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Iraq War Funding Battle Escalates; Tsunami Devastates Solomon Islands

Aired April 02, 2007 - 15:00   ET

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

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Hello. I'm Don Lemon, live at the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta.
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Brianna Keilar.

An armed standoff in Ohio -- police surround a house in suburban Columbus where an escaped inmate is believed to be holed up, after a dramatic chase. We're there for the latest developments.

LEMON: And the stakes go up in the political poker game over funding the war in Iraq. The Senate's top Democrat looks at the president's threatened veto and says he will call a vote on a tougher deadline.

You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.

A developing story happening right now in the CNN NEWSROOM -- you are looking at a picture of Billy Jack Fitzmorris, 34 years old. He's an escaped prisoner. He escaped this morning from custody from authorities in Ohio and then sent them on a police chase. It's believed that on his way to this home or business where he is holed up now that he robbed several banks.

Police say they were taking him to the hospital, when he escaped. He had a shank, took a service revolver from one of the officers there, and then stole a -- an officer's uniform, kicked in the door of this home, or this structure. It is believed to be a business. It is a mixed-use residence, as we call it, businesses and homes in this area.

As he kicks the door in on the bottom floor, on the second floor, an employee jumps out of the window here. And SWAT team members, police officers, waiting for him, escorting him to safety. It is believed that he possibly has another person holed up in this home. He is on the second floor. Police went inside.

You see them going in there on the first floor of this home. They clear the first floor, clear the basement. And so now you have it.

Let's get all the details now from David Siler. He's a deputy U.S. Marshal.

David, my information here correct, service revolver and a uniform?

DAVID (r)MD+IT¯(r)MD-IT¯SILER, U.S. MARSHALS SERVICE: Don, that is correct.

This morning, when he escaped, he was able to escape custody from Saint Elizabeth Hospital, where he transported while in custody by the Corrections Corporation of America. He was able to escape, alleged to have committed two carjackings, as well as possibly two armed bank robberies.

And, as you noted, he did flee the area in Hilliard. And he is holed up in a house right now.

LEMON: He's held up in this house.

OK. So, we said there's a service revolver, which is believed to be a .38-caliber weapon. Has he discharged any rounds?

SILER: Correct, Don. That is what he...

LEMON: Any rounds at this time?

SILER: As any on-duty police officer has, they are trained and do carry their weapons loaded. And it is believed that that weapon is loaded.

And that's how officers should consider this dangerous situation, and in coordination with the Marshals Service, the Columbus Police Department and their SWAT team is on the ground, coordinating his safe capture.

LEMON: OK.

So, residents near this home have been evacuated. And we heard a live report from our affiliate there that they were trying to keep people safe there. And I'm looking at some pictures here coming in. It appears that someone, a police officer came out, and may be asking people to move back from this location as well.

Again, this suspect, we saw him go through this being chased by police and then go into this business, we are told, in this neighborhood and then kick in the door.

Definitely a very dangerous suspect. We hear that there are federal charges that he faces, including possession and distribution of cocaine and other illegal use of a firearm. So, this is someone who has a long history with the wrong side of the law?

SILER: Pending charges in the Northern District of Ohio. And for his -- his alleged crimes today, he's going to be looking at further time.

I can't see what you are looking at, Don, but I know that the more-than-capable Columbus Police Department and Marshals Service on the ground are going to attempt to coordinate his safe capture.

LEMON: OK.

And we saw someone jump out of the window, which is believed to be an employee of this business where he kicked in the door, a second- floor window here. And then we're also getting word from the Associated Press and also from our affiliates that there is possibly another person inside of this home, Mr. Siler, and he's -- this inmate, escaped inmate, is holding this person on the second floor, as negotiations go on.

Do you know anything about that and the condition of this other person?

SILER: The Columbus Police Department is working out everything they possibly have in reference to the situation, thinking it through. They want to ensure that, if he does have someone in there, that they can negotiate that person out, as well as Mr. Fitzmorris safely.

And if there is someone who is kept up in that house with Mr. Fitzmorris, they are going to take all precautions possible, and -- so that they get this guy safely into custody.

LEMON: OK.

And we want to tell folks, you aren't going to miss any of it here. We're going to continue to monitor this story.

And, Mr. Siler, David Siler, who is a deputy U.S. Marshal, thank you so much for joining us. Please get back in touch with us if you get any new information on this, as far as this standoff and negotiations are going, OK?

SILER: Thank you, sir. I appreciate it.

