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Nancy Grace

American Hero Found Dead

Aired April 28, 2006 - 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. Twenty-three-year-old American hero, Army specialist Robert Hornbeck, took fire in Iraq and he made it home in one piece only to go missing on the streets of Savannah, George, Ft. Benning. Wednesday night, we put out the all-points bulletin. Tonight, his family confirms a body found at the same upscale Savannah hotel where he was last seen alive is Hornbeck. And now, mystery surrounding what happened to this American hero intensifies.
And tonight: A cold case heats up. A young man loses his life outside a trendy Cincinnati nightspot. Will the getaway car solve the case?

Good evening, everybody. I`m Nancy Grace. I want to thank you for being with us tonight. A cold case turns house. Twenty-eight-year-old Robbie Pursley lost his life early evening just outside a tony Cincinnati, Ohio, tavern. Tonight: Does the getaway car hold the key to finally cracking this case?

But first tonight, breaking news, Savannah, Georgia. American hero Robert Hornbeck, the 23-year-old Army specialist served in Iraq only to go missing here on American soil. Tonight, his body has been found. And tonight, we report live from Savannah, Georgia, to Cincinnati, Ohio, and we are taking your calls.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I had just talked to Rob on Saturday, and he said, I love you and I miss you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There was no -- ever any type of indications that he was experiencing any post-traumatic stress symptoms.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I`m sure that he was traumatized, but there were certainly no outward signs.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: His buddy called his dad and said, you know, Come pick us up. We`re -- we`ve had too much to drink.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We searched inside, outside. We drove the streets all night long. I walked the streets for three days, looking for him. But he was blessed enough to come home.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There`s not a man in the company who didn`t love the guy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: Straight out to the news director with newsradio 1290 WTKS, Bill Edwards. Bill, bring us up to date.

BILL EDWARDS, NEWS DIRECTOR, NEWSRADIO 1290 WTKS: What we know right now is that Robert Hornbeck came here to enjoy a vacation. His uncle had just moved to town. And he went out drinking with one of his friends. And he -- in fact, his dad was with them. His dad decided that -- it was Easter eve, about 11:00 o`clock. His dad said, You guys take it from here. They were out playing pool. And about 3:00 o`clock in the morning, his dad got a call, apparently from the -- from Jeremy Stone, the fellow soldier that he was with. And Jeremy called and said, We`ve had too much to drink. Come pick us up. And they were at the DeSoto Hilton hotel.

And Dad arrived about seven minutes later, and Jeremy met him, but he said, Robert`s just around the corner. They went around the corner, and Robert wasn`t there. They called him on his cell phone. He said, Dad, I`m on some stairs, and then the phone went dead. And that was the last we heard until they discovered the body in the hotel. We had had volunteers go out and search and try to find something through -- you know, a couple of nights ago, about 60 volunteers showed up at our behest, and we had Eric, his dad, on with us live on the air on Monday morning. They set up a bank account to try to pay some expense and said any money that was left over -- weren`t trying to make any money off of this -- would be donated to a veterans` service.

And so we -- we discovered -- when they said that they found the body this morning, of course, our worst fears -- the first thing came to your mind was this -- God knows, this must be Robert.

GRACE: Bill, where were the remains located?

EDWARDS: I`m sorry?

GRACE: Where were the remains located?

EDWARDS: They were located on an upper floor, from what I understand, in, like, a ventilator system, where they had -- you know, there was some equipment that ran the -- that ran the air-conditioning. And from what I understand, some people had noticed a bad odor in the lobby for a couple of days, and they had been trying to find the source of it. And apparently, they started a search, and they found him in one of these utility rooms where this was located.

And right now, the body has been sent to the GBI -- the Georgia Bureau of Investigation -- crime lab to try to determine -- they`re not saying that there`s any foul play involved so far. He might have just wandered off, stumbled down...

GRACE: Wait, wait, wait, wait! Bill, it`s my understanding that this young man, an American hero...

(CROSSTALK)

GRACE: ... takes fire in Iraq. He comes home only to meet death on American soil. And it`s also my understanding that his body has been found in an intake ventilator of an air-conditioner at the DeSoto Hilton, Savannah, Georgia. I find it very difficult to believe that this was some sort of an accident!

