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American Morning

Missouri Kidnappings; Iraq Strategy Report

Aired January 15, 2007 - 07:00   ET

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


MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR, AMERICAN MORNING: Let's begin with you, Sean.
Good morning.

SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT, AMERICAN MORNING: Good morning, Miles.

Friends say part of the weekend investigators spent talking with family of 13-year-old Ben Ownby, and 15-year-old Shawn Hornbeck. They're trying to get to exactly what happened, where these two individuals had been held for such a long time.

Investigators say that perhaps one of the interesting things is, indeed, the fact that investigators were led to that site yesterday.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CALLEBS (voice over): For more than four years authorities say young Shawn Hornbeck lived here, held captive by 41-year-old Michael Devlin, a hulking 300-pound pizza parlor manager. The living arrangement, apparently raised no red flags among neighbors, many thought perhaps a single father raising an active 15-year-old.

HARRY RICHARD, NEIGHBOR: He just seemed to me, just like an average euphoric child, as young kids are. Just going back and forth with their, you know, guardian or parent, or relative or whoever, and he didn't seem to display any type of social dysfunctions.

CALLEBS: Experts on abducted children say the same coping mechanism that fooled neighbors could have kept Shawn alive all these years, the ability to adapt.

JEFFREY LIEBERMAN, CHMN., PSYCHOLOGY, COLUMBIA MEDICAL CTR.: The initial dynamic, which really defines the response, is one of fear. I have to figure out a way to get through this, and survive, but after that the captive begins to interact with the captor, and see their human qualities.

CALLEBS: It is that peek through a warped lens that may hold part of the answer to the most pressing question. Shawn wasn't going to school. Neighbors say it appeared he came and went freely. So, why didn't he just walk away?

CRAIG AKERS, STEPFATHER OF SHAWN HORNBECK: It's been like a dream. CALLEBS: Shawn stood silently at his only public appearance since his ordeal ended. There will be plenty of time to fill in all the blanks as he begins to put his life back together.

His family thrilled to be reunited with the shaggy-haired boy, and seemingly heartsick, he was being held so close to home, for so long.

AKERS: It just boggles my mind that someone thinks that they can get away with it. And, obviously, they do. I mean, this has been going on for four years, and he has been right here under our nose the whole time.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CALLEBS: Well, after a weekend characterized by high emotion, even euphoria, now comes the sobering part. Easing young Shawn back into society. The people who follow child abduction cases say if there's a hint of good news, it's the fact that many times children are quite resilient -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: Sean Callebs in Kirkwood. Thank you.

Alina.

ALINA CHO, CNN ANCHOR, AMERICAN MORNING: Now that the boys are reunited with their families the focus now turns to suspected kidnapper Michael Devlin. Chris Lawrence joins us live from Kirkwood, Missouri, with details on the investigation.

Chris, good morning.

CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT, AMERICAN MORNING: Good morning, Alina.

As investigators try to piece this case together, they'll be using not only the information that they get from talking to the two boys, themselves, but also any possible Internet activity, and questioning other children who may have encountered Shawn over the years.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LAWRENCE (voice over): From the few people who knew Michael Devlin, answers are emerging to the question, who is this alleged kidnapper?

BILL ROMER, DEVLIN'S LANDLORD: Very soft-spoken, low-key.

LAWRENCE: How could Devlin do what he is accused of? Hiding two boys in plain sight, an hour's drive from their families?

MIKE PROSPERI, OWNER, IMO'S PIZZA: There was never any mention of any children at all.

LAWRENCE: Investigators have filed a first degree kidnapping charge against Devlin, with possibly more to come.

ROBERT PARKS, PROSECUTING ATTORNEY: He is behind bars. He is not going anyplace, and now we have a little bit of the luxury of time to really pull this case together.

LAWRENCE: The case turned Thursday, on a lucky break. Police working an unrelated case spotted a white pickup outside Devlin's apartment. It matched one described in last week's kidnapping of Ben Ownby. The officers who discovered the boys inside his apartment say initially Devlin was happy and respectful to police.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: As the questions began to get more specific, that's when the attitude change. And as the attitude changed, it was like 180 degree difference and threw a lot of red flags up for us.

LAWRENCE: The middle-aged, heavy-set man grew up in Missouri. He has a lot of family still in the area. One of his brothers worked at the same pizza place Devlin now manages.

PROSPERI: I talked to Jamie, and I mean, they're holding up, but they're not doing well. Jamie's one-word response is, "Mike, he's my brother. It's our family, and we're lost."

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LAWRENCE: Devlin's family released a statement saying they are happy that Ben and Shawn are back home with their families, but they also hope that Michael will be safe once all the facts of the case come out. Devlin is being held on $1 million bond, and he is expected to be arraigned in the next couple of days -- Alina.

