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Nancy Grace

Police Say Two Guns Used in Oklahoma Schoolgirl Murders

Aired June 11, 2008 - 20:00   ET

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

NANCY GRACE, HOST: Breaking news tonight, double murder in the heartland, a quiet, close-knit community in shock and tonight on edge, two precious little schoolgirls found brutally murdered, shot multiple times about the head and chest there on a Sunday afternoon, their bodies discarded in a ditch off an isolated county back road.
In the last hours, investigators reveal not one but two separate guns used in the shootings. Two cold-blooded killers now walk the streets tonight. Tips pouring in, but tonight, it all boils down to forensics. Who would murder two little innocent schoolgirls, basically using them as target practice and leaving their bodies discarded in a ditch?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Law enforcement now believes not one but at least two killers are on the loose after the murders of 13-year-old Taylor and 11-year-old Skyla, the two girls deciding to play, taking a commonly traveled dirt road to get there, but just minutes later, ending up dead in a ditch, both shot multiple times in the head and chest. Investigators turning up the heat, questioning more than 50 people, looking for suspects as family prepare to bury the little girls whose dreams of being a crime scene investigator and a veterinarian were never able to flourish.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There`s a homicidal maniac loose some where in that community. This probably didn`t come in off the highway. It`s probably somebody local. People should keep their families and their children very close to the vest, take them to and from school, make sure that they stay very close to home until this thing is resolved.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: And tonight: Mystery surrounding a gorgeous young mom of three who vanishes into thin air, Mackinaw (ph), Illinois. Seventy-two hours later, the body of 30-year-old Melissa Cleary (ph) discovered just a few miles from her own home, severe trauma to her body. As the investigation kicks into high gear tonight to find the killer, an Amber Alert goes out for her little children. Do they even know their mother is dead?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: According to family, 30-year-old Melissa Cleary was set to meet up with her sister when she disappears, so a massive search gets under way.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Noticeably absent from the search party is the missing woman`s husband, Daniel Cleary (ph).

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She expressed that she feared for her life. She`s in the process of separation. She`s a mother of three, would not have left her kids, not left the house without calling somebody.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Three days later, Cleary`s body is discovered with severe trauma near railroad tracks in Logan (ph) County. Daniel Cleary is not in custody, but police say they did question him. According to reports, before her brutal death, Melissa Cleary wanted a divorce.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: Good evening, I`m Nancy Grace. I want to thank you for being with us. Breaking news tonight, double murder in the heartland, two little schoolgirls brutally murdered off an isolated back road. In the last hours, we learn investigators reveal not one but two separate guns used in the shootings. And tonight, likely two cold-blooded killers walking the streets.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, now I can confirm after meeting with -- talking to the medical examiner, we`re looking for two different weapons. On Sunday night, Monday, we weren`t certain whether we had one weapon or not. But based on their examination, we can now say we`re looking for two different weapons. I`m unable to say at this time whether it would be a handgun or long gun. We`d have to consider both.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She was just bright and loving, caring. You know, everybody loved her, beautiful little girl. You know, it`s just (INAUDIBLE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She will be missed. No grandparent should have to suffer with the loss of one of their grandkids. It`s bad enough if they ever have to suffer with the loss of one of their kids. I don`t want it to happen to nobody else, so I want him caught. And I pray it`ll be soon.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: Him or them. Now that we know two separate weapons used in these attacks, these brutal attacks -- these two little girls were basically used as target practice. They had been shot multiple times about the head and face and left dead in a ditch, two little schoolgirls just walking along on a Sunday afternoon. These killers must be apprehended.

Straight out to Kirsten McIntyre with KWTV. Kirsten, what`s the latest?

KIRSTEN MCINTYRE, KWTV: Well, Nancy, as you mentioned, these little girls were just walking down this country road when they were shot. They had a sleep-over, and according to family and friends, these little girls best friends and having a sleep-over was just a part of their life. And they`d gotten up, and Sunday afternoon had taken a walk. And the grandmother of Taylor, who was actually raising Taylor -- and Taylor called her Mom -- she had called the girls on a cell phone. And when they didn`t answer, the grandfather went in search of the girls.

And in just a 30-minute timespan of these girls being gone, the grandfather discovered these girls right there on the road. They were just lying right there. It`s not even like the person tried to cover them up. The investigators tell me you could clearly see their bodies from that dirt road. It`s a very isolated area out there. And they were just right there in the ditch.