LEMON: Thank you very much -- Brianna.

KEILAR: Now let's go to some new developments on that American missing in Iran.

CNN's Zain Verjee is following this developing story at the State Department -- Zain.

ZAIN VERJEE, CNN STATE DEPARTMENT CORRESPONDENT: Brianna, the FBI has confirmed that the missing man is a former FBI official who has worked in domestic organized crime in the United States and not in any intelligence capacity.

Officials have also told us today that this man was there as a private citizen. They also add he's not working currently in any way for the U.S. government. He is believed, though, to have been in Iran working for an independent author/producer, trying to set up some sort of interview. We don't have the details on that.

The State Department spokesman, Sean McCormack, had this to add just a short while ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEAN MCCORMACK, STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN: He is a private citizen who was there on private business. And we don't see any linkage whatsoever between this case and any other ongoing cases that may have been in the news recently.

QUESTION: And was it Kish Island?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VERJEE: Officials say that this man has been missing for several weeks and has not been in touch with either his family or his employer.

He went missing, apparently, our sources tell us, on Kish Island. It's an island off the southern coast of Iran. It's kind of like a free-trade zone. They are trying to tailor it into some sort of Dubai or Doha.

But the details of his disappearance are still not known. The State Department is telling us that they are already in touch with the family. They also say that they have sent a message to the Iranians via the Swiss. They -- they use the Swiss to go back and forth and send messages to Iran. And that is currently in the process right now.

The U.S., though, is treating this as a missing-persons case, and is asking the Iranian government if it's got any information at all on him. It's important to point out, Brianna, that officials have told us that they have no indication at all that he's being held by Iranians. Obviously, this is a very sensitive case here at the State Department.

CNN is also -- has also placed calls to Iranian officials, and we're awaiting some kind of response from them -- Brianna.

KEILAR: All right, Zain Verjee covering this for us from the State Department there in Washington -- thanks, Zain.

LEMON: Want to update you now on another developing story happening in Las Vegas. At first, we got word that it was a hotel. Now we're hearing, according to the Associated Press, that it is a condominium tower that was in construction, a construction site.

Here's the very latest on this, as we watch these pictures of some of the injured being carried to ambulances here. Four workers were hurt after a natural gas explosion at a condominium tower construction site on the Las Vegas Strip. Now, according to an official there and also to the Associated Press, one worker received serious burns over 30 percent of his body when gas being vented from a line in a swimming pool ignited, a swimming pool room. It ignited.

Three other workers nearby received less serious and first- and second-degree burns, we're told. So, we're told now that that fire is out. But, again, this is happening in Las Vegas at a condominium complex, condominium tower that was under construction on the Las Vegas Strip.

All four workers had been taken to a burn unit at the University Medical Center there in Las Vegas. And, as of now, they are all being treated. And, at the time, at least this time, the fire is out. And they said the fire was out by the time firefighters got there.

But, again, one person seriously hurt there, burns to over 30 percent of his body. We will continue to update you on that one.

Also a story that just broke a couple of hours ago: seven Chicago police officers accused in separate barroom assaults -- one top cop getting out of the line of fire amid an officer misconduct scandal.

Superintendent Phil Cline announced his early retirement today. Morale in the department is said to be flagging, after disgusting video of an off-duty cop beating a female bartender was beamed across the world. Those are the pictures right now.

Video of the other alleged attack hasn't been publicly released. Cline didn't directly address the controversy today, instead focusing on the hardworking, law-abiding rank-and-file.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PHIL CLINE, CHICAGO POLICE SUPERINTENDENT: I have heard many reporters talk about a blue wall or blue line. Well, let me tell you about the blue line. There is a blue line. And it's the line that Chicago police officers walk every day to separate the criminals from the good citizens.

Even though these officers have families themselves, they pin a star on their chest, strap a gun on their hip, and leave their families behind to walk that line.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: And Phil Cline says he will stay on the job until his replacement is found.

KEILAR: Now, in Washington, the deadlock over the war in Iraq only deepened today, the White House on one side, congressional Democrats on the other. Both appear to have hardened their positions.

Let's go live with this story to our Lisa Goddard. She's live there from Capitol Hill.

Lisa, what's new?

LISA GODDARD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Brianna, we're now hearing from Senate Republicans, after Senator Harry Reid, the majority leader for the Democrats, of course, announced that he is now supporting a move to cut off funding for the Iraq war as of March of next year. As we reported, he made that announcement this morning.

