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Manhunt Continues for Child Molester

Aired October 02, 2007 - 15:00   ET

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

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Speaking as a father myself, I wish the guy would dig a hole in the desert and put a gun in his mouth. Wild West justice is the way I see it.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: When was the last time you heard a lawyer talk like that? Well you heard him right here minutes ago. The lawyer for the mother of the little girl seen brutally molested on tape.

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: He's talking about the molester, of course, who is still on the loose. The child, he says, is safe and healthy. I'm Kyra Phillips at the CNN Center in Atlanta.

LEMON: And I'm Don Lemon, you are in the CNN NEWSROOM.

PHILLIPS: More now on the case of that Las Vegas girl who was raped on videotape. Last hour we heard a statement from the child's single mother with whom she was found safe four years after the assault. An intense manhunt goes on now for the suspect, 37-year-old Chester Stiles. The victim's mom says she did not know about the abuse which happened when her daughter was just three, possibly younger. Her lawyer read the statement and then spoke for her.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JERRY DONOHUE, ATTY. FOR VICTIM'S FAMILY: It is my understanding that the mother recognized Stiles, the suspect, in the video which caused her to be willing to cooperate with the authorities to learn if in fact it was her daughter in the video.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did she say how she knew him or how it was that she recognized him?

DONOHUE: I know it wasn't through direct knowledge. I think it was indirectly. Probably friend of a friend or something like that, but I am speculating. I just don't think she had direct knowledge of Mr. Stiles.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is the mother thankful that the media helped unfold this case?

DONOHUE: Not really, I don't think. I don't think I would be either. There's some things maybe you don't want to know. It's hard to say. Can you imagine having a little girl and learning that something occurred many years before and you can't do anything about it to protect her at that point? I don't know.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Does she want to bring this molester to justice?

DONOHUE: Absolutely. I mean speaking as a father myself, I wish the guy would dig a hole in the desert and put a gun in his mouth. Wild West justice, the way I see it.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Police consider Chester Stiles dangerous. They also say he is a survivalist who can get by without the basic necessities.

LEMON: She is back home and she is safe, but the man who allegedly lured her away is still on the run. We're following breaking news this afternoon out of Florida. Just a short time ago police announced they found 15-year-old Alyssa Frank who they believe was lured away from home by 46-year-old Bill Mitchell, a registered sex offender.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHERIFF GRADY JUDD, POLK COUNTY, FLORIDA: We want him. We want him very badly and we want him in custody. That's why we still ask for the community to help us. Look for this vehicle. Dial 911 on your cell phone. We'll immediately have law enforcement officers respond to the area and take him in custody.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Police say Mitchell lured the girl from her Bartow home, took her to Alabama and then brought her back to Florida where he apparently abandoned her at a Wal-Mart in Defuniak Springs. They consider him a high-risk sex offender and extremely dangerous.

PHILLIPS: Sole survivors or cold-blooded killers? Two men who were rescued last week from a life raft in the Florida straits find themselves in legal straits. Prosecutors say they believe that 34- year-old Kirby Archer and 19-year-old Guillermo Zarabozo killed four crew members aboard a charter fishing boat, the Joe Cool. Both men were denied bond today in Miami. The government has 10 days to indict them. The crew members' bodies meantime have still not been found. Zarabozo has said that armed Cuban pirates hijacked that boat and murdered the crew.

LEMON: They are hired guns, but critics say they are also loose cannons. Blackwater USA and other private security contractors in Iraq under fire on Capitol Hill right now. Blackwater especially in the wake of a highly disputed shooting last month that Iraqi leaders say killed innocent civilians. Blackwater says it was responding to an attack. Lawmakers are being asked not to talk about the particulars because the FBI has opened a criminal probe. The case has sparked new tensions, new questions putting lawmakers on the attack and Blackwater's CEO on the defense. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. HENRY WAXMAN, (D) OVERSIGHT & REFORM CHMN.: One senior U.S. military official said Blackwater's actions are creating resentment among Iraqis that quote, "May be worse than Abu Ghraib." If these observations are true, they mean that our reliance on a private military contractor is backfiring.

ERIK PRINCE, BLACKWATER CHAIRMAN/CEO: An incident occurs typically when -- our men fear for their life, they're not able to extract themselves from the situation. They have to use sufficient defensive fire to get off the X, to get off that place where the bad guys have tried to kill Americans that day.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Plenty of questions about Blackwater and other private security contractors. But one thing is for sure, the U.S. military and State Department want them. Let's go straight to the State Department now and CNN's Zain Verjee. Hi Zain.

