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Campbell Brown
Was Michael Jackson Murdered?; President Obama Visits Ghana
Aired July 10, 2009 - 20:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CAMPBELL BROWN, CNN ANCHOR: (voice-over): Tonight, here are the questions we want answered.
Was Michael Jackson a murder victim? The explosive allegation by his father, Joe.
JOE JACKSON, FATHER OF MICHAEL JACKSON: And I do believe it was foul play. I do believe that.
BROWN: Tonight, police trying to find the answer. Was it a homicide or overdose?
Plus, a decades-long trail of drug abuse, Xanax, Diprivan, OxyContin, Demerol.
RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I have right here a confidential police document.
BROWN: New details on what the king of pop was putting into his body and who was helping him get it.
And did a private pool in Pennsylvania kick out day camp kids because they were black?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Those people up there are saying, what are those black kids doing in the pool?"
BROWN: Now the club that told dozens of blacks and Hispanics not to come back is finally speaking out.
JOHN DUESLER, VALLEY CLUB PRESIDENT: We were very concerned about the kids' safety. That was the bottom line here.
BROWN: Tonight, hear the explanation and judge for yourself.
And this couple adopted a dozen children, some with Down syndrome. Now the parents are dead, shot in their own bedroom. Why were they gunned down? Tonight, the manhunt under way.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANNOUNCER: This is your only source for news. CNN prime time begins now. Here's Campbell Brown.
BROWN: Hi, everybody. Those are our big questions tonight, but we start, as always, with the "Mash-Up." It is of course our look at the stories making an impact right now, the moments you may have missed today. We're watching it all, so you don't have to.
Tonight, President Obama is halfway around the world in Ghana. He landed there just a few hours ago to lots of fanfare. He chose to visit Ghana and not his father's homeland of Kenya. That's leaving a few folks feeling snubbed.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANDREA MITCHELL, NBC NEWS: This is the president's first trip to sub-Saharan Africa since taking office. He says he chose Ghana because of the country's history of good governance.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: On the streets of Accra, the party started long before the guest of honor arrived. Members of this fan club, Friends for Obama, have been celebrating all week.
KATIE COURIC, HOST, "CBS EVENING NEWS": The president was mobbed by dancing crowds at the airport. Tomorrow, he will address Ghana's parliament. More than a million people are expected to line the streets, hoping to get a glimpse of the first African-American president.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Many Kenyans are feeling rather snubbed by President Obama because they expected that Kenya would be the first country that he would visit on the continent. But, you know, Mr. Obama has made it very clear that he's trying to uplift good governance on the continent. And that is expected to be a huge focus of his address on Saturday.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: CNN's Anderson Cooper is in Ghana with the president tonight. We're going to touch base with him live in just a minute.
Earlier, the president spent the morning in Italy, wrapping up the G8 Summit and stopping off in Rome. Now, when in Rome, Mr. Obama did as Romans do, or, rather, as presidents do. He had an audience with Pope Benedict XVI. Here's some video of the pleasantries. They were, of course, all smiles.
But, behind the scenes, they sat for 30 minutes -- and I'm quoting now -- "disagreeing without being disagreeable" on subjects like stem cell research.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ALI VELSHI, CNN CHIEF BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: The Vatican says the two discussed immigration, Middle East peace, and aid to developing nations. They also, reportedly, discussed abortion rights. The pope met the first family and he gave them a special blessing.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It certainly was friendly, respectful. Obviously, there are differences, but there was this search for common ground, no doubt about that, Vatican in the preparations, I think, going out of its way to show respect for the American president.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: The president also asked the pope to pray for ailing Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy.
Now, as for the other members of the first family, they have been spending the week in Italy, living la dolce vita, sending back postcards from their Roman holiday. Take a look.
There you have it. While the president enjoyed Rome, Republicans, though, stepped up the "Rome is burning" mantra back here at home, Republicans and Democrats going at it over everything from health care reform to the stimulus. Here's the view now from the right and the view from the left.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's a new definition for dismal failure, stimulus, this stimulus. But don't take my word for it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The stimulus plan was like standing on the deck of the Titanic trying to change the direction of the ship by holding a ragged umbrella in the wind. We have got to make some changes.
PAT BUCHANAN, NBC NEWS: The patience of the American people is understandably running out, Matt. The president of the United States got an $800 billion stimulus package. He's running the largest peacetime deficit by far in American history. And Americans are saying, where are the jobs?
REP. DENNIS KUCINICH (D), OHIO: Now, I think the Obama administration, as it is looking at falling employment figures, understands that we need to do more. And I'm hopeful that we will be able to find a way to do more.
DEE DEE MYERS, FORMER CLINTON WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: The Republicans have not offered any alternatives. They sit on the sidelines and fire barbs. That's not an alternative. And the American public recognizes that.
