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Nancy Grace

Michael Vick Pleads Guilty; Jersey Mom Disappears

Aired August 27, 2007 - 20:00   ET

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

NANCY GRACE, HOST: Breaking news tonight. NFL superstar, multimillionaire quarterback Michael Vick, indicted by a secret (ph) federal grand jury, admits in open court to killing pit bulls and bankrolling a major dogfight to the death scheme, a scheme that stretched the entire Eastern Seaboard.
In the last hours, Vick formally pleads guilty inside a packed Virginia courtroom. Vick facing charges of hanging, shooting, body- slamming, even electrocuting dogs to death as part of a multi-state underground dogfighting operation.

Much of it went on at Vick`s super-secret compound near Richmond, Virginia. Headlines tonight, while Vick could have gotten as much as five years behind bars, the deal is for only 12 to 18 months.

Tonight, reports a second grand jury in Virginia convening. On the docket? Vick`s dogfighting case. Once the number one draft pick, the NFL suspends Vick indefinitely. And the Falcons demand Vick pay back $22 million.

Tonight, Vick speaks in public for the very first time.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Michael Vick says he has found Jesus and turned his life over to God as he waits to learn his penalty for a guilty plea on a federal dogfighting conspiracy charge. The suspended Atlanta Falcons quarterback was in court in Richmond, Virginia, this morning to finalize the plea agreement filed Friday.

It recommends a sentence of 12 to 18 months but the judge is not bound by that. Sentencing is set for December 10th. Now in what his lawyer describes as his only public comment on the case, Vick says he hopes the experience will make him a better person.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The NFL suspended Vick without pay indefinitely after the plea agreement was filed. If he`s found to have gambled, he could face a lifetime ban from the sport.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

And tonight, a young mom of three vanishes into thin air, Emerson, New Jersey. Liza Murphy last seen at her own suburban home, never heard from again, no contact since with her three little children. No credit cards, no cell phone. Tonight, where is Liza Murphy?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: About the only thing clear in the disappearance of Liza Murphy is the mother of three is missing. Husband Joseph Murphy (ph) telling police his wife left home after an argument. Just days ago, Liza`s husband tried to commit suicide, jumping in front of a car. Cops also say husband Joseph Murphy is not cooperating with the investigation.

Police have no evidence of foul play, while three children wait for their mother to come home.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She has three small children at home that are very distraught at this point, and if anyone has any knowledge of her whereabouts, to please, contact us immediately.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: Good evening. I`m Nancy Grace. I want to thank you for being with us tonight. First, guilty, NFL superstar Michael Vick pleads guilty in open court.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Star quarterback Michael Vick wants to you forgive him for those horrific dogfighting charges. He pleaded guilty today to a federal charge in a Virginia courtroom.

MICHAEL VICK, FOOTBALL STAR: Dogfighting s a terrible thing and I did reject (ph) it. I`m upset with myself and through this situation I found Jesus, and I asked him for forgiveness, and I turn my life over to God. Totally disappointed in myself. I want to apologize to all the young kids out there for my immature acts. What I did was very immature so that means I need to grow up.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The Falcons will not cut Vick from the team because of salary cap issues. But the team did send out a letter demanding Vick return $22 million in bonus money.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We don`t know what the future holds for Michael. Having said that, I do believe in redemption.

VICK: I will redeem myself and through this situation, I found Jesus.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GRACE: And also, as you see once again, Christ getting dragged into the courtroom again as part of the whole dogfighting to the death scheme. Let`s go straight out to CNN`s Rusty Dornin joining us outside the courthouse.

Rusty, what exactly happened in the courtroom today?

RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Nancy, as you said, it was a packed courtroom. Security was very tight going in. Michael Vick came in dressed in a dark blue suit, white shirt. He stood up, flanked very closely by his attorneys in the courtroom.

Of course a lot of anticipation going on of what was going to happen. He seemed very quiet, reserved, and then the judge began questioning him: "Do you understand this plea agreement? Do you understand the consequences of this plea agreement? Do you understand the fact that you won`t be able to have a trial?"

The only thing really Michael Vick said was: "yes, sir, no, sir." Of course he pleaded guilty but then the judge said: "Mr. Vick, do you know what the maximum penalty for this charge is?" To which Michael Vick replied: "Yes, your honor, it`s five years."

And that`s when Judge Henry Hudson began to talk about the fact, well, you know, I am not bound by that and you are taking your chances by taking this plea agreement because I don`t necessarily have to go with this recommendation of 12 to 18 months. I can take the higher guideline. I can go up to five years.

So he was warning Michael Vick that once he begins considering all the evidence, all the testimony over the next couple of months, he may decide to go for that higher sentence. It was all over within about 20 minutes, when Michael Vick exited the courtroom, it was to cheers and jeers -- Nancy.