ZAIN VERJEE, CNN STATE DEPARTMENT CORRESPONDENT: Hi Don, Blackwater and State Department officials being really grilled on the hill today by lawmakers. At issue here is this, are Blackwater contractors, Blackwater security contractors, are they doing their job, are they protecting diplomats or are they as some lawmakers say, just trigger-happy cowboys who are killing innocent Iraqi civilians? Now Erik Prince, the CEO of Blackwater, said look we're not mercenaries. We have a job to do and that job is to protect diplomats and get them out of danger as soon as possible. He said we're not there to achieve any kind of firepower dominance or to drive out the insurgents. Now, as you know, Don, Blackwater's role has really come to a boil after a September 16th incident where at least 11 Iraqis are believed to have been killed by Blackwater guards who say that they came under hostile fire and responded to that. Lawmakers were not able to ask any questions about that incident simply because the State Department and the Justice Department are conducting an investigation on that. Lawmakers, though, have also -- are also asking questions about the State Department, saying look, there hasn't been enough oversight and saying that it's been extremely poor and that the State Department is responsible to some extent for this. The State Department for its part is saying that there is a system, that there is solid oversight. Here is how one official responded.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID SATTERFIELD, STATE DEPT. SR. COORDINATOR FOR IRAQ: In those rare instances when security contractors must use force, management officials at the embassy conduct a thorough review in each and every instance. To ensure the proper procedures were, in fact, followed. In addition, we are in constant and regular conduct with our Iraqi counterparts about such instances. And the incident of September 16th was no exception.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP) VERJEE: Now the State Department says that there are investigations underway. There is a diplomatic security investigation along with the FBI that's going to be going on. There is also a joint U.S. Iraqi commission investigating. Also, Secretary Rice has sent a high-level panel to Iraq to try and look generally to see what the security practices are, what the codes of conduct are, what the rules of engagement are. We're expecting something early next week or later this week in terms of an assessment, preliminary. Don?

LEMON: Zain, what about the people being protected by Blackwater? Specifically, the diplomats. What are they saying?

VERJEE: Well diplomats that we have talked to Don basically say that they just can't do their jobs without this kind of security protection. They also say that diplomatic security on the ground in Iraq isn't trained, isn't qualified to do this kind of protection in a difficult and dangerous war zone. One thing that came at us when we did talk to diplomats is that they said that Blackwater, for all the criticism that's happening right now has a track record and a perfect track record. No diplomat has been killed.

LEMON: All right, CNN's Zain Verjee. Zain, thank you for your report.

PHILLIPS: Fifteen years later, the he said/she said continues. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas writes about Anita Hill in his new book and about Hill's sexual harassment allegations that turned his confirmation hearings into a sort of national spectacle. Let's go to CNN's Carol Costello in Washington. Carol, Anita Hill isn't having any of this. She says that her old boss is just trying to reinvent her. What's your take?

CAROL COSTELLO: Well you know a lot of people Kyra have been wondering when Anita Hill would come forward and address these new allegations by Clarence Thomas. It is clear he is still angry about those senate confirmation hearings that happened what, 16 years ago now. He still denies Hill's charges, calling her a political pawn to obscure the real issue of abortion. He calls her a mediocre employee, one who was upset about not getting promoted over a lighter-skinned black woman. After what she's saying Kyra, she told CNN she was not lying, not a political pawn. And that her allegations of sexual harassment were true and she says Justice Thomas' words about her job performance are typical.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: After this whole horrible experience you won.

CLARENCE THOMAS: Won what? What was -- what was the game? There was no game, Steve. This wasn't about winning anything. This wasn't a football game. This was about our country.

PROF. ANITA HILL, BRANDEIS UNIVERSITY: When you are accused of bad behavior, as opposed to wanting people to look at all of the evidence, looking at all the credible evidence, what you do is you attack your accuser. (END OF VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Attack your accuser. She still fights for the rights of those who feel they have been sexually harassed and she feels Kyra, that because of what Justice Thomas has said, because he's a justice and his words carry very heavy clout that other victims of alleged harassment will not come forward now. She also says she feels at peace about what happened thanks to the prayers and the letters of support that she has received from thousands of people across the country.

PHILLIPS: Well did Anita Hill in any way indicate if she was going to take further action against Justice Thomas?

COSTELLO: No, I think she just wants it to go away. She's said her peace and now she just wants to go back to Brandeis University and teach because that's what she's doing now. If you want to hear more of Anita Hill's interview, please join us at 4:00 in "THE SITUATION ROOM" with Wolf Blitzer. It's a fascinating conversation.

PHILLIPS: All right, Carol Costello, appreciate it.

