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Nancy Grace

Report Peterson Relative Says He Helped him Move a Heavy Container

Aired November 29, 2007 - 20:00   ET

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


JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL, GUEST HOST: Tonight: He says the media won`t leave him or his children alone, but it seems Drew Peterson is the one who can`t stop talking to the cameras as police try to sort out what happened to his missing fourth wife, Peterson reportedly calls himself America`s number one suspect and says his family is under siege. And reports emerge a male relative believes he unknowingly helped the former police sergeant dispose of Stacy`s body the very day she goes missing.
And tonight: Did Stacy Peterson confide to others in the past that her husband revealed killing his third wife, then making it look like an accident? That mysterious bathtub death under investigation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Two Chicago newspapers are reporting that the man told a friend that he helped Drew Peterson haul out a large rectangular container which was warm to the touch and weighed about as much as Stacy would have.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They`re looking for this infamous now blue barrel, but they`re also looking for any other container that a five-foot, 100- pound woman could fit into because they`re not convinced that the blue barrel isn`t just a red herring.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Police are also looking at surveillance video from a supermarket after Drew Peterson claimed he received a letter from someone about a possible Stacy sighting. But right, now anything he says raises doubts.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Also breaking developments tonight in the case of a 20-year-old coed and honor student from Mississippi who vanishes. Latasha Norman last seen leaving class at Jackson State University, but then she`s never heard from again. As we go to air, sadly, police find a female body in the local Jackson area. A suspect is now in custody, charged with murder. Is this the body of Latasha Norman? It is a truly shocking development.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Jackson police say they found a body they believe to be that of missing 20-year-old college student Latasha Norman. Norman vanished November 13 after leaving class at Jackson State University, police charging her former boyfriend, Stanley Cole, with murder. Cole was arraigned this morning on charges he allegedly hit Norman in a restaurant parking lot back in October.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Good evening. I`m Jane Velez-Mitchell, in for Nancy Grace. First tonight, new details emerge in the case of missing young mother of two Stacy Peterson, who simply vanished in the Chicago suburbs.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Brand-new disturbing revelation in the search for missing Illinois mom Stacy Peterson. One of her husband`s relatives is now saying that he may have unknowingly helped Drew Peterson dump her body, "The Chicago Tribune" and "The Chicago Sun-Times" both reporting his story. He is Drew Peterson`s stepbrother. The papers say that he told a friend that he helped Drew Peterson haul out a large rectangular container which was warm to the touch and weighed about 120 pounds, what Stacy Peterson weighed. This was on October 28, a day before Stacy`s sister reported her missing. The man was reportedly so distraught that he was hospitalized for an apparent suicide attempt two days later.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Drew worked that Saturday from 5:00 PM until 5:00 AM on Sunday. However, he called in using his personal time, sick time, for the shift he was supposed to work Sunday night at 5:00 PM until Monday morning at 5:00 AM. Police don`t believe that Drew has accounted for those 12 hours between 5:00 PM Sunday and 5:00 AM Monday in a manner that they`re satisfied with. That`s why they`re uncomfortable with his story.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: I`m Jane Velez-Mitchell, in for Nancy Grace. A flurry of major new developments in the case of Stacy Peterson, who simply vanished into thin air on October 28. Did a relative unwittingly help her (SIC) dispose of her remains while they were still warm to the touch? Are all these shocking new leads true? And if they are, what should police be doing about them?

For the very latest, we go straight out to CNN correspondent Keith Oppenheim, who is in Chicago. Keith, what is the very latest?

KEITH OPPENHEIM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, officially, police really aren`t saying that much about the investigation. They`re being very tight- lipped today, Jane. But unofficially, unnamed police sources have told the major Chicago papers some of what you just heard, that a relative of Drew Peterson helped him take some sort of container out of Drew Peterson`s home on October 28, the last day that Stacy was seen.

Now, the stories go that the container was taken from the second floor of the home and then taken into Drew Peterson`s sport utility vehicle, and later it`s reported that the relative has said to have uttered words to the effect that, I think I helped Drew dispose of Stacy.

