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Nancy Grace
Nancy Grace for August 12, 2005, CNNHN
Aired August 12, 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 in the case of missing American girl, 18-year-old Natalee Holloway, who disappeared the last night of her high school senior trip. The state`s key witness, who blows the alibis of three chief suspects to bits, has been located.
And tonight, the modern-day Bonnie and Clyde team that blasted their way out of a Tennessee courthouse in a deadly jailbreak are putting up another fight, this time in an Ohio courtroom.
And tonight, a murder charge handed down in the case of gorgeous 24- year-old missing girl out of South Carolina.
Good evening, everybody. I`m Nancy Grace, and I want to thank you for being with us tonight. Tonight, Jennifer and George Hyatte, the husband- and-wife team wanted in the deadly Tennessee courthouse shootout maneuvers to stay together in Ohio, where they were captured.
And a South Carolina woman, 24-year-old Tamika Huston, missing more than a year, tonight a murder charge in connection with her disappearance.
But first tonight, live to Aruba for breaking news in the Natalee Holloway disappearance. It is day 75 -- 75. State`s chief witness, a gardener, has been located. This is the man whose testimony cracks the case wide open and could land the Kalpoe brothers back behind bars with their buddy, judge`s son Joran Van Der Sloot.
With us tonight in Aruba, Natalee`s mother, Beth Holloway Twitty, Jossy Mansur, the managing director and editor of "Diario" newspaper. In Atlanta, defense attorney Renee Rockwell, defense attorney Penny Douglas Furr. In New York, forensic psychologist Dr. Michael Nuccitelli, and "A Current Affair" correspondent Harris Faulkner.
Right now to Harris Faulkner. Harris, bring us up to date, friend.
HARRIS FAULKNER, "A CURRENT AFFAIR": Well, we`re talking about the gardener who we`ve been waiting to hear this testimony on the record about what he saw the night Natalee Holloway disappeared. And we learned recently that he had fled Aruba and gone back to his homeland in Colombia. So all hopes might have been dashed. But Nancy, now that they have tracked him down, we`re going to look to see him give testimony on the record, hopefully, by as soon as on Monday. So that`s the big news tonight.
GRACE: I want to go to Jossy Mansur. He is the person who first located this gardener. Well, the news came to Jossy Mansur, and he took it straight to police. Jossy Mansur, he is the managing director and editor of "Diario" newspaper there in Aruba. How can the guy not know that all over the world, we`re looking for him? Where was he, in a cave?
JOSSY MANSUR, MANAGING EDITOR, "DIARIO": I don`t know, but he was keeping out of sight until police located him, I understand, today at some time.
GRACE: I want to go back to Harris Faulkner with "A Current Affair." Harris, tell me what happens now. Now that the gardener has been located, what`s next? When will he come to court?
FAULKNER: Well, you know, it`s important, Nancy, first of all, for him to just tie the ribbon on this one. He`s got to get on the record and go to court. We`re hoping to see that early next week. What they were wanting and what the head prosecutor on the island of Aruba was hoping for was that he was going to come into court yesterday, on Thursday. Hopefully, that`ll happen early next week.
But in the meantime, just to get statement on record is important because what he says on the night that Natalee Holloway disappeared puts Joran Van Der Sloot and the Kalpoe brothers at the scene at 2:30 in the morning. Why is that important? Because that`s the time that Van Der Sloot says he was back home with his parents. If, in fact, he was at the beach with these two other guys and Natalee was with them, that blows their story out of the water. So we just first have to see it on record.
GRACE: Man, you`re not kidding! Let`s go to Natalee`s mother. I understand we`ve now got you hooked up. Beth Holloway Twitty is with us. Hi, Beth. What do you make...
BETH HOLLOWAY TWITTY, NATALEE`S MOTHER: Hi, Nancy.
GRACE: Welcome back, Beth. What do you make of the new news that the gardener has been found?
BETH HOLLOWAY TWITTY: Well, you know, Nancy, I mean, that`s huge news. And I`ve known as early as probably July the 10th that that beach trip was falling all apart. I mean, holes have been made in that -- you know, that last scenario where Deepak and Satish say they last left and saw Natalee and Joran. I mean, holes have been made in that since as early as July the 10th -- even earlier than that, since July the 1st, right before Deepak and Satish Kalpoe were released.
GRACE: Well, you know, another thing -- well, Beth, you told us day one that everybody`s lying. They`re all lying. Let`s talk about Paulus Van Der Sloot for a moment, the judge, Joran Van Der Sloot`s father. I understand that his story is changing, too. First he said he picked them all up at one time, now he`s changed the time. That`s very significant.
