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CNN Sunday Morning
Detroit Man Arrested for Wife's Murder
Aired March 04, 2007 - 09:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Under arrest, a shocking discovery in a suburban garage leads police to a Detroit husband who is now accused in the grisly killing of his wife. The story we're going to get much more on in a live report from the police there in Michigan, coming up very shortly. But in the meantime, good morning everybody. It is Sunday, March 4th, from the CNN Center here in Atlanta. I'm Betty Nguyen.
T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm T.J. Holmes, good morning to you all. Thanks for being here. Like you said, live news conference in that Michigan killing begins -- expecting it really any minute now. We're going to have that for you live when it does happen. We're keeping an eye on that.
Also, need to tell you about this, the mouth that roared, conservative pundit and you are not seeing the correct video we're supposed to be showing you.
NGUYEN: That's another shocking story that we're going to tell you about.
HOLMES: We're going to get into that as well. But this time we were trying to tell you about Ann Coulter, she's in the middle of another controversy over what she called a Democratic presidential candidate. So stick around for actually both of those stories.
NGUYEN: But first let's get you to our top story today. A husband suspected of chopping up his wife is in custody. Want to give you this story as it is developing this hour out of Michigan. Police there say suspect Stephen Grant was captured in a rural area in Michigan's Wilderness State Park. That area is almost 300 miles from Grant's suburban Detroit home. Grant is accused in the death of his wife Tara Lynn Grant, you see pictures of her there. A torso and body parts of what's believed to be the mother of two were found this weekend near the Grant home. Grant went missing hours before police found the torso in the garage of his home. The search this weekend of a nearby park also turned up what may be other parts of Tara Grant's body. Reporter Glenn Zimmerman of CNN affiliate WXYZ, has more on this developing story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GLENN ZIMMERMAN, WXYZ: We have heard directly from Emmet County Sheriff Pete Whelan that within the past hour Stephen Grant was taken into custody by Emmet County's emergency response team. We also understand that Grant was flown from this area, airlifted with a helicopter sponsored by the Coast Guard. He was taken to a nearby hospital that is where he was en route. I understand that he is going to be checked out and then he's going to be processed. I do not know the condition of which he is in at this point. We do know, though, he was conscious and alive when he was picked up. I'm still trying to find more information from the sheriff to see exactly were he was when he was picked up. I want to give you a little sense of where we are right now. We are just outside of an area called Wilderness State Park, it's in an area called Bliss Township. Just to my left is going to be Lake Michigan, to give you a sense of where we are. We're just a little bit west of the Mackinac Bridge. This is where, in this general area is where that yellow Dodge Dakota that Stephen Grant was driving in was found some time early yesterday evening. Since then, a very extensive search has gone on throughout Bliss Township and throughout Wilderness State Park. At this point, this is what we know, that about 6:30 this morning, that is when the sheriff here in Emmet County reported that Stephen Grant was apprehended, was taken into custody. We're going to have much more on this as more information becomes available. But, for now, we are live here in Emmet County, I'm Glenn Zimmerman, Channel 7 Action News.
(END OF VIDEOTAPE).
HOLMES: We're also getting information this morning now that Stephen Grant is now in serious condition at a hospital there in Michigan. We don't know what might have happened to him, what his injuries may be, why he's in that condition. But word we're getting from hospital officials is that Stephen Grant, the suspect here, is in serious condition. We are working that story, trying to find out exactly what's happening. We may get more information as we get to this press conference here shortly. But we can tell you a little bit more about how he disappeared. He disappeared Friday evening before police actually found a human torso in his garage. According to reports, as police served a search warrant, Grant asked if he could walk his dog. Police believe Grant then left the area in a friend's pickup truck.
NGUYEN: So who were the Grants, along with many other questions in this case? Michael Rosenfeld from affiliate WXYZ talks to the neighbors.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just too close. It's just too close.
MICHAEL ROSENFELD, WXYZ REPORTER: The next door neighbors, Dan and Diane Masco, reeling after learning what was found just outside their window in the Grants' garage.
DIANE MASCO: The only thing I can think of is he had to have snapped because that's not the person I know. Something had to cause him to go off the edge.
