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Nancy Grace
Coroner Reports Details of Meredith Emerson Death; Yet Another Teacher-Student Sex Scandal
Aired January 08, 2008 - 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: A 24-year-old woman hikes the north Georgia mountains, only to vanish into thin air, not seen or heard from since New Year`s Day. Multiple sightings of Meredith Emerson with a mystery man the day she vanishes. Blood evidence and surveillance video now lead police to 61-year-old Gary Hilton.
Tonight, the medical examiner determines cause of death, blunt force trauma, and reveals stunning details -- 24-year-old Meredith Emerson decapitated post-mortem, after her death. Prosecutors max out charges against Hilton. He`s now facing malice murder after he leads police straight to Emerson`s remains, all in a secret deal with prosecutors. Meanwhile, police investigate whether Hilton is linked to three other deaths in North Carolina and Florida.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We are getting new information we want to share with you, a gruesome detail emerging in the case of the missing Georgia hiker. Meredith Emerson`s body was found in the woods last night. Autopsy results show the 24-year-old was decapitated. This is an extremely emotional time for her family and friends.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It determined that Meredith Emerson died from blunt force trauma to the head. Doctor Sperry (ph) indicated that after Ms. Emerson received the lethal injuries, she was decapitated.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRACE: And tonight: They call it a teacher-student sex scandal. The criminal code calls it felony child sex assault. A Pennsylvania high school teacher behind bars tonight on multiple sex crimes charges after she admits assaulting a 14-year-old boy student, 26-year-old Beth Ann Chester (ph) accused of assaulting the boy in the school parking lot. Police called it -- police called in when the boy`s parents find explicit text messages on their son`s cell phone, along with graphic photos of the teacher.
And tonight, police wondering, Are there more messages to other boy victims?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The school district turned over Chester`s computer. Her cell phone was also taken so that Moon (ph) Township could complete their investigation. But according to police, they say they have evidence that`s even more incriminating.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She actually admitted to having full sexual intercourse with this student in her car in the school parking lot.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: According to police reports, the teen denied any sexual involvement. But the chief tells us his parents found naked pictures on his cell phone sent by Chester.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We examined his cell phone right there, with actual nude photographs of the school teacher on the cell phone. And believe me, it was her.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRACE: Good evening, I`m Nancy Grace. I want to thank you for being with us. Breaking news tonight, the cause of death and upgraded charges in the mystery surrounding 24-year-old hiker Meredith Emerson.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Apparently, she did die from a blunt force trauma to the head, and the decapitation occurred later in Dawson County, which is where her body was discovered. That`s about an hour away from where she had been hiking on New Year`s Day. And they had been concentrating their search on, if you remember that yesterday, in the Dawson Woods area. And apparently, witnesses have seen Hilton`s van in that part of the woods, and that`s where they, indeed, did find her body. And they found it because after his court hearing, he did lead authorities directly to where the body was. He not only told them where it was, but he actually led them to the woodsy area where he had left her. The district attorney there has just announced a warrant for Gary Hilton for murder with malice, which does make him eligible for the death penalty in Georgia.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRACE: Apparently, Hilton led police straight to Emerson`s remains, all part of a secret deal -- not so secret anymore -- with prosecutors, the location of the remains in exchange for taking the death penalty off the table. Is there any hope in seeking the death penalty if other victims are linked to Hilton?
I want to go straight out to Norman Cooper, editor of "The North Georgia News." What is the latest?
NORMAN COOPER, "NORTH GEORGIA NEWS": The latest is that the suspect has left Union County and is now in Dawson County. He will be going to court tomorrow to face and first appearance in Dawson County for the charge of malice murder.
GRACE: Question. Did -- was it general knowledge there in the courthouse that the district attorney -- and I assume it was the district attorney -- was bargaining away the possibility of the death penalty in exchange for the location of the body?
COOPER: That specific thing has not surfaced. Stan Gunner (ph), at his press conference after the hearing yesterday in Union County, did say that they got him a public defender early in the process, earlier than normal, hoping to gain his cooperation.
GRACE: Norman Cooper is with us from "The North Georgia News." Norman, how likely is it that Hilton is going to be linked to the other murdered and missing people?
COOPER: The GBI director told at the press conference last night that so far, the two links is the color of the jacket and the ATM card. He also told us that he turned over his information to North Carolina officials to see if they can make further links.
