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Nancy Grace

Model Suitcase Murder Suspect Found Dead

Aired August 24, 2009 - 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. Live to LA, a quiet apartment community reeling after a suitcase discovered in the communal dumpster opened to reveal a female body. The mystery as to the identity goes unsolved for days, as well as how she came to be murdered, then thrown away like trash. The body folded inside that suitcase, 28-year-old swimsuit model Jasmine Fiore, brutally beaten, her teeth pulled out of her head, her fingers removed to conceal identity. How ID the body? Serial numbers off Fiore`s breast implants, her body that traumatized.

Bombshell tonight. A reality TV star wanted for the murder found dead in a British Columbia hotel room, 32-year-old Ryan Jenkins`s luxury BMW and empty boat trailer found abandoned on the U.S./Canadian border, Jenkins dead, hanging by a belt from this coat rack inside this hotel room.

In another stunning development, Jenkins traveled with an alleged accomplice, a mystery blonde driving a silver PT Cruiser. She checks him into the hotel while he stays hidden. And where -- where -- is Fiore`s missing white Mercedes? Investigators say it could be the key to a possible murder scene. Jenkins`s family adamantly swears their son didn`t do it. Well, then who did?

And tonight, another bombshell. Do secret text messages reveal motive for murder? Video emerges of Fiore and Jenkins at a luxury Vegas hotel seemingly in love just before Fiore`s brutal murder. Tonight, we have the video.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He was hanging there from (INAUDIBLE) jackets on (INAUDIBLE) hanging from a belt.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A reality show contestant accused of killing his ex-wife in southern California has been found dead. Police are searching for the woman who was last seen with him.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Police still want to who the young woman was who checked into the motel for him, then left after paying cash for the rooms.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She was about 20, 25, blond hair, very pretty. She was driving a silver PT Cruiser with Alberta plates. She was -- had rented the room, and we haven`t seen her since.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What we`d like to speak to, as the RCMP, is the issue of the unknown female that attended the motel at the time it was believed that Ryan Jenkins checked into the hotel.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Employees say the blond woman who dropped off Jenkins at a motel on Thursday left. Police want to question her. She`s described as being around 5-feet-9 and in her early 20s.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He was the subject of an international manhunt, wanted for the brutal killing of his swimsuit model ex-wife. Now police in British Columbia say it appears Ryan Jenkins hanged himself while hiding out in a hotel room.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When he was supposed to check out of the motel, they went, knocked on the door around noon. Didn`t answer. That`s when they opened the door and they found Ryan Jenkins hanging by a belt.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My boyfriend said he was purple and red in the face, hands (ph) were (INAUDIBLE). He was (INAUDIBLE) had lost weight, very skinny. Like, I didn`t want to go check for myself.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: And as we go to air, the sudden death of music icon Michael Jackson ruled homicide.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The Associated Press is reporting, quoting a single law enforcement official who says the LA County coroner has ruled Michael Jackson`s death a homicide.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He`s pumping. He`s pumping the chest, but he`s not responding to anything. So please...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The Associated Press is reporting that the LA County coroner has ruled Michael Jackson`s death a homicide. The news could mean criminal charges for Jackson`s personal doctor, Dr. Conrad Murray. Murray was in the house with Jackson when he died.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Breaking news in the Michael Jackson death investigation. According to court documents, lethal levels of the anesthetic propofol were found in Michael Jackson during the autopsy. This information was contained in a search warrant affidavit that was unsealed in Houston today. Now, Houston is where Jackson`s doctor, Dr. Conrad Murray, has a home and also has an office.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I`m told that Dr. Conrad Murray took responsibility at...

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: Also, a young mom, just like millions of moms across America, goes out for an evening walk on a country road not far from her own home, talking away on a cell phone. The boyfriend on the other end hears screaming, Please don`t take me, her voice never heard again. She vanishes without a trace, that cell phone discarded, thrown onto someone`s lawn two miles away.

