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Nancy Grace

Nancy Grace for August 10, 2005, CNNHN

Aired August 10, 2005 - 20:00   ET

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

NANCY GRACE, HOST: Tonight, breaking news. A massive manhunt nationwide for three fugitives from the law. First tonight, police converge on a Kentucky motel in the hunt for a fugitive couple, a husband- and-wife team, Jennifer and George Hyatte. The former prison nurse pulled off a deadly Tennessee courthouse shooting so her inmate husband could make an escape in full shackles.
Also tonight: a gorgeous 21-year-old model leading a double life. The married LA beauty`s body was found in a pick-up truck belonging to her lover, a multi-millionaire fugitive. Tonight, he is on the run.

Good evening, everybody. I`m Nancy Grace, and I want to thank you for being with us tonight.

Tonight, law enforcement needs your help finding this multi- millionaire, Brian Joseph Cullen (ph), prime suspect in the murder of a 21- year- old model, married lover, whose body has been discovered in the cab of Cullen`s pick-up truck.

But first tonight, breaking news. Police believe they have found the van belonging to a modern-day Bonnie and Clyde, George and Jennifer Hyatte, found in a motel parking lot in Erlanger, Kentucky. That`s more than 200 miles from Kingston, Tennessee, the courthouse where Jennifer Hyatte drove up and opened fire on corrections officers, blasting free her husband, a convicted felon doing 35 years hard jail time. The two wanted tonight for gunning down 56-year-old Wayne Morgan, a 28-year law veteran, in cold blood.

This is George Hyatte`s third escape. In `98, he broke free. In 2002, he broke out of another Tennessee jail by attacking two officers with a shank, a deadly jail-made knife.

Tonight, in Kingston, Tennessee, WNOX radio reporter Lauren Curbow, Jennifer Johnson of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Roane County sheriff David Haggard. In New York, defense attorney David Schwartz. In Pittsburgh, defense attorney Courtney Anderson (ph). In New York, clinical psychologist Dr. Patricia Saunders.

But first to Kingston, Tennessee, and CNN correspondent Bob Franken. Welcome, Bob. Bring us up to date, friend.

BOB FRANKEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, in addition to getting what they believe is the van, the police, who held a news conference just about an hour ago, said that they believe that only moments before they went into the hotel and evacuated this hotel in Erlanger, Kentucky, which is near Cincinnati, about 200 miles from here, as you pointed out -- they evacuated the hotel, but apparently, Jennifer and George Hyatte, the police believe, left very, very shortly thereafter -- or before they actually went into the hotel, so they just missed them.

What happened was, they brought in a SWAT team, and that`s when they made their escape. What officials would not say because they may not know is whether they`re on foot. The van was taken. There was a stolen car reported in that area. But the authorities here would not tell us if they believe that they`re driving or if they are, as I said, on foot. They did point out and it was pointed out that the greater Cincinnati airport is not far from there. So they`ve alerted airport officials in case they want to make some sort of airline reservation and get out that way. What they`re saying is, quote, "We`re getting closer."

GRACE: Now, Bob, what leads them to believe -- yes, I know they found the van there at that Kentucky motel. But what makes them think that these two, the modern-day Bonnie and Clyde, had just left?

FRANKEN: Apparently, they have been spotted in there. They won`t tell us how they got their tip, but that they had been spotted in there. And they were surrounding the hotel, and somehow they gave them the slip. They`re not telling us a lot. They`re not telling us precisely how they tracked them. For instance, not telling us if they`re tracing credit cards. They`re not telling us where the tips come from and how they know certain things. But they believe that things were left behind that indicate that they got out of there in a big hurry.

GRACE: To Lauren Curbow with WNOX-FM. That`s 217 miles away. This guy and his wife made it 217 miles. That should take about four hours. So Lauren, when you don`t know a horse, take a look at his track record. Elizabeth (ph), do you have that map from last night? On one escape, he went from Dayton, Tennessee, all the way down to, I believe, Fort Myers area, southwest Florida, in 24 hours. So Lauren, what`s their best guess of where this guy is going tonight?

LAUREN CURBOW, WNOX-FM: They said that they could go just about anywhere. She has family in Utah. He has family in southeastern Tennessee. Nobody really knows, at this point. They could have gone anywhere. But we do know that the FBI, the TBI and everyone was out looking for these people, and they could have gone in any direction. And we know that everyone was looking for them.

GRACE: Very quickly, to Dr. Patricia Saunders. Patricia, the reality is this guy has had two prison escapes before. He`s not afraid to kill. In the 2002 prison escape, Patricia, he used a shank, a jail-made knife that he used out of a razor blade and a toothbrush. He sliced up two corrections officers then, one male, one female. Now wife open fires.

