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Landmark Execution in North Carolina; 49 States Chip in to Save Lousiana's Christmas Tree
Aired December 02, 2005 - 11:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: A lot more news ahead. When we come back, chilling phone calls authorities say were placed from inside this shopping mall moments before a gunman opened fire. We're back in a moment.
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KAGAN: And now to the death penalty debate and a new milestone. This morning, a North Carolina inmate became the 1,000th person executed in the U.S. since capital punishment resumed 28 years ago.
Kenneth Lee Boyd was put to death for the murders of his estranged wife and her father. Ed Crump from CNN affiliate WTVD has details.
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ED CRUMP, WTVD REPORTER (voice-over): Kenneth Boyd's life ended at 2:15 this morning. His body was taken by van from Central Prison to the chief medical examiner's office for an autopsy. A few minutes earlier, his son, daughter-in-law and several of his grandchildren left the prison. The daughter-in-law witnessed the execution.
KATHY SMITH, DAUGHTER-IN-LAW: I saw a very kind man with a good heart who would have gave his shirt off his back to anybody who had needed it. And I -- I know he's with the good lord.
CRUMP: Boyd died 17 years after his victims, his estranged wife and her father. He shot them to death in their Rockingham County home. Their family members who witnessed the execution did not make a statement, but Rockingham County sheriff says justice was served by Boyd's execution.
SHERIFF SAM PAIGE, ROCKINGHAM, N.C.: What I would ask you to do is not forget the victims of this crime, Ms. Boyd, Mr. Curry, their family, their kids, their grandkids. Pray for them. Pray for them in their healing.
CRUMP: Most of the public praying was done by the 200 or so death penalty opponents who gathered in front of Central Prison. Many of them came from out of state to denounce the nation's 1,000th execution since the reinstatement of capital punishment.
Sixteen of the protesters weren't able to stay for the execution. They were taken to jail after they crossed barricades and were charged with trespassing.
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KAGAN: And that report coming to us from Ed Crump from CNN affiliate WTVD.
Here's a look at the states with the most executions over the last three decades. Three hundred and 55 people have died on Texas' death row, 94 have been put to death in Virginia, Oklahoma has executed 79 inmates. There have been 66 executions in Missouri and 60 in Florida.
A jury has recommended that a Florida man be executed for the kidnapping, rape and murder of an 11-year-old girl, but Joseph Smith's ultimate fate is still in the hands of a judge. The jury deliberated for about five hours before voting 10-2 to recommend death for Smith. The chilling abduction of 11-year-old Carlie Brucia was captured by a surveillance camera in February of last year. After the jury's recommendation, the sixth grader's mother had an emotional reaction.
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SUSAN SCHORPEN, CARLIE'S MOTHER: He couldn't be dead fast enough for me. I want him dead. I want him dead now. My daughter's not breathing. She'll never breathe again. I can never hold her again. I've got to wait for appeals before, you know, he dies? It matters to me.
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KAGAN: The judge could follow the jury's recommendation of death or impose a sentence of life in prison without parole.
The young man who's accused of shooting six people at a Tacoma, Washington mall apparently signaled his intentions to a 911 operator just before he did that. The shooting rampage and hostage drama was eventually resolved with no one was killed. The alleged gunman has pleaded not guilty and is being held on $2 million bail. Before the attack, 911 operators received this disturbing call.
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911 OPERATOR: Sir, what is it we can do for you here at 911?
SUSPECT: Oh, I'm just alerting you that I'm about to start shooting right now.
911 OPERATOR: Where are you located? Sir, where are you located?
SUSPECT: Follow the screams.
911 OPERATOR: I'm sorry, you're on a cell phone. I don't know where you are.
SUSPECT: Follow the screams.
911 OPERATOR: The cell phone doesn't give me any location, sir.
SUSPECT: Follow the screams.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
KAGAN: The six people who were shot, one was critically wounded. According to court documents, police also found bomb-making plans and a recipe for the poison ricin in the alleged gunman's car and bedroom.
In Colorado, a teenage driver has been charged with a misdemeanor in the death of -- the death last moth of a bicyclist. The teen allegedly was text messaging when he lost control his car and hit a 63-year-old man riding on a bike path. The maximum possible sentence for careless driving causing death is one year in jail.
More than 20 undocumented workers have been arrested at New Mexico's Kirtland Air Force Base. An investigation found they were using fake IDs to get onto the base. They were hired by contractors to work on a housing project. Base officials say there's no evidence the contractors knew their workers had fake IDs.
This holiday season is going to be tough for families who have nothing after this year's hurricane season. But in a symbolic gesture, some fellow Americans are making sure one Louisiana Christmas tree gets decked out. We'll have their story and take a look when we come back.