CHO: All right, Chris. Chris Lawrence live for us in Kirkwood, Missouri. Thank you.

The question on a lot of people's minds this morning is why didn't the boys try to escape? In just a couple of minutes we will ask a forensic psychologist for insight into the mental state of kidnapping victims -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: Let's get right to Baghdad now, a briefing just underway. The U.S. ambassador to Iraq, Khalilzad, along with General George Casey, briefing reporters on how just to implement the president's plan for the 20,000 additional plus troops. Let's listen.

(BEGIN LIVE FEED, IN PROGRESS)

AMB. ZALMAY KHALILZAD, U.S. AMB. TO IRAQ: The prime minister has put senior people in charge of each of these areas with goals and timelines to be developed ASAP. We will support them, but the Iraqis will be in the lead. A key part of this is for Iraq to improve its ability to meet the needs of its people. We will work jointly with the government of Iraq in this area.

As president bush announced, we will be doubling the number of provincial reconstruction teams here in Iraq. These teams support the provincial and local governments by helping communities to work on reconciliation and accelerating the transition to increase self- reliance in Iraq.

The government of Iraq will spend $10 billion on infrastructure and reconstruction projects that will create jobs for the Iraqi people. The Iraqi government has also committed to meet their own targets to make progress on the political front, including holding provincial elections, reforming the Baathification laws, passing hydrocarbon legislation, to share oil revenues among all Iraqis, and amending the constitution.

This plan also reinforces regional efforts to stabilize Iraq. It seeks to change the behavior of Iran and Syria, going after their networks in Iraq that are attacking coalition forces and undermining Iraqi security. We have already taken steps by moving against Iranian EFP networks associated with the Iranian Kutz (ph) forces.

The plan is integrated in a broader regional strategy and also focuses on getting more Arab states to play a positive role. We will support Iraqi efforts to engage their neighbors.

Again, this is an Iraqi-led plan, with the U.S. in support. We are muscling up in the short-term to set the stage for the Iraqis to deal with the situation themselves over the long-term. With more resources brought to bare for Baghdad, I believe that there is a good balance between ends and means in this plan.

This is a defining moment. We're in a new phase. While some question the Iraqis' resolve to rise to occasion, and take a hard, necessary steps to break the cycle of sectarian violence that's tearing Baghdad apart, I'm encouraged by what I have seen in recent weeks.

(END LIVE FEED, IN PROGRESS)

O'BRIEN: That's the Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad, beside him General George Casey, both outgoing in their positions. Talking to reporters, briefing them, subsequent to President Bush's announcement that 21,000 plus troops would be added to the force there in Iraq.

The ambassador talking about the $10 billion that will be spent on the infrastructure there in Iraq. Sort of a public works, jobs works program, a la the New Deal, which will go along with the troop surge there in Iraq.

We'll keep monitoring this briefing for you as more news comes out. We'll bring it to you, of course.

Severe weather now, and an unrelenting winter weather storm bringing snow, ice, and misery; 21 are dead, hundreds of thousands of folks without power this morning. With more ice, snow, and freezing rain expected today from Texas all the way up into New England. Our CNN Meteorologist Reynolds Wolf is out of the building this morning getting a firsthand taste of what the weather is like there in St. Louis.

Hello, Reynolds.

REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST, AMERICAN MORNING: Hello, Miles.

It is certainly a cold morning here in St. Louis, to say the very least. What we've been dealing with in St. Louis is just one tiny microcosm, one tiny speck of what has been a tremendous storm system that has stretched all the way from the Great Lakes to nearly the Gulf of Mexico. It's been really a tremendous, tremendous system that has meant a lot of things to millions of people.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WOLF (voice over): In Texas, strong storms produced heavy rains, flash flooding, and even ice.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's easy to go 20 and 30 miles an hour, but it's impossible to stop. It's a solid sheet of ice. It's the worst I've seen it here in a long time. It's a lot different than snow.

WOLF: People in Oklahoma learned that lesson the hard way. Portions of I-35 and I-44 were coated with the icy slick glaze resulting in hundreds of accidents, spinouts, and several fatalities. Property damage, downed power lines and splintered trees were common. Power outages across the Sooner State numbered in the tens of thousands. And in Missouri it wasn't much better.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There you go.

WOLF: Toppled trees and frozen lines are keeping hundreds of thousands of Missourians in the dark.

Governor Matt Boyd declared a state of emergency and activated the National Guard, but for those without electricity and freezing temperatures expected until midweek, it may be a struggle to stay warm, and a race to get power up and running.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WOLF: And how frustrating it can be for people here that are without power. I could tell you firsthand living here in the St. Louis area, that when you have these kinds of storms, when the power is restored, it can be really frustrating. Very sporadic at times, where in one community, one street, you may have some homes that do have power, and while others don't. They've been in the dark.