GRACE: Back to Rusty Dornin, CNN correspondent in court today, joining us outside the courthouse. This judge, Judge Henry Hudson, I guess we`re going to find out in December whether his bite is as bad as his bark, because according to my calculations, this guy Vick is looking at five years behind bars on the federal charges, and the plea deal is for only 12 to 18 months behind bars. So this judge could go all the way up to five years if he wants to.

DORNIN: That`s right. And you know, Nancy, he has been called "harsh but fair," and he has sometimes gone for those upper guidelines in terms of this sentencing. So there are no guarantees, although he did say in court that he usually follows the recommendations of the prosecutors.

But he kept telling Michael Vick, I`m going to be looking at a lot of this evidence. I`m going to be looking at your behavior. He still has to cooperate. And the other issue here, Nancy, is this judge, according to the Associated Press, has a dog, a little Bichon Frise.

GRACE: Let`s unleash the lawyers. Joining us tonight, prosecutor Holly Hughes of the Atlanta jurisdiction; John Patrick Dolan out of New York; and Darryl Cohen, also out of the Atlanta jurisdiction.

Holly Hughes, when is all this cooperation going to happen and what form of federal cooperation do you think Vick will get?

HOLLY HUGHES, PROSECUTOR: Nancy, they`re going to start right away questioning him. Part of his plea agreement that he has to give up other people that were involved in this. He`s going to have to name people that were involved in the fights, people who have other kennels who brought their dogs to fight his.

He`s going to have to start giving information. And it behooves him to do it as soon as possible so that he can give them a lot of good stuff before his sentencing comes down in December.

GRACE: Darryl Cohen, Darryl a former prosecutor -- a violent crime prosecutor before he became a veteran defense attorney. Darryl, I don`t like it. I`ll tell you why I don`t like it. Because typically, when I would do a deal, if somebody has going to cooperate, I would get the cooperation up front before I would give them a cheap plea deal. Because now it`s all just pie in the sky.

What if he doesn`t cooperate now? They`ve already given the judge 12 to 18 months? Or when they go back in court in December, can they say, hey, Vick didn`t cooperate, he didn`t give me anything?

DARRYL COHEN, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Well, Nancy, I think we are looking at several things. Number one -- and sometimes I agree with you and as you know, sometimes I don`t. In this instance, the 12 to 18 months is merely, in my view, if he cooperates.

If Michael was my client, starting right now, starting yesterday, I would have him make a very huge donation to every animal society there is.

GRACE: Oh, blah, blah.

COHEN: Well, I would. And I`d also have him doing community service. He`d be the poster child of.

GRACE: I want the cooperation. I want the cooperation. I want to find out who else is behind this dogfight to the death scheme, and then the dog that didn`t win, that lost, shoot, hang, electrocute, body slam? I want to get to the bottom of it. Money is like water for Michael Vick.

COHEN: But, Nancy.

GRACE: He wants to pay a fine. He wants to pay restitution. That`s easy for him, just take out his checkbook. I want answers, Cohen!

COHEN: Nancy, I agree with you. There`s not enough of just money, but that`s step number one. Step number two, he needs to do everything that he should have done, not "I`m growing up" but "I should have grown up." Not "I`m sorry for what I did".

GRACE: He`s 27 years old.

COHEN: No, he`s 27 years young. He`s an idiot for what he did.

GRACE: At 27 my father had already fought in the world war and was back. At 27, I think I had two jobs and was trying to go back to school even. You know, Darryl Cohen, this whole thing, I grew up, why did you have to murder innocent dogs to grow up?

COHEN: Nancy, there`s nothing that he did that can he answer for and say, I was right. What he can do is he apologizes.

GRACE: OK. I`ll take that apology

COHEN: What he can do a tremendous amount of community service showing.

GRACE: And do a tremendous amount of cooperation.

COHEN: Go to schools.

GRACE: That`s what I want to see.

COHEN: And then he has got to cooperate. He has got.

GRACE: To John Patrick Dolan.

COHEN: . to say, I`ve been in this for years.

GRACE: To John Patrick Dolan, I`m very, very happy that he has found religion, but where allegedly did he find Christ? Was he out there in the rape stand? Was he at one of these dogfighting events where they would body slam and electrocute innocent dogs to death? Why did he have to drag Christ into it today?

JOHN PATRICK DOLAN, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Well, it`s a good question. I certainly respect religion, but there seems to be a tendency for people to find Christ when they`re in trouble. But let me explain for you how that cooperation thing works. The way you did in state court is you get your cooperation up front.

In federal court, they impose the guideline sentence and then they say, under 5K1 (ph) of the federal rules of court, if you cooperate, your sentence might get better. So they hold the incentive out for him. And that`s how it is going to work in this case.