HILARY ROSEN, CNN POLITICAL CONTRIBUTOR: the good news is that, when -- in the end, the president will get the -- particularly the Democratic leadership together in Congress. And the White House is smart about this. They're letting Congress write the bills. And -- and then they're going to go in and -- and help shape them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: President Obama did say today he's hoping to get health care legislation done by August.
One month, Mr. President.
To the other side of the world now for an up-close view of the challenge facing U.S. troops in Afghanistan. CNN war correspondent Michael Ware tracks Taliban fighters to their hiding places and shows how this is a war being fought on two sides of the border.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAEL WARE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: To put it simply, America cannot win the war in Afghanistan. It certainly can't win it with bombs and bullets, and it can't win it in Afghanistan alone. But part of the answer lies here, where I'm standing, in these mountain valleys in Pakistan on the Afghan border, because this is al Qaeda and Taliban territory.
Right now, there's as many as 100 Taliban on that mountaintop between the snowcapped peaks and amid those trees. They're currently under siege from local villages, who are driving them from their bunkers. But, at the end of the day, it's the Pakistani military who tolerates the presence of groups like the Taliban.
And it's not until America can start cutting deals with these people that there's any hope of the attacks on American troops coming to an end.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: And five British soldiers killed just today on patrol as fighting intensifies in the Helmand Province.
Back to Los Angeles now and Jackson land, where CNN has uncovered new information about Michael Jackson's long history of drug abuse. Newly obtained court documents from Jackson's molestation trial show that, in 2004, Michael was allegedly taking 10 Xanax a night to go to sleep. But that wasn't even the headline here. A former Jackson staff member also told police the pop star was at one point taking 30 to 40 pills a night.
On the investigation front, police confirmed they are looking at a homicide or overdose as the cause of death.
And then Joe Jackson dropped this on ABC's "Good Morning America." Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JACKSON: I just couldn't believe what was happening to Michael, because I just couldn't believe it, you know? And I do believe it was foul play. I do believe that.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What did you know about the drugs Michael was reportedly taking?
JACKSON: I didn't know anything about the drugs. I didn't even know the name of them.
But I do know that, whatever he taking, it was for -- to make him rest, because he had been working so hard, and that drug was supposed to make him relax and sleep. But, anyway, he didn't wake up. He never woke up. Michael died in his sleep.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: We're going to have a whole lot more on the investigation coming up in just a few minutes.
But, first, now time to set the record straight on a photo that has been e-mailed around the world. It shows President Obama appearing to be checking out a young lady. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Take a look at it. Appears to show President Obama and French President Sarkozy giving a young woman a serious once-over.
But pictures can be deceiving. Watch the video. Seems to be a little different story. Obama may be watching his footing, may be looking at the steps, may be letting her pass, as opposed to a check- out. Take a look. Hmm, let me let her go. Hope I don't fall down these stairs.
Sarkozy, not so clear. Not so clear.
(LAUGHTER)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Obama, let me help you, let me help you, young lady. Please, come down the stairs.
I don't know.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: Now, in cased up to know, the young woman now causing heads to turn around the world is the Brazilian delegate to the Junior G8.
And a week ago tonight, Sarah Palin said she is quitting as governor of Alaska. In the time since, many have speculated she wants her own talk show, that that's the reason she stepped down.
So, in tonight's punchline, David Letterman, who, of course, came under fire for making fun of Palin's daughters, had some advice for the soon-to-be-ex-governor.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAVID LETTERMAN, HOST, "THE LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN": Sarah Palin no longer governor of Alaska, and it looks now like she may get her own television program, you know?
And I was thinking...
(LAUGHTER) LETTERMAN: I was thinking, I don't know. She seems pretty camera-shy.
(LAUGHTER)
(APPLAUSE)
LETTERMAN: But here's what I can tell you about having your own TV show.
Sarah, if you're watching, and...
(LAUGHTER)
(APPLAUSE)
LETTERMAN: ... you get a TV show, you have got to be very careful what you say on the air, because you can get yourself into a lot of trouble, OK?
(LAUGHTER)
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: David Letterman, everybody. That is tonight's "Mash-Up."
Michael Jackson's father says he suspects foul play, and police say they are looking at homicide or overdose. We have got the documents tonight that shed new light on the pop star's long history of drug abuse.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: if you stop taking it, the withdrawal is just awful. People can have tremors. They can even have seizures. They get the shakes. They can have sweats. It's a really, really awful process.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: Tonight, we are learning more disturbing details about what may have been going on behind the scenes in Michael Jackson's life. And now there is an astonishing accusation being made by Jackson's father, Joe.
He sat down with ABC News and made clear he believed -- he believes, rather, his son's death was suspicious and spoke of the struggles that may have led Michael into serious drug abuse. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JACKSON: I just couldn't believe what was happening to Michael, because I just couldn't believe it, you know? And I do believe it was foul play. I do believe that.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What did you know about the drugs Michael was reportedly taking?