I will tell you as weather conditions do improve, and in a way they have improved, you'll see more lights continue to pop up.

Let's talk about that weather very quickly. It's been a double- edged sword here in St. Louis. You have some good news. The good news is that a lot of that moisture has been moving out. Plus, temperatures have been above the freezing point, and were so yesterday and into last evening.

In fact, just 24 hours ago this branch you see right here was coated with about half inch of ice. Not the case now. So the moisture is going. That's the good news. The bad news is that the temperatures are expected to drop even more, in fact, below the freezing point as we get to midweek. Then coupled with that the strong, windy conditions we're expecting are going to help damage some of the trees that -- like the one you see behind me -- has already been weakened by plenty of ice.

So, we're not done just yet. It's going to be frustrating for people as well as those workers who are trying to restore power.

O'BRIEN: We probably should remind folks, if they're using generators, make sure you fire them up outside, right?

WOLF: Absolutely. Absolutely. Carbon monoxide poison is a dangerous, dangerous thing. You want to have plenty of ventilation. Definitely, if you can put those things outside.

O'BRIEN: Reynolds Wolf, in St. Louis, thank you.

Severe Weather Expert Chad Myers will be here with a complete forecast for you about quarter past the hour.

An improbable story of survival this morning. Carolyn Dorn, missing in the New Mexico wilderness nearly six weeks, found alive, but weak, by two brothers on a backpacking trip. Dorn went into the remote Hilla (ph) National Forest on December 6th. Five days into her two-week -- solo trek -- heavy rain and cold temperatures caused a river to rise and it trapped her. She thought it was too cold to try to cross it.

The searchers called off the search for her two weeks ago. No clues found. On Friday brothers Albert and Peter Kottke, happened upon Dorn. She screamed, got their attention. Earlier we spoke to the Cocky brothers about what they saw and heard.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PETER OR ALBERT KOTTKE, FOUND LOST CAMPER: About a mile into the hike we heard what sounded like either an animal or person call from the north bank. It kind of sounded like ew, ew.

And so we stopped, we looked around. We heard the call again. We noticed someone had stumbled out into a clearing and started waving at us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: She was too weak to walk, so they left her some food, water, and a book, and then they hiked 20 miles to get help. The New Mexico National Guard moved in last night, and made the rescue. We hear she's doing fine -- Alina.

CHO: Happy ending. We like to hear that.

Coming up, the latest on the deadly winter storm barreling east this morning. A live look from the storm front, and Chad's forecast is just ahead.

Also, use it or lose it. We'll look at why gift cards are the gifts that keep on giving for retailers.

Drinking and driver is illegal, but what about smoking and driving? A proposal to clear the air for kids in the car, ahead on AMERICAN MORNING. The most news in the morning on CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: Stories we're watching for you now. That's a live briefing you're seeing right there. U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Zalmay Khalilzad, with General George Casey. They are assuring that the Iraqi government is committed to the new American plan to surge troops and spend more money in Iraq. We'll keep watching that one for you.

About 15 minutes past the hour. Let's get a quick of the "Travelers' Forecast". Chad Myers with that.

(WEATHER REPORT)

CHO: A closer look now at the boys found in Missouri, and the questions raised about their time with an alleged kidnapper; 15-year- old Shawn Hornbeck missing for four years, and 13-year-old Ben Ownby, missing for four days, were found and reunited with their families.

And 41-year-old Michael Devlin in custody on kidnapping charges and many are wondering this morning how he was able to keep Hornbeck from his family for all that time. Forensic psychiatrist Helen Morrison joins us now with answers.

Dr. Morrison, thank you for joining us.

DR. HELEN MORRISON, FORENSIC PSYCHIATRIST: Good morning.

CHO: Want to talk a bit about Shawn Hornbeck, the 15-year-old who was missing for four years. Now, here's a boy who was seen riding his bike in the parking lot of his apartment complex, throwing a football with friends. Even saw a picture of himself on a bus stop poster, and, yet, he never tried to escape. Why do you think that is?

MORRISON: One of the things that happens with children who are take taken, first, the initial reaction could be fear, but that doesn't keep an individual that tight. What the individual who is kidnapped begins to develop an emotional bond to his kidnapper.

It's called the Stockholm Syndrome, where the person initially may be fearful, but then becomes part of the kidnapper himself. And appears to lead a normal life, will develop sympathy for the kidnapper, will want to protect the kidnapper. And that may be the primary motivator for Shawn staying there.

You know, fear lasts only so long. Adrenaline lasts only so long, so Mr. Devlin appeared to have been able to bring this boy into him emotionally. So that the boy did not fight him.

