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Two CBS Reporters Missing in Iraq; Six Alleged Plotters Charged in 9/11 Case; Bobby Cutts on Trial for Murder

Aired February 11, 2008 - 14:00   ET

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

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Will the alleged mastermind behind the 9/11 attacks get the death penalty? New plans for a trial. Will they bring justice or will they turn him into a martyr?
Hello, everyone. I'm Don Lemon, live at the CNN World Headquarters in Atlanta.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Brianna Keilar, in for Kyra Phillips.

Breaking news that we're following here in the CNN NEWSROOM. Two journalists missing in Iraq. Let's go now to T.J. Holmes for the very latest.

What do you have, T.J.?

T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Hey, Brianna.

These are two CBS journalists that we understand are missing from the predominantly Shiite area of Basra. We don't have that many details, certainly no identities right now on these two journalists, but we do know they were in this area of Basra.

We don't know if they were working on a story, exactly what was happening in that area, who they were with, or anything surrounding their disappearance. But right now, just that they are missing.

CBS has released a statement asking for people to actually be respectful and not to speculate about the identities of these particular journalists. So we don't know who they are. However, CBS says they have been in contact with the families of these two journalists to explain the situation. But right now, we know two people missing.

Again, the terminology being used is "missing," nothing about any kind of a kidnapping or anything like that. But the terminology being used is that they are missing at this point. We are keeping an eye on this situation, hoping to get more information from CBS as it becomes available. But right now, a delicate situation in which they're asking people not to speculate about the identities of these two journalists. So we will keep an eye on this story. As we get more information, possibly this afternoon, we'll certainly pass it along -- Brianna.

KEILAR: All right, T.J. We'll come back to you as soon as you have more. Thanks a lot. HOLMES: All right.

LEMON: Also this hour, we're waiting for a Justice Department news conference involving spying. A Defense Department employee and two others are charged with passing secrets to the Chinese government. More on that. And we're expecting another topic to come up, as well.

More than six years after 9/11, the government is making its case against some of the major plotters, and it wants the harshest penalty possible. It's breaking news out of Washington, and the government is charging six Guantanamo Bay detainees in connection with the worst terrorist attack on U.S. soil, and is seeking the death penalty.

The suspects include Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the alleged mastermind of the attacks. We'll go live to the Justice Department as soon as the news conference gets under way.

CNN brought you the Pentagon's announcement live just a couple of hours ago. And CNN's Barbara Starr was there, and she joins us now with the very latest on that -- Barbara.

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Don, it was really a compelling sight when a military officer stepped to the podium in this building, which, of course, was one of the attack sites on 9/11, and announced that the U.S. military is seeking the death penalty against Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and five other men in connection with the 9/11 attacks. All of them being held in custody, of course, at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

The charges now will be reviewed. The judge -- the convening authority will decide if it's sufficient to proceed to trial. That certainly, I must say, is what is expected to happen. All six expected to go to trial together in a joint trial with the death penalty. A very extensive briefing just a little while ago.

Here is some of what was said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRIG. GEN. THOMAS HARTMANN, ADVISER TO MILITARY COMMISSION SYSTEM: Let me be clear, we are a nation of law and not of men. And the question of what evidence will be admitted, whether waterboarding or otherwise, will be decided in the courts, in front of a judge, after it's fought out between the defense and the prosecution in these cases. That's the rule of law. That's the procedure that Congress has provided to us, and that's what we will use to finally answer these questions.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STARR: What General Hartmann is really referring to, Don, of course, is the controversy about the entire process at Guantanamo Bay. And now that it has been acknowledged that the chief defendant, if you will, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, was waterboarded, will the evidence of any confession elicited through waterboarding, will that evidence be entered into trial? Everyone expects that to be a matter of great argument and contention in the months ahead between the prosecution and the defense, but it's not clear at this point what any judge will finally rule.