JACKSON: I didn't know anything about the drugs. I didn't even know the name of them.
But I do know that, whatever he taking, it was for -- to make him rest, because he had been working so hard, and that drug was supposed to make him relax and sleep.
But, anyway, he didn't wake up. He never woke up. Michael died in his sleep.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: Well, now we have uncovered documents that point to the possibility that Michael Jackson had drug problems going back years.
And our Randi Kaye is in Los Angeles for us tonight with that, along with former CNN anchor Jim Moret, now chief correspondent for "Inside Edition," as well as Dr. Jorge Rodriguez, who is a board- certified internist, joining us as well to help give us some clarity on this.
Jim, let me start with you.
You heard Joe Jackson there alleging foul play. We have had the LAPD saying, basically, they're not ruling out homicide. What do we really know?
JIM MORET, CHIEF CORRESPONDENT, "INSIDE EDITION": Well, I think what the LAPD chief said was, they're waiting for the coroner's report to corroborate the cause of death.
That implies they have a strong suspicion about what that is. And that suspicion, of course, all along has been drugs. Now, saying foul play is not inconsistent with -- with what the L.A. police chief is saying. They're clearly looking at the abuse of prescription drugs. It doesn't mean murder, but perhaps negligent homicide, manslaughter.
If doctors were overprescribing, if they were using aliases, if they giving huge amounts of drugs and enabling him, then you could have a crime here.
BROWN: Randi, in the last 24 hours, you have uncovered some new information about Jackson's history with drugs. Walk us through what you found.
KAYE: Well, Campbell, we actually got this confidential document. It's from the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Department. It's from 2004.
And it's a police document, and inside it has two confidential interviews with former security guards of Michael Jackson's, two of those guards. And they told investigators, one of them actually told investigators that he was taking ten-plus Xanax pills a night. That is a direct quote.
He said that when he expressed concern to other employees of Jackson's, he was told -- quote -- "Jackson is better. He is now down from 30 to 40 Xanax pills a night."
Also, the security guard said that Michael Jackson was getting prescriptions in -- quote -- "fictitious names." They said that at least five different employees were getting prescriptions for Michael Jackson. One of the security guards said he was getting prescriptions in his own name for Michael Jackson.
And one guard also said that Jackson was traveling around the country, getting prescriptions from doctors. He said -- he told investigators that he had driven Jackson around to doctors in California, in Florida, in New York, and that he would take him to the offices and help him get prescription drugs, and not all of them, of course, were in his own name.
And, Campbell, this really suggests doctor-shopping.
BROWN: Yes, absolutely.
Dr. Rodriguez, though, go -- I find this impossible to believe. How does a person take 10 Xanax, or if what this employee was alleging is true, even more than that, 10 Xanax a night, 30 Xanax a night, and survive?
DR. JORGE RODRIGUEZ, INTERNIST: Yes, unfortunately, I don't find it impossible to believe, because people that are addicted to medication -- first of all, 10 Xanax a night is an inordinate amount of medication.
Any doctor that prescribes that is committing malpractice. You would basically give someone a prescription for 300 Xanax for a month. So, there's either malpractice or illegality.
But once you start taking that amount of medication, you never get the same sedation. So, you have end up having to take more and take more. So, it wouldn't surprise me that someone addicted to Xanax would eventually end up taking 30 or 40 Xanax a day.
BROWN: Really, that many?
RODRIGUEZ: Absolutely.
BROWN: You would develop that level of tolerance?
RODRIGUEZ: Absolutely, Campbell.
Unfortunately, in practices, we see people now coming in addicted to with OxyContin or Vicodin that would take -- are taking amounts that are enough to kill someone that doesn't take that, like you or me perhaps.
BROWN: Wow.
RODRIGUEZ: But someone that is addicted, it's amazingly disturbing.
BROWN: Randi, you also heard -- or have information from these Jackson employees where they talked more generally about the condition he was in. Describe what they told investigators.
KAYE: Yes, they were telling -- they were telling investigators how he looked, I guess, when he went into the doctor's office and then how he looked when he came out of the doctor's office.
And this is how one of the former security guards described Jackson. He said, before he went into the doctor's office, he looked -- quote -- "sharp and in tune." And when he came out of the doctor's office, these are the words he used, he said he looked -- quote -- "sedated and out of it." That's how he described him.
Also, one of the guards said that finally after a while and after years of working for Jackson, he finally said he had just had enough, and this was after he told investigators that Jackson had -- quote -- "fallen on his face in a hotel room and hurt himself. And that's when he told investigators that he told Michael Jackson: I can't continue to get prescriptions for you.