Patricia, this was totally planned! I think it was planned straight down to a sweetheart deal of six years behind bars. The guy was already looking at 35 years on aggravated burglary, takes a six-year deal, wife sitting in the courtroom, Patricia. When she pulled up, he yells out, Open fire. This thing was planned down to the millisecond!

PATRICIA SAUNDERS, CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST: Absolutely. And he must have spent hours, if not weeks, planning this. And I think it`s safe to assume that they`ve planned hidey holes, or maybe a number of them across the country. It`s really kind of astonishing how this man has been able to convince...

GRACE: But Patricia, Dr. Saunders, these two are not going to family. This is the third time the guy has escaped! You`d think the prison officials -- well, you know, if you think about it, though, Dr. Saunders, what else could they do? They had the guy in full shackle. That means wrists, ankles and belt.

Take a listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHERIFF DAVID HAGGARD, ROANE COUNTY, TENNESSEE: When he`s fully shackled, he`s even got what`s called a black box on the handcuffs, and it`s got a padlock on the black box. So you actually have to unlock a padlock, take the black box off to use a handcuff key to open the handcuffs. And that`s attached to the waist chain. And of course, you`ve got leg shackles, too.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: Bob Franken with CNN. Bob, my question is, have police already searched her home, her hard drive? Certainly, they`ve searched the Jeep that she pulled up to the courthouse in. But what about her home? I think this thing has really been planned out a long time. And possibly, Bob, on the hard drive of her computer, they could figure out where she`s headed. Believe me, they`re not going to family. They`re way smarter than that, Bob!

FRANKEN: Well, they are. They are searching everything. They won`t tell us exactly what. They particularly won`t discuss the high-tech things. Regarding the shackles, by the way, authorities believe now that he is no longer in shackles. And of course that means that this planning, perhaps, even included a bolt cutter, which would have been one thing that could have gotten him out of the shackles.

GRACE: Take a listen to this, Bob.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HAGGARD: Local law enforcement usually does not have prior notification when prisoners are being transported in to a courtroom. Sometimes we are asked for assistance, you know, in some cases. But normally, the Department of Correction has their own officers who transport people in on given court dates. So therefore, it`s common practice for them to come and go during the court session, when criminal court is in session.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: As if we didn`t learn from the Atlanta courthouse shooting just a few months ago. As you recall, Brian Nichols showing up for a rape trial. He had it planned down to a T, went back in the courtroom and opened fire on Judge Rowland Barnes, court reporter Julie Brandau and my old sheriff, David (SIC) Teasley, triple murder because of lax security at the courthouse.

Very quickly, to David Schwartz. David, when I practiced in a federal courthouse, you would never even see the prisoners come in because, I guess, there was a tunnel. And I was there all the time as a law clerk to a judge. You never saw the prisoners even come in. They must have come in through a tunnel and then up an elevator. They would mysteriously appear in the courtroom. Hold on. At the state level, though, like this courthouse, you would see them pull up in secure buses. Then they would go under. What about this mode of bringing them in, David?

DAVID SCHWARTZ, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: I totally agree, Nancy. I was shocked see how this court was set up, how they make the prisoners do the perp walk right outside the front door of the courthouse. It makes no sense to me! You have to spend money on these facilities. In the state courts that I practice in, in New York, as well as the federal courts, you do not see the prisoners. The prisoners are brought in by bus, underneath the courthouse, in a garage. You never have contact with these prisoners. It`s bound to happen when you bring prisoners at the front door. So I agree.

GRACE: Well, on the other hand, to Jennifer Johnson, PIO with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation -- Jennifer, when a guy is in full shackle, which is not all that typical -- I mean, normally, a guy`s either in handcuffs or handcuffs legirons. But to then be attached at the waist - - Jennifer -- Jennifer, what can you tell us about the recovery of the van in Kentucky? That`s quite a bit of driving.

JENNIFER JOHNSON, TENNESSEE BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION: Yes, there has been a lot of activity this afternoon. Around 6:00 o`clock Eastern time, U.S. Marshals agents, agents with the FBI and also local law enforcement in Kentucky entered a motel room. It was at an Econolodge up there. We had received a tip, information from the public, that these two individuals were here. We followed up on that through other intelligence-gathering, determined that they were in this hotel room, at least at some point. SWAT members entered the room at around 6:00 o`clock Eastern time, as I said. Unfortunately, they were no longer there. We think they missed us by minutes -- or we missed them by minutes, I should say.

GRACE: Jennifer, what leads you to believe you missed them by minutes? Which I find to be very important. If you just missed them by minutes, it could suggest they are, in fact, on foot.

JOHNSON: Well, I think when you get tips in from the public, you`re dealing with a little bit of uncertainty about exactly what those timeframes are. The intelligence that we gathered from people who were in that area, eyewitnesses and otherwise, really gave us reason to believe that they were there pretty late in the afternoon.