CHO: Talk a little bit more about that, because I want to talk about some of the brainwashing techniques used by captors. MORRISON: Yes. Yes. Well, you know, we've seen it in so many cases. We saw it in the Patty Hearst case; we've seen it in the Elizabeth Smart case, where people tend to suddenly become their captor's friend. They don't fight it. They don't come directly out and say, hey, my name is Shawn, or my name is Elizabeth. It's not until they're questioned that they will admit.

And a lot of that happens with children who are in abusive situations, that given the choice, they will stay with the individual who is abusing them because that's what they know. That's the security that they have. We don't know what Mr. Devlin said to these kids. Did their parents not want them anymore? Did the parents just not care? Was Mr. Devlin the only person who would care for them, and take care of them?

CHO: Let's talk about, going forward, the psychological impact on these two children.

MORRISON: Yes.

CHO: One kept for four days, one kept for four years. How do you think this might impact them?

MORRISON: Well, one of the -- the younger boy, the one who was held for a shorter period of time will obviously have some trauma. The trauma of being taken, the trauma of not knowing his situation. He could have nightmares. He could have a lot of anxiety. He could become fearful if he sees the type of vehicle that kidnapped him.

With Shawn, even though he was taken, and reported to have been tied up in this truck, initially, what the long-term effects are going to be with him are going to be related to his lack of sense of attachment, security. And the other thing is the parental reaction. How are the parents going to deal with a child who has been gone for four years that, remember, four years ago that kept his clothes, in the dresser drawer for four years. This is not the same child, so it will be a major adjustment for everyone.

CHO: It certainly will. Forensic psychologist Dr. Helen Morrison. We thank you for joining us this morning.

MORRISON: Thank you for having me.

CHO: A programming note, we will have much more on this story in our next hour. At 8:15 we will talk with a sheriff who investigated Shawn Hornbeck's disappearance, and John Walsh from "America's Most Wanted" will have advice for keeping your kids safe -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: Coming up, a gift card for Christmas? Well, we'll tell you why that card may be a bigger present for retailers, than it is for you. Stay with us for more AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: First this morning, we're still watching the live briefing out of Baghdad. U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Zalmay Khalilzad, with General George Casey, assuring this morning that a short-term troop increase will lead to long-term success in Iraq. We'll keep watching it for you.

So who did you give gifts to this holiday season? Your parents, your children, your spouse. Well, how about your favorite retailer? It's 25 minutes past the hour. Ali Velshi, explain that one for you.

ALI VELSHI, CNN FINANCIAL CORRESPONDENT, AMERICAN MORNING: Good morning to the both of you.

I don't give gift cards for holidays.

O'BRIEN: I don't either. Cash is king.

VELSHI: Yes, I think gift cards are a little bit lazy. It makes you feel like you actually put more thought into it, than giving cash. I don't like getting gift cards either because I keep opening up closets and drawers, and finding them there. Apparently, I'm not alone. Take a look at this.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

VELSHI (voice over): It wasn't PlayStation 3; it wasn't even TMX Tickle Me Elmo. The hottest gift this past holiday season can't be plugged in, played, or cuddled. It was the gift card. Getting a gift card and actually using it are apparently two different things. Americans spent $82 billion on gift cards in 2006, according to the research and advisory firm TowerGroup.

BRIAN RILEY, TOWERGROUP: We know that most of the cards get used, say, about 60 percent get used in the first 30 days of receipt.

VELSHI: OK, so what happens to the other 40 percent? Well, some eventually get used. Some expire. Others get lost, or simply forgotten. TowerGroup estimates that more than $8 billion worth of cards bought in 2006 will never be redeemed.

This isn't a gift card-specific problem. Despite the best of intentions, gym memberships get unused, too. Imagine what would happen if you got a gift card to the gym? By the way, like gym memberships, when you don't use your gift card, the company wins.

RILEY: The large example is Best Buy, who is able to actuarially show that over the course of three years, large numbers of these did not get used, and they were able to recoup them into their revenue stream.

VELSHI: That's a $40 million worth of gift for Best Buy, courtesy of the lazy, forgetful American consumer. And $40 million for Home Depot, as well; $30 million for Limited Brand, which owns Victoria Secret, and some other companies.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VELSHI: Total, absolute freebies because people gave them cash, got a gift card, and someone didn't use them. Fantastic idea, except for when you don't use them.

O'BRIEN: Somebody has to pay for these bonuses these CEOs are getting.

(CROSS TALK)

VELSHI: I guess we are. Thank you.

O'BRIEN: Now you know why you see those gift cards practically everywhere in these stores.

VELSHI: Yes. And when an American consumer picks them up, it's a big fat thank you to the company. I mean, for the people who do use them, they're neat, they're convenient, and they package nicely, but fundamentally, people forget to use them.