EDWARDS: It is hard to believe. I mean, there must be something -- it was strange that the phone just went dead at the moment he was talking to his dad and said he was on some stairs, and perhaps that`s where they misunderstood, Nancy. They might have thought that perhaps he was on some stairs outside. They started looking outside instead of looking inside the building.

GRACE: Joining me right now is a very special guest. This young man`s father, Eric Hornbeck, is with us. Mr. Hornbeck, I am so sorry.

ERIC HORNBECK, MISSING SOLDIER`S FATHER: Thanks, Nancy. This is -- this is hard for us all. We`re certainly -- I personally am going to try and remain strong for -- for the rest of the family. Still trying to find a way to deal with it at this time, of course.

GRACE: Mr. Hornbeck, I just -- I do not believe that Robert would have committed suicide. He only had two weeks left in the Army, in the military. He had the whole world before him!

HORNBECK: Nancy, this is not a case of suicide. It`s all speculation at this time. From what I know, it would appear that somehow Robert was in that room and he was injured. It sounds like he might have got injured by some of the machinery in there, and he -- it was dark in there and he couldn`t find his way out, and he had injured his arm very badly, apparently on a blade or something from an air-conditioning unit. And he actually -- he used his clothes to try and make a tourniquet to save himself. I just don`t think he could get out. It would appear that way. The police are obviously still investigating, but it would appear accidental at this time.

GRACE: Mr. Hornbeck, you tried everything. We all tried, so many volunteers, so many people praying and hoping to find your son. When did you first learn a body had been found?

HORNBECK: I had a call from the detective this morning, I`m going to guess it was around 11:00 o`clock. Forgive me for the time. It`s all obviously a blur to us. But at any time, they wanted to come over and see us. On their way over here, a news reporter called me and asked me what was going on at the Hilton because there was activity there. So at that point, I -- I just -- I knew I had some very bad news coming.

GRACE: So you knew immediately it was bad.

HORNBECK: I`m sorry?

GRACE: Did you know immediately, was your instinct that it was bad news?

HORNBECK: I had felt that for 12 days, Nancy. Amongst all the speculation, I knew Robert would not go off on his own. I never felt good about this. So you know, yes, but I -- yes, I knew it was bad news, to answer your question.

GRACE: Mr. Hornbeck, what do you believe happened? I mean, everything was fine. And yet, in the space of seven minutes, everything went wrong? From the time he -- the friend called you and you get there, that fast?

HORNBECK: If I had to speculate, I would think -- I don`t know how he got to that area, but my guess is he probably went to sleep and woke up and didn`t know where he was at. There`s no lights in this room, and he probably started feeling himself -- you know, trying to find his way out, and that`s probably where he was injured. And although it being dark on -- obviously, he knew he had a problem and he tried to tourniquet himself and probably couldn`t find his way out.

GRACE: What I don`t understand, Mr. Hornbeck, is he was there with his friend, and then somehow, he ends up on the maintenance floor.

HORNBECK: I don`t know how he got up there. The timespan is awful quick, but I...

GRACE: Yes.

HORNBECK: I don`t know. I mean, I`m going to leave that to the police to investigate that. I don`t have all the answers at this time.

GRACE: Right. Mr. Hornbeck, tell us about that night, the last night you were with Robert.

HORNBECK: Well, it was a great time, as it always is with Robert. We played pool, and you know, just had a wonderful time. There was no issues. Dad beaten in pool, as usual. And you know, it was just a normal family night for us. And his mom and I went home, and the boys went out for a while.

GRACE: When had he returned home from Iraq?

HORNBECK: Excuse me?

GRACE: When did he get home from Iraq?

HORNBECK: January 18.

GRACE: And he only had two weeks left, two weeks left in the military.

HORNBECK: That`s correct. He only had two weeks to go.

GRACE: Eric, what were his plans?

HORNBECK: To get married in July and return to school.

GRACE: And nothing out of the ordinary that night. He was in good spirits. Everything was fine, correct?