BETH HOLLOWAY TWITTY: Oh -- oh, it`s a very critical detail. And the night that we arrived on the island -- you know, Jug does not misinterpret a 4:00 AM time pickup to 11:00 PM. I mean, Paulus Van Der Sloot stated that he picked them up at 4:00 AM on May the 30th. Then -- we don`t know who they were, but then even as far as June 16 and June 17, Mr. Van Der Sloot was still stating this 4:00 AM pickup. Only until around -- maybe it was when he was picked up or arrested did he change it to 11:00 PM that I had knowledge of. So there`s another critical element that has been -- that he`s lied about.
GRACE: Well, you know -- with us is Natalee`s mom, Beth Holloway Twitty -- that is a huge time discrepancy. That`s seven hours, 4:00 to 11:00. Long story short, when you have a judge changing his story on behalf of his son -- oh, there he goes! This is how I know him best, Beth. I don`t know if you can the monitor or not, but that`s the judge`s backside. When a CNN correspondent was trying to get him to answer a question, he took off running.
You know, seven hours is a big discrepancy, Beth Twitty. Another issue is why is the father, the judge, having to pick them up anyway? They had a car.
BETH HOLLOWAY TWITTY: Well, I mean, that`s a good question. And really, I want to make sure I get it straight, Nancy. Paulus Van Der Sloot was state -- had changed his time to 11:00 PM on the 29th. Originally, he had stated he picked them up at 4:00 AM on the 30th.
GRACE: Gotcha.
BETH HOLLOWAY TWITTY: He went from 4:00 AM on the 30th back to that, to 11:00 PM on the 29th.
GRACE: Whoa! That`s a huge time discrepancy!
BETH HOLLOWAY TWITTY: Yes. I don`t think we could have mixed up 4:00 AM and 11:00 PM.
GRACE: No, I don`t think so, either. Beth, I don`t know if you`ve ever had to pick your daughter -- my parents never had to pick me up at 4:00 AM anywhere. But I think that they would remember it very well if they were out driving around trying to pick me up, as a 19-year-old.
Very quickly, to Renee Rockwell, veteran trial lawyer. You know, Renee, it struck everyone as odd that the gardener disappeared. But Renee, let`s get real. How many times have you, I and Penny -- you as a defense lawyer, me as a prosecutor -- been on the phone or even out driving around at 3:00 or 4:00 o`clock in the morning, trying to find a witness? It`s amazing! When court time comes, people suddenly start disappearing. It`s not that unusual.
RENEE ROCKWELL, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: It seems like there may be some foul play if he accidentally went out of the country. I understand that he went to Colombia to visit his family. And I also think that he might be illegal in Aruba. But Nancy, remember, the government has, what, 22 more days to put something together or he`s out of there. They have to release Van Der Sloot.
GRACE: Very quickly, back to Jossy Mansur, the managing director of "Diario" newspaper. What`s the latest on the searches of the landfill and for this alleged missing shoe belonging to Joran Van Der Sloot?
MANSUR: You know, the landfill, they had an unfortunate accident there. I don`t know how it happened, but there was a fire there that interfered with the searches. It was going on as a small fire, but it handicapped it, impeded searching the way they used to search (INAUDIBLE). They`re waiting until Monday to continue the search.
There`s another group here, I understand, from Florida. They have got two very excellent dogs, and they have been searching since last night. They`ve been searching over at a place very near the lighthouse, behind (ph) the lighthouse and...
GRACE: You know -- hold on just a moment, Jossy. I`m having a hard time hearing you. I think it`s your microphone. Let me go to Beth. Beth, you`re right there with Jossy. Tell us what he said?
BETH HOLLOWAY TWITTY: Oh, just recap what Jossy was saying?
GRACE: Yes.
BETH HOLLOWAY TWITTY: He was describing the search team that was out of Florida, and he felt like that they were doing a great job. They`ve been working since -- I guess as early -- they began, I guess, last night. And I really don`t have too many details about that, not like -- not quite as well as what Mr. Mansur would have.
GRACE: Take a listen to this, guys.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAVE HOLLOWAY, NATALEE`S FATHER: ... directly with Paul Van Der Sloot. And you know, I don`t know whether I believe everything he said, but I did believe one thing, and that was that he would do everything he could to protect his son. And you know these daily visits that he has, you know, you know, as well as I do, he`s going to be in there coaching and pumping his son, you know, just to keep on, keep on, and you`ll eventually get out. Unless they isolate him and not allow him to have any visits with his parents, I just don`t think we`re going to get much more out of him.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRACE: I want to go to forensic psychologist Dr. Michael Nuccitelli. Dr. Nuccitelli, if the gardener comes in, as we predict he will, and gives a sworn statement, it blows the whole alibi straight out of the water!