And you can bet that he`s going to be in there doing everything he can because this judge could not only depart upward on the guidelines, he could depart downward and Michael Vick might even avoid prison if the cooperation was substantial.

GRACE: Out to the lines, Patricia in Missouri. Hi, Patricia.

CALLER: Hi, Nancy, how are you?

GRACE: Hanging in there, dear. What`s your question?

CALLER: I see the NFL is taking a pretty good stance on Michael Vick`s role in all of this. But I`m kind of wondering, what are they going to do about the little cesspool they have? I mean, they have a murderer in there. And are they going to start toughening up their rules and actually enforcing it?

GRACE: Excellent question. Let`s throw that to Sandra Golden, sports talk radio host with 790 AM, "The Zone."

Do you really -- I mean, the NFL has seen it all. They`ve seen alleged rapes, alleged murders, now a dogfighting scheme. They always seem to get more and more future felons in the NFL.

SANDRA GOLDEN, HOST, "THE ZONE" 790 AM: Wow, this is why NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has stepped in and he has made no bones about there is not a gray area, it`s black and white.

He immediately came down very hard on Vick, saying, you are suspended indefinitely. The letter was awfully harsh that he sent out publicly and to Vick, saying, this is unacceptable.

GRACE: You know, I just can`t imagine dousing a dog with water and electrocuting it. To Dr. Robi Ludwig, I just can`t imagine doing that to a living creature. Oh, yes, I`ll try to put somebody behind bars, but to torture an innocent creature that way?

DR. ROBI LUDWIG, PSYCHOTHERAPIST: No, it`s incredibly sadistic. It`s murderous. It`s aggression gone haywire. So clearly it`s really sadistic to watch any innocent animal -- you know, to really inflict that kind of pain and horror.

And I think he was just desensitized. And part of this, I think, aside from being very self-destructive, is there was something about Michael Vick that wanted to show that he was still one of the homeboys and he wanted to still be connected to the people he felt comfortable with, and he chose the wrong crowd.

GRACE: But do you get -- can you get beyond -- if you are sadistic by nature and we see that, I`ve studied a lot of serial killers that were sadistic by nature as children, and they would torture and brutally murder little animals, and they never changed. Is sadism something in your nature you can`t talk your way out of in therapy?

LUDWIG: Well, you can reduce the degree of sadism for certain people, depends how sociopathic you are or one is. So it`s highly a variable. Some people can work on that issue successfully.

GRACE: Out to Ann in New Hampshire. Hi, Ann.

CALLER: Hi, Nancy. I just want to say that this whole case with Michael Vick is just absolutely appalling, and we`re seeing Michael Vick`s true colors and this is the kind of character of a person that is on the NFL? I believe this man should be fired, that he should be facing strong animal cruelty charges.

Is he going to be facing any animal cruelty charges? Oh, he wants forgiveness. Why doesn`t he ask the forgiveness from the dead dogs that he tortured?

GRACE: You know, and the way that they were killed, hanging them, hanging a dog? Have you ever heard of anything like it, Ann?

To Mike Brooks, what about Virginia, are they finally -- have they been shamed into finally taking action in their own back yard?

MIKE BROOKS, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: Well, it looks like they might now, Nancy. You know, Mr. Poindexter has been sitting on his hands this whole time. In fact, he even denied one search warrant that investigators wanted to go back to the house to look for animal carcasses on the property.

And he said, no, you`re being to overzealous. You know, Mr. Poindexter, you had better step up here pal or else I -- they should go after him for obstruction of justice.

GRACE: I want to go out to Veronica Gorley Chufo, reporter with The Daily Press in court today.

Veronica, what did you observe?

VERONICA GORLEY CHUFO, THE DAILY PRESS: Outside the courtroom there was a clash of emotion that crescendoed (ph) when Vick made his appearance. There were boos and hoots but there were also actually gospel hymns that were being sung by some church that miraculously showed up. But they declined to say exactly who they were and where they were from.

GRACE: What, were they singing for Vick or singing for all the murdered dogs?

CHUFO: They were supportive of Vick, because he -- you know, he had said that he had found religion.

GRACE: OK, well, I don`t want to take that away from Vick. I`m all for him finding religion. I don`t know how it`s going to help him with these Virginia charges. That Virginia grand jury set to meet in September.

Back out to the lines, Carol in California. Hi, Carol.

CALLER: Hi, Nancy. You look wonderful.

GRACE: Thank you.

CALLER: Yes, on an earlier news report today they were discussing what prison might actually be like for Mr. Vick and that one of his biggest hurdles to overcome is that other prisoners are going to want to challenge him. So could he be finally getting a taste of his own medicine, and know how those dogs felt?

GRACE: Excellent question. To Rusty Dornin, CNN correspondent. She is outside of the courthouse in court all day long. Rusty, which federal pen do you think he`ll be assigned to? What would it be like? And do you think, Rusty, they`re going to put him in some type of protective custody like they do other celebrities or police officers?