HORNBECK: He was -- he was happy-go-lucky, as always.

GRACE: Mr. Hornbeck, tell me, how is your family doing tonight?

HORNBECK: Obviously, devastated, as any family would be, Nancy. You know, I just -- I`m going to do the best I can to get them through that. That`s my mission now. That`s what Robert would want us to do, and that`s what I`m going to do.

GRACE: Mr. Hornbeck, what can we do for you?

HORNBECK: Your prayers -- the media has been great with us, Nancy. Everybody has been gracious. Very difficult for us to do this interview, but everybody has certainly helped us to try and find Rob. I wish there was something else we could do, but I don`t know what it would be.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I had just talked to Rob on Saturday, and he said, I love you and I miss you. And I`m -- I`m just going to -- I`m going to have dinner with my family and then just -- we`re just going to go out tonight and play pool and just hang out.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Everybody was a little intoxicated, so no one really knows exactly for sure what`s happened. And there`s a phone call that kind of adds a little bit more mystery to the whole situation. And then for some reason, there`s no videotape evidence, even though they were in the hotel.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: An American hero who actually took fire for his country in Iraq comes home and then dies here on U.S. soil. After days missing, we learn tonight, confirmed by this young man`s family, remains founds at the DeSoto Hilton, Savannah, Georgia, are those of this American hero, Robert Hornbeck. We are taking your calls. With us tonight, his father, Eric.

Let`s go to Gerry in South Carolina. Hi, Gerry.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi, Nancy. You`re terrific.

GRACE: Oh, thank you!

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My question is, did they have cameras in this hotel?

GRACE: Excellent question. To Bill Edwards, news director newsradio 1290. Are there security cameras in the hotel, Bill?

OK, can`t get a hold of Bill. I`ll ask Mr. Hornbeck. Mr. Hornbeck, do you think there`s any possibility that there are security surveillance cameras that could help us solve this mystery?

HORNBECK: I know there are security cameras in the garage. There`s one in the main lobby, as well, and there`s also an ATM out there that has a security camera.

GRACE: Eric, do you believe that someone else is involved? Do you sense foul play, or do you believe this was some sort of freak accident?

HORNBECK: I think it`s a tragic accident.

GRACE: Let`s go back to the lines, Liz. Joining me now, Levi, Tennessee. Hi, Levi.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hi, Nancy. Big fan of the show. Nancy, I want to know about who he was hanging out with that night. Was the friend that he was with -- has he been cooperating with the police and helping with the investigation?

GRACE: I think so. Let`s go to Ron Palefsky. He`s a private investigator who has been working around the clock with the family, trying to find our American hero, Robert Hornbeck. Ron, tell me about the young man that was with Hornbeck just before his disappearance.

RON PALEFSKY, PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR WORKING WITH FAMILY: Jeremy Stone?

GRACE: Yes.

PALEFSKY: And I interviewed Jeremy on the phone. I spent quite a bit of time with Jeremy on the telephone. And my impression through the interview was that Jeremy actually was being extremely open and detailed about the night. We kept going over and over the story, backing up, essentially doing what a good interview would -- you know, would do.

And Jeremy`s story pretty much checked out, even to the small details. And it was an interesting story, and I can certainly see how it led up to where Robert got into the hotel with Jeremy, and there is a point in time when, obviously, the two of them got separated, and this tragic end began its own story at that point.

GRACE: Ron, what floor was this air-conditioning ventilator on, as compared to where Robert was last seen?

PALEFSKY: Nancy, I haven`t seen the area, but it sounds like it would be a level -- perhaps a level up from the atrium level, not necessarily up on room floors, but then, I haven`t been there. But it doesn`t sound like it was high up in the hotel. And apparently, it`s not a place that the -- you know, that the clientele would normally see in their travels.

GRACE: Eric, how far away is this ventilator room, this air- conditioning unit room compared to where Robert was last seen?

HORNBECK: It sounds to me like it was a matter of 50 to 75 feet. I haven`t -- believe me, I searched that hotel for three days. I wasn`t aware of that spot, or I would have looked there, as well.