MICHAEL NUCCITELLI, FORENSIC PSYCHOLOGIST: Of course it does. I mean, here now you have an eyewitness. I mean, that is the one thing that we haven`t had from the beginning. You know, just thinking about the case and looking at Ms. Holloway Twitty, I -- one of the questions I`d like to ask her, just watching her there in Aruba -- how is she dealing with the frustration on a daily basis of all the inconsistency in working with the authorities? it`s just amazing. I just can`t understand why this continues.
GRACE: Beth, could you hear that?
BETH HOLLOWAY TWITTY: Oh -- Oh, I could hear him. And, you know, it`s the incredible amount of support that we`re getting not only from everyone in the United States, but I mean, I`m sitting here next to a man, Jossy Mansur, who is just absolutely a hero to my -- in my eyes and to everyone watching. So I mean, it`s people like this that we can get through this.
GRACE: Well, rumors are flying. Reports are flying, everything from the search of the landfill to a white pick-up truck to a missing shoe. That is not at all uncommon in investigations where someone goes missing.
Penny Douglas Furr, they can`t afford to overlook a single clue, such as a missing shoe. I know it sounds simple. But what do you make of the gardener`s re-emergence? Penny, do you think that will make Joran Van Der Sloot crack and tell the truth, now that he knows the gardener has been found?
PENNY DOUGLAS FURR, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Nancy, I don`t think anything will make him crack. I`m just -- I want to know how you could go for an innocent walk on the beach and you lose your belt and your shoe. I would be very anxious to hear his excuse for that because if you lose your shoe, you pick up your shoe. So how would he come home with one shoe? Something`s not right about that.
GRACE: Take a listen to this, Penny.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAVE HOLLOWAY: We`ve heard a lot of different rumors. I mean, when we got on the island, you know, we had a lot of information that, you know, she was here or there or whatever. And all those turned out to be false. But you know, we still hold onto the thread that maybe she`s off somewhere. That`s my hope. But the police investigation has always come back and indicated that they`re looking into this as a murder case. But as a father and parent, you still hold onto a possible miracle.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRACE: To "Current Affairs" Harris Faulkner. Harris, penny just mentioned a belt. Fill us in.
FAULKNER: Yes, no, that belt was found near the lighthouse. And of course, we had heard in the first go-around of all the stories from these three suspects originally -- I should say Joran Van Der Sloot and then subsequently, the Kalpoe brothers -- that they were at one point near the lighthouse. That story has since changed.
But you know, what I think is interesting, too, when you talk about getting Joran Van Der Sloot to talk -- I know the latest on the story today is talk about trying a new strategy on him. And I can tell you from sources that "A Current Affair" has inside the police department, they`ve tried just about everything they can to get this kid to talk, Nancy. In fact, I had one cop tell me down on the island when I was there, Harris, he`s either psychotic or he actually believes what he`s saying.
So I`d like to know what this new strategy is. They haven`t talked about it in specifics today. That`ll be the next thing that we`ll watch for early next week.
GRACE: Renee, we`ve seen this happen in court, all three of us, where a defendant or a suspect tells a story over and over and over. They make up a story, and then they start getting mad at you when you won`t believe the story! It`s almost as if they begin to believe it themselves.
ROCKWELL: Well, as a defense attorney, my only advice to him would be to stop talking. Somebody needs to put a muzzle on this child. He`s told too many stories. Don`t forget, Nancy, we still don`t know that this is a homicide. We don`t have a body. We don`t know that she`s not in another country, God forbid. But all these stories are going to be what the government`s going to use to build some type of a case because it is obviously going to be circumstantial. Don`t forget, when he gets out...
GRACE: Oh, you know -- wait. Just drop that right there, the obviously circumstantial -- come on! A lot of murder cases -- a lot of murder cases -- are nothing but circumstantial. Don`t say circumstantial evidence, like it`s a dirty word!
Hold on. I`ve got a surprise for you. Even after the Alabama legislature called for a boycott on travel to Aruba, catch this -- 535,000 American tourists annually to Aruba, 74 percent of all Aruba tourists are American. Nearly half a billion -- B as in brother -- billion dollars spent by Americans annually in Aruba!
You know, it`s amazing to me, Beth, that -- what Elizabeth (ph)? The boy -- yes, that is true. The boycott was canceled after the Alabama legislature called for it because Jug Twitty, Beth`s husband, asked them not to do that. The family, America, Natalee Holloway, needs the cooperation of the Aruban government.
It`s amazing to me, Beth, that, apparently, the focus on the search for Natalee has only increased tourism. Beth?
BETH HOLLOWAY TWITTY: Well, I think it`s brought a lot of people here to the island that -- you know, a lot of people -- they only -- they want to help. And you know, if anything, it`s probably created an awareness of where Aruba is and certainly has not affected tourism, to my knowledge, so...
