Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Newsroom
Why Did Promising Actor Heath Ledger Die so Young?
Aired January 23, 2008 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They have nine lives. She's definitely on number four or five. I don't know.
STEPHANIE GALE-HARDT, REPORTER, WPEC-NEWS 12: The family can now joke about this. They say, Gracie May, deserves some frequent flyer miles for her 1300 mile trip.
In Palm Beach Garden, Stephanie Gale-Hardt, WPEC, News 12.
TONY HARRIS, CNN, ANCHOR: And for her trip home, Gracy May got an upgrade from the baggage compartment and her owner bought her an $80 ticket.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN, ANCHOR: Good morning, everybody. I'm Heidi Collins.
HARRIS: And I'm Tony Harris in the CNN NEWSROOM. Here's what's on the rundown. The losers club, the Dow dived at the open, heading closer to bear territory. This hour, can you recession-proof yourself?
COLLINS: He's wanted for murder. A fugitive marine turns up south of the border. The CNN exclusive.
HARRIS: And why did the promising actor Heath Ledger die so young? An autopsy today. Wednesday, January 23rd. You are in the CNN NEWSROOM.
Autopsy today, autopsy results in. This just in to CNN. According to the Associated Press, the medical examiner's office is now reporting that an autopsy on actor Heath Ledger has come back inconclusive and that more tests are needed. Authorities have said, as you know, that the death of the 28-year-old actor was caused by a possible drug overdose. It will probably take another ten days, we're hearing, from a spokeswoman in that office, to complete the investigation.
So, once again, according to the Associated Press, the medical examiner's office in New York says an autopsy on actor Heath Ledger has come back inconclusive and that more tests are needed. We'll continue to follow the story, obviously.
COLLINS: Unfolding this hour now, market madness. We're off to another rocky day on Wall Street. The Dow down sharply this morning. Susan Lisovicz is watching the markets, and Ali Velshi is aboard the CNN Election Express. Let's go ahead and begin with Susan. Susan, where are we at now? SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN, FINANCIAL NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Well, we're still seeing a triple-digit decline, but you want to look at the glass as half full. We are off of our lows. The Dow was down as many as 216 points, and right now off 130. But, I mean, the point loss right now, when you're looking at that, is really almost irrelevant. The fact is that even after the Federal Reserve stepped in yesterday with this dramatic and aggressive rate cut, that there are a lot of fears still on Wall Street. And it's really exacerbated by the fact that we don't have a lot of information yet.
We're still hearing from a lot of major American companies what they have to say about consumer spending and both here and overseas, and one of them, for instance, is Apple. Apple has been a real darling. Most of us own an iPod or an iPhone or a Mac computer, and it's been - you know, it's just had superb sales. And it did actually last quarter. But it brought its numbers down for this quarter, and Apple shares right now are down 12 percent.
That just sort of reinforces the fears that are out there, that consumers are still going to rein in their spending. And that's really the determining factor. If the U.S. economy does go into a recession, whether or not. And also how quickly it comes out, if it does go into recession. Heidi.
COLLINS: All right. Very good. Susan, thank you.
HARRIS: And Ali Velshi is on the road today. He is on a cross- country trip talking to you about the economy and your concerns. He joins us by broadband hook-up from the CNN Election Express. Oh, Better shot there. Ali, where are you right now? Still in Alabama?
ALI VELSHI, CNN, BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: We are - we're about to cross into Mississippi. We're close to Tupelo, Mississippi. So, we started in South Carolina, went Georgia, through Alabama, and now into Mississippi. We're going to get to Tennessee and Arkansas and Texas and Arizona, California. I might be missing a few. We got nine states, six days, 2,600 miles. And we are talking to people. I don't know if you can see, in this bus with me in the CNN Election Express, we are broadcasting to you live while we're driving.
HARRIS: Amazing.
VELSHI: And that's kind of a new technology, which is why it doesn't always hit 100 percent. You're getting me - I'm coming in and out sometimes. But with me is Mark Preston. He is the political editor for CNN. And Mark and I -- he's sitting next to me on my left -- Mark and I have been going out and talking to people every opportunity we get. Now, I just wanted to tell you a little story last night in Atlanta. We ran into a gentleman on the street. He was actually looking for a shelter.