GRACE: That`s exactly what I was wondering. That`s exactly what I was wondering, Eric, because you went over it with a fine-toothed comb. I know you did. Everyone, you have met Robert`s father, Eric Hornbeck. Here is what his mother had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Then (INAUDIBLE) called his dad and said, you know, Come pick us up, or, We`ve had too much to drink. And they were there within 10 minutes. His dad called him on his cell phone, got him, spread out looking for him and they couldn`t find him. They called the police, and he hasn`t been seen or heard from sine.

One minute, I think we`re just looking for his body, and the next minute, I convince myself, Well, he`s taken off somewhere. My -- my motherly intuition tells me he`s out there somewhere, and he`s -- he needs us to find him.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: We put out the APB, all-points bulletin, for Robert Hornbeck, just 23 years old. This young man had actually taken fire in Iraq and served his country, dropped out of college when the call came to go to Iraq and made it home, only to die here on American soil.

Let`s go to the lines. Sunny in Ohio. Hi, sunny.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi, Nancy. Being -- myself being the daughter of a military officer, I know that the military has their own doctors and psychologists that would have examined him. Have his records been released to the investigators?

GRACE: I don`t know. I believe that Robert was just found and confirmed to be Robert a few hours ago. Eric, will the military take any - - have any activity in this investigation at all?

HORNBECK: The military has been extremely cooperative thus far, Nancy. I`ve had several calls. They offered their assistance on many occasions. In fact, Col. Salazar (ph) has called me twice, as well as Robert`s captain, Capt. Tune (ph), several times. I`m sure that they worked closely with the police department, and I don`t see any issue with that whatsoever.

GRACE: Mr. Hornbeck, before I ask one more question, I just want to tell you, since you appeared with us night before last, we have been flooded with calls and e-mails wanting to know about you, about Robert, about your family, people wanting to help you, to help find this hero. He truly is an American hero. And I just want you to know how many people are loving him and praying for him and you and your family at this moment -- at this very moment, Mr. Hornbeck.

HORNBECK: Well, we certainly appreciate the love that`s been out there. Everybody has treated us graciously. Thanks to your show and the rest of them. Robert has always been a hero to me. But all the men and women in the military are heroes to us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HORNBECK: He knew he was going to be discharged April 30. He had intentions of being married in July with his fiancee, and he was going to work part-time and go back to the University of Michigan, where he had spent two years previous to his military.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: We put out the all-points-bulletin for Robert Hornbeck night before last. This young man served his country under fire, only to die on American soil. Breaking news tonight, the man so many have been looking for, his remains were found just a few hours ago, confirmed to be Robert Hornbeck.

Back to Robert`s father, Eric. Eric, how did he -- I guess we`re all trying to make sense of it, as are you, as are all the viewers. How did he get separated from the friend?

HORNBECK: His friend saw us outside and his friend came out to get us, and that`s where the separation occurred. They were together up until that point, Nancy. When we went inside, he was gone. And what moved him to go up those stairs or wherever it was he went, I don`t -- doubt we`ll ever know that.

GRACE: Eric, did the fan -- was it the motion of the fan that killed him?

HORNBECK: Nancy, I can only speculate. It sounds to me like he was injured, and he actually used some of his clothing to try and tourniquet himself. It sounds like he caught his arm in it. That`s what it sounds like to me. I don`t have all those particulars.

GRACE: Yes. Yes. OK.

Let`s go to Amy in Florida. Amy, what`s your question, dear?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: First of all, we love you. And our condolences go out to his family. But I was curious, if the search started from the Hilton 11 days ago, how did the hotel security, hotel people...

GRACE: How did they miss this, right.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ... how did police not check every single room?

GRACE: Mr. Hornbeck, that is a question I`d like to hear the answer to, too.

HORNBECK: Frankly, I`d like have to have the myself, Nancy. I searched as much as a pedestrian and father in panic can search it. I know the police have searched it. My understanding is the Hilton has searched it. I don`t have those answers. That certainly weighs on me, as well.

