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Judge in Aruba Decides Two Suspects in Natalee Holloway Case May Go Free; Rebuilding Paradise

Aired June 27, 2005 - 08:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Just about half past the hour on this AMERICAN MORNING.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Coming up, a judge in Aruba decides two suspects in the Natalee Holloway case may go free. Is the family losing confidence in this investigation?

S O'BRIEN: This morning we're going to talk to Natalee Holloway's aunt. We've spoken to her before. We'll ask her how she feels about the investigation. Also, we'll talk to the man who is directing the underwater search for any kind of evidence in this case. We'll see what he's been finding as well.

M. O'BRIEN: Let's get the headlines from Carol Costello.

Good morning, Carol.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. Good morning to all of you.

Now in the news, an autopsy is planned today for the 14-year-old girl in a shark attack in Florida. Jamie Marie Daigle was swimming show 200 yards when she was attacked. At least one shark has been spotted in the area in that attack. The beaches are once again open.

Firefighters in the West are working to contain wildfires that have scorched more than 350,000 acres and prompted evacuations. One fire in southwest Utah quadrupled in size in less than 12 hours. People are on alert for possible evacuations. But firefighters are setting back burns, and say they may have it all contained by tomorrow.

A hearing for the suspect in the BTK serial killer is expected to begin in just about two hours. Dennis Rader is accused of torturing and killing 10 people between 1974 and 1991, but if convicted he will not face the death penalty. All of his alleged crimes were committed before Kansas adopted capital punishment.

There is word Saudi Arabian ambassador Prince Bandar could leave his longtime post in the coming months. The prince has been the Saudi envoy to Washington for more than two decades. Arab diplomatic sources say he's planning to leave his post in the relatively near future due to, quote, "health and a desire to change."

In less than three hours, President Bush is set to host German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder at the White House. The chancellor arrived in Washington on Sunday. It will be their second meeting. The two are expected to discuss the war on terror and assistance for Africa, and they're going to hold a press conference afterward, Soledad, and of course we'll carry that life.

Back to you.

S. O'BRIEN: All right, Carol, thanks.

It's been four weeks to day since the disappearance of Natalee Holloway in Aruba. The desperate search for any clues goes on this morning with the help of a group from Texas. Meanwhile, 26-year-old disc jockey Steve Croes is expected to be released from custody a little bit later today. And Aruban Judge Paul Van Der Sloot was let go on Sunday. Van Der Sloot is the father of one of the teenagers who is still being held.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

S. O'BRIEN: Linda Allison is Natalee's hunt. Tim Miller runs EQUUSearch.

Good morning to both of you. Thanks for talking with us this morning.

Linda, let's begin with you. In the months that Natalee Has been missing, seven people have been arrested, four of them have been released or are expected to be released, and three remain jailed.

How confident are you that the legal system is working in Natalee's case here?

LINDA ALLISON, NATALEE'S AUNT: Well, obviously with the release of Paul Van Der Sloot yesterday, hearing that news was very upsetting to the family. Just a big disappointment, and we consider this a major setback. And we're hoping that still with the detaining of three original boys that were with Natalee the night of her disappearance, that hopefully they'll continue to have the interrogation, and that eventually one of these boys is going to tell the truth.

S. O'BRIEN: Linda, why do you think it's a major setback? What do you think he knows or hasn't given information-wise to authorities?

ALLISON: Well, after hearing what was said the evening that Beth and Doug had come in on a Monday evening or early Tuesday morning hours, where he was telling his son not to talk, and we keep going back to that again, that if you're telling the truth, that's the only way that any story is, is that there's only one way to tell it. And so these stories continue to change. And we really feel that the father knows something and he's withholding that information.

O'BRIEN: You've kept this case in the spotlight -- when I say you, I really mean the whole family. What's the biggest challenge now, Linda? What's been the hardest thing for you, as far as keeping publicity on Natalee's case? ALLISON: Well, obviously we appreciate the media covering this, and we hope that as they continue to cover this story, not only does the media help by actually doing some of their own investigation and questioning of some of these people that were involved in this disappearance, that maybe there can be some additional light shed on this that we don't know, because according to the Dutch laws, we are all aware, information that they have held is very confidential and not a lot of it's being shared with us. So we just have to hope they're doing the best possible job. And we've been assured that their interrogation and questioning is very intense and that they feel like this is moving forward.

O'BRIEN: Tim Miller, as we mentioned, is EQUUSearch. It's a Texas company that's helping out in this search. Tim, a quick question for you, or a couple if I may. Do investigators tell you where you need to go search? Is that how it works?