GRACE: Let`s break it down, Mike Brooks -- Mike Brooks with us, former D.C. cop, former fed with the FBI. I`ve been taking a look at some of the cases, and there are startling similarities between the disappearance of Meredith Emerson, a 24-year-old college grad who went missing hiking in the north Georgia mountains -- her body has been found decapitated, that`s a euphemism for having her head chopped off post- mortem, after death -- and the disappearance of a North Carolina couple.
Think about it, Mike Brooks. You`ve got a set of people, all of them hiking in a remote area. You`ve also got a Caucasian female victim both times. There`s also a male victim in the second case in North Carolina. We believe they both went missing in daylight hours. You have, in both cases, where he takes an ATM card from the victim and attempts to use it, the hiding of the body in a secluded area.
I mean, if you take a look and you carefully examine these facts, Mike Brooks, there are startling similarities. I think the North Carolina case very, very strong.
MIKE BROOKS, FORMER D.C. POLICE, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: I think you`re right, Nancy. That North Carolina case, where the woman was found dead by her car but her husband has never been found -- now, I`m hoping the North Carolina officials have done a good forensics job on that particular woman because, keep in mind, he`s had a dog for a while, and if there was any contact between -- if it is him -- between the perp and that woman, it`s going to transfer some of that dog hair. And I hope that they did a good job in and around that crime scene when they found her body to possibly link him to that.
And also, that Leon (ph) County case, that`s not out of the realm of possibility, and the FBI also yesterday was meeting with North Carolina authorities, Georgia officials in Cleveland, Georgia. So they also are seeing that they have a dog in this fight.
GRACE: So regarding the death penalty, there are other cases, unless -- on which they could seek the death penalty -- unless that has been bargained away, too. And I find it very difficult to believe that you can rope a North Carolina prosecutor into saying bye-bye to seeking the death penalty based on a Georgia decision not to seek the death penalty.
And to you, Dr. Lindsay Thomas (ph), medical examiner, forensic pathologist -- Dr. Thomas joining us out of Minneapolis, Minnesota. It`s difficult to explain. There may have been the dog hair on the earlier victims, but it`s no good unless you have something to compare it to. Now they have the pet.
DR. LINDSAY THOMAS, MEDICAL EXAMINER, FORENSIC PATHOLOGIST: Right. And when you`re comparing forensically, you need both the known piece of evidence to compare to a suspect piece of evidence.
GRACE: Yes, I mean, you can -- an easy way to explain it, you can pick up fingerprints on the scene of a crime. But until you know a suspect to which to compare, you`ve got nothing.
Let`s go out to the lines. Terri in West Virginia. Hi, Terri.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi, Nancy. It`s wonderful to have you back.
GRACE: It`s wonderful to be back. Although, I don`t think the twins can make out what we`re talking about, they`re hearing my voice right now.
(CROSSTALK)
GRACE: ... my parents...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Your voice is probably all they need to hear. Anyhow, I had a dumb question about DNA, but now that I realize that the guy has actually admitted to killing this guy -- or this girl -- my question is, though, still, if they can hook him to the other murders and say that he has committed these other murders on these other people, can he not be eligible for the death penalty on that, too?
GRACE: What I`m saying, Terri, is that while, apparently, the district attorney in this case, police -- arresting police do not have the authority to make plea deals, so the district attorney would have had to sign off on this, Terri in West Virginia. While apparently, they`ve done that in the Georgia case involving 24-year-old hiker Meredith Emerson, I don`t think North Carolina prosecutors have agreed to that. So it`s still a possibility, if he is successfully linked to the disappearance of that couple in North Carolina.
Breaking news tonight. Not only has the body of 24-year-old Meredith Emerson been found -- the suspect in the case led police straight to the body -- it has now been released by the medical examiner that Emerson was decapitated, her head removed from her body post-mortem.
Out to the lawyers joining us tonight, Ray Giudice, Carmen St. George joining us out of the Atlanta and New York jurisdictions. Ray Giudice, doesn`t look good when you clearly see your client has not only committed a murder, leads police to the body, but in order, most likely, to hide evidence, he decapitates the young victim.
RAY GIUDICE, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Well, hats off to this public defender, who recognized right off the bat how awful this case was going to be in court and did a great job, from the defense perspective, of approaching the district attorney and making this deal in Georgia only, as you have pointed out to other callers, that only binds this Georgia court to a non-capital case. Clearly, this is going to result in a plea to first-degree capital murder.