ROSENFELD: The Mascos knew the Grants well, describing Tara as someone who made sure the au pairs were trained well for the couple's two children. Stephen as a doting father. D. MASCO: They played with them and played ball and taught the little boy to ride the bike, taught the girl to ride the bike. He took the girl to dance lessons. And he took both of them --
NGUYEN: All right, we need to break into coverage right now because a news conference is under way right now in Michigan. Let's take a listen to what they've found in this case.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They were able to apprehend him early this morning in a wooded area. Again, I understand it was a very difficult search, a difficult find. They found the vehicle late last night and obviously, they were under the understanding that he was in and around that wooded area. They did locate him early this morning, there were some concerns, there were issues regarding his health in this particular situation. So he was airlifted to a northern hospital where he is currently at. I understand there are some concerns about his condition at this time. We don't know that we're going to actually be bringing him back here to the McComb County sheriff's office today. It may take a couple of days because of what I understand his current condition and what that is I'm going to get specific on. But for the most part, we do believe he will be coming back here within a very short period of time to answer to the charges of the murder of his wife, Tara Lynn Grant. Now that we have concluded this part of the investigation and this search, we are going to continue today and currently we are now in the process of searching back in the area of the Stoney Creek Metro Park for obviously he remains of Tara Lynn Grant. We're trying to do that obviously for evidentiary purposes, as well as for closure for the family. I will take any questions you may have at this time.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Can you describe the arrest at all or was there any kind of struggle? Did he go willingly? Did he say anything?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I just got off the phone with the sheriff from Emmet County and he had mentioned there really was no confrontation. I think his physical condition prevented him from actually getting into any type of confrontation with law enforcement. There are many issues regarding the actual search itself and things that they were able to uncover. Again, I apologize for not getting too specific, but it might be germane to the investigation. For the most part, he was not in a condition to run any more or obviously to flee. However, we do understand that there was quite a bit of walking that took place in this park area. Near the end of it, that he did attempt to jog for the past couple of hours. So up until the time they actually apprehended him or captured him, he was still on the move. There were a couple of occasions where apparently he did lay down and try to find shelter or warmth throughout the evening, but for the most part, he is now obviously in police custody.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Did he have winter clothes on or hats or gloves or boots?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Again, I am not going to get specific about his attire.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What time was it that they actually caught up with him this morning?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was early this morning. The exact time I do not have.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do they have any idea where he was headed or where he'd been, why he went there in the first place?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, I don't have that information yet.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: His attorney said he was suicidal. Did you find anything on him, a suicide note or did he make any comments about suicide?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The attorney has mentioned many things throughout this investigation. So you know the account of their conversation I really don't know. It's been difficult, the attorney- client privilege thing has been brought to our attention numerous times. I know there's been debate about the search warrant and the current search warrant issue of not being on his fax machine. However, let it be known that the search warrant itself, along with the actual register of what was taken, has been left at the home because we were under the assumption by the attorney that Mr. Grant was going to turn himself in and that he would be back at his home. So that search warrant, along with the tabulation, is sitting on the counter of Mr. Grant's home. So following procedures like we have down throughout this entire case, we continue to do that and I understand that he's concerned more so because it's not on his fax machine. But for the most part, it has been registered and it is at the Grant Family home.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Are you concerned at all about his statement saying that -- questioning the fact that you did execute that search warrant and the judge's decision?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Really I'm not concerned about any of the questioning he has over this case whatsoever. We have been very methodical in this investigation. We have been very much interested in obviously protecting Mr. Grant's individual rights in this particular case, but we also understand Tara Lynn Grant's, actually respecting her rights. Obviously she is a victim in this case, a very tragic ending to her life. And obviously someone who has been very elusive to law enforcement is going to be held accountable. We wanted to make sure everything we did in this investigation was going to be such that it's going to be very difficult for any attorney to want to fight this case. And obviously for him to get off on any technicality, any legal issues. Again, those are things the prosecutor's going to have to deal with when it goes to court. But we from the law enforcement have had them involved right from the onset and we're making sure everything we did was to ensure that Mr. Grant's rights weren't violated. We're confident of that.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did you talk to some of Tara Grant's family today?
NGUYEN: You've been listening to police there in Michigan as we're learning more about the capture of Stephen Grant, a 37-year-old father and husband who is now accused of killing and dismembering his wife, Tara Lynn Grant. We have a picture there of Stephen Grant who was captured this morning in Wilderness State Park about 300 miles from his home there in Michigan. There is a picture of Tara Lynn Grant. We have learned through police what is believed to be her torso was found in the garage of their family home. In fact, other body parts were also found in a nearby park. According to police, they are still searching that park for more remains. What is really interesting and what we have just recently learned is the fact that Stephen Grant had to be airlifted to the hospital today. His condition is described as serious. Now, we don't know exactly the injuries involved here, but we were told by police that he was not able to run or flee from them during that search of the Wilderness Park. But, again, the most important news that we have learned is that Stephen Grant is in custody and the investigation is under way. As soon as we get any more on this just bizarre case, we'll bring it to you live, right hear on CNN.