GRACE: Well, I`m happy to say that I am not going to Aruba. I`m going for Florida when I go on my vacation, right down on the panhandle.
Everybody, we`ll all be right back. We are live in Aruba. Joining us tonight, Natalee Holloway`s mother, Beth Twitty. Stay with us.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE "JUG" TWITTY, NATALEE`S STEPFATHER: I think the world knows that all of them know more than they`re saying, and that`s why this case is where it is today. Everybody is concerned that, you know, why are they not getting the answers? Those boys have the answers. You know, they know what they did with Natalee.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BETH HOLLOWAY TWITTY: We`re just -- just desperate for answers. I feel as if -- you know, we have this reward money and -- you know, ready to be utilized, the $250,000 for her whereabouts, $1 million for her safe return. I can just only hope that -- I`m trying to reach everyone, and I felt Deepak would be a great person for me to make contact with.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRACE: One million dollar reward for Natalee`s safe return, $250,000 reward for information on her whereabouts. Tipline, toll-free, 877-628- 2533.
Welcome back, everybody. Joining us from Aruba, Natalee`s mother, Beth Holloway Twitty. Also with us, the managing director of "Diario" newspaper Jossy Mansur. Jossy, let me ask you -- let me see if we`ve got your mike fixed now. Jossy, you printed a statement that you say came from Joran Van Der Sloot in your newspaper. What did the statement say?
MANSUR: Well, you know, it`s a statement that`s been around for quite some time. It`s the same statement where Joran thinks that the Deepak raped and murdered this girl on the beach. I mean, this has been around, but we put it in today because Deepak`s lawyer had some questions about it in some other papers, and we had to answer him and put it in front of his face so he could see very clearly that it is a legitimate police document.
GRACE: You know, Renee, I see that as a huge tactical error on the side of the defense. You know what Oscar Wilde said? Be careful what you ask, for you will surely get it. The defense lawyer came on the air and said this statement didn`t exist, tried to couch it in a different way. So what did Jossy Mansur do? Printed the darn thing in the newspaper. And it is exactly as he told us. The Kalpoe brother said -- excuse me -- Joran Van Der Sloot said Deepak Kalpoe raped and murdered Natalee Holloway. So now, there goes the jury pool. The whole island has read it in "Diario."
ROCKWELL: But Nancy, that does not a murder/rape make. You`ll agree with me. And don`t forget, in Aruba, they don`t have deals where you can give a lighter sentence to one of the three co-defendants. Let`s just say, for example, all three get arrested for this crime. They don`t have situations where you`re lenient on one if he testified against the other two.
GRACE: That`s right. That`s right. It`s my understanding, Jossy Mansur, that you can`t cut a deal with one defendant in order to get them to give truthful testimony on a co-defendant. Is that correct, Jossy?
MANSUR: That is correct. You can`t make deals whatsoever here. I think that the Dutch justice system doesn`t allow that, allow making deals, plea bargaining and all of that. We don`t know of that in our laws.
GRACE: And to Beth -- Beth Twitty actually confronted a Kalpoe brother in the Internet cafe. I think we have video of that, Elizabeth, if we can pull that up. Great. Beth Twitty, when you hear about the three of them splitting up their stories, starting to turn on each other, in my mind, that will be the key to solving the mystery of Natalee`s disappearance, within these three young men.
BETH HOLLOWAY TWITTY: Oh, absolutely. And you know, Nancy, the first time that I began to realize there was a possibility that Natalee may not be alive was on June 10. And I think that`s when the boys began, as they called, the finger-pointing. And you know, that`s -- that`s a sure sign that they all have been involved in this, to me, you know? And that`s just my -- of course, that`s my opinion. But certainly, it`s not good, and it`s certainly showing that all three had involvement. If they`re pointing the finger at each other, then they all know about it.
GRACE: And you know, though, Beth, you were saying that at the get- go, when you were telling us before it became public about how they were changing their story, and now even the father, the judge, Paulus Van Der Sloot, changing his story, changing the timeline. Right then, that`s a tip-off that they are lying. And why lie if there is nothing to lie about?
With us tonight is Natalee`s mother, Beth Twitty. Also with us, the managing director of "Diario" newspaper there in Aruba, Harris Faulkner with "A Current Affair." We were just showing you video that was obtained through NBC, when Beth Twitty actually went and confronted one of the Kalpoe brothers in the Internet cafe.
Everybody, we are taking a quick break. All right, Elizabeth, you want to put up the "Trial Tracking" so we can tell the viewers about a murder mystery on the high seas. It begins to thicken. Twenty-six-year- old George Smith vanished from his honeymoon cruise off the coast of Turkey. Blood covered the ship`s balcony, but for 39 days, no sign of this newlywed. Now reports that Smith was bragging about up to $50,000 stashed in his stateroom.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KEVIN O`CONNOR, U.S. ATTORNEY: This is not going to be an easy investigation. You`ve got, essentially, a moving crime scene, if you will. You`ve got a passenger ship of people from all over the world who have dispersed, and it`s going to take some time to piece together, I think, exactly what happened that night.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GRACE: One million dollar reward for Natalee`s safe return, $250,000 for info on her whereabouts.