GRACE: Mr. Hornbeck, we will continue, and our prayers are with you.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Friends say that 28-year-old Pursley was going to hang a while at Mulligan`s in Hyde Park, then meet up with some of his buddies later in the night at McFadden`s, here on 7th Street downtown. When he didn`t show, they started checking and discovered he`d been shot and killed.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A real good guy with a good heart. Loved his friends, loved his family. That`s what makes it kind of hard. You know, always smiling, you know, always had a good time. He was always there for you if you needed him.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: A cold case is heating up. Let`s go straight out to Cincinnati and Eileen Kelley, crime reporter with the "Cincinnati Inquirer." Bring us up to date on the case of Rob Pursley, Eileen.

EILEEN KELLEY, CRIME REPORTER: Hi. Well, I wish I could tell you that there`s a lot going on. Unfortunately, as you just said, it is a little cold, the case. It`s an incredibly sad case. It doesn`t fit the profile.

GRACE: How about telling us what happened that night?

KELLEY: OK, it was about a little bit after 6:00. Rob and a couple of his friends were heading into a bar in Hyde Park. The girls were in a different -- they were in a different car, and they were parking. And Rob went over to a different parking site towards the rear of the parking lot, and got out of his car, and he was shot in the groin.

GRACE: And?

KELLEY: And the girls just were absolutely beside themselves. They didn`t understand what had happened. And, truthfully, no one understands what happened.

GRACE: Joining me tonight is Dan and Eddie Pursley, the mother and father of the victim.

Welcome, Dan.

Welcome, Eddie. Thank you for being with us.

DAN PURSLEY, MURDERED ROB`S FATHER: Thank you, Nancy, of having us.

GRACE: How does it make you feel, Mr. Pursley, when you hear someone refer to this as a cold case?

D. PURSLEY: Well, it`s very upsetting for a couple of reasons. One, the idea of the cold murder, and how it happened, and not having any reason as to why. And then, unfortunately, as it goes on 3 1/2, almost four months, it`s really hard on the family to deal with each day.

GRACE: Mrs. Pursley, how does it make you feel when you hear reporters and analysts refer to your son`s murder as a cold case?

EDDIE PURSLEY, MURDERED ROB`S MOTHER: It just sickens me, Nancy, to think that our city isn`t safe enough for anyone to go downtown.

GRACE: And the thing is, Mrs. Pursley, this is not a seedy area of town. This is not where people are out selling crack, and you`ve got robberies and carjackings, not at all. This is a very swanky area, a little trendy area where there are restaurants, and bars, and a lot of foot traffic, where people are going out to dinner, and they`re going out after work. In fact, wasn`t that what happened that night, Mrs. Pursley?

E. PURSLEY: Yes, there were going to be about five or six people. They were meeting there for dinner.

GRACE: Now, was this a Christmas party? Or what exactly -- what happened that night, Mrs. Pursley?

E. PURSLEY: Actually, it wasn`t. It was January the 14th, but it was a Christmas party.

They had been out with a group of friends from work. And Rob had met his girlfriends, Rachel, a law student from the University of Dayton. And they were meeting there. And they got the first parking lot space, and Rob went back to the back of the parking lot, and that`s where it happened.

GRACE: So the girls got the first spot. He, from my understanding, came to the spot and then said, "No, you, ladies, have the spot," and he went on. And then before they could even get out of the car, they hear bang, bang, bang, and he`s been shot.

E. PURSLEY: Yes.

GRACE: Mr. Pursley, how were you informed your son had been shot?

D. PURSLEY: Very, very, very difficult. My son, my other son, Jack, and I were down at the University of Cincinnati basketball game with Syracuse. It was a sold-out crowd, so the wife got the call at home around 8:00.

And she tried to call me on my cell, and we could not hear there. My son has a BlackBerry, so she e-mailed him 911 and, in turn, went outside and called my wife. And then he had to come back in and tell me that Rob had been shot and was killed.

GRACE: Oh.

D. PURSLEY: Terrible.

GRACE: You know, as many crime victims as I have dealt with -- and I`ll go to Renee Rockwell, defense attorney, on this one -- you`ve seen a lot of crime victims` relatives on the stands. I`ve put a lot of them on the stand, Renee, and I have never seen one not remember the exact moment that they learned their loved one was gone, that moment.