HOLMES: Well, we've got some wild video to show you here. We're going to roll this for you and see if you can make out or even believe what you're seeing. Hope to get that video for you. What the video does show is two brothers, a 2-year-old and a 5-year-old, smoking. In fact, they're not just smoking some cigarette, they're supposedly smoking a blunt, you know, a marijuana cigar. Allegedly given to the boys by their 17-year-old uncle and his 18-year-old friend. Can you believe what you are seeing in these pictures? Both of the teenagers now are facing charges.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHIEF BRUCE URE, WATAUGA, TEXAS POLICE: I've never seen anything like this. It's quite so disturbing. Our children count on us to protect them. These individuals did everything but protect those children. They have scarred them, and it's just absolutely horrific.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: The children have now been turned over to child protective services. We heard a little bit there from the Watauga Police Chief, Bruce Ure, he'll be joining us live at the bottom of the hour. We have certainly much more on another just puzzling story with video.
NGUYEN: Shocking, to say the least.
Well brothers traveling together to Florida when a predawn tragedy strikes.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was laying there, it was dark, I couldn't see a whole lot. The first thing I thought was, you know, where's A.J.? And I need to get a hold of my family right away.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Their emotional story that is coming up in 20 minutes. Also --
HOLMES: No that is not Miss America. That is actually our own Soledad O'Brien looking like Miss America. She's being honored this weekend. We'll tell you why a little later on CNN SUNDAY MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Ann Coulter appears to have done it again. These comments now some new ones from this conservative pundit, bringing bad reactions from both political parties. CNN's Rick Sanchez has the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RICK SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): Yeah, we know and you probably know, too. Ann Coulter gets a lot of attention and a lot of airtime by being outrageous, being a name-caller, being Ann Coulter.
ANN COULTER, CONSERVATIVE COMMENTATOR: Gore and Hollywood are now telling us that --
SANCHEZ: Coulter is known for comments about liberals. But Friday night in front of a friendly crowd of fellow conservatives, Coulter by many definitions, went too far.
COULTER: I was going to have a few comments on the other Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards, but it turns out that you have to go into rehab if you use the word "faggot." So I'm kind of at an impasse, can't really talk about Edwards so I think I'll just conclude here.
SANCHEZ: Is it politics or provocation? And if it is provocation, is this a new low for a self-described pot stirrer who has aimed low before, even against 9/11 widows when she wrote, "I've never seen someone enjoying their husbands' death so much." That led to this on the "Today Show."
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So why can't they make their points --
COULTER: You're getting testy with me.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, I'm just -- I think it's a dramatic statement.
COULTER: He is literally the man at our embassies who made sure the plumbing was working. She's not qualified for the position. This isn't, like, you know, best employee of the month.
BILL MAHER: But you didn't make that objection with every other of George Bush's appointments.
COULTER: It never occurred to us that he'd nominate, as you say, the cleaning lady. We thought this was clear!
SANCHEZ: The target of her insult this time -- candidate John Edwards, is running with it, making political hay and political money.
COULTER: You have to go into rehab if you use the word faggot.
SANCHEZ: He's posted her comments on his website uncensored and using it to solicit campaign donations to "fight back against the politics of bigotry."
(END OF VIDEOTAPE) HOLMES: Ann Coulter told "The New York Times" that she was just joking. CNN has place several calls to Coulter to get her response. We have not yet heard back from her or her people, but we have heard from others, including Democratic National Chairman Howard Dean who said, "While Democrats and Republicans may disagree on the issues, we should all be able to agree that this kind of vile rhetoric is out of bounds." Also, Republican Senator John McCain called the comments, "Wildly inappropriate."
NGUYEN: Mitt Romney was the big winner at that same conservative conference where Ann Coulter made her comments. Now Romney captured 21 percent of the vote among the predominantly 18 to 25 year olds at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington. Rudy Giuliani was second in the group's straw poll on who they support for the 2008 Republican nomination. Senator Sam Brownback was third, and Senator John McCain, who chose not to appear at that conference finished fifth with just 12 percent of the vote.
HOLMES: Well on the Democratic side, the front runners Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton both in Selma, Alabama today. They're involved in events honoring the 1965 civil rights march there and CNN's Mary Snow joins us now live from Selma, Alabama where these two front runners not too far from each other today. Hello to you, Mary.
MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi there T.J., good morning. And you know people here are calling this another historic day, the fact that two Democratic candidates are here in Selma to mark bloody Sunday. Senator Barack Obama already out this morning greeting supporters at a nearby community college. But later this morning, both Senator Obama and Senator Clinton will be speaking at separate churches just down the block from one another, and they'll speaking almost simultaneously. We're already seeing lines outside these churches of people waiting to get in. Now, add another element to the mix -- late last week, former President Bill Clinton also announcing that he, too, is coming here to Selma. This will mark the first public appearance he's made with his wife since she decided and announced in January she's seeking the Democratic nomination.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SNOW (voice-over): Enter Bill Clinton into what is promising to be a political showdown between his wife, democratic presidential hopeful Senator Hillary Clinton and her rival Senator Barack Obama. Both candidates are scheduled to be within shouting distance of each other in Selma, Alabama. They'll be on hand to mark the 42nd anniversary of the bloody civil rights march that helped lead the way towards ending segregation. Former President Clinton is no stranger to Selma, will be inducted into the voting rights hall of fame. But the focus will likely be on presidential politics.