As we go to air, the ground search expands. U.S. Marshals, cadaver dogs hone in after an anonymous tip. More private home video of missing mom released. We have the video. Tonight, where is Kristi Cornwell?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Our thoughts and prayers are with Kristi Cornwell and her family. This mom of a 15-year-old was abducted. Last tip -- tips were called in to the show "America`s Most Wanted" saying she had been taken to a rural county, Cleveland County, in North Carolina.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Detectives are searching about 200 miles away from Blairsville, Georgia, in an area in the Kings Mountain area of North Carolina. Authorities say an anonymous caller was vague but gave them an address where Cornwell can allegedly be found.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think they`re being very proactive by telling people not just to look at the picture and say, I haven`t seen her, but to go out there and to do something about it. Anybody in that community should go to unoccupied houses, apartments, outbuildings, et cetera, to assist in the investigation.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, they`re just telling us that they`ve not found her yet. They`re searching. They`re expanding their search. Now they`re going to be searching -- when they get a lead, they`re going to search those places. She`s out there somewhere.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: Good evening. I`m Nancy Grace. I want to thank you for being with us. A reality TV star wanted for the murder of swimsuit model Jasmine Fiore found dead in a hotel room. Bombshell tonight. We confirm the reality TV star wanted for murder traveled with an alleged accomplice, a mystery blonde driving a silver PT Cruiser. Tonight, do secret text messages reveal motive for murder?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He was supposed to check out today, so we went and checked around 12:00 o`clock, knocked on the door and said, Hello? Excuse me? (INAUDIBLE) opened the door, and there he was hanging there deceased.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE) here on Thursday night when a mystery woman and Ryan Jenkins showed up to this motel. The mystery woman went inside alone to book the room for a few nights. She paid in cash and then she took off. She hasn`t been seen since.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She just came for that one day and (INAUDIBLE) and rented the room. I don`t know if he had paid her to rent the room or if he knew her or not. But she had rented the room and she had left right away.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She`s a very attractive young woman between 20 and 25 years old. She`s blond, about 5 foot, 10 inches tall.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They came here on Friday. A lady rented the place, and she was driving a silver PT Cruiser with Alberta plates. And after she rented the room for the fellow, she just left. Never seen her again.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Ryan Jenkins remained very quiet inside of his room. He was only spotted once outside having a smoke. Motel staff never thought that it was him.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He didn`t look the same at all until I seen him with no sunglasses on (INAUDIBLE) and you could notice his jaw line and everything. It looked like him.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE) how we were watching the news, and next thing when we wake up one morning and the guy is dead right next door, you know?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He just kept to himself. Walked up and walked back. We didn`t see him at all ever since then (ph).

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: Straight out to Jon Baird with KNX 1070. What is the latest?

JON BAIRD, KNX 1070: Well, the latest we`ve gotten from the Royal Canadian Mountain (SIC) Police is that they have ID`d this woman who took Ryan Jenkins to the motel. They know who she is. They say she`s not a danger. It`s not clear if she`s been arrested. She could be charged with murder -- accessory to murder after the fact for helping a fugitive. But they do know who she is. Also, again, you pointed out Ryan Jenkins found dead hanging in that motel, the shocking news that came about this morning, Nancy.

GRACE: To Carolyn Jarvis with Global -- national reporter with CNN affiliate Global News. Carolyn is joining us from British Columbia. Carolyn, thank you for being with us. What I don`t understand is they see the guy outside smoking. Why not apprehend him? What happened?

CAROLYN JARVIS, GLOBAL NEWS: Well, because nobody knew who it was, Nancy. This guy comes out and having a smoke. There was nothing suspicious about how this couple arrived at a motel. It`s about an hour- and-a-half outside of Vancouver. She`s calm. She checks into the hotel. He stays in the car. They go upstairs. She leaves 20 minutes later. But there wasn`t anything shady about the ordeal (ph).

He`s going outside for a smoke, but he`s not looking like the Ryan Jenkins we`ve seen plastered across the newspapers and across television sets across North America. He had stubble on his face, a bit of a goatee. He was looking disheveled, a bit gaunt. And everybody`s saying he looked thinner than those photos. So no lightbulbs are going off here saying, Oh, yes, that`s Ryan Jenkins, let`s call the cops.

GRACE: OK, wait a minute.

JARVIS: Everybody thought...

GRACE: Wait.

JARVIS: ... it was an average guest.

GRACE: Wait. Wait. Carolyn, did he change the color of his hair or did he shave his head? No.

JARVIS: Yes, nobody`s telling us that.

GRACE: He looked the same!

JARVIS: All we`re saying is he was looking different, but...

GRACE: He had stubble on his face!

JARVIS: OK, but how many -- how many guys have brown hair and brown eyes? I mean, it`s a crowd of a million you`re choosing from. So he didn`t look exactly like the mug shot. Nobody thought that that was Ryan Jenkins. So there was no cause for immediate alarm, at least in this quiet, quiet community.

GRACE: Out to Dan Simon, CNN correspondent, also joining us on the story. What can you tell me about this woman? Police are saying that they believe they can establish relationship, a prior relationship between her and him?

