek shipping heir, and she's, well, we're not really sure. Well, she's an heiress herself. No wedding date has been set, but Paris is going to marry Paris.

In sports, the Phoenix Suns avoided a series sweep by finally beating the San Antonio Spurs. Their 111-106 win still leaves them down three games to one in the Western Conference finals. Game five tomorrow -- Chad.

MYERS: More on that to come for sure, Carol.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: Sounds nice, but we have to talk about hurricane season, Chad, because yet another report came out. But I thought the report already came out about hurricane season.

MYERS: Oh, Carol, there's more than one.

COSTELLO: Oh.

MYERS: Everybody wants some publicity from this. Dr. Gray's been doing this in Boulder, Colorado, for a really long time. He comes out with his first forecast in December, then an update typically in April. And then an update the day before hurricane season starts, another update in August, and then another update as the season starts to wind down.

His new forecast, Dr. Gray's forecast, 15 named storms, eight hurricanes and four intense hurricanes. Now, the numbers here don't mean anything to you unless you talk about what's average and what we got last year.

Average for named storms, 9.6. Hurricanes, 5.9. For intense hurricanes, 2.3.

COSTELLO: Wow.

MYERS: Last year we had 14 named storms, nine hurricanes and six intense storms. So that's how you kind of get those numbers in your head. We are going to be above average, but maybe not as high as last year, especially with those intense hurricanes.

COSTELLO: But we were just -- we were just looking at a graphic a short time ago, and I guess it was specifying where those hurricanes would hit. Fifty-nine percent, you can see that there, along the Florida coast and all up along the East Coast, obviously.

MYERS: Yes. And I'm not sure I agree with that, Carol. I think the numbers should probably be higher on the East Coast and significantly higher in the Gulf of Mexico.

There's been a pattern here the past couple of weeks where the Gulf of Mexico has been heating up drastically. And if you live from Tampa -- really Key West -- all the way over to Brownsville, yes, I think it's better than 50-50 for you for a land-falling hurricane this year.

COSTELLO: OK. Well, we hope you're wrong.

MYERS: I hope I'm wrong as well.

COSTELLO: I know.

MYERS: Probably get zero.

COSTELLO: Hey, we could know Michael Jackson's fate by the end of the week. It could be finally over as the singer's molestation trial nears the end.

CNN's Ted Rowlands tells us where things stand right now.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The evidence against Michael Jackson is in. More than 135 witnesses took the stand during more than two months of testimony. Those watching the trial seemed to agree it could go either way.

SUSAN FILAN, LEGAL ANALYST: This case is such a cliffhanger. All along it's been a ping pong ball -- ping pong match that we've been watching. Witness after witness has flipped us and flopped us. Now each side needs to put their total case together and let the jury step back and see it in full, and have them be persuaded that their version of the story is the one to believe.

ROWLANDS: The last evidence the jury saw was a video showing the boy accusing Jackson, telling detectives that he'd been molested.

JIM MORET, LEGAL ANALYST: It was extraordinarily powerful for the prosecution to end its case on this evidence. And it's stunning that the last thing that the jury will hear before arguments is this videotape.

ROWLANDS: Jackson is not required to be in court today while both sides work with the judge to write jury instructions. The jury has been told to expect closing arguments to begin as early as tomorrow.

If convicted of any of the four separate counts of molestation, Jackson faces the possibility of several years in state prison. Michael Jackson maintains that he is innocent.

Ted Rowlands, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: Still to come on DAYBREAK, military minds are hoping Operation Lightning will mark a turning point in the battle against Iraqi insurgents. We'll take a closer look at the bottom of the hour.

And comedian Chris Rock, if he knew then what he knows now, what would he do differently? You will hear it a little later.

You are watching DAYBREAK for Tuesday, May 31.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Busy at work in the control room in Atlanta?

Time for our DAYBREAK "Eye Opener" now.

Some sunbathers in southern Florida got a bit of a surprise by the pool Take a look at that. Joining them for a swim, a seven-foot alligator. Wildlife experts say it's a combination of cool water, a hot day, and of course it's mating season. So I guess the gator was just looking for some -- I can't even say it -- looking for love.