There's no white politician in America who is more popular in the African-American community than Bill Clinton, so she has a very strong card to play.
SNOW: Some political observers suggest Senator Clinton may be needing to use that card. A recent poll showed that among black Democrats Obama now leads. Clinton had been ahead in January. Some black Democrats say both are good picks.
REP. JOHN LEWIS, (D) GEORGIA: It's a very difficult position to be in. But it's a good position to be in. We have choices.
SNOW: But it's not just a choice between Obama and Clinton, some say. It's also a choice between the Clintons.
LEWIS: There is a great deal of loyalty among African-Americans for Bill Clinton. The question is whether or not that loyalty transfers to Hillary Clinton and that's really the test that she's going to have to meet.
SNOW: Part of that test, say some political observers, will be how she appears alongside her husband. Selma marks the couple's first major public appearance together since Senator Clinton announced in January she's seeking the Democratic nomination.
STUART ROTHENBERG, THE ROTHENBERG POLITICAL REPORT: There is, of course, something of a risk that when the Clintons appear next to one another sometimes Bill can outshine her.
(END OF VIDEOTAPE)
SNOW: And certainly the link to African-American voters will be closely watched here today. Some of the people I've been talking with this morning say they really do feel torn. Recently I spoke with Congressman Artur Davis of Alabama. He is endorsing Senator Obama, but he says that it's a good thing that there is such fierce competition for the African-American vote.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. ARTUR DAVIS, (D) ALABAMA: Senator Obama is not taking the black vote for granted, nor should he. Senator Clinton is not conceding the black vote, nor should she. I think that that's a positive thing.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
SNOW: Now, after the church services this morning, there will be a commemorative march, and this will be closely watched because this will really be the first time that Senator Clinton and Senator Obama will be in the same place at the same time. Will they march side by side? It remains to be seen. But certainly a lot of excitement here in Selma. T.J.?
HOLMES: Oh, they'll be close by. Will they be side by side? Well all eyes will be on that. Mary, thank you so much. Of course, our eyes will be on it. You can stay hear with us if you'd like to get a peek at it. We're going to have live coverage of the Obama and Clinton march on "LATE EDITION" with Wolf Blitzer, of course that's coming up at 11:00 a.m. eastern.
NGUYEN: Check this out -- police and protestors clash for the third night in Denmark. We're going to take a closer look at what is sparking all of these demonstrations.
HOLMES: But first -- slipping away. Just in case you missed it, we've got the lunar eclipse cued up, ready to roll for you on this CNN SUNDAY MORNING, we will be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: No flying need. The moon put on a big show all on its own with a total lunar eclipse.
HOLMES: Well, hopefully you got a chance to check it out, I know we didn't.
NGUYEN: Well we didn't. But, if you were like us, others were watching, thankfully, and videotaping. Just check this out. Here is CNN's Reynolds Wolf with pictures of that big -- no, did you see it with your own eyes, Reynolds?
REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Dude, I have a 9-month-old daughter who parties like a rock star. Mean I have to sleep when I can, what are you talking about? No, actually I did step out and see it, but it was a little bit too late for me. I only saw it as it was just kind of fizzling out. But we are lucky enough to have some great video and some iReports for you. Let's start off with some great video. And there you go. Look at that, it just looks fantastic. It's basically just the earth's shadow on the moon. Again, it's going to be shown -- you'll be able to see it if you missed it this time, on August 28th. Here is a shot that we have, this is from Bill Chevis, he is originally from the Dominican Republic, however he lives in southeast London. He positioned his camera in order to get street lights out of the picture. He took about half past 10:00. And Sarah took this shot that you see right there from her balcony in Madrid, Spain and she took the picture about 1:00 a.m. central European time and she and watched the entire thing without a cloud in the sky with clear, beautiful stars. Beautiful pictures, beautiful pictures. So if you didn't get to stay up, you have the benefit of seeing them. There you go?
NGUYEN: Hey, that's why we're here, right?
WOLF: Absolutely, that is exactly why we're here. Thank heavens for iReports.
NGUYEN: Job security. Thank you, Reynolds.
WOLF: Thanks, dude.
NGUYEN: Well we do want to tell you about a story of survival. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm very confused. I lost one of my best friends. I lost four of my best friends, four of my teammates. But yet, my brother and I survived.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP) NGUYEN: Well as brothers traveling on that Atlanta bus, they escape serious injury, but their emotional story, we're going to show you that straight ahead.
