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Kidnapped Without a Trace; NYC Detectives Acquitted: Rally for Sean Bell; California Beaches Closed After Deadly Shark Attack; Next Battlegrounds: North Carolina, Indiana; Raising Leaders: High School Scholarship Program
Aired April 26, 2008 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PAMELA WILES, MOTHER OF MISSING MAN: We'll do anything we can to get our son back and to bring him home safe
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Kidnapped without trace. After the trail goes cold, the FBI and a Florida family turn to the public for help.
T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Also, right now a gathering in New York City. Protesters gathered there for a rally. They're upset with the verdict that cleared three New York police officers in the shooting of an unarmed man.
We will take you back there live.
Also this ...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERT NIBBS, KAPPA ALPHA BSI BEAUTILLION: It's a thin line between the success that we've achieved and having been a failure.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Reaching out to make a difference in young men's lives and actually succeeding at it. We're going to tell you about the beautillion.
From the CNN Center, you are watching CNN NEWSROOM. It's Saturday, April 26th.
Good morning, everybody. I'm Betty Nguyen
HOLMES: Hello there. I'm T.J. Holmes.
Want to get you caught up on news from around the world.
NGUYEN: Yes. And we do want to start with that kidnapping. Is a young Florida man being held for ransom? Well, the FBI is investigating. HOLMES: Agents are trying to learn what happened to Robert Wiles. Someone left a ransom note for his parents. But since then, nothing.
Our Susan Candiotti is on this story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Robert Wiles dropped out of sight April 1st, just after closing up shop at National Flight Services, an aircraft maintenance company at a regional airport in Lakeland, Florida.
THOMAS WILES, FATHER OF MISSING MAN: We have not heard from Robert since then. And nobody in our family has heard from him.
CANDIOTTI: Two days later, his parents received a ransom note. It demanded money, made a threat, and was signed in a "unique way." The FBI refuses to disclose anything more.
P. WILES: We are worried about Robert. We love Robert and we are terribly concerned about his safety.
CANDIOTTI: The FBI says the parents tried to contact whoever sent the note, but never heard back.
DAVID COUVERTIER, FBI: They've done everything they could possibly do. They tried to follow the directions and instructions provided to them. For some reason, the individual, again, or individuals involved here have not responded back to them.
CANDIOTTI (on camera): The FBI says it didn't disclose the kidnapping until now, more than three weeks later, because they were trying to track down leads in Florida, Kentucky, Ohio, Tennessee, even Thailand. But the well has run dry.
(voice over): Robert Wiles' parents appeared to struggle for what to say.
T. WILES: Robert was a...
P. WILES: Is a...
T. WILES: ... is in business management development. He is a pilot.
CANDIOTTI: The 26-year-old can fly multi-engine aircraft and ran his father's company in Lakeland. His Web site cites other locations in Ohio, where it's headquartered, Texas and Toronto.
P. WILES: We want him to know that his family loves him. We care about him. And we want him to come home.
CANDIOTTI: Wiles is described as an avid fisherman and diver. His parents are offering a $10,000 reward in hopes of generating new leads P. WILES: Roberts loves life, he loves nature, and he believes in God.
CANDIOTTI: Ransom kidnappings are rare. Not even the FBI could provide statistics. And without evidence to the contrary, agents say Wiles' disappearance is being treated as the real deal.
Susan Candiotti, CNN, Miami.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: This morning, Army Staff Sergeant Matt Maupin has returned home to Ohio. Maupin had been missing since 2004, when he was kidnapped by Iraqi insurgents. Last month, the Army found his body. Maupin will be laid to rest tomorrow afternoon in Montgomery, Ohio
NGUYEN: Well, Chicago police are out in force, on alert, hoping to cut down on a wave of violence. Last weekend, there were 36 shoots and two stabbings. Nine of those shoots were fatal.
Police don't want that to happen again. So they've increased patrols, put S.W.A.T. officers and specialized units on the streets. The mayor is also calling on parents, churches and neighborhood groups to get involved to help stop the violence
HOLMES: And a rally happening right now in New York to protest the verdict in a deadly police shooting. You're looking at Reverend Al Sharpton there. He's got it there with some folks.