It was rough going for rescuers in Sun Valley, California. They were trying to get this horse out of the mud. One person who was trying to calm the stuck horse suffered minor injuries, but the horse was finally pulled out. He was not hurt. They just had to hose him off a little bit.

More than 1,700 people in Seattle blew their way into the record books with their harmonicas. Listen. In case you were wondering, that was "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star," really. They did set the record by playing that song for more than 15 minutes.

It was unrecognizable though, Chad. I don't know.

Hey, we're not getting any e-mail this morning. Perhaps it's because we posed the e-mail to students who are not up at this hour.

MYERS: No. They're still partying from their graduation.

COSTELLO: Exactly. They're at parties or they're sleeping.

MYERS: Or either...

COSTELLO: Heavily.

MYERS: ... or the server is slow this morning because it's still on a holiday. One or the other.

The question is of today, what are your expectations for the class of 2005? And I guess if you're the mom or dad you can answer it, too. It doesn't have to be a student. What are the realistic job expectations out there for the new graduation class? And we're not talking about just business degrees. We're talking about all kinds of degrees.

COSTELLO: You know what I'm interested to know? Is how many kids are going on to college, how many boys are going on to college, because they're having a real problem with that these days, that not so many boys want to go to college. They want to take a few years off, maybe they want to get a job where they don't need a college education.

So I'm curious, is your boy staying home? Is your girl going to college?

MYERS: Right.

COSTELLO: And...

MYERS: Or do you look for a job with a high school degree? And what's the realistic expectation with a high school degree?

COSTELLO: We're interested to know. DAYBREAK@CNN.com. DAYBREAK@CNN.com.

Here's what's all new in the next half-hour of DAYBREAK.

What led investigators to two Americans accused of conspiring to help al Qaeda and Osama bin Laden?

Plus, the head of his new animated film, "Madagascar," comedian Chris Rock talks about Oscars, education and the joy of minimum wage. Maybe he should e-mail us this morning.

You're watching DAYBREAK for a Tuesday.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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Aired May 31, 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, an all- out offensive targets the insurgency in Iraq, but is Operation Lightning moving as fast as the Pentagon predicted?
Plus a chilling crime and what police say the motive is behind it. Two teenagers accused of committing murder just for something to do.

Plus...

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRIS ROCK, COMEDIAN: If you had offered me a job making $6 an hour, you know, whatever, 20 years ago, I would have took it and never told a joke.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Chris Rock talks about his new movie and his life as a comedian.

It is Tuesday, May 31. 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," Indonesia has been shaken by another earthquake. This one is a moderate 5.4 magnitude, but it was centered in almost the same spot as the quake that spawned the killer tsunami six months ago.

Two U.S. citizens accused of aiding terrorists are scheduled to appear in separate federal courtrooms today. Court papers say the two were recorded in a New York apartment allegedly pledging their allegiance to al Qaeda and Osama bin Laden.

An aid worker in Sudan has been arrested after releasing a report alleging widespread rapes in the Darfur region. Paul Foreman, the head of the Dutch arm of Doctors Without Borders, is charged with spreading false information, but the agency says the information came directly from women who said they were raped by Sudanese soldiers.

Final details on the Live Aid relief concert are expected this morning. Live Aid founder Bob Geldof is expected to reveal the African and concert -- the African aid concert's lineup of acts. The event is scheduled for July 2 to coincide with the upcoming G8 economic summit. Chad.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Carol. Carol. Carol.

COSTELLO: Did I tell you never, never to take vacation when I'm not taking vacation?

MYERS: Carol, I had to go to a wedding. I'm so sorry.

COSTELLO: A poor excuse.

(LAUGHTER)

COSTELLO: Hey, how was the baby on the flight?

MYERS: He was perfect. You know what we did? We took one of -- a little laptop so we could watch his little DVD, his Baby Einstein thing, and we all...

COSTELLO: He's like 6 months old.

MYERS: He still knows what it is. And then we gave him a little bottle as soon as the plane took off, a little bottle of Pedialyte, and he just sucked the Pedialyte, never had the ears pop problem, flew like a champ.

COSTELLO: That's terrific.

MYERS: He's Gold Medallion now. No, I'm just kidding.

