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CNN Live At Daybreak

Florida Panhandle Relives Watery Nightmare; Confessed Serial Killer Details His Crimes

Aired June 28, 2005 - 06:00   ET

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


CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: It is Tuesday, June 28.
The Florida Panhandle relives a watery nightmare. Another shark attack. Is it safe to go back into the water? We'll talk to the experts.

Plus, it was blunt, it was graphic and, oh, was it chilling -- a confessed serial killer details his crimes.

And marking a milestone in Iraq -- President Bush wants to stay the course. But do Americans think he's on track?

ANNOUNCER: From the Time Warner Center in New York, this is DAYBREAK with Carol Costello and Chad Myers.

COSTELLO: And good morning to you.

We'll have more on those Florida shark attacks in just a moment.

Also ahead, he's fighting a war of the worlds onscreen and a war of words off-screen. Is Tom Cruise engaging in some risky business?

And do you like swapping songs and movies over the Internet? You will want to know what the Supreme Court has to say about that.

But first, now in the news, President Bush faces a military audience tonight, but his message is for the whole nation. He'll defend his Iraq policy in a speech at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Recent polls show support for the war slipping.

The Senate is expected to pass an energy bill today, but the measure has to pick up a lot more steam to become law. The Senate bill is far different from the House version, so the two sides are facing some hard bargaining.

It is the first step toward sainthood. The Vatican starts the process of beatifying Pope John Paul II today. The current pope, Benedict XVI, waived the usual five year waiting period.

And rescuers in Hendersonville, North Carolina had to help several drivers who were stranded by rising floodwaters. Heavy rains also forced the evacuation of a summer camp that was near an overflowing lake.

To the Forecast Center for more -- Chad. CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: There's been a lot of rain up there in the Carolinas, parts of Georgia, even into Florida the past couple of days because of a tropical like system that moved up from the Atlantic Ocean and has moved now up over Tennessee and, for that matter, up even into Kentucky. And it just has -- it's transported tropical moisture all the way from the Gulf of Mexico.

In Knoxville, it feels like you're sitting in St. Thomas this morning. You walk outside, the humidity just kind of slaps you in the face. (WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: We start with another shark attack off the coast of Florida. It is the second one in the last three days. This time, a 16-year-old boy was attacked while he was fishing on a sandbar. He's in critical condition this morning. Doctors had to amputate his leg.

But experts say the shark activity is normal for this time of year.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ERICH RITTER, THE SHARK RESEARCH INSTITUTE: Some of them come in close. No, the question, of course, is why do they come that close. If you have like a change of water temperature, a change of currents, that changes how many bait fish you have close to shore and the shark naturally follows them. And it doesn't matter if it's during daytime hours, they feed when they have the food present.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Oh, we want to hear more, though, so let's head to Gulf County, Florida, where CNN's Adaora Udoji is standing by -- good morning.

ADAORA UDOJI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

And, indeed, it is a very rainy morning here in the Panhandle. And as you said, 16-year-old Craig Hutto the latest shark attack victim. The 16-year-old, his family was vacationing here from Lebanon, Tennessee. And he was fishing with his brother. They were out about 60 yards from the shore in about waist high water. They were apparently using shrimp to bait the fish.

Out of nowhere, according to authorities here there was absolutely no warning. There was a lot of screaming. The shark attacked Craig and people said they saw gushes of red water.

Somehow his brother managed to pull him (AUDIO GAP) gets him to shore. And, Carol, as things would happen (AUDIO GAP) was then able to immediately administer (AUDIO GAP). And then he was taken to the hospital in Panama City, where he underwent a couple of hours of surgery yesterday.

COSTELLO: Adaora, you're dropping out and we missed some crucial information.

How far offshore was he fishing again?

UDOJI: They were about 60 yards offshore. The water was about waist high -- and out of nowhere, there is not a witness that so far has said they saw a shark -- he was attacked. And there was a lot of scrutiny because he was standing close to his brother, apparently. And all the witnesses from the shore could see was this gush of red blood. And somehow the brother apparently managed to pull him ashore and, as things would unfold, there was actually a doctor right there on the beach who was able to immediately administer emergency care. And obviously that could have only been helpful as they got him then to the hospital, where he underwent some surgery for about two hours with a team of two surgeons.

COSTELLO: So, two attacks in the past several days.

Have any warnings gone out?

UDOJI: Well, actually, no. And the first, the first fatal attack on Saturday, the beach was closed for 24 hours and the sheriff in that county has doubled the number of beach patrolling officers and they have increased air surveillance. The same thing has happened at Cape San Blas, which is where Craig Hutto was attacked. That beach has been closed and I can only guess that the officials in this county are going to be taking a look at different ways of surveilling the area.

COSTELLO: Adaora Udoji reporting live from Florida this morning.