LEMON: Once again, a judge orders O.J. Simpson to turn over what's his or what belongs to the Goldman family. Update, coming up in the CNN NEWSROOM.

PHILLIPS: A young man in the center of a racially charged case goes free, for now. All because of one man he doesn't even know. We'll get to know this good Samaritan straight ahead in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: O.J. Simpson, pay up. That ruling just handed down by a judge in California. He's ordering Simpson to hand over his Rolex watch and other items to the family of Ron Goldman. In light of the civil judgment that found Simpson liable for the deaths of Goldman and Simpson's ex-wife, Nicole. The ruling includes any future royalties from a sports video game that features Simpson and any of that distributed memorabilia found to be legally is.

PHILLIPS: It's 3:15 Eastern time, here are some of the stories we're working on in the CNN NEWSROOM. We heard a statement just minutes ago from the mother of a Las Vegas girl who was raped on videotape when she was just three. Read by her lawyer, the statement said that the mom did not know about the abuse. Meantime, an intense manhunt continues for the suspect, 37-year-old Chester Arthur Stiles.

A major new twist in a bizarre story out of Florida. Prosecutors now believe two men murdered the four crew members on this fishing boat they had chartered. The two were found on a life raft last week. Prosecutors believe they were trying to get to Cuba.

Was it a common car crash or a royal murder plot? That's what a London jury is now being asked to decide as an inquest stars into the death of Princess Diana and her companion Dodi Fayed. It could last up to six months. LEMON: If a vote for the Iraq war is political baggage, it's a bag Senator Barack Obama doesn't have to carry. CNN's Candy Crowley is in Chicago where the Democratic presidential hopeful talked about the anti-war speech he gave five years ago today as a state senator. So Candy, we know he made a public speech today. But you also got to speak with Mr. Obama one-on-one. What did you learn from that?

CANDY CROWLEY, CNN SR. POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well I learned a couple of things. First of all, they are determined to sort of move on from this. They are selling his judgment on the Iraq war as experience. As you know, a lot of voters in the Democratic Party see an experienced gap between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. He needs to bridge that gap if he is going to make any headway. And he says listen, it's not just that I gave this speech on Iraq, it's that I was able to see down the road as to where we were headed.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. BARACK OBAMA, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I did not only oppose the war but laid out reasons that have proven to be pressing over time. And I think that says something about my judgment and my ability to assess the challenges that we're going to face in the future.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

CROWLEY: Now, the problem for Obama is when you look at the polls and you ask Democrats who do you think is best able to conduct foreign policy, to get us out of Iraq, it is Hillary Clinton by a wide margin. So bridging that gap is going to be pretty tough. He says listen, I don't pay attention to polls. But he does admit that Hillary Clinton has made some inroads.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OBAMA: I think that Senator Clinton has been effective in trying to blur the distinctions. It's our job to make these distinctions clear to the American people because it really ends up speaking to how we're going to make decisions in the future. How we're going to be making decisions about a series of significant threats and how we're going to make decisions about getting out of Iraq, which I think is going to be a top priority during the course of this election.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

CROWLEY: Obama says it's all a matter of getting his message out. From here he's off to Iowa for what will be several days of campaigning, talking about judgment and experience. Don?

LEMON: Let's talk about some campaign cash, because there's big news coming from both the Obama campaign and the Clinton campaign. Right?

CROWLEY: Yeah, absolutely. For the first time in this third quarter, Hillary Clinton has outdistanced Barack Obama when it comes to raising money. Now, look in the Obama campaign, they say listen, you put all those three quarters together. We have raised more money. We haven't had to put any money from any other campaign source into our funds. Hillary Clinton transferred $10 million from her senate campaign into her presidential campaign and they add, we haven't had to go after lobbyists' money. We have taken no lobbyist money. So, they are focused on the number of people who have given them donations. Barack Obama said listen, I think that's indicative of the kind of grassroots support we have. And he says he's pretty confident and says, you know, they like where they are right now. They're comfortable where they are right now. But I have to tell you the gap is pretty large nationally. Obviously, they have their sights set on Iowa here, where it is now pretty much a three-way race between Clinton, Obama and Edwards. Don?

LEMON: Ok, and Candy I understand that you're in my old neighborhood in Chicago right there near Sheffield and Beldon. Can you just wave on your way out and say hi?

CROWLEY: I will. I will wave to all the people here still asking for you.

LEMON: Candy Crowley, always a pleasure. I want to get on that "Election Express" with you and Bill Schneider and hang out. Thank you so much for that report.