Now, Senator Harry Reid, this is the farthest that any of those Democratic leaders have gone. And now Republicans are firing back -- Republican Leader Mitch McConnell just minutes ago sending this e- mail, saying that such a cut would cede the initiative to the enemy.

Republicans all along have said that -- Republican leaders, anyway, have said that any sort of date certain to leave Iraq would help the enemy. Democrats, however, say, such a date certain would force Iraqis to step up -- Brianna.

KEILAR: And, certainly, a line being drawn in the sand there.

But, right now, Lisa, the Senate on recess for about another week. What's the timeline on this? When might we see some movement on this bill?

GODDARD: I will tell you, Brianna, these guys in Washington are so good at confusing people, I wouldn't blame viewers for being dizzy over this.

Let's break it down. Essentially, the Congress, the House and the Senate, have to work together details over the war spending bill that would set a basic timetable. That's expected to happen in the next week, maybe a little bit longer. After that, it goes to the president. Will he veto that bill?

He has threatened to do so. And all indications are that he will. After he vetoes , if that happens, that's when the Democrats in the Senate say: We're going to put this bill out that would cut the funding in March of next year, a bill that they have to imagine the president would like even less -- Brianna.

KEILAR: All right, Lisa Goddard, live for us there from Capitol Hill, thanks for that report.

And, also, Vice President Cheney fired back at Democrats today over the war funding issue. He spoke in Birmingham, Alabama.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RICHARD B. CHENEY, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It's time for Congress to stop the political theater and send the president a bill he can sign into law. By delaying funding for the troops, the Democrats believe they can make the president accept unwise and inappropriate restrictions on our commanders.

It's nothing less than an attempt to force the president's hand. They are going to find out they have misread George W. Bush.

(APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: Cheney accused Democrats of undercutting U.S. troops, and said the bills approved by the House and Senate would force an early U.S. withdrawal.

In an unusual move, the White House released excerpts of Cheney's speech before he delivered it.

LEMON: Armed and extremely dangerous -- a suspect is holed up in a home in Ohio, believed to be armed with a .38-caliber weapon that he stole from an officer and possibly a shank. He could be holding someone hostage. We will have details straight ahead in the CNN NEWSROOM. KEILAR: Also, two Pacific quakes, a deadly wall of water -- ahead in the NEWSROOM, an update on the destruction and an unusual theory about a possible cause -- straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KEILAR: Let's get the latest now on a story coming out of central Ohio in the city of Hilliard, a suburb of Columbus.

Police say this man, an escaped inmate Billy Jack Fitzmorris, who is 34 years old, escaped from prison, then, according to police and prison officials, may have robbed a couple of banks along the way. He moved toward central Ohio -- again, this is a suburb of Columbus -- and actually breaks into -- this appears to be a home, but it's actually a home that's been converted into a business. You can see this suspect run up here and then kick down the door and enter this building.

A short time later, you see, from the second-story window there on the left, a woman, an employee of this business, as we understand it, jumping out of that window to her safety -- officials telling CNN there may be someone else in this business, and that Fitzmorris is possibly holed up there on the second floor -- so, again, an escaped inmate. We understand this may be a hostage information. And we will bring you the latest details as soon as they become available -- Don.

LEMON: It is 16, almost 17 past the hour. And here are three of the stories we're working on for you here right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

A threat from the president leads to a bigger threat from Congress. CNN has learned top Senate Democrats are threatening to try to cut almost all Iraq war funding if President Bush vetoes a bill that sets a loose timetable for pulling out troops.

Confession or coercion? Iran says the 15 British troops it seized in the Persian Gulf have all confessed on video to trespassing. Britain says any so-called confessions were staged.

And an early exit for Chicago's top cop -- Police Superintendent Phil Cline is retiring, as his department faces scrutiny over two videotaped beatings involving off-duty officers. Cline had been planning to step down later this year.

KEILAR: Everything standing is flattened -- that's one survivor's impression, after a deadly tsunami crashed ashore in the Solomon Islands. We're hearing entire villages have been wiped out.

But, this region of the South Pacific is so remote, it may be days before rescuers can reach it -- this video, obviously taken earlier, showing you villages built right there on the water.

Now, the waves that plowed through Gizo, the city of Gizo, and surrounding villages, were reported to be 10 to 30 feet high. The Solomon Islands are right in the heart of what's known as the Ring of Fire. And Rob Marciano is here to tell us a little more about that -- Rob.

ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Brianna, that Ring of Fire, as you mentioned, is where the Pacific plate intersects and runs up against a number of different tectonic plates that are out there, and this one across parts of the Indonesia area actually diving into the Australian plate.

Want to show you Google Earth, if we could, the first video we have lined up for you, to zoom into this area that has, as of 4:30 Eastern time yesterday, really popped up a number of earthquakes after which, so an 8.0 at around 4:30 Eastern time. And we have had about 20 aftershocks.

All right, now, what happens when an earthquake happens underneath the seafloor? The next animation is going to show how these tsunamis actually occur, one plate diving into the -- bulging up the other plate. This actual quake took place six miles beneath the bottom of the ocean, and it actually displaces the water, much like you would just move your hand in, say, a bathtub.

But this water, in some cases, well over 10 feet high as far as the waves are concerned, plowed over a half-mile inland, so, not nearly as large as the 2004 tsunami, but certainly it was a deadly tsunami, to say the least.

Interesting animation out of the folks -- from our friends at NOAA, which show you how the water in this ocean basin reacts when the earth is moved underneath it. And you can see just how far the energy from this wave can go.

Now, it did reach spots like the Aleutian Islands, like Japan, like the West Coast, but barely noticeable. Where you have the most intense wave activity and where we had the most damage and fatalities were right around the Solomon Islands.

A number of theories as to why the earthquake happened, why the earth actually moves. One thing, the plates are kind of floating on top of the earth, and they bump against each other, and then something triggers them to release that energy.

And an interesting theory that's out there is that the full moon actually has some sort of impact. And, back in 2004, in the Sumatra earthquake, that was a full moon as well. Now, there's not a whole lot of scientific papers and research to back this up, but there was a mathematician out of the University of Northampton in New England -- in England that did a study that said -- showed that, for major earthquakes, there's an 86 percent chance more likelihood for them to happen during a full moon.

That moon will make the tides higher, kind of tugs at the earth. And their explanation is, as you make the tides higher, you are just putting that much more weight at the edge of these plates that are stressed when these earthquakes happen. Again, there's not a whole lot of research out there, but there is one mathematician that crunched the numbers, and sees some sort of correlation.

KEILAR: Very interesting.

Well, it sounds odd, but, also, when you explain it like that, it sounds -- it seems to make a little more sense.

Rob Marciano, thank you for that.

MARCIANO: You bet.

LEMON: An escaped prisoner armed with a .38-caliber weapon, possibly a shank, and a long, long history of violence behind him and crime -- what's the latest in Ohio? We will give it to you -- straight ahead in the CNN NEWSROOM.

KEILAR: And a Michigan mom in cuffs -- she denies it, but police say the woman offered her 7-year-old daughter for sex and porn.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WARREN EVANS, WAYNE COUNTY, MICHIGAN, SHERIFF: She had indicated very clearly that that child would do whatever it was that -- that the person that was going to meet the child wanted to do.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: If true, the mother of all crimes -- straight ahead in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: It is news, but it may not come as news to many of you, but air travel is getting worse. A new report finds delays are on the rise, as are baggage problems. What's a harried traveler to do?

Well, one of the report's co-authors offers some tips to you.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DEAN HEADLEY, CO-AUTHOR, AIRLINE QUALITY REPORT: Be proactive. You can't expect that, if you have a ticket and you go to the airplane, everything is going to happen the way you plan it. You need to get your boarding pass early, check in online, have an e-mail address, so that they can notify you of any changes or -- or issues that come up.

Call and make sure that your flight is on time. Just engage much, much more in the process, because you have to.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: OK.

Just so you know, we are going to break it down for you, who has the best -- who has the best and worst rates.

Hawaiian Airlines had the fewest delays, right, on time more than 93 percent of the time. Atlantic Southeast Airlines rated the worst. Hawaiian Airlines also scored highest on baggage handling, while, again, Atlantic Southwest disappointed.

As for overall complaints, United Airlines and U.S. Airways tied for the most complaints there. And Southwest had the fewest complaints.

Let's talk about Apple. Apple has finally gotten some satisfaction. The company has struck a big deal with the music label behind the Rolling Stones and many other artists. And there's a new twist to this agreement: no anti-piracy software.

Susan Lisovicz at the New York Stock Exchange with all the details on that.

Interested in that one, Susan.

SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes.

LEMON: What's up?