NGUYEN: Ooh, ring that bell, please! A welcome sound on Wall Street at the end of a wild week. But what sparked the freefall, we're going to take a closer look that is straight ahead.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: NASCAR is a popular sport. It reaches more than 75 million fans, and it's the second most-watched sport on TV.
BRIAN FRANCE, CEO NASCAR: Everybody drives a car. You don't always play, you know, one sport or another sport. So we have that as an inherent advantage. Then the other thing is, it translates well on television.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: France attributes much of NASCAR's success to his employees.
FRANCE: We keep track of the best people. In the end, I don't care if you're in auto racing or in any other business, it's going to get down to ideas and people.
(END OF VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Hello again and welcome back to you all, I'm T.J. Holmes.
NGUYEN: Good morning, T.J.
HOLMES: Hello there.
NGUYEN: And I'm Betty Nguyen. Straight ahead, we do have a story that you have to see to -- we've been talking about it.
HOLMES: All morning.
NGUYEN: Home video out of Texas that police says shows two children no older than five years old smoking pot. We'll show you that tape and talk to a police official about a case.
But first -- new developments in the arrest of a husband suspected of killing and dismembering his wife. A news conference just moments ago, Michigan authorities announced Stephen Grant was captured in northern Michigan and airlifted to a hospital. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHERIFF MARK HACKEL, MACOMB COUNTY, MICHIGAN: No. suspect, the only suspect, in this particular case is now in custody for the murder and mutilation of his wife, Tara Lynn Grant. Obviously, he has attempted to elude authorities since reporting this actually -- as he reported a missing person since February 14, Valentine's Day. He's been extremely elusive and I think, as many of us know, just some of the comments he's made publicly about this particular case, he had by no means any interest in obviously turning himself in for this particular crime.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Now, Grant is accused in the death of his wife, Tara Lynn Grant. A torso and body parts of what's believed to be the mother of two were found in and near the Grant home.
HOLMES: And now look at this video we were just talking about that was discovered by police near Dallas, Texas. Two youngsters, that's a two and a 5-year-old, apparently taking hits from a blunt, that's a marijuana cigar and standing by, apparently encouraging the boys, are two teenagers, and one of them was a kid -- 17-year-old uncle.
Joining me on the phone now from Watauga, Texas is the director of Public Safety Chief Bruce Ure.
Sir, thank you for giving us a moment. And you just tell me, when you saw this video, how did you react?
CHIEF BRUCE URE, WATAUGA, TEXAS POLICE: Well, good morning, T.J. the video is just -- it's unbelievable. It's horrific, appalling. We expect our parents or we expect adults to take care of our children, and these two individuals obviously weren't doing that. They were doing quite the opposite.
HOLMES: Now, is this the case of you just got a few guys sitting around being stupid? Were they high already when they thought this might be funny?
URE: You know, it's undetermined right now. But when you view the video, you can see them laughing. They're giving obscene gestures; they're passing the blunt back and forth to the children. They're smoking the marijuana as well; we would assume that they're high also.
HOLMES: OK, you got two teenagers here who are being charged. Is there a third person with the camera or is that one of the teenagers, as well?
URE: No there is a third -- we have a third suspect in this and he's a juvenile and we're currently investigating that right now.
HOLMES: OK, and where was the mother in all this. URE: Well, we're led to believe that the mother was asleep in the bedroom in the back. And again, that's part of the ongoing investigation.
HOLMES: And do we know, are these kids all right? I mean, a young person like that, a child, doesn't exactly know how to inhale a smoke like that, so maybe they weren't inhaling or do you have evidence that maybe these kids were taking this stuff is in and are the kids OK?
URE: That's a good question, T.J. The short-term effects on marijuana go anywhere from problems with memory, learning, disordered perception. The long-term effects, I mean, studies have shown that PHC damages cells and tissues in the body and at this particular age, 2 years and 5 years old, we can only assume that it's devastating to their body.
HOLMES: Oh, man, I hate to hear that, sir. This is some unbelievable video that has just a lot of folks in shock this morning. And we understand, as well, the kids are now in Child Protective Services. Is that correct?
URE: That is correct. They are in protective custody.
HOLMES: Well Chief Bruce, you're director of Public Safety, there. Sir, thank you for taking some time out with us and updating us and our viewers and, boy, good luck with this case. And some amazing, amazing video. Never seen anything like it. Thank you, sir.
URE: You're very welcome, T.J.