GRACE: I don`t know what you think is so great about that, Ray.
GIUDICE: That`s his job. That`s what I think...
GRACE: His job to get life without parole?
GIUDICE: Oh, absolutely. That public defender did a great job because this is a slam dunk capital murder case for the prosecution. The PD did his job. But if you don`t like the deal, Nancy, let`s bring that DA on tomorrow night and find out why he agreed to it.
GRACE: Well, I`m not saying I don`t like the deal because, as you well know from the cases I handled in inner city Atlanta, I don`t have a problem with setting somebody up on a similar transaction and getting ready for the next case. And there will be a next case in Hilton`s case.
GIUDICE: Keep in mind -- and that district attorney in Georgia may have been saying that he`s helping those North Carolina prosecutors by giving them, hat in hand, a similar transaction guilty plea.
GRACE: To Carmen St. George. Welcome back Carmen. Explain the "similar transaction" theory. We all know you can`t be tried on your reputation.
CARMEN ST. GEORGE, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Right. Nancy, welcome back to you. I think one of the things that the public defender has actually done here is helped the prosecution by finding the body. And that -- you know, for many cases, we`re simply faced with a missing body and you have certain evidence that you have gathered. Here we`ve kind of put all the pieces together. And you know, it helps the prosecution in North Carolina if you can find connection.
GRACE: You know what`s interesting about the two of you? You`re packaging this up like it`s some neat brief you did in law school. He cut her head off! He decapitated a 24-year-old defenseless girl, hiking with her dog, Meredith Emerson.
GIUDICE: Nancy, he`s going to be sentenced and serve the rest of his life in prison without parole. I`m sure that`s part of the deal.
GRACE: That`s too good for him.
ST. GEORGE: Nancy, he`s going to pay for that crime. Exactly.
GRACE: You know, the other thing -- and let`s go to Becky in California -- police actually caught him red-handed cleaning out his van with a bleach solution. You know, you couldn`t write this script any better than that.
To Becky in California. Hi, Becky.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi, Nancy. Welcome back. Hello mama (ph), I guess I`d like to say.
(LAUGHTER)
GRACE: Thank you.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My question has been this. What is the psychological significance of someone cutting another human being`s head off?
GRACE: You know, Leslie -- excuse me. To Leslie Austin. I`ve got here in my hand-written notes I made just before the show. Question number three -- what are the evidentiary and psychological suggestions from decapitation post-mortem? And this is not some Hollywood script. This isn`t "CSI" on TV. This is for real. This girl, this innocent girl hiking in the north Georgia mountains, minding her own business there with her dog, is clearly kidnapped, held for three days alive, and then murdered and decapitated post-mortem. What does that mean psychologically, Leslie?
LESLIE AUSTIN, PSYCHOTHERAPIST: Just before I answer your question -- I`m real happy to be back with you.
GRACE: Thank you.
AUSTIN: I`m glad for you. This is clearly a psychopath who has horrible rage. And to decapitate somebody after you have killed them is such an act of anger and intensity, and I wouldn`t be at all surprised if he got some kind of a charge out of it in a very twisted way. So this is as up close and personal and horrifically vindictive as you can possible get. I`m glad for the family that they got him quickly. I don`t care if he gets the death penalty or not. I`m concerned about the family being able to deal with what happened to their daughter.
GRACE: You know what, Leslie? That`s an excellent point. And in my mind, that`s a decision not only reached by the prosecutor but by the victim`s family, as to whether they want to find her remains now and give up the possibility of the death penalty or the alternative.
Joining me right now is a very special guest. Joining me is Steve Segars. This is Meredith Emerson`s boyfriend, long-time best friend, as well. Steve, thank you for being with us.
STEVE SEGARS, MEREDITH EMERSON`S BOYFRIEND: Thank you.
GRACE: Steve, how are you and how is Meredith`s family tonight?
SEGARS: I can only state for me. It -- it`s stunning. It`s -- it`s crippling. And I thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to put a face on this amazing individual. She is -- she is the single most brilliant thing I`ve ever known. "Innocent" doesn`t quite cover it. She was the best thing that this world had left to give. And the fact that we are without her in the world is without her as a result of (INAUDIBLE) action of somebody that was able to gain her trust is -- is a pretty big deal. And I think that needs to be (INAUDIBLE) I think that needs to be discussed.