DAN SIMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, that`s what they`re saying. You know, clearly, they know who this woman is. They`ve said that there is some sort of relationship between this mystery woman and Ryan Jenkins. She is the person who apparently helped him get into that motel. For some reason, for a tactical reason, they`re not releasing this woman`s name. But what they are saying is, Look, if you`re listening, come forward. We want to talk with you -- Nancy.

GRACE: Out to special guest Sergeant Duncan Pound with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Sergeant, thank you for being with us. Do we know how long Jenkins was dead before he was found?

SGT. DUNCAN POUND, ROYAL CANADIAN MOUNTED POLICE (via telephone): At this stage, that would be information that we wouldn`t be able to provide until the coroner services complete their investigation.

GRACE: When was your office alerted? Was he identified by fingerprints?

POUND: He was identified by fingerprints. We responded initially just to a call of a deceased male at the motel. And then about 5:00 o`clock Pacific time yesterday, we were able to identify him by fingerprints.

GRACE: How do we know that this blonde did not help him in the hanging or hang him on her own?

POUND: Well, that`s exactly what our investigation is hoping to determine and one of the main reasons we`re saying this investigation is still ongoing and we`re not in a position to disclose the results until we`ve concluded our investigation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: For days, Ryan Jenkins was on the run, wanted in California for murdering his wife, Jasmine Fiore, her dismembered body found in an LA dumpster. His body was found in this tiny motel room in Hope. The manager of the motel says a woman checked in Ryan Jenkins Thursday night.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ... 5-9, 5-10, dirty blond, pretty, 20 to 25 years old.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Driving a silver PT Cruiser?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, with Alberta plates.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She paid cash and left, and the room remained quiet. Jenkins was only spotted once Friday, smoking outside. He was supposed to check out Sunday morning, so the manager and his nephew opened the door. That`s when they made the grisly discovery.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We went in there, opened up the door, and he was hanging from something you have jackets on, and he was hanging by a belt around his neck. And he had -- his legs were laying on the ground.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: Yes, a grisly discovery there in the Thunderbird Hotel in Canada, the hanging body of Ryan Alexander Jenkins, former reality TV star. But before you get sucked into that grisly discovery, what about the discovery of the victim`s body, thrown away in a dumpster, in a suitcase folded over, every tooth in her mouth, every tooth in her head had been pulled, her fingers removed, obviously cut off of her hands in order to conceal her identity, her body so badly beaten and mutilated, she had to be identified by the serial numbers on her breast implants? That was what an LA community discovered.

Now, I want to show you some video we have just obtained of them just before the murder, seemingly in love. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RYAN JENKINS, SUSPECTED OF MURDER: Wow. God, I love my life. And I love my wife. (INAUDIBLE) luckiest guy in the world (INAUDIBLE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: OK. To Dr. Janet Taylor, psychiatrist. There he is. You`re seeing private home video of Jasmine Fiore, where he says, I`m the luckiest man in the world. He`s filming her dancing around in a bikini. It gets extremely suggestive after that, and personal. We have omitted that for our show, anyway. But he posts it, private intimate video, in my mind, on YouTube, and he is bragging about how happy he is. He`s the luckiest man in the world.

He killed her, according to police. He murdered her brutally and then dismembered, disfigured her body. What about it, Doctor?

DR. JANET TAYLOR, PSYCHIATRIST: Well, I mean, it just shows how inconsistent he is. On the one hand, he loves her, but then, you know, he could have such rage that she would talk to her ex-boyfriend, and also that he really looked at her as a property, something he could buy and sell, just based on that video.

GRACE: Well, we now have established a long line of abuse on women -- on young women. Take a look. Here he is -- speaking on getting young women, here he is on a reality TV dating show.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JENKINS: ... I`m with Megan alone was enough to let her get in touch with my deeper side and redeem myself for, you know, some of the silly things I said at dinner.

I guess we`re waiting on my card.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh! I hope it`s not declined.

JENKINS: That would suck.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: For you!

(LAUGHTER)

JENKINS: (INAUDIBLE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I`ll meet you at home.

(LAUGHTER)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Just joking.

JENKINS: You`re cute.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You`re cute.

JENKINS: So is this the best date ever?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Maybe.

JENKINS: Maybe?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I`ll tell you at the end.

JENKINS: I don`t know if Megan and I have had enough time together for her to actually loosen up and really get to know me.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I feel like you`re manipulating me.

(LAUGHTER)

JENKINS: I wanted to show her a little bit of vulnerability to, you know, maybe make her a little more comfortable with me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: You are seeing video from VH1`s "Megan Wants a Millionaire" from 51 Minds Entertainment.