NGUYEN: Well, speaking of updates -- we do want to get you one on that fatal bus crash in Atlanta. Federal investigators suggest the design of the highway exit was an accident just waiting to happen. In fact, the NTSB says the rare left exit ramp off of I-75 has been the site of numerous accidents over the years. Officials suspect the bus driver did not realize he had left the interstate and because there is no indication, he tried to brake before the bus plowed through the intersection and off of that overpass. They admit they may never know all the answers that they are seeking.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KITTY HIGGINS, NTSB BOARD MEMBER: Unfortunately, the bus was not equipped with an event data recorder, so we will not have as much data as we had hoped. We will continue to examine the bus for any other electronic data devices that might give us additional information. We'll be looking for electronic data that might be provided by the engine and also the transmission.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Four college students, the driver and his wife were killed.
HOLMES: You certainly imagine it's scary enough to have one child on that bus and survive that crash. Can you imagine having two go through such a horrible ordeal? Well, brothers A.J. and Mike Ramthun were both injured in that crash and our Nicole Lapin spoke with then about their ordeal. Listen to how Mike Ramthun recalls how his first thoughts after the wreck were for his brother.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MIKE RAMTHUN, BUS CRASH SURVIVOR: That was all those people are praying for us. I just remember getting tossed around. Next thing I know, I was just laying there, and my leg was caught and I think the reality that we just fell off an overpass was just, you know, shocked everyone, they didn't know what to do. Two of my friends ran up to me and, you know, "Mike, you're caught. We'll try to pick the bus up." I was laying there. It was dark, couldn't a whole lot and the first thing I thought was, you know, where's A.J. and I need to get a hold of my family right away and tell them that, you know, we were in a wreck because I figure it'd be on TV, that bad a wreck. And just tell them I was OK. That was all I could think about was where's my -- where's A.J.?
I just didn't want to -- I don't' know. I just couldn't see myself going back to school without him. I just got so scared and he came around that corner, and I saw him all beat up and I knew -- and he was walking so, I was so happy and I just gave him a big hug.
Baseball is kind of far from our minds right now. Just getting back home to family and friends is going to be a step in the right direction for all of us.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: And as of Saturday night, eight of the college baseball players remained in the hospital, two of them in critical condition.
NGUYEN: Well, it seems like when former fed chairman, Alan Greenspan, talks, the market still listens. And up next, we are going to tell you why comments he made about a possible recession have helped put Wall Street into a freefall.
HOLMES: And then a bit later -- a stolen painting puts Steven Spielberg between a Rockwell and a hard place. We'll explain.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Wall Street's wild ride this week ended with the market closing down on Friday more than 100 points. This week's volatility marked the biggest weekly decline since January of 2003. And based on last week's performance some investors are concerned about a recession. Yes the "R" word. But economists say it is former fed chair, Alan Greenspan's recent comment that's causing all of this panic. Mike Santoli, senior editor of "Barron's," a weekly publication for investors joins us live from New York. Thanks for being with us.
Michael SANTOLI, SR EDITOR, "BARRON'S": Glad to be here, thanks. NGUYEN: All right, we mentioned it earlier and it's still true, former fed chairman, Alan Greenspan, when he talks, people listen. But my question to you is -- do you agree that there are signs that are signaling possibly a recession could be on the way?
SANTOLI: Well, I think what Greenspan was saying is sort of highlighting the heightened risk that, in fact, the economy might move toward recession later this year. He certainly kind of backed off that later and said he wasn't saying it was a probable scenario. And I think the weight of the evidence is still against the idea that the economy will slip into recession foreseeable. I will point out, though, it's notoriously difficult to predict a recession. Greenspan didn't predict the last one...
NGUYEN: We'd all be millionaires if we could predict like that. Right?
SANTOLI: Right.
NGUYEN: Hey, let me ask you this, though. Even though you say that a recession may not be headed our way, what are some of the signs to look for? And tell us why you don't think that they're here.
SANTOLI: Well here's what we have. The housing and automotive sectors are essentially in recession, meaning that production and sales haven been in decline on a year over year basis. That's the big negative and of course, the housing sector is creating a lot of stress at the lower end of the mortgage market, a lot of credit defaults. That could lead to banks tightening standards, which they are doing and we have a lot of consumer debt out there to service so that if the lending pipeline gets a little bit thinner, it's not going to help consumers.
On the other hand, consumer spending in aggregate has not really suffered. The job market remains relatively healthy, unemployment rate below five percent is pretty good. Wages have started to move up and I would say the corporate sector, companies have just a ton of cash. They have an ability to spend and hire. Those are the -- basically the opposing forces that suggest that overall we're not, at least, at the precipice of a recession.
NGUYEN: But Mike, last week we saw the stock market took a huge dive. Now, was that just a correction or is it a sign of more things to come?