DORNIN: We`re talking about federal prison, Nancy. And as you know, in certain high profile cases when someone doesn`t have a previous criminal record, they may end up putting him in some kind of low security facility that`s more like a dormitory than it would be like what we consider a penitentiary.

So they haven`t really talked about that yet. Of course, it`s going to possibly make a difference in how long he is sentenced, as to where he goes. But at this point, I think a lot of people are thinking that he probably would go to some kind of low security facility, in that case, of course, he wouldn`t need to be in protective custody.

GRACE: Rusty, did he ever get off his script today? Was there ever a time where the judge made him admit in court exactly what he did or was he just reading from a script?

DORNIN: Well, you know, of course we were all waiting for that, that`s what we wanted to hear. We wanted the judge to say, Mr. Vick, tell news your own words what you are guilty of. But on the other hand, these charges are rather complex, the timing is complex, the people involved, the number of dogs, the number of states, that sort of thing.

So the judge never said that. As I said, the only thing he ever asked him that wasn`t a yes or no question was: "Do you understand what the maximum penalty is in this case?" And of course, then he asked him: "Do you feel you are guilty of these charges of conspiracy?" To which of course Michael Vick replied: "Yes, sir."

GRACE: Hey, Rusty, so he pled to conspiracy, but all the other charges are out the window. They dropped them.

DORNIN: Well, it`s interesting, now whether -- and of course, I don`t know the background on that. Of course, and you know there`s these other - - there`s now the federal law that outlaws dogfighting, period, of course, that the Congress approved in May. And they couldn`t really charge him under that either.

So he has been charged and the one thing, as you know, federal prosecutors like to be able to -- if they do go to court, they like to get convictions and their conviction rate is very high, and that`s one of the reasons. They stick to what they know they can prove.

GRACE: And to Sandra Golden. He pled to one conspiracy count, right?

(AUDIO GAP)

GOLDEN: . conspiracy count. But, Nancy, the statement of facts that was released late Thursday night, Article 36, it`s written exactly how the other three co-defendants was written, that he Peace Phillips and Vick collectively -- the dogs were all killed as a result of those collective effort. So he is admitting to actually killing those dogs.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VICK: I was ashamed and totally disappointed in myself, to say the least. I want to apologize to all the young kids out there for my immature acts, and you know, what I did was -- what I did was very immature, so that means I need to grow up.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: Immature? It`s a federal crime. It is cruelty to animals. It is not immature, Mr. Vick. Out to the lines, Jane in Michigan. Hi, Jane.

CALLER: Hi, Nancy. You`re beautiful. Anyhow.

GRACE: You know, you can only see me from the neck up, Jane, but thank you, go ahead.

CALLER: I wanted to know when the feds are through with him, how many other levels of government can take action against Mike?

GRACE: Out to Mike Brooks. Number one, Mike, do you really think the Virginia prosecutor Poindexter is really going to get off the dime and do something? And what about other federal prosecutors where these other dogfights were held?

BROOKS: Well, there`s always the possibility, Nancy, that the other states could go ahead and run their own investigation and find out what exactly happened in their state. And a lot of this information could come after Michael Vick starts cooperating.

Because again, that`s one of the things he has to do now, he has to be available for debriefings, as they call it. And as he talked about it, puts a timeline together, they could go after him in other states, and the feds, too.

GRACE: To Chris DeRose, president of Last Chance for Animals. What about the 66 dogs seized from Vick`s compound? Are they going to be euthanized?

CHRIS DEROSE, PRESIDENT, LAST CHANCE FOR ANIMALS: Well, I think they`re going to be evaluated by the federal government first. I know there are animal organizations, rescue organizations such as Best Friends, who are willing to come in and evaluate the animals to see which ones can be rehabilitated, and not just put them down.

I mean, it would be a sin just to put them down like that. I think they need a chance.

GRACE: Rusty, are they going to be put down? Are they going to be euthanized?

DORNIN: Well, that`s the question, and as your other guest just said, that they will be evaluated to see if there`s any chance of, you know, having them be put back into a family. Now we spoke to the Humane Society today and they said there is only about 10 percent of the time that they can be put into a home.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VICK: I offer my deepest apologies to everyone, and I will redeem myself. I have to. So I`ve got a lot of down time, a lot of time to think about my actions and what I`ve done, and how to make Michael Vick a better person. Thank you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: OK, he apologized. I think that went a long way with the courtroom. That was a press conference today. NFLer Michael Vick getting a sweetheart deal. Out to Paula in Florida. Hi, Paula.

CALLER: Hi, Nancy how are you?

GRACE: I`m hanging in there, dear, what`s your question?

