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Campbell Brown
Saying Farewell to Ted Kennedy; Kidnapped Girl Found 18 Years Later
Aired August 27, 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.
What really happened to Jaycee Dugard? She was kidnapped 18 years ago on her way to school and then showed up alive today.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I had given up hope of having her alive.
C. BROWN: A convicted rapist and his wife behind bars tonight. Where was Jaycee for almost two decades? And how can she possibly recover from the trauma?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She was in good health. But living in a backyard for the past 18 years does take its toll.
C. BROWN: The very latest in the investigation of this unbelievable case.
C. BROWN: Tropical Storm Danny, will it become a hurricane this weekend? We have answers.
Plus, a funny thing happened to this stand-up comic. She's half- black, half-Swedish, and she is being sued by her Jewish mother-in-law for jokes like this.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I walked in. And I'm trying to be real polite. And I said, Ruthie, thank you so much for having me. She said, oh, the pleasure's all mine. Have a seat. Elliott, put my pocketbook away.
(LAUGHTER)
C. BROWN: But who will get the last laugh in court?
Also, the devil wears Prada, the most feared woman in fashion, "Vogue"'s Anna Wintour.
ANNA WINTOUR, EDITOR, "VOGUE": I feel it's quite one- dimensional. But, also, the girls always look the same, Alisa (ph), if you look at your pictures. The way they're dressed. It's always the same.
C. BROWN: And farewell to Ted Kennedy. All the latest details on the extraordinary final procession through Boston and plans for the senator's funeral this weekend.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANNOUNCER: This is your only source for news. CNN prime time begins now. Here's Campbell Brown.
C. BROWN: Hi, everybody. Those are our big questions tonight.
But we're going to start as we always do with the "Mash-Up." It's our look at all 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. And we do begin tonight with breaking news out of California.
A girl kidnapped more than 18 years ago now safe at home. This is an unbelievable story.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The stepfather of a girl who has been missing from the Bay Area since 1991 says it's like winning the lotto, now that his daughter has actually been found.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A girl name Jaycee Lee Dugard, you see her right there, was 11 years old when she was abducted.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She's 29 years old today and may have had two children by her abductor.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Police arrested the registered sex offender Phillip Garrido and his wife on kidnapping, child molestation and conspiracy charges.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He was keeping Jaycee and their children hidden in what police call a backyard within a yard, sheds and buildings where Jaycee and her children lived shielded from view by the outside world.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She was in good health. But living in a backyard for the past 18 years does take its toll.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
C. BROWN: So many unanswered questions. Stay with us. We're going to have breaking details on the investigation. Plus, you will hear tonight from Ed Smart, from his daughter Elizabeth. You will remember Elizabeth was kidnapped at the age of 14. She was held for nine months before finally being reunited with her parents.
In Boston tonight, an outpouring of emotion for Senator Ted Kennedy. You're looking right now at live pictures. This is from inside the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library, thousands of people waiting in line for a chance to file past the senator's coffin, capping off an emotional journey today in Hyannis Port.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) KATIE COURIC, HOST, "CBS EVENING NEWS": Generations of Kennedys left their Hyannis Port compound, along with the man they described as the center of their family and joyous light in their lives. After a private mass, the motorcade began a 70-mile journey winding past landmarks that had special meaning throughout the senator's life.
CHARLES GIBSON, ABC NEWS: Boston's mayor, Tom Menino, rang the Faneuil bells 47 times, one for each year Kennedy served in the Senate.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: That motorcade has now arrived at the John F. Kennedy Memorial Library and Museum. There you see the family.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And behind us right now in line, Caroline Kennedy and her family, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., members of the Kennedy family here to greet those who have come to pay respects to Ted Kennedy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
C. BROWN: Senator Kennedy to be buried at Arlington National Cemetery on Saturday, that morning, his funeral including an obituary from President Obama. Tomorrow, Kennedy will lie in repose, at 7:00 p.m., a memorial service, Vice President Joe Biden and Senator John McCain among the speakers.