Unleash the lawyers. We`re taking your calls live. Eleanor Dixon, felony prosecutor, specializes in crimes on women and children, Peter Odom, defense attorney, Atlanta jurisdiction, and of course we now have attorney Joe Lawless out of the Philadelphia jurisdiction, author of "Prosecutorial Misconduct."

Eleanor, what about the mystery blonde? How does this guy rope in one woman after the next?

ELEANOR DIXON, PROSECUTOR: It`s really amazing, Nancy. It seems like he has somebody to help aid and abet him. She`s not exactly playing hangman with him in the room. She`s clearly taking him to the hotel and helping him avoid law enforcement here in the United States.

GRACE: Lawless?

JOE LAWLESS, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: I agree. I think the woman`s in a lot of trouble, and I think the best thing she could do at this point is come forward, try to explain it.

GRACE: And remember, Peter Odom, her Mercedes, the victim`s Mercedes, is still missing. Does this woman know where it is?

PETER ODOM, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: It could be, Nancy, and that could be the crime scene. And when they find this crime scene, they`ll know it. It`s going to be an ugly one.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Jenkins was accused of killing and mutilating his wife, Jasmine Fiore, and dumping her body here in Buena Park. Then he took off for Canada. Police still want to find Jasmine Fiore`s missing Mercedes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We don`t have any -- any idea where that car is yet. We know his route was up to Washington, Blaine, Washington, before he went into Canada. And that vehicle could be anywhere between here and there. Once we find that vehicle, I think that`ll be one of the last -- the last, you know, things that`ll help us out.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: Out to the lines. Rhonda in Florida. Hi, Rhonda.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. Thank you for taking my call and being a voice for people who cannot speak. I`d like to know -- two questions I`d like to ask you. One is, do you think -- yes -- do you...

GRACE: OK, you know what? I`m hearing you listening to TV.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, OK.

GRACE: Can you give me your question, dear, quickly?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. Yes. Do you think that he wanted to destroy her, to make her look ugly to finish her off? And do you...

GRACE: Excellent question. To Dr. Janet Taylor.

TAYLOR: No. I mean, I think he -- he, you know, flew into a rage, killed her. He dismembered her so that he could hide the evidence. It had nothing to do with how he felt about her but had everything to do with him protecting himself.

GRACE: You know, I`m just a trial lawyer. You`re the shrink. But I disagree because before he dismembered her to conceal her identity, Eleanor Dixon, he also beat her brutally, beat her to a pulp.

DIXON: And this is different from a death such as shooting by gun. It`s a very personal kind of thing. And I think it certainly shows how he felt about her, the hatred almost.

GRACE: To Sergeant Bill Kohanek. He is joining from us the Buena Park Police Department. Sergeant, what more can you tell us about her white Mercedes, the victim`s Mercedes, being the actual crime scene?

SGT. BILL KOHANEK, BUENA PARK POLICE DEPARTMENT (via telephone): Well, Ms. Grace, we don`t know for sure if that is the actual crime scene. We just know that that`s that`s an important piece of the puzzle that`s still missing. That could give us a lot of answers that we`re still looking for here in the -- the crime scene area. But we still haven`t discovered the crime scene, and that`s an important part.

GRACE: Sergeant, do you believe he had help eluding the authorities?

KOHANEK: Nothing has led us to point us to an exact example of that as of yet but we certainly are keeping the case open for that possibility. We don`t want to close this case and let anybody who helped him get away with assisting in this brutal crime.

GRACE: Thank you, Sergeant Kohanek!

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was a man hanging from a belt, from a coat rack. That was it. Death is not a pretty scene.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A reality show contestant accused of killing his wife in California has been found dead. Ryan Jenkins` body was found at a Canadian hotel in Hope, British Columbia. Police say it appears he hanged himself.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It`s like a coat rack, this metal bar across -- by the back door (INAUDIBLE) coats and he was hanging around from a belt and hung himself.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Officers had wanted to question him in the killing of Jasmine Fiore whose mutilated remains were found stuffed in a suitcase in a trash can just south of Los Angeles. A preliminary coroner`s report indicates Jenkins` wife had been strangled and dismembered. She was identified through the serial numbers on her breast implants.

Jenkins appeared on the VH1 show "Megan Wants a Millionaire."