Next day, October 29, he then attempts to commit suicide, according to unnamed police sources. And then he goes into a local hospital, and Drew Peterson is said to have visited him there -- Jane.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, of course, Keith, we need to remind our viewers that CNN has been unable to independently confirm these reports that are coming out of local Chicago papers, and some of these reports are actually fourth-hand. And on top of that, the attorney for Drew Peterson is saying that these are all rumors and actually claims this relative has serious psychological issues. But all that being said, this is a major break in the case, and it is being reported widely.

Let`s bring in Mike Brooks, former D.C. police officer who served on the FBI terrorism task force. Let`s analyze this whole thing, Mike, because I would think if you need help putting a body in a car, you need help getting it out of that same vehicle, so would it make sense that this relative, if he`s telling the truth, knows where that body is buried?

OPPENHEIM: Absolutely, unless he dumped it off at one location and then it was moved again by him at a later time. But most likely, he would know where this body or this rectangular object was left, Jane.

And secondly, you know, we`ve got the FBI involved now. Now, they bring a lot of things to the table, a lot of investigative assets. One of those is excellent polygraph examiners. Let`s go back -- we`ve been talking for the last number of weeks -- why not give Drew Peterson -- he says now he may want to take a polygraph. Let`s give him one with an FBI polygrapher, and let`s also get his stepbrother to take a polygraph, also. Again, it`s a great investigative tool, even though it`s not admissible in court in Illinois, even if both parties stipulate to it. But it`s still an investigative tool that`s at their disposal. They should use it.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, I want to bring in the lawyers at this point because I would think that if this person is telling the truth, he should go immediately before a grand jury. But if, in fact, he has psychological problems, as the defense attorney is contending, would that make him an unreliable witness?

And let`s go to Mark Eiglarsh, Miami, former prosecutor, and Renee Rockwell, who is a defense attorney out of Atlanta. Let`s start with you, Renee.

RENEE ROCKWELL, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Well, first of all, who are we going to talk about? You want to talk about Drew taking a polygraph? No lawyer`s going to let him do it. Or are you talking about the relative?

VELEZ-MITCHELL: I`m thinking the relative should go before the grand jury which has reportedly been convened and actually testify to what he claims happened, if, in fact, this is real and it`s not made-up stuff.

ROCKWELL: Absolutely. But you know what? He does not need to go anywhere unless he`s protected. He needs an attorney, and an attorney needs to secure him immunity because I don`t know if this guy is stable or not, but he could be implicated. You don`t know what he does know. He could potentially be implicated in disposing of the body. And if so, that is also a crime, not necessarily implicated in the murder. So he needs to retain counsel, get an immunity agreement and go and tell it like it is.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Mark Eiglarsh, former prosecutor, your thoughts?

MARK EIGLARSH, FORMER PROSECUTOR: Well, I agree that he probably should get a lawyer. But if he`s done absolutely nothing wrong in terms of not knowing what was in that canister, assuming this does really exist, which nobody really knows, at this point. But if it does, then he`s got nothing to worry about. If he unknowingly removed a canister that later turned out to house a body, then he has not violated any law.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Now, I want to go to Kathy Chaney who`s a reporter for "The Chicago Defender," because we have heard published reports -- again, unable to confirm them -- that this man is now in fear of his safety and is in some kind of treatment. What do you know?

KATHY CHANEY, "CHICAGO DEFENDER": Yes, he is. There have been allegations of past behavior, that he`s been in mental hospitals. And this is coming from Drew Peterson`s attorney. But now he`s pretty much keeping mum because he`s not sure if he did help, in fact, Drew dispose of Kathleen`s body -- I`m sorry, Stacy`s body, and he`s fearful now. He is very fearful. So he has not come forward with the media showing his face because he`s scared.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: And do we know if police have interrogated him?

CHANEY: Police have spoken with him, yes.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Now, Mike Brooks, should he be given protection, this relative who says he is in fear for his safety?

BROOKS: Well, the police will -- they`ll be able to tell whether or not that -- if he is really in any danger. If that is so, I know the Illinois State Police and I know for sure the FBI does have a program to protect witnesses or potential witnesses in this particular case.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: And presumably, if he`s afraid, it would be of Drew Peterson, assuming that what he`s saying is the truth. And take a look at Drew Peterson. He doesn`t appear to be going anywhere. He seems to be enjoying the media lot.

Believe it or not, a member of the media, somebody probably from "Good Morning America," gave him a videocamera or leant him one, and he proceeded to videotape the media outside his house.