Of course, you know, we`re working this as hard as we can. I think what we are happy about tonight -- well, we`re not happy that that happened, that we don`t have them in custody, we are happy about the fact that three hours ago, or earlier this afternoon, we couldn`t even pinpoint it to a certain area. We can say beyond a shadow of a doubt that people in that area need to be particularly vigilant, even people in surrounding states. And like you said -- you were asking about on foot. We don`t know. That`s -- those leads are being worked out even as we speak.

GRACE: Jennifer, I understand that there is a stolen car within that area. Where was the other car stolen, and what kind of car is it?

JOHNSON: When you say the other car stolen, are you referencing the van?

GRACE: No, I understand that there is a stolen car there in Kentucky in the area of the Econo motel.

JOHNSON: The van is stolen. I don`t know if there`s been a miscommunication somehow, but the van is a stolen vehicle.

GRACE: OK.

JOHNSON: That van is the one that was found in Kentucky.

GRACE: Right. Right. Now, the van that was stolen, gold in color, was actually one of her patients`. She obviously stole the van from a patient, Jennifer, took the van to the location, somehow got back to her home, and then brings her Jeep to the courthouse, blasts her way to her husband. They leave in the Jeep, and they pick up this stolen van belonging to one of her patients and take off for Kentucky. Is that scenario correct, Jennifer?

JOHNSON: I think, you know, there are varying stories about how the van ended up here. I don`t want to get into a lot of detail, but we do have some competing stories that we`re trying to sort through. As far as - - you know, there are a lot of details that you just mentioned, and it`s hard to address all of them on a case-by-case basis. But what else can I answer for you?

GRACE: Is there any possibility there is an accomplice helping these two?

JOHNSON: Well, I don`t -- I think that we`re open to that idea, and we`re working leads to see if that`s a possibility. And if it is, those people will be charged. I think, you know, what`s important to recognize is that from the very beginning, even yesterday, we`ve said that we believe this was premeditated. We know she stayed here in a hotel in the Kingston area the night before this hearing. So we can only deduce from that...

GRACE: Right.

JOHNSON: ... that perhaps she was spending the night here and waiting to go to the hearing, and we know what happened.

GRACE: Take a listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARK GWYN, DIR., TENNESSEE BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION: We think it was very well planned, very well thought out, which leads us to believe that it will be a little harder, maybe, to capture them. But we do believe Jennifer or George Hyatte was injured in the gunfire. So obviously, at some point, we feel like one or both will have to seek medical attention, and we`ve got all the local hospitals on alert for that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: Bob Franken, is it correct that another car has been stolen in the Kentucky area near this hotel?

FRANKEN: Well, yes. But that, of course, is not an uncommon occurrence. What the authorities are not willing to say, or perhaps don`t know, is whether it was stolen by them, or just as likely that they`re on foot. As I said, there`s a lot of information they`re not sharing and more information that they don`t know.

GRACE: Well, one last thought on this, back to Jennifer Johnson. This woman had everything so well planned out. She paid for that hotel room two nights in cash. I guarantee you, Florence Nightingale, the jail nurse -- guarantee she brought along nursing supplies. Bet you she`s treating herself. Jennifer, is that possible?

JOHNSON: You know, I have no idea what she may or may not have with her. It was mentioned to me earlier that perhaps the fact that she was a nurse would allow her to be able to nurse her own wounds. I mean, I think we`re getting out into a lot of territory of speculation. Certainly, treating yourself is a little different than treating a patient. We don`t know the extent of her injuries. So you know, I mean, I think it`s interesting to talk about these things, but it is impossible to say conclusively right now.

GRACE: But all the hospitals and doc-in-a-box, you know, medical alert units have been alerted, right?

JOHNSON: It is -- legally, those kinds of establishments are required to report any shooting victims. So yes, they are -- we are very much in contact with medical facilities. And hopefully -- you know, we have gotten this out across the nation, thanks to you guys and other media outlets, so I would shudder to think that there are many people out there that really haven`t heard about this story.

GRACE: Quick break, everyone. Breaking news tonight out of Erlanger, Kentucky. A Bonnie-and-Clyde couple who blasted their way out of a Tennessee courthouse are on the run tonight. Take a look at them, George and Jennifer Hyatte. Stay with us.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REGINA BISHOP, FUGITIVE`S SISTER: George, wherever you at, for God`s sake, please, please call. Please give it up before it be another tragic death. And it`s not worth it, brother. It`s just not worth it. So please just call us, please, so we can -- so this can be resolved.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He`s not a cold-blooded murderer, you know? He`s just a normal person that probably has a few mental issues that he`s dealing with.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: Welcome back, everyone. A nationwide manhunt on a Bonnie-and- Clyde duo. Here they are. George and Jennifer Hyatte blasted their way out of a Tennessee courthouse yesterday in Roane County. He was facing 35 years behind bars, aggravated robbery. Just took a sweetheart deal, six years. On his way out of the courthouse, she drove up, obviously well planned, opened fire, taking down Wayne Cotton Morgan, 56 years old, about a 20-year veteran in law enforcement, leaving behind a widow and two children.