Much, much more from Candy's interview with Senator Barack Obama ahead in "THE SITUATION ROOM." And you can see all the day's political news any time, day or night, at cnn.com/ticker. We are constantly updating it for you with the very latest from the candidates on the campaign trail.

PHILLIPS: Hitting the streets in hopes of finding work. Rick Sanchez goes undercover to learn more about the life of a day laborer in America. That's straight ahead in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: The price you see at a store may not be final and that's a good thing for serious shoppers. Susan Lisovicz at the New York Stock Exchange, she is definitely a serious shopper folks, let me tell you. She's going to tell us how you can do it even better. Susan?

SUSAN LISOVICZ: You know that firsthand Kyra, because we did a power shopping trip.

PHILLIPS: That's right.

LISOVICZ: I got you a very good price, didn't I?

PHILLIPS: You taught me the ways of the world and you got me some really good deals.

LISOVICZ: We'll leave it at that. Well we've all bargained for big ticket items like a home or a car, but a new survey from Consumer Reports says haggling can be used in a lot of other places, too. As Kyra knows first hand. In fact, more than 90 percent of people who tried to bargain were successful at least once during the last three years. They did it even in big box stores for things like appliances and electronics. And 93 percent of people found success haggling on their medical bills, which is extremely important because medical bills are the number one cause of bankruptcy and obviously, very expensive. Kyra?

PHILLIPS: But for a lot of people, haggling is a little intimidating. Obviously you and I don't have an issue with that, but a lot of people, it makes them feel uncomfortable.

LISOVICZ: It takes some guts, but the possible benefits can justify the effort. The other party is in it, too. I mean they want to make the sale. Consumer Reports has lots of great tips. One is knowing what the fair price is. So it's important to do your homework. It can also be helpful to time your shopping, for example the upcoming holiday season. It's a good time to buy a car. Also be discreet, the seller you're haggling with may not want to let everyone know that they'll bargain. Offer to pay cash. And perhaps most importantly, Kyra, and here again, you know this first hand, keep it pleasant. Savvy negotiators know that a smile is harder to resist than tough talk. Consumer Reports points out that you shouldn't feel like you're stealing from these companies. They're only giving you a break because they can afford it. Those are just some of the tips from Consumer Reports. Portions are available free, that's a bargain as well, on "consumerreports.org.

Well, buy low, sell high, that's the mantra here on Wall Street. Stocks are lower today, but well, the level is pretty lofty. The Dow industrials struggling after yesterday's big gains when the blue chips soared to an all-time high. Right now the Dow is down 52 points, but above 14,000. The NASDAQ composite on the plus side, but up only by one. I will be back at the top of the hour for the closing bell and we'll talk about something else interesting too, not sure just what yet. But, we'll talk about it.

PHILLIPS: All right, you always have something. See you in a little bit Susan.

LISOVICZ: You got it.

LEMON: The young man in the center of a racially charged case goes free for now. All because one man he doesn't even know. Get to know this good Samaritan straight ahead in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Hello everyone I'm Kyra Phillips live at the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta.

LEMON: And I'm Don Lemon. You are in the CNN NEWSROOM.

PHILLIPS: She's back home and she's safe, but the man who allegedly lured her away is still on the run. We're following breaking news this afternoon out of Florida. Just a short time ago, police announced that they found 15-year-old Alyssa Frank, that they believe was lured away from home by 46-year-old Bill Mitchell, a registered sex offender.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHERIFF GRADY JUDD, POLK COUNTY, FLORIDA: We want him. We want him very badly and we want him in custody. That's why we still ask for the community to help us. Look for this vehicle. Dial 911 on your cellphone. We'll immediately have law enforcement officers respond to the area and take him in custody.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Police are saying that Mitchell talked the young girl out of her home in Bartow and took her to Alabama. Then brought her back to Florida where he apparently abandoned her at a Wal-Mart in Defuniak Springs. They consider him a high-risk sex offender and extremely dangerous.

Alleged sex predators on the run -- they're out there somewhere. And police want your help in finding them.

Here's another one that they need your help finding -- Elby J. Hars. He served time for sexually abusing his daughter. But South Carolina police say that when he got out, he reunited with her. And that's not all. Police say the daughter actually became an accomplice for her dad, going out and finding young girls for him to abuse. She eventually turned herself in. Elby Hars is 64 and was last seen in California, but he may be in Mexico.

William Lloyd Balser -- California police say he portrayed himself as a family man. They say he also molested his girlfriend's two young daughters five to six times a week for about eight years. Balser even called police while on the run, saying they'll never catch him. He's 48. He was last seen in Fresno and Wallace, California. He's also an avid weightlifter and can go from overweight to in shape in a matter of months.