And we have to go to Bethany Marshall, psychoanalyst, for this one, author of "Deal Breakers: When to Work Out a Relationship and When to Walk Away," or maybe we should retitle that "When to Run Away."

(LAUGHTER)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Drew Peterson appears to be having a good old time and enjoying himself, even as it appears that the circle may be closing in on him.

BETHANY MARSHALL, PSYCHOANALYST: Well, he seems to be having a great time. And what I observe from this is he appears to be very exhibitionistic. I mean, it appears as if he`s having a ball. He`s having the time of his life.

I`m also struck by the fact that he has very low stress levels about what is happening to him. He doesn`t seem to be afraid of getting into trouble or getting caught. And as I think about the enjoyment, I think about O.J. Simpson, who wrote "If I Did It" and had a great deal of pleasure in recalling whether or not he killed Nicole, recalling and triumph overing (SIC) here in the media, in front of the family. And it seems that, in some ways, Drew is doing this too. Whether or not he committed this crime, he is really quite triumphant in the position he`s in.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: So in that sense, we probably don`t have to fear for him being a flight risk and running off in the dark because he appears to be enjoying it too much.

MARSHALL: He`s having way too good of a time.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Oh, my gosh. You can`t make this stuff up.

Mary in Washington, what is your question, ma`am?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I wondered, what if Stacy is alive, what would happen if they found her? Would she be charged with anything?

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Could you repeat that? I didn`t quite get it.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If Stacy was found alive and hiding, would she be charged with anything because of the money and everything that`s being spent out to find her?

VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right, a very good question. Let`s bring the lawyers back in, Renee Rockwell and Mark Eiglarsh. Could she be charged, presumably, if she turned up alive, which would be a miracle?

ROCKWELL: No.

EIGLARSH: The answer is no. Just like the runaway bride, you know, unless there are false reports that she makes, but we`ve heard no reports from her at all. Certainly, she`d have to answer a lot of questions, and I hope that she would. But no, I don`t believe that there`s any crime that they could level against her.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right. There is another aspect of this case that is absolutely fascinating that has appeared in published reports in Chicago papers. Again, we can`t independently confirm it. But you got to hear this. And maybe we should see some video again of Drew Peterson because that -- you can`t get enough of that. That is just so bizarre.

But of all the tantalizing claims -- and Mike Brooks, weigh in on this -- a source told "The Chicago Tribune" that on Sunday, October 28, the very date she disappeared, Drew Peterson picked up this relative we`ve been talking about at about 7:00 AM -- 7:00 PM, rather. They had coffee, OK? And then Drew told him, hold onto his cell phone. I`m going to be back. If the cell phone rings, don`t pick it up. And then this relative reportedly says that the phone rings and on the ID, Stacy`s name comes up at about 9:00 PM.

Now, what would that do, if, in fact, that was true, for Drew Peterson in terms of backing up his claims?

BROOKS: Well, we know -- in one of the two search warrants at the house, they did get computers, and a computer (ph) and cell phone. So what they can do, Jane, they can go back, take a look at all the records. And the FBI will be able to assist them in this also on the technical side of things. Illinois State Police is good, but the FBI`s even better.

They`ll be able to go back and take a look at the location of exactly what cell site each phone was located. And then they can go back and put together their timeline, and it will probably be a little bit different than what Drew`s timeline has been all along, especially dropping the car off and the cars were seen outside by some of his neighbors. Things are just not adding up. And as the additional information comes out, I tell you what, his timeline`s looking awful, awful weak.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, Keith Oppenheim, maybe you can tell us a little bit more about this because something doesn`t seem to add up. If he told this guy, Hold the phone, and then actually, let`s say, Drew Peterson called that phone to try to establish the alibi or verify that Stacy was alive at that time and called him to say that she was leaving him for another man and she was taking off to the Caribbean -- that wouldn`t be zero minutes. But when you don`t pick up a cell phone, that registers as zero minutes, so it wouldn`t really help him unless he`s really dumb, and he doesn`t strike me as that dumb.

OPPENHEIM: Well, the length of the phone call may be in dispute. The essence of the "Tribune" story made it sound like that Drew Peterson may have been trying to stage a phone call and make it seem that his wife, who is presumably alive, is giving him a phone call on the day she`s last seen.