Don't forget to use your gift cards. Check your closets.

CHO: Or you loose them.

VELSHI: Or don't loose them. I have them, and I don't even know what's on them. Just packaged gifts for me. I have a wish list on Yahoo.

M. O'BRIEN: We'll send you the link later. What's coming up next?

VELSHI: We are going to be talking about Venezuela. They're nationalizing everything there, and it's affecting markets.

M. O'BRIEN: All right. Thank you, Ali.

O'BRIEN: Top stories are coming up next. An icy, wintry mess on the move this morning. Chad has your forecast.

Overseas, the visit to front lines from Senator Hillary Clinton. What it means for her possible plans for a White House run.

it's illegal to talk on your cell phone and drive in some states. You know that. What about smoking and driving? What about smoking and talking and doing your makeup ask driving? Is that illegal? Yeah.

Anyway, a young boy's idea is gaining some traction. We'll meet him coming up on AMERICAN MORNING. The most news in the morning right here.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

M. O'BRIEN: Mystery in Missouri. Clues emerging from the life of one of those two kidnapped boys in Missouri.

CHO: The new plan for Iraq starting the debate for '08. One potential presidential candidate visits the war zone, while others are taking a stand on the plan.

M. O'BRIEN: And cell phones banned while driving in some parts. Could cigarettes join the list now? Meet the 9-year-old behind the plan on this AMERICAN MORNING. Good morning, Monday, January 15th, I'm Miles O'Brien.

CHO: And I'm Alino Cho in for Soledad this morning. Thanks for joining us.

Happening this morning, a briefing from top U.S. leaders in Iraq. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad and General George Casey just moments ago, General Casey talking about what it will take to make the new plan for Iraq successful.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEN. GEORGE CASEY, CMDR., MULTINATIONAL FORCE IRAQ: And it's not going to happen overnight. But with sustained political support and the concentrated efforts on all sides, I believe that this plan can work.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

CHO: Also new this morning from the Mideast, plans for a three- way summit with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Israel's Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Rice is in Egypt this morning.

A deadly ice storm is moving east. The Missouri National Guard helping clear roads and deliver emergency supplies. At least 18 deaths are blamed on icy roads in Missouri and Oklahoma, 21 total. Hundreds of thousands are still without electricity because of downed power lines.

And in New Mexico an unlikely rescue, a 52-year-old camper named Carolyn Dorn was found after being missing nearly six weeks. Two brothers on a backpacking trip happened upon her on Friday. The search for her had been called off two weeks ago. The brothers left some food and water with her, hiked for 20 miles. New Mexico National Guard moved in last night to bring her in from the cold. Miles?

M. O'BRIEN: Authorities in Missouri are still trying to piece together what happened before the happy ending. Fifteen year old Shawn Hornbeck missing for more than three years, found with 13-year- old Ben Ownby, missing for four days. Both boys talking to police over the weekend. Forty-one year old pizza parlor Manager Michael Devlin in jail on kidnapping charges, additional charges are likely. CNN's Chris Lawrence is in Kirkwood, Missouri with more. Chris, good morning.

CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning Miles. The investigators are trying to answer the question that everyone has been asking -- how could Michael Devlin do what he is accused of? Hiding in plain sight and holding Shawn Hornbeck for more than four years, just about an hour's drive from his own family? Well, we know that they will be not only talking to the boys, but also trying to talk to some of the other children that Shawn may have encountered over the years. We know now -- I can confirm that there has been some internet activity from the house. When I accessed the Yahoo profile for Shawn, interestingly enough, although it is a profile for Shawn, a teenage boy, the internet address is actually -- email address is actually M. Devlin. We know that Michael Devlin has deep roots here in Missouri, he has a lot of family still in the area. In fact, one of his brothers used to work at the same pizza parlor that Devlin was managing.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MIKE PROSPERI, OWNER, IMO'S PIZZA: The people that work for me, I've had for two generations, so, you know, to do background checks, they don't have any background yet because they're only 16 years old, and I've known them since -- 80 percent of them since they were born. I have known their mom and dad, so. Like Mike, you know, I knew his brother Jamie, his brother Pat worked for me, they all worked for me.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

LAWRENCE: The owner has spoken with Devlin's family and says they describe themselves right now as, quote, "lost." Devlin is being held on $1 million bond, and he is expected to be arraigned here in the next couple of days. Miles?

M. O'BRIEN: Chris Lawrence, thank you.

Those who know Michael Devlin this morning scratching their heads, searching their memories, trying to see if there's something they missed, some clue, something odd about them that should have made them suspicious. Bill Romer is Michael Devlin's landlord, Rob Bushelle is one of his neighbors, and they join us from Kirkwood, Missouri this morning. Gentlemen, good morning to you. Bill, I want to begin with you as his landlord, you must have been thinking about, should I have done an additional background check or something along the way, but was there anything that was odd about him as a tenant?