Join me, Wolf Blitzer, John King for live coverage. That will happen right here on CNN.
Kennedy coverage wherever you turn today, lots of pomp, bold- faced names, but still the most poignant reflections coming from average Americans telling how the legendary senator touched their lives with small acts of kindness.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Gloria Gomez (ph) holds something dear to her. It's a letter Senator Edward Kennedy wrote her weeks before his death.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He sent it July 31 and I receive it on August 7.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The letter was a response after she wrote Kennedy, thanking him for an act of kindness by his family decades ago.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ABC News colleague Jon Karl was driving with his wife and two young daughters in California in 2002 when they were in a terrible crash, surviving, but hospitalized and shaken.
JONATHAN KARL, ABC NEWS: The very first call that I got from somebody who was not part of my immediate family was a call from Ted Kennedy. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Lauren Stanford (ph) was diagnosed with diabetes at the age of 6. He stayed in touch with Lauren over the years with letters and phone calls.
SEN. EDWARD KENNEDY (D), MASSACHUSETTS: Lauren, this is Ted Kennedy.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was home on a convalescent leave from Walter Reed. I had been able to go home. Now and then, a story about me would be in the newspaper. And he might, you know, clip it out and send it to me in the mail, along with a nice letter.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
C. BROWN: That final reflection there from Peter Damon. He is an Army mechanic who lost both arms in Iraq. Kennedy checked in on him regularly, even sending football tickets as a Christmas present.
We're going to turn now to Pakistan and growing violence on the Afghan border, today, a deadly suicide attack claiming at least 21 lives.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Now the attack came in the early evening hours of Thursday, when people were sitting down to breakfast. We're told that a young boy between the ages of 15 and 20 walked into the barracks carrying two jugs of water. He put the water down and then exploded his suicide vest.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
C. BROWN: This is the second border attack in as many days. Yesterday, a NATO truck heading to Afghanistan was blown up on that very same road.
In Philadelphia tonight, a standing ovation for Michael Vick as he took to the field in his first NFL game since 2006. A long day for Vick, and it began in a Virginia bankruptcy court.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He had to convince a judge in Virginia he has a plan to pay back all his creditors. And he did convince the judge. A bankruptcy judge approved the plan to repay more than $20 million, on the condition he hires a personal financial planner. After the proceedings, he headed back to Philadelphia for tonight's preseason game.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
C. BROWN: Vick seeming pretty serious in his pregame warmup. The game is ongoing, so reviews still out.
In the U.K. tonight, a triumphant homecoming for a young hero of the high seas. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ... offers its sincere congratulations to Michael Perham on his record-breaking single-handed circumnavigation.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He has waited nine months for this moment. And finally it comes, confirmation from the Royal Navy that he's the youngest person ever to circumnavigate the globe.
Mike Perham has crossed 30,000 miles. The 17-year-old has battled technical problems, gale-force winds, and 50-foot waves to become a world record-breaker. He is due to sail his 50-foot yacht into Portsmouth on Saturday. It's three years since he became the youngest person to cross the Atlantic. With another record to his name, it's bound to be a hero's welcome.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
C. BROWN: Now, around the world, sailing apparently all the rage with kids these days. Strange case in Holland playing out right now, child protective services there seeking custody of this 13-year-old girl before she embarks on her own solo adventure. The girl's parents are fine with their daughter's dream. The Dutch government says it's just too dangerous.
And now a daily dose of crazy, a bizarre appearance by actress Anne Heche that is going viral in a big way. Heche was on "The Late Show" last night basically just unloading on her ex-husband, Coley Laffoon. Watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANNE HECHE, ACTRESS: Oh, gosh. I mean, can -- I don't know if you can say -- can you say lazy ass on TV? No, no, no. No, no, no. No, no, no.
I think he wants to be coaching soccer right about now. But it's funny, because you can't quite let go of the ex. I can't even get a divorce. Like, I can't -- like, I'm divorced, but now he wants me to come and watch him run around in his little white shorts playing soccer, you know, because he wants the 7-year-old team. Like, I divorced you. I don't want to see you on Saturday.