Very quickly, to Harris Faulkner. Harris, what can you tell us about a new search team on the island?
FAULKNER: Well, these guys are impressive. Fred Golba (ph) and Jim Knox (ph) are best known for their searches at the World Trade Center. In fact, they helped locate 44 bodies there. They`re on the island. They`re there with two of their very best search dogs. And Nancy, what they`re hoping is to search at night many of the areas near the Marriott, the lighthouse, some of the areas where we know -- at least, it`s been talked about where Natalee Holloway was. This in a direct response from Natalee Holloway`s uncle.
GRACE: We`ll all be right back. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
THOMAS ROBERTS, CNN HEADLINE NEWS ANCHOR: Hi, everybody. I`m Thomas Roberts. And this is your "Headline Prime Newsbreak."
Convoy attacks on U.S. soldiers have doubled in the past year. One U.S. general says convoys carrying fuel, food and supplies face about 30 attacks a week, often involving improvised explosive devices. And today, a U.S. soldier assigned to Task Force Liberty was killed in a roadside attack when a bomb exploded near Tikrit.
Tropical storm Irene continues to gain strength and forecasters say it could become a hurricane tonight. Irene now has maximum winds of about 65 miles per hour. That`s just short of hurricane status. The storm could hit the east coast anywhere from North Carolina to Massachusetts.
Three people were injured today when a large tree limb collapsed into the crowd at a PGA championship in Springfield, New Jersey. The spectators had gathered at the fourth hole to watch Tiger Woods.
They`re not your ordinary big-wave surfers. Take a look. But they`re not bad, for mice. These pint-sized Australian dynamos reportedly practiced in the bathtub to prepare. Their coach says it`s been his dream since childhood to teach mice to do water sports. Congratulations.
That`s the news for now. I`m Thomas Roberts. Back to NANCY GRACE.
GRACE: Welcome back, everybody. I`m Nancy Grace.
We are live in Aruba. And the mystery of a missing 18-year-old American girl, not only an honor student but a beauty on the inside and outside, Natalee Holloway.
Let me go straight back down to Aruba and Jossy Mansur, the managing director and editor of "Diario" newspaper.
Jossy, I understand they`re now going to start new techniques in interrogating Joran Van Der Sloot, the state`s chief suspect. What new technique would that be, Jossy?
JOSSY MANSUR, EDITOR, "DIARIO": You know, I have no idea. I heard about it today. I can`t even imagine what it could be.
GRACE: Harris Faulkner with "A Current Affair," have you heard what the new technique is?
HARRIS FAULKNER, "A CURRENT AFFAIR" CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, one thing that I have heard all along from sources in the FBI, Nancy, is that they have gotten some suggestions and help from our American interrogators, the people who are the very best at doing this.
So I know that they`ve already been employing some of those techniques. But, you know, I have read just recently that they were going to allow Joran Van Der Sloot to forego questioning this weekend and allow his parents to visit with him.
I don`t know. Maybe it`s a thing with good cop, bad cop at this point. But what we know for sure is they`ve got to get on the stick. That early September date is facing them now as hard as ever. That is hard date, because he will have been held for 60 days in this final round of detention before they have to decide, can they hold him longer?
They`ll have to charge him. And they need some evidence. They need something strong in this case. I can tell you this, though. From talking with the deputy police chief, Gerald Dompig, just recently, I said to him, "If and when you get this gardener`s statement finally, wherever he is, Colombia, if he comes back to Aruba, wherever you get his statement, when you get it on record, are you going to re-arrest the Kalpoe brothers?"
Deputy police chief said to me, "Harris, it`s going to be very difficult for me to keep those boys out of jail, but I won`t give you a date."
GRACE: Beth, do you think Joran -- you know so much more than we do. Do you think Joran Van Der Sloot will walk September 4?
BETH HOLLOWAY TWITTY, MOTHER OF NATALEE HOLLOWAY: Oh, Nancy, I can`t even go there in thought. I just can`t. I can`t do it. And I`m just not going to right now.
GRACE: You know what? Yes, we`ll cross that bridge when we get there.
Beth, Jossy, thank you, friends. We are switching gears everyone.
Let`s go to Nashville, Tennessee. Standing by, Jennifer Johnson of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. Also joining us, WNOX radio reporter Christine Jessel. We`re talking about the husband and wife team that blasted their way out of a Tennessee courthouse, claiming the life of a corrections officer.