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KAGAN: It looks like the chilly relationship between television giants Oprah Winfrey and David Letterman has thawed.
Winfrey appeared as a guest on Letterman's show last night for the first time in more than 16 years, with a peace offering in hand.
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OPRAH WINFREY, TV TALK SHOW HOST:I brought you a present, because I wanted you to know it's really over.
DAVID LETTERMAN, TV TALK SHOW HOST: And in the show colors.
WINFREY: The color purple.
And I wanted you know it's really over, OK. Whatever it is you thought was happening, it's over. There is no feud. There's only peace.
LETTERMAN: Peace and love?
WINFREY: Peace and love.
LETTERMAN: You're sure it's over?
WINFREY: No, it's over. It's over. Look at what it says. Look, it's over.
LETTERMAN: Oh, my goodness. Well, this is something...
WINFREY: It says, "To Dave, love Uma."
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LOGAN: Uma, Oprah, Oprah, Uma.
After her appearance, Letterman walked over across the street to the Broadway premiere of "The Color Purple." Winfrey produced that musical. By the way, Uma Thurman and the picture was that reference to that joke that Letterman he made about Uma and Oprah when he hosted the Oscars back in 1995.
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KAGAN: And we're going to fit in a quick break. We're back after this.
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GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Five, four, three, two, one.
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LAURA BUSH, FIRST LADY OF THE UNITED STATES: It worked.
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KAGAN: Very pretty. A sign of the season. The National Christmas Tree is shining brightly on the ellipse behind the White House. President Bush helped light the Colorado blue spruce last night. That tradition, by the way, 82 years in the making.
And perhaps you didn't know this, each of the 50 states gets a Christmas tree, a smaller version, on the ellipse. But because of Hurricane Katrina, there's a special focus on the state tree from Louisiana. This year, the Louisiana Children's Museum was unable to make the ornaments so the other 49 states chipped in for the decorations.
Jennifer Schumacher joins me from Metairie, Louisiana. She's with the Louisiana Children's Museum in New Orleans. Happy holidays, Jennifer.
JENNIFER SCHUMACHER, LOUISIANA CHILDREN'S MUSEUM: Thank you. Happy holidays to you.
KAGAN: It's going to be a different holiday, I realize, for a lot of folks in Louisiana and from Louisiana. When did the Children's Museum realize they weren't going to be able to make the ornaments for this year's tree?
SCHUMACHER: Well, it's a very long story, but when we got back into the museum, basically we got a phone call. And we were told -- we just told them we couldn't do it. And they came up with this fabulous idea, so we just went with that. Lots of tears were shed. And that's how we got around to it.
KAGAN: Well, tell us a little more about the fabulous idea. How did all these other people step up for the Louisiana tree?
SCHUMACHER: Well, basically, we just weren't going to be able to give our ornaments. And usually we have the children decorate the tree with our Christmas ornaments. And so what we did is we had everyone from all the states get together and they added one Christmas ornament from each state. And it's great because all of us are displaced around the country. And it makes so much sense to have an ornament from each state.
KAGAN: Sure, because there's a lot of Louisiana folks living all over the country. So that also represents how the whole country pulled together to help people from there in Louisiana. How's the museum doing?
SCHUMACHER: Well, we've had a lot of damage. We have roof damage and maybe some structural damage. We've had to pull out our carpet, first and third floors. So we're trying to open December 28th, but we might have to extend that maybe to February.
KAGAN: Well, that would be the best holiday gift of all, would it not, to get back up and running?
SCHUMACHER: Yes, oh, definitely.
KAGAN: There's also the issue of, you know, not a lot of kids coming back to the New Orleans area.
SCHUMACHER: Well, yes, but we are seeing the schools are going start to start to re-open and people are going to be coming back when the schools re-open probably in the next couple weeks, in the early beginning of the year.
KAGAN: For those looking to help out the museum, what's the biggest help they could do right now?
SCHUMACHER: Well, if anyone wants to come volunteer, we need volunteers. We need staff. I mean, we're down to about 90 percent of our staff gone. So, I mean, I think right now that's what we're looking for.
KAGAN: All right. Well, we'll put that on your Christmas wish list.
SCHUMACHER: Thank you so much.
KAGAN: Happy holidays and the best luck to you getting things up and running at your children's museum.
SCHUMACHER: Thank you so much. Happy holidays to you.
KAGAN: Thank you and thanks for sharing the great story behind the tree.
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KAGAN: I'm Daryn Kagan. International news is up next. Stay tuned for YOUR WORLD TODAY. Jim Clancy and Zain Verjee will be with you after a quick break.
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