He was homeless. He was from New York, and he had gone down to Atlanta. He had lost his money and he was looking for work. He was hopeful there was going to be work. But you know what he told us he needed? And this really surprised us. His economic issue was that he needed access to the internet. If he got access to the internet he said he could learn things, he could find a job, he could find out where he's need. He'll be able to market himself. We thought that was very interesting. It wasn't very highfalutin. It wasn't about markets and interest rates. He wanted the internet.
HARRIS: You know what Ali, while we have you and while the connection is good and solid right now, I can't let you go without asking you for your thoughts on what we're seeing in the markets this morning, down over 100 points, as you know.
VELSHI: Yes.
HARRIS: And at the critical moment, we freeze up again. OK. New technology, we're working it out, but it's cool and it really works.
VELSHI: -- what the fed can do.
HARRIS: All right. Not working. We'll get back to Ali in just a couple of minutes.
COLLINS: All right. Let me get back to the story of Heath Ledger. A lot of people talking about it this morning. Was he sick? Did he O.D.? An autopsy today may tell us why up-and-coming actor Heath Ledger died so young. At least that's what we were hoping. He was just 28 years old, but unfortunately, we have just learned that those autopsy results are "inconclusive."
On the phone we have chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta to maybe let us know a little bit more about what happens next. So, Sanjay, tell us, what does it mean when an autopsy comes back inconclusive?
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN, CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (over the phone): Yes, you know, I'm not entirely surprised by that, Heidi. Basically what they're looking for in an autopsy, at least in an initial one, is was there some obvious cause of death. Did he have a heart attack? Did he have some sort of heart defect that had otherwise been unrecognized as a 28-year-old man, just never had a problem with in it his entire life. Did he have something happening in his brain? Like an aneurysm or something like that, that could have been the cause of death.
It sounds like from what I'm hearing the inconclusive report, none of those things, nothing obvious, if you will, sort of caused his death. But as we talked about, other tests that are going to take some time to come back. The toxicology test that you were talking about can take over a week for a lot of those results to come back. And sometimes they have to do some confirmatory tests as well to be sure. So I'm not really surprised by this, Heidi. Inconclusive just means there was nothing obvious in his autopsy.
COLLINS: OK. Yes. I think some people who were not aware of that would have been surprised by that news. So, and we are hearing Sanjay, from a spokeswoman, from the office that handles some of his press, I believe, about ten days -- pardon me, from the medical examiner's office, that it will take about ten days, as you say, more than a week, to complete the toxicology investigation. So again, CNN has confirmed that Heath Ledger's autopsy has come up inconclusive.
So we will get on with those toxicology investigation and those tests, and we will give you those results just as soon as they are made public, if ever. So, CNN's chief medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, helping us out with that one. Sanjay, thank you.
And CNN's Jason Carroll has also been following these developments out of New York for us this morning. So, tell us a little bit more, if you can, Jason, about the investigation into Heath Ledger's death.
JASON CARROLL, CNN, NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, investigators at this point are still looking at this as a possible drug overdose. As you know, it was yesterday afternoon that Ledger's housekeeper and massage therapist found him in his bedroom in his bed face down. He was unresponsive. They tried to revive him. They called 911. When paramedics came here yesterday afternoon, they pronounced him dead. They also found several medications in the apartment. One of the medications that they found in the bedroom near the actor's body were over-the-counter sleeping pills. So, that is one of the things that investigators will be looking at as this case proceeds. Heidi.
COLLINS: All right. I know you've been talking with people on the streets there, as well. Obviously, he was found dead in the city of New York. How are they reacting to all of this news?
CARROLL: Well, you know, it's interesting. You hear from some of the fans, and obviously they're very upset over what has happened. There was one woman last night who was out here. We were out here last night, as well. And she was talking about that she heard the news, Heidi, when she was in the theater. And she was a huge fan of Heath Ledger. In fact, it was her mother who called her. She said she immediately started crying, came down to the apartment, left some things out here. Some of Ledger's other fans are leaving cards and candles and well wishes out here. We're also hearing from folks in Hollywood, as well, Heidi. As you know, Ledger was from Australia, so also hearing from other Aussies such as Mel Gibson and Nicole Kidman. They also express their sorrow over his loss. Heidi.