He was only 56 years old, Randy "Cotton" Ingraham (sic), leaving behind two children and a wife. His funeral has just been completed. He got military honors. This guy is a Vietnam vet that brought home a Purple Heart. He died in the line of duty.
Elizabeth, do you have that video of George Hyatte in court today complaining that his handcuffs were too tight? After Ingraham -- oh, here we go. Here we go. Do we have sound on that, Elizabeth? It is so inconvenient when you have to go home and face murder charges. I saw that look.
You know what, Christine Jessel? We can`t hear what he`s saying right now, but I`ll play it for you in a moment.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I indicated to the court what my preference is. If the court wants to allow me a couple of minutes to have him doing something that is over the advice of counsel, then that`s fine.
GEORGE HYATTE, TENNESSEE PRISON ESCAPEE: I`m not going through this every day. I can`t feel my hands. I ain`t going to get a governor`s warrant anyway. (INAUDIBLE) sign my extradition.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Charged with first-degree murder for a crime (INAUDIBLE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRACE: Now, here`s Bonnie. Oh, excuse me. Not Bonnie of Bonnie and Clyde. This is Jennifer Hyatte. She`s the one that pulled the trigger and gunned down the officer to spring her husband. They`re in court today. This happened today.
They`re being extradited back to Tennessee. They chose to fight extradition.
You know, Christine Jessel, it`s amazing to me that George Hyatte actually got in court and complained about his shackles being too tight after he and his wife allegedly gunned down a corrections officer. Christine, what happened in court today?
CHRISTINE JESSEL, WNOX-FM RADIO: Well, in court today, you saw basically what you just saw. Both of them appeared. And you saw Jennifer showing really no emotion. You saw George, of course, as you said, seeming to act a little bit strange, I think would be best way to put that.
But the real story here is that officer. Wayne "Cotton" Morgan left behind a family who loves him, a community who loves him. And I think it`s hard to look beyond that and say that`s been taken away from this community.
GRACE: And not only that, this guy was not just a veteran law enforcement officer with over 20 years in service. Wayne "Cotton" Morgan leaves behind two children, a wife. And I learned just recently he served our country in Vietnam, which was pure hell, Vietnam vet with a Purple Heart.
JESSEL: Yes. And family members tell me he almost died in Vietnam. And at this point, it`s -- they say it`s a shame that this is what happened and this is how his life ended. But they`re telling me that they`re praying for him.
They`re also telling me that they believe that some good will come of this and they believe that there`s a plan in the end.
GRACE: That poor family. Christine, take a listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (OFF-MIKE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (OFF-MIKE)
GEORGE HYATTE, TENNESSEE PRISON ESCAPEE: I don`t want to. I don`t want to. Whatever.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He does not want to.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRACE: Let`s go to Jennifer Johnson, the PIO of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. Jennifer, these two, surprise, surprise, are fighting extradition. That`ll buy them anywhere from 30 to 90 days before they get back to Tennessee.
When do you expect them back? And what will happen then?
JENNIFER JOHNSON, TENNESSEE BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION: Well, there`s a lot of things that have to take place between now and then. Unfortunately, it really complicates matters.
It would have been much easier had they just waived extradition, as they indicated originally they were going to. Now, it will be up to the governor. He`ll make a request of the Ohio governor, and they`ll be sent back.
But, again, it`s not as simple as him sending a letter out there. It`s going to take a while.
GRACE: And very quickly, Renee, you, Penny, and I have all handled extradition matters. They`re actually not that complicated. The letter from one governor to the other is a form. It`s a form. It gets stamped and sent off. Tell me what happens very quickly, Renee, in an extradition hearing?
RENEE ROCKWELL, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: In an extradition hearing, what the judge will do is ask the defendant, "Are you going to waive extradition?" If the defendant says, "Yes, I want to waive," the demanding state, which would be Tennessee in this case, would have 15 days, 15 business days, to come and get these individuals.
In this case, you`ve got two people facing the death penalty. They want any kind of delay they can get. So what did they do? They`re fighting their extradition.
The governor of Tennessee has to send a warrant to the governor of Ohio. This takes a long time. Once the governor of Ohio gets the warrant, it has to be approved. They have to make sure that everything is correct. They have to make sure that these are the two people that they want.
GRACE: Renee, Renee, Renee, it`s one piece of paper. You`ve seen an extradition form. It`s one piece of paper. And all they have to do is confirm that these two are, in fact, George and Jennifer Hyatte wanted in Tennessee. They do that through a fingerprint. They`ve got to make sure that the charge is, in fact, a crime in Tennessee, that being murder, and that the governor wants them.
There are three short questions that should take five minutes. But because these two have fought it, now it`s going to be dragged out.