Very quickly, to Lauren Curbow with WNOX-FM. Lauren, tell me about the other two escapes this guy had.

CURBOW: We don`t -- we have not been fed many details, but I can tell you that there was one particular time where he escaped, went to either a family member`s house or friend`s house, and they did find him. They had to get a search warrant, and they found him hiding under clothes, just a big pile of clothes.

The second escape we also don`t have very many details on, but we do know he escaped from -- to Florida, to southwest Florida, and he was found that time, too. Obviously, this guy has a record for it. And if they catch him this time, it would be wise to keep hold on him because he is very dangerous.

GRACE: To Sheriff David Haggard with the Roane County sheriff`s office. Sheriff, how he can break -- or how can his wife break for him these triple shackles, hand, ankle, waist?

HAGGARD: There are several ways. If you had a lockpick or a key, you certainly could open the locks. Other ways would be if you had bolt cutters, or if you`re familiar with a little cutting device, a rotary cutting device called a Dremel tool, you can take a cutting wheel on the device like that and go through metal pretty quickly with it.

GRACE: What about a gun?

HAGGARD: That wouldn`t be a good idea...

GRACE: Would it work?

HAGGARD: ... run a risk of shooting -- it would work, if you could shoot the lock in two without injuring yourself.

GRACE: Very quickly, Courtney Anderson, a few seconds left before we go to break. What kind of charges are these two looking at?

COURTNEY ANDERSON, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Well, for one, a multitude of charges. Certainly, if this is correct, the wife is going to be looking at murder. This is very serious. A law enforcement officer was killed in the line of duty. And if these two were Bonnie and Clyde -- I just want us all to remember how that ended, in a hail of gunfire. And although I do believe this is premeditated, they planned a lot of it, it`s also very stupid. I mean, for this to happen in front of witnesses, for him to kind of yell out, you know, Shoot him, she`s there, other people see her -- they`re not going to get away. They can run as far as they possibly can on foot or in stolen cars and vehicles, but it`s not going to work.

And I must say, this man is fascinating. This is the second time, I believe, that a woman, a romantic interest, has helped him to effectuate one of his escapes. So I don`t know what kind of Romeo or what kind of power he has over women...

GRACE: Tell it, Courtney!

(CROSSTALK)

GRACE: I don`t know when this guy`s got, but it worked on her. And she`s not the first one. And the kicker is, behind bars. She got fired for bringing the guy food!

ANDERSON: It`s absolutely incomprehensible if you`re a professional.

GRACE: You know what? I just I want to put all the defense attorneys at rest on the panel tonight. Tennessee does have the death penalty. When these two come back, they may have a choice between the electric char, Old Sparky, for shooting dead a cop, or the needle, lethal injection.

Very quickly, to "Trial Tracking." It`s day 73 since Natalee Holloway went missing in Aruba. No sign of the Alabama honor student. Aruban authorities say a local gardener could have info that could crack the case, but the gardener has vanished. His testimony could land the Kalpoe brothers behind bars with their buddy, the judge`s son, Joran Van Der Sloot. Natalee`s mother confronted a Kalpoe about his involvement in the case. She says he never once denied involvement. Plus, lawyers for Joran Van Der Sloot back in court today, protesting a judge`s decision to let the FBI take a look at the files on Natalee. Makes you wonder what Van Der Sloot`s trying to hide.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

QUESTION: What are you worried about, if your client has nothing to hide, about him being interrogated by authorities?

ANTONIO CARLOS, ATTORNEY FOR SUSPECT VAN DER SLOOT: Again, we have said what we have to say before the court, and we are not going to repeat our statements before the press.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GRACE: George and Jennifer Hyatte blast their way out of a Tennessee courthouse yesterday, taking the life of one veteran law enforcement officer.

Welcome back, everybody. I`m Nancy Grace. The search goes on tonight. The getaway van has been found in Erlanger, Kentucky. Very quickly, Lauren Curbow, what can you tell me about this guy`s history, his criminal history? What does he have under his belt?

CURBOW: Right, Nancy. He was already in jail for aggravated assault and aggravated robbery this time. We know that there are several counts of that in the past that he had either served time for, also escaping. There were several things, but currently, it was aggravated assault and aggravated robbery.

GRACE: And of course, the escape attempts, as well. With us, WNOX reporter Lauren Curbow. We`ll all be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

THOMAS ROBERTS, CNN HEADLINE NEWS ANCHOR: Hi, everybody, I`m Thomas Roberts. And this is your "Headline Prime Newsbreak."