COLLINS: 28 years old. All right. CNN's Jason Carroll for us in New York City. Thank you, Jason.
We want to get a little bit more now from Careen Winter in Los Angeles who talked with some friends and former cast members from the Warner Brothers' "Batman" movie. We will actually be talking with Careen coming up in the next half hour.
HARRIS: Being in two places at one time is a politicians dream and Barack Obama's very real nightmare. We'll tell you why in the NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: The road to the White House stretching coast to coast, a tough challenge, but it helps to have a rock star stand-in. CNN's senior political correspondent Candy Crowley explains. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CANDY CROWLEY, CNN, SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Hillary Clinton took off for California.
SEN. HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: California will have the most delegates and the biggest primary on February 5th.
CROWLEY: Sounds like a candidate ceding the territory in South Carolina. But look who she left behind, its super surrogate.
BILL CLINTON, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I think she's the best prepared candidate for president I have ever had the chance to vote for.
CROWLEY: He is well loved, draws a crowd, and makes headlines. It is the beauty of being a Clinton, you can be in two places at one time.
CLINTON: It's probably the next best thing because I can talk about her and her positions.
CROWLEY: Mr. and Mrs. Clinton are giving running mate a whole new meaning. The full force of Clintonville has come down on Barack Obama -- double trouble.
SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: There are a set of assertions made by Senator Clinton as well as her husband. What Senator Clinton -- or President Clinton says I wasn't - when Senator Clinton or President Clinton asserts that --
CROWLEY: Lately, the dynamic duo has been asserting the Barack Obama praise of Ronald Reagan's policies. Bill Clinton accused Obama of saying Reagan was a better president than he was. It did not go exactly that way.
OBAMA: I think Ronald Reagan changed the trajectory of America in a way that, you know, Richard Nixon did not and in a way that Bill Clinton did not. He put us on a fundamentally different path because the country was ready for it.
CROWLEY: When Obama challenged her at the debate, she stepped around it.
CLINTON: You talked about Ronald Reagan being a transformative political leader. I did not mention his name.
OBAMA: Your husband did.
CLINTON: Well, I'm here. He's not.
OBAMA: Well, I can't tell who I'm running against.
CLINTON: Well.
CROWLEY: And that's the beauty of it -- if her husband misses the mark, the candidate can back away.
CLINTON: I think we have both passionate and committed spouses who stand up for us and I's proud of that.
CROWLEY: She is deft, charming and political savvy, but Michelle Obama is no Bill Clinton. Candy Crowley, CNN, Columbia, South Carolina.
HARRIS: Fred Thompson out of the presidential race, but the actor may already be looking for his next role, and once again, it's on the political stage when members of his inner circle said voters will likely see Thompson again.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BOB DAVIS, THOMPSON CAMPAIGN SR. ADVISER: Well, everybody says, you know, gosh, you should have gone in earlier. Some guys have been running since they've been juniors in high school. That's not Fred Thompson. He did it his way. He will always do it his way, be it good or bad. It served him well when he was in the United States Senate. When he ran for the Senate, you know, people said this or that and he won by 20 points twice. He's not going to jump out there today or tomorrow and talk about who he's going to endorse and not endorse. All fine people.
Some believe in the same kind of things he does. Some don't. I think, again, he had the ability to get his message out and has become without a doubt -- we got Rush Limbaugh and people like that that are bragging about being the conservative standard-bearer. I think that's exactly what he's become. You know, it happened to another fellow, too, in 1976. He became the conservative standard bearer and he went on to win the 1980 presidential election and become the president of the United States and that was Ronald Reagan.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: He drops out after finishing a disappointing third in the South Carolina primary. He earlier said he needed to win that state.
Recession. How will it hit your wallet and how you can protect yourself. Gerri Willis joins us next with tips.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: I want to get you another look at the big board on the New York Stock Exchange right now. Look at this. Look at this. The Dow just down 30 points inside the first hour of the trading day. Look, we are off of session lows dramatically at this point. We were down close to 200 points after the bell, and now just down 24 points. So, that's a bit of a rally. Have we bottomed out? Have we flushed all the bad out of the system? We are following the markets throughout the day. Ali Velshi, Gerri Willis joining us in just moments, and Susan Lisovicz from the New York Stock Exchange.