LISOVICZ: Oh, yes. I thought you were going to give me your best Mick Jagger on that one.

(LAUGHTER)

LEMON: Not yet. It's been a long day. Maybe on a day that's...

LISOVICZ: After hours.

LEMON: ... not so busy, yes.

(LAUGHTER)

LISOVICZ: After hours.

This is big news, though. EMI Group has unveiled a groundbreaking deal, allowing customers to buy the record company's songs online free from copy -- copy-protection software. We're talking about songs not only from the Rolling Stones, but Coldplay, Norah Jones, Radiohead, Counting Crows, Beyonce, a lot of top-name artists.

The music will be available first on the Apple's iTunes online store for $1.29 each. And, yes, that's 30 cents more Apple's standard price. EMI says its music will cost more because the sound quality is superior to existing downloads. The anti-piracy software known as DRM is an industry standard. But it's a D-R-A-G for a lot of us who like to make copies of our music.

Just two months ago, Steve Jobs of Apple urged the music industry to drop DRM software from online music. He claims it hasn't solved the problem of digital piracy. EMI is the first major label to offer its music online and DRM-free -- Don.

LEMON: You are talking about lots of big artists there, but let's talk about maybe one of the most popular -- not maybe one -- one of the most popular groups in history.

There are lots of rumors lately that an agreement with EMI could mean access to the music of the Beatles. Any news on that?

LISOVICZ: Yes. And I think there was a lot of interest, especially because Apple and Apple -- that is Apple Corps and then the company that, up until very recently, was known as Apple Computer -- had reached an agreement on their long-running trademark dispute.

Even though EMI is the Beatles' distributor, the Fab Four's holding company, Apple Corps, still holding out from Internet music services. But there is hope that, one day, you will be able to download them, and not just do it from your own personal stash, C.D. stash that I'm talking about.

Shares of Apple, by the way, are up two-thirds-of-a-percent. Despite a sluggish morning, we're finally seeing some signs of life for the Dow -- limiting gains, though, a weaker-than-expected manufacturing report and comments from a Fed official, who says inflation remains a major concern.

Dow industrials right now on the plus side, up 35 points -- the Nasdaq is under just a little bit of pressure. It's down one.

And that's the latest from Wall Street. I will be back in 30 minutes for the closing bell.

You're watching CNN, the most trusted name in news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Hello. I'm Don Lemon live at the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta.

KEILAR: And I'm Brianna Keilar.

Holed up in Hilliard, Ohio. One person jumped out of a second story window after inmate Billy Jack Fitzmorris broke in. Is there anyone else inside this house with a very wanted man? You are in the CNN NEWSROOM.

This story continues to play out in central Ohio. Police say they are dealing with an escaped inmate who escaped from a hospital, actually in Youngstown, Ohio and then traveled to central Ohio, Columbus, Ohio.

They say they are dealing with this man, Billy Jack Fitzmorris, a 34-year-old. They say he made his way there to Hilliard, this suburb of Columbus, Ohio. And according to police, he robbed a couple of banks along the way.

We understand Fitzmorris has been convicted of robbery, burglary and stolen property. And you can see him getting out of this car here. This is a -- what appears to be a residential area. But we understand, according to local reports, that the house he is about to enter is actually a house that has been converted into a business.

Police say this is 34-year-old Billy Jack Fitzmorris. You can see here on the video, the suspect entering that home there. The suspect continues to kick in the door of this home and shortly after, you see a woman jump there out of the second story window.

Police come to her aid to whisk her away. And we understand this is a female employee. And we are continuing to follow this story. Again, an escaped inmate from Youngstown, Ohio. This playing out in central Ohio a couple hours drive away in a suburb of Columbus.

LEMON: And it is quite a complicated story because trying to get the circumstances surrounding this. How long was he in custody? When did he rob those banks possibly and how did he get to this home? Just a short while ago we spoke with David Siler who is a deputy U.S. marshal and he clarified some of the information for us.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID SILER, U.S. MARSHALL (on phone): This morning when he escaped, he was able to escape custody from St. Elizabeth's Hospital where he was transported, while in custody by the Corrections Corporation of America. He was able to escape -- alleged to have committed two car-jackings, as well as possibly two armed bank robberies. And as you noted, he did flee the area in Hilliard and he's holed up in a house right now.

LEMON: He's holed up in this house.

OK. So we said there's a service revolver, which is believed to be a .38 caliber weapon. Has he discharged any rounds at this time?