GRACE: Kirsten McIntyre joining us there on the scene, KWTV. Kirsten, did they appear to be thrown in the ditch, or had they been playing in the ditch at the time of their murders? That could be very significant. Were they already on that road? Do the grandparents know? Or were they taken there? If they were taken there -- the significance of this question, Kirsten, is there could be fibers from some sort from within a vehicle, or even DNA if the girls scratched their attackers during that transport. So were they disposed of there, or do they believe that`s where the murders occurred?

MCINTYRE: They believe, according to the crime scene, that those girls were shot and killed where they were found.

GRACE: Oh!

MCINTYRE: These girls had walked about a quarter mile from their home down to a bridge that`s a local popular kind of hangout out in the country, and it appears they were coming back when they were shot. And so the investigators believe that they were shot right in the very spot where their bodies were found. And they -- again, they had just taken a walk and were on their way back.

GRACE: Kirsten, you cut out on me. What did you say was the local popular hangout?

MCINTYRE: There`s a bridge a quarter of a mile away from Taylor`s home. And so that tells you how close they were to Taylor`s home. And locals apparently go, they hang out at this bridge. The girls had walked to the bridge. Investigators told me, the sheriff told me, that they know that the girls actually made it to the bridge and they were coming back. And that`s when they were shot.

So at this point, they don`t know. Perhaps they stumbled upon something at the bridge that they weren`t supposed to see. Was it a thrill kill, or was it a possible abduction? Was it revenge killing? They just - - they do not know at this point. There are no motives and there are no suspects. We don`t even know who to be looking for at this point.

GRACE: To Manny Gamallo, staff writer with "The Tulsa World," joining us from Oklahoma. Manny, was there any indication the girls had been molested? Were they completely clothed at the time their bodies were found?

MANNY GAMALLO, "TULSA WORLD": I talked to the authorities yesterday. Actually, they held a press conference. And they said there`s no indication whatsoever they had been sexually molested. And given the timeframe that they were gone, within 30 minutes, there wouldn`t have been that kind of time to do that particular misdeed. So they are really puzzled as to a motive right now.

They had gone up to that creek. And by the way, that bridge spans a creek which is called Bad Creek. And then they apparently were walking back to their home and (INAUDIBLE) target shooting. It looked to me like an execution, from the sounds of it. I mean, there`s just -- the bodies were together. They were just shot multiple times. And they`re working on a motive right now. Motive and...

GRACE: Joining me...

GAMALLO: ... and then looking for the individuals.

GRACE: Joining us right now is a very special guest. The grandmother of Skyla Whitaker, one of the little girls that were murdered, Claudia Farrow, is with us. Ms. Farrow, thank you for being with us.

CLAUDIA FARROW, GRANDMOTHER OF SKYLA WHITAKER: OK. Thank you for letting me be here.

GRACE: Ms. Farrow, first and foremost, ever since we heard about your granddaughter, our thoughts and prayers have been with you.

FARROW: Thank you.

GRACE: Do you believe that the police are getting anywhere in the investigation, Ms. Farrow?

FARROW: I believe they`re trying. I believe they`re trying hard to find these killers just for the sake of saving somebody else`s child.

GRACE: It`s so difficult when it appears to be a random shooting.

FARROW: Yes.

GRACE: And from what we`re hearing, that`s what is being suggested. Ms. Farrow, what happened that day? When did you see your granddaughter, Skyla?

FARROW: Actually, I didn`t see her. I seen her body. Her body was covered. And I never got any closer than 50 feet to her. They wouldn`t let me any closer. So I knew they were there. I knew where they were laying. The girls were five feet apart from each other. So I knew that whoever killed them, it had to be more than one person. There`s no way they could have had time to put one gun up and grab another gun and shoot the other girl without her running at least 25 feet away. So I knew that it had to be two people that killed them. But they wouldn`t let me close enough to her.

GRACE: Ms. Farrow, when did you last speak to her?

FARROW: It was about a week ago, just random everyday talk, Where are you going? What you been doing? Just everyday talk.

GRACE: You know, all I know about Skyla is what I`ve read in the newspapers, and looking at her photo. Can you tell me about her?

FARROW: Well, she was a typical tomboy. She lived out in the country. She loved animals, loved to fish. Every time she`d come over here in my yard, which they just lived about a hundred yards from me, all her animals would follow her over here. She`d have five or six cats following her, her little dog and her goat. I`d get on to her daddy, I said, Now, don`t you let that goat eat my flowers, because she`d always eat my flowers. So yes, I will miss that. I will miss her.