COLLINS: The largest interest rate cut in 24 years, and it's not enough to prop up stocks. Gerri Willis now and how to protect yourself in a recession. Hi, there, Gerri.
GERRI WILLIS, CNN, PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR: Hi, Heidi.
COLLINS: Do you think this fed rate cut will actually help the U.S. avoid a recession?
WILLIS: Well, you know, it's no quick fix. I've got to tell you, Heidi, the economists we talked to said cutting the rate won't affect whether or not we go into recession. However, it may provide a boost to the economy nine months from now. Many economists think that more interest rate cuts are on the way. But will these rate cuts actually do the trick, economists are skeptical. It may be the combination of interest rate cuts and economic stimulus. And of course, as we've been saying, the fed meets next week and we'll find out a little more about what's in the cards. Expectation, though, we could get another rate cut.
COLLINS: Wow. That would be interesting.
WILLIS: Not, you know, 75 basis points, not three-quarters of a percent, but something.
COLLINS: Probably not. Is there any way to know how bad the recession could get for those people who are just fixated on it and really do believe that we are, in fact, in one?
WILLIS: Well, that's a great question, but it's really too early to tell how deep and wide this recession could get. What I can tell you is that recessions generally last from six months to 16 months. And some economists see this recession lasting a long time. Others think, though, we could bottom out in September. Very few experts think this recession will come close to what happened in the early '70s and '80s, to which it's being compared. Don't forget, you know what, this is an election year, and since 1940 it's reported that 81 percent of presidential election years have seen gains in the S&P 500 index. So, maybe we have that to look forward to.
COLLINS: Funny how that happens, huh?
WILLIS: Yes.
COLLINS: I know that you've been hearing from viewers, as you usually do. What are some of them saying about their concerns?
WILLIS: We get lots of e-mail. And I have to tell you that there's a lot of fear and panic out there about people and their mutual funds, their 401ks. There's a bit of perspective. So far, the markets have been down about 15 percent from their October peak, but the average loss during a recession in the S&P 500 is 30 percent. So there could be more downside to stocks. Bottom line, you don't want to sell into a tanking market. Markets generally fall six months before the start of a recession and then they pick up, turning up six months before the recession ends. Stock prices are usually down in anticipation of the recession, not in the actual recession itself. So, the market has already figured out a recession is coming, it may soon start to stabilize. COLLINS: All right, Gerri. I think if people could take away just one thing, it would be easier for them to maybe focus on, if you could tell them to do one thing to protect themselves, what would it be?
WILLIS: Well, you know, a recession is all about job losses. That's the main impact on consumers. To protect yourself, you want to be sure you're ready in case the worst happens. Update your contacts, retool your resume, specialize in a tight market. Employers want people who are a perfect fit for the job that they have. If you have a few years of experience, you're new to the job market, you see layoffs looming, try get in on some focused, short-term projects at the office. This is going to allow you to allow you to market yourself as a specialist, which will help you. And of course, if you have questions, send them to us at toptips@cnn cot come. We love hearing from you.
COLLINS: Gerri Willis, thank you.
WILLIS: My pleasure.
Let's talk more about the Wall Street roller coaster. CNN's Alina Cho went along for yesterday's ups and downs.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALINA CHO, CNN, CORRESPONDENT: Even before the opening bell, everyone sensed a bloodbath is coming. By 9:33a.m., the Dow was down more than 450 points.
You can't panic and sell into these things.
CHO: People clearly were panicked. But by lunchtime, the Dow gained back more than three-quarters of its losses. Now down 120 points.
Money manager Matt Levens spent most of his day reassuring his clients.
MATT LEVENS, ING FINANCIAL NETWORK: This is a 9/11-type response and there was a 9/11 today.
CHO: He sees opportunity.
LEVENS: They always tell you, buy when there's blood in the streets and it's the most difficult thing to do.
CHO: His advice, stick with brand names.