However, I spoke to Joel Brodsky, who is the attorney for Drew Peterson, and he told me that that phone call lasted for four minutes, different from what was suggested in this story, that it lasted for a while, as opposed to not being picked up at all. I said, How do you know that the phone call was four minutes? And Brodsky said, I have reliable sources. And he said, If the media can use reliable sources, so can I.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: So Bethany Marshall, psychoanalyst, weigh in on this because Drew Peterson`s defense attorney is saying that this is rumor and that this man had serious psychological problems. Apparently, at one point way in the past, he did have some sort of alcohol or drug abuse problems, and then he apparently got over it. And then after this alleged event where he helped remove the body, he apparently tried to commit suicide.

MARSHALL: Well, I think there are several possibles. You have to keep in mind that just because he`s been admitted (ph) psychiatrically, because allegedly, there was a suicide attempt, doesn`t mean he`s not guilty. I mean, think of Mark Foley with the whole page scandal. I mean, didn`t he go in-patient because he wanted to not have charges brought against him? So keep that in mind.

Also, it could just be that he`s a very vulnerable character and that`s why Drew Peterson chose him.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Absolutely. We`re going to analyze this more. It`s fascinating. It`s very detailed, complex, but it is the breaking stuff on this Peterson case.

To tonight`s "Case Alert." Kansas police find the body of a young woman just 50 miles from where a missing coed vanishes. The remains appear to be those of 18-year-old Emily Sander. Sander was living a secret life as an Internet porn star, Zoe Vane (ph). But police have yet to make that connection to the investigation now, of course, a homicide. Sander last seen leaving an El Dorado bar on Friday night with 24-year-old Israel Mireles, a person of interest now on the run. If you have any information at all, please call 1-800-KS-CRIME.

And also tonight, remember to check out Nancy`s baby blog for all the latest messages from Nancy. We`re talking photos. We`re talking fabulous video. Check it out at CNN.com/nancygrace.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ... relative of yours saying he helped carry a rectangular container out of your home on October 28.

DREW PETERSON, SUSPECT IN WIFE`S DISAPPEARANCE: I have no idea what anybody`s talking about like that.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Warm to he touch?

PETERSON: No.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He says he believes that he helped you dispose of your wife`s body. Can you at least respond to that?

PETERSON: No.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Not at all?

PETERSON: No response. Talk to my lawyer. I got nothing to say about it.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No truth to it whatsoever?

PETERSON: None. Nobody helped me with anything (INAUDIBLE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: I`m Jane Velez-Mitchell, in for Nancy Grace. Are we reaching a critical juncture in the Stacy Peterson case? A Chicago paper quotes one source as saying, All we need is a body. Now we`re hearing about the possibility -- completely unconfirmed -- that a body may have been moved. But she was only 100 pounds.

Why, Dr. Marc Siegel, who is a New York internist and author of the book "False Alarm," would a big man like Drew need anybody to help him move a body?

DR. MARC SIEGEL, INTERNIST: Well, you know, Jane, one possible is that rigor mortis might have set in. If it`s within the first two or three hours of death, it`s actually a lot easier to carry. Now, the relative says the body was warm. We expect that because within the first 12 to 24 hours, you have algor (ph) mortis, a warm body. But within three hours, the body starts to get stiff. Almost impossible for one person to carry a stiff, dead body. That`s what makes me think that maybe it was within the first three hours.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Wow! That is fascinating. This is just like a murder mystery, and we don`t know, of course -- she`s disappeared, she hasn`t officially been classified as murder, but it`s being investigated as a possible homicide.

Beverly from Florida, your question, ma`am?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, ma`am. I was curious about Kathy Savio. Why would Drew send in a friend of his to check on his wife, instead of calling the police, if he was concerned, or going in himself?

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, we are very happy to have with us tonight Sue Doman, who is Kathleen Savio`s sister. I know this must be very difficult for you, ma`am. If you heard the question, could you address it?

SUE DOMAN, KATHLEEN SAVIO`S SISTER: Yes. We actually have thought about the same thing. And Drew is a very smart man. We (INAUDIBLE) that he had set up people to go in that house. He knew exactly what he was doing.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: What is your reaction to all these latest development, reports that somebody`s claiming that they helped him move a body?