GRACE: You know, Ms. Farrow, that is exactly the way that we were brought up, out in the middle of a rural setting where everybody knows their neighbor. I can remember we would ride our bikes so far away, they`d have to blow the car horn to get us to come home. It would be so far away. And that was perfectly OK. There was not a thought that a hair on our head would be -- would be harmed.

FARROW: Right.

GRACE: When did you learn of this -- this murder?

FARROW: Well, Sunday afternoon. My daughter was the second person to arrive on the scene. And the daddy of Taylor wouldn`t let her near Skyla. And she called us at our home, and we flew over there to see about her because we knew something was drastically wrong. So it was Sunday afternoon, probably 5:20.

GRACE: Ms. Farrow, I know that you and your family have been in very close touch with the police. Did they believe this was a random shooting, somebody just saw two little schoolgirls and decided to shoot them?

FARROW: I couldn`t hardly believe it myself. I don`t know how they could have believed it, either, but that had to be what happened. There`s just a lot of mad, crazy people out there.

GRACE: And whoever they are, they are walking free right now. We are taking your calls live. Joining us tonight, the grandmother of one of these two little girls, Skyla Whitaker.

Out to the lines. Philip in Alabama. Hi, Philip.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hi, Nancy. I just want to thank you for what you do for our troops.

GRACE: Thank you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And I want to send condolences to the family. People in Alabama are praying for you all. My question is, do we know if they were shot facing the guns, or were their backs turned? And when they catch these people, will they please execute them on the spot.

GRACE: Philip, I can go ahead and tell you it`s very unlikely they`ll be executed on the spot, but you`ll be happy to know that Oklahoma is a death penalty state by lethal injection. They used to have electrocution. The last electrocution was in 1966, the last hanging in 1936, the first lethal injection, 1990. And after studying Oklahoma law, I can also tell you that multiple murders, mass murder, which is two or more murders, is an aggravating circumstance for which the death penalty can be sought.

Back out to Kirsten McIntyre with KWTV. Do we know if the girls were shot, entry wound, chest or back?

MCINTYRE: We`ve been told the head and chest. And we`ve also asked, Was it at close range? And that is something the investigators are not telling us.

And I should also mention that the investigators here, the OSBI agent who`s been talking to us on a daily basis, his sense today that he believes his gut feeling is that these people are local because, I can tell you, I`ve been out to the scene, and unless you know where that county road is, there is no way you can find it. Someone traveling down I-40, you wouldn`t just exit and then go find that road. I mean, it`s literally, driving down the road, take a left turn down the dirt road. I mean, it`s not easy to find. So they believe that these people are local, and they just need someone who knows something to call them and give them the right tip to solve this crime.

GRACE: On the other hand, Kirsten -- with us, Kirsten McIntyre and Manny Gamallo, both joining us from Oklahoma. On the other hand, Kirsten, I know it seems that way. Logically, it would be a local because I believe the population is fairly small for the nearest town. But aren`t you located within 20 -- 20 miles from the interstate?

MCINTYRE: Actually, it`s less than that, just a few miles off the interstate. And again, I mean, I`m just telling you what the investigators say. And as we drove out there, I mean, it was hard to find the location where this happened. And so I know that that road is heavily traveled by the locals, but if you`re not local, you may not be able to find it very well. It`s literally down a dirt road.

GRACE: I want to go out to Marc Klaas, founder of Beyondmissing.com. He is the father of a murdered little girl. Polly Klaas was also taken from a sleep-over, very eerily similar to this case. You know, Marc, you and I covered the Dylan and Shasta Groene case, if you`ll remember that case, in a very rural area, which we thought had to be a local. As a matter of fact, it was not a local. And in this case, County Line Road (ph) is only about two miles east of U.S. 75, north of a Weleetka, Oklahoma. So it is not unfathomable that this could be a stranger.

MARC KLAAS, BEYONDMISSING.COM: No, it`s not unfathomable at all. But if there`s two of them, the likelihood of somebody spilling the secret I think is twice as great as if there was only one of them. So I think that`s something that works to the advantage of law enforcement in this situation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She will be missed. No grandparent should have to suffer with the loss of one of their grandkids. It`s bad enough if they ever have to suffer with the loss of one of their kids. I don`t want it to happen to nobody else, so I want him caught. And I pray it`ll be soon.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, we`ve got calibers in mind, but I don`t want to limit that to just those. Had they fired at the girls and missed them, there could be projectiles used that we wasn`t aware of. So we`re just -- I`m sure there`s calibers being spoken about out there, but we just want to keep that between ourselves. The investigators will know and the shooters will know when the time is right.