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A mystery woman and Ryan Jenkins showed up to this motel. The mystery woman went inside alone to book the room for a few nights. She paid in cash and then she took off.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We do believe that they knew each other. There was a past history. But we don`t want to go into specific detail as to the relationship.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NANCY GRACE, HOST: Out to the lines, Holly in British, Columbia. Hi, Holly.

HOLLY, CALLER FROM CANADA: Hey, Nancy. How are you?

GRACE: I`m good, dear. What`s your question?

HOLLY: I love your show. Your twins are beautiful and.

GRACE: Thank you.

HOLLY: And I have a twin brother. And it`s a lot of fun.

GRACE: You know, they`ve been to play school twice now and both times I cried a lot harder than they did.

HOLLY: Well, my brother.

GRACE: They`re wondering why that lady was out in the hall listening at the door.

(LAUGHTER)

HOLLY: Oh. OK. Just a couple of things. First of all, I`m originally from Bellingham, Washington. It was kind of hit close to home because Blaine is about 15 minutes away from Bellingham. I moved up to Abbotsford, British Columbia near the Canadian 23 years ago.

And we`re kind of hoping the guy would have went (sic) towards the Vancouver because we`re sort of -- a little bit paranoid up here with a killer on the loose. Hope is about 45 minutes east of where I am.

GRACE: Right.

HOLLY: And here`s the thing. It`s kind of weird because Hope is a small little town. You blink and you`re past -- you know, you`re going to go on the Coquihalla Highway, which is leading up to the Okanogan.

Actually, I think the guy just kind of did everybody a favor by doing what he did. I hate to say that. Because if he would have hitchhiked and gone up the Coquihalla Highway or on the Hope, for instance, it`s like finding a needle in a haystack.

GRACE: Well, you know, he probably would have killed somebody else.

HOLLY: That`s what.

GRACE: I know somewhere in there, Holly, a question is buried.

HOLLY: There is. OK. My question is, do you -- why wasn`t there any videotapes like outside the little hotel room and did she give.

GRACE: Good question.

HOLLY: Or did she give any Visa, Mastercard, any ID or a fake name?

GRACE: Good question. Let`s go to Carolyn Jarvis, she is joining us from British Columbia. Carolyn, do we know if the hotel has surveillance? And did this woman pay in cash so she didn`t use a credit card of any type?

And before you get away, Carolyn Jarvis, has this spurred any action whatsoever about the U.S./Canadian border? Why do we even have a border if nobody is guarding it? You can just walk across. You can saunter.

CAROLYN JARVIS, GLOBAL NATIONAL REPORTER, CNN AFFILIATE GLOBAL NEWS, COVERING STORY: Yes, that`s true. We were talking about that on Friday. You can walk across the border in many spots especially where he may have accessed Canada through Point Roberts, Washington.

We believe that this woman, this mystery woman whoever she is did pay in cash at the hotel and then took off shortly thereafter. That she paid for three nights. So do the math. She checked in Thursday, stayed Friday night and Saturday night, and then the manager and his nephew came to check on the room sometime Sunday afternoon.

That`s when they opened the door and had that grizzly discovery of Ryan Jenkins hanging from the coat rack. His fist clenched hanging from his belt.

In terms of what`s on video, we don`t know of any video. But your caller raised an interesting point. And that is, he could have been anywhere. And folks in the states may not have been aware that the RCP, that`s the Royal Canadian Mounted Police here in Canada held a press conference at 3:00 on Sunday, yesterday, saying Ryan Jenkins was confirmed to be somewhere in the country.

So they had information that we didn`t know the details of. They said, "Ryan Jenkins, if you`re watching, turn yourself in." That`s 3:00. They find the body not longer than an hour afterwards. So they had credible information. They believe that he was in Canada.

We don`t know what that information is. And then a body is found soon after. So Ryan Jenkins was somewhere in the country and just like your caller said he could have made it anywhere if police didn`t have exact information as to his locale.

GRACE: And tonight all points bulletin for a mystery blonde that may be his accomplice.

Right now, switching gears, and a major development. The death of Michael Jackson has been ruled homicide.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Breaking news in the death investigation concerning Michael Jackson. Court documents just into us show the king of pop had lethal levels of the drug propofol in his blood. And this is a highly potent drug that`s used to knock out patients for surgery.

This new information on Jackson is based on the Los Angeles County coroner`s preliminary reports. Now a source close to the investigation has told CNN Jackson`s personal doctor, Conrad Murray, gave him propofol within 24 hours of his death.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Dr. Conrad Murray was one of the last people to see Michael Jackson alive.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A source with knowledge of the investigation tells CNN Murray gave Jackson the anesthetic propofol within 24 hours.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: Michael Jackson`s death officially ruled a homicide according to the AP, the LAPD not commenting. They`re saying they didn`t leak that. The coroner is giving no comment. But according to AP sources within law enforcement say it has been ruled a homicide.