RENEE ROCKWELL, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: And, Nancy, if you can imagine something more sad than burying your own child.

But here`s a situation, Nancy, where you can absolutely agree with me that no one is immune from what apparently here was just a random act of violence. It doesn`t look like a robbery; it doesn`t look like some kind of a disagreement where this guy got shot, a random act of violence.

GRACE: I don`t know that it had to be random. I don`t know that it had to be random, Paul Batista. Yes, there are indications it could be, but how do I know that somebody didn`t try to get his parking spot or it was road rage?

How do I -- we don`t know what this was. How do we know that there wasn`t some type of an argument, or a drug deal, or something going on out in that parking lot -- even though it was a great area of town -- and this guy was in the wrong place at the wrong time? I mean, I`m not accepting somebody just drove by, and shot this guy dead, and kept going, Paul Batista.

PAUL BATISTA, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Nancy, I`ve got to agree with that. And I don`t understand why this would be a cold case.

GRACE: I don`t, either. It just happened.

BATISTA: It just happened. It happened at 6:30 at night in a well- populated area. And there`s no reason, it seems to me -- and I sympathize with the Pursleys -- there`s no reason for anyone to characterize this as a cold case. It sounds like an ideal case for a continued, intensive investigation.

GRACE: Take a listen, everyone, to the 911 call.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FRIEND: I was in the back parking lot.

DISPATCHER: Oh, I understand. OK. Hang on. Easy. Take a deep breath.

FRIEND: Someone`s been shot. Hold on. Oh, god, please. Someone`s been shot in the parking lot.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What?

DISPATCHER: OK, ma`am, are you at 2680 Madison Road. Ma`am, are you on Madison Road at Mulligan`s, ma`am?

FRIEND: I don`t know what the name of the street is.

DISPATCHER: OK, you`re at Mulligan`s bar, right?

FRIEND: Someone`s been shot in the back. What`s the address here? Hold on, I`m going to get a bartender.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: To Eileen Kelley, crime reporter, "Cincinnati Inquirer," you referred to this as a cold case. Now...

KELLEY: Yes.

GRACE: ... it happened in January. January, February, March, April, May. It`s been four months. Why is this a cold case?

KELLEY: Because there`s not a clear suspect in mind and it -- this case, it does not fit the profile of the other homicides in Cincinnati. And that is just what is so amazing about it. You can`t say wrong place, wrong time. It`s an ideal place to go and to live. People don`t get killed in Hyde Park; it doesn`t happen like that.

GRACE: Well, OK. I`m not familiar with Hyde Park. All I know is that my producer, Ellie, tells me that this was a tony, ritzy nice area where there`s a very low crime rate.

KELLEY: Yes, it is. I live in Hyde Park. It is not an area where you have to have your guard up, and it`s an ideal part of the city.

GRACE: Wait a minute. Hold on. Another question.

(CROSSTALK)

GRACE: You`re saying that this doesn`t fit the...

KELLEY: No.

GRACE: ... the profile of a homicide in Cincinnati. OK, what is the profile of a homicide in Cincinnati?

KELLEY: It`s drug dealers killing drug dealers over bad drug buys. And from what I understand, and I have -- I have been working very hard on this case -- drugs do not seem to be involved in this at all. But 90-some percent of all the homicides -- we had 79 last year.

GRACE: Well, I`ve got to tell you something, Eileen.

(CROSSTALK)

GRACE: After prosecuting inner-city Atlanta, you`re right. If Cincinnati is anything like Atlanta, I could get a hundred homicides in x period of months and 80 of them would somehow be drug-related or domestic violence, 20 would be something else. And that`s just a rough anecdotal statistic.

But, Don, we`re talking about your son. Your son had no -- I`ve checked him out -- no criminal history. He hadn`t even so much as spit on the sidewalk.

You`re right, drugs don`t play a part in his life. But when we say it`s not drug-related, how we know a drug deal wasn`t going down? You don`t think rich, white people do drugs? Wrong.