BILL ROMER, MICHAEL DEVLIN'S LANDLORD: No, not really and from my sort of external landlord perspective, he was a fine tenant. He paid his rent on time. He was always pleasant to me. I never received any calls complaining about him directly. In fact, I inherited him as a tenant two years ago. From what I understand, even if I had done a background check, I would have maybe pulled up a traffic violation.

M. O'BRIEN: Because there was nothing there.

ROMER: Right.

M. O'BRIEN: Rob, you had some dealings with him as a neighbor, you were his neighbor for some time, and he had a tremendous attachment to a reserved parking space. Tell us about that.

ROB BUSHELLE, MICHAEL DEVLIN'S NEIGHBOR: I just -- I thought it was peculiar, he called the police on me for parking in his parking spot one time in a building where -- a parking lot where most of the parking is unassigned. There's a few labeled handicapped spots, and it says that the parking was for that building in particular. I was kind of in the spot right next to where he normally parked. Double parked a little bit. He just got completely irate about the situation.

M. O'BRIEN: So he called the police himself.

BUSHELLE: Yes sir, Mr. Devlin.

M. O'BRIEN: He who is alleged to have kidnapped two young boys. Was confident enough to call the police and raise a stink about a parking spot.

BUSHELLE: Yes sir.

M. O'BRIEN: As you look back on that one, what are your thoughts?

BUSHELLE: The gall that he had. You know I can't believe that he would be in the process of a crime and call the police and draw attention to himself.

M. O'BRIEN: Bill, you have been, obviously, thinking about this a lot since this all broke. What are the emotions that come to mind in a case like this when you know a suspect that is linked something like this?

ROMER: I guess sort of confusion and frustration are the biggest ones. I mean, from what I understand, some of Shawn's friends in the area confronted him and actually said you look like Shawn Hornbeck, and he sort of blew the whole thing off, and got away with it. In this apartment complex, I own one building, but the buildings are close together, and there are a lot of people out, especially in warmer weather, and apparently this kid was in plain sight. Michael, obviously, not doing anything much to hide. In fact, you could see right into the back bedroom driving by some nights. It's just kind of frustration over if I could have or should have done anything differently.

M. O'BRIEN: I think a lot of people feel the same way this morning. Bill Romer, Rob Bushelle, thanks for your time this morning.

ROMER: You're welcome.

M. O'BRIEN: Alina?

CHO: President Bush says Congress can't stop him from sending more troops to Iraq. In an interview with CBS News, he says past mistakes are his fault alone.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BUSH: I don't want people blaming our military. We got a bunch of good military people out there doing what we've asked them to do, and the temptation is going to find scapegoats. Well if the people want a scapegoat, they got one right here in me because it's my decisions.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

CHO: AMERICAN MORNING's Bob Franken live for us in Washington this morning. Hey Bob, good morning.

BOB FRANKEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning Alina and I guess we can just add the president's comments to this intensifying political cauldron.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Back into public service.

FRANKEN (voice-over): The military maneuvers are easily matched by the political maneuvers of those who want to replace President Bush. Democratic Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton went all the way to Iraq, as well as Afghanistan and Pakistan and called the Iraq situation heart-breaking. Back home that other not yet announced Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama was touting a nonsupport vote in Congress.

SEN. BARACK OBAMA, (D) ILLINOIS: I think that will send a message that, in fact, there is great skepticism within Congress and certainly among the American people for this plan.

FRANKEN: On the Republican side the iffy runs GOP frontrunner John McCain is so identified with the Bush true tradition that Democrats are calling it the McCain doctrine.

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN, (R) ARIZONA: I believe the consequences of failure in Iraq are catastrophic and we will then have to confront this situation in a more serious fashion in the future if we fail now.

FRANKEN: But there's also a rebellion in the party of McCain and the president from other 2008 presidential mentions.

SEN. CHUCK HAGEL, (R) NEBRASKA: And this is at a time when the public of this country does not support more escalation. No American foreign policy can be sustained without the support of the American people.

FRANKEN: Vice President Cheney insists this is up to the president, not Congress.

CHENEY: So they've got a role to play, and we certainly recognize that, but you also -- you cannot run a war by committee.

(END OF VIDEOTAPE)

FRANKEN: And the leaders of Congress have a debate of their own going on. Just how strongly they want to register their opposition. Alina?

CHO: Bob Franken live for us in Washington. Bob thank you.

Ahead in the next hour, Democratic Congressman Charles Rangel, he's trying to bring back the draft. We will talk to him live at 8:30 eastern time. Miles?