SILER: As any on-duty police officer has, they are trained and they do carry the weapons loaded. And it is believed that weapon is loaded. And that's how officers should consider this dangerous situation. And in coordination with the Marshal Service, the Columbus Police Department and their SWAT Team is on the ground coordinating his safe capture.

LEMON: OK. So residents near this home have been evacuated. And we heard a live report from our affiliate there they were trying to keep people safe there. And I'm looking at some pictures here coming in. It appears that someone -- a police officer came out and maybe asking people to move back from this location as well.

Again, this suspect, we saw him go through this being chased by police and then go into this business, we are told in this neighborhood and then kick in the door.

Definitely a very dangerous suspect. We hear that there are federal charges that he faces, including possession and distribution of cocaine and other illegal use of a firearm. So this is someone who has a long history with the wrong side of the law. SILER: Pending charges in the northern district of Ohio. And for his alleged crimes today, he's going to be looking at further time. I can't see what you are looking at, Don, but I know that the more than capable Columbus Police Department and the Marshal Service on the ground are going to attempt to coordinate his safe capture.

LEMON: OK. And we saw someone jump out of the window, which is believed to be an employee of this business where he kicked in the door. Second floor window here. And then we are also getting word from the Associated Press here and also from our affiliates that there is possibly another person inside of this home, Mr. Siler, and he's -- this inmate, escaped inmate is holding this person on the second floor as negotiations go on. Do you know anything about that and the condition of this other person?

SILER: The Columbus Police Department is working out everything they possibly have in reference to this situation, thinking it through. They want to ensure that if he does have someone in there that they can negotiate that person out as well as Mr. Fitzmorris safely. And if there is someone who is kept up in that house with Mr. Fitzmorris, they are going to take all precautions possible so that they get this guy safely into custody.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: That was in the last hour of the NEWSROOM, David Siler, who is a deputy U.S. Marshal, giving us specifics on this case.

Want to get you now to other breaking news happening. We told you about a developing story in Washington earlier on in the CNN NEWSROOM. We have just received an update. You're looking at pictures now there from the University of Washington campus. 9:30 there local time police got word of shots fired and went to the scene and found two people dead, a man and a woman. CNN is getting word now, according to an assistant of the police chief there that the female victim is a 25-year-old university employee. That employee had a restraining order against the man who apparently shot her and then took his own life.

Now here's what colleagues of that woman are saying. They are saying that she was -- she told them and many of her friends she was being harassed by her former boyfriend and she had actually asked her friends to look out for him.

So officers again, 9:30 this morning found those two people after getting calls of shots fired. Also a woman who knew this woman who was killed said she was a research specialist. She changed her phone number. Had e-mailed a photo of the man to her friends again asking them to look out for her.

And another person who was witnessing all of this, who heard it all, was a student who was there as well and heard a loud bang. At first she didn't think it was gunshots because there's construction noises in the area but sadly it turned out it did.

It happened at Gould Hall on the University of Washington's campus. Two people dead. Police are now saying they believe with a certain degree of certainty that this is a murder/suicide.

Brianna?

KEILAR: A family's worst fears have been confirmed. The bodies of two young brothers found encased in ice in a frozen lake a half mile from their Minnesota home. The brothers, ages two and four, disappeared in November from the Red Lake Indian Reservation. They were last seen playing in their front yard. Investigators still don't know whether the pair wandered off or were kidnapped.

And a Michigan woman accused of offering her seven-year-old daughter for sex and porn. Police say she was caught in an undercover sting and now all five of the woman's children are in protective custody. The story now from WXYZ's Kim Craig.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She indicated on the Internet that she was a prostitute.

KIM CRAIG, WXYZ-TV CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): But far worse than selling her own body, this Taylor woman is accused of making her seven-year-old daughter available for sex.

SHERIFF WARREN EVANS, WAYNE COUNTY, MICHIGAN: She was prepared for pornographic photos and anything else that was available, if the price was right.

CRAIG: Wayne County sheriff deputies arrested the mother outside a hotel near Metro Airport. They say she brought her daughter, a bag full of sex toys and different outfits for her little girl to change into. Investigators tell Action News the mother thought she was coming to the hotel to meet a man she had chatted with online about photographing her daughter while she was being molested. Thankfully, that man was really an undercover deputy.

EVANS: She had indicated very clearly that that child would do whatever it was that the person that was going to meet the child wanted to do and that she would see that the child complied.