SANTOLI: You know, the difference between a correction and maybe the start of a bear market are really only evident in retrospect. I would say that there was really a confluence of events, this cocktail of bad news starting with Greenspan. But by the way, the market had a whole day to digest Greenspan's comments before it really took that tumble on Tuesday. You had that, you had a weak number on durable good orders in the United States, and of course, the real sharp pull- back in the Chinese market pointing out that we have this globally linked marketplace now, where ripples really just, essentially, go across the world instantly. This was a market, also, looking for an excuse to sell after eight months rising steadily. So, you can't really conclude from the stock market's reaction that it's making an economic forecast, at least in the near-term basis.
NGUYEN: All right, quickly, I'm going to ask you to look into your crystal ball, because you investor guys always have one of those.
SANTOLI: Sure.
NGUYEN: So, as we go into next week, are we going to see more selling? And what should investors do?
SANTOLI: You know, we should stabilize here at some point. I'd be very surprised, though, if last week's lows were the ultimate lows for the near-term. It seems like you have some sellers who are emboldened right now. I would point out, though, that we're barely down at all year to date. Last year the market was up 16 percent, so there are lots of gains still to be taken, if in fact we're not going to higher right away. I don't think at this point, it's a panic point, but you should be prepared for like a three to five percent further decline before we necessarily gain our footing.
NGUYEN: All right, Mike Santoli, senior editor of "Barron's." Thanks so much for your time.
SANTOLI: My pleasure. Thanks.
HOLMES: Well, now it's time for us to check in with Howard Kurtz in Washington to see what's ahead on CNN RELIABLE SOURCES.
Good morning, Howard.
HOWARD KURTZ, RELIABLE SOURCES: Good morning. We'll be talking about Dana Priest, the reporter who covered the deplorable conditions at Walter Reed. She'll be joining us to talk about here work on that story and the firing of the army secretary.
Al Gore attacked for not living up to his global warming rhetoric just moments after winning an Oscar. Were the media used by a small conservative group?
And television is scandalized by topless photos of an "American Idol" contestant and keep showing those pictures again and again.
Plus NBC News president, Steve Capus, will talk to us about Brian Williams' secret trip to Iraq. He's in that country this morning. That's ahead on RELIABLE SOURCES.
HOLMES: Boy, you all got a lot of stuff going on, even threw in some topless photos in there. All right, Howard, we'll see you at the top of the hour for sure.
NGUYEN: Well, leave it to you T.J. to point that out. But hey, let me point this out. Residents are fed up after a third night of violence in the Danish capital, Copenhagen. Young people from Denmark and some from neighboring countries protesting the eviction of squatters from the so-called "Youth House." More than 600 people have been arrested since clashes started on Thursday. As you know, the news never stops and neither does CNN. The case of those pups -- those stolen puppies, well, if it hadn't been such a frightening crime, it may have been funny as you see them trying to grab all of these little puppies. It's like, I don't know, trying to catch cats. Not easy.
HOLMES: Not easy to do.
Also coming up, CNN AMERICAN MORNING so-anchor Soledad O'Brien in the spotlight. In just a few minutes we'll talk to her about her big night and maybe about that dress.
NGUYEN: She looked lovely.
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NGUYEN: Well, those Yorkies, finally -- I know you were worried.
HOLMES: I was concerned, Betty.
NGUYEN: I know. But they're back home, at least most of them. You got to take a look at this video, though. You may recall these pure-bred puppies were snatched in a daring home robbery nine days ago in Los Angeles.
HOLMES: Yeah, this is like $10,000 running around on the floor, there.
NGUYEN: They're hard to catch.
HOLMES: Security video shows one teenager waving a gun while his accomplice rounded up the pricy pups that are actually worth $2,500 apiece. One alleged dognapper turned himself in after he was confronted by his pops -- yeah, his dad, about those puppies. All but one of the dogs now has been recovered.
NGUYEN: And check out the painting by Norman Rockwell this man is pointing to. See it there? OK. Steven Spielberg bought it 17 years ago in a legitimate art sale, all was well until Spielberg's staff recently spotted it on an FBI website of stolen art.
HOLMES: Legit, huh, Mr. Spielberg? Hmmm. No just kidding. Actually, his staff contacted the authorities themselves and they confirmed the painting titled "Russian School Room" was indeed a missing Rockwell painting that had been stolen in 1973. Spielberg will be able to retain custody of that $700,000 painting while the ownership issue is all worked out.
NGUYEN: All right, hopefully you've in your breakfast because if you're expecting a delivery from DHL, you may want to open that with a lot of care because there's been a mix-up of, of all things, human body parts.
HOLMES: Preserved remains, yes, were in a shipment of boxes to a medical lab in Michigan. Two of the boxes broke open during the shipping, more than two dozen body parts in bubble wrap got scattered all over the place.
NGUYEN: Can you imagine?
HOLMES: It now appears they were mixed in with other deliveries.