We'll listen in for just a tad second.
(JOINED IN PROGRESS)
REV. AL SHARPTON, CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVIST: ... would have happened at Sean's house. And they had already told me he had died, but they didn't give any details. I went over to the other hospital and they wouldn't let Evan (ph) or Trish (ph), his mother, up to see them. In fact, they said they were in custody.
HOLMES: And again, just listening in here. He's recalling really the incident that played out in which Sean Bell was killed.
What we're seeing here at this, we're expecting a rally, a march through the streets. This is happening in Harlem. But the relatives of Bell, including Sharpton there, as we're seeing speaking -- we see some other speakers -- they're calling the decision in the case injustice.
The rally today really aimed at keeping up the pressure and holding police accountable for Bell's death. You'll remember a judge just yesterday acquitted three New York City police detectives on charges of manslaughter, assault and reckless endangerment in the death of Bell.
NGUYEN: Well, emotions did run high in the courthouse after the verdicts in the Sean Bell case. Extra police were on hand, but no one was arrested. And the crowd dispersed with in about an hour.
Bell was killed leaving his bachelor party on the morning of his wedding in November of 2006. He and his friends were outside a strip club when an argument erupted. Now, a detective says he thought one of the men had a gun. Police fired 50 rounds, killing Bell and wounding two of his friends.
HOLMES: Well, the detectives in the case spoke out after they were cleared of criminal charges. In a brief news conference, they called the judge's verdict fair and just. One of the detectives apologized to Bell's family.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DET. MARC COOPER, ACQUITTED NYPD OFFICER: I would like to say sorry to the Bell family for the tragedy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Reverend Al Sharpton has supported the victim's families throughout the trial. He expressed outrage after the officers were acquitted.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHARPTON: What we saw in court today was not a miscarriage of justice. Justice didn't miscarry. This was an abortion of justice. Justice was aborted.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Sharpton said he is organizing acts of civil disobedience and economic protests over the verdicts.
HOLMES: Again, back to this live picture of that rally happening right now in Harlem, New York. We will continue to keep an eye on the Sean Bell rally there, bring you updates from there as we get them.
We do know that Sean Bell's fiancee is there present at that rally as well. Nicole Bell, if she steps up to that microphone to speak, we will certainly try to take you back there live.
Also, later this morning, our legal analyst Sunny Hostin is going to join us to talk more about the judge's decision and the questions it now raises.
(NEWSBREAK)
(WEATHER REPORT)
NGUYEN: So here's a question for you. How far would you go to save some cash?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My wife waked me up this morning and said, "Baby, let's save some money." I said, "Are you joking?" She says, "No." Seventy-six cents, 6:45 we were here.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: That sounds crazy -- 76 cents? When it comes to cheap gas, boy does it pay to be first in line.
TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Ted Rowlands in Solana Beach, California, where eight miles of beach are still closed.
Coming up, we'll have the latest on the search for the shark that fatally attacked a retired veterinarian. That is coming up in a live report.
And this...
HOLMES: All right. Thank you, Ted. We will see you shortly.
Also a live picture here of Fort Wayne, Indiana. This is where Hillary Clinton expects to hold a rally for the crowd that has gathered there.
When she gets going, we will take you back there live and dip in to see what she's talking about there ahead of the Indiana primary coming up in less than two weeks.
Also, Barack Obama is in Indiana this hour.
Stay here with us, with the best political team on television. We'll be listening in to his rally as well.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This morning there was one fellow -- I heard screaming, and we turned back and swam to him. And he had already been hit by a pretty good size shark.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: A deadly shark attack is shocking swimmers in southern California, and a Great White the likely aggressor.
NGUYEN: Eight miles of the coast are now closed. And the search is on for the killer. In fact, that is set to resume shortly.
CNN's Ted Rowlands joins us now from Solana Beach, which is not far from San Diego.