It`s an isolated area. I mean, they had to give each of our agents and myself explicit directions how to get there the other night in broad daylight. So it`s not likely somebody just drove off Interstate-40 and toured (ph) (INAUDIBLE) County and come across them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: He is absolutely right. Tonight, the hunt is on for the two killers of two schoolgirls on a peaceful Sunday afternoon in a rural Oklahoma setting, two little girls shot multiple times and left dead in the ditch. Right now, we know that tire tracks were taken, shoe prints were taken. They`re looking for DNA. I`m sure they`re matching up calibers of weapons.

I want to go out to Mike Brooks, former fed with the FBI. Mike, what do you think?

MIKE BROOKS, FORMER D.C. POLICE, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: No, I think Ben Rosser (ph) we just heard from the Oklahoma Bureau of Investigation, is absolutely right. It`s somebody probably local. And again, I would also -- I would not give away the caliber right now, too, because if you do get a suspect, Nancy, and you start talking about the events that took place at that crime scene, at that execution site, you know, only they and only their suspects are going to know what kind of guns were used. And you don`t want to get rid of guns.

But again, we also have DNA evidence. We have not -- they said that was on the scene. They didn`t say exactly what kind of DNA evidence it was. Shell casings, footprints, tire impressions, all that to help recreate the scene there on that dirt road.

GRACE: Back to Kirsten McIntyre. What can you tell me about DNA evidence? I heard that in the press release earlier. Has the that been confirmed, that there was DNA evidence?

MCINTYRE: Yes, they did tell us they took some DNA evidence from the scene. And from what I can understand -- and he didn`t go into a lot of detail, but it sounded like it was blood DNA evidence. They just want to make sure that they don`t have the killers` blood somehow on the girls` bodies.

GRACE: Out to the lines. To Leighann in Alabama. Hi, Leighann.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi, Nancy. Thank you for taking my call.

GRACE: Yes, ma`am.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And bless you and your babies. I have a two- part question.

GRACE: OK.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The first part is, are the parents of both children still together? And I mean...

GRACE: OK.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ... have they both been checked out? And my other question is, could it possibly be someone that works with or has been fired from, if they own their own business, by either parent?

GRACE: Excellent question. To Manny Gamallo with "The Tulsa World." What do we know about the parent situation?

GAMALLO: Well, I don`t know very much about them. I know (INAUDIBLE) initial comment from them about the character of their children and this and that. But beyond that, I don`t know.

GRACE: We`ll get that answer when we come back. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There`s a homicidal maniac loose somewhere in that community. This probably didn`t come in off the highway, it`s probably somebody local. People should keep their families and their children very close to the vest. Take them to and from school. Make sure that they stay very close to home until this thing is resolved.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: Out to a special guest, Jessica Brown, the public information officer with the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation. Jessica, thank you for being with us. Officer, what can you tell me? Was DNA found at the scene? That is very intriguing in light of the suggestion that there was no sex attack whatsoever. Why would there be DNA at the scene unless the girls had scratched the perp?

JESSICA BROWN, OKLAHOMA BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION: Well, we`re talking mostly blood evidence here. Of course, there were children`s blood there. We`re also hoping for some reason there may be the suspect`s blood there, as well, that would help us find out this person. But during the autopsy, they also try to find out if there`s any skin underneath the girls` fingernails that may lead us to the attacker. We don`t know yet.

GRACE: So we don`t know, but they`re testing for DNA?

BROWN: Absolutely.

GRACE: So Mike was correct. They`re testing for DNA. And what about fibers? What about their clothing?

BROWN: We are getting that. We`re going over it with microscopes, looking at every piece of evidence that might be possible that could link anyone to these homicides. We`re doing everything possible.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Law enforcement believes at least two people are responsible for gunning down 13-year-old Taylor and 11-year-old Skyla after the girls walked down a dirt road to play. Investigators saying two different caliber weapons were used, but refused to release those details to the public.

The reward increasing to $25,000, investigators pursuing leads. Some believing the dirt road where the girls were murdered is simply too remote for an outsider to find.

Are murderers living within the community of Weleetka, Oklahoma?

UNIDENTIFIED INVESTIGATOR: Still no motive. I hate to say that, this could be some sort of random thrill killing. It could be an attempt at abduction. It could be somebody that just has, for whatever reason, had a personal motive. Maybe mistaken identity or possibly they did interrupt something down near the bridge.