Hold on. Hold on. Important question to Christine Jessel. Christine -- Elizabeth, can you show me a picture of Jennifer Hyatte?
Where did that hair come from? Last I saw her, she was all "Charlie`s Angels," with the long blonde hair. What, did she do this overnight in the EconoLodge?
JESSEL: No, we actually heard -- the TBI told us and investigators told us that Jennifer may have cut her hair and may have dyed her hair. They knew this as early as, I believe, Wednesday, maybe even Tuesday, that she may have changed her appearance drastically. And that`s what you are seeing right now.
GRACE: When I saw her come in court, I thought we had the wrong person. So I couldn`t hear you, did you tell me she did that to her hair?
JESSEL: That`s what we understand. Investigators, again, told us that she probably would have changed her appearance, that she probably would have dyed her hair. And, in fact, that is what we`re seeing.
GRACE: We`ll all be right back.
Very quickly to "Trial Tracking." Arizona police on a desperate hunt for a man they call the "AM Rapist." Arizona police called the man a person of extreme interest, reporting the "AM Rapist" targets women who live alone. He enters their homes between the hours of 12:00 and 5:00 a.m. through unlocked doors and windows.
Please, help apprehend the Arizona "AM Rapist." At least 11 women have already been brutally attacked. If you have any information on the "AM Rapist," call the police hotline, 602-534-3041. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE HYATTE, TENNESSEE PRISON ESCAPEE: I`m not going through this every day. Feel my hands. They ain`t going to get a governor`s warrant anyway. I (INAUDIBLE) sign my extradition.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRACE: Welcome back, everybody. I`m Nancy Grace. Thank you for being with us.
Very quickly to Jennifer Johnson. She`s a PIO for the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. We`re talking about a husband and wife team that blasted their way out of a Tennessee courthouse.
He was looking at nine years before he was up for parole on burglary. This is his third escape -- that`s right -- from Tennessee jails. To Jennifer, do you know what charges he`s going to face? Have they announced whether the death penalty will be sought?
JOHNSON: Well, that`s a matter that will be up to the D.A. He`s charged with first-degree murder. Certainly, the death penalty is within reason. But the district attorney will make that decision.
GRACE: Jennifer, have they made any statements to investigators yet?
JOHNSON: We talked to them as soon as they were captured. We had two agents who hopped on a plane, went to Ohio. We`ve talked to them. And that`s about all I can really say about it.
GRACE: And last, to Christine Jessel, Christine, I interviewed the cab driver yesterday that helped police locate these two holed up in a motel. Is he getting a reward? He should.
JESSEL: You know, we don`t know at this point. That`s something that they`ll have to work out amongst themselves.
GRACE: I love this guy. He`s was sitting there playing videos, and he gets a call. Someone says, "Hey, dude. I think you gave a ride to Bonnie and Clyde." And he leads police to these two that were hiding out in a hotel having munchies and Diet Cokes.
Thanks, everybody. Very quickly, I want to switch gears and bring you up to date on a case we`ve been following here.
Tonight, on the phone from Spartanburg, South Carolina, Bob Dalton, capital bureau chief of the "Spartanburg Herald-Journal." What can you tell me, sir, about Tamika Huston?
BOB DALTON, CAPITAL BUREAU CHIEF, "SPARTANBURG HERALD-JOURNAL": Well, I just got off the telephone with Solicitor Trey Gowdy who said that he on his way to a crime scene and that a body has been recovered.
GRACE: Oh, man.
DALTON: We don`t know yet for certain that it is Tamika Huston, but they arrested a gentleman earlier in the day and charged him with her murder.
GRACE: You know what? Bob, I`m glad you`re bringing me up-to-date, but I just hate it so much. We have talked to her family. She`s been missing for a year now, about a year. Just a beautiful girl.
Tell me, who is this alleged perpetrator?
DALTON: His name is Christopher Lemont Hampton. He`s from Spartanburg. And Tamika used to date him. He is currently in prison, serving time for a probation violation.
GRACE: Do we have any idea regarding motive?
DALTON: Not at all. The Spartanburg police held a news conference earlier today to say that they had recovered some forensic evidence that led them to make this arrest. They declined to say exactly what that evidence was, but sources tell us that they found Tamika`s blood in some of his personal belongings.
GRACE: Well, Penny Douglass Furr, defense attorney, I know that -- it was my understanding that some of her blood was found at his place. She had keys in her car that matched his place. But they could never tie it together.
Penny, it`s been over a year since Tamika disappeared. The oldest case I ever put together was 14 years old. But even a year makes it difficult to put together a case, Penny.
PENNY DOUGLASS FURR, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: I think it makes it very difficult, Nancy. They probably got a statement from him or someone near him to find the forensic evidence. I`d be interested to find out how they found this forensic evidence.