Waterboarding, confessions elicited under extraordinary interrogation techniques, will be one issue. Whether the defendant will be allowed to see all of the classified evidence against them, whether hearsay will be allowed, all of these things extraordinary legal matters, really, still, to be argued out in their finality before the court -- Don.

LEMON: Barbara Starr, thank you.

KEILAR: We just heard Barbara talk about Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, and maybe nothing paints a more chilling image than his own words. Well, you're about to hear them.

Here's CNN Justice Correspondent Kelli Arena.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

KELLI ARENA, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's the voice of a self-proclaimed mass murderer -- calm, lucid, convincing.

KHALID SHEIKH MOHAMMED (through translator): Everything in English...

ARENA: After months of debate, the Pentagon released a heavily- censored audiotape featuring Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the so-called mastermind of the September 11th attacks. He was speaking at a military hearing to determine whether he could be called an enemy combatant, a label Mohammed does not dispute.

MOHAMMED (through translator): I will not regret when I say I'm enemy combatant.

ARENA: But he also argues that other detainees should not be at the U.S. prison in Guantanamo Bay.

MOHAMMED (through translator): You have to be fair with people. There are many, many people which they never been part of the Taliban.

ARENA: Through a representative, you hear Mohammed's confession to come of the most horrific acts committed by Al Qaeda -- the murder of "Wall Street Journal" reporter Daniel Pearl, bombings in Bali, and, of course, September 11th. What you don't hear is Mohammed himself admitting what he did or his justification for doing it. That's because the Pentagon cut those parts out, even though they appear in a previously released transcript.

The Pentagon says that it censored the tape so it can't be used to recruit or encourage future terrorists. But Mohammed also alleges he was mistreated in custody. Details on that were cut out, as well, both on the new audio tape and the transcript.

JOANNE MARINER, HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH: What we're afraid of is that in this case the CIA and the military are hiding information that is simply embarrassing, that simply would reveal illegal conduct.

ARENA (on camera): It's a long-running complaint that the administration is more concerned with protecting itself than national security, but it's not one that human rights groups are likely to win. In other words, what you hear is all you're likely to get.

Kelli Arena, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KEILAR: Let's turn now to the economy.

President Bush says it is sound long term, but it's the short term that is causing worry, or, as the president put it, uncertainty. Mr. Bush just signed an annual economic report by his top advisers which is to be delivered by Congress. He says the stimulus package approved by Congress should ease some of the short-term shock.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I'm so pleased that the Congress and the administration worked closely together to pass a robust pro-growth package to deal with the uncertainties. That package is about $160 billion-plus. What that means is, it means that money will be going directly to America -- workers and families and individuals. It also means that there is incentives for American businesses.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: Now, Mr. Bush is expected to sign that stimulus bill Wednesday morning.

(WEATHER REPORT)

LEMON: We want to get our viewers to some developing news. Actually, a live press conference at the Justice Department talking espionage.

Let's listen in.

(JOINED IN PROGRESS)

KENNETH WAINSTEIN, ASST. ATTORNEY GENERAL FOR NATIONAL SECURITY: ... the ultimate recipient of which was the People's Republic of China. Also at about 7:00 this morning, but California time, FBI agents in Orange County, California, arrested one individual, an aerospace engineer who had worked at Rockwell International and at The Boeing Company, and charged him with stealing trade secrets from those companies. Once again, on behalf of the People's Republic of China.

The two U.S. attorneys overseeing these cases are going to step up in a moment and explain to you what these cases are. But before they tell you what the cases are, I want to take a moment to tell you what these cases represent -- what they represent about the threat of foreign espionage, and what they represent about our response to that threat.

The threat is very simple. It's a threat to our national security and to our economic position in the world, a threat that is posed by the relentless efforts of foreign intelligence services to penetrate our security systems and steal our most sensitive military technology and information. The threat is not new. Espionage has been a fact of life since the founding of the first nation state. And it was particularly prominent during the Cold War of the last century.