DOMAN: I actually believe him. I believe that Drew was involved in it, and I -- you know, this poor man that has gone through all these mental issues and everything -- you know, everyone goes through really bad times, and I don`t believe he is (INAUDIBLE) mental. I think that he really is very, very scared, and he knows that there was something in there.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, it`s absolutely astounding. If it is true, it would be a major break in the case. And like one source said to a Chicago paper, then all they`d need is the body.

To tonight`s "Case Alert." The FBI is searching for a Youngstown, Ohio, man and his girlfriend, who may be connected to a $7 million heist from a security company -- 22-year-old employee Roger Dillon and 24-year- old Nicole Boyd wanted for questioning. Police say it appears to be an inside job because a sophisticated security system is in place and only employees have access to that code. Police are on the lookout for either a 1999 GMC pick-up or a 2002 Hyundai, both with Ohio license plates. A $100,000 reward. If you have any information, call the FBI Cleveland office, 216-522-1400.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We believable, hopefully, in the end, we will find her somewhere out there. We don`t have confirmation if we believe her to be in water, on land, but we believe that, in the end, that is where we`ll find her one way or another.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: I`m Jane Velez-Mitchell, in for Nancy Grace. It seems the entire nation is obsessed with the mystery of what happened to young Chicago-area mother of two Stacy Peterson, who vanished in late October. Major developments, as we`ve been telling you, just in.

Let`s go back out to CNN correspondent Keith Oppenheim. What is the latest on the search, given all this?

OPPENHEIM: Well, they`re looking in a canal which is in Will County, about 15 miles away from where Drew and Stacy Peterson lived. Another tidbit I wanted to point out to you that I got today which was that it was confirmed to us that Drew Peterson called in sick on October 28, on the day that Stacy was last seen. And I asked the Bolingbrook Police Department spokesperson whether he thought that all the media pressure outside the Peterson home was a good thing, and he said, yes, that he did. And I said, did he think that Drew Peterson is a suspect. He said, absolutely.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A disturbing revelation in the search for missing Illinois mom Stacy Peterson. One of her husband`s relatives says he may have quote, "unknowingly helped Drew Peterson dump the body."

Two Chicago newspapers are reporting that the man told a friend that he helped Drew Peterson haul out a large rectangular container which was warm to the touch and weighed about as much as Stacy would have. Police are also looking at a surveillance video from a supermarket after Drew Peterson claims he received a letter from someone about a possibly Stacy sighting.

But right now anything he says raises doubts. Drew Peterson, a former police officer is the only named suspect in his wife`s disappearance.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: I`m Jane Velez-Mitchell in for Nancy Grace. Is the circle tightening around suspect husband Drew Peterson in the October 28 disappearance of his young wife Stacy? Did Stacy tell others that her husband had revealed to her that he killed his third wife Kathleen Savio? Now Drew Peterson is claiming that the media won`t leave him alone and his family is under siege. Why is it that so many suspects see themselves as victims? That`s a very interesting question.

But first I want to go to Sue Doman who`s Kathleen Savio`s sister, we are very honored to have you with us here tonight. We know all of this has to be churning up some emotions and be very difficult for you and your family members.

Tell us what you have heard that`s been reported in the Chicago papers about Stacy reportedly telling a clergyman and others that her husband Drew revealed to her that he had killed your sister and made it look like an accident?

SUE DOMAN, SISTER OF DREW PETERSON`S EX WIFE: It sounds so familiar because that`s what my sister had always told me that he would do. But as far as her talking to clergymen, I don`t know, I don`t know that.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Have police talked to you? Because one of the things that`s sort of striking about all this is that it`s all coming from sources, some of them police sources who are talking to Chicago newspapers and obviously those guys develop relationships over the years, but at this point, do you think the police should hold a news conference and sort of set the record straight with all of these stories, wild stories flying around?

DOMAN: I have been in contact pretty much every day with the police. They`re pretty much tight lipped right now. I think they`re going to need more evidence, hard evidence and they will go ahead and do a news conference on that.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: And Dr. Marc Siegel, internist and author, this makes the search for the body all the more important, the clock is ticking. A lot of people say if they don`t find a body, even with all these stories floating around, they won`t have a case. What about deterioration of the body?