Now to the shocking and sickening revelations from the confessed BTK serial killer. Dennis Rader pleaded guilty in a Wichita courtroom on Monday to 10 counts of first degree murder. He admitted to being the man behind a string of killings that terrorized the city for three decades.

Under questioning from the judge, he described the murders in calm and chilling detail, saying he killed to satisfy his sexual fantasies.

Here's what he said about killing his neighbor, Marine Hedge, who he strangled with a pair of pantyhose in 1985.

And we warn you, this is tough to hear.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DENNIS RADER, CONFESSED BTK KILLER: I went ahead and stripped her and probably went ahead and -- I'm not sure if I tied her up at that point in time, but anyway, she was nude. And I put her on a blanket, went through her purse and personal items in the house. And I figured out how I was going to get her out of there.

Eventually I moved her to the trunk of the car, took the car over to the Christ Lutheran Church. This was the older church. And I took some pictures of her.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right, you took some photographs. What kind of camera did you use?

RADER: Polaroid.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did you keep those photographs?

RADER: Yes. The police probably have them.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right.

All right. What happened then?

RADER: That was it. I just went -- I took -- she went through -- I tied her -- she was already dead so I took pictures of her in different forms of bondage and that's probably what got me in trouble was the bondage thing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Rader will be sentenced on August 17 for the first nine BTK killings.

And we're going to talk to a forensic psychologist about this case in the next half hour of DAYBREAK.

In other "Stories Across America" this Tuesday, a candlelight vigil was held in Camden, New Jersey. Hundreds gathered at a soccer field to help the families to three young boys found dead in the trunk of a car. Their deaths have been ruled as accidental. The boys were missing for two days. Camden city officials are awaiting a report on why the bodies were not found sooner.

Former New Jersey nurse Charles Cullen admits to killing five more people with medicine overdoses. Cullen already has admitted to killing 24 people in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. His attorney says Cullen believed the victims were terminally ill and it was dehumanizing to prolong their lives by artificial means.

Comforting news for the residents of New Harmony, Utah. The winds have died down and no homes are believed to be in immediate danger from a large wildfire. Last night about 80 families evacuated. Officials had urged all 1,200 residents to leave.

John Walton, one of the heirs to the Wal-Mart fortune, has died. Company officials say Walton died when his ultra light aircraft crashed in Wyoming.

Let's head live to CNN's Sean Callebs.

He's in Bentonville, Arkansas, where Wal-Mart is based -- good morning, Sean.

SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

Any time, of course, the Walton family or the Wal-Mart Corporation make headlines, it is huge news in Arkansas. Today, no difference, but certainly very sobering, very somber news.

As you mentioned, 58-year-old John Walton lost his life yesterday when the small plane he was piloting crashed just after takeoff from the Jackson Hole, Wyoming airport.

He was one of the richest people in the United States. His share of the family fortune an estimated $20 billion.

He leaves behind a wife and son, as well as three siblings and his mother.

Authorities are still investigating the cause of the crash, this light aluminum framed plane that is actually called an experimental aircraft. It went down just after takeoff in full view of the highway and ended up in a crumpled heap. Local reports here say the first people who arrived on the scene found John Walton dead in the aircraft.

John Walton, heir to the family fortune -- you're going to hear that saying a lot today. But he really didn't seek the spotlight and truly carved out his own path in life. He was a veteran, serving in Vietnam as a medic for special forces. The Wal-Mart Company says he earned a Silver Star for bravery. He also loved flying. He even worked as a crop duster for one time before starting one of his companies that really focused on boating.

He chose not to live in Arkansas, but rather Wyoming, which is not the epicenter of the family empire here. He did serve on the board of the Wal-Mart Corporation and had since 1992, but he really wasn't involved in the day to day operations. He was involved in the charitable arm of the family, donating a great deal of money for education.

So, Carol, think about it -- all the money in the world, but certainly that is not going to ease the suffering that family must be experiencing today.

COSTELLO: No, it is not.

Sean Callebs reporting live from Arkansas this morning.

Still to come this hour, a stunning confession in the brutal BTK killings. We'll go inside the mind of a serial killer with a forensic psychologist later this hour.

Also, the entertainment industry is cheering over a decision handed down by the Supreme Court, one that could affect you.

And, after the sofa jumping and talk of Scientology, Tom Cruise and his new love and his new movie -- is his latest flick worth all the hoopla? The inside work, coming up.

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) COSTELLO: And you're looking at live pictures from Britain right now. And it's right near the English Channel. You can see the queen standing there. She's awaiting the start of the festivities. They're going to reenact the 1805 Battle of Trafalgar. And that was a huge victory for British -- for the British Navy. They were fighting against Spanish and French forces. And they're going to reenact this whole thing, including gunfire. Of course, it won't be real gunfire, but it's supposed to be quite a spectacle. And when that begins we'll dip in once again.