And, Campbell, we also talked to a friend of his and a former business partner, one of the guys who really tried to help him jump- start his career and bring him to Las Vegas back in 2006, and he described him to us as being -- quote -- "emaciated, weak, incoherent."
He even told us that Michael Jackson at the time was getting around Las Vegas very often in a wheelchair, because he just couldn't walk around in public.
BROWN: All right, guys, stand by, because we have a lot more to talk about on this subject coming up.
Still to come, you saw that heartfelt moment of course of Paris Jackson at the memorial. Everyone remembers it. So, what's really happening to her and the siblings now? You are going to want to hear this. This is Joe Jackson saying -- what he is saying, rather, about their business potential, talking about Michael Jackson's kids already as possible performers.
Also, the Pentagon tonight being asked to take cigarettes away from U.S. troops. Should you not be allowed to smoke in a war zone? That's in the "Download." Stay with us.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When you're tired and you have been going for days on end with minimum sleep, and you're not getting the proper meals on time, that hit of tobacco can make a difference.
(END VIDEO CLIP) (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: Let's check out some of the other must-see stories of the day right now.
Erica Hill is here right now with the "Download" -- Erica.
ERICA HILL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Campbell, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton making some news today. We will get to that in a second.
But, first, the no-warrant surveillance program launched of course by President Bush after the September 11 attacks relied on a factually flawed legal analysis from just one Justice Department lawyer, that from a report ordered by Congress. It was released today. Now, while it was not critical of the program's objectives, that report did find it is unclear just how effective the surveillance really was.
And Secretary of State Hillary Clinton today with a gesture she hopes will help two American journalist convicted and detained in North Korea on charges of entering the country illegally.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: The journalists and their families have expressed great remorse for this incident. And I think everyone is very sorry that it happened.
What we hope for now is that these two young women would be granted amnesty through the North Korean system and be allowed to return home to their families as soon as possible.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HILL: Now, it's important to point out this is the first time the State Department has acknowledged the possibility of any wrongdoing.
North Korea has reportedly delayed sending Laura Ling and Euna Lee to a prison labor camp, a possible sign they may be open to diplomacy.
General Motors back from bankruptcy sooner than expected. In fact, it is now a brand-new debt-free company owned mostly by the government, promising to be faster and more customer-oriented. Among the new GM initiatives, a plan to sell cars on eBay.
And you can forget that iconic image of a battle-weary soldier lighting a cigarette. Pentagon health officials actually want the U.S. military to go smoke-free, no smoking in uniform, no more cigarettes sold at the P.X. The ban would be phased in for current troops, though required for new recruits. We should point out, though, right now, this is just a recommendation.
President Obama's own struggle to quit smoking isn't hurting him in the polls. Here's a CNN survey out today -- 87 percent say the president sneaking a cigarette now and then doesn't affect their view of him. And almost half said they really wouldn't mind if he smoked every day.
BROWN: Kind of hard to tell the troops not to smoke, too, when the commander in chief is still smoking.
(CROSSTALK)
HILL: It is, or when -- maybe when they're on a battlefield, probably, yes.
BROWN: No -- no kidding.
Erica Hill for us tonight -- Erica, thanks.
Michael Jackson asking about Lisa (sic) Ling in North Korea, speaking of, this happened apparently in the days before he died. He had a suggestion for how he might help. We're going to explain all this. A close friend of the pop star is joining us live on what was really going on in those final weeks.
Plus, Anderson Cooper live in Ghana, where President Obama landed just hours ago. It's his first official trip to Africa. That's tonight's breakout.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: Tonight's newsmaker was a longtime friend of Michael Jackson and has some revealing insights into the final weeks of the pop star's life, including, of all things, Jackson's desire to help free two American journalists being held in North Korea.
Gotham Chopra is the son of well-known Dr. Deepak Chopra and runs his own blog devoted to social wellness. He joined us earlier from Los Angeles.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BROWN: Gotham, you last spoke with Michael Jackson a few weeks before he died. Tell me about that conversation.
GOTHAM CHOPRA, FRIEND OF MICHAEL JACKSON: Yes. It was an unexpected conversation. I have known Michael for many years.
He called me in the middle of the night, as he often did, inquiring about another close friend of mine named Laura Ling, who, as you guys have reported extensively, is one of the journalists who's been detained in North Korea for the last several months.
Michael had read online somewhere or heard about Laura's predicament and became curious and sympathetic to it, and he wanted to know if I had spoken to Laura, her family, and how she was doing.
And then he went on further to say, while he was looking online, he saw pictures of Kim Jong Il wearing the same sorts of military jackets that Michael often wore either out in public or in his shows. And he suspected or he thought, maybe hoped, that perhaps Kim Jong Il, the Dear Leader in North Korea, might be a fan of his, in which case, he might be able to get involved in some sort of diplomatic mission.