Here's my question to you, Ted. I mean, what are the chances, the real chances that they're going to find the actual shark responsible for killing the swimmer?
ROWLANDS: Well, chance are very, very low, obviously. First of all, sharks, Great Whites especially, swim very deep. Typically, the odds of them actually seeing the shark from the air are miniscule. And they're not trying to find the shark to catch it or kill it.
What they're doing is, is a precaution, patrolling the beaches by air. As you mentioned, these beaches are closed until Monday at least, to see if they detect the shark or any shark movement so that they can make sure that people don't go in the water. And they may re-evaluate the projected opening of the beaches on Monday.
Meanwhile, this community in Solana Beach just has been shocked by the loss of a community member since 1970, a 66-year-old retired veterinarian. Last night, people gathered here at the beach to remember Dr. Dave Martin.
And they came, had set flowers here. Some family members and close friends came, drew -- wrote messages in the sand here. It really was an emotional scene.
And here this morning we're still seeing people come out here to just be at the spot where they brought him. This is where he eventually died.
According to witnesses, he was swimming with about nine other swimmers yesterday morning about 7:00. He's a triathlete. He was with other triathletes.
He would do this routinely, swim the same path each time, when the shark attacked from beneath, grabbing Dr. Martin, pulling him up into the air, and bringing him back down into the water. He was able to resurface on his own, screaming for help, but after the swimmers brought him ashore, they could not sustain him, could not keep him alive, even to get him to the hospital.
After talking to the other swimmers, after looking at the bites, people, shark experts, say that they do believe that the attacker here was indeed a Great White.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEFREY GRAHAM, MARINE BIOLOGIST: The Great White is a very powerful swimmer, and it stalks its prey and it actually takes advantage of the light coming down from behind and back-lighting a prey, and then rushes up and strikes it as vigorously and as forcefully as it can.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROWLANDS: The last confirmed fatal shark attack in San Diego County was in 1959. So it is extremely rare. Still, officials are closing off an eight-mile stretch of beach until Monday, urging people to stay out of the water just in case.
And meanwhile, they're going to resume the air patrols along the beach looking for any evidence of the shark in the next hour.
NGUYEN: Hey, Ted, let me ask you this. I went on a shark diving tour in Africa following a story out there, and there was some debate over whether shark cage diving or chumming and things like that were attracting sharks closer to the shore. Is that something that's up for debate there in California as well?
ROWLANDS: No, not really. Not down here in Southern California. White Sharks are very rare down here. Normally they're in northern California. They do come down sometimes to birth their pups. And that's some of the speculation, is that this maybe was a female shark who came down, or a male accompanying a female shark.
But they're just so rare down here that this is really being looked at as a one-shot deal. They don't think that there's going to be a problem here. They don't think the shark is really around.
As a precaution, they're looking for it, but really at this point, people -- it's just so rare, that there's not a lot of concern this is something that's going to happen again or is a trend. At least at this point.
NGUYEN: Yes, rare. But nonetheless, always shocking when we hear about it. I mean, we do report this now and then. And it does seem like when you hear it, boy, there's another one. But if you look at the numbers, as you mentioned, it is very rare to see a shark attack like this which would lead into a death, especially coming from a Great White.
So Ted Rowlands joining us live. Thank you, Ted.
HOLMES: We will turn now to the talk of horsepower. Usually for a lot of guys that means a muscle car of some kind. Not the case here.
This is a real horsepower. Those details and the explanation which you can probably figure out ahead.
NGUYEN: And we want to tell you about this. "Fortune "magazine, it has released its less of the top 500 companies this week. We're going to highlight some of the names behind the numbers
But before we do that...
HOLMES: Yes, we actually want to give you a chance to take a guess.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice over): This Fortune 500 leader is an immigrant who put his Ph.D. studies on hold to become the youngest CEO on the list. Who's this force in the dot-com world? Find out after the break.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice over): Who's the young Internet mogul who put his education on hold? Thirty-nine-year-old Jerry Yang was studying electrical engineering at Stanford when he helped start Yahoo! Yang was born in Taiwan and moved to the U.S. when he was 10 years old. And although his mother was an English teacher, he only knew one English word -- shoe
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: OK. So we know it's a slumping economy, but are you ready to spend some cash? That's what President Bush wants us to do
HOLMES: Yes. Those tax rebate checks are going to start going out Monday to about 130 million wage earners.