Your news, money, weather and sports.

It's 6:13 Eastern.

Here's what's all new this morning.

U.S. and Iraqi forces have launched another operation against insurgents in Iraq's Anbar Province. Operation Sword is the fifth such offensive in recent weeks in the western region.

In money news, oil prices shoot up to new record highs. Get this -- crude oil futures closed at $60.54 a barrel in New York. The run- up reflects concerns about strong demand and potential supply problems. So, you know what that means about gas prices.

In culture, a sketch by Picasso of his mistress posing nude sold for more than $575 million at a Paris auction. The Picasso Museum in Paris paid about three times the sketch's estimated price.

In sports, Kevin Millwood throws cold water on the Boston Red Sox. The Cleveland pitcher worked six strong innings to stop Boston's seven game winning streak. The final score, Cleveland 7, Boston zip.

Oh, that's painful every time we see it.

MYERS: Did you really say $575 million for that sketch?

COSTELLO: I did, indeed.

It's crazy.

MYERS: Wow! Some people have more money, I guess, than I do, and other things.

COSTELLO: A lot of people do, actually.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: That's a look at the latest headlines for you this morning.

If you are confused by the Supreme Court's ruling on displays of the Ten Commandments, you are not alone. Some displays can stay, others can go -- or they must go, by law. Some are considered religious, some are not.

With that and more, let's head live to Miami and our legal analyst, Kendall Coffey.

So we look to you to sort it out -- Kendall.

KENDALL COFFEY, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Well, that's going to be a little hard to do, either this morning or any other time.

COSTELLO: Exactly.

So this giant granite monument in Texas is fine, but wall hangings in Kentucky are not.

What's the distinction here?

COFFEY: Well, the distinction really is something that the Supreme Court is going to say depends upon context, location, the way it's displayed, because the Ten Commandments is, of course, a sacred religious message, but it also has historical and legal context. So depending upon how and where and why you place it, it can be legal or not.

It certainly is something that's going to be hard for the public to understand, Carol. But think of this. You can take the eagle and if you put it on a display with 30 other winged friends, it's a bird. If you put it next to the American flag by itself, it's the symbol of the nation.

So like it or not, we've got to deal with this fact by fact, case specific understanding of context.

COSTELLO: OK. So in an effort to make it even more clear, the Fraternal Order of the Eagles put up the granite monuments in Texas and to deter juvenile delinquency. So that's not religious. But those who put those pictures up in Kentucky put them up because of religion?

COFFEY: Well, and the, again, display was something that the court focused on. The Ten Commandments put up by itself in a prominent place by a courthouse wall says what? A message of religious text. When you put the same Ten Commandments in a 22-acre park in Texas surrounded by 17 different monuments with everything from the Alamo to Boy Scouts to pioneer women, it can be seen as part of history.

But, Carol, if anything is for sure, this is not over, because the issue of religious displays, religious messages, whether it's "in god we trust" on our money, "under god" on the Pledge of Allegiance, is not only a vital fabric of our country, it is going to be a recurring and frustrating theme for many people in this country as it keeps going through the courts.

COSTELLO: You're not -- you know, I found Sandra Day O'Connor's ruling interesting. She said: "The country has worked well when compared to other nations gripped by religious violence."

Now, normally she probably would rule the other way. She ruled against displaying the Ten Commandments. But what did she mean by that? Did recent history play into her decision?

COFFEY: Well, I think that there is a clear five justice majority on this court for the most complete possible neutrality. A same -- similar message was espoused by Justice Souter, who wrote the majority opinion in the Kentucky case, who said that the divisiveness of religion in current public life is inescapable.

There is a concern among some members of the court that the government has to absolutely stand away from religion.

Meanwhile, Carol, four other justices say we're not so sure about neutrality. God has been part of our country since George Washington began his presidency. It's still a part of our country. And at least with respect to being one nation under god, four justices believe this nation doesn't have to be so neutral, and that's going to underscore how critical the membership of the Supreme Court is.

One justice's appointment could make all the difference in what is one of the most divisive and energizing debates in our country right now.

COSTELLO: Ooh, so look for more hot debate to come.

Let's talk about file sharing, because the Supreme Court also ruled on file sharing. It's a victory for the entertainment industry.

So if we like to download music or movies, what does that mean for us?

COFFEY: Well, remember, there are a lot of lawsuits about people who are illegally downloading. I don't know if any of your friends or any of my friends got a little bit nervous as suit after suit was being filed. That was already found to be illegal.

Now, they've held that some of the Internet providers can also have exposure.

The bottom line -- entertainment is smiling today and a lot of other folks are pretty nervous.

COSTELLO: Oh, I bet so, because there are lawsuits to come.

Kendall Coffey live in Miami this morning.

Thank you for joining DAYBREAK.