BROWN: I mean, it's shocking, when you think about it, but what do you think he would have done? Would he have really tried to reach out to him, to Kim Jong Il?
CHOPRA: Yes. Well, it is shocking, I suppose, to hear. But if you have known Michael -- and I had known him for many years -- he's many things to many people, but one of the things, certainly, is a humanitarian, from big huge things like "We Are the World," to smaller issues like this that he felt deeply about, especially when there was a personal connection.
What he would have done, I mean, Michael was -- yes, you talk to many people, he would call them in the middle of the night, even strangers, and ask questions. He was somebody who was hungry for knowledge. As we all know, he lived a pretty isolated life, so he was not above just picking up the phone and making a phone call.
Now, how you get Kim Jong Il's phone number, I'm not sure.
(LAUGHTER)
BROWN: Yes.
CHOPRA: But, if anybody could, he might have been able to.
BROWN: You're probably right on that front.
Gotham, let me ask you about this. Earlier in the show, one of our reporters reported that, in 2004, Michael Jackson's employees told authorities that he was taking 10 or more, even up to 40 Xanax pills a night to sleep, and that he was drugged-up, that he was incoherent.
Did you see him that way?
CHOPRA: No.
I mean, you know, I think, as has been talked about, and I have certainly talked about it, to some degree, I think there was an awareness that he had a problem, and it was something that some of us close to him tried to get involved with.
But I certainly wasn't aware to what intensity. And even now, to be honest, talking about it, I don't think, I certainly, as a friend of his, and somebody who empathizes with what the family is going through right now, don't really feel comfortable.
It's an investigation, like we all know. And, certainly, it will come up with some conclusive answers, hopefully, so that the family can -- and Michael can rest in peace.
BROWN: You have said that you weren't entirely surprised when you heard the news about his death, and that he had a lot of agony in his life.
I mean, give us a sense of what he was going through that made you feel that way.
CHOPRA: Well, I mean, he was going through everything that has been talked about for the last 10 or 15 years.
And, yes, Michael's life was one of agony and ecstasy. And I would say, except for his children, which were the light of his life over the last 10, 15 years, it was mostly agony.
And I think that was difficult for him and it was something that he talked about and it was painful to watch as a friend. But, you know, it's something that he did deal with and unfortunately, it may have led in some ways to his premature death.
But, you know -- yeah, I don't think it was surprising, necessarily. It was to some degree, shocking, to hear about it, obviously.
BROWN: Do you think people feel differently about Michael Jackson now than they might have before he died? Do you think people have the right image of your friend?
CHOPRA: I don't think there is a right or wrong image. I mean, he was a very charismatic, very conflicted person. You know, he achieved a lot, obviously, during his life.
He'll, I'm sure as time goes by, he won't have a single legacy. You know, today we're talking about his humanitarian endeavors, and certainly, hopefully, those will be some of the ongoing legacies. Certainly, his music will live on forever, and I'm sure there will be other things that people will talk about.
But, you know, I think it's been nice, certainly, in the last week or so, the way he's been remembered. You know, I think it's been meaningful to his family and ultimately that's very important to anybody who cares about him.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BROWN: Michael Jackson's father also speaking out today about his children. Hear his plans for their future business potential.
Plus, tonight's "Breakout" story. A couple who adopted 12 special needs kids murdered in their own bedroom. Right now, a manhunt under way in Florida. Police are looking for answers.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And I can tell you that the members in our investigative section are somewhat stunned by this also, because if he was to go throughout the county and say, well, someone's living in the wrong area or someone's involved in an activity that would bring this upon them, that would not fit the Billings, because they just do not fit that profile. (END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: A horrifying story still developing right now in Florida tonight, a mother and father, well known in the community for opening their home to children with special needs. They were parents to 16 children, 12 of them adopted. Those parents, Byrd and Melanie Billings, were shot dead in their own home. And the question tonight, who would do such a thing and why?
The manhunt is on right now in Beulah, Florida, that's near the Alabama border, right near Pensacola. Our David Mattingly is live in Pensacola with more on this.
And, David, I know, you just spoke to the sheriff. He shared a pretty big piece of evidence with you. What did he tell you?
DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, I just spoke to the sheriff just a couple of seconds ago. He tells me they are out picking up two persons of interest in this crime. Not telling us anything more about these two individuals, other than that they are two persons of interest.
Now regarding that evidence that he shared with us earlier, there was a system of surveillance cameras at the house. And that those cameras were able to capture the images of three young men entering the home. These were three young white men, ages possibly late teens, early 20s. But even more than that, these cameras captured the vehicle they were driving in, as they approached and left the house.
This was a huge red van they were driving in. It was a Dodge. It was built in the late '70s, early '80s.