If you have any information on these cases, please call "America's Most Wanted," 1-800-CRIME-TV, 1-800-274-6388. You can also log on at www.amw.com.

LEMON: University of Memphis students are back in class for the first time since a fellow student was shot to death late Sunday. And police are still looking for suspects.

Taylor Bradford was shot outside a university housing complex and yesterday the school said he had been specifically targeted. Police now say they can't say that for sure.

Would you adopt a pit bull from Michael Vick?

Well, a group of experts in dog behavior has checked out the dogs seized from Vick's property in Virginia. They say 48 of the 49 pit bulls could be fit for adoption or trained for law enforcement. A judge has to sign off on the panel's findings. Vick and three others pleaded guilty to federal dogfighting charges and face sentencing later this year. PHILLIPS: The pilots to blame, in part -- that's according to federal investigators, who say the crew of the Southwest Airlines jet made a bad decision to land at Chicago's Midway Airport the night of December 9th, 2005. It was snowing, the plane ran off the runway, skidded through a barrier and hit several cars on the adjacent highway. A 6-year-old boy is one of the -- who was in one of the cars was killed. A member of the National Transportation Safety Board says the crew should have landed somewhere else. And since that accident, Midway has installed lightweight concrete barrier designed to keep planes from overshooting the runways.

LEMON: It is back to court for Mychal Bell, the teenager at the center of the Jena 6 case. He is making his first appearance in juvenile court this hour. His case was sent there after a state appeals court tossed out his conviction for aggravated second degree battery, ruling he shouldn't have been tried as an adult. Bell was 16 when he and five other African-American students at Jena High School were accused of beating a white classmate last year.

Bell is free at the moment because the generosity of a stranger.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REV. AL SHARPTON, CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVIST: We'd like to also -- we want to thank Dr....

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Ayers.

SHARPTON: Ayers -- Dr. A-Y-E-R-S, Ayers, who wrote the check and said whatever the amount and led tonight -- tonight, Mychal can go home.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Dr. Stephen Ayers posted the teenager's bail even though he doesn't live in Jena and isn't politically active.

So why get involved?

DR. STEPHEN AYERS, POSTED BELL'S BOND: Oh, yes.

LEMON: Dr. Ayers joins us now from Lake Charles, Louisiana.

Dr. Ayers, you're on.

AYERS: OK.

LEMON: Thank you for joining us today.

And I've got to ask a favor for you. I know you're in a swivel chair there. Probably, if you could not swivel for us because it may, you know, get our viewers a little bit seasick there or something.

AYERS: OK.

Sorry about that. LEMON: Anyway, thank you so much for joining us.

Why did you do it if you have no connection?

You live there. You don't even know Mychal Bell or his family.

AYERS: Well, I just thought it was the right thing to do. I don't think it was a good thing for the teenager to be inside of a man's jail. There was all types of risks that could have happened. And I thought that it was best that he be with his mother.

LEMON: You were saying, in all of this -- and I've been -- I've read your story in the newspaper this weekend about what you thought about the case. You didn't even know about the case. Someone came into your office, someone you knew, a friend and a patient, I believe, told you about it. You were -- explain to us. You were writing a prescription because the person had gone to the march and needed pain relievers.

Is that correct?

AYERS: Right. I was concerned about whether or not he had vascular disease versus some type of neuropathy in his back. And we also was talking a little bit about the march. And when I found out that Mr. Bell was going to be kept in jail, I said this is not right. We have to do something. Let's get him out right now. I'll write the check, whatever it takes. Let's get him out right now.

LEMON: So you are the accidental, I would say, Good Samaritan in all of this, because you really didn't know about it and I guess an accidental sort of leader when it comes to this thing.

Here's the thing, though. You say you didn't know him. And, again, I'm reading from the quotes that you said. You think that -- you said he is not innocent. He did wrong and that you can't go and beat people up.

If someone went out and hung a rope, so what?

Protest, but you can't beat them up. Violence is not the answer.

AYERS: That's correct. There are some ideas that we don't like. But we must face those ideas in a non-violent way. To go out and get violent over someone hanging a rope is just not appropriate.

LEMON: Some people are saying that Mychal Bell is, you know, the wrong person for this cause. Maybe the wrong martyr for the cause is the way that people are putting it.

Do you agree with that?

Or do you think that it -- in some way it may be a distraction of what the real issue here?

Can the two sort of be translated? AYERS: Well, I disagree that Mychal Bell is not the right person for the cause. I think that this child did have some problems in the past. He did get into some trouble. Apparently, he's going to be punished for the trouble he got into. But he needs to be punished on a level playing field. No one is perfect. We've all made mistakes.