And while the collapse of the Soviet Union ended the Cold War, it did not end the threat from foreign intelligence services. If anything, that threat has only increased with the rise of non-allying nations that are all seeking advantage in the process of military development. In fact, one Defense Department report from 2006 noted a 43 percent increase in the number of suspicious foreign contacts reported by American defense firms, many of which were presumably foreign operatives probing for protected military information.

It's no surprise that we're seeing this espionage activities. We have interests and alliances around the globe. We have a vibrant and diffused economy with high-tech development taking place and operations in companies ranging from garage operations to Fortune 500 corporations. And we have an open society and an open economy.

While these factors are the ingredients of our economic and military success, they're also what makes us vulnerable to foreign intelligence services that want to steal our secrets and piggyback on our technological innovation. While there are entities from over 100 different countries trying to get access to our secrets and our controlled technology, there are a number of countries that have proven themselves particularly adept and particularly determined in the (INAUDIBLE) in their espionage efforts. The People's Republic of China is one of those countries.

As the director of National Intelligence testified last September, China's foreign intelligence service is "among the most aggressive in collecting against sensitive and protected U.S. systems, facilities and development projects, and their efforts are approaching Cold War levels." We see that in the prosecutions we've been bringing into court lately.

In the past six months, the Department of Justice has filed charges in a half a dozen cases involving efforts to acquire different types of technology ranging from battlefield night vision equipment, to accelerometers used in the development of smart bombs and missiles. And we see that in the cases we're announcing here today, two espionage conspiracies that reflect two very different schemes and approaches.

One is the classic espionage network, complete with traditional elements of spy trade craft, including foreign handlers, payoffs, cutout couriers that compromise a government employee. All of which resulted in the penetration of our government's information security system and the passage of national defense information.

The other is an effort to give intelligence taskings to an aerospace engineer who had a position at an American industry that afforded him access to sensitive trade secrets on our military and aerospace programs. As I said, two very different approaches, but both with the very same objective in mind, which is to get a hold of our nation's military secrets.

These two cases plainly represent the magnitude of the threat we face, but they also represent the magnitude of our response and our efforts to meet that threat. They represent our willingness to bring the full range of investigative resources and the full weight of the law against anyone who conducts foreign intelligence espionage against our national interests. And they represent what really are inspirational and exceptional efforts by a fine group of dedicated investigators and prosecutors across the country, efforts that we should all be proud of.

And to learn more about those efforts and about those cases, I'll now turn it over to U.S. Attorney Chuck Rosenberg. He'll tell you about the case from Virginia. We'll next hear from Tom O'Brien (ph). And then after that...

LEMON: OK. They're talking about this espionage case.

Apparently, one employee, aerospace employee, according to the person speaking there, selling very sensitive trade secrets to the Chinese. So one person arrested there. One aerospace employee. And according to the press conference earlier, two Chinese citizens also trying to steal trade secrets from the U.S.

We expect a little bit later on in this press conference that they're going to talk about these terror suspects who have been given the death penalty and are going to be prosecuted on the death penalty. As soon as they speak about that, we'll bring that back to you live. But again, they're talking about this espionage case now. We'll continue to monitor it for you.

KEILAR: Coming up, a masterful heist of four impressionist masterpieces. A portrait of that robbery, straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Eighteen past the hour. Three of the stories we're working on for you right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

The government's 9/11 case moves forward. The U.S. has charged six Guantanamo Bay detainees with plotting the worst terrorist attack on American soil, including alleged mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed. The Pentagon seeking the death penalty.

President Bush urging Congress to do even more for the economy. Before sending his yearly economic report to lawmakers today, the president said the stimulus package passed last week will help, but he also says Congress needs to make his tax cuts permanent.

Two workers are still missing four days after a deadly explosion at this sugar refinery near Savannah, Georgia. Six bodies have been recovered so far. Helicopters are now dumping water on the ruins to put out still-smoldering hotspots.