DAVID LETTERMAN, HOST, "THE LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN": What does he do for a living?
HECHE: He -- Dave, he goes out to the mailbox, and he opens up the little mailbox door and goes, oh, I got a check from Anne. Oh, my gosh, I got a check from Anne.
(LAUGHTER)
(APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP) C. BROWN: Today, Laffoon tells "Us" magazine that he works in real estate. And he says he is disturbed that Heche is taking out her personal frustration on the father of her child on national television. Ouch, people.
And that brings us to the "Punchline." This is courtesy of Conan O'Brien. His target, our vacationing president. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "LATE NIGHT WITH CONAN O'BRIEN")
CONAN O'BRIEN, HOST, "LATE NIGHT WITH CONAN O'BRIEN": The president's on vacation. We read about it every day. Here's the rumor. Latest rumor is that President Obama is going to have dinner on Martha's Vineyard with Oprah Winfrey. That's what they're saying.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
O'BRIEN: That's right. The most powerful person in the free world is going to have dinner with President Obama.
(LAUGHTER)
(APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
C. BROWN: Conan O'Brien, everybody. That is the "Mash-Up" tonight.
Tonight's big question, a serious one, what really happened to the girl who was kidnapped 18 years ago and just showed up alive? We're going to hear from police and her stepfather, who actually saw her get kidnapped in 1991. This is an unbelievable story with still many unanswered questions.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The hidden backyard had sheds, tents, and outbuildings, where Jaycee and the girls spent most of their lives.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
C. BROWN: An incredible turn of events tonight in the case of an 11-year-old girl kidnapped nearly 20 years ago at a school bus stop near her home in South Lake Tahoe, California.
Authorities say that Jaycee Dugard has been kept prisoner the entire time in the backyard of her captors' home. And it gets worse. Authorities say Dugard was forced to bear one of the suspect's children -- or bear one of the suspects' in this case children. These were two girls, one of whom Dugards would have had when she was just 14 years old.
The couple is now under arrest. Authorities spoke just a short time ago about the backyard where Dugard and where her girls were forced to live. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The search of the residence revealed a hidden backyard within a backyard. The hidden backyard had sheds, tents, and outbuildings where Jaycee and the girls spent most of their lives.
There was a vehicle hidden in the backyard that matched the vehicle originally described at the time of the abduction. The tents and outbuildings in the backyard were placed in the strategic arrangement to inhibit outside viewing and to isolate the victims from outside contact.
There was one shed entirely soundproofed, could only be opened from the outside. At the end of the backyard, there is a large fence, a six foot fence, tall trees all along that fence, a dishwasher, garbage cans, other things backed up against that fence. Through a tarp that hangs over the fence -- you have to pull the tarp aside and walk through.
There is nothing unusual that would cause you to question that. You can't see over the fence. With the shrubbery and the trees, you can't see the structures. The structures are no more than six foot high. There's not big, big, massive structures. One of them was maybe 10-by-10, about six foot high. The other one was very much the same and two smaller tents.
And you can't see it from either adjoining property. It's a very unusual set of circumstances, presumably well-arranged.
She was in good health, but living in a backyard for the past 18 years does take its toll. But she was in good health. None of the children had ever gone to school. They had never been to a doctor. They were kept in complete isolation in this compound, if you will, at the rear of the house.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
C. BROWN: In just a bit, we're going to hear from kidnap victim Elizabeth Smart and from her father, Ed.
But we're going to start with our Randi Kaye, who has been doing reporting on this for us in Los Angeles tonight.
And, Randi, I mean, this is nothing short of a miracle that Jaycee was found. Explain to us all exactly how this unfolded.
RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Campbell, on Tuesday of this week, one of the suspects in this case, Phillip Garrido, a convicted sex offender who was out on parole, showed up near the campus of U.C. Berkeley with some pamphlets and two young children.