This van is huge. It being red, it's going to stand out like a sore thumb anywhere on the road. So they're suspecting that they will be able to spot this van and it's going to be very hard to hide.
Now regarding details of this crime, they're not releasing a lot of this at this time, but they are saying it was a home invasion. And I spoke to Sheriff David Morgan a short time ago telling -- he told me what he could about this invasion.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SHERIFF DAVID MORGAN, PENSACOLA, FLORIDA: There was a forced entry at both the front and back doors.
MATTINGLY: They came in at the same time, possibly?
MORGAN: Yes, sir, multiple entries.
MATTINGLY: Is this typical with a home invasion for a robbery situation?
MORGAN: It can be, again, depending upon the number of suspects involved in this. And then this time, again, we had multiple suspects that we're looking at. So yes, sir, it's very typical in those cases.
MATTINGLY: But you're not prepared to call this a robbery yet?
MORGAN: We're not prepared to, at this time, classify it as anything other than a home invasion.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MATTINGLY: And at this hour, again, Campbell, the sheriff is saying they are picking up two persons of interest in this terrible murder.
BROWN: And, David, what about the children? How many were at the house at the time of the murder? Where are they right now? What can you tell us about them?
MATTINGLY: There were eight children in the house at the time, six of them, we're told, have Down syndrome. The children are being cared for by family tonight.
This crime happened or was reported about 24 hours from right now. And at this point, the sheriff is not willing to say what the children saw, what the children were able to tell them about this crime. But, again, they are closing in. They said they have some promising leads and they are picking up those two persons of interest right now to see what they might know about these two murders.
BROWN: Those poor kids. David Mattingly for us tonight with all the details.
David, thanks so much. Appreciate it.
Tonight, a wife tearfully pleads for understanding, not for herself, but for her husband. This is another story you're not going to want to miss.
The president of a private pool club that's in the eye of a storm now over accusations of racism.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BERNICE DUESLER, SWIM CLUB PRESIDENT'S WIFE: The response against my husband is unbearable, because as I said, he's not one of the good guys, he's one of the great guys. He doesn't deserve this.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: As for her husband, he's coming out tonight with his side of this very disturbing story when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: We have new developments tonight in the controversy over a swimming club in the Philadelphia area where dozens of kids were asked not to return to the pool after a visit last month. In all, 65 kids from a day camp, many of them black or Hispanic, were kicked out and there are claims that the children were subject to racist remarks. The club's president, John Duesler, only added to the tension when he told a local TV station, "There was concern that a lot of kids would change the complexion and the atmosphere of the club."
Well, today, he tried to clear the air and you're going to hear that in a moment. But first, I want you to hear from the woman who runs the day camp and her son who was at the pool that day as they describe how it all began.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALETHIA WRIGHT, CREATIVE STEPS DAY CARE CAMP: Thirty-five minutes until our swim session, the children came down the hill and said, Miss Wright, Miss Wright, some of the members are saying things. They don't want any black kids in the pool.
I said, wait a minute, who's saying this? And they said, right up there, Miss Wright. So Dr. John Duesler was sitting on the picnic benches and I addressed one of the members that was saying derogatory remarks, and Dr. Duesler assured me that he would handle it.
BROWN: Marcus, when you were at the pool, you heard some of the grownups talking about you and your friends. Tell me what they said.
MARCUS ALLEN, DAY CAMP DIRECTOR'S SON: They were saying, like they didn't want like these black kids in here and that they were upset like that they were in here. And they were also saying like how -- like they were afraid that they might, like -- that we might do something to their children or try stealing something from them.
BROWN: Alethia, how did you find out that you weren't welcome back to the Valley Club?
WRIGHT: As I explained before, Dr. John Duesler said he would take care of it. A couple of days later, one of the members was shouting out, they assured me they would make sure that we never return. But Dr. Duesler told me that he would handle it.
But two days later, Dr. Duesler called me and said, regretfully, Miss Wright, the membership overthrown me and we're going to have to rescind from you guys coming to the club.
BROWN: Alethia, I know you just finished a parents' meeting. What happened?
WRIGHT: The parents are still outraged. Some of them are trying to explain racism to their children. We have children that are upset. We're going to probably have to have more than likely a psychologist come in to speak to the children and this -- we should not be experiencing this in 2009.
We are just coming together as a country. We just made a statement to the world and here we are, back at this again. It feels like it's a slap in the face to the country for where we're trying to move and the Valley Swim Club's going to get left behind because America is going to move forward. And we're going to send a message that this is not acceptable.