KEILAR: A Swiss museum is missing some masterpieces after a huge and daring heist. Armed robbers grabbed a Monet, a Van Gogh, a Cezanne and a Degas. And CNN's Frederik Pleitgen is live from Berlin with the details.

I mean, this is just unbelievable, Frederik. Tell us what happened.

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's absolutely unbelievable, Brianna.

I looked up the biggest art heist in history today, and certainly this one appears to be one of them, at least as far as the value of the paintings that were stolen is concerned. As you said, some of the biggest names in impressionist art -- Cezanne, Monet, Degas and also Vincent Van Gogh, were stolen from that gallery, four paintings in all. And the Swiss police is saying the way that the robbers did it was absolutely dramatic.

Armed men walked up to that gallery, threatened the personnel there, made them all lay on the ground, and then took those paintings out of the exhibition area and took off. And one of the things that they said at a press conference, the Swiss police did, they said if anybody has seen a white car speeding through Zurich, in Switzerland, with paintings sticking out of the back, to please call the police.

So that's how daring these robbers were. They just packed those paintings into the back of that car and took off. And so far, Swiss police say they have no clue as to who may have taken these paintings -- Brianna.

KEILAR: Just amazing. I mean, I remember back in 2004, it was -- some thieves took off with some paintings by Edvard Munch. And it's just amazing that they get away with it.

Frederik Pleitgen with all the crazy details, really. Thanks for keeping an eye on this for us.

LEMON: Couch potatoes, rejoice. The crippling writers' strike that's ruined your TV season may be close to an end. We'll tell you what's happened.

KEILAR: And cyber surfers, look out. The next time you travel abroad, the information on your laptop, including your bank account and your personal e-mails, well, it just might catch the attention of U.S. customs. And there's not really much you can do about it.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BUSINESS REPORT)

KEILAR: Perils and pitfalls of the case against the 9/11 suspects. Will it be the military commission on trial? Our legal expert will take a closer look at that.

LEMON: U.S. troops in Iraq. Will more be coming home? And how soon?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: All right. We have been following everyone on the campaign trail, including Chelsea Clinton. She is in Milwaukee today, speaking at a rally, talking to the supporters there about why people should or shouldn't vote for her mother. Take a listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHELSEA CLINTON, DAUGHTER OF HILLARY CLINTON: Well, I don't think that you should vote for my mom because of my father. I don't think you should vote against her because of my father. But how would she be different? On so many fronts. We're talking about fiscal responsibility. And my mother is more fiscally conservative than my father and certainly this president.

And on health care, I think that she learned a lot through trying to achieve health care the first time that really has enabled her to articulate a plan that will be politically viable while covering everyone.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Obviously, someone in the audience asked her a question as it relates to her mother and her dad. Should you vote for mother, I would imagine, in spite of your father or what have you. So, Chelsea Clinton, answering questions there, speaking at a rally in Milwaukee. Those pictures courtesy -- that sound bite, our affiliate WTMJ. Have to get our affiliate in. We appreciate them getting that in for us.

Also, for more on tomorrow's so-called Potomac primaries, go to CNNpolitics.com. You'll also find the latest delegate count and information on the candidates. All that and more at CNNpolitics.com.

KEILAR: Now if and when 9/11 suspects are tried, it's going to be in a revamped military justice system, one that is barely up and running and one that is largely based on a system that was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court. Now, Pentagon officials say it will work and it will be transparent.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HARTMANN: There will be no secret trials. Every piece of evidence, every stitch of evidence, every whiff of evidence that goes to the finder of fact, to the jury, to the military tribunal will be reviewed by the accused, subject to confrontation, subject to cross- examination, subject to challenge, exercising the rights I described to you before. In terms of the openness of the trial, it is our goal to have the trials as completely open as possible.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: Now just how open is that is the big question. Let's bring in CNN senior legal analyst, Jeffrey Toobin. He's on the phone with us.