TIM MILLER, EQUUSEARCH: Well, we've got some priorities, we'll put it like that. I think it's some information that they're getting and some thoughts that they've got. These are certainly the areas that we're clearing first, and I truly feel as though these areas we're clearing every square inch, and our people are so focused on this, that we worry about them not drinking water and taking a break. So, I mean, we're here and we are focused.

S. O'BRIEN: Tell me a little bit about the side-scan sonar off the side of the dive boats. I read that you've had some things of interest on tape that you want to go back and examine. Can you explain that more? What have you seen? What have you found?

MILLER: Well, I mean, they're images that could be something manmade. There's a size of a possible body could be and stuff, so we're going to be putting some divers in and recheck that stuff. I mean, we were up late last night, you know, analyzing all the stuff that we did with the side-scan sonar. Sol, again, there are some things of interest. And anything at all, no matter how small we may think it is, we're checking, and double checking and going back again.

S. O'BRIEN: Well, our fingers are crossed for you, and I'm sure the family members standing next to you, Tim, and also all the family members who are there really appreciate it.

Tim Miller and Linda Allison joining us this morning. Thanks very for much talking to us. We certainly appreciate your time.

ALLISON: Thank you.

MILLER: Thank you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

M. O'BRIEN: Wreath-laying ceremonies were held in Thailand on Sunday, the six-month anniversary of that killer tsunami. Before the waves struck the resort on Thailand's coast were known as a tourist paradise. And the country's recovery depends on bringing tourists back. As Aneesh Raman reports, on the island of Phuket, fear and sorrow are not easily overcome.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANEESH RAMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): At the Cummola (ph) Beach Hotel, there is no desire to look back. The roof is being rebuilt, rooms are being readied, the debris has disappeared. But for manager Wissut Kasayapanand, that December morning is never far from mind.

WISSUT KASAYAPANAND, KAMALA BEACH HOTEL MGR.: The big wave coming in, the frightened guests that we have, you know, and the staff calling me over the cell phone asking me what to do.

RAMAN: The world learned of Wissut's hotel in the worse of ways. Tourists here shot some of the most dramatic video of the tsunami, a terrifying window into now immortal moments of ferocious destruction. Six months on, the hotel is bracing for new guests, bringing for new fears.

KASAYAPANAND: They may be afraid, you know, of still going to the (INAUDIBLE).

RAMAN: But the real fear is no guests will arrive, something that would destroy an industry and a people. And why moving on, however difficult, is the only option.

If the tourists don't come as before, we are in really trouble, real trouble, the tsunami after the tsunami.

RAMAN: In one hotel room, though, December 26th is still frozen in time. These are uncollected items, left by those who perished in the tsunami.

(on camera): This, for example, a toiletry bag still with toothpaste and toothbrush, luggage here with the December 20th arrival date. Also golf clubs, umbrellas, all the amenities here of vacations that turned into unimaginable tragedy.

(voice-over): On this island the memory of those killed lingers. The water that destroyed so much doesn't look so welcoming anymore. And the beachfront air is heavy with somber reflection. That perhaps is the biggest difficulty facing Phuket, how to rebuild paradise on hallowed ground, and what to do if it can't be done.

KASAYAPANAND: Phuket is for tourists, and you know, it's a (INAUDIBLE).

RAMAN (on camera): And without it, what is Phuket?

KASAYAPANAND: There is no Phuket; no tourists, no Phuket.

RAMAN (voice-over): These are worrisome times in Phuket. Surviving the tsunami was one thing. Surviving its aftermath will be another. Six months on, the worse they fear may be still to come. Aneesh Raman, CNN, Phuket, Thailand.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

M. O'BRIEN: More than $10 billion has been pledged to rebuild the places destroyed by the tsunami. Last week, the United Nations said rebuilding what was lost could take as long as 10 years.

(WEATHER REPORT)

S. O'BRIEN: Well, it was hot here in New York City, but still, hundreds of thousands of people came out to hear the Reverend Billy Graham preach this weekend. While Graham has said this was his last U.S. crusade, the world-renowned preacher is really keeping his options open.

Alina Cho has our report this morning.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The man who was once called God's machine gun is softer and slower these days, but his message, six decades later, is still the same.

REV. BILLY GRAHAM, EVANGELIST: I'm going to ask you to come now and receive him into your heart.

CHO: The 86-year-old preacher, sick with Parkinson's disease and prostate cancer, calls this his last crusade in America. Terry Veazey and wife Georgia traveled here from Montgomery Alabama.

TERRY VEAZEY, CRUSADE ATTENDEE: At the hotel this morning, I was reading from his autobiography about the '57 crusade. And as I thought about today, the final circle -- could be the final service of his North American ministry, I began to cry.