DR. MARK SEIGEL, INTERNIST: Well, that`s really key, Jane. Deterioration is a big problem right now if the body is actually found in water, like the water in that canal, they`re looking very carefully. Keep in mind with the water temperatures around Chicago this time of year, that could actually keep the body going longer in terms of evidence that may be used later. So it really depends where the body is found and how long it`s been exposed and what kind of weather we`re having around there.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Fascinating.

The phone lines are stacked and lighted up. Mona from Louisiana, what is your question, ma`am?

CALLER: Yes. I was just curious.

I haven`t heard anything about them finding the blue tub that was in question that had been disposed of. But there`s a picture that keeps airing of a blue item out near a body of water and I wanted to know what that picture is and what relevance it has to the case.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: And in fact we are looking at that right now. Kathy Cheney, reporter with the "Chicago Defender" we have been hearing about this blue barrel for so long and we are looking right now at a picture in a body of water of a blue barrel, was anything like that actually found?

KATHY CHENEY, "CHICAGO DEFENDER": No, it has not been found yet and that is what the search is within the next coming week will focus on. Like he said, the channel in Lock Port, that`s what they`re going to be looking for, because it possibly could be in there. They have to remove a lot of debris, cars and trucks that are in that area and they`re trying to get the Army Corps of Engineers to remove that so they can go in and there search that area.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: And Mike Brooks, former DC police officer with the FBI terrorism tax force formerly as well.

Can`t searchers get kind of tunnel vision if they`re just only focused on a blue barrel and a rectangular box, can they lose sight of other clues that might be very important?

MIKE BROOKS, FORMER DC POLICE OFFICER: If they`re going to go ahead and search that area, the area Kathy Cheney was just talking about, when the FBI divers along with the Army Corps of Engineers and also Navy divers get in that water, they`re going to be looking for anything at all. As they are removing some of this debris from this canal, they`re going to go through everything they find with a fine toothed comb and they`re not going to leave anything at the bottom on that particular body of water.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Dr. Marc Siegel. Given the sophistication of DNA evidence in today`s world and the fact that we`re hearing these reports of a body being moved and she disappeared. Wouldn`t there be some DNA evidence somewhere? I mean, somewhere along this route from the home to wherever it went through to whatever vehicle, didn`t there have to be something left behind?

SEIGEL: You would think so. Obviously it looks like someone may be trying to cover this up but DNA evidence is very easy to find in very small amounts. You know, even this so called barrel if there is one, if it was put in a car, you have to get the body into the barrel, the chances are that something will be found that will be a DNA link.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: And again, there were reports of plastic in one of the vehicles that was impounded from the Peterson home, but again we`re not hearing this from police, we`re hearing this from Chicago newspapers mostly and we can`t confirm it. Let`s go to the phone lines. Louise in Ohio, what is your question?

CALLER: Yes. I would like to ask if Drew had a life insurance policy, would he be able to cash in on that if no body is found?

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, excellent question, I think we`ll go back to Mike Brooks on that one.

BROOKS: We know that there was one apparently, I notice Sue Gomez talked about that in the past, apparently one on Kathleen Savio. We have not heard anything so far if there was an insurance policy on Stacy Peterson. I would be surprised if there wasn`t but we don`t know how large if there is one, how large that particular policy is.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: And let`s bring the lawyers back in. Mark Eiglarsh, former prosecutor as well as Renee Rockwell, the defense attorney out of Atlanta. Renee, let me start with you, there was an insurance policy on Kathleen Savio and her two sons got that. If it turns out that she was in fact murdered and that`s what the autopsy results show, would that mean that these young men would have to give back that million dollars?

ROCKWELL: No, no, absolutely not. Now I can see a situation if Peterson himself was trying to get an insurance -- make an insurance claim and this is an interesting scenario, because let`s say her body is never found. And let`s say he tries to go forward and tries to make an insurance claim. Then you may potentially see a civil case where there`s a lot of discovery and an insurance company itself just in fighting any kind of claim he would make for an insurance policy would do it`s own discovery and find things, maybe more inconsistencies and that would be more detrimental to Mr. Peterson.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: In fact - go ahead.