Police say they are closing in on an escaped prisoner and his wife accused of killing a guard outside a Tennessee courthouse yesterday. Some 200 miles away, at a Kentucky motel, officials have found a van that George and Jennifer Hyatte used to escape, just within the last three hours. Police raided the motel, but it appears that the couple had left moments earlier.

U.S. Navy says a reported Al Qaeda video airing in Arab news network appears to show the I.D. card and weapon of a dead Navy SEAL. Petty Officer 2nd Class Danny Dietz was killed June 28th in Afghanistan.

Oil prices reached a new high of $65 a barrel today, spurred on in part by consumers` continuing thirst for fuel. Gas prices averaged $2.37 a gallon last week, a 49-percent increase over the last year. Now, at the same time, demand for fuel grew by 1.4 percent.

That is the news for now. Thanks so much for joining us. I`m Thomas Roberts, and we return you for more of NANCY GRACE.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARK GWYN, DIRECTOR, TENNESSEE BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION: Obviously, be aware that these two individuals are somewhere, we believe, close by. And if everyone would be vigilant, maybe we can bring an end to this sad chapter that`s happened up here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: Breaking news tonight. A modern-day Bonnie and Clyde who blasted their way out of a Tennessee courthouse yesterday made an escape in a gold Chevy Venture van. That van just discovered in the last couple of - - I would say, what, the last hour, Ellie?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

GRACE: ... in Erlanger, Kentucky.

Very quickly to Bob Franken. What would the route have been, Bob, from Kingston, Tennessee to Erlanger, Kentucky? Are they on interstates or back roads?

BOB FRANKEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the sheriff and I were just talking a moment ago. And we agreed, both of us familiar with this part of the country, that probably what they did is they went up I-40 and then up I-75.

GRACE: Holy moly...

FRANKEN: ... and then they just got off...

GRACE: ... right on the interstate.

FRANKEN: That`s right. And then they possibly just got off at the last exit before the Ohio border.

GRACE: You know what`s amazing to...

FRANKEN: Some of us have done that a few times.

GRACE: Yes, believe me, you don`t need to tell me anything about I- 75, OK? Been there.

But what`s so amazing to me, Sheriff, Bob is right. Right on the interstate -- I don`t understand, are we not using the overhead Amber Alert signs on the interstates to tell people about this Chevy van?

I mean, this is a 217-mile drive. They`ve been on the interstate, for Pete`s sake, in the van that was publicized yesterday, Sheriff.

SHERIFF DAVID HAGGARD, ROANE COUNTY SHERIFF: I was told TBI made a request to the Department of Transportation to publicize this information over the overhead signs. And as far as I know, that was done.

GRACE: OK, you`re taking a look at George and Jennifer Hyatte. They made their escape yesterday.

To Courtney Anderson, considering her background as a prison nurse, she would know very well the mode of transferring prisoners, don`t you think, Courtney?

COURTNEY ANDERSON, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Yes, I do think so. And certainly, obviously, this was planned. It`s not like she was just driving around and then she turns the corner and, "Oh, there`s my husband. And my goodness, he says shoot him. And oh, my goodness, I happen to have a weapon on me."

So certainly she did have that kind of information. Obviously, though, her judgment -- I mean, her judgment is appalling. And as a defense attorney, often we`re the ones who have to tell the client...

GRACE: Don`t you even say insanity. Don`t even go there.

ANDERSON: No, no, no, no, that`s totally not what I was going to say. What I was going to say, as a defense attorney, we`re the ones who usually have to sit down and look these people in the eye after they have made these decisions and done these things that are blatantly stupid. And say to them, "What were you thinking? What were you thinking?"

I just cannot understand. And I know that`s why I start off with clients and then try to move forward and see if we can develop a relationship where I could try to help them. But it`s just unbelievable that a professional jeopardizes her job, jeopardizes her career, allegedly does this crime, and now potentially puts her life in danger, if you`re looking at a capital offense.

And I assume, I guess, only for love, I guess the power of love.

GRACE: It`s all about love. It`s all about the love.

David Schwartz, the reality is, prosecutors very often, when they have a weak case on one co-defendant, a strong one on the other, they split them up and they get a wrap. Here, they don`t need her. They don`t need her testimony against her husband.

SCHWARTZ: No, no. They don`t. I mean, clearly, they`re both going to be prosecuted for this murder. I find this man fascinating in that -- you know, in addition to what Courtney said before, think about his...

GRACE: Fascinating? Fascinating?

SCHWARTZ: Fascinating.

GRACE: Like Beelzebub, are you kidding me, fascinating?

SCHWARTZ: Think about his power of manipulation. This man was able to manipulate the two women that we know about. How about the fact, in 2002, he was able to manipulate his fellow inmate who was only facing misdemeanor charges to actually plan an escape from that prison?