GRACE: Steve -- with us tonight is Meredith Emerson`s boyfriend, Steve Segars. Steve, I know how you feel. I know exactly how you feel. When I hold the twins now, I can`t even imagine the world without them. The world is so much more beautiful and wonderful with them in it. And it sounds like that is how you felt about Meredith.
When you say she was more than innocent, what do you mean by that?
SEGARS: That there was so many factors (ph), that she -- there was -- there`s just no end, no matter how your show could be, just to let me stammer through it. She was vivacious. She was -- she is incredible and is the single most intelligent human being I`ve ever known. No end to it. There`s absolutely no end to it. I could go on for days.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The family would like to express their appreciation in the professionalism and the compassion of the local and national media, and thank you again for helping to facilitate getting information out about Meredith, as well as helping the world learn to know her and to learn to love her, as we always have and we always will.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRACE: This is a life that didn`t have to be lost, 24-year-old Meredith Emerson, by all accounts one of the most innocent young girls, 24 years old, hiking in the north Georgia mountains with her dog, not seen since New Year`s Day. And now a suspect emerges. After secret talks with the district attorney -- not so secret anymore -- he leads police to her remains. This young girl decapitated post-mortem.
Let`s go out to the lines. Jennifer in New York. Hi, Jennifer.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi, Nancy. Congratulations, and welcome back.
GRACE: Thank you, love.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My question is if the coroner found any evidence of sexual assault, and if that would bring on any additional charges.
GRACE: To Norman Cooper with "The North Georgia News." One of my questions, as well. Was there a sex assault? Was this a robbery? We know that the defendant likely used her ATM. What can you tell us?
COOPER: I haven`t actually seen the warrant in Dawson County, but I have not heard that that has been alleged, at this point. And one thing I need to point out is right now, you`re dealing with two different prosecutors, one in the noted (ph) judicial circuit which GD (ph) County is in. You`ve also got a separate prosecutor in Dawson County that covers several other counties. So you`re actually deal with two different judicial circuits right now.
GRACE: Two different judicial circuits. But Ray Giudice, the case, this case regarding Meredith Emerson, will only be prosecuted in one jurisdiction -- yes, no.
GIUDICE: That`s correct, Nancy. Absolutely.
GRACE: Are you sure?
GIUDICE: The homicide case will only be prosecuted in one jurisdiction. The kidnapping charges are pending in the other jurisdiction. I tend to think that you`ll have a guilty plea on the kidnapping charge, as well, as part and parcel of the...
GRACE: So that`s two jurisdictions.
GIUDICE: That`s correct. And there`s a potential federal jurisdiction, as this did happen in a federal park.
GRACE: So we`ve got three jurisdictions.
GIUDICE: It`s my belief...
GRACE: You originally said one jurisdiction. Which one is it?
GIUDICE: I said that the murder case can only be prosecuted, in my belief, in Dawson County, where this deal was constructed between the public defender and the Dawson County district attorney.
GRACE: Yes, and the bottom line, Carmen St. George, is the murder case prosecuted in one jurisdiction, and they`ve agreed to take the DP -- death penalty -- off the table. You don`t get death penalty for a kidnapping, so this is it for the state of Georgia, unless, Mike Brooks, the case out of Leon County, the Apalachicola State Park. I`ve hiked there many, many times myself. It is very remote, very rustic. Why do you think that case could be connected to this case? Yet another victim, Mike?
BROOKS: It very well could be, Nancy. And in Florida, we know that they definitely have the death penalty. And keep in mind, Ms. Bryant, who was found dead by her car -- never found Mr. Bryant, with that yellow jacket that we`ve seen pictures of that some witnesses have said that he had on when Meredith disappeared. So they`re going to be looking at that one also.
GRACE: Still wearing the last murder victim`s jacket when he kidnaps this murder victim!
BROOKS: Exactly.
GRACE: ... when he kidnaps this murder victim!
BROOKS: Exactly.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It determined that Meredith Emerson died from blunt force trauma to the head. Dr. Sperry indicated that after Ms. Emerson received the lethal injuries, she was decapitated.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRACE: Welcome back tonight. Stunning evidence emerges that not only was 24-year-old Meredith Emerson kidnapped off a local hiking trail in the north Georgia mountains, she was decapitated post-mortem. Now we have reason to believe the suspect in this case was wearing a prior murder victim`s jacket at the time he abducted the 24-year-old co-ed.
Out to the lines. Jennifer in Washington. Hi, Jennifer.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi, Nancy. Congratulations, and welcome back.