EIGLARSH: Especially because there`s going to be all this litigation. Regardless of whether he`s charged, I have to advise him if he`s my client, to keep his mouth shut. He should learn from the other Peterson case that the fish who keeps his mouth shut doesn`t get caught. Scott Peterson hurt himself by going out in front of the media and saying whatever he thought he could say to help himself. This person, whether he`s guilty or not, we don`t know if he is, he`s doing a phenomenal impression of someone in fact who`s guilty.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: You raise a very important point. Scott Peterson, there are a lot of powder wells. They had to wait until Scott Peterson`s wife`s body, Laci, washed up in San Francisco Bay before they could arrest Scott Peterson. And they actually tailed him into Mexico with his hair dyed. Do they have to do the same thing here? Are they sort of tailing him and waiting for a body until they can come in and presumably make an arrest?

EIGLARSH: They don`t have to. At some point they may just say, look, we don`t need a body, we have enough evidence to charge him. Assuming they have that.

But again, if he keeps his mouth shut, he won`t come across like the cocky, insensitive, unsympathetic person that he comes across as. He just needs to listen to his lawyers, assuming his lawyers are telling him not to speak, take their advice and lay low for a while.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, Renee Rockwell, given everything we`ve heard tonight, is it enough to arrest him or do we have to wait for a body?

ROCKWELL: I will say one thing. You do not have to have a body to make any kind of a murder charge against anybody. But what he`s doing now and he`s still talking and it`s ingenious that the media is giving him this video because as he`s using the video, he`s talking in his own video. I wouldn`t be surprised if the police later go and do a search warrant and capture that video camera that he`s still talking about. What did she say a while ago when the media was ago him? Did this man help you move a rectangular box, nobody helped me move anything. They could use that statement could be used against him if the neighbors saw him and his cousin moving a box out of his house. That could be coming back later to haunt him.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Sue Doman, Kathleen Savio`s sister, do you think it`s appropriate that the media gave him or lent him a camera? Do you think that`s sort of making this all a circus.

DOMAN: I think Drew enjoyed it every bit, I mean he just loves it. My family and I are so upset that he would even do that, he`s not even thinking about the children or Stacy and our family what we are going through.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Absolutely. And thank you so much for joining us.

When we come back, stunning developments, Mississippi police find a female body in the search for a missing coed. Is if the body of Latasha Norman?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(NEWSBREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The body of a missing Mississippi teen has been found, Latasha Norman`s body found in Jackson. She was last seen on November 13, she was seen leaving a class at Jackson State University.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don`t want to get into any particular things that we learned from Stanley Cole but as it says in the press release, we discovered the body of a female in an open lot out off Brown Street in North Jackson. We do believe he`s connected with the death of that individual. That`s why he`s been charged with murder.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: I`m Jane Velez-Mitchell in for Nancy Grace. Breaking news from the Associated Press, just in moments ago regarding the case of missing honors student at Jackson State University, Latasha Norman. We are very sad to say that police have identified the body that they have found as that of Latasha Norman. This information coming in just moments ago so it has been confirmed that the beautiful young lady that you are looking at onscreen is in fact dead and it is considered murder.

Jeff Johnson, investigative reporter from BET, Black Entertainment Television, bring us up to date, what is the very latest?

JEFF JOHNSON, BET CORRESPONDENT: Well, I think you have given us the very latest report. We know that Latasha went missing on November 13, that they saw a car at the dorm but nothing there. That there they questioned an ex-boyfriend who had attacked her, but this breaking news is really telling us that the worst fears of family have been realized even in the midst of "America`s Most Wanted" trying to pull some things together to help the country search for her.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: How far away was the body found from campus, because she was last seen walking out of class and never seen again.

JOHNSON: I`m not sure, I mean this news that you have had is new to me and so the information that I had heard up until this point in time was really that the investigation was still going on, not that a body had been found.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Now, he according to police reports, led police, this man who has been arrested in connection with this case, a former boyfriend of Latasha Norman`s, led police to the body. Mike Brooks, former DC police, does this pretty much wrap it up in terms of an investigation and would you consider this a confession or could he turn around after leading police to the body and plead not guilty as so many criminals have?

BROOKS: He was in court today in Pearl, Mississippi for a prior simple assault charge when he had assaulted her. Now, yes, he probably did go ahead and confess, they probably got a videotaped confession on this guy. It`s still early on in the investigation. They`re going to put together a whole timeline, they`re going to put together forensics, so it`s still early on in this part of the investigation. It`s just now that they have confirmed that it is her and now they do have a suspect.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: I want to bring in the attorneys Mark Eiglarsh and Renee Rockwell. Let`s start with Renee.