And the message that I'm told, the other statement, the initial statement they sent, we did not want to change the complexion and the atmosphere of our club -- I'm appalled that they would even put something like that in writing.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BROWN: Now, when a CNN camera crew showed up yesterday to try to get some answers, the club told us to leave. Since then, the story has swept through the national media. And now, finally, the club's president, John Duesler, and his wife have decided to tell their side of the story to our own Susan Candiotti.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN DUESLER, PRESIDENT, THE VALLEY CLUB: We severely underestimated the number of children and our capacity to handle these groups. We were not prepared for it. And that's the only reason. It was a safety issue, and that's the only reason that the children, we felt it was not safe for them to be here.
I think it's important for everyone in the nation to know that this is totally untrue and it's unfounded and this is not what we represent here at the Valley Swim Club.
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: What would you say to the little boy who you saw cry, the youngster that couldn't believe that this kind of thing was happening in this day?
DUESLER: Well, like I said, the week before, you know, he was here with his class. I had a -- we were kidding around together, you know, we were -- I was making jokes with him. It was, you know, Miss Wright's son who actually I'd spoken to about the camp coming. And I would tell him that I apologize deeply for any misunderstanding.
It was never our intention to hurt anyone or for anyone to be offended here, and this is a terrible misunderstanding. And I would actually -- I would send my best wishes to the camp, and all the camps, really, because they have gotten an outpouring of support from all over the country.
BERNICE DUESLER, SWIM CLUB PRESIDENT'S WIFE: And they deserve it. She's doing wonderful work giving these children a safe place to be, which is what we were trying to do also.
The response against my husband is unbearable, because as I said, he's not one of the good guys, he's one of the great guys. He doesn't deserve this. He is a kind, tolerant person that would do anything for anyone.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: Now, this controversy is far from over. Pennsylvania's Human Relations Commission has now launched an investigation, and Senator Arlen Specter who calls the allegations extremely disturbing is also looking into the case.
There is news tonight involving the custody battle over Michael Jackson's kids. We're going to have it for you along with Joe Jackson on why he and Michael's mother, he says, are the best ones to raise the children.
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BROWN: An intriguing development tonight in the custody battle over Michael Jackson's kids. The guardianship hearing that we have been telling you about has now been delayed until July 20th. This is at the request of Jackson's mother, Katherine, and the singer's ex- wife, Debbie Rowe.
And now, Joe Jackson, the pop star's father, is saying that he and Katherine are the best choice to raise the children. This is, of course, the same Joe Jackson who Michael said beat him when he was a child. And Joe Jackson also has some interesting things to say about the children's future in showbiz. Listen to what he told ABC News.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Who do you think should raise these children now that Michael is gone?
JOE JACKSON, MICHAEL JACKSON'S FATHER: Their grandmother, Katherine, and I. Yes, there's no one else to do what we can't do for them. Just keep them all together and make them happy and feed them like they're supposed to be fed, and let them get rest (INAUDIBLE) and grow up to be strong Jacksons.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Does your eye see any possibility for their growing into performers someday?
JACKSON: I keep watching Paris. She maybe wants to do something, you know. Blanket, he can really dance. That's what they're saying. He can really dance, Blanket.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: Now, we have more to share with you too, including some reaction from Debbie Rowe in just a moment.
We've got our panel here. John Ridley, a contributor to National Public Radio with me in New York. Former CNN anchor Jim Moret, and now chief correspondent for "Inside Edition" joining us once again from L.A., as well as our own Randi Kaye,
And, John let me just start with you. What's your reaction to what you just heard from Joe Jackson?
JOHN RIDLEY, NPR CONTRIBUTOR: You hear from Joe Jackson that maybe he wants to get these kids performing and get them on stage, it's -- BROWN: It's a little terrifying.
RIDLEY: It's frightening. I mean, look, as someone who's actually worked with child actors, it's hard. It's difficult under the best circumstances. And with this family, we know that in terms of how Michael Jackson was put on stage, it was not the best circumstances.
So I would be against it. I don't think it's good for kids, mostly, but I think in this particular circumstance, it didn't work out before, why would he -- it's something that failed him.
BROWN: Yes, no kidding.
Jim, what did you think?
JIM MORET, CHIEF CORRESPONDENT, "INSIDE EDITION": I wonder who's telling him it's OK to talk. Because every time he talks, he spoke at the BET Awards, he spoke the day after, he's hawking his own record company.
It's interesting here because Katherine Jackson went into court a couple weeks ago asking for sole guardianship. She didn't want Joe around.
Debbie Rowe spoke to an L.A. reporter. She was talking about getting a restraining order against Joe Jackson. So when Katherine and Debbie Rowe are talking, it wouldn't surprise me if they're talking about specifically getting a court order to exclude Joe Jackson from being around the kids.
BROWN: And, Randi, you actually spoke with a source, I know, who's very close to Debbie Rowe and she had very some strong views about Joe Jackson. What do you know?
RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Right, Campbell. We spoke with a friend of Debbie Rowe's, who also happens to be a former business partner of Michael Jackson.