GRACE: Thank you, dear. I really appreciate that. What`s your question?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My question is, I was wondering if any information has come out on whether or not Meredith and Mr. Hilton knew each other prior to this -- those happenings.
GRACE: Good question. Out to Norman Cooper with "The North Georgia News." This is actually a very important point when proving similar transactions. I don`t believe they knew each other, and I don`t believe he knew the other victims, as well, prior to their meeting that day.
COOPER: According to her friends that I`ve talked to and were able to meet (ph), they have absolutely no knowledge that those two had ever seen each other before in their life.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GRACE: Apparently she did die from a blunt force trauma to the head and the decapitation occurred later in Dawson County which is where her body was discovered. That`s about an hour away from where she had been hiking on New Year`s Day and they had been concentrating their search on there, if you remember that, yesterday in the Dawson woods area. And apparently witnesses had seen Hilton`s van in that part of the woods. And that`s where they indeed did find her body and they found it because, after his court hearing, he did lead authorities directly to where the body was. He not only told them where it was, but he actually led them to the woodsy area where he had left it.
I`ve just received -- literally just received the copy of the arrest warrant for this defendant, Mr. Hilton, and it states, amazingly, Norman Cooper with North Georgia News, that he killed her on January 4th, 2008 -- we`re talking about 24-year-old Meredith Emerson -- which means that she was kept alive for three days prior to her death, Norman.
COOPER: Yes, that is what it seems to be. And I tell you what, it has to be traumatized, we don`t know where this guy lives if anywhere, so that means that she was possibly in the back of his van at his -- this entire time. It`s just horrible to think about that.
GRACE: The whole time.
Steve Segars is with us tonight, a very special guest joining us. This is Meredith Emerson`s boyfriend, her long-time best friend.
Steve, the -- that would twist me so badly to know that she was alive for those three days that she could have been rescued, but no one knew to search, where to search, the right place to find her.
STEVE SEGARS, MEREDITH EMERSON`S BOYFRIEND: I`ll be perfectly honest with you, even with the -- as horrific as some of the other aspects of today have been, that has been the most painful. We`ve all been up here, we`ve all been, and countless the number of people that have been just blanketing this area and trying to find her. And to know that she was still here.
GRACE: So close.
SEGARS: .and still waiting for us, is -- that`s painful. That hurts.
GRACE: And that is the way so many families of murder victims feel. They want desperately -- they think back, what could I have done? Could I have saved them? In those last moments what could I have done to change the course of events? And I know that you know, Steve, that there is nothing that you could have done more than what you did. Every one helping with that search and recovery effort.
And, Steve, also, it is beginning to emerge that this guy would go from one national park, one forest to another, possibly being in the North Carolina forest, possibly stalking someone in the Apalachicola, Florida forest. Now this. There is no way she could have prepared for a predator like that.
Was she an expert hiker? Did she go hiking often, Steve?
SEGARS: We hiked that particular trail repetitively. We actually ran that one. We would leave a county that`s a solid hour away and get there straight ahead and ran out to a canteen rundown and until it was dark. She`s very, very adept.
GRACE: I just don`t - when you look back on it, try -- you know, you try to make sense of it, how this could have happened. I`ve created a scenario that the two dogs apparently befriended each other and she began walking along with him, having no idea she was with a possible serial killer.
SEGARS: Well, that`s -- actually you use the term predatory, and that is absolutely what happened. He`s preying on a very trusting individual and disturbed me no end.
GRACE: And she was very trusting, right? She was very trusting, correct?
SEGARS: She`s trusting, but she`s also very self-assured. She`d done martial arts class and very, very adept on that end as well. So from his stature, I don`t think that she would have felt threatened to be perfectly honest with you.
GRACE: Out to the lines, Crystal in Missouri. Hi, Crystal.
CRYSTAL, FROM MISSOURI: Hi, Nancy. Congratulations on your babies and welcome back.
GRACE: Thank you. Thank you so much, and hello to my friends in Missouri. What`s your question, dear?
CRYSTAL: Yes. I was just wondering. I haven`t heard anything about if they found Miss Emerson`s dog. Did they find.
GRACE: They did find the dog. The dog is alive and well. And it brings up a very interesting psychological profile of someone that could prey on an innocent young girl by all accounts, extremely innocent, sweet, likable, good-natured young girl, prey on her, decapitate her, chop her head off post-mortem, yet keep the dog alive and well. That is the dichotomy.