CHO: Veazey attended that 1957 crusade.

GRAHAM: There is no other way except by the way of that cross.

CHO: It was also in New York. Graham was 38, Veazey was three.

VEAZEY: I really don't remember anything except some eight millimeter films that my mom and dad filmed on the outside of Madison Square Garden. That's about all I remember.

HEBER REVILA, CRUSADE ATTENDEE: It almost is a dream come true. I've always wanted to see him.

CHO: Heber Revila is 19. His father is a pastor and says he likes Billy Graham because he preaches a simple yet modern message.

REVILA: He was once my age, as well. And, you know, he can speak to anybody who is 80 to anybody who is 19. CHO: Over the weekend, Dr. Graham mentioned Madonna, Bono and MTV. The man who was first invited to the White House by Truman had in his house on the final crusade, the Clintons. But America's pastor has the common touch. Why Bonnie Wrede came with her family.

BONNIE WREDE, CRUSADE ATTENDEE: I heard a thing on the news last night, take the seventh train to heaven. And we're here.

CHO: An estimated 230,000 people flocked to an open field to see Reverend Graham. The three-day revival was part prayer, sermon and song.

GRAHAM: I was asked in an interview if this was our last crusade. I said, it probably is -- in New York. But I also said, I never say never.

CHO (on camera): Reverend Graham is considering an invitation to preach in London this fall. He says he loves London, loves to preach there and is prayerfully considering the offer.

Alino Cho, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

S. O'BRIEN: The ministry will be passed on to Graham's son Franklin, who currently serves as president and CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistics Association.

M. O'BRIEN: And by that way, that interview was with Soledad.

S. O'BRIEN: I think he actually said it to many people, that he was...

M. O'BRIEN: Oh, come on, take credit. Go ahead and take credit.

S. O'BRIEN: Yes, he was referring to me, but actually he said that.

M. O'BRIEN: Amazing strength, though. It really is.

S. O'BRIEN: Yes, you know, and he didn't seem like he would necessarily be strong enough to pull that off, I think, over three days in the sweltering temperatures. You know, that's a lot of work. He looks great.

M. O'BRIEN: I want his diet or something. Whatever -- he's doing something right. All right.

Hollywood is reeling from a record slump at the box office. I haven't seen a good movie in a long time. Nothing I even want to see. How about you?

S. O'BRIEN: No. Nope.

M. O'BRIEN: Andy Serwer will take a look at what's ailing the industry. How about maybe a few good scripts, maybe? That would be a good idea.

Also up next this morning, we're "Paging Dr. Gupta" for some truth about cancer. Sanjay exposes five common myths surrounding the disease. That's ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

M. O'BRIEN: Here are some pictures just coming into you right now. Chief Justice William Rehnquist, on his way to work for the last day of this particular session. If you could read his mind, you would know a little bit about what is going to be on the news agenda for this summer. If he's thinking about retiring, we'll be talking about a confirmation battle. If not, I guess we'll probably be talking about sharks or something else. But, anyway, he's on his way to the court, the last day of that session. And a lot of big rulings should come out, and of course, not the least of which, focusing on whether he wishes to stay despite some failing health.

Well, many people have seen Rehnquist say he seems to be responding well to cancer treatments. Dr. Sanjay Gupta is focusing on cancer this morning, some of the biggest misconceptions about the disease.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN SR. MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (on camera): They say knowledge is power. So how much do you know about cancer? A nationwide survey by the American Cancer Society asked approximately 1,000 people about five common misconceptions regarding cancer. Get this. Remarkably, only one in four respondents correctly answered all five questions. So let's dispel some of these of these myths.

The most common misconception, treating cancer with an operation can cause it to spread. A whopping 41 percent wrongly thought this was true. It is extremely rare for surgery to cause the spread of cancer cells. Usually only happens, for example, if the wall of a fluid-filled cyst is accidentally ruptured during an operation. Otherwise, when cancer spreads, it's usually because of the type of cancer itself.

Myth number two. 27 percent surveyed believe that the medical industry is withholding a cure for cancer from the public just to increase profits. The truth, scientists have improved cancer treatments by leaps and bounds over the last two decades. Back in the mid '70s, for example, the average person's chance of surviving cancer after five years of being diagnosed was only about 50 percent. Today, 65 percent of cancer patients make it well beyond five years. It's true we haven't found a cure yet, but cancer remains one of the top research priorities in America, according to the American Cancer Society.

There are some myths, however, that most of us do know to be false. For example, pain meds are ineffective against cancer pain. That's one that only 19 percent believe to be true. And here's another one. Only 7 percent thought that cancer is something that can't be effectively treated.