First of all, let me tell you, he says, absolutely Debbie Rowe is the biological mother of these children. He also says she'd make a great mom. He does believe she's going to go for custody of these children. And he says, these are his words, "she's not just going to lay down and roll over," is what he said.
He said that she's very concerned about Joe Jackson and his involvement possibly in raising these children. He's using the word "we" quite often, and as you know, the will, Michael Jackson's will, he leaves the guardianship to his mother, not to his mother and father. And as Jim just mentioned, Rowe had said that she would consider getting a restraining order against Joe Jackson. So this could very well get very ugly.
BROWN: Well, I want to ask you, guys, two things about what Randi just told us about Debbie Rowe seemingly wanting to fight for custody. But presumably, John, a judge would take into consideration Joe Jackson's history, right, when he's sort of making these kinds of decisions?
RIDLEY: Well, you would think so. I mean, the judge is there to look out for the best interest of the child. And I think you have to take those kinds of things into consideration.
One of it, I guess if you call it good news, the fact that Katherine Jackson and Joe Jackson have been separated, they live in different houses, that there is some separation there, as was mentioned in the will, specifically talking about the mother and not Joe Jackson taking these kids.
So, that's good. But, yes, I would think a judge would look at these statements, look at past history and put that into consideration.
BROWN: And, Jim, what do you make of what Randi's saying. We could have a real ugly fight on our hands if Debbie Rowe decides to pursue this, right?
MORET: You could. But I'm optimistic that this has been delayed again, because if you listen to the attorney's statement for Katherine Jackson, they're doing so, so that the sides might be able to come to an agreement outside of court. And frankly, that would be in the best interest of the children, because you don't want a long, bitter public fight where these kids are involved, especially since Debbie Rowe only has interest as to two of them. And for her to get custody, you're basically be splitting them up.
BROWN: All right. We're going to end it there, but many thanks to Jim Moret, to Randi Kaye, and John Ridley here with me in New York as well. Thanks, guys.
President Obama just arrived in Africa. My colleague, Anderson Cooper, is there. We're going to take you live to Ghana to find out why the president is making this the final stop of his big overseas trip, when we come back.
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BROWN: After meetings of the G8 in Italy and a visit today with Pope Benedict XVI, President Obama headed off for a history-making visit to Africa. The Obama entourage touched down in the Sub-Saharan nation of Ghana, just about two and a half hours ago. They were greeted in the capital, Accra, by scores of officials and hundreds of spectators.
Anderson Cooper is in Elmina, Ghana with tonight's "Breakout" for us tonight.
Anderson, the president got a rock star welcome there, as we understand. He's, of course, making only one stop in Africa. Explain to us why they chose Ghana.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, talk about the rock star welcome, people here are incredibly excited about the president's arrival. Obviously, Barack Obama, his father is from Kenya, he could have gone there, but the fact that he chose Ghana means an awful lot to the people here.
It's angered probably a lot of Kenyans and others in Africa who'd like him to come to their country. He picked Ghana because the administration considers this a thriving democracy. They have a successful election here. They've seen economic growth. They've been able to curb large scale corruption that we've seen and lack of development in a lot of other African countries.
So they really see this as a model for some place that is working and they want to send the message that the United States is interested in seeing more examples like Ghana throughout Africa and that's why he's come here, his first trip to a Sub-Saharan African nation as president of the United States, Campbell.
BROWN: And, Anderson, walk us through his agenda as well. What's on their schedule, the first family's schedule for tomorrow?
COOPER: Well, they have a speech to the Ghanaian parliament, where he's going to outline U.S. policy toward Africa. But probably the emotional high point of the trip is when he's going to come here to the Cape Coast, where there's a series of fortresses, several hundred years old, each of them, that were used basically as holding cells and transshipment points for millions of slaves who were then sent to the New World, who were sent to Europe and all around the world here for hundreds of years.
The president is going to tour one of those fortresses with his family, with his kids. There are dungeons in these fortresses where hundreds of slaves were crammed in before they were loaded out on to ships and sent to America, sent to elsewhere in the New World, and in Europe.
I can tell you, I was at the fortress today, I was in those dungeons, it is a haunting place to be. It is an emotional trip for anyone who goes there. And the president will be there with his family and we'll be there with him as well, talking with him about his feelings on the trip -- Campbell.
BROWN: All right, Anderson Cooper. As Anderson said, he has an exclusive sit-down with the president while he is in Africa. That is "AC 360," a special report, Monday night 10:00 Eastern only on CNN.
That's it for us tonight. "LARRY KING LIVE" is going to be up next with live coverage of Michael Jackson's hometown memorial service in Gary, Indiana.
Plus a lot more on the investigation. New developments on Michael's kids all about to start. We're going to leave you with this live look at the memorial taking place right now in Gary, Indiana.
Have a good weekend everybody.