Out to the lines, Martha in Georgia. Hi, Martha.
MARTHA, FROM GEORGIA: Hey, Nancy. Welcome back and congratulations.
GRACE: Thank you, love.
MARTHA: My question was about the dog and why do you think he did not harm the dog?
GRACE: Dr. Austin, what do you think?
AUSTIN: I think he didn`t harm the dog because the dog was going to oppose him and he didn`t want something from the dog. He didn`t want either sex or credit cards or money or power or acknowledgment. He would -- the dog would not be important to him but she certainly was and I think she probably did the very best to take care of herself from what it sounds like. And we can take comfort from that. I think she did the very best she knew how.
GRACE: I`m not taking a whole lot of comfort tonight after I`ve learned about the post mortem decapitation, Leslie, but I guess it`s all in the eye of the beholder.
Out to Steven in Michigan. Steven, hello.
STEVEN, FROM MICHIGAN: Hello.
GRACE: How are you? What`s your question?
STEVEN: I would like to know, I heard on the news a couple days ago that he supposedly had another white van and have they found that van?
GRACE: Good question to Norman Cooper with the North Georgia News. What can you tell us about another possible van?
COOPER: Yes, he did have two vans and the GBI put out a license plate. But it`s my understanding that when they found this van, he had switched license plates and that they had a North Carolina tag. So if someone saw the van and then they saw the tag, they would not have made the connection which probably made it a little bit more difficult if someone was actually looking for the van while she was still alive. But he did have two white vans and the GBI had two tag numbers.
GRACE: Mike Brooks, this guy was playing with everybody, switching tag plates, being a predator in one national forest after the next. There`s really no telling how many victims are out there.
BROOKS: Absolutely not, Nancy, but I can tell you, this is not his first one, that`s for sure. And you know, there could be just many, many more. We hope to find out very shortly.
GRACE: Everyone, tonight, APB, All Points Bulletin on special moms and dads. If you know a parent who deserves to be recognized, get your camcorder, go to CNN.com/NANCYGRACE and click on i-Report. Enter that parent in the "Nancy Grace Extraordinary Parent" contest.
A high school teacher admits to repeated sex assaults on a young boy student. They might call it teacher-student sex scandal. The criminal code calls it felony child sex assault.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(NEWSBREAK)
GRACE: Shock and outrage at this high school in Moon Township, Pennsylvania. A well known P.E. teacher and girl`s volleyball coach behind bars undergoing a mental evaluation all after she admits sexually assaulting a 14-year-old student.
Twenty-six-year-old Beth Ann Chester facing more than a dozen charges including statutory sex assault and child abuse. It all unfolds when the boy`s parent find sexually charged text messages and nude photos of Chester on their son`s cell phone. Apparently the young boy and teacher exchanging text messages since October.
Chester, held on $50,000 bond, has resigned from the high school.
Well that certainly putting perfume on a pig to call it sexually charged messages. Translation: solicitation of a minor. Yet another female teacher, a predator in our schools, preying on young boy students. It seems like every other week there is a new one emerging.
Out to Kevin Miller with KDKA 1020 Newsradio. Kevin, what this time?
KEVIN MILLER, REPORTER AND TALK SHOW HOST, KDKA 1020 NEWSRADIO: Nancy, first of all, welcome back. Second of all this is a case about texts, sex and nude photos. Beth Ann Chester currently being held at the Allegheny County Jail charged with 14 counts in connection with her confession to having sex with a 14-year-old minor. Of course, that was his student at Moon Area High School. Right now she has just gotten an attorney. Her preliminary hearing was supposed to be today. That has been delayed until January 22 at 1:00 p.m.
GRACE: Now out to our special guest joining us, Chief Leo McCarthy. He is with the Moon Township police. He is their chief of police.
Chief, thank you for being with us.
LEO MCCARTHY, CHIEF OF POLICE, MOON TOWNSHIP: You`re welcome.
GRACE: It`s a real pleasure to have you.
MCCARTHY: Thank you.
GRACE: It`s my understanding and I`m just looking at the timeline here that the school knew about the alleged child molestation on a 14-year-old student. But several days elapsed before they called police. Is that correct?
MCCARTHY: No. That`s not remotely correct.
GRACE: Oh, good. Explain to me what happened.
MCCARTHY: That`s not true at all. They suddenly received a letter of resignation from this young lady on the 28th of December.
GRACE: Yes.