COFFEY: Hey, thanks, Carol.

COSTELLO: Still to come, we've seen Tom Cruise here, there, everywhere. But now his new movie is out. We'll hear what our friend Tom O'Neil thinks about the "War of the Worlds."

And later, why the man who directed "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy is threatening to sue the movie studio. But first, it's time to say good morning, this morning to Baltimore. Baltimore is behind all of that haze.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The top business stories of CNN's first 25 years. We asked the editors of "Money" magazine to come up with a list.

Number 20, the death of cash, the rise of credit and debit cards revolutionizes the way we spend money.

Number 19, cell phones. The telecommunications industry has been realigned with new players taking the lead.

Number 18, on October 19, 1987, Wall Street plunges and investors lose $500 billion, sending global stock markets into a tailspin.

Number 17, oil prices on a roller coaster. It's been as low as $10 a barrel. It broke through $50 in 2004.

Number 16, HMOs and managed care not workout as planned.

ELLEN MCGIRT, SENIOR WRITER, "MONEY" MAGAZINE: Of all the issues facing this country, access to health care, affordable health care, is the single toughest nut to crack.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Stay tuned as we count down to number one.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

COSTELLO: A correction. Chad was right to question me about that Picasso sketch. It sold for $575,000 and change, not $575 million. Oh, quit laughing at me. I feel bad enough.

MYERS: I know. I was like wow!, that's more than the GDP of most countries.

COSTELLO: I apologize for that.

MYERS: All right.

COSTELLO: Oh, you know, it's Tuesday. He's been everywhere recently talking about his new movie and his new love. Well, last night Tom Cruise was in Hollywood for a star-studded special screening of "War of the Worlds." Of course, his lady love, Katie Holmes, was there, too. How could she not be?

So how is the movie and what exactly is going on with Tom Cruise?

Tom O'Neil of "IN Touch" magazine is here with some thoughts.

First off, the movie.

You expected not to like it, I know.

TOM O'NEIL, "IN TOUCH WEEKLY": Well, I heard a lot of rumblings about this film, that the ending is disappointing. That's true. Tom plays an unsympathetic character, that's true. But this movie works. It's a great fireworks display for the 4th of July weekend. It really is. It's fun. It's unrelenting. It's two hours of where Spielberg, as a master as he is at these things, keeping up a thrilling pace.

COSTELLO: Well, it's very violent.

O'NEIL: That's the problem. As Chad, as our producer here, who joined me last night said, wow!, if I had an 8-year-old daughter, I wouldn't let her see this. And the movie is all about a little girl being terrorized for two hours by aliens.

The premise of this movie, of course, is the aliens are trying to take over this planet because they want to move here, so they've got to get rid of us. Now, I'm sure they would have devised more efficient ways to do that than having little tripods pop up out of the Earth and zap us one by one. But if they did that, it wouldn't be so much fun.

The human story set up is hilarious. Tom is a deadbeat dad whose ex-wife dumps the kids off with him and what do they do when the aliens show up? Let's find mommy. She'll know what to do.

COSTELLO: Wow!

So, I'm just curious. You know, with all of Tom Cruise's antics, did that take away from the movie experience for you? Because I feel if I'd go see this movie, I would only think of him jumping on the couch and kissing Katie Holmes.

O'NEIL: Right. I have to say, it does. On Friday a new poll came out that 61 percent of filmgoers like Tom Cruise less. And that's going to hurt this film because you'll want to be sympathetic with him. But interestingly enough, how he's positioned in this film as a deadbeat dad who must redeem himself, maybe he actually takes moviegoers through that experience.

COSTELLO: That's right, because he was such a likable guy before, so maybe he's somewhat unlikable now and that works in the movie.

O'NEIL: Here he's a real creep.

Well, there are scenes you need to be warned about in this movie. For example, one very powerful scene, probably one of Spielberg's best, is this little girl going over a hill. There's a river flowing by. First a few bodies in it, then a whole graveyard. COSTELLO: Oh, you shouldn't give too much away. I could...

O'NEIL: Well, but this is something you need to be warned about. It's very, very shocking.

COSTELLO: Got you.

O'NEIL: Apparently he removed a lynching scene from this movie. There were complaints about early viewings in Europe.

It's like the first 20 minutes of "Saving Private Ryan," but for two hours.

COSTELLO: Oh, wow!

O'NEIL: But it's still thrilling. It's a wonderful ride.

COSTELLO: OK.

Well, I guess I'll go see it, then.

O'NEIL: You've got to see it, Carol.

COSTELLO: Tom O'Neil, thanks for joining us this morning.

O'NEIL: Thanks.

COSTELLO: All new in the next half hour, the president schedules a rare prime time address. We'll look at what he might have to say to you.

Also, what drives a man to brutally bind, torture and kill 10 people? Some insights when DAYBREAK continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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