To Ken Baker, E! executive news editor. What`s the latest, Ken?

KEN BAKER, E! EXECUTIVE NEWS EDITOR: The latest is in addition to that coming out that the coroners are reportedly ruling this a homicide which, obviously, like you said, is very significant, in fact, because Conrad Murray has been pretty much the primary focus of this investigation.

Sources are saying that he could be charged with involuntary manslaughter at the very least. The other big thing that came out today, Nancy, was in Houston a month ago, Conrad Murray`s offices were raided by authorities. The DEA, the LAPD, they went in there and they seized a bunch of evidence.

Now what was unsealed today was the search warrant affidavit that they got permission from the court to do -- to execute that search warrant and in it we found out some interesting details. Among them, that he was not only giving Michael Jackson propofol but the day he died within 24 hours he had given him three other sedatives.

GRACE: And I want to go to Alan Duke, joining Ken Baker. Alan, with entertainment editor -- the entertainment editor with the CNN Wire. Allen, his own confession has clearly been corroborated. Is it safe to say bye- bye, Dr. Murray?

ALAN DUKE, ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR, THE CNN WIRE, COVERING STORY: Well, the details contained in this affidavit certainly don`t look good for Dr. Murray. But he`s not been charged with anything. Certainly, the target of this investigation from all of these search warrant affidavits that have given us all these details, the details that came from his lawyer earlier don`t comport with what we see in the affidavit.

GRACE: To the Dr. Panchali Dhar, board certified anesthesiologist, author of "Before the Scalpel: What Everyone Needs to Know about Anesthesia."

Dr. Dhar, thank you for being with us. What do you make of this being ruled a homicide? It`s been a long time coming. But would Dr. Conrad Murray be a scapegoat? I mean who was giving him the propofol? Where was it coming from? What about all of these pharmacies that were -- clearly knew it was Michael Jackson under a pseudonym, a fake name?

DR. PANCHALI DHAR, M.D., BOARD CERTIFIED ANESTHESIOLOGIST, AUTHOR, "BEFORE THE SCALPEL": Well, this is a result of what happens when your under the care of a renegade doctor who`s turning a blind eye to medical ethics and reckless endangerment of human life. So let me just demonstrate what the propofol is.

It is an anesthetic. And if given enough of it, you can stop breathing and when you stop breathing, there`s no oxygen in your body and - - then your heart would stop so you have cardiac arrest.

Now in the affidavit search warrant, Conrad Murray is claiming to give doses like 50 milligrams, 25 milligrams to help Michael Jackson sleep. That`s not going to help him sleep for hours. Those doses just wear off in 5 to 10 minutes. So let me just show what 50 milligrams would be. It would be just a small dosage which would be five of these lines that would wear off in a few minutes. It wouldn`t be enough to keep him asleep.

GRACE: You know it seems to me, to Dr. David Posey, joining us out of L.A., that if Conrad Murray is, in fact, charged that he would be a scapegoat because a lot of people have been involved in Michael Jackson`s death.

DR. DAVID M. POSEY, MEDICAL EXAMINER, GLEN OAKS PATHOLOGY MEDICAL GROUP: Yes. That -- Nancy, I think you`re right. He may be a scapegoat. There are a lot of people involved. And I think the other doctor, the anesthesiologist is making a real point about the propofol and when you look at other drugs that are involved -- you know he had been -- he`s had a stacking phenomenon.

GRACE: Exactly.

POSEY: He started around -- 1:30 in the morning he`s given valium. And that has a really long half life that has the tendency to suppress the central nervous system and then he`s given other benzodiazepines and they continue to suppress the central nervous system.

GRACE: Exactly.

POSEY: And then you take and give the propofol, that`s kind of the camel that breaks -- you know the straw that breaks the camel`s back. I mean it`s multiple drugs.

GRACE: Tonight, Michael Jackson`s death ruled homicide but where are the charges? We are taking your calls live.

Very quickly to tonight`s "Safety Tip." It`s peak hurricane season. Here are your tips for your family. If you`re asked to evacuate, leave immediately. Secure the home. Especially protecting crucial areas where wind can enter, roofs, windows, doors. Even the garage. Don`t forget that.

If you have a disaster supply kit ready, make sure you have a battery operated radio. A first aid kit. Food and water for at least three days. Cash. Extra clothing and toiletries. Keep important documents protected. Fill up your car with gas and create a family disaster plan.