That fact I find mind boggling. I bet you Patricia Saunders would love to examine this human being.

GRACE: To Jennifer Johnson. She`s a PIO of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. Have family members been able to help at all, given you any information or leads?

JENNIFER JOHNSON, TENNESSEE BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION: You know, family members have actually been quite forthcoming with us. We`ve interviewed them from the very beginning, and you may have actually seen them on some broadcasts encouraging these people to come forward. You know, we can only wonder what they may be saying behind closed doors. But, to us, they`ve been very open.

GRACE: Jennifer, have they searched her home? That`s what I`m trying to find out tonight. Because this woman had everything so well-planned.

And I`ve had defendants like that before, Jennifer. They plan so much, they leave a track a mile-wide. I`m talking about to-do lists, banking transactions, things on their hard drive, maps with the red mark as to where they`re going to go.

I mean, you can get a ton of evidence from searching the computer records.

JOHNSON: I think anything and everything that you`ve mentioned is on the table. I mean, you know, I don`t want to get into specifics about what we`re doing, because whatever we`re doing that`s working might stop working.

But suffice to say that we have our arms around the situation, who they are, where they`ve been, who they`ve been into contact with, at least prior to this. We`ve interviewed those people. I don`t want to specifically confirm different places that we`ve searched. But I don`t believe we`ve left a stone unturned.

GRACE: Jennifer, does she have a criminal record? Did she have a criminal record?

JOHNSON: Did she? No, not to my knowledge.

GRACE: And when did these two marry? I assume it was a jailhouse wedding?

JOHNSON: It`s my understanding that they got married in 2004, actually after she was a nurse. From what I can gather yesterday, she was a nurse. She worked for a contract company that worked for the prison system.

They fired her, because they found out about some kind of inappropriate behavior between she and an inmate, him. And at some point past that, they got married. And I don`t know the timeframe between those two, but both were in 2004.

GRACE: To Bob Franken, CNN correspondent. Bob, Erlanger, Kentucky, Kingston, Tennessee, 217 miles apart. My question to you tonight: If these two have just left the econo-motel, what kind of a community is that, if they`re on foot? Has the community been alerted, for Pete`s sake?

FRANKEN: Well, sure, the community has been alerted. Authorities there are telling people, "Be on the lookout, but be very careful for the obvious reasons."

It is really suburban Cincinnati there. They could either be heading toward the airport, as I pointed out a moment ago. They could be trying to make their way into the big city of Cincinnati in a hope to get lost in the larger community and all that type of thing.

There are any number of possibilities. Authorities are quite confident that they`re going to be able to fairly soon thwart any of those possibilities, to quote somebody here. They`re getting closer.

GRACE: Well, Sheriff David Haggard, here`s the kicker. These two don`t think like the rest of us. So what we may think is the way to catch them may not even apply to them.

These are people that are not afraid to steal a car. They`re not afraid to gun somebody down. They`re not afraid to make a homemade shank and stab two correction officers.

So I would guess they`re not anywhere near an airport, Sheriff. When they made the getaway yesterday, Sheriff, was there any deviation from standard procedure? How did this happen?

HAGGARD: Are you talking about when the corrections officers come out of the courtroom, going down to the van?

GRACE: Yes.

HAGGARD: From what I understand, they were going strictly by their policies, procedures and guidelines. The prisoner was shackled properly. They were escorting the person out to put him back into the transportation van.

And unbeknownst to them, George Hyatte`s wife was in a car or SUV parked very close to the van. And she was primed and ready. She had the gun in hand, from what we were told.

GRACE: Do we know what kind of gun it was?

HAGGARD: It was a handgun. I believe it was some type of semiautomatic handgun. And the officers went easy range, and when the husband gave the order for her to fire, that`s what she did.

GRACE: Sheriff Haggard, I know that Wayne "Cotton" Morgan, 56 years old, was not wearing his vest. And, Sheriff, I don`t like it when I hear people trying to suggest that this is somehow his fault for not wearing a vest.

Sheriff, have you ever put one of those things on? And here it is, the middle of August. They are so hot. And I have had so many officers and witnesses, when they come to the courtroom. I tapped them on the chest and go, "You`re not wearing your vest." They say, "It`s so hot out there."

He didn`t have his vest on, did he?

HAGGARD: From what I was told, he did not have a vest on. And I can`t comment on what policy the Department of Corrections has on vests, if they`re issued or what their procedure is for their officers.

GRACE: Sheriff, did he take the shots to the chest?

HAGGARD: From what I`ve been told, he was shot, like, in the midsection, you know, between the chest and abdomen, in that area.

GRACE: Oh, no. You know what that means, Sheriff? That means he bled to death.

Quick break, everybody. These two on the lam, breaking news regarding them. The Chevy van they stole, belonging to one of her patients -- she was a nurse -- has been found in Erlanger, Kentucky, in the last two hours. These two still on the lam.