And Jeffrey, just how transparent can these proceedings be? Because obviously, some of the evidence is classified. So will these defendants be privy to all of that evidence? Will the public be privy to that?

JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN SENIOR LEGAL ANALYST: Well this is one of the works in progress of this very complicated and very controversial system that has literally not gone into effect yet, even though today it was announced that they are seeking the death penalty against some of the principal figures. They have not even had smaller trials yet. Those are just getting under way. So how the military commission system will work is not completely known, because you can never know how this is going to work until you actually start having trials, and they haven't had any yet.

KEILAR: Now let's talk also about this evidence and whether it is admissible. Because some of the evidence that obviously will be presented -- just to catch people up a little bit or refresh their memories, it was a suspect who was not indicted today, Abu Zubaydah, who was, according to a former CIA agent, waterboarded. And that is -- he subsequently gave up Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the alleged mastermind of 9/11. And we heard from the CIA director last week that Khalid Sheikh Mohammed was indeed waterboarded.

If you get evidence from this kind of interrogation tactic, that some people say is illegal, would it be admissible in this military court?

TOOBIN: This was one of the issues raised at the press conference and it was one of the issues that the general wouldn't address. It's a critical issue, particularly for Khalid Sheikh Mohammed. Because, first of all, is his confession admissible if it was produced under duress, under torture? But that's only the beginning question.

What about information you got from his confession? What if he said, under duress, go look under this tree, you'll find good evidence? What about that piece of evidence under the tree? That is where the questions get really complicated, because it's not enough just to decide whether the confession itself is admissible. You have to decide whether what's called the fruits of that confession are admissible. It's one of the many complicated legal issues that will have to be addressed if and when these cases go to trial.

KEILAR: And perhaps another issue that will come up here, because military prosecutors are seeking the death penalty -- doesn't that really raise the bar on what they have to prove against these suspects?

TOOBIN: Well, it does as a legal matter, but perhaps more importantly, it especially raises the bar as a political matter. Guantanamo has been a terrible public relations problem for the United States, as well as a legal problem. And if the United States is trying to execute people based on legal proceedings that are not universally respected, that are not -- that are not consistent with our values, that could raise a political and diplomatic problem that, you know, would be worse than the one we have now.

So, again, this is beyond simply a legal issue. It's a political and foreign policy issue that, one thing we know for sure, will wind up in the lap of the next president because this is all so long and complicated. It's going to be resolved well after January of next year.

KEILAR: That's right, Jeffrey. I know you said it's going to take several years, not several months, so obviously you'll be keeping us posted as this plays out. We appreciate all of your insight on this. Jeffrey Toobin, thanks so much.

TOOBIN: OK, Brianna.

LEMON: At least 19 people were killed today and dozens wounded in the near simultaneous car bomb attacks in Baghdad. The blast came as Defense Secretary, Robert Gates, departed the Iraqi capital. It occurred near headquarters -- the headquarters of one of the country's most powerful Shiite clerics. But an Iraqi military spokesman says the attacks were aimed -- a meeting, were aimed at a meeting of Sunni tribal leaders allied with the U.S.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates was in Iraq only briefly today, but long enough to endorse a recommendation by the U.S. military leader. CNN's Jamie McIntyre has more from Baghdad.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Defense Secretary Robert Gates emerged from a meeting with this top commander, General David Petraeus and endorsed Petraeus' idea of a pause in troop withdrawals after the surge ends in July.

ROBERT GATES, DEFENSE SECRETARY: A brief period of consolidation and evaluation probably does make sense. That's one of the things that we're still thinking about.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: General Petraeus has explained to you his thinking on that subject?

GATES: Sure. And I must say that, in my own thinking, I had been kind of headed in that direction, as well.