M. O'BRIEN: Coming up on the program, more on that nasty winter storm making its way across the country. Severe weather expert Chad Myers with your ugly forecast in some cases.

And clearing the air inside cars. A proposal to get parents to stop smoking and driving. That's ahead on AMERICAN MORNING. The most news in the morning right here on CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHO: Welcome back, top headlines this Monday morning. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in the Middle East. News this morning that she'll attend three way peace talks with Israelis and Palestinians in the next couple of weeks. And Defense Secretary Robert Gates is assuring NATO in Brussels this morning that the need for more U.S. troops in Iraq will not weaken the American commitment in Afghanistan. Miles?

M. O'BRIEN: There's another interesting twist to the Missouri kidnapping story. Did Shawn Hornbeck have internet access? Did he try perhaps to contact his family through their online message board devoted to finding him? CNN's Jacki Schechner is here to tell us the details of all this. We're trying to piece this together, we really don't know the full story quite yet, do we Jacki?

JACKI SCHECHNER, CNN INTERNET REPORTER: No, there's some online sleuthing going on which is always kind of fun when people can dig in and suss it out in sort of in real time to figure out what's really happening. But there is a blog called true crime blog, and this is run by a man named Steve Huff based out of Georgia. And he and his readers are going through some online profiles. It seems that there were some Yahoo profiles that were created by someone named Shawn Devlin. Now of course CNN can't independently confirm that these are, in fact, Shawn Hornbeck using the name Shawn Devlin. We don't know who created them, but they appear to be in the genre of something that might be created surrounding the circumstance. These Yahoo profiles are now down, so you can't get on to them. There's also a profile created on a website that you might not have heard of called Mind Viz, and this is a social network, much smaller than myspace or some of the other ones you have possibly heard about before. About 300,000 users dedicated to music. There is a profile there also under the name Shawn Devlin. Now of course we don't know if this is something that Michael Devlin set up in Shawn's name. We don't even know if Shawn is aware that these profiles are out there. But that's certainly interesting.

Another thing to take a look at is that Shawn Hornbeck's parents had set up a web community not only to help themselves look for their son, but also to help other parents who had children who were missing. A support system online, if you will. A virtual community of people who can reach out to one another. And in those message boards, two creepy messages, for lack of a better word. One posted by someone named Shawn Devlin saying how long are you planning on looking for your son, and then the following message saying I apologize, I write poetry, I'd like to write a poem in his honor if that would be alright. Now this was in December of 2005, leading some people now to question whether he was actually trying to reach out in some way or if it was Michael Devlin perhaps using his name to get some more information. M. O'BRIEN: Wow. It's -- there's so many twists and turns to go through here. But if he did in fact have internet access and didn't more directly reach out for help, you have to ask why.

SCHECHNER: Well that begs to question. I mean we're talking a lot about Stockholm syndrome and maybe at some point if Shawn became reliant on Michael or if he became sort of sympathetic to him in some way. We've heard about the situation before. The other suspicion floating around online, and again, CNN can't confirm any of this, is that maybe Michael was using Shawn to lure younger children, that perhaps Shawn had grown too old for Michael's interest and that he was looking for younger children. But again, keep in mind this is blog speculation. It's like the world's largest water cooler, and it's the chatter you would have with your friends, except it's happening online, and you have to take it all with a grain of salt until it can be obviously looked into some more and confirmed.

M. O'BRIEN: As long as you take it with a grain of salt, that's important. Jacki Schechner, thank you very much.

(WEATHER REPORT)

CHO: Coming up, a happy ending for two boys kidnapped in Missouri. We'll talk to a lead investigator in the case and John Walsh, the host of "America's Most Wanted" will give us tips on how to keep your kids safe.

Plus, smoking and driving, should lawmakers ban it or should they just butt out? Get it? Stay with us, much more ahead on this AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

M. O'BRIEN: Good news in the fight against Alzheimer's disease. Researchers think they found another gene that can raise the risk of the most common form of Alzheimer's. This one is called SORL 1. If confirmed, it would be the second gene linked to the disease, and that means another step toward a treatment. An estimated 4.5 million Americans have Alzheimer's. Alina?

CHO: Thanks Miles.

You've heard about cell phones being banned behind the wheel. Now one state is considering a smoking ban in cars that have young passengers on board. AMERICAN MORNING's Dan Lothian tells us it's the brainchild of a child.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAN LOTHIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's illegal to drink and drive, and in some cities to drive and talk on the phone. Now if 9-year-old Justin Kvadas get his wish, it will also be illegal to smoke and drive in Connecticut when a young child is in the car.

JUSTIN KVADAS, 9-YEAR-OLD: If you can't talk on a cell phone or eat while driving a vehicle, how come you can still smoke? LOTHIAN: Justin's effort began with a petition and email campaign. Then the 9-year-old got the attention of a Connecticut lawmaker.