Very quickly to "Trial Tracking." Day 23 in the search for missing LaToyia Figueroa, just 24 years old. She`s five months pregnant and the mother of a 7-year-old girl. LaToyia`s ex-boyfriend, the last person to have seen her the day she vanished -- his name`s Steven Pochis (ph) -- has vigorously denied any involvement in the disappearance, but he has not been out searching for her. Police still have no suspects in the case.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SYLVESTER JOHNSON, POLICE COMMISSIONER: What we`re basically asking is the public to come forward if you have any information. You know, she`s missing. She`s a 25-year-old. But she`s also, I understand, five or six months pregnant. It`s very important that anyone who has that information to come forward and give it to the Philadelphia Police Department as soon as possible.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: Please, don`t forget LaToyia Figueroa. Call the Philadelphia police with info, 215-686-3183. $10,000 reward for information on her whereabouts, $90,000 for information leading to an arrest.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: LAPD investigators believe their prime suspect is Brian Joseph Cullen. They say he has a criminal record, but they have not released details. When this 2005 Mercedes was found in the driveway of his Woodland Hills home last week, detectives got a search warrant. They found blood there, as well as in a trash dumpster in Canoga Park.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: Welcome back, everybody. I`m Nancy Grace.

A 21-year-old Russian beauty, a model recently married here in America, body found in the pickup of her boyfriend. He is on the lam, a multimillionaire, Brian Joseph Cullen, age 58, also known as Mark Corbett.

Tonight, in L.A., Josh Kleinbaum is with us. He`s a reporter for the "Daily News" of Los Angeles. Here in New York, "Celebrity Justice" correspondent Jane Velez-Mitchell.

Josh, bring us up-to-date, friend.

JOSH KLEINBAUM, "DAILY NEWS," LOS ANGELES: Well, thanks, Nancy. The police and the U.S. Marshal Service are still on the lookout for -- they`re trying to find Brian Joseph Cullen. They believe he`s probably hiding out in Mexico. He has millions of dollars available to him. And it`s pretty easy to disappear in Mexico when you have that much money.

They believe that -- you know, Iryna Singerman was last seen on July 25th. The next day, a witness saw a man who they believe is Brian Cullen drop two bags of evidence in a dumpster. There was a blood soaked baseball bat, bloody towels, some financial documents with her name on it.

A surveillance video traced the car that the person drove back to Brian Cullen. And a week later, which is now a week ago, they found Iryna Singerman`s body in the bed of the pickup truck in a public storage facility.

GRACE: To Jane Velez-Mitchell with "Celebrity Justice," what is all this about her leading a double life?

JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL, "CELEBRITY JUSTICE": Well, this is a wild and tragic case, Nancy, that sounds like it`s something out of a movie. Unfortunately, it`s all too real.

As you can see, she was a beautiful young lady, an aspiring model who came here from the Ukraine about a year ago. She married a Los Angeles- area certified public accountant. Now, some reports indicate that she may have met this accountant, her husband, through an agency that links up Ukrainian women with American men.

But completely unbeknownst to her new husband, she, according to police, began this double life, an extensive affair with this man, Brian Cullen. It had gotten so involved that, apparently, the two were planning -- or in the process of buying a secret house together.

She even reportedly had another car that her husband knew nothing about until this case broke, a gold Mercedes-Benz. So this is really shocking to him. He is said to be shocked and devastated.

When she would disappear on the weekends, she, according to published reports, told him she was going on modeling assignments. She did have a portfolio, but apparently no real modeling jobs that we can find. She instead was reportedly going to her boyfriend`s house. That man, now suspected of murdering her, a man now on the lam, believed to have fled to Mexico.

GRACE: And of course, Courtney Anderson, this guy, Cullen, has a record of fraud, selling shares in phony oil and gas ventures. Do you think he has the resources to stay underground for a long time? We know he has millions.

ANDERSON: Well, then yes. Obviously, the answer is yes. The financial resources and probably also the wits, shall we say, since he`s an established person with the criminal record to evade the law for a certain amount of time. And again, I think this is another example -- this young woman, what was she thinking?

GRACE: What was she thinking? What was the husband thinking? Gosh, I mean, the police show up at his door and say, "The lady you married from the Ukraine, a, she`s dead, b, she`s got a 2005 gold Mercedes. Three, she`s buying a house with another guy."

You know, that`s quite a lot to digest.

ANDERSON: The way that people create these myriad of webs of lies in their lives, and it`s not unusual. I mean, we practice law. We certainly know that it`s not unusual, what people do behind closed doors and the kind of duplicity that they get involved in.

GRACE: Man, you`re not kidding.

And David Schwartz, here`s the kicker. This guy we know has a young boy, we think, either adopted from Mexico, or staying with him, a friend of the family of some sort. This guy has gone to Mexico. How hard is it going to be to get him extradited back?