CALLER: OK. My question, do you think that Vick is trying to minimize the brutality by saying he`s immature? When I think of immaturity and dogs -- remember the old days, kids used to tie tin cans to dogs` tails and let them run down the street?

GRACE: I never saw that. But I think of them just not feeding the dog or playing with the dog is immaturity. I don`t think of body slamming it and electrocuting it.

To Bobby Brown, you`ve been to these dogfights. What are they like?

BOBBY J. BROWN, DIRECTOR, "OFF THE CHAIN": A horrific scene, Nancy. I mean, one time, this dog was fighting so desperately for his life that he was biting so hard that the dog`s teeth were actually coming out of his mouth.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Michael Vick asks for forgiveness and understanding following his guilty plea to federal dogfighting conspiracy charges. The suspended Atlanta Falcons quarterback was in a court in Richmond, Virginia, this morning to finalize the plea agreement filed Friday.

It recommends a sentence of 12 to 18 months, but the judge is not bound by that. Sentencing is set for December 10th. In what his lawyer describes as his only public comment on the case, Vick says he hopes the experience will make him a better person.

MICHAEL VICK, NFL PRO QUARTERBACK: I totally ask for forgiveness and understanding as I move forward to better Michael Vick the person, not the football player. I take full responsibility for my actions. Not for one second would I sit right here and point the finger and try to blame anybody else for my actions or what I`ve done. I`m totally responsible, and those things just didn`t have to happen.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: Michael Vick speaking out for the first time since the charges came down that he actually murdered innocent dogs, breeding them to fight to the death. Vick headed to the penitentiary, 12 to 18 months, but the judge could make it up to five years.

And Sandra Golden, joining us from sports talk radio 790 AM "The Zone," they want their money back, $22 million. Gee, I hope he hasn`t spent it all.

SANDRA GOLDEN, SPORTS TALK RADIO HOST: Well, that is the big question, how much does he have? But they`re going after the $22 million as we discussed a couple of weeks ago, because at the end of the day this is still a business for the Atlanta Falcons. The $22 million just a portion of a signing bonus on $130 million contract that Vick signed.

GRACE: You know, to Mike Brooks, we got the plea today. Is the work of the feds done now?

MIKE BROOKS, FORMER D.C. POLICE: Absolutely not. The work is just beginning on Michael Vick. He`s going to be sitting down for these debriefings with prosecutors, and they`re going to say, "OK, well, what else can you give us?" This could just be the tip of the iceberg, Nancy, on cracking open some of these dogfighting rings around the country.

GRACE: I don`t know. Darryl Cohen, I think it`s a lot of shoulda, woulda, coulda, because the deal is in. The feds have agreed to this one count, one count. They could have taken this to trial and gotten a lot more time. They agreed to this one count. And now, if Vick doesn`t plea, they`ve already committed themselves to 12 to 18 months.

DARRYL COHEN, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Yes, but, Nancy, the judge can still, still sentence him to five years. And now his actions have got to meet where his lips were. He now has to say to them when he is debriefed, "This is what happened. This is who I know. This is where there was another dogfighting operation. These are the people involved."

And if he doesn`t, Nancy, this is a double-edged sword. Yes, he might be able to get less than the 12 to 18 months, but, yes, he will likely get more than the 12 to 18 months, and you and I have both worked with the feds. And you know that if he lies to them or if he decides he`s not going to be cooperative, he`s gone. He`s toast.

GRACE: Well, yes, you know, I was a fed, and what I don`t like is taking a deal, a cheap deal, and not going forward to trial and trying to get the max on a case like this, which they could have done. But, hey, if he comes forward with cooperation, it may all be worth it.

Very quickly to Holly Hughes, notice he never said that he gambled personally. He said he is part of a gambling conspiracy. Long story short, what that means is he`s trying to keep one toe in the door with the NFL, because if you gamble, you`re out.

HOLLY HUGHES, PROSECUTOR: Absolutely, Nancy. The part of this plea agreement was agreeing to all the statement of facts that is in the agreement, and that is part of it. He has pled guilty to engaging in a gambling conspiracy. And I`ll tell you something, he might have been a Falcon, but he better start singing like a canary, because if he doesn`t give them good information, paragraph 14 of this plea agreement says they can withdraw it and they can go after him. This is null and void if he doesn`t pony up and start singing like a canary. And if he doesn`t do that, then...

GRACE: OK, let`s go to Dolan. Dolan, agree or disagree, the feds can pull back on their offer if he doesn`t cooperate?

JOHN PATRICK DOLAN, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: They can as part of the agreement. But, remember, if he cooperates, he can also get a downward departure, and he might avoid prison and might save his NFL career if he does.