The final myth is this. Just over 5 percent of Americans believe that all you need to beat cancer is a positive attitude, not treatment. Although a good outlook definitely can enhance treatments because patients are more likely to take medications properly and cooperate with their health care providers, treatment is still key in winning the battle against cancer. If a loved one living with cancer is holding off on seeking proper treatment because of their own misconceptions, here's what you can do: Help them find a qualified doctor they trust, learn more about treatment options through resources like the American Cancer Society, and look for support groups in your community.

Remember, there is help out there, and cancer doesn't have to be a death sentence anymore.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, reporting.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

M. O'BRIEN: The American Cancer Society estimates there will be more than 1.3 million new cases of cancer this year in the United States -- Soledad.

S. O'BRIEN: Still to come this morning, horror at the movies, and, no, we are not even talking about a movie. The longest box office slump since Hollywood began keeping track, is what we're talking about. That's ahead on AMERICAN MORNING. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

S. O'BRIEN: Welcome back, everybody.

A witch, a love bug, a caped crusader, all of them failing to fill theaters this weekend, at least the way Hollywood would like.

Andy Serwer "Minding Your Business" this morning. Good morning.

ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: Good morning, Soledad.

S. O'BRIEN: Bad news.

SERWER: It really is not great out there for Hollywood right now, and they broke a record this weekend: 18 weeks in a row ticket sales are down. And obviously that's not the kind of record that Hollywood would like to see broken. "Batman" did OK, but the rest of them not so good. Here we go, 18 straight weeks down. Box office down 16 percent, and attendance down 10 percent from last year.

Let's go through some of the movies. I mean, what's going on here. Well, "Batman" we talked about. "Bewitched," "Mr. and Mrs. Smith," "Herbie," "Land of the Dead," "Madagascar," "Star Wars," "Longest Yard," and coming up this summer "War of the Worlds." Who doesn't know that?

S. O'BRIEN: Is it because the movies are just not good quality, so no one's going? Is it because DVDs and On Demand video are out there, so people don't have to go?

SERWER: I think the movies are bad. I mean, let's compare it to 1985, which is the last year the movies were that bad. But how bad were those movies? Listen to what was big back in 1985. "Back to the Future," "The Color Purple," "Out of Africa," "Cocoon," "Jewel of the Nile," "Witness." These are movies that people still talk about that are still shown on TV, and you think about the movies that are being made this year. Do you really think they're going to have the staying power that people are going to be talking about?

S. O'BRIEN: "Mr. and Mrs. Smith?"

SERWER: I think maybe "Mr. and Mrs. Smith." I mean, but that's interesting you said that, because that's the only original movie out of all of the rest of these, "Batman," "Bewitched," "Herbie," "Land of the Dead," not "Madagascar," "Star Wars," "Longest Yard." Those are all remakes or sequels. So we talked about the lack of originality, I think that's really coming into play here.

Meanwhile, speaking of movie stars, you might have heard this, an auction of Marlon Brando's personal effects is going to happen this Thursday at Christie's, and the reports this morning, there's infighting amongst family members about what's being auctioned off. And no wonder, Soledad, his false teeth will be auctioned off. His Medicare card is going to be auctioned off. Scripts of his. I mean, this is crazy stuff, right? And no wonder family members are upset about this.

S. O'BRIEN: Because they want to block it, or they want to get the money?

SERWER: Well, some of them want the money; some of them want to block it for poor taste, apparently.

S. O'BRIEN: They might be -- they might have something there.

SERWER: I think they do.

S. O'BRIEN: All right, Andy, thanks -- Miles.

SERWER: You're welcome.

M. O'BRIEN: This month we are celebrating 25 years on the air here at CNN. As part of that celebration, CNN's Ali Velshi looks back at some of the top business stories that have made headlines.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALI VELSHI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The top business stories of CNN's first 25 years. We asked the editors at "Money" magazine to come up with a list.

At 25, by the early 1990s, the much heralded Japanese economy took a tumble, while china, its giant neighbor and rival, blossomed.

At 24, playing the odds. Gambling has boomed from Las Vegas to North Carolina. It's a multibillion dollar industry.

Number 23, the S&L crisis: The government relaxed rules, risky business ensued and investors lost billions.

STEPHEN GANDEL, STAFF WRITER, "MONEY" MAGAZINE: Our nation's financial institutions are stronger because of the S&L crisis.

VELSHI: Number 22, deregulation. It freed industries from government controls, giving consumers better prices.

Number 21, when IPOs shined, everyone, from CEOs to secretaries, became rich. Now that light has faded, or has it? Stay tuned as we countdown to number one.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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