How do we know a drug deal wasn`t going down in that parking lot, and something went wrong, and your son, the apple of your eye, is in the middle of the crossfire? How do we know that?

D. PURSLEY: Yes, Nancy, that`s very difficult to understand. Obviously, anything`s possible. One of the most frustrating things the family is dealing with is the fact that somebody knows something, and the fact that they can live with that or not come forward is what`s really eating at us.

And we are hoping, with your help and many other people, help, and love, and support, that somebody out there will come forward. And that`s the important thing to understand.

GRACE: I see you two holding hands. And I got to tell you something: After living through the homicide of a loved one, I can`t imagine anything worse, except not having peace, not knowing what happened, not being able to put my head on the pillow at night and know what happened.

With me are the parents of a 28-year-old young man, Rob Pursley. The tip line: 800-352-3040. There is a substantial reward. I`m going to tell you about it when we get back, and we are taking your calls. Won`t you help us?

Let`s go, Elizabeth, to our tonight`s "Case Alert." Tomorrow, Hartford, Connecticut, you can do something about victims` rights. Mark National Crime Victims` Rights Week with a walk-a-thon.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A real good guy with a good heart. Loved his friends, loved his family. That`s what makes it kind of hard. You know, always smiling, you know, always had a good time. He was always there for you if you needed him.

And that`s what is hard on a lot of my buddies, is, you know, no answers, you know, nobody really knows anything and it`s all kind of speculation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: Tonight, you can make a difference in fighting violent crime. Look at this young man, 28-year-old Rob Pursley. There is a $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction of a suspect.

This young guy, minding his own business, after a Christmas party with his co-workers, gunned down in a parking lot. You think it happens every day? Well, maybe it does. But does that mean we have to take it lying down? I say no.

That tip line: 800-352-3040. Take a listen to the 911 call.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DISPATCHER: Ma`am, I want to tell you, first of all, I`ve got help on the way, but I need your name, OK?

FRIEND: My name is (bleep).

DISPATCHER: OK, Rachel. Do you know the person that`s been shot?

FRIEND: Yes, I do.

DISPATCHER: OK, we`re getting help out there, OK? And what part of the body is he shot in?

FRIEND: I don`t know. It`s the lower part. I don`t know if it`s his leg or if it`s his, like, lower half.

DISPATCHER: Lower in the abdomen, like, in the stomach?

FRIEND: No, like...

DISPATCHER: Relax now. You`re doing real good now, Rachel.

FRIEND: OK.

DISPATCHER: Like maybe in the groin area?

FRIEND: Yes.

DISPATCHER: All right. Did you see who did the shooting? No, no, no, take a deep breath for me, Rachel. Did you see who did the shooting?

FRIEND: I just saw a car, and we heard the pop. And my friend made me get back in the car, because I was going out there.

DISPATCHER: OK.

FRIEND: And the car left, and I can`t remember what it looks like.

DISPATCHER: Very good. Do you know what color it was?

FRIEND: Did you see what color the car was? It was like gray.

DISPATCHER: It was a gray car? Rachel? Rachel? What kind of car was it? Rachel, I want you to talk to me. Rachel?

FRIEND: Yes?

DISPATCHER: Talk to me only.

FRIEND: OK.

DISPATCHER: Do you know what color the car was?

FRIEND: I think it was gray.

DISPATCHER: OK. Which way did it go?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: To Pat Brown, she is a high-profile criminal profiler, there is the description of the car, a silver compact car. If you have info, Crime Stoppers, 300-352-3040.

To Pat Brown, how do you approach a case like this? I am just not accepting that this is a cold case. For Pete`s sake, it just happened in January.

PAT BROWN, CRIMINAL PROFILER: It did, but, you know, they call them cold where they get to a point where no more evidence is coming in. And I think the real clue to this case, Nancy, is that night in question, because Rob was just arriving at Mulligan`s, just arriving.

That means somebody had to know he was going there, if he was the one being targeted. In other words, when people discussed, "Let`s go there." I don`t know when this discussion actually occurred, when everybody decided to go to Mulligan`s, whether it was that very night or whether it was a previous plan.