LEVENS: Philip Morris, Johnson and Johnson. You know, people aren't going to stop shaving when the market's going down.
CHO: Sounds good, but are investors listening? We're not even through the month of January yet and already many people with 401ks have lost everything they gained last year. That had them really anxious, really worried about what happens next. Just ask 62-year-old Mary Chione.
CHO: When you look what's going on on Wall Street right now-
MARY CHIONE, INVESTOR: I'd be scared to death. I'd be scared to death.
CHO: Why? In a word - instability.
CHIONE: if I had the resources I'd go into gold. I swear I would.
CHO: By the 4:00 p.m. close, the Dow finished down 128 points. A 1 percent loss on the day.
JASON WEISBERG, FLOOR TRADER, SEAPORT SECURITIES: Some people might not be able to digest it as well as others.
CHO: How are you digesting it?
WEISBERG: I'd rather be up 450 than down 450.
CHO: Alina Cho, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COLLINS: Ahead on the trail of a marine murder suspect now seen south of the border in the NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Good morning once again, everybody. It's 10:30 Eastern time now. I'm Heidi Collins.
HARRIS: And I'm Tony Harris. Welcome back everyone to the CNN NEWSROOM.
The initial autopsy results are in, but it's still not clear what caused Heath Ledger's sudden death. The medical examiner says more tests will be done. The actor's body was found in his New York apartment yesterday. Ledger had just finished filming the latest "Batman" movie.
We head to Los Angeles now and CNN's Kareen Wynter is there. Kareen, what are you hearing aside from expressions of sadness over such a great talent gone way too soon?
KAREEN WYNTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You know, Tony, just complete devastation echoing really here in Hollywood, not just because Ledger was such a rising star, but a lot of those inside the industry that I've had a chance to talk, Tony, they say they just didn't see this coming.
Sure, Ledger didn't have a squeaky clean image, but they say he was private. He's not like the stars that are out now, many of them who crave the spotlight. He was very private and loved his little girl. This is some of the reaction we've been getting from those close to Ledger, and who worked with him in several films.
For example, fellow Australian actress Nicole Kidman. She released a statement saying what a tragedy this is, that her heart goes out to his family. Mel Gibson, another Australian who played Ledger's father in the movie The Patriot, listen to what he has to say, that he had such great hope for Ledger. He was just taking off. And, to lose his life at such a young age is a tragic loss.
Sends his prayers and thoughts. well wishes to Ledger's family. Now, the -- actor starred in the critically acclaimed film I'm Not There which is currently out, and director Todd Hayes called this a tragedy. That the tragedy is unimaginable, that Heath was a true artist, a deeply sensitive man an explorer, gifted and wise beyond his years. That there was no finer person on this earth.
Warner Brothers, the studio behind this year's highly anticipated blockbuster The Dark Knight, says they're all stunned and devastated by this tragic news, Tony, and that the entertainment community has lost an enormous talent. They call Ledger a brilliant actor and exceptional person.
HARRIS: You know what's interesting?
WYNTER: Now, Tony --.
HARRIS: Yes, go ahead, Kareen. I'm sorry.
WYNTER: I just want to throw in there that Brokeback Mountain may have really launched Ledger's career, but this movie, the Batman movie, The Dark Knight, was supposed to take his career to another level. Produced again by Warner Brothers. It was anticipated to be one of the highest-grossing films of Ledger's career, a huge, huge summer blockbuster. And it's really unfortunate, the chain of events --.
HARRIS: Yes. I'm wondering, I've heard so many times now that he was a star on the rise. Had he reached that level where his name could actually open a film? You know what I mean by that, his name above the marquee meant that a film had a really good chance of being successful in that all-important initial first weekend?
WYNTER: That's a great point. Not there yet. He was a star on the rise, and that's how it's really been categorized to us. But this was supposed to be his year with The Dark Knight, he was also working on another film. He has so many things in production set to come out.
Again, 28-years-old, so young, and to see such a young actor at this point in his career just fall like this. That's really the tragic part of all this.
HARRIS: But there is so much film on him, so many movies at such a young age. I'm thinking about Casanova, Monster's Ball, you mentioned The Patriot, Brokeback Mountain. Kareen Wynter for us in Los Angeles. Kareen, great to see you. Thanks.