NGUYEN: Yes, the gruesome mistake was a shock to the Michigan couple, obviously. They were expecting some furniture. It turned out they had a liver and a head. And yes, we don't have video of this, thank goodness. As creepy as it is, officials say the body parts pose no health hazard. Well, that's good news.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm proud to present the President's Award to Soledad O'Brien.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Look at her. A huge honor for our friend and colleague, Soledad O'Brien. She received the President's Award at last night's NAACP Image Awards. She was recognized for her dedication not only to the stories that she reports, but the people behind those stories.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN'S American MORNING: It is a privilege to cover some of the most important stories of our time and to, at times, be a voice for people who have no voice, to shine a light on places that sometimes people would prefer to ignore, to ask the uncomfortable questions.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: In fact, those awards were on Friday. We all watched it here. We've been watching it all the weekend long and Soledad joins us now by phone.
First of all, we want to say congratulations to you.
O'BRIEN: Hey, thank you. Thank you. How cute was that dress?
NGUYEN: Well, you know, T.J. has been eyeing that all morning. You look lovely. You look like you just won Miss America or something.
O'BRIEN: Oh man, I'm so squeezed into that dress it's not even funny. I couldn't walk.
NGUYEN: Well, what was that like? I mean, what an amazing accomplishment, the President's Award.
O'BRIEN: It was such a thrill. It was such a nice night. And I got to tell you the strangest thing was to, you know, to see Jennifer Hudson who won an award and Mary J., who I'm a big fan of. I mean, it was just -- it was such a night of these stars and I just got to gawk at them on the red carpet and it was such a special award because it was really a tribute to some of the work that I did, and all of our colleagues, you included, Betty, covering Hurricane Katrina, of course. So, it was just a really -- it was wonderful night and the guy sitting next to me, they show cutaways of, that's my little brother Orestes, who was my guide down the red carpet, because my husband stayed home with our kids. So, it was great. It was great. It was a great night.
NGUYEN: I thought it was such a touching moment when you mentioned your brother and your sister. Andy you talked a little bit about your family and where you've come from because you have come a long way, Miss Soledad.
O'BRIEN: From Long island, New York, man. You know, but the truth is that I was raised in a family where my parents truly -- you know, said and truly believed that we could be anything we wanted to as long as we worked hard. And I think that, you know, when you're raised that way it's incredibly helpful.
And I think it's also -- it helps you in your coverage, you know, because you just get out there and try to do good work and not think about anything other than the story and when you work that way, you know, later you sort of reap the rewards, which is such a shock, honestly, to be recognized for something that was such an important story that, you know, we were all just knee-deep in that story, so it's really -- it's just a thrill. It's -- you know, I'm speechless. And they did a musical tribute -- India Arie, who I'm a huge fan of, you know, did a tribute to me. I couldn't believe it. I almost fell out of my chair. What a shock.
NGUYEN: But what you did, though, is gave tribute to people who've been through so much with Hurricane Katrina and you talked a little bit about the project you're helping with in telling the stories of these young people who are still going through a lot in their lives.
O'BRIEN: Oh, it's so sad. You know, I think there's say sense because in a lot of ways the story has moved on, that it's all good, it's fine. You know, I meet people who say, is it really that bad still? And the answer is yes, very bad.
We did -- we started handing out cameras to these 12 or so young people. They've been sending us -- just recently sending us back that videotape of this for this project, we're calling "Children of the Storm" and they just record their lives. Spike Lee is helping us with this. You know, we said, just tell us about your day, what you're dealing where. And in some ways their day it's just completely mundane, you get up, brush your hair, you do your hair, the girls you put your makeup on. And in other ways, their day is just disastrous.
Some people drive 90 minutes to get to high school. Some people, you know, have to walk out of their trailer and walk to their grandmother's trailer because their trailer has no heat and no hot water. I mean, it's just such a hard living situation for these kids and so we really are using their tapes to tell their stories.
NGUYEN: Well, thank you so much for shining a light on those stories and all the important ones that you do. We are so proud of you. We truly are.
O'BRIEN: Thank you. You're so nice. Thank you.
NGUYEN: Well, have a wonderful day. And to our viewers, be sure to watch Soledad and co-anchor Miles O'Brien, weekdays on CNN's American MORNING starting at 6:00 a.m. Eastern.
Coming up -- a "Washington Post" investigation into conditions at Walter Reed Hospital force resignations at the highest levels of army leadership. Howard Kurtz takes a closer look at that controversy, straight ahead on RELIABLE SOURCES.
HOLMES: And at Noon Eastern on LATE EDITION with Wolf Blitzer, the political implications of this morning's so-called "Showdown in Selma."
NGUYEN: And an hour later at 1:00, don't miss this -- are expectations just too high for next week's sit-down with Iraq and its neighbors? CNN's John Roberts examines the issues on THIS WEEK AT WAR.
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