CRAIG (on camera): And the sheriff says she wanted to sell pictures of her little girl to collectors of child porn. The mother was arraigned on multiple charges, including child sexually abusive activity and soliciting. And to protect the innocent lives of the children, the sheriff is not even identifying their mother.

The little girl and her four siblings have been placed in protective custody. The question now is what kind of harm and abuse may the children have already endured.

EVANS: The investigation will continue and, obviously, we have concerns about the other children as well. And it also appears from some of the chats that this child had been through some exploitive behavior prior to this.

(END VIDEOTAPE) KEILAR: The accused woman was not represented by a lawyer at her arraignment and a not guilty plea was entered on her behalf.

LEMON: Take a look at this. Was the Last Supper held on this spot in the Holy Land? Many are trying to trace the steps of Jesus during this Holy Week. A report from Jerusalem straight ahead in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KEILAR: Thousands gathered in Rome to celebrate a milestone in the drive to make Pope John Paul II a saint. This is the second anniversary of John Paul's death and the end of a church investigation into his life and work. . It includes a dossier detailing the purported miraculous cure of a nun who prayed to him.

Now, Christians around the world are observing Holy Week. The week leading up to Easter Sunday. Good Friday marks the crucifixion of Jesus and the Last Supper took place the day before on Holy Thursday. Even now, it's a gathering surrounded by mystery. Here's CNN's Atika Shubert with more.

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SHUBERT (voice over): Where did the Last Supper take place? The gospels describe it only as a large upper room in Jerusalem.

STEPHEN PFANN, PRESIDENT, HOLY LAND UNIVERSITY: Wherever it is, it doesn't exist today.

SHUBERT: Archaeologists say the general area is confirmed, but all buildings from Jesus' time no longer remain.

This was built during the Crusades, but underneath, archaeologists discovered the remains of an early Christian church dating back to a little more than 100 years after the death of Jesus, indicating the holy significance of this place to the earliest Christians. Excavations confirmed the customs described in the gospels of the Last Supper.

PFANN: They would have one cup among every 10 to 20 people, and they would all share a meal after they had the cup and the bread.

SHUBERT: The Last Supper lives on today in the Christian tradition of Holy Communion, the reenactment of Jesus' instructions to partake of his body and blood as symbolized by the bread and wine. It has inspired masterpieces, yet biblical scholars say many depictions aren't accurate. For example, they don't show Jesus' significant following among women.

REV. JEROME MURPHY O'CONNOR, BIBLICAL SCHOLAR: Areas where women participated, they were rubbed out of the story and only the men remained. And the picture of, say, Leonardo da Vinci's "Last Supper," only men.

SHUBERT: This is likely not the place where Jesus shared his last meal. Still, it is sacred to those pilgrims who come to remember Jesus' last days.

(on camera): Throughout the day, we've seen visitors and pilgrims coming from as far away as Nigeria, Russia, the United States, coming here to sing and pray. Even if this is not the exact room of the Last Supper, clearly it is still a very holy site for many people. Atika Shubert, CNN, Jerusalem.

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KEILAR: A programming note. All this week, CNN's AMERICAN MORNING brings you the truth about Jesus, live from the Holy Land. Tune in at 6:00 Eastern, 3:00 Pacific right here on CNN.

LEMON: Let's talk about the Donald. Donald Trump versus Vince McMahon. A Wrestlemania showdown. They angred - they agreed, I should say, beforehand that the loser of their match would get his head shaved. And did the Donald get to keep his famous hairdo? We're not going to show you. You'll have to watch right after this break when THE NEWSROOM continues.

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LEMON: I totally wanted to see that movie.

SHUBERT: Oh. Me, too.

LEMON: But -- I'm going to see that. Because you know what you are going to get, right?

SHUBERT: You know exactly what you are going to get.

LEMON: He's always funny.

We're going to talk about that, as well as billionaires. They usually battle it out in the boardroom over bucks, not in a wrestling room over a razor. Then Donald Trump and Vince McMahon aren't your normal billionaires. Entertainment correspondent Sibila Vargas has all the hairy details on that and other entertainment news.

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SIBILA VARGAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Donald Trump and World Wrestling Entertainment chief Vince McMahon had a little April Fools Day fun last night at Wrestlemania. It was billed the battle of the billionaires. Trump and McMahon seen here at a pre-fight photo op had an interesting bet. The winner would get to shave the loser's head.