We just don`t know. All things are being considered at this point.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GRACE: Glad they`re not ruling anything out but mistaken identity? You mistake one little girl for another little girl? Just -- you know, that`s way, way off the track.

I want to answer our last caller`s question. Let`s go to Claudia Farrow, a special guest joining us tonight. She is the -- grandmother of little Skyla.

Miss Farrow, again, thank you for being with us. The caller asked about the parents. Are the parents of both the little girls still married?

CLAUDIA FARROW, GRANDMOTHER OF MURDER VICTIM SKYLA WHITAKER: Yes, ma`am.

GRACE: OK.

FARROW: As far as I know, Taylor is.

GRACE: Yes. And did you know Taylor?

FARROW: I used to drive the school bus two years ago and she rode with me.

GRACE: Now I see one of the little girls wearing a tiara and holding some flowers. What event was that?

FARROW: Probably -- I`m thinking that it might have been a church get-together.

GRACE: Now.

FARROW: They had a princess day at church. And they all dressed up, the little girls did.

GRACE: You know, I want to go to Lisa Boesky, psychologist, joining us tonight.

Dr. Boesky, the more I hear about the case, the more it strikes a nerve with not only me but so many of our viewers. This was a murder in the heartland, a double-murder of our most precious two defenseless little girls, just walking along, broad day light, Sunday afternoon. There`s one of them at princess day at the church.

Who? Why? Doctor, shed some light on this?

LISA BOESKY, PSYCHOLOGIST, AUTHOR OF "WHEN TO WORRY": Well, you know, Nancy. It`s really confusing, because the question is: did the girls walk up on something horrible happening at that bridge that they shouldn`t have seen and so these guys were trying to protect themselves? Was it a crazy thrill kill? Some crazy game? Or were these maybe guys hyped up on meth or some kind of drugs? We don`t know.

The crazy part is this is a small town, a safe town. People leave their keys in their cars. They don`t lock their doors at night. The school -- everybody knows everybody. This shouldn`t be happening. And it`s tragic.

GRACE: I want to go back to Mike Brooks. What more can you tell us? What about computer searches?

MIKE BROOKS, FMR. DC POLICE DETECTIVE SERVED ON FBI TERRORISM TASK FORCE: Well, apparently, Nancy, today at the press conference, the Bureau of Investigation said that apparently the Plackers had a MySpace page. So they`re looking at everything. Were there any communication? Did someone have a beef with the family?

We know that one of the girls also had a cell phone. Could -- that could also play a key role in finding out who she contacted right before this may have happened. Was somebody`s supposed to meet them there? There could just -- they could glean a lot of evidence from those two things.

GRACE: Mark Klaas, joining us with Beyondmissing.com -- you all know Mark, a tireless victim`s rights advocate after the death of his little girl Polly.

Mark, the reward is going up. I think that`s good. But you think it is not so good?

MARK KLAAS, BEYONDMISSING.COM, FATHER OF MURDER VICTIM POLLY KLAAS: I don`t have a problem with the reward going up. What I have a problem with, Nancy, is rewards being increased incrementally. A few thousand dollars here, a few thousand dollars there, and a few thousand dollars someplace else.

And the reason for that is that if somebody is motivated by money and they do know something they`re going to sit on that information until they feel that the reward is at some point maxed out.

What I would suggest doing is getting a set number for the reward. $25,000 is very good.

GRACE: Right.

KLAAS: But not increasing it anymore until maybe they`re in a position to double it.

GRACE: Let`s unleash the lawyers. We`re taking your calls live tonight. Renee Rockwell, joining us out of Atlanta, Alex Sanchez, out of New York.

Alex, it`s my understanding, police have already talked to about 50 people. That`s not necessarily suspects. Do they have to be Mirandized or could this in any way be thrown out of court if it becomes relevant?

ALEX SANCHEZ, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: No. Understand that by Miranda.

GRACE: No what?

SANCHEZ: Miranda only applies if a suspect is in custody. So the only time the police officers have to read Miranda rights to somebody is if the person is in custody and is not free to leave.

Under any other circumstances the police do not have to read Miranda rights.

GRACE: Renee Rockwell, the theory that somebody could be hot up on meth or some other drug has popped up, because people can`t understand a rationale, logical person could do this. They better hope they were on meth because that might give them a slim defense with the jury. Of course, it won`t work. But other than insanity..

RENEE ROCKWELL, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: I agree, Nancy. Not going to work.