MCCARTHY: And, yes, they thought it was highly unusual. But days went by and then another teacher came to them on the 3rd of January and said, "You know, I think there`s other reasons why she resigned. I think there may have been inappropriate contact between she and a student." And it was the 4th of January, the afternoon of the 4th that principal called our office and we dispatched an officer over to take an initial report.
GRACE: Now let me get this straight. So on December 28th, she resigns.
MCCARTHY: That`s correct.
GRACE: Why, to your knowledge, did she resign?
MCCARTHY: Well, to the best of my knowledge, she said it was for personal reasons.
GRACE: I thought someone was on to her and told her they wouldn`t report her to police if she would just resign.
MCCARTHY: That`s accurate as well. Apparently the father of the victim in this case had met with her on the 26th at a restaurant in a neighboring community and, of course, he only knew about the text messages and the nude photographs that were transmitted to his son and basically made an agreement with her that she was to immediately resign or face criminal prosecution.
GRACE: Yes. Yes. And so the parents did not contact the school at that juncture?
MCCARTHY: No, the parents did not contact the school or the school officials. What happened was this secondary teacher who suspected this behavior contacted the principal then the principal contacted my department and we got involved.
GRACE: Chief, I`m so glad that you told me that because I was so extremely disappointed in believing that a school system would not immediately report it to police. I`m very happy to hear that.
MCCARTHY: Well, this school has an outstanding reputation of cooperation with our department. And believe me, when there`s a crime in that school, they tell us about it.
GRACE: Isn`t it the law in that jurisdiction that if a teacher suspects child abuse or child sex abuse, they are to report it immediately?
MCCARTHY: Absolutely. That is our law.
GRACE: So why did a secondary teacher who suspected that this was going on actually right there in the school parking lot with a 14-year-old boy.
MCCARTHY: Well, no.
GRACE: .why didn`t she or he choose to tell authorities about it earlier if she suspected it.
MCCARTHY: We`re not remotely saying that that teacher knew that that it was at that level.
GRACE: Yes.
MCCARTHY: She knew about the text messages that she thought could be suspicious. And she was basically, you know, connecting the dots, putting two and two together and decided to let the staff know at the high school. And when the principal called us.
GRACE: Right.
MCCARTHY: He really didn`t know what happened. He thought something was afoot, crime was afoot, but he didn`t know what it was. And he wanted us to get involved that would follow up further.
GRACE: And chief, I understand that right now she is on leave with pay. Why?
MCCARTHY: Well, my understanding is that even though formerly resigned, the superintendent advised me that she`s not -- she will still be a teacher until the school board accepts her resignation.
GRACE: Now I guess that`s tough, I bet, for you, chief. I know it`s tough for me. Those are the rules, until that school board meets, she`s still getting paid by you and me. The taxpayers are paying a woman that is sending these sexually explicit text messages to a 14-year-old boy. Chief, is it possible there are other boy victims?
MCCARTHY: Well, we`ve had -- we`ve interviewed two other young men who did receive some text messages from this teacher, but they did not remotely raise to an element of a crime. However, we`re still trying to track down another young man. And if any other parents have any information, having received a text message from this teacher, we`d be happy to speak with them.
GRACE: What a nut case.
Owen Lafave is joining us, ex-husband of Debra Lafave, author of "Gorgeous Disaster" his ex-wife, gorgeous, as you put, just absolutely stunning, schoolteacher, ends up a predator, proving to be a predator in court of young boys.
Owen Lafave, you`ve been there. Do you ever get surprised when you hear the same scenario over and over again?
OWEN LAFAVE, EX-HUSBAND OF DEBRA LAFAVE, AUTHOR, "GORGEOUS DISASTER": You know, you would think that these girls have heard of Mary Kay Letourneau and Debra Lafave. I mean these things never end good. And she needs to go to jail, Nancy, but to answer your question, just it -- I`m appalled and amazed that time and time again we keep hearing these stories.
GRACE: Well, good thing in this case as pointed out by Chief McCarthy, the school board acted promptly. There was a little delay with the boy`s parents. I guess it`s a psychological dilemma with a family whether they want their child to go through the court system. I understand their feelings, but the reality is unless she`s stopped she`ll move right back on to another school system and do the same thing all over again.
Out to the lines, Brent in Ohio. Hi, Brent.
BRENT, FROM OHIO: Hello. How are you doing tonight?
GRACE: I`m good.