HENRY GENGA, CONNECTICUT STATE REP.: He's he is committed to this, and he certainly is a constituent. Good ideas are not affected by age.

LOTHIAN: Representative Genga made some tweaks, then submitted a bill that he says will protect children under the age of seven from second hand smoke.

KVADAS: I think it's cool that this is happening.

LOTHIAN: It's also happening in Bangor, Maine, where the city recently passed an ordinance banning smoking in cars carrying passengers under the age of 18.

CHIEF DON WINSLOW, BANGOR POLICE: They're concerned for the welfare of children who don't have the ability to make decisions as to whether or not they want to be in a car with somebody that smokes like an adult would.

LOTHIAN: And according to the Centers for Disease Control and the American Cancer Society, secondhand smoke can lead to heart disease. Another effect, an increase in the number and severity of asthma attacks in up to one million children each year. But some worry these latest efforts to further restrict smokers go too far.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They're just pick, pick, pick on the smokers. It's pick on someone else.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's all good to keep it away from the kids, but I don't know. Like, where do you draw the line with that?

LOTHIAN (on camera): The Connecticut bill is set to make its way through various committees. The ordinance in Maine is expected to go into effect later this week. Violators there will face fines of up to $50. Dan Lothian, CNN, Boston.

(END OF VIDEOTAPE)

CHO: Now, if the Connecticut bill becomes law, first-time offenders would get a warning, a second offense would mean a $199 fine, and a third offense would be a misdemeanor. By the way, 9-year- old Justin Kvadas is expected to testify at the first committee hearing in Hartford.

Coming up, more on those missing boys in Missouri reunited with their families. We'll talk with the sheriff who investigated both kidnappings.

And honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the public gets its first up close look at some of the words that changed a nation. That's ahead on AMERICAN MORNING, the most news in the morning is on CNN. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

M. O'BRIEN: Just a few minutes before the top of the hour. Hugo Chavez is busy taking over the energy industry in Venezuela, and he probably is after more than that. Ali Velshi is here minding your business. Good morning Ali.

ALI VELSHI: Good morning. For people who didn't know, they don't control everything, the Venezuelan government. They control Citgo, which is the state oil company. But Hugo Chavez gave his state of the nation address to Venezuela the other day on Saturday, and he made this statement. He said we've decided to nationalize the whole Venezuela energy and electricity sector, all of it. Absolutely all of it. All right. So what does that mean? It means that there are oil services companies there that help drill and explore for the oil. Halliburton and Schlumberger are two of them. There are also a number of foreign companies operating in Venezuela who refine the heavy tarry oil into usable crude. They include Chevron, Conoco Phillips, Exxon Mobil, BP's -- Britain's BP, Norway Stat Oil, and France's Total. So it's unclear what this means. Venezuela doesn't finance all of it themselves, they actually get bank loans. Those bank loans don't sort of allow for this we're taking over everything. But Hugo Chavez has been reinaugurated and he's going to be the boss until 2013. So I guess he's flexing some muscle.

M. O'BRIEN: Nationalized or not, they need those companies for their expertise.

VELSHI: This is the fourth largest company that the U.S. gets -- the country that the U.S. gets its oil from. So they can't stop making the oil. So we'll have to see how this all works out.

M. O'BRIEN: Interesting, Ali Velshi, thank you very much.

Some of the other stories we're watching for you this morning, some of the more popular ones. CNN.com, one of the more popular stories, one we've been telling you a lot about this morning. Apparently the police officers who arrested Michael Devlin, who now faces kidnapping charges of those two young boys that, fortunately, are safe and sound -- the police officers knew him well. Devlin was the manager and worked at a pizza parlor for 25 years. The same pizza parlor and they had a rapport with him. Obviously, they went in and had a pie or two over the years. And were responding to another call at the apartment complex and saw the vehicle and kind of put on two and two together and that led to the arrest.

CHO: Yeah, called it in. From the "Los Angeles Times" this morning, cold takes a toll on growers. Farmers begin assessing the damage to fruit, which could half a billion dollars. Apparently very cold out there, 20's and continuing to drop. Potentially catastrophic damage to the avocado, orange, and lemon crops. It's a huge business, $1.3 billion a year for the citrus industry.

M. O'BRIEN: Holy guacamole, right?

CHO: That's right. M. O'BRIEN: All right and from "The Washington Post," you've heard -- let's see we've got kidney transplants, we've got liver transplants, you've got heart transplants, heart-lung transplants, face transplants. How about a uterus transplant? Here in Manhattan they're planning it. A New York downtown hospital is in the final stages of preparing to do a uterus transplant, and there's all kinds of ethical issues that are raised here because the woman's life is not in danger.

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