GRACE: . nothing`s going to work and the fact that they`re laying low will defeat an insanity argument.

ROCKWELL: No, and, Nancy, the only encouraging news that we have is that there probably was two people, Nancy. And in a state where the death penalty can be sought, what`s going to end up happening is, because of the reward, somebody is going to talk and somebody knows something and they`ll apply pressure to one of the two co-conspirators who will flip on the other one for the deal.

GRACE: Yes.

ROCKWELL: That`s how I see it ending.

GRACE: Yes. Caving in. The only problem is a -- coming from a prosecutorial point of view, who would want a flip to H-E-L-L with a flip? I would go down with both of them at trial with all go down together before I would take a plea.

ROCKWELL: But sometimes, Nancy, you got to make the deal with the devil sometimes if you want to get.

GRACE: Yes.

ROCKWELL: . get both of them behind bars.

GRACE: Yes, well, and in sometimes, you don`t.

Out to the lines, Laura in Utah. Hi, Laura.

LAURA, UTAH RESIDENT: Hi, Nancy. The true light you emulate is always a pleasure.

GRACE: Thank you.

LAURA: In this case, what is done in the dark will be brought to the light I feel. These little bitty towns, I think, somebody knows the answer. And my question to you is -- has -- you know, has profilers been brought in to analyze this?

GRACE: Excellent question.

LAURA: You know.

GRACE: Kirsten McIntyre, what about possibility of profilers being brought in? Has that happened yet?

KIRSTEN MCINTYRE, REPORTER, KWTV: We have not heard anything yet about any profilers at this point. No.

GRACE: But, of course, they`re being so close to the vest as they should be. Very likely that it`s has happened.

To Jeri in Illinois, hi, Jeri.

JERI, ILLINOIS RESIDENT: Hi. I wanted to ask another one.

GRACE: Hi, dear. Are you there?

JERI: I`m here.

GRACE: Hi, Jeri, what`s your question? Jeri?

JERI: Can you hear me?

GRACE: Yes, I do. And we`re almost into a commercial break. What is your question, Jeri?

JERI: I wanted to know if -- you know the girls could have stumbled on to something like -- and someone that they knew? Like they`re in the hunting in the back wood areas?

GRACE: Excellent question. I want to go back out to Kirsten McIntyre. A lot has been mentioned about this bridge they were walking to. That`s not that unusual in a rural area that you walk to a place to play, get together with other people and you come back home.

But isn`t that bridge fairly public? Can`t people see what is going on there?

MCINTYRE: Yes, you would be able to from that area, yes. And you`re right. Here in Oklahoma, I know I grew up in a very small town. And that was the area that teenagers frequented as well -- the bridge. And so -- you know I don`t know about every small town. But I know my small town, and this small town, does have a bridge that people go to.

GRACE: To Dr. David Posey, joining us out of L.A. -- Dr. Posey, so far we haven`t been told the caliber. We`ve only been told two weapons. It could be a short gun, handgun, long gun. We don`t know.

But how do they match up the ballistic to the weapon?

DR. DAVID POSEY, MEDICAL EXAMINER, GLEN OAKS PATHOLOGY MEDICAL GROUP: Well, we know that there`s two different casings found. So that gives a clue as to what they`re working for, what they`re looking for.

Now we don`t know whether or not there is any bullets or projectiles found in the bodies. Once they find the projectiles if they`re in the bodies then we could use, use them to help determine the caliber of the weapon.

GRACE: I understand. Thank you, Doctor.

We`ll all be right back. But very quickly to tonight`s "Case Alert." A 9-month-old California baby boy the victim of a brutal dog attack leaving him with severe injuries to the face and neck. The mauling right inside the baby`s home. Felony charges of child endangerment now filed against the boy`s 22-year-old sister and 37-year-old aunt.

Both accused of not controlling a 75-pound boxer. The district attorney says it`s not the first attack. The dog`s first victim, the baby boy`s own mother. Tonight, the dog gets a death penalty euthanized by animal control.

When we come back, the mystery surrounding a gorgeous young mom of three. She vanishes into thin air, Mackinaw, Illinois. 72 hours later the body of Melisa Cleary discovered. Severe trauma to the body. The investigation kicks into high gear to find her killer.

And tonight as always, we salute our troops.

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BARBARA HERNANDEZ, SALUTING THE TROOPS: This is Barbara Hernandez calling from Jacksonville, Florida and I`d like to salute my husband, Staff Sergeant Gilbert. J. Hernandez who`s currently serving in Afghanistan with First Battalion 6 Marines.