NGUYEN: And the president says the money should help us pay for the rising cost of food and gas and give the slumping economy a boost.
HOLMES: Well, it looks like it is now becoming the new normal. Another day, another new record for gas prices.
NGUYEN: And just this morning, AAA says the national average for a gallon of unleaded regular gas -- drum roll, please -- a whopping $3.59.
HOLMES: Can't even spit it out, Betty.
NGUYEN: I know. It's hard, isn't it?
That is up almost two pennies from just yesterday and some 33 cents from a month ago. But it gets worse. Diesel also running high. It's $4.23 a gallon.
HOLMES: So let's buck this trend. We keep telling people how high the prices are of gas. Let's tell you where they're really low.
NGUYEN: I like that idea.
HOLMES: Philadelphia, a gas station there ran a special tied to the 76ers making the NBA playoffs -- 76 cents a gallon.
NGUYEN: Get out of here.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My wife woke me up this morning and said, "Baby, let's save some money." I said, "Are you joking?" She said, "No." Seventy-six cents. 6:45 we were here.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Saving money. Strictly saving money. More money to buy food, milk.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Well, the problem here though, Betty, even though they got the cheerleaders, you only had 76 minutes to get that deal.
NGUYEN: Well, that's why that guy's wife had him up really early. HOLMES: Yes.
NGUYEN: I mean, when you have a deal like that, not only do you fill up your car...
HOLMES: You do it.
NGUYEN: ... you bring the extra gas tank.
HOLMES: Yes.
NGUYEN: You bring everything you can just so you can fill up with that cheap gas, because you know it doesn't come along very often these days.
HOLMES: Fill it up. Old milk cartons, whatever you've got. Fill it up with gas.
NGUYEN: Water bottles.
HOLMES: All right. Well, I know you're probably tired of shelling out big bucks for that gas, so how about riding a horse to work, Betty?
NGUYEN: All right. Well, that's one way to do it. A Kentucky man is taking a stand against the record prices, and he's actually hoping to start a movement.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ALLAN PEERCE, GAS PROTESTER: You know with the old company (ph), they could care less what I think. If I can make a statement, then two people might make a statement. And if two people, then four people, then eight people, and it can be ongoing. And get off their high horse and get on a real horse.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Where can I get a horse?
NGUYEN: That's exactly what I was thinking. But you've got to buy the horse first?
HOLMES: Yes.
NGUYEN: So is that really going to pay off in the end?
HOLMES: Is that expensive, a horse?
NGUYEN: And then you've got to feed it. Where are you going to put it?
HOLMES: Oh my goodness.
NGUYEN: There's a lot of issues.
HOLMES: Oh my goodness, Betty.
NGUYEN: I've thought about this.
HOLMES: Don't bring the man down, OK? He's got a good idea. He's saving money for gas.
NGUYEN: I won't take him off his high horse. I won't.
HOLMES: All right. That's Allan Peerce there. He says if diesel hits $4.25, he will ride his horse up to city hall and camp out on the lawn to make a statement. So do your thing there, Allan Peerce.
NGUYEN: Also this story. Getting bumped from a flight can be a huge headache, we know. But it can also be a great way to save on the go with free flight vouchers.
HOLMES: Yes. CNN's Veronica De La Cruz takes a closer look at whether those vouchers are a blessing or a curse.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
VERONICA DE LA CRUZ, CNN INTERNET CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Summer is considered to be the busiest season to travel. And that the means overbooked flights. But when a gate agent offers you that voucher in exchange for your seat, you better know what you're getting into.
ERIK TORKELLS, BUDGET TRAVEL: There is such thing as free flight, but you have to read the fine print closely to make sure you don't lose it. For all airlines, be sure to check the expiration day. For most airlines, it's a book by date, not a fly by date.