MCINTYRE: Gates' unannounced visit to Baghdad lasted less than 24 hours. He arrived on a weekend when attacks, particularly a deadly bombing north of Baghdad, claimed more than 50 Iraqi lives. But in private briefings, Gates was showered with charts showing dramatic declines in violence and at an awards ceremony for an outgoing commander, Lieutenant General Raymond Odierno, Gates congratulated his troops for a job well done.

GATES: What a difference you made, and much more. Al Qaeda routed, insurgents co-opted, levels of violence of all kinds dramatically reduced.

MCINTYRE (on-camera): One sign that Baghdad is still a dangerous place five years after the invasion is that even if you're traveling with the tight security that surrounds the Secretary of Defense, you don't go anywhere without body armor, eye protection and a helmet.

(voice-over): The latest attacks underscore the tenuous nature of the security gains and why U.S. commanders are weary about further cuts.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're not going to give back any terrain. We're not going to do that, not in Baghdad.

MCINTYRE: The key question now is how long will the pause be, and whether the hope of reducing U.S. troop levels to 100,000 by tend of the year remains realistic. Secretary Gates says that will be decided by President Bush.

Jamie McIntyre, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KEILAR: Americans coming back into the country and giving up all of their personal information.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He said even if you deny to log me in, I will force you to log in. And -- you know, so I had no choice.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: Could you be cybersearched at the border?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: We want to get to some testimony now. Do you remember this? Brianna pointed this out to me, this story. Everyone remembers, "mommy is in the rug." Well, Bobby Cutts is on the stand now talking about Jessie Davis, a pregnant girlfriend who went missing, and he is accused of her murder. He is testifying today. We want to listen in. This is courtesy of our affiliate, WKYC in Canton, Ohio.

(JOINED IN PROGRESS)

BOBBY CUTTS, ACCUSED OF KILLING PREGNANT GIRLFRIEND: ... And I see a sign for a highway. I don't know what highway it is, but I turn around. I pulled into the -- off this street, it was like an apartment building. There was like one on the right and one on the left. It has a drive in the middle. But because I have a truck, it's kind of -- it's tight to get in there. I can't just back up into the street because I'll back into the traffic.

So I pull in there. And I have to turn my truck all the way around and I asked Myisha if I have enough room and she's just sitting there, smoking a cigarette. So I get out and I go look how much room I have in the back. And then there's a pillow from Jessie's house that dropped out of her comforter when I was taking her -- when I was taking her body to my truck.

It fell out of the driveway and I threw it in the back. But this pillow is still sitting there and in the bag of trash -- (INAUDIBLE), all the trash was teeming. And I throw the pillow in that bag. There's a dumpster there. I throw it in the trash. I see how much room I have and I turn around. And we leave and we're headed back towards Canton.

QUESTION: Why did you throw those items away there?

CUTTS: (INAUDIBLE) and her pillow. What am I supposed to do with it?

QUESTION: Where do you go from there?

CUTTS: She's like, whoa. Myisha says, what are you going to do? It's the only thing she keeps asking me is what I'm going to do. I don't know what I'm going to do. And then I say, you know what? This isn't real, it's not happening. If I just go along with my day, it will go away. I believe it will all go away.

QUESTION: Do you make it back to your home?

CUTTS: I do a few things before I headed back to my house. I looked at the clock. It said 8:40 something. I'm supposed to be at football at 9:00. I called Coach Garcia and I'm like, I'm going to be late. I called his phone, it goes to his voicemail. I tell him I'm going to be late.

Then I call Stephanie Hawthorne's phone, because her son plays on the team. I tell her to tell -- tell him to check his voicemail. Tell Alex to tell Coach Garcia to check his voicemail and then I drive home.

QUESTION: Myisha is with you still?

CUTTS: She's still with me. And I'm driving home and I keep saying, this is not real, this is not real.

QUESTION: What do you do once you get home, Bobby?