BRENT: Congratulations on your twins.
GRACE: Thank you.
BRENT: First question I have. I was wondering if anybody had seen any of the supposed sexual activity. And the second question I have, is there any way that the police can pull phone records and text messaging records to find out you know -- and hard evidence that these pictures were sent and what pictures were sent and to whom it was and what times and whatnot like that?
GRACE: Good question.
Mike Brooks, former fed with the FBI, that brings us a whole plethora, a Pandora`s Box of evidentiary issues. Here`s the bottom line, correct me if I`m wrong, text messages, discoverable. You can dig them up. Unless you take your computer out into the driveway and beat it with a sledgehammer you can recover pretty much everything including text messages sent from phone to phone?
BROOKS: You can, Nancy. They can get a subpoena and I`m sure Chief McCarthy and his folks are already looking into that trying to get a subpoena from the different cell carrier. But the other thing, too, Nancy, the parents, the parents of all these students who`s paying the bill. This 14-year-old`s not paying the bill. So -- and I guarantee you, there are more than just text messages. There are probably also phone calls between these two. So parents need to monitor their kids` phone calls.
GRACE: What do you ask who`s paying the bill?
BROOKS: Because I`m sure this 14-year-old is not paying the bill. And the bill doesn`t come to him. I`m sure it comes to mommy and daddy.
GRACE: Yes. Long story short, though, again, to Ray Giudice and Carmen St. George, regardless of who`s paying the bill, all you need is a subpoena duces tecum. Ray, a subpoena for the documents. And if you`ve got one of those issues by the district attorney, I don`t care who cares the bill.
GIUDICE: Absolutely.
GRACE: .they`re going to get it.
GIUDICE: They`re going to get this -- right.
ST. GEORGE: Nancy, right. That`s the strength of this case, they not only have her confession, but they have her visual on the texts and the connections on the text messaging on the phone system is what`s going to really make her be in deep trouble here.
GRACE: You know, you`re right. And Ray Giudice, in court, a picture speaks a thousands words. When they pull-up this photo that she sent of all of her private parts over a phone message?
GIUDICE: Right. It`s hard to argue that it`s art. I mean it`s going to be a real problem and they`re probably going find more on their hard drive computers from both of these individuals.
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GRACE: Yet another teacher-student sex scandal a.k.a. child molestation.
To Kevin Miller with KDKA 1020 Newsradio. The possibility of other boy victims is out there. Tell me.
MILLER: It is, Nancy, and as Chief McCarthy said, the investigation continues. The chief has talked to other parents. Text messages have been sent to other students but not of the explicit nature of the victim as far as we know right now. But the Moon Township Police are urging people if they have information to come forward.
GRACE: When you say text messages, how were the photos -- apparently this teacher, 26-year-old, married, gym teacher, Beth Ann Chester was also sending nude photos of herself. Was it over a telephone picture?
MILLER: Yes, it was. And again, naked pictures of herself.
GRACE: Classy.
MILLER: .in the shower and of her breasts and covered with soap, Nancy.
GRACE: Classy and brilliant. And she thought that couldn`t be intercepted.
Chief McCarthy, any talks of a plea deal in this case?
MCCARTHY: Absolutely not yet. I mean we haven`t even had a preliminary hearing yet. But the preliminary hearing is scheduled for the 22nd. We`ve already met with her defense counsel. He`s an outstanding attorney, Bob Dell Greco, and I`m sure those discussions will begin.
GRACE: And to Owen Lafave, remember, in your ex-wife`s defense that she was too pretty to go to jail and I`ll be darn if she managed not to go to jail?
LAFAVE: No, you`re absolutely right, Nancy. And one of the things in her case was that the key witness, the boy didn`t testify. And from what I understand, that was kind of the agreement that if this girl agreed to turn herself in that her parents would not press charges against her.
GRACE: Yet another teacher embroiled in child molestation of a student.
Let`s stop and remember Marine Corporal Erik Garoutte, 22, Santee, California, devoted to God, country and family, awarded the Global War on Terrorism medal, had a smile that lit up a room, made others laugh, loved guitar, singing in local church fans and fishing with dad. He leaves behind parents, Donna and Robert, brothers Brian and Kyle, sisters Amanda and Amy.
Erik Garoutte, American hero.
Thank you to our guests but most of all to you for being with us, inviting all of us into your homes. See you tomorrow night, 8:00 sharp Eastern. And until then, good bye, friend.
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