Some U.S. airlines offer roundtrip tickets, while others offer credit toward future flights. Credit is better because you can split up the amount, except on United and ATA.
DE LA CRUZ: Torkells also says that most airlines let you redeem your tickets online. Others will allow you to do so over the phone, by mail or at the airport.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: You know, the great thing about those vouchers, just really quickly, is you can save a whole lot of money. Prime example here is during the holidays, I got bumped from a flight, took the very next flight, got I think a $300 voucher. And my flight got there ahead of the originally scheduled one.
HOLMES: OK. That's not the norm, people.
NGUYEN: So not only can you get a free flight, but you might even get there before your scheduled flight
HOLMES: What Betty didn't tell you is it was actually a G-4 jet that she was placed on. NGUYEN: I wish. Unfortunately, not the case.
But you do want to keep watching CNN, because our money team has you covered. Whether it's your jobs, your debt, housing, even savings, you can join us for a special report. It's called "ISSUE #1: THE ECONOMY," and it's all this week at noon Eastern only on CNN.
HOLMES: Well, we'll turn to Indiana right now. It is definitely the place to be if you're running for president.
Both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama working overtime to win over undecided voters there. We'll have a live report as we're looking at this live picture of the senator in Fort Wayne, Indiana. We'll head back out there in just a moment.
NGUYEN: And Senator John McCain had a special visitor on the Straight Talk Express. We're going to tell you what was on Mike Huckabee's mind.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(NEWSBREAK)
NGUYEN: Well, Barack Obama is in Indiana today, and he's hosting a town hall meeting starting in just a few minutes from now.
So let's get right to CNN's Jim Acosta, who joins us live from Anderson, Indiana.
And Jim, Obama has really put a lot of focus on Indiana, even during the Pennsylvania primary.
JIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Betty. And Indiana is one of those states that plays to Barack Obama's strengths. At least one of his strengths being on the basketball court.
Barack Obama was in the Hoosier State yesterday, and he played a little three-on-three basketball with some high school students in Kokomo, Indiana. This is part of Barack Obama's campaign to try to appeal more to blue collar workers, middle class workers. As you saw, Barack Obama wearing one of those Marine Corps T-shirts and sweatpants, playing basketball with some teenagers there at that high school gymnasium.
And one thing we also heard from Barack Obama yesterday -- he was standing outside of a gas station in Indianapolis where he talked about not only the high gas prices, but he also talked about his more humble upbringing, talked about the fact that he only owns four pairs of shoes and wears essentially the same handful of suits over and over again.
Trying to get the message across to voters here in Indiana that, unlike the campaign that was waged in Pennsylvania in which Hillary Clinton sought to have him pegged as being elitist and out of touch, he is trying to say, no, no, no, that is not the Barack Obama that I want to get across to voters. And so he's trying to change his image a little bit here in the Hoosier State -- Betty.
NGUYEN: Well, Jim, Obama isn't the only one campaigning there. In fact, Hillary Clinton is also in Indiana. Fort Wayne, to be exact. And she's at a rally at this hour at the microphone. So let's take a short listen.
(JOINED IN PROGRESS)
SEN. HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON (D-NY), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: And growing up -- growing up in the suburb where my dad moved after he served in the Navy during World War II, and then decided that like so many men of his generation and time, moved to the suburbs. And that's where we grew up.
So we went to the schools in walking distance. We went to the church in walking distance. We were at church about three times a week to go to, you know, Sunday school, to go back for youth fellowship, to go for the potluck dinner in the middle of the week and see, you know, all kinds of molded salads of every sort that one could imagine.
And I look back on that time and it was a safe and secure time growing up as we did. There were a lot of problems in our country, but what's so great about America is we always get around to meeting our challenges and overcoming our problems and pushing progress forward so more and more people have opportunities.
NGUYEN: All right. So we've been listening to Senator Hillary Clinton speaking at a rally at Headwaters Park in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
And I want to bring back in CNN's Jim Acosta, because both candidates here, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, really focusing in on Indiana, but where do they stand in the Poll of Polls?