I'm sure that there are people out there who have sons or relatives that have had some problems with violence and they need to be -- those problems need to be addressed and we need to try to make something positive out of Mychal Bell's life.

LEMON: You are responsible for him -- by putting up his bail, in some ways, responsible financially if he does decide to leave or is not heard from or gets into trouble again.

How do you feel about that?

AYERS: Well, I think that Mychal Bell is going to do well. I don't think he's going to get into any more trouble. And I think that his parents are going to do the right thing and...

LEMON: But you do say, though, you think...

AYERS: I think this whole issue is going to do well.

LEMON: ...you think he should get some behavior counseling and you say he may have some anger issues and that this a lesson for him. So you're not completely letting him off the hook.

AYERS: Absolutely.

LEMON: Absolutely.

All right, that's a good way to end it.

Dr. Stephen Ayers, thank you so much.

I found it amusing in the press conference when they wanted to thank you. They're like we want to make sure that we say his name correctly and they even spelled it. So, you got your five minutes of fame and here's five minutes more.

Thank you so much.

PHILLIPS: Well, if you live in or near a big city, you see them every day standing on busy corners, hanging around building supply stores, garden centers, anywhere someone might be looking for an extra pair of hands.

What's life like for day laborers in America?

CNN's Rick Sanchez joins us now with his undercover experiment -- Rick...

RICK SANCHEZ, HOST, "OUT IN THE OPEN": We've been doing this...

PHILLIPS: I can only imagine.

I can only imagine.

(LAUGHTER)

PHILLIPS: We've all been talking about this, Rick Sanchez.

SANCHEZ: This is personal for me. I mean this is something we've been looking at for the last couple of days.

Yesterday we asked a question about language -- if you live in the United States, should you speak English?

We got 17,000 plus people going and responding to our question. So the response that we're getting to this is really amazing.

Today, we're looking at jobs, tonight, here at 8:00 -- are jobs being taken that Americans would have because of this new immigrant labor force?

This is an important conversation that our nation needs to be having right now.

So what we do is we're going to go out tonight and, among others things -- obviously, we're going to talk to some people who have lost their jobs as a result of some of the immigrants who have come into this country. And they're angry about it. They've got good reason to be angry about it and they tell their story.

Then we also go and we talk to some immigrants who are now in the United States, and who are trying to get by with whatever job that they can get. We've got a couple of reporters doing some different, Kyra.

This is interesting. We've got Ted Rowlands. He's going to be out in California picking olives. We've got Dan Lothian up in Boston. He's going to be cleaning fish for six hours. The experience he tells us is remarkable. And then I go out with a hidden camera on my lapel and I tell you what it's like to actually be a day laborer, a guy who comes to the United States and just needs to work and is lucky if he gets it. And I dress down and go out there with them.

Here's a clip.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "OUT IN THE OPEN")

SANCHEZ (voice-over): It's amazing. These guys can spend all day standing on these street corners and they're lucky -- lucky if they get two jobs a week. The rest of their time is filled waiting and hoping. But they have to be here, they say, to feed their families and pay the rent. By the way, the going rate is about $90 a day. If it's a smaller job, they try and get $9 to $10 an hour.

(on camera): (INAUDIBLE) quanto vies dollares a la hora?

(voice-over): I ask him how much he charges. Well, it depends. Whoever goes for $10 goes for $10. Me, I don't go for $10. He says the pay should be daily and he shoots for $100 a day. The last thing these guys need is more competition. Yet, they welcome me and even try and give me a lesson on how to negotiate.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: That's amazing. We'll bring you back at this point.

But, yes, I almost felt bad because, you know, obviously my English is pretty good. And I'm talking to these guys, but they don't know that I speak English, so they start trying to teach me how to speak English, how to say, Kyra, ask him how much, ask him how much.

So he would say pregunta a la -- you know, you have to say to him, how much you pay?

How much you pay?

And then he would have me practice and rehearse with him.

How much you pay?

How much you pay?

PHILLIPS: Oh, god. Well, that...

SANCHEZ: I mean it's heartbreaking.

PHILLIPS: Well, you took this personally, didn't you?

Why was it so personal for you?

I mean this is -- this is -- I don't know, this hits close to home, doesn't it?

SANCHEZ: These are -- these people are where my parents were when they came to this country.

I mean when my mom and dad came to this country, this is the kind of jobs that they had to do. They didn't speak any English. You know, they don't speak any English to this day. But they worked in factories. They work two or three jobs. They get home at 3:00 in the morning.