Honey, on behalf of Nicholas, myself and all our family back home, we love you and miss you very much. And we are so proud of you and what you do. And every day we pray for the safe return of you and your Marines. God bless you, honey. We love you.

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UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: . miles from her Illinois home. The mom of three missing since Friday. And shortly after she is found dead in nearby Logan County, police issue an AMBER Alert for her children. That AMBER Alert coming to an end when the 12, 8 and 3-year-olds are discovered with their dad at a motel in Peoria.

Daniel Cleary taken in for questioning but not taken in to custody. There is a person of interest tonight, but no arrest. Police also mum on cause of death but do say Melisa Cleary suffered severe trauma.

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GRACE: ere trauma. Was it a shooting, a stabbing, a beating, a bludgeoning, a strangulation, asphyxiation? We don`t know yet. What we do know is this mom of three found just a few miles from her own home.

What`s so - unusual -- out to you, Shaun Newell, news director at 1470 WMBD Radio -- Shaun, why did the father who is not a suspect -- why did the father on the same day the wife`s body is found take the children and high tail it to a motel or hotel with an undisclosed woman?

And they had to issue an -- AMBER Alert. What is his explanation for taking off with the children? You think he would be making funeral arrangements?

SHAUN NEWELL, NEWS DIRECTOR, 1470 WMBD RADIO: Well, Nancy at this point, they haven`t really -- authorities haven`t really said why Daniel Cleary took the kids to Peoria and Daniel Cleary not talking to the press at this point. So it`s kind of an unknown as to why he took off that night.

GRACE: Is he cooperating with police?

NEWELL: As far as we know he is, yes.

GRACE: And Shaun, do we know where the children are tonight?

NEWELL: At this point we believe that the children are in protective custody with another relative of Melisa Cleary.

GRACE: Joining us also tonight is the sister of Melisa Cleary, Brandy Gerard.

Miss Gerard, thank you for being with us.

BRANDY GERARD, SISTER OF MURDERED MOM, MELISA CLEARY: Thank you.

GRACE: Miss Gerard, when did you learn she was missing?

GERARD: Saturday morning I got a text message from a best friend who she`s been going and staying with on the weekends because she was trying to leave her husband. And I knew nearly when I got the text message that she was missing. So we went directly to her house and called the cops on our way there.

GRACE: Well, you know what, your instinct -- I don`t necessarily believe in instincts, I think that they are conscious thoughts that you develop after a period of time of occurrences. So something made you believe the moment the friend couldn`t find her or locate her, you thought, and immediately something was wrong.

You didn`t think she`s gone to Target. She`s gone to the mall. She had a flat tire. You didn`t think that. You immediately thought she`s missing, why?

GERARD: She -- it wasn`t -- it definitely not instinct. It was the fact that had she expressed to us several, several times that if something happened to her that she was murdered that her husband had murdered her.

GRACE: Now I want to point out that the husband in this case has not been named a suspect. And in every investigation, Mike Brooks, the spouse is typically the first person that`s questioned. Why?

BROOKS: Absolutely, Nancy, especially in this case. You want to talk to the people closest to her, especially now, this is her, as they`re calling it, estrange husband because -- you know, is there foul play? Absolutely. Is this guy involved? We don`t know.

One of the things, if he is cooperating with police that would get him off the hook and as done many times, Nancy, a polygraph.

GRACE: I want to go back to Brandy Gerard. This is Melisa`s sister.

Miss Gerard, what was the cause of death?

GERARD: Blunt force trauma to the head and the neck.

GRACE: To Dr. Lisa Boesky, psychologist and author -- Doctor, that takes a different psyche to commit a blunt force trauma, a beating death, or a strangulation, as opposed to a shooting. Explain.

BOESKY: Well, when you think about blunt -- now again, we have to think about who did this. If just because the husband may not have done it, he may have hired someone to do this. And again we know if they had used a gun, then that could be traced to somebody.

This blunt force may not be able to trace -- be traced to anybody. So if the husband has anything to do with it this could be someone hired to do it and the way that they did it is much different.

GRACE: Of course, the husband, again, has not been named a suspect. An AMBER Alert went.

To Renee Rockwell, Alex Sanchez, our attorneys joining us tonight, that really doesn`t help him a whole lot, Renee. I`m not saying the guy did it/didn`t do it. What I`m saying is, you find out your wife`s body has just been found, brutally bludgeoned, and do you go -- do you race over to the scene? No. Do you arrange a funeral? No. Do you call your pastor, your rabbi? No.