ACOSTA: Well, right now, Betty, this is a very interesting state. It's boiling down to be a battleground state for Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama because, according to our CNN Poll of Polls, these two candidates are tied dead even right now with 45 percent of the vote to each of them and 10 percent undecided, which is a very critical number.
As we've seen in Pennsylvania and in Ohio, those last-minute undecided voters have tended to gravitate towards Hillary Clinton in the waning days of the campaign. That's not to say that's what's going to happen here in Indiana.
Obama comes in to this state with several strengths. One of them being that this is a state that borders his home state of Illinois. And northwest Indiana is almost a part of the Chicago suburbs.
They get Chicago local TV stations in those subdivisions and suburbs there in northwest Indiana. So people in that part of the state are very familiar with Barack Obama. And he's going to focus heavily not only on the urban areas such as Indianapolis and northwest Indiana, but these college towns which figure very prominently here in the Hoosier State -- Betty. NGUYEN: And why we saw him playing basketball with some of those colleges kids as well.
ACOSTA: That's right.
NGUYEN: All right. Jim Acosta joining us live. Showing his hoop skills today, Obama. OK.
Well, you know, both candidates are looking ahead, T.J.
HOLMES: Yes. But you known, they're looking ahead, but we're not done with Pennsylvania. I thought we were moving forward in this process, but we're not done talking about Pennsylvania.
NGUYEN: Which is really kind of surprising, you know, because when you look at this race as a whole, how the delegates are shaking out, that still hasn't really been -- it's a little muddy still.
JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It is. Because you know why? The numbers keep coming in from Pennsylvania for a while.
NGUYEN: Why?
LEVS: Well, what happens is, all these little areas that voted don't give their complete final tallies right away. So they need to go through all those numbers to figure out what the final delegate count is going to be out of Pennsylvania.
So -- which is why they're still fighting a little bit over the populous vote and the delegate count. In the end, as we understand it, it looks like she comes out about 10 delegates ahead.
What I want to do now is show you overall, where is that delegate count?
Here, take a look at it.
What we have now, Obama 1,724. Clinton, 1,589. Now, I'm going to remind you, to some extent, these are estimates. We can never be sure because states can change along the way. But that's what it is right now.
And you can see also what the pledged numbers are as well. And you can see to win you need 2,025. His is within about 300 of that number.
We're going to toss in one more number at the bottom, though. I want you to see this, because look at that. That's all that's left, 400 pledge delegates, approximately.
So, in the end, no one is going to win on pledged delegates. It's not all going to go one way. And all we can really do is just say, you know, it's just in the end going to come down to the superdelegates. And that's all you can make sense...
NGUYEN: And that's what a lot of people are really frightened of.
LEVS: Yes. They're going to have to...
NGUYEN: All right. Josh, we have another story that we need to get to our viewers. Thank you for that.
HOLMES: We're heading directly over to New York, where the fiancee of Sean Bell is now speaking at a rally. Well, actually, she just sat down.
We're seeing this live picture of her at this rally we were showing here. She just made some comments. We do want to now replay those for you. Sean Bell's fiancee speaking just a moment ago at a rally there in New York.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NICOLE BELL, SEAN BELL'S FIANCEE: I don't know where to start.
On April 25, 2008, they killed Sean all over again. That's what it felt like to us. That's what it felt like to us.
To you guys, the community, the world has supported us so much. You give us strength. You give us strength to keep going. You help us.
Thank you.
(APPLAUSE)
Yesterday, the justice system let me down. I gave them the benefit of the doubt. I'm still praying for justice because it's not over. It's far from over. It's just starting.
(APPLAUSE)
For every protest, every march, every rally, I'm going to be right up front. I'm going to be right up front for Sean Bell. I'm still praying for justice.
Thank you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: And again, we're listening in there. You just heard there from Nicole Bell, the fiancee of Sean Bell, who of course was killed by police in that hail of gunfire.