But they must have found blood or something that led back to him, because just her blood in his apartment, if it`s a tiny bit of blood, would not be that big of deal, because she could have cut her finger there.
GRACE: Well, hold on. Got a little tidbit for you, following up on that, Renee. This guy goes out and rents a steam cleaner, all right? When you see a man who suddenly dedicates himself to cleaning the carpet with a steam cleaner, I say go ahead and line up the grand jury, Renee.
ROCKWELL: You`re not going to see too many men steam cleaning, but that cannot take the molecular particles of blood out of the carpet, and it just takes that much.
GRACE: And, you know, in the David Westerfield case, the guy that was convicted of the death of 5-year-old Danielle van Dam, he took his jacket to the dry cleaners. And they didn`t get the little girl`s blood out.
Very quickly, back to Bob. Bob, you`re telling me that, right now, they think they`re uncovering the body, as we speak?
DALTON: Yes. They are at a crime scene right now.
GRACE: How did they find out about the location of the burial?
DALTON: They have been questioning the suspect this afternoon. I would imagine that he has led them to it.
GRACE: Do we know if the family -- I understand the family is flying there right now, Bob. Is that true?
DALTON: I`m sorry?
GRACE: I understand the family, Tamika`s family, is flying there right now, now that they think they`ve found the body?
DALTON: Many of her family members were at the news coverage this afternoon when the arrest was made.
GRACE: Yes, I was referring to her aunt, Rebecca.
Could you tell me one last thing very quickly, Bob? Her blood was in his apartment. Do we know where else her blood was?
DALTON: That we don`t know. The sources that we talked to just said it was found in some personal belongings of his.
GRACE: Yes.
You`re seeing shots of Tamika Huston. There`s been a search for her for a year. And tonight, the sad news. We believe her body has been found.
Very quickly, to tonight`s "All-Points Bulletin." FBI and law enforcement across the country on the lookout for this man, Leobardo Garcia-Cazares, wanted in connection with a `91 hit-and-run in Oregon, resulting in the death of a 75-year-old passenger.
Cazares allegedly drinking at the time, 36, 5`10", black hair, brown eyes. If you have any info, call 503-224-4181.
Local news next for some of you, but we`ll all be right back. And remember, Monday, live coverage of an obsessed lover murder trial, 3:00 to 5:00 Eastern on Court TV`s "Closing Arguments."
Please stay with us as we remember Specialist Kurt Krout, 43, an American hero.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GRACE: What a week in America`s courtrooms. Take a look at the stories, and, more important, the people who touched all of our lives.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GRACE: Law enforcement needs your help finding this multimillionaire, Brian Joseph Cullen, prime suspect in the murder of a 21-year-old model.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don`t think they`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?
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: 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.
Michael Jackson jurors now speaking out, claiming, "Ruh-roh, maybe they made a mistake.
JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL, "CELEBRITY JUSTICE": Nancy, this is absolutely shocking and outrageous.
GRACE: Under the law, it`s all she wrote. I`m talking about Lady Justice. There will be no retrial. That would be double jeopardy under our Constitution.
A Kentucky cab driver leads U.S. marshals to the Ohio motel hideout of George and Jennifer Hyatte.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I`m fortunate it didn`t turn out any worse for me. And thankfully none of the agents that took him down was hurt. You know, it ended peacefully.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He told authorities where he took them. And then it was just a short time after that that the authorities were calling the couple in their hotel room in Columbus, saying, essentially, "If you don`t come out, we`re coming in."
GRACE: She`s like, "Hello, Jennifer Hyatte, can I help you? What was that?" And the police say, "You`re surrounded!"
Natalee`s mother takes on suspect Deepak Kalpoe. Can you imagine at your wits end her 18-year-old girl still missing and she`s got to go confront a suspect?
BETH HOLLOWAY TWITTY, MOTHER OF NATALEE HOLLOWAY: He said the media has never seen this side of me. And I said, "I`ve been saving it just for you, Deepak."
GRACE: Murder on the high seas. Two American honeymooners set out to honeymoon on a dream cruise. Then, the groom vanishes off the luxury cruise somewhere between Turkey and Greece. All three of the alleged people of interest have lawyered up.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If you`re a suspect, you would get an attorney so that you would...
GRACE: A suspect is not a person of interest.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, come on.
GRACE: They`re just interesting. They`re just interesting.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, right.
GRACE: Police find them intriguing.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GRACE: I want to thank all of my guests tonight. But my biggest thank you is to you for being with us tonight and this week, inviting all of us into your homes. Coming up, headlines from around the world, Larry on CNN.
I`m Nancy Grace, signing off for tonight and for this week. I hope to see you right here Monday night, 8:00 sharp Eastern. Until then, good night, friend.
END