WYNTER: Thanks, Tony. COLLINS: The doctor who performed plastic surgery on the mother of rapper Kanye West says he nearly lost his practice. Dr. Jan Adams sat down with LARRY KING LIVE last night. It was a return visit. He abruptly walked off the show in November, shortly after Donda West died following the surgery. But now, he's talking about what happened.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LARRY KING, HOST, LARRY KING LIVE: OK. What went on during surgery, what went on after surgery? What went on after she left the surgery center, and where do you go from there?
DR. JAN ADAMS, PERFORMED SURGERY ON DONDA WEST: So, as far as I'm concerned, the autopsy, at least the autopsy report, suggests nothing went on during surgery, nothing went on during recovery. OK, she's now gone home. We need to look at that period. And I think that's what's open.
KING: Do you continue to practice?
ADAMS: Yes.
KING: How bad has your practice been affected by this publicity?
ADAMS: Horribly. It's almost destroyed.
KING: Is that -- surprise you?
ADAMS: It surprises me because I have to ask myself, when people attack you like that, and I'm talking the press, you have to say why do they fear you? Because generally, people attack someone who they fear. And I'm not sure where all that came from. I do know we got bad information.
The real question out there really isn't from where I look at this particular patient. The real question out there is, who is this person and why is this kind of attack going on?
KING: What did they say about you that was terribly wrong?
ADAMS: Well, I think the first thing they said that they tried to suggest was this notion of board certification. I think malpractice suits in today's world, particularly -- don't forget, I'm the guy on TV. People come to me. What happened?
You know, you're a target. You don't seriously think those journalists sitting across from you during the day don't think I want Larry's chair. And so, certainly, I think me having done a TV show makes me a target.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COLLINS: Adams formerly hosted the television series, Plastic Surgery, Before and After. He also sells skin care products and has written two books on plastic surgery. And remember, catch CNN's LARRY KING LIVE every night at 9:00 p.m. Eastern, 6:00 Pacific.
HARRIS: A fugitive Marine accused of murder and spotted in Mexico. CNN's Randi Kaye has exclusive details in this investigation.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We now know what the FBI has suspected for more than a week. Marine Corporal Cesar Laurean is in Mexico. His cousin tells CNN, Laurean visited him last week in his liquor store.
Juan Antonio Ramos Ramirez says he wasn't aware Laurean was wanted for murder.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Have you been in touch with your cousin lately?
JUAN ANTONIO RAMOS RAMIREZ, LAUREAN'S COUSIN (through translator): Yes. The other day.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): He called you?
RAMIREZ (through translator): No, he stopped by.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Cesar Armando, the one who lives in the United States came to see you here?
RAMIREZ (through translator): Yes, just a few days ago last week.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): And what did he tell you?
RAMIREZ (through translator): Just, "Hi, I'm just passing by." He told me he was here with some buddies for a few days. It's not the first time he's come by to visit.
KAYE: How did Laurean get to Mexico? Tonight, exclusive new details from law enforcement. A source tells CNN Laurean boarded a bus January 11 in Raleigh, North Carolina, then headed for Houston.
From there, he took a bus to Mexico for about $170. He arrived in Guadalajara Sunday. The bus driver told authorities, according to our source, Laurean identified himself as Armando Ramirez, a fourth alias just released by the FBI.
Before he crossed the border, this same source tells CNN Laurean mailed three letters to his wife, Christina. Until now, we've only known of one letter, that he allegedly left behind, claiming Lance Corporal Marina Lauterbach had taken her own life in their home and that he buried her in the backyard.
Now, our source says the first mailed letter was sent after Laurean dropped his truck in a hotel. Laurean wrote he'd be on the road and told the wife she can find the truck near a strip mall where they once went together. The letter is post-marked Raleigh-Durham. In each of the new letters, Laurean told his wife he loves her and cares deeply about their daughter, just 18 months.
One letter is written directly to his daughter. The same source says the letters sound like he's saying good-bye, but are mixed with hope he'll see them again.
CNN has obtained this video of a man authorities say is Cesar Laurean, withdrawing cash from the victim's bank account. Watch as he tries to cover the ATM's camera with a cloth.