You grab the kids and some woman and you take off for a hotel in Peoria. Not helping.

ROCKWELL: Well, Nancy, there could possibly be a very reasonable explanation for that.

GRACE: Such a as?

ROCKWELL: I will say this.

GRACE: Such as?

ROCKWELL: He may not have wanted the children to be around a TV.

GRACE: Just throw one -- yes, throw one at me. Yes, well, you know what? That one.

ROCKWELL: He might not have wanted the children to be around a TV.

GRACE: That.

ROCKWELL: What I would be more concerned with.

GRACE: That`s what the power switch is for. You know, you can turn that thing off, Renee.

ROCKWELL: I know that, Nancy.

GRACE: So that`s the best thing you have got. Not want them around TV. OK.

ROCKWELL: He may not have wanted the children to engage with anybody or he may have wanted to keep the children away from anybody questioning them. So you can look at it from that standpoint, too.

GRACE: OK. Alex Sanchez, throw me your best pitch.

SANCHEZ: Look, you know, we don`t know if this guy committed any offense whatsoever. However his -- he has invited a lot of speculation as to whether or not he was involved in this because he was not involved in the search. He barred the family from coming into the house. He was at this hotel with a girlfriend. So, you know, even if he didn`t do it, he makes himself very suspicious.

GRACE: Yes. Yes, he`s opening himself up to questioning.

Out to the lines, Hector in New Jersey. Hi, Hector.

HECTOR, NEW JERSEY RESIDENT: Hi, Nancy.

GRACE: What`s your question, dear?

HECTOR: Did we find out how she died yet?

GRACE: Yes, according to the sister, blunt force trauma.

To Brandy Gerard -- Brandy, here`s your chance to speak to the public. What do you have to say?

GERARD: That she had expressed extreme, extreme fears of him. She knew she had been talking to somebody every hour on the hour. And he is out there. And he might have taken her body, but he can`t take her soul. But there`s somebody that can take his body and soul. And that`s how.

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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Usually in the afternoon, they`d sit there on the picnic table and talk and the boys would play ball in the yard. And he would get up and play ball with them and interact, and so would she. So, like I said, it`s shocking. I`ve never heard a loud noise from over there. I have never heard them raise their voice to their children.

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GRACE: Let`s go now to Dr. David Posey joining us from L.A. The thing about blunt force trauma is very often you can get DNA, hair fiber, something from the victim`s body because there may very well have been a struggle.

POSEY: True. True. Yes, if there is a struggle, DNA rapidly transfers, also hair and fiber transfers as well. So a blunt force trauma leads itself to giving a lot of information to the investigators as well as forensic pathologists doing the autopsy.

GRACE: It really, really does. If you`ve a good forensic pathologist that will find everything. Mike Brooks weigh in.

BROOKS: I think right now, Nancy, you`ve got evidence possibly in her car that was found a few miles from her residence. Another scene 20 miles away where she was found, there`s probably a lot of evidence in both scenes. And also you`ve got both houses. You know you got her house.

GRACE: Yes.

BROOKS: You got some place else. So.

GRACE: Multiple scenes.

BROOKS: . it`s not over yet. Absolutely.

GRACE: And Mark Klaas, final thought?

KLAAS: Yes. Ira Einhorn, Thomas Capano, Mark Hacking, Michael Peterson and Scott Peterson, are all individuals who did away with their significant others. None of them used a gun. And they all did it because they felt that those women were inconvenient to their own inflated sense of self-purpose.

GRACE: Well, I think I know where you stand.

Let me remind everyone, the husband tonight is not a suspect.

Marc Klaas, as always, it`s a pleasure to see you tonight.

Everyone, I also want to thank Brandy Gerard, Melisa`s sister.

Let`s stop and remember Navy Chief Petty Officer Michael Koch, 29, State College, Pennsylvania, killed, Iraq. Left studies to Penn State to enlist. Awarded the Bronze Star and Purple Heart, also served Kosovo and Afghanistan. Fulfilled his dream of becoming a Navy SEAL. Loved family, outings, sky diving, snowmobiling, scuba diving.

Leaves behind grieving parents, Donald and Jane, brother Matthew, sister Tiffany, fiancee Kathy. Take a look.

Michael Koch, American hero.

Thanks to our guest but our biggest is to you for being with us tonight. See you tomorrow, 8:00 sharp Eastern. Until then, good night, friend.

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