GRACE: I want to go back to Bobby Brown, director and producer of "Off the Chain." He infiltrated dogfighting rings. You were telling us -- it`s easy to see Vick, you know, looking great in a $3,000 suit and all of those high-powered lawyers around him. He turned back to his mom, and the mom got a little upset today and went -- the lawyers did anyway. But that seems a long way away from the brutality of these real dog fights.

BOBBY BROWN, FILMMAKER: Nancy, there`s no easy win when these dogs fight. There`s always severe damage. These dogs go into shock. These dogs have broken limbs. I mean, you know, it`s just terrible.

GRACE: You told me you saw dogs actually losing their teeth they were fighting so hard to live.

BROWN: Yes this dog was fighting so hard that, when he bit down on another dog, his teeth were actually coming out. And the owner picked the dog up, he thought it was funny. He said, "Well, you know, my dog can`t fight with no teeth." I mean, so he picked his dog up, and he laughed about it.

GRACE: I want to go out to Mike Brooks. You`ve seen all the various -- well, a lot of them anyway -- the federal penitentiaries. This is going to be like a gated community. I guarantee you Vick is going to be put under protective custody, for instance, like the Watergate defendants, where they play cards, and they can go to the library. And it`s minimum security. I see it coming.

BROOKS: Absolutely, Nancy, and I tell you, he`s going to probably be in segregated confinement. But if you`re a minimum or medium federal facility, you know, it ain`t bad. I`ve been to one up in West Virginia, medium security, it`s like a college campus.

GRACE: It`s like a dormitory. Out to Jackie in Ohio, hi, Jackie.

CALLER: Hi, Nancy. You look beautiful. Congratulations on your babies.

GRACE: Thank you, they`re cooking hot tamales tonight.

CALLER: Oh, bless their hearts. Just a quick question: If he`s admitted to killing dogs, why are they only charging him with conspiracy? I mean, do they think they can`t prove it that he`s killed the dogs? If he`s admitted it, what`s there to prove?

GRACE: What about it, Holly?

HUGHES: What happens with the federal charge, they just recently signed into federal law an animal cruelty statute. The state, however, can go after them for the animal cruelty in killing those dogs. And the district attorney down there, commonwealth attorney as they call him, Mr. Poindexter, has indicated he plans to put those particular state charges before his grand jury in September.

GRACE: Yes, Holly -- to Mike Brooks, he`s been doing a lot of indicating, Poindexter has been indicating a lot for a long time and doing very little. I mean, the feds have to come into his backyard and pick up the trash.

BROOKS: They sure did. And, you know, all along he was saying, oh, they`re being too overzealous for Michael Vick. They`re only going after him because of his celebrity. That`s what he said when the feds showed up and served a warrant to do his work.

GRACE: Back out to Rusty Dornin, CNN correspondent in court and outside the courthouse right now, what was Vick`s body language like in the courtroom? Did he seem contrite? Was he cocky? Was he boastful? What was he like?

RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It was very -- a little bit odd, Nancy. He didn`t exactly seem contrite. He was quiet. He was stoic. He was respectful. The judge has a booming voice. He`s very clipped, he`s very direct, very to-the point. Michael`s answers were not broadcast very loudly into the courtroom, but he simply would say, "Yes, sir, no, sir, I understand," that sort of thing. So there wasn`t a lot of -- there wasn`t the cockiness, but then again there wasn`t a sense of real contriteness, either.

GRACE: Rusty, if he doesn`t cooperate by naming names and dates, the feds can pull out of the deal. If the judge gives him a greater sentence, like five years, can Vick pull out of the deal?

DORNIN: No. And that`s what the judge kept warning him about, saying, "Look, you`re taking a chance here. I could decide to go on the higher end of the guidelines. I could decide basically to sentence you to the maximum of five years, and there`s nothing you can do about it. Once you plead guilty, it`s in my hands. I am the one to make the decision." The judge is saying this, "I am not bound by what the prosecutors recommend, although," he said, "I usually go in that direction." So he has absolutely no guarantees that the judge will give him 12 to 18 months.

GRACE: To Ruth in Virginia, hi, Ruth.

CALLER: Hi, Nancy. I love your show.

GRACE: Thank you.

CALLER: Listen, I want to ask, doesn`t Michael Vick`s actions meet the criteria of a sociopathic personality? And in that case, can we believe anything he says?

GRACE: What about it, Dr. Robi Ludwig?

DR. ROBI LUDWIG, PSYCHOTHERAPIST: Well, that`s a very real possibility. It`s really hard to know. Clearly, that`s a component in his personality, but it`s hard -- we have to look at the other areas of his life and see if he`s abusive in various areas of his life, and we don`t know that yet.

GRACE: And to you, Sandra Golden, with "The Zone," what`s next for Vick?

GOLDEN: Michael Vick is going to be on his best behavior. And I want to bring up something that was mentioned today in the courtroom. Judge Henry Hudson said the sentencing will be on December the 10th, and he said, "I want you to reserve half a day." Now, I`m told this should only take about a half-an-hour.