But if he was being targeted, it would have to be a person who knew he was going. And if he wasn`t being targeted, then it would just be a random thing where somebody just wanted to play games, and shoot somebody, and run away, and think it was fun.

GRACE: To Stephanie Jones, clinical psychologist, this is a very low- crime area. How does that play into the investigation?

STEPHANIE JONES, CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST: Well, you know, Nancy, I think the point that you made before is right on the money. I mean, violent behavior and psychopathology does not associate by socioeconomic status. Violent crimes may occur to a lower extent in higher SES bracket areas, but it doesn`t mean that it`s not possible to occur there, and it doesn`t mean that we should stop investigating it there.

GRACE: To Dr. Jonathan Arden, medical examiner, this bullet hit an artery. How would that affect the way this young man died?

JONATHAN ARDEN, MEDICAL EXAMINER, FORENSIC PATHOLOGIST: The arteries are the blood vessels that carry the blood from the heart under high pressure. Those are the ones that bleed very rapidly. If the artery is opened, it can spurt, and so this would be a very rapid form of bleeding.

He would lose blood pressure. He would lose consciousness quickly. And, unfortunately, this is a way you can die very quickly, even before getting medical attention, because of the nature of the wound.

GRACE: To Paul Batista, now, other crimes have, in fact, happened in the area, at a shotgun pizza robbery. There was a parking lot shoot-out. Think there`s any relation?

BATISTA: I doubt it, Nancy.

GRACE: Well, why?

BATISTA: Well, there doesn`t seem to be any...

GRACE: They`re all in the same area. Why couldn`t this be a robbery?

BATISTA: Well, one thing I don`t understand is why this is always characterized as a tony area (ph), in which a few of these things happen.

You know, I think the key to this case, Nancy -- and I want to say this for the benefit of the Pursleys and you -- is the reward money.

GRACE: OK, you know what?

BATISTA: The shooter here knows what -- has divulged himself somewhere.

GRACE: Let`s talk about the 800 number, 800-352-3040, $10,000 reward.

Please stay with us as we go to break to remember Lance Corporal Kristen K. Figueroa, 20, Honolulu, Hawaii, killed Iraq`s Anbar province. He fulfilled a lifelong dream by becoming a Marine and getting the Purple Heart. Lance Corporal Kristen K. Figueroa, 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 our lives.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GRACE: American hero Robert Hornbeck, the 23-year-old Army specialist served in Iraq only to go missing here on American soil. Tonight, his body has been found.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I personally am going to try and remain strong for the rest of the family. Still trying to find a way to deal with it at this time, of course.

GRACE: Is the Durham D.A. set to charge 16 additional Duke lacrosse players for criminal behavior as a result of the night the student-turned- stripper says she was raped and beaten?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The defense attorneys for one of the accused basically say that he wants to look at the victim-accuser`s records, mental, criminal, legal.

GRACE: Here it goes, the blame-the-victim defense.

Federal, state and local law enforcements have banded together to find this little girl, a 28-month-old toddler. Her name, Analyce Guerra.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She usually stays indoors. She doesn`t do no wrong to nobody. She needs to be home. Please let her be safe. Please don`t hurt my baby.

GRACE: A priest on trial for the ritualistic murder of a nun 26 long years ago.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sister Margaret Ann Pahl was brutally murdered. Someone choked the sister and then stabbed her some 31 times.

GRACE: I don`t know if there can even be justice 26 years later.

Twenty-eight-year-old Robert Pursley lost his life early evening just outside a tony Cincinnati, Ohio, tavern.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Someone`s been shot. Oh, god, oh, god, please. Someone`s been shot in the parking lot.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A real good guy, with a good heart. Loved his friends, loved his family.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GRACE: Thank you to Mr. and Mrs. Pursley tonight. But I want to thank all of my guests. Our biggest thank you is to you for being with us this Friday night and all week, inviting us into your homes.

A special good night from the floor here in New York and from the New York control room. Good night, Elizabeth. Good night, Chris.

I`m Nancy Grace signing off. Hope to see you right here Monday night, 8:00 sharp Eastern. And until then, good night, friend.

END