CUTTS: Before I get home, I see -- I'm supposed to mulch, my daughter is supposed to mulch that day and I didn't pick the mulch up yet. So I stopped and I got mulch and I put it in the back of my truck. I'm supposed to mulch.

QUESTION: But once you pick up the mulch, what do you do next, Bobby?

CUTTS: I go home. I go home and I hop in the shower and I try to wash and wash and wash and just wash. I just keep washing, hoping it would go away.

QUESTION: What do you mean by that, you keep trying to wash?

CUTTS: Trying to wash everything away. QUESTION: Are you talking about you or are you talking about --

CUTTS: I'm talking about everything. I'm trying to wash everything away.

QUESTION: Tell us what happens after that, Bobby.

CUTTS: I get out of the shower. And a band-aid that I had on my finger comes off. I had a band-aid on my finger because the day before I was prepping my yard to mulch I cut my finger on the fire pit.

QUESTION: Is that the same finger that was bitten?

CUTTS: No. It's on the opposite hand. It's on a totally different hand. So I'm trying to get dressed. And we have to wear shirts that say GlenOak. Every shirt that we're supposed to wear when we're at football is supposed to say GlenOak.

I had one in the dryer so I go downstairs and I don't have a shirt on. I go to put my shirt on and I look and I have, like, they're not even really scratches. They're like -- they're from where Jessie grabbed me and I pulled away. They're not even -- they're not -- they're barely visible, but I noticed them.

QUESTION: At some point in time, Bobby, do you make a decision to leave your home?

CUTTS: Yes.

QUESTION: OK. What is going on in your mind with respect to Blake at this point?

CUTTS: I -- out of the ten years that I've been a parent, this is the only time ever in my life out of the ten years where I'm not thinking about being a parent. I'm not thinking about my son. I'm trying to get this to go away.

QUESTION: And do you continue with your schedule for that day?

CUTTS: I went -- I went to football. I went and signed these papers for a loan.

QUESTION: At some point, do you pick up your daughter?

CUTTS: I picked her up. I picked her up. I leave my son and I pick her up.

QUESTION: Where do you go after you pick up Brianna?

CUTTS: I go back home.

QUESTION: Is Myisha still there?

CUTTS: Yes, she's there.

QUESTION: Do you take Myisha back to her home?

CUTTS: I take her home.

QUESTION: Then what did you do?

CUTTS: I go -- I am on my way home because I'm supposed to mulch that day. I'm supposed to be mulching. I'm supposed to be living a normal life. I'm not supposed to be having this nightmare that won't end.

QUESTION: Do you, in fact, go back home and begin mulching with your daughter?

CUTTS: Yes. But she said, I don't want to mulch anymore. I just want to play. I'm like, Brianna, what is it going to take for you to want to mulch? She's like, you can buy me something. So I stopped. I stop on the way home at Wal-Mart. I buy her a snow-cone maker.

QUESTION: You buy a snow-cone maker?

CUTTS: Yes. And we go home and we mulch, like we're supposed to. Kelly gets off work. She comes to pick Brianna up.

QUESTION: This is June 15th, June 14th, right?

CUTTS: June 14th, yes.

QUESTION: What time does Kelly come by?

CUTTS: Between 3:30 and 4:00.

QUESTION: OK. And once she picks up Brianna, what do you do?

CUTTS: Well she's there a little bit. She's there, and she leaves. And after all that craziness, that's the first time I'm alone.

QUESTION: What do you do? Do you have any further conversations that day with Myiesha?

CUTTS: No. I don't talk to Myisha anymore. I just keep living the morning, it's going over and over and over.

QUESTION: At some point, do you decide to go to a basketball game?

CUTTS: I'm supposed to -- I'm supposed to coach. I'm supposed to coach that day. I'm supposed to coach basketball and then I'm supposed to go to work. I'm supposed to do a lot of stuff. But I'm alone. I'm home alone and I can't get this to end. And it's like, you know, this isn't real. It didn't happen. I can call Jessie and everything will be all right. I call her phone. I call her phone.