Good morning, Carol. Talk about the weather here for a second.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: Thank you, Chad.

MYERS: You're welcome.

COSTELLO: On to the fight for Iraq. The worst has been confirmed in a Memorial Day plane crash. The military says four U.S. Air Force personnel and an Iraqi are dead after their plane went down near Baghdad. It was a fixed wing Iraqi air force plane used for reconnaissance and surveillance. The cause of the crash still under investigation.

Also in Iraq, Iraq's defense minister says Iraqi forces will wring Baghdad like a bracelet around an arm. It's part of a massive crackdown on insurgents called Operation Lightning. That offensive is already under way. Let's have more now from CNN's Ryan Chilcote.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RYAN CHILCOTE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Iraq's security forces are launching their largest military operation since the fall of Saddam Hussein. Forty thousand Iraqi police and soldiers will take part in Operation Lightning, a massive dragnet for insurgents that will stretch throughout the entire Iraqi capital.

Iraqi police will take the lead, setting up checkpoints on the city's limits and in its numerous neighborhoods. They'll also be doing house-to-house searches and launching raids. Thousands of Iraqi soldiers and more than 10,000 U.S. troops will back them up as the Iraqi military tries to switch its posture and goes on the offensive.

South of Baghdad, in the city of Hilla, two suicide bombers took aim at Iraq's own security forces. The first suicide bomber blew himself up next to a line of police recruits. As people ran to attend to the victims, a second detonated his explosives.

More than two dozen Iraqis were killed. More than a hundred wounded. It left desperation and grief in its aftermath, but little surprise. Insurgents have killed nearly 800 Iraqis this month.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHILCOTE: Carol, Operation Lightning really has two objectives. First of all, Iraq's security forces would like to restore the Iraqi people's confidence in their ability to protect them. And second, this is an opportunity for Iraq's security forces to show that, far from always being the ones who are targeted, they can find some targets of their own here in the Iraqi capital -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Also, Ryan, we're getting word of a crash involving Italians. Can you tell us more about that?

CHILCOTE: What we have at this point is from the Italian Defense Ministry. They are saying that one of their helicopters did indeed go down in a crash this morning in southern Iraq. They say that they found the wreckage of that helicopter about 13 miles south of the city of Nasiriyah. They're also saying that all four Italian servicemen onboard that helicopter were killed in the crash -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Ryan Chilcote live in Baghdad this morning.

Here in the states, police in Bellefontaine, Ohio, say they may never know the motive behind the deadly shootings there. Six people killed in a murder-suicide. Police believe the shootings were carried out by 18-year-old Scott Moody.

Moody and one of his victims were scheduled to graduate from high school later that same day. His 15-year-old sister the only survivor. She managed to call her stepsister, who discovered the bodies and made this panicked call to police.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

CALLER: Oh my God! God! The son is (INAUDIBLE)!

OPERATOR: What?

CALLER: Oh my God! I found the son, too. He's been killed...

OPERATOR: What's the matter? CALLER: ... his girlfriend... Oh my God!

OPERATOR: What's going on, honey?

CALLER: The son and the girlfriend are beat up, too.

OPERATOR: I need the address, honey.

CALLER: (INAUDIBLE). She's the only one that's awake.

OPERATOR: She's -- there's only one awake?

CALLER: Yes.

OPERATOR: How many people -- how many people have been beat up?

CALLER: Four. Four. (INAUDIBLE). There's five. There's another one. Oh my God. There's one in the living room, too.

OPERATOR: OK. What's going on right now, honey?

CALLER: She's telling me that there's five dead. There's another one on the couch.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Stacy Moody remains in critical condition. She was shot in the neck.

Now to Florida, where police say two teenagers beat up a homeless man, beat him to death, actually, for fun because they were bored. The boys have been charged with murder. Investigators say the teenagers confessed to the crime, but one boy's family says it's all a mistake.

Paul Milliken of Central Florida News 13 has the story from Volusia County, Florida.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAUL MILLIKEN, REPORTER, CFN 13 (voice-over): Appearing in court for the first time, Jeffrey Spurgeon says just two words...