The defense team for Michael Vick has told the judge they`re going to parade a lot of good stuff that Mike Vick is going to be doing, and that could include absolutely doing exactly what he`s told, and sitting, and telling them everything they want to know. His life is on the line; he`s going to do the right thing.

GRACE: When we come back, a young mother vanishes, New Jersey, leaving behind three little children. Where is Liza Murphy?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(NEWSBREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A mother of three goes missing, and her husband tries to commit suicide days later. Husband Joseph Murphy telling police his wife Liza left their home after an argument, leaving without a cell phone or a wallet, just the clothes on her back. Days later, husband Joseph Murphy jumps in front of traffic in a suicide attempt. As hours turn to days, investigators say they have no suspects. Where is Liza Murphy?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: Where is Liza Murphy? Let`s go to out to Michelle Sigona with "America`s Most Wanted," tell me the story. I think I`ve got Michelle. Michelle, are you with me?

MICHELLE SIGONA, "AMERICA`S MOST WANTED" CORRESPONDENT: Hi, can you hear me?

GRACE: Hi. What happened?

SIGONA: A week ago yesterday, Nancy, Liza goes missing. Her husband actually, he didn`t report it to police. An anonymous tipster reported her to police. And then the husband was questioned and said, "Look, we had an argument. She left the house without her wallet, without her cell phone, and I haven`t seen her since."

GRACE: OK, a couple of quick questions. What did they argue about?

SIGONA: At this point, we do not know. But I can tell you that there is not a history of domestic violence, from what I`ve learned from investigators.

GRACE: Is the husband employed?

SIGONA: Yes, he is employed. He is a painter. She is a stay-at-home mom.

GRACE: What kind of painter?

SIGONA: I don`t know exactly what kind of painter. I think, if I`m not mistaken, he does paint homes.

GRACE: Do they live in a home? Are they having financial problems?

SIGONA: I don`t know if they`re having financial problems, but I can tell you that they have been married -- I talked to Liza`s mom just a couple of hours ago -- they`ve been married for 15 years now. They have three beautiful children together. The children are staying with an aunt and uncle at this time.

GRACE: Why?

SIGONA: They have been -- you know, just they want to try to keep the children away from the television sets, out of school, you know, away from their friends at this point. They`re not allowed to talk on the phone. They`re kind of keeping them sheltered as much as possible. I mean, you have the mom who is missing -- they haven`t seen their mother in over a week now -- and the dad just a few days ago tries to commit suicide, jumps out, Nancy, not in front of one vehicle, but in front of three cars.

GRACE: Out to Joseph Ax, reporter with "The Record," covering the story. Joseph, explain to me this failed suicide attempt. What happened?

JOSEPH AX, REPORTER, "THE RECORD": Essentially, he was in a town called Westwood, which is just north of Emerson, and he jumped out first in front of a bus, investigators have told me. The bus missed him. He then tried to jump in front of a Lexus, which also missed him, and he finally jumped in front of a fire prevention cruiser, which did, in fact, hit him. He ended up pinned under the car. They had to use a hydraulic lift to get him out, and he suffered extensive injuries. He`s in the hospital now.

GRACE: Dr. Robi Ludwig joining us, psychotherapist and host of a brand-new show on GSN network, "Without Prejudice." Dr. Robi, another failed attempt at committing suicide. What does it mean?

LUDWIG: Well, it could be very possible that, after an argument, something happened, his wife ended up dead, and he`s feeling very remorseful, guilty and suicidal. He could have a history of depression and/or he could be reacting to his wife missing. And perhaps, if she`s suicidal or depressed, we don`t know what her history is, and he`s really overwhelmed.

GRACE: Out to Dr. Bruce Levy, Tennessee state medical examiner, she was being treated for depression and fibromyalgia. How can that contribute in any way to her disappearance?

DR. BRUCE LEVY, MEDICAL EXAMINER: It really wouldn`t have any real significant factor in her disappearance. Fibromyalgia is a disease that causes pain, muscle stiffness, chronic fatigue. It`s frequently associated with depression, but it is not the kind of condition that`s going to result in sudden death. It`s not the kind of condition that is going to cause somebody to commit suicide unless they have a much more serious type of depression.

GRACE: Joining us right now is a very special guest. It is Chief Michael Saudino with the Emerson Police Department. Chief, thank you for being with us. What can you tell me about the circumstances surrounding her disappearance?

CHIEF MICHAEL SAUDINO, EMERSON POLICE DEPARTMENT: There`s not really much we have to go on at this point. She was reported missing on the 19th, Sunday, August 19th, around 2:00 p.m. She`s made no contact with any of her family members or close friends, which makes us concerned, of course, and more so that she hasn`t tried to contact her three children, particularly since the attempt by her husband Friday to take his own life.