So when I looked into these guys' eyes, I was seeing where I come from. And now I look at my kids with their little, you know, video games every day, and they don't speak a lick of Spanish. You know, it's interesting. I mean this is part of the assimilation process.

PHILLIPS: Did anything stand out that you didn't expect?

SANCHEZ: I didn't expect that some of the people who would be coming to offer them jobs would be other immigrants from other places who are already settled here and sympathize, if not empathize, with some of these guys. PHILLIPS: Oh, wow!

SANCHEZ: Like an African from the Ivory Coast who had a good job in the United States. And he needed to move from his apartment. And he said the first thing I thought of was I'm going to go to the corner and get some of these fellows because they need to work and I want to be able to help them out.

It's a fascinating story.

PHILLIPS: Now, I want to know if you actually went to work or did you just kind of get on the inside and interview everybody.

SANCHEZ: I knew you were going to go there. You're going to have to watch tonight at 8:00.

PHILLIPS: I knew it.

SANCHEZ: All right, Miss. Kyra. And watch this thing tonight.

PHILLIPS: Rick Sanchez, believe me, when it comes to you, we're always watching.

You can catch the rest of Rick's story tonight on "OUT IN THE OPEN". That's 8:00 p.m. Eastern. You won't want to miss it.

LEMON: Private security contractors in Iraq -- do they shoot first and ask no questions later?

The chairman of the Blackwater USA on Capitol Hill and under fire. Details straight ahead in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Troops will leave Iraq -- British troops, that is. On his first visit to Iraq as Britain's prime minister, Gordon Brown says he wants to pull a thousand more of his forces out by the end of the year. Right now, 5,500 British troops are stationed in Basra Province. Iraqi leaders fear a drawdown could jeopardize oil resources in the south. Still, Iraq's prime minister says his troops are ready to take over security there and will within two months.

LEMON: Iraq's president, meantime, visited President Bush at the White House. Their meeting was private, but we're told Mr. Bush and Jalal Talabani agreed on the need for the Iraqi parliament to pass laws aimed at reconciliation among Shiites, Sunnis and Kurds, and distributing Iraq's oil revenue.

PHILLIPS: They're hired guns, but critics say they are also loose cannons. Blackwater USA and other private security contractors in Iraq under fire on Capitol Hill right now, Blackwater especially, in the wake of a highly disputed shooting last month that Iraqi leaders say killed innocent civilians.

Blackwater says it was responding to an attack. Lawmakers being asked not to talk about the particulars because the FBI has opened a criminal probe. But the case has sparked new tensions, new questions, putting lawmakers on the attack and Blackwater's CEO on the defense.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. HARRY WAXMAN (D), CALIFORNIA: One senior U.S. military official said Blackwater's actions are creating resentment among the Iraqis that "may worse than Abu Ghraib." If these observations are true, they mean that our reliance on a private military contractor is backfiring.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ERIK PRINCE, BLACKWATER CHAIRMAN/CEO: An incident occurs, typically, when our men fear for their life and they're not able to extract themselves from the situation. They have to use sufficient defensive fire to get off the X, to get off that place where the bad guys have tried to kill Americans that day.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: American security contractors -- are they the U.S. version of the French Foreign Legion or a vital force in the fight against terror?

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

LEMON (voice-over): They are civilians, many highly trained, just out of the military. The driving force for most -- combat and high salaries, up to $200,000 a year for some. These guns for hire are employed by private security firms in the United States and abroad. Their bosses are fighting tooth and nail for the biggest share they can get in a $2.5 billion globe am industry.

Blackwater USA is the most controversial right now. But it's just one of nearly 30 security firms with some 25,000 contractors on the ground in Iraq alone. They've also operated in Afghanistan and such other far flung places as Papua New Guinea and Sierra Leone.

About 7,300 security contractors are working for the Pentagon, guarding key fixed locations and other jobs. In addition, some 1,200 security contractors from Blackwater and two other U.S.-based security firms are working for the State Department, providing security for diplomats.

Critics brand them as mercenaries who conduct business that's outside established military rules of engagement or the laws of their host country. Defense Secretary Robert Gates says the contractors allow U.S. troops to focus on combat operations.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

PHILLIPS: A somber anniversary in the Pennsylvania countryside. A look at an Amish community one year after the tragedy.

You're watching CNN NEWSROOM. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: What killed Carol Ann Gotbaum after her arrest at the Phoenix airport?

Two separate autopsies are being done to find out whether the 45- year-old woman strangled herself trying to escape her handcuffs or if there were other factors. It could take several weeks to determine an official cause of death, depending on what tests are needed. An autopsy for the family says Gotbaum planned to -- an attorney, I should say -- for the family said Gotbaum planned to check into an alcohol treatment center in Tucson and had an emotional reaction when she couldn't get on her flight. He adds the family hasn't decided yet whether to start legal action against the police.