SCHWARTZ: Well, it`s not going to be -- well, once they catch him in Mexico, the extradition process will be probably pretty easy, because...

GRACE: If we waive the death penalty. Mexico won`t extradite if somebody is seeking the death penalty.

SCHWARTZ: Well, I don`t know if -- well, I don`t think we`ll be seeking the death penalty in this case.

GRACE: Oh, why not? Why not? Because she had a double life? Because she`s not a good girl?

SCHWARTZ: Because of the aggravated...

(CROSSTALK)

SCHWARTZ: But let me get to the point here...

GRACE: She was beaten to death with a baseball bat. I think that`s aggravating. It`s aggravating me.

SCHWARTZ: That`s really -- OK, Nancy, that`s the point I`d like to make about this. Because when you break this case down, there`s a lot of juicy facts that we`re all talking about between the husband and everything else. But when you break this case down, it`s simple.

It`s a domestic homicide. And domestic homicide and domestic abuse is an epidemic in this country.

GRACE: Oh, OK, so...

SCHWARTZ: And we need to do something about it.

GRACE: If a woman is killed by boyfriend, lover, husband, it`s domestic, so it doesn`t qualify for the death penalty, according to defense attorney David Schwartz.

SCHWARTZ: I don`t think any homicide should qualify for the death penalty, because I`m against the death penalty.

GRACE: Well, you know what? I`m not here for a sermon on the death penalty.

But we`ve got to go to break. We`ll all be right back. You`ll have another say.

Very quickly, to tonight`s all-points bulletin. FBI and law enforcement across the country on the lookout for this man, Jorge Emanuel Torres Reyes. Reyes, an accomplice wanted in connection with the murder of Clint Jocobo (ph), just 20 years old, and for attempted murders in Carson City, Nevada, in 1999.

Reyes, 22, 5`7", 125 pounds, black hair, brown eyes. If you have any information on Jorge Emanuel Torres Reyes, call the FBI, 702-385-1281.

Local news next for some of you, but we`ll all be right back. And remember, live coverage of the amusement park murder trial, 3:00 to 5:00 Eastern, Court TV`s "Closing Arguments."

Please stay with us as we remember Marine Corporal Andre L. Williams, just 23 years old at the time of his death, an American hero.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Emanating from that truck was a strong odor. And we entered -- we opened the back truck bed and found a body.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: A 21-year-old model here in America from the Ukraine, body found in the pickup of her lover, husband distraught.

To Josh Kleinbaum with the "Daily News" of L.A., Josh, tell me, is he under an alias? Do you know what kind of vehicle he`s in most likely? And is he traveling with this young boy?

KLEINBAUM: Well, he`s used two different names, Brian Joseph Cullen and Mark Corbett. In fact, neighbors in his Woodland Hills neighborhood say that he told -- he introduced some of them -- himself to some of them as Mark and to some of them as Brian. So even to neighbors, he used two different names.

GRACE: There`s a guy you can trust.

KLEINBAUM: Exactly. He may be traveling with a 14-year-old boy. Police are not sure where the boy is at this point. There was a boy living with him.

GRACE: OK. Very quickly to Dr. Saunders. Do you think this was a plan, this murder was a plan or act of passion?

DR. PATRICIA SAUNDERS, CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST: It looks like it was impulsive. Baseball bat isn`t your basic murder weapon.

But what`s so tragically ironic is here this poor little beauty comes and is conning her American husband, and then she meets up with a great white shark, a predator way beyond her ability to deal with.

GRACE: Yes. And to Jane Velez-Mitchell with "Celebrity Justice," why do the police think he`s headed to Mexico?

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, he`s not Mexican. He`s Canadian. But reports are that Cullen is fluent in Spanish, once lived in Mexico, may have an Mexican ex-girlfriend who may be somehow connected to this 14-year-old boy. So he`s very comfortable there, can hide out there.

GRACE: And, Jane, what can you tell us, very quickly, about this girl, Iryna Singerman?

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, I`ve been listening to everybody. I think it`s very, very sad case. I mean, here is this girl, beautiful girl, born in the Ukraine, probably seduced by the lure of Hollywood and L.A.

She comes here, and who knows what this man, this predator, this alleged predator, may have said to her to seduce her into this double life? So many women like this all around the world want nothing more than to come to L.A.

GRACE: And I really resent people attacking the victim, because she had a boyfriend. You know, half the population would be in jail if that were a felony.

I want to thank all of my guests tonight. My biggest thank you though is to you for being with us, inviting all of us into your homes.

Coming up, headlines from all around the world, Larry on CNN. I`m Nancy Grace signing off for tonight. See you right here tomorrow night, 8:00 sharp Eastern, I hope. And until then, good night, friend.

END