JEFFREY SPURGEON, DEFENDANT: Appoint one.

MILLIKEN: ... "Appoint one," asking for a public defender. The 18-year-old is accused of beating a homeless man to death in this wooded area near Holly Hill.

Investigators found the body Saturday. By Sunday, Spurgeon and a 14-year-old boy had been arrested.

VICKI SPURGEON, MOTHER: This is not something he would do.

MILLIKEN: Spurgeon's mother Vicki watched her son in court, convinced he's taking the blame for his friends. V. SPURGEON: And my son will not tell. And he'll say that he did it all. He's did it before. He's took the blame several times for his friends.

MILLIKEN (on camera): Spurgeon's mother says she thinks several neighborhood teens were involved in the beating. And deputies have confirmed more arrests are possible.

(voice-over): It was Spurgeon's mother who called authorities about the body, but she says it was not done to put her son behind bars.

V. SPURGEON: It was a rumor that there was a body, a homeless man laying in the woods on 13th and Nova (ph). So I called in an anonymous tip and said, "I heard this and I wanted to know if it was true."

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Some of you may be released today...

MILLIKEN: Jeffrey Spurgeon is not released. He's being held in jail with no bond. To deputies, he's a confessed killer who says he beat a man for fun. To his parents, he's a boy who fell in with the wrong crowd.

In Volusia County, Paul Milliken, Central Florida News 13.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: The 14-year-old boy charged in the attack is being held in a juvenile detention center, and his family could not be reached for comment.

It looks like a case of a copycat crane climber in Atlanta. That's right, yet another man scaled a crane in the same entertainment district where that 56-hour crane standoff took place last week.

This guy went about halfway up a 300-foot crane last night, smoked some cigarettes, walked around for about five hours, and then he decided he'd just come down. You can see him climbing down in that picture.

In the meantime, the Florida murder suspect involved in last week's crane standoff is due in court this morning for an extradition hearing. Authorities will discuss Carl Roland's return to Pinellas County, Florida, where he's charged with killing his ex-girlfriend. Roland was denied bond in an Atlanta hearing.

In other news "Across America" now, plumes of smoke reached hundreds of feet into the air after a fuel tanker rolled over and burst into flames near Orlando. The driver was killed. Police say they think the truck was going too fast for a curve.

Bidders in Chesterfield, Virginia, had a chance to own what they call a piece of American history. They were bidding on Ku Klux Klan robes, hoods and emblems. One of the hoods sold for $1,000 and will reportedly be put into an African-American museum. The pilot of this small float plane is OK after his rough landing in a lake near Detroit. He suffered only minor cuts and bruises. The pilot says the plane flipped over when he tried a water landing with wheels down.

Still to come on DAYBREAK, after two months of testimony, the Michael Jackson trial is winding down. We'll look at what we can expect this week.

And later, a CNN "Security Watch." What led federal investigators to two Americans accused of conspiring to help al Qaeda and Osama bin Laden?

And what would today's Chris Rock say to a younger Chris Rock 15 years ago? You'll hear it later.

But first, here's a look at what else is making news this Tuesday.

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COSTELLO: Chad, I'm sure you know it is graduation time across the country.

MYERS: And that's why I was in Cincinnati, too, Carol.

COSTELLO: Ah, so this...

MYERS: A couple of things.

COSTELLO: ... this e-mail question is perfect for you then.

MYERS: Yes. Yes.

COSTELLO: Who was graduating?

MYERS: My wife's cousin's daughter. No relation to me at all.

COSTELLO: She's going on to college?

MYERS: She is.

COSTELLO: She is. Is she going to get a Bachelor's Degree or is she going to get on and get an MBA?

MYERS: Not an MBA, but probably a vet degree.

COSTELLO: Oh.

MYERS: So there could -- yes, so obviously extended college, not just a four-year degree.

COSTELLO: That is excellent. Maybe she should think about an MBA though, because...

MYERS: I know. Did you see the numbers here? COSTELLO: It's amazing, isn't it? MBA graduates are in high demand for top jobs. A new survey shows employers expect to offer new MBAs a base salary of, get this, nearly $73,000 a year.

MYERS: And 58 percent of the companies expect to give a signing bonus.