QUESTION: What do you do after you called her phone? CUTTS: I left a message. I don't remember what I said. But it didn't end. I was hoping I'd call her phone, she would answer and this whole thing would be over. And it wasn't.

QUESTION: Take us through the rest of your evening.

CUTTS: I couldn't be alone anymore. I was going crazy. I couldn't be alone anymore. So I decided to go coach. I went, coached, and normally I would leave. I didn't leave. I stayed there. I stayed at basketball and went to watch the second game. I knew I had to go to work. I didn't care about going to sleep. I just wanted this to be over.

QUESTION: Did you call Kelly?

CUTTS: Once I got home, I needed to go to sleep. If I go to sleep, this will it be over. I couldn't go to sleep. I tried to take a shower. I took another shower.

QUESTION: Did you go to work that night?

CUTTS: Yes, I went to work.

QUESTION: All right. And your hours for that night, were they --

CUTTS: I work 10:00 to 8:00 every time I work. I work 10:00 to 8:00.

QUESTION: And did you work all way up until 8:00 on this particular shift?

CUTTS: No.

QUESTION: Tell us what happened?

CUTTS: While I'm at work, I get calls. I have to go here and go there. And people are calling me like they normally do. And I talk to them. I want to talk to them because that means I'm not alone. It's normal. It's normal stuff that's supposed to happen. I'm supposed to talk to people on the phone.

QUESTION: Tell us about the end of your shift on June 15th.

CUTTS: Well, before the end of my shift, Myisha calls me. And she asked, are you all right? And I'm like, no, I'm not all right. I need to get my son. And I ain't got him. And I plan on leaving work early and I keep getting calls. And then I get a call that just lasts forever. It lasts hours.

I had to go to the hospital with this guy. They wouldn't let me leave. As soon as I called and told her, I take my car down to the basement to get my stuff back and I head out the door. It's about 7:45. And I leave and I'm headed back to Jessie's house to get Blake. I had to get my son. I have to be a good parent and get my son. On my way there, I get a call. I get a call from her family, from her sister, and she said, Jessie is missing, hurry up, get here.

QUESTION: And do you get there?

CUTTS: Yes.

QUESTION: And what happens? What happens when you get there, Bobby?

CUTTS: When I get there, her mom is there and Audrey is there, Deputy Thane (ph) is there and Blake is there. And I see Blake and Blake is OK. So I'm thinking, OK, this might get better, Blake's OK, everything is fine. We go in the house and Jessie is going to be there, everything is going to be fine.

I go in the house with Thane. And he's walking through the house and I'm following him. We go to the bedroom. And there's bleach all over the place. It's all over the room. I want to start crying at that moment. Because I -- Blake is the only one that could have did that, but he's OK.

That's when Thane goes in and searches the rest of the house. He wants to go to the garage. He goes to the garage, but he needs my flashlight because I'm still dressed for work. He takes an hour and he said, we have to get out. We get out of the house, we're outside. And Blake is OK. Jessie is not OK, but Blake is OK.

QUESTION: Do you have any interaction with Blake?

CUTTS: Yes.

QUESTION: OK. Do you see Patricia Porter there?

CUTTS: Yes, she is there.

QUESTION: Why don't you just tell them what had occurred at that moment?

CUTTS: I still can't explain what happened. I know what happened, but I can't explain what happened.

QUESTION: What's your fear?

CUTTS: My fear is, yes, right, that happened, sure, Bobby, whatever you say. Yes, that happened. They're not going to believe me. That's what I'm thinking at this time, they're not going to believe me. I can't tell.

QUESTION: OK. At some point, does Sergeant Weisburn approach you and you have a conversation with him?

CUTTS: Yes, he gets there.

QUESTION: OK. And, what was your observation and interpretation as it related to Sergeant Weisburn?

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