PHILLIPS: A year of grieving and healing in Nickel Mines, Pennsylvania. That Amish community was thrust into the spotlight one year ago when a gunman entered the schoolhouse, killed five girls and wounded five others before killing himself. The schoolhouse has long since been razed and it's now a pasture. And in keeping with their custom, the Amish held no public observances of the grim anniversary. Instead, they spent time yesterday with some of their first responders and their neighbors.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHIEF CURT WOERTH, BART TOWNSHIP FIRE DEPARTMENT: Life will never go back to the way it was before October 2nd here. There's always going to be missing parts of the community, missing individuals. But we've rallied around each other. The Amish faith is very strong and, you know, their forgiveness is incredible and it's all due to their faith.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD KRYABILL, AMISH HISTORIAN: One of the things that's important to understand is that the Amish experience deep grief and pain, like the rest of us do with this kind of a tragedy. They don't become involved in rage or enact anger, but there's an enormous amount of grief. And they got through the year, I think, by helping each other.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Well, more on the anniversary this week on "ANDERSON COOPER 360".

LEMON: It's hard to believe it's been one year.

Wow!

PHILLIPS: I can't believe how fast it's gone by.

LEMON: Yes. Time to check in now with CNN's Wolf Blitzer.

PHILLIPS: He's standing by in "THE SIT ROOM" to tell us what's coming up at the top of the hour -- hey, Wolf.

WOLF BLITZER, HOST, "THE SITUATION ROOM": Hi, guys.

Thanks very much.

It's been 16 years, but the he said/she said isn't over by any means. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas says the woman who accused him of sexual harassment was a weapon out to destroy him. Now Anita Hill is talking to CNN. You're going to want to hear her response to Clarence Thomas and her message to working women.

Barack Obama suggests Hillary Clinton wants to confuse you about one critically important issue. He'll explain just what that is in a one-on-one interview. That's coming up here, as well.

And a highly revealing look at President Bush's apparent thinking about Iraq before the war. You'll hear how his patience was apparently running thin with Saddam Hussein and how while waiting for the United Nations, he says, was like waiting for Chinese water torture.

All that guys, and a lot more, coming up right here in "THE SITUATION ROOM".

PHILLIPS: All right, we'll be watching.

Thanks, Wolf.

LEMON: The closing bell and a wrap of all the action on Wall Street straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: The closing bell about to ring on Wall Street.

LEMON: Susan Lisovicz standing by with a final look at the trading day.

We're up to something. We were being facetious (INAUDIBLE)...

SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You know, Don, just given your preoccupation with tomatoes, we thought we'd do a return of the killer tomato. We're not talking about the tomatoes with the snake in your backyard, but that is Heinz searching for the perfect tomato -- one that is sweeter -- to offset the high cost of corn syrup. Heinz is looking for something that's not only sweeter, but that will resist disease more and also be thicker. And, of course, Heinz is known for the thickness of its ketchup.

Where am I going with this, you ask?

LEMON: Where are you going?

LISOVICZ: Well, you remember, there was a famous ad campaign for Heinz with Carly Simon singing "Anticipation?"

PHILLIPS: Oh my gosh. You are going back.

LEMON: Oh, yes.

(CROSSTALK)

LEMON: What is the one where you couldn't get it out?

Was that Heinz?

LISOVICZ: That's right.

LEMON: Where you -- yes.

LISOVICZ: And on Heinz's Web site...

PHILLIPS: You still can't.

LISOVICZ: ...it says Carly Simon wrote that song because she was waiting for -- she wrote that song while she was waiting for her date, Cat Stevens, to show up.

LEMON: Oh.

What's his name now?

PHILLIPS: Wow!

LEMON: It's a...

PHILLIPS: He's, well, he's now a Muslim. He's...

LEMON: Yes, right.

LISOVICZ: That's right.

PHILLIPS: Yusuf...

LEMON: Somebody.

PHILLIPS: Yes.

A great new album, by the way.

LISOVICZ: He's actually just started recording -- yes, he just started recording again.

PHILLIPS: Yes.

LEMON: Carly Simon or Yusuf?

PHILLIPS: Yusuf.

LEMON: Oh.

LISOVICZ: We're going everywhere with this.

(CROSSTALK)

LISOVICZ: I guess I have to talk about the market, OK?

LEMON: Yes. We're in anticipation of the market here.

PHILLIPS: (INAUDIBLE) distracted.

LEMON: What's going on?

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

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