COSTELLO: That's insane.

MYERS: For just the new grad.

COSTELLO: The overall compensation package, Chad, including benefits and other perks for an MBA hire averages $93,770, and that is sweet.

MYERS: That's pretty -- and that's realistic, I think, for a lot of -- even the moderate and medium business schools. You're talking about Wharton, you talk about places like UVA -- Darden. Some of those colleges, some of those graduates are going to be $200,000 or higher just to walk out of school.

COSTELLO: That's great. But for those students just going on to get their Bachelor's Degree, I don't know, the job market doesn't look all that great. A lot of them are going home to live with mom and dad.

MYERS: I tell you what, some places -- I was talking to a guy that works for Union Pacific. Even for guys that want to work the line at Union Pacific, they're not even taking any applicants, or they weren't for a while, that didn't have a college degree. You know, I'm talking $16 an hour or so to work the line.

COSTELLO: Wow.

MYERS: So, yes, what is that -- what is your realistic job expectation if you are graduating today or tomorrow or next week, the class of 2005? What are you thinking?

COSTELLO: Yes, is the class of 2005 hopeful? We want to know. We want to hear from you this morning, DAYBREAK@CNN.com.

MYERS: Hopeful if you have an MBA.

COSTELLO: It takes a lot of time and a lot of money, though.

MYERS: Oh, it does.

COSTELLO: Your news, money, weather and sports. It's 5:16 Eastern. Here's what's all new this morning.

The CIA is checking out a new audiotaped message believed to be from terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. It was posted on an Islamic Web site and addressed to Osama bin Laden. In it, the speaker says he suffered only a minor wound in combat but is still directing insurgent attacks. The Vatican has officially begun the process of beatifying Pope John Paul II. Witnesses are being asked to testify about his virtues. The process is part of the last formal step before the late pontiff can be declared a saint.

In money news, the "Revenge of the Sith" was tops at the box office over the long holiday weekend. "Episode III" pulled in just over $70 million in the United States and now has topped half a billion dollars worldwide. And that happened in less than two weeks.

In culture, Paris is engaged to Paris. Paris Hilton says that's hot to her longtime boyfriend Paris Latsis. He's a Greek shipping heir, and she's, well, we're not really sure. Well, she's an heiress herself. No wedding date has been set, but Paris is going to marry Paris.

In sports, the Phoenix Suns avoided a series sweep by finally beating the San Antonio Spurs. Their 111-106 win still leaves them down three games to one in the Western Conference finals. Game five tomorrow -- Chad.

MYERS: More on that to come for sure, Carol.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: Sounds nice, but we have to talk about hurricane season, Chad, because yet another report came out. But I thought the report already came out about hurricane season.

MYERS: Oh, Carol, there's more than one.

COSTELLO: Oh.

MYERS: Everybody wants some publicity from this. Dr. Gray's been doing this in Boulder, Colorado, for a really long time. He comes out with his first forecast in December, then an update typically in April. And then an update the day before hurricane season starts, another update in August, and then another update as the season starts to wind down.

His new forecast, Dr. Gray's forecast, 15 named storms, eight hurricanes and four intense hurricanes. Now, the numbers here don't mean anything to you unless you talk about what's average and what we got last year.

Average for named storms, 9.6. Hurricanes, 5.9. For intense hurricanes, 2.3.

COSTELLO: Wow.

MYERS: Last year we had 14 named storms, nine hurricanes and six intense storms. So that's how you kind of get those numbers in your head. We are going to be above average, but maybe not as high as last year, especially with those intense hurricanes.

COSTELLO: But we were just -- we were just looking at a graphic a short time ago, and I guess it was specifying where those hurricanes would hit. Fifty-nine percent, you can see that there, along the Florida coast and all up along the East Coast, obviously.

MYERS: Yes. And I'm not sure I agree with that, Carol. I think the numbers should probably be higher on the East Coast and significantly higher in the Gulf of Mexico.

There's been a pattern here the past couple of weeks where the Gulf of Mexico has been heating up drastically. And if you live from Tampa -- really Key West -- all the way over to Brownsville, yes, I think it's better than 50-50 for you for a land-falling hurricane this year.