Those three officers just acquitted of all charges by the judge yesterday. But that's her at a rally. They're there to actually show support and to say, as she just did, that this is not over, it will go on.
But she started by saying, "They killed Sean all over again" yesterday with that verdict. The justice system has let her down. As she says, she will be up front at every rally and this fight will continue and go on. But she was so distraught yesterday, of course, in that courtroom...
NGUYEN: She couldn't even talk.
HOLMES: ... she couldn't speak, had to get out of there. But now we're hearing from her today, composed. And it sounds like this certainly isn't over by any means. And we didn't anticipate that it would be.
NGUYEN: Well, we know a federal investigation is under way.
In the meantime, as Nicole Bell just mentioned, she is going to continue praying for justice. And we, of course, will continue to follow this story for you.
You know, the verdicts have raised many questions, as well as many answer. And CNN's legal analyst Sunny Hostin joins us to talk about the Sean Bell trial and what is next for the three acquitted detectives.
Don't miss it.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(NEWSBREAK)
HOLMES: Well, there's a rally, as we've been showing you, under way right now to protest the verdicts in that fatal police shooting in New York. You see Reverend Al Sharpton there. He's along with relatives of the shooting victim, Sean Bell, angry over the acquittals of the three police detectives. We just heard from Sean Bell's fiancee a moment ago, saying that they killed her fiance all over again with the verdicts yesterday.
Joining us now to talk about the trial and the verdicts in the Sean Bell case, CNN legal analyst Sunny Hostin.
Sunny, thank you so much for being here. Good to have you with us.
For the layperson, they hear 50 shots fired and an unarmed man, killing him. And they think there has to be something criminal that has happened here.
Explain to people why it's more to it than that. Officers can use deadly force when they feel that they're being threatened
SUNNY HOSTIN, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Right. And they can.
And another piece of the law that a the lot of people are not familiar with is that the officers don't need to see a gun. They only need to believe that a gun exists. And that's what these officers testified to in front of the grand jury.
They testified that they heard someone say, "Yo, get my gun." And that immediately sent this into mayhem. And unfortunately, there was a tragedy, but the judge clearly, clearly found that they were justified in using that force and justified in firing once they believed that there was a gun involved.
HOLMES: Sunny, do we definitely see historically that officers are absolutely given a strong benefit of the doubt in cases like this?
HOSTIN: No, I don't think so. I have to tell you, especially with this judge, he has convicted cops before. And I don't think so.
I mean, certainly there is a jury instruction and people are told, every single witness that gets on the witness stand, you don't have to believe them. You have to judge their credibility. And in this case, these officers didn't get on the witness stand, but their testimony in front of the grand jury was read to the judge.
And I have to tell you, in listening to it and in reading it, the bottom line is that they were all consistent with what they said. The stories really didn't change that much, whereas on the other hand, the other witnesses, they had a lot of inconsistencies.
They said some things in front of the grand jury, different things in front of the judge. And in weighing that sort of credibility and making that credibility determination, this judge didn't believe those witnesses.
HOLMES: That credibility determination you talk about is a change in stories, kind of. Not really consistent there.
But also, is he allowed to, can he take into -- the judge -- take into account, the background, the criminal history of some of these answer witness? Even -- we talked about the demeanor of these witnesses in the courtroom.
HOSTIN: Absolutely.
HOLMES: I mean, can a judge essentially see them and say, "You know what, I don't think that's a good guy"?
HOSTIN: Absolutely. And it's more than that.
I mean, he doesn't have to think they're not a good person or not a good guy, but you absolutely have the opportunity as a juror -- and that's what the judge was doing in this case, T.J. He was acting as a juror, a trier of fact, to determine demeanor.
I mean, oftentimes we do that in our everyday lives. If someone is talking to us, but they're sweating profusely, they're fidgeting, they're not looking you in the eye, you make that determination as a person as to whether or not you believe someone.
And I think that this case fell on the testimony of Joseph Guzman (ph). I mean he was combative, he was belligerent, and he did have a record. He was a convicted drug dealer, and he's suing for $50 million. So, in looking at that and judging all of that, the judge just didn't believe him.