GRACE: Had she ever disappeared before, Chief?

SAUDINO: To our knowledge, no.

GRACE: And who saw her last?

SAUDINO: Her husband was the last one reported to see her.

GRACE: And that was during an argument?

SAUDINO: They had an argument, and she left the house, yes.

GRACE: What was the argument about?

SAUDINO: At this point, it`s kind of been undetermined.

GRACE: He can`t tell you?

SAUDINO: And I`d rather not comment on it at this particular time.

GRACE: OK. Has he taken a polygraph?

SAUDINO: No, he has not.

GRACE: Has he been offered a polygraph?

SAUDINO: I believe it was in the works, and then the accident occurred on Friday, which put a stop to that.

GRACE: The accident? Chief Saudino, he didn`t trip on the way out in front of those cars, did he?

SAUDINO: No, he -- we`re convinced that he attempted to take his own life.

GRACE: Now, has he explained that to you, why he would do such a thing with three kids relying on him? Why isn`t he out looking for his wife instead of jumping in front of a car?

SAUDINO: Yes, he really has said very little to us since his attempt on Friday.

GRACE: Chief, why are the kids at an aunt`s house instead of with him, with their father? I would be with my father at that age, I`m sure.

SAUDINO: Well, of course, he`s in the hospital and probably will be for some time.

GRACE: Oh, OK, OK, I didn`t know that. All right, I thought he had been released.

SAUDINO: No, no, he`ll...

GRACE: What are his injuries, Chief?

SAUDINO: I believe he has a broken pelvis. There are some internal injuries. I believe there`s some damage to his liver. At this point, we feel it`s nothing life-threatening. And, you know, he`s got some cuts and swelling on his face.

GRACE: Oh, so he`s totally, totally physically able to be strapped up to a polygraph, right?

SAUDINO: I don`t even think it would be a consideration at this point with his condition in the hospital.

GRACE: Out to the lines, Rebecca in California. Hi, Rebecca.

CALLER: Hi, Nancy, thank you very much. My question is, I`m a little bit confused by the husband`s actions. He didn`t report her missing after an argument, and they got an anonymous phone call saying the wife was missing, and then he decides to throw himself in front of a car. It seems to be becoming an epidemic in the country, all of these people are killing their spouses or their better halves, and then they do this same attempt at suicide, it`s like, "Oh, feel sorry for me. Don`t look at the fact the person I supposedly loved all my life is missing and gone. I want you to feel sorry for me, because I can`t live without them, so I`m going to try to kill myself." What is it? Do they think it`s a free ticket out of jail?

GRACE: What about it, Dr. Robi Ludwig? We`ve seen it over and over, either the suicide or typically suicide attempt.

LUDWIG: Well, in some cases, they`re very highly dependent on the wives that they kill. And it`s almost like cutting their nose to spite their face. So after they kill their wife, then they`re profoundly depressed and suicidal.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GRACE: Welcome back. Where is the missing mother of three? Back to Michelle Sigona. Tell me about the searches.

SIGONA: Well, there`s been a series of searches, Nancy. A lot has been done throughout a reservoir throughout the Emerson, New Jersey. And then tomorrow another search is going to take place, thankfully, ground, on water, everywhere, just trying to look for her and, at this point, possibly a body.

GRACE: And to Dr. Bruce Levy, Tennessee state medical examiner, the police halted the search due to heat and humidity, why?

LEVY: Well, you have to remember that the extreme heat and humidity that a lot of the country has been suffering through is going to be dangerous to the health of the people who are trying to look for this woman and either find her and bring her home or find her body. And we`re not going to want to risk their health.

GRACE: And, of course, it goes to the decomposition of the body.

Very quickly, Dr. Robi Ludwig, not this guy, but other people, why is it they can`t ever kill themselves, but they can kill their children and their wives so easily? You know, when it comes to them, somehow it just doesn`t work out.

LUDWIG: Well, in some cases, they blame their partner for interfering with them having a happier, better life. And really, when you off your partner, you are committing a form of suicide, because your life is over, as well.

GRACE: Right. OK, again, this guy not convicted and not a suspect, according to police.

Let`s stop. I want to remember Army Corporal Jeremy Stacey, 23, Bismarck, Arkansas, killed, Iraq. Enlisting straight from high school, awarded the Bronze Star and Purple Heart, he dreamed of going to college to become a fiction writer and illustrator and make his home near his mom in Valencia County. Leaving behind mom, Betty, four sisters, Jessica, Shaila, Lisa, Erica, Jeremy Stacey, American hero.

Thank you to our guests, but thank you for inviting us into your homes. See you tomorrow night, 8:00 sharp Eastern. And until then, good night, friend.

END