Did police drop the ball? Because he was accused on October 9 of hitting her in the face. And she went to police and reported this. But it wasn`t until two days after she disappeared that police arrested him for that simple assault. If he had been arrested, he would have at least known that he was on the police radar.

ROCKWELL: And shoulda, woulda, coulda. What about the other incidents? Some unknown person slashes her tires. Too much involvement. D.V, it`s domestic violence and this is what it is, Jane. So in retrospect, maybe there should have been some intervention a long time before. I mean, it`s very sad.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Mark, they didn`t arrest him when he hit her in the face.

EIGLARSH: Correct. And they probably should have immediately been there and the limitations placed on police agencies are there. There are only so many people to act quickly and obviously hindsight is 20/20, they should act quickly. This case, this criminal case is going to come down to the confession. What was said? What was said to him? Did he freely, voluntarily, knowingly and intelligently give up his rights and agree to speak to police? That`s what`s going to happen.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right. We`re going to get to more of that later. But first tonight we`re going to look at CNN Heroes.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JON BON JOVI, MUSICIAN: Homelessness hits people for different reasons in different walks of their lives. It doesn`t matter if you`re white, black, it doesn`t matter if you`re young or old. I`m Jon Bon Jovi and my heroes have devoted their lives to breaking the chains of homelessness.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The mission of Project HOME is to solve homelessness permanently for people.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Many of those men and women that once lived on is streets are now taxpayers, voters and they themselves become leaders and create their own future.

BON JOVI: Over the years they built close to 500 family units.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Our first project was three units of housing and we also provided space for a restaurant, a catering business. We wanted to find a way to provide opportunities for employment through these various businesses.

BON JOVI: Job training and service providing are the key elements of helping people break their chains of poverty and getting them off the streets.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Sometimes the people that you meet on the street don`t feel connected to anything and when you reconnect people to each other, something stirs inside them and they just flourish the there.

BON JOVI: Today in the 21st century, we have to rely on each other and get pack to neighborhood and not worry about government and the corporation to save the day.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We believe that none of us are home until al of us are home. What affects one of us affects all of us. We`re all part of this inescapable network.

BON JOVI: Heroes to me come in all shapes and sizes, you don`t have to be the rock star and you certainly don`t have to be a nun to make a huge difference. Sister Mary and Joan are an inspiration to me and hopefully this will inspire somebody else. .

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Tragically, Latasha Norman`s body has been found and identified. Doctor, what can we tell from it?

SIEGEL: Well, looking at her gut we can tell exactly how long after her last meal she died. Looking under her body, we can see how long she`s been lying there because there`s been rain in the area and there`s different changes around her. Looking at her tissues and whether there`s insects on the body, we can tell how long she`s been lying there.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: So it will help justice to be served and that is important news. Let`s go back to the attorneys starting with Renee Rockwell, she disappeared from campus, she was a student, the suspect was a student. Should the school be held liable?

ROCKWELL: Only if the school was put on notice that she was having trouble, that she couldn`t get him away and if they were put on notice and they promised to give her some kind of security, I would at least be looking at them to at least feel morally responsible for this if not legally responsible.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Mark, they didn`t have surveillance camera at the location where she left so they don`t have surveillance video of her leaving.

EIRGLARSH: That would only help the situation, that doesn`t necessarily mean that they`re going to be held liable for anything. I disagree that they`re going to be held liable in any respect for this.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Violence on campus is a problem America needs to look at. There is violence happening at campuses all over this country and it`s an abomination, and we need to do something about it, maybe more surveillance cameras all around all campuses, coeds need to be safe in America.

Tonight, let`s stop to remember Army Staff Sergeant Kevin Brown 38 from Para (ph), Oklahoma killed in Iraq, on a second tour, awarded the National Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon and the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal. Remembered for his sky blue eyes, he loved to have fun and make others laugh. He also loved the outdoors and fishing with his dad, a military vet.

He leaves behind parents Richard and Glenda, sister Brenda, grieving widow Vina (ph) and four children. Kevin Brown, an American hero.

We want to thank all of our guests tonight for their insights. Thanks to you at home for tracking these important cases with us and remember to visit Nancy`s baby blog at cnn.com/nancygrace. We`ll see you tomorrow night at 8:00 sharp Eastern and until then have a terrific and a safe evening.

END