This video was taken Christmas Eve. And this, authorities say, is Lauterbach, eight months pregnant at an ATM, ten days earlier, the day she died.
We've also learned a shoe found at Laurean's house, where authorities believe Lauterbach was killed, is being tested at the state crime lab. Investigators believe a substance on the shoe may be blood. Randi Kaye, CNN New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COLLINS: Want to make our way over to the severe weather center now where Rob Marciano is standing by to talk more about the weather. I probably shouldn't call it the severe weather center today.
(WEATHER REPORT)
HARRIS: Still to come this morning, the neighbors' pets are poisonous and he's got 50 of them.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I caught my first snake when I was five- years-old. My snakes don't pose any kind of threat to the public at all. You know, absolutely none.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Cold-blooded news in the NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Welcome back, everybody. I'm Heidi Collins. You are in the CNN NEWSROOM.
DNA evidence to the rescue. A man wrongly convicted of murder finally set free.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Stocks open sharply lower once again today, but have managed to lift off the lows now. Susan Liscovicz is on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange to tell us if this could mean we've hit some sort of bottom? I don't know. How do we know that?
Hey, Susan.
(BUSINESS HEADLINES)
HARRIS: Wrongfully convicted, now free, but for now, still part of a murder investigation. CNN's Drew Griffin has the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And the court grants the motion to vacate the conviction.
DREW GRIFFIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Moments after the brief court hearing was over, Tim Masters stood before microphones, not quite grasping what had just happened.
TIM MASTERS, WRONGFULLY CONVICTED: I'm a little overwhelmed here, so bear with me.
GRIFFIN: Masters has spent 10 years behind bars for a crime he has always said he didn't commit. Today, the judicial system finally believed him and set him free.
MASTERS: I just want to thank my family and my friends who stuck with me all these years. Without their support, I don't know if I could have made it through this.
GRIFFIN: What he has been through is a criminal justice nightmare. Tim Masters was just 15 when a woman named Peggy Hettrick was found murdered near his family's home. Masters found the body on his way to school, but never reported it. For 12 years, the Ft. Collins police investigated him, interrogated him, searched for clues. Finally, tried and convicted him, almost solely on the basis of sketches Masters drew as a kid, scary sketches a psychologist thought demonstrated he was a killer.
Now, the special prosecutor assigned to review the case has determined the evidence proved nothing. And new DNA evidence may prove someone else killed Hettrick. That was enough for the judge to not only grant a new trial, but to set Masters free. Dressed in a new suit and tie paid for by his attorneys, his only immediate plan: to celebrate.
MASTERS: I want to go see my family.
GRIFFIN (on camera): But Masters' release does not end this criminal justice nightmare. With the Ft. Collins police investigation now in shambles, the murder of Peggy Hettrick is again unsolved. Twenty-one years after she was killed, the search for her killer begins anew.
Drew Griffin, CNN, Ft. Collins, Colorado.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COLLINS: Thousands of Palestinians crossing from Gaza into Egypt today after militants blew up a concrete border wall. At least 50,000 so far have rushed through the Rafah crossing. Many came back with food and bottles of fuel. Israel tightened its blockade on the territory last week after a spike in rocket attacks on Israeli towns. Egypt's foreign ministry says the crossing will stay open as long as there is, "a humanitarian crisis." Moments ago, the State Department said it's concerned about the situation.
HARRIS: Rattlers, cobras, green mambas. Oh, my. How would you like to live next door to this guy and his poisonous pets?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: You know I'm actually thinking about the podcast today. Maybe we should do -- maybe the thing of the day is just to chunk a lot of information that we're getting from our analysts, our experts on the markets, your personal finance and just keep it real simple, manageable chunks for folks at home so that they can go to the podcast today, cnn.com. Download it onto your iPod, and there, today, you will have all of this (INAUDIBLE) ready-made, easily digestible information to guide you along as you're making decisions about your personal finances today.
Maybe that's the way to go. I hope Eddie Williams is listening to me as I sort of plot out his podcast for the day. But that's the thing to do. We'll do that. It will be available to you today, 24/7. The podcast, go to cnn.com. Do it today and download it onto your iPod.