Now they didn't actually duke it out in the ring but instead had professional wrestlers representing them. Trump's guy Bobby Lashley (ph) faced off with McMahon's handpicked fighter Umaga (ph) and the result? Well, take a look for yourself.

The Donald got to keep his famous 'do.

(on camera): The pay-per-view event was part of the 23rd edition of the pro wrestling extravaganza and a record-breaking 80,000 fans came to see it live at Detroit's Ford Field.

(voice-over): In other news, Anna Nicole Smith's ex Larry Birkhead fired attorney Debra Opri two weeks ago and it looks like it's going to cost him big time. Opri was helping Birkhead in his case to win custody of Smith's baby.

According to the celebrity gossip site tmz.com, Opri sent him a huge 112-page bill. The damage, nearly $620,000. But Opri, who charges $475 an hour, offered Birkhead a bargain. She said she charged him the low, low price of $511,000, but only if he accepted immediately.

(on camera): No word yet if he agreed, but he's probably still in shock.

(voice-over): Well, Marie Osmond and her second husband record producer Brian Blossel (ph) are calling it quits after 20 years of marriage. Osmond has eight children with Blossel, some of whom are adopted. They couple got married in a Mormon ceremony back in 1986 and briefly separated in 2000. In a joint statement, they say though our marriage is ending, "We continue to have a very amicable relationship. Our marriage has always been a faithful one and neither of us is assigning fault for the divorce."

They also said their children are top priority.

(on camera): And for more entertainment news tonight on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, did Howard fail Anna Nicole? Tonight, dramatic new evidence of Howard K. Stern's drug connection to Anna Nicole Smith in the months before she died. The explosive story on TV's most provocative entertainment news show, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, 11:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific on Headline Prime.

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KEILAR: You know what this month is? It marks the 50th year that Larry King has been in broadcasting. And CNN is bringing you highlights from Larry's most memorable interviews. Vince Foster was a deputy White House counsel during the first term of the Clinton administration. And word of his suicide spread during an interview with President Clinton.

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LARRY KING, CNN HOST: We're live in the White House with President Clinton. Live.

President Clinton just said to me, can we go a little longer. I said, sure. If you want to go longer we can go another half hour. And he said he'd be happy to.

Now we're in the last break and they come into my ear and said get off at 10:00 don't do an extra - I said what. I said, they are telling me not to go an extra half hour. He gets ticked.

The president had another commitment he didn't know about, right? So there's a schedule. So he'll be with us until the top of the hour.

We were the only two people in the building that didn't know Vince Foster was dead. That was something.

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KEILAR: And tonight, Beyonce is speaking out. The superstar goes on record about her life, music and movies with Larry King. That's at 9:00 p.m. Eastern right here on CNN.

LEMONS: More brands suspected. More pet owners confused. Also ahead on the CNN NEWSROOM, the latest on the expanding pet food recall. And the closing bell on Wall Street, just ahead.

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KEILAR: Home-cooked meals for pets. That's one way some cat and dog owners are dealing with the toxic pet food scare that's blamed for the deaths of more than a dozen animals. The list of potentially toxic pet food is still growing and now includes dry food.

Over the weekend, Nestle and Del Monte became the latest companies to recall some of their products. Some pet owners have resorted to feeding their animals off the dinner table. But veterinarians are advising against it.

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DR. SANDY WILLIS, ANIMAL CRITICAL CARE AND EMERGENCY SERVICES: Trying to home cook is way too difficult. Pets have just really unique requirements. We don't want pizzas and lasagna for pets. Feed the same diet that you are feeding. If you have any concerns, talk to your veterinarian. If there's going to be any switch in foods you really need to work through your veterinarian. We don't want any changes, cats to go off food, anything like that. So just stick to the plan. Make sure you see the recalled foods and talk to your veterinarian.

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KEILAR: And you can get the very latest info on this on cnn.com. Just visit our Web site for the complete list of brands involved in this recall. All you have to do is go to cnn.com/petfoodrecall.

LEMON: It's a little scary. If you have pets, you don't know what to feed them.

KEILAR: It certainly is. I saw she was petting a horse. It kind of looked like your great Dane there.

LEMON: Leave my great Dane alone.

KEILAR:

LEMON: She's doing OK.

KEILAR: And the closing bell is about to ring on Wall Street.

LEMON: Susan Lisovicz, save me. Calgone take me away. What a crazy day. Was it that way for you?

SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: No, actually. I let you guys do all the heavy lifting today. You guys sit back. I'll tell you a nice, light story.

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