Know the safest area in your home to ride out the storm if you must stay there. And finally, check your insurance coverage. Most plans do not cover flood damage.

For info, go to the National Hurricane Center at NHC.NOAA.gov.

ANNOUNCER: "Nancy Safety Tips," brought to you by.

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NATISHA LANCE, NANCY GRACE PRODUCER: It was around 9:00 p.m. when Kristi Cornwell started her evening walk starting at her parents` home where those orange cones are just behind me. Now investigators say that there are two routes that Kristi could have taken and it`s not clear which route she intended to take the night that she went missing.

GRACE: Who saw her last? Who can tell me that they saw her go out for a walk? How do I know she wasn`t dead already?

LANCE: And employee leaving the New Union Baptist Church saw Kristi while she was on her walk. Now investigators believe that this was the last person to see Kristi before she was abducted.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: One of the most difficult problem is she was in the middle of essentially nowhere where any car coming by could grab her and go any direction.

LANCE: Investigators believe that Kristi Cornwell made it to about this point in her walk that evening. About half a mile away from her parents` home. Now she was on the phone with her boyfriend. We don`t know that contents of that conversation but we do that Kristi told him there was a car following her.

The next thing he heard was Kristi screaming and saying, "Don`t take me." The phone went dead and Kristi Cornwell has not been seen or heard from since them.

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GRACE: Straight out to Eric Jens with WRGA News Radio. Eric, police are focusing with cadaver dogs in one specific area, why?

ERIC JENS, REPORTER, WRGA NEWS RADIO, COVERING STORY: Well, that area would be Kings Mountain, North Carolina. And that`s thanks to a tip that came in over the weekend.

That tip didn`t have a lot of details except to give Kristi`s name and to say Baltic Road, which is the area where they`re searching. It`s about 1 40, 50-acre area. They went over it yesterday by hand and foot then they brought in the dogs this afternoon.

They could wrap it up as soon as tonight. They may go back again tomorrow. So far they have not found anything of significance.

GRACE: Joining me right now is a very special guest. A prime time exclusive interview. The boyfriend of Kristi Cornwell on the phone with her when she disappeared.

Now a lot of people had questions. Where was he? Where was she? How do we know this whole thing wasn`t set up? There are eyewitnesses placing her on that country road alone. His cell phone was in Atlanta and there are eyewitnesses placing him in Atlanta about two hours away at the time of the phone call.

So he was nowhere near her at the time she was clearly abducted. Right now to Douglas Davis.

Mr. Davis, thank you for being with us.

DOUGLAS DAVIS, KRISTI CORNWELL`S BOYFRIEND; ON THE PHONE WITH MISSING MOM WHEN ABDUCTED: Thank you, Nancy, for having me.

GRACE: Now you endured a lot of questioning, I`m sure. How are you holding up?

DAVIS: Well, only by God`s grace has carried me through this far. It`s been very difficult for us and the family to have seen this, to experience this abduction out of nowhere this occurred and you know, you can`t prepare for these type of things. But God`s grace carries us through it and I`m grateful for that.

GRACE: You are seeing home video just released of Kristi. Everybody, millions of women across this country go for a walk after work or after school.

DAVIS: Right.

GRACE: . chatting away on a cell phone. That`s just what she did.

DAVIS: Absolutely.

GRACE: Mr. Davis, you must know that our prayers and many, many other people are with you and Kristi`s family and her son especially.

DAVIS: Right.

GRACE: That evening when you were on the phone with her, what was the last thing you heard her say? What were her words?

DAVIS: Well, as you know, due to the investigation the depth of that conversation I can`t really divulge at this time. However, I heard her scream and it made me -- my first reaction that maybe the car that she spoke about maybe had hit her. And so I was calling her name. But then it became quite apparent to me that she was indeed being abducted by whomever these people were in this car.

GRACE: She told you about a car?

DAVIS: Yes. Just before this all occurred we had been talking about plans. We were to meet the next Thursday night in Dalton. She was then to come back to deal with her -- getting her registration completed for school the next Monday, and we were talking about having dinner that Thursday night when she interrupted and said hey, I`ve got to get off the road there`s a car coming. And then it was just moments after that she began screaming.

GRACE: Did she tell you what kind of car it was?

DAVIS: Again, as I`ve told before.

GRACE: You can`t.

DAVIS: You know, I just can`t talk about that. I`m sorry. I wish I could. But I can`t.