HOLMES: Did these officers have a hunch? Did their attorneys have a hunch that if you try to go to a jury trial with this case, that maybe these officers wouldn't get a fair trial? That maybe there was going -- there was so much publicity around these cases? And they knew that maybe their best shot was go with the trial with just the judge and have him decide it for them?
HOSTIN: There's no question. And I have to say, at first everyone thought this was a gamble. And it was a gamble, because, you know, generally you want not just one person deciding your fate in a criminal trial. You want all 12, because you have to -- the prosecution would have to convince all 12 of your guilt.
They decided to take a gamble, they waived their right to a jury trial. And they tried it in front of this judge. And the gamble paid off.
The judge was known as being a very fair jurist, being someone that was right down the middle, someone that had convicted cops before, and he found in that favor. People are outraged, but I have to tell you, when you look at the facts of this case, I am not so certain that a conviction would have been the appropriate remedy in this particular case.
HOLMES: You know, like we were saying yesterday, nobody won here.
HOSTIN: No.
HOLMES: Everybody lost. There are two young kids without their father. There's a woman without her fiance.
HOSTIN: It's a tragedy.
HOLMES: Died on his wedding day.
Sunny Hostin, we appreciate you and your perspective here with us on CNN SATURDAY MORNING, here in the NEWSROOM with us.
Good to see you. Thank you so much.
HOSTIN: Good to see you. Thanks.
NGUYEN: Also want to show you this -- reaching out to make a difference in young men's lives.
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NIBBS: It's a thin line between the success that we've achieved and having been a failure.
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NGUYEN: An they are succeeding in a big way. We're going to show you the beautillion.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Turning boys into men, high school students into leaders. Our Tony Harris takes a look at our mentoring -- or one mentoring program that's changing the future.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR (voice over): Securing money for college can be a challenge for any parent. So when Cheryl Barnett, a single mom, heard about a mentoring program where her teenage son Brandon could earn scholarship money, she jumped at the opportunity.
CHERYL BARNETT, PARENT: Oh my God. I'm so excited that I got him into it.
HARRIS: The program is sponsored by an alumni chapter of the Kappa Alpha Psi college fraternity. Barnett soon realized her son would also get something else as valuable as the money
BARNETT: This program is literally based on a scholarship program and teaching the boys the facts of the life. Raising them from boyhood, they're at that age when they're juniors and seniors, where it's raising them from being boys to going into manhood.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You have to get yourself up in the morning to go to class.
NIBBS: But I think when what we do, we try to be real with these young men. We know what they're going through. I mean, we've been young men ourselves, and it's a thin line between the success that we've achieved and having been a failure.
HARRIS: Barnett struggled with whether Brandon would be able to continue to participate. The program's location was a 45-minute drive.
BARNETT: And it was hardship for me, because gas prices were astronomical. And you know, I'm a single mom. So it was very hard. But I prayed, "God, please give me enough money to actually get him into the program."
HARRIS: Somehow Barnett managed and soon began to see the positive results of the lessons her son was learning, like helping those in need.
BRANDON BARNETT, HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT: It's really helping me and preparing me for the work field, and it's getting me prepared for college, for me to be out on my own.
EDDIE JOHNSON, KAPPA ALPHA PSI BEAUTILLION CO-CHAIRMAN: These young men are our future, and the idea behind the beautillion and this program is to help those young men to pass on those values that we've learned that we've been fortunate to have. To pass on to them so that they can utilize them and grow upon them.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Be yourselves and let people get to know you.
HARRIS: And on a night culminating everything they've learned with friends and family and attendants, Brandon and all of the young men in the beautillion program are awarded money for college. For Cheryl Barnett, it is a night that makes all of her efforts in keeping her son on the right path even more meaningful. Maybe the most important lesson Brandon learned.
B. BARNETT: She will always be my mom. No matter what I get into or what I do, my mom is always going to be there for me no matter what.
HARRIS: Tony Harris, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