COSTELLO: OK. Well, we hope you're wrong.

MYERS: I hope I'm wrong as well.

COSTELLO: I know.

MYERS: Probably get zero.

COSTELLO: Hey, we could know Michael Jackson's fate by the end of the week. It could be finally over as the singer's molestation trial nears the end.

CNN's Ted Rowlands tells us where things stand right now.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The evidence against Michael Jackson is in. More than 135 witnesses took the stand during more than two months of testimony. Those watching the trial seemed to agree it could go either way.

SUSAN FILAN, LEGAL ANALYST: This case is such a cliffhanger. All along it's been a ping pong ball -- ping pong match that we've been watching. Witness after witness has flipped us and flopped us. Now each side needs to put their total case together and let the jury step back and see it in full, and have them be persuaded that their version of the story is the one to believe.

ROWLANDS: The last evidence the jury saw was a video showing the boy accusing Jackson, telling detectives that he'd been molested.

JIM MORET, LEGAL ANALYST: It was extraordinarily powerful for the prosecution to end its case on this evidence. And it's stunning that the last thing that the jury will hear before arguments is this videotape.

ROWLANDS: Jackson is not required to be in court today while both sides work with the judge to write jury instructions. The jury has been told to expect closing arguments to begin as early as tomorrow.

If convicted of any of the four separate counts of molestation, Jackson faces the possibility of several years in state prison. Michael Jackson maintains that he is innocent.

Ted Rowlands, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: Still to come on DAYBREAK, military minds are hoping Operation Lightning will mark a turning point in the battle against Iraqi insurgents. We'll take a closer look at the bottom of the hour.

And comedian Chris Rock, if he knew then what he knows now, what would he do differently? You will hear it a little later.

You are watching DAYBREAK for Tuesday, May 31.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Busy at work in the control room in Atlanta?

Time for our DAYBREAK "Eye Opener" now.

Some sunbathers in southern Florida got a bit of a surprise by the pool Take a look at that. Joining them for a swim, a seven-foot alligator. Wildlife experts say it's a combination of cool water, a hot day, and of course it's mating season. So I guess the gator was just looking for some -- I can't even say it -- looking for love.

It was rough going for rescuers in Sun Valley, California. They were trying to get this horse out of the mud. One person who was trying to calm the stuck horse suffered minor injuries, but the horse was finally pulled out. He was not hurt. They just had to hose him off a little bit.

More than 1,700 people in Seattle blew their way into the record books with their harmonicas. Listen. In case you were wondering, that was "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star," really. They did set the record by playing that song for more than 15 minutes.

It was unrecognizable though, Chad. I don't know.

Hey, we're not getting any e-mail this morning. Perhaps it's because we posed the e-mail to students who are not up at this hour.

MYERS: No. They're still partying from their graduation.

COSTELLO: Exactly. They're at parties or they're sleeping.

MYERS: Or either...

COSTELLO: Heavily.

MYERS: ... or the server is slow this morning because it's still on a holiday. One or the other.

The question is of today, what are your expectations for the class of 2005? And I guess if you're the mom or dad you can answer it, too. It doesn't have to be a student. What are the realistic job expectations out there for the new graduation class? And we're not talking about just business degrees. We're talking about all kinds of degrees.

COSTELLO: You know what I'm interested to know? Is how many kids are going on to college, how many boys are going on to college, because they're having a real problem with that these days, that not so many boys want to go to college. They want to take a few years off, maybe they want to get a job where they don't need a college education.

So I'm curious, is your boy staying home? Is your girl going to college?

MYERS: Right.

COSTELLO: And...

MYERS: Or do you look for a job with a high school degree? And what's the realistic expectation with a high school degree?

COSTELLO: We're interested to know. DAYBREAK@CNN.com. DAYBREAK@CNN.com.

Here's what's all new in the next half-hour of DAYBREAK.

What led investigators to two Americans accused of conspiring to help al Qaeda and Osama bin Laden?

Plus, the head of his new animated film, "Madagascar," comedian Chris Rock talks about Oscars, education and the joy of minimum wage. Maybe he should e-mail us this morning.

You're watching DAYBREAK for a Tuesday.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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