GRACE: No, I completely understood -- understand. Did you usually talk to her when she was out for a walk?

DAVIS: Yes. Several nights over the course of our relationship she would take a walk and especially the past week or so she had fell about 10 days earlier and she felt like this was great therapy to maybe to deal with that issue. And in fact, we -- she and I had done the same route on Saturday night of what supposed was the same route on Saturday night before this. And so it was common for her to make this walk.

GRACE: You know, Mr. Davis, last week, I believe it was Friday night, a viewer called in wanting to know what the book was she sent you and could it have any impact on this investigation. I don`t see that as being relevant. What book was it?

DAVIS: Well, it`s a daily prayer devotional. "My Utmost for His Highest" by Oswald Chambers. I got back in town early part of the week and went to get my mail after being gone for several days. I remember driving to the post office thinking, you know, there just might be something and then of course I shut that down saying, I don`t want to be disappointed.

And sure enough, though, when I opened up the box there it this gift was. I had not expected it. But, you know, it`s like Kristi is reaching out to me even now. She`s used this devotional for several years and wanted me to have it feeling like it would really be a help to my life and I`ve been reading it every day.

I don`t let it out of my sight. It`s such a treasured gift. And this is who Kristi was. She liked to give. She really enjoyed life. She`s a very intelligent woman and a loving mother. A dear sister to her brother, Richard. She loved her mom and her dad. Her family.

And she had some dearest friends and all of Blairsville will tell you that this woman here is just a remarkable woman. If you didn`t like Kristi well, that was your fault because she loved you. This is who I fell in love with, and we had made our plans and to spend time together.

Our future was being planned together. And I look forward to the day where she`s coming home. We`re going to find her alive and she and I will continue our relationship together.

GRACE: With me, the boyfriend who last spoke to Kristi. Like so many women, comes home in the evening, goes for a walk. She`s never seen again.

Everyone, as we go to break, on a happy note, congratulations to New York friend of the show, Nicky Torres. He`s college bound. He heads to SUNY Cobleskill, Upstate New York to study finance and try out for basketball and golf.

Congratulations, dear Nicky.

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GRACE: A missing mom, last heard talking on her cell phone, now gone.

To Sergeant Scott Haines out of Pensacola, Florida, weigh in.

SGT. SCOTT HAINES, SHERIFF`S OFFICER, SANTA ROSA COUNTY, FL.: It`s a very tragedy situation. Hopefully someone from the public may have seen something. Obviously, they`ve been getting some tips and law enforcement`s been following up on that. Hopefully, they`ll be able to find something that leads them to her and hopefully she`ll be alive and OK.

GRACE: Douglas Davis, I think Sergeant Haines is correct. I am confident somebody knows something.

DAVIS: Absolutely.

GRACE: Douglas Davis, what is the hardest part of all this for you?

DAVIS: Well, you`re just suspended in time. It`s like for once -- you`re holding right here. You can`t go forward, and you don`t know what the next step is. Of course, every phone call, you`re hoping that is the call.

Today I was on an airplane coming back from New York for 2 1/2 hours, and the biggest fear was arriving and a message be there and you didn`t know which way it would be. And it was -- just those kind of situations is just, it`s just all I can do to bear it some days.

But I`m grateful that I have my Lord as my protector in this. I don`t know how anybody without hope in Jesus Christ could get through an ordeal like this.

GRACE: Mr. Davis, I guess it just keeps going through your mind over and over, when she called out, "Please don`t take me," when she called out and you couldn`t help her.

DAVIS: The most helpless feeling I have ever had. I made a commitment to her just a few days earlier that I would love her as Christ loved the church and died for the church, and yet in that moment, I was tested and I couldn`t help her. There was nothing I could do.

And yet, God allowed me this opportunity to start taking this stand that we need to take to be able to find her. You know I believe there`s someone out there who has pertinent information. They have seen it.

GRACE: Let me give the tip line.

DAVIS: They have seen it.

GRACE: Douglas, let me give the tip line. It`s 800-597-8477.

Let`s stop and remember Army Sgt. First Class Alejandro Granado III., 42, Fairfax, Virginia. Already retired but returned one last mission. He got the Army Achievement Medal, Special Forces Tab, and Joint Service Achievement Medal. Also served Desert Storm.

Loves traveling and time with family. Leaves behind parents, Rosalinda and Alejandro Jr., three sister, two brothers, one serving in the Army, three children.

Alejandro Granado, American hero.

Thanks to our guests but especially to you. I`ll see you tomorrow night, 8:00 sharp Eastern. And until then, good night, friend.

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