COLLINS: Forget snakes on a plane, these are snakes in the house. Their owner is fighting to keep all 50 of them. Did I mention they're all poisonous too? Details from Saul Saenz of Central Florida's News 13.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SAUL SAENZ, NEWS 13 REPORTER: Most of Brian Radenberg neighbors know he has 50 poisonous snakes inside his Deltona home, rattlers, green mambas and cobras, and they're OK with it.
BRIAN RADENBERG, SNAKE HANDLER: I caught my first snake when I was 5- years-old, and since then, I've been collecting snakes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't for snakes. But I really don't have a problem because he's got them all caged up and everything.
CASSIDY SELF, NEIGHBOR: It looks like snakes, but I see them a lot in the cage.
SAENZ: Are they long and slithery or are they short or are they tall? What are they like?
SELF: They're like big. Yes.
SAENZ: Neighbors may be OK with this, but the city of Deltona is not. A city ordinance states no one can keep any number of venomous snakes within the city limits. Because Radenberg is in violation of that ordinance, city officials can either takes the snakes away, force the snake handler to get rid of them, or he may have to move. So, Radenberg asked neighbors to sign a petition and is asking city commissioners for an exception to the rule.
(on-camera): And Radenberg will also show commissioners this -- a venomous reptile license from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission. And he says it's because of this license that he follows strict guidelines to make sure those reptiles do not slither away into someone's back yard.
RADENBERG: So, they're everywhere here anyway. My snakes don't pose any kind of threat to the public at all, you know, absolutely none. Because they're all locked up.
SAENZ: Radenberg may be setting precedent if commissioners make an exception. City officials, who did not want to go on camera, say this is the first time the ordinance has been questioned.
In Deltona, Florida, Saul Saenz for CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: Here's what we have, a hefty rate cut, plans for jump- starting the economy, but the stock market still jittery. We will talk to a guest from marketwatch.com in the NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Come on, admit it. You take a nap every now and then --
HARRIS: Sure.
COLLINS: -- 1:30 every day. But when powerful leaders get caught taking power naps, it is an eye opener. Here now, our Jeanne Moos.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Bill Clinton seen here awake. Bill Clinton seen here falling asleep -- elbow falling off the arm rest falling asleep.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: To live up to their purpose and potential.
MOOS: Oh, sure, he then cupped his ear as if trying to hear. But at this Martin Luther King Day celebration, he earned the headline, "Bill Has A Dream," from "The New York Post" which showcased the video.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I believe that the time, as Victor Hugo said, is always right to do that which is right.
MOOS: Maybe what's not right is showing this video. We all nod off. But when you're the president and, say, the pope is speaking a few feet away...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ...falls especially upon the leaders of the world.
MOOS: Take some No Doz. For some reason, it's adorable when a dog naps...
MOOS: But we don't cut our sleepy politicians any slack -- be it a distinguished older Senator or a former president exhausted from campaigning for his wife.
(on camera): Wake up. No napping during this segment.
(voice-over): And especially not during a cabinet meeting. Vice President Dick Cheney got nabbed apparently nodding off.
GEORGE BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: ...work in a collaborative fashion with the federal government.
MOOS: Practicing meditation was how a Cheney spokesperson laughed it off. YouTubers show no mercy, adding musical commentary to video of a droopy-lidded Senator Conrad Burns...
MOOS: ...or adding snoring to video of the Clintons at Ronald Reagan's funeral.
MOOS: But beware -- during a state of the union address, a bunch of politicians seemed to be snoozing. It turns out they were following the text of the president's speech in their laps. A book called "The Art of Napping" lists Bill Clinton as a legendary napper. Clinton has talked about chronic sleep deprivation among members of Congress who commute.
BILL CLINTON, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: But I do believe sleep deprivation has a lot to do with some of the edginess of Washington today.
MOOS: There was edginess over this video.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Vanity asks the question...
MOOS: Between supporters Bill Clinton is a 61-year-old guy who has had a heart attack and is working his butt off with little sleep. And critics -- the hand cupping the ear to hear better, the phony nods of agreement -- he lies even when he's sleeping.
On that note, let's let sleeping dogs lie.
Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.voxantshop.com