And apparently a police officer there started to question him, because he had these pamphlets and she wanted to know what he was doing, asked him for some identification, ended up running a background check and realized that he was a convicted sex offender and asked him to come back and meet with a parole officer the next day.
So, yesterday, Wednesday, he did that. And he brought along with him the two young children, his wife, who is also now a suspect in this case, and a woman who he calls Alyssa. Well, Alyssa turned out to be Jaycee Dugard, as they found out after some questioning.
And then the two -- the couple was arrested. and Jaycee Dugard told police who she was. And she was identified. And she spoke with her mother. And that is where they -- that her mother is there right now. They're all together. And they held that press conference today. And we go on from there.
C. BROWN: Randi, the sheriff's office reporting that Jaycee gave birth to two children while she was kidnapped. What do we know about these kids?
KAYE: This is so disturbing, Campbell, because she really, when you look at the ages of these two girls, 11 and 15, she gave birth to one of them -- because she's now 29, she gave birth to one of them when she was just 14 years old.
So, two girls having never gone to school, they lived in this shed, a soundproof shed as you mentioned behind this tarp within this backyard within the backyard, this very secret backyard. So, you have these two girls who have never gone to see a doctor. They have never gone to school and have had really no contact with the outside world. They have spent all of their time in this soundproof shed.
C. BROWN: Randi, this is so all stunning. And it's going to take so much time, I know, for this family to recover.
You did speak with Jaycee's stepfather today. He has to be going through so many different emotions, but presumably overjoyed. What did he tell you?
KAYE: He's going through some relief, actually, because he was once really considered a bit of a suspect. As a stepfather, they looked at him. He took a bunch of lie-detector tests. He was questioned. He opened up his whole life to authorities.
So, he's really been sort of living under that shadow for quite some time. But he did say that Jaycee having gone missing really took a toll on their marriage. They're now separated. And early this morning, really in the middle of the night, he got a call from his wife. They're not divorced yet, but they're separated. He got a call and she said to him, they found Jaycee.
And then she paused, he said. And she went on to say, she's alive. And the way he described it through some tears, he said that they sat there and they cried for 10 minutes. And then they talked for a little bit after that. But we chatted a little bit on his front lawn today. And here's what he had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm just so happy. I haven't gone there. I'm more curious about who did this and some of the other questions rather than that part. I don't know her condition.
(CROSSTALK)
KAYE: Where is this emotion coming from?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ah, it's years locked up. I'm an old Vietnam vet that is shell-shocked. How much nerves do I have?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: Yes, so that was really something.
And I will tell you, Campbell, that on the way up to see her daughter, Jaycee's mom brought with her other daughter that she had with Carl, Jaycee's stepfather. And this will be the first time that they're meeting, because her -- Jaycee's sister was just 1-and-a-half when she went missing.
So, they're really going to really get to know each other for the first time.
C. BROWN: I can't imagine what this mother is feeling, what any of them. This -- what an extraordinary time this family is going to have.
Randi Kaye for us with all the details tonight -- Randi, thanks very much.
So, how does this woman who was kidnapped so many years ago recover from something like this? And what about the two children who have essentially been raised as hostages, their father a rapist? And why in the world did his wife go along with all of this? We're looking for answers tonight.
Plus, Elizabeth Smart, you may remember her. She was kidnapped for nine months before she got away. You are going to hear from her and her father.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ED SMART, FATHER OF ELIZABETH SMART: And I think that people tend to try to say, well, why didn't she get away? Why didn't she do this? Why didn't she do that? And, to me, I just don't think that that is anyone's business in trying to be judgmental over her, and that the most important thing is for her to reconnect with life and to move forward and leave what happened with her behind.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
C. BROWN: We are following breaking news right now, the astonishing story of kidnap victim Jaycee Dugard. She has been found after 18 years, 18 years.
Tonight, authorities said was kept prisoner in the backyard of a home along with the two girls she had allegedly fathered by one of her abductors. The nightmare for Dugard and her mother began in June of 1991. That is when her mother made this plea.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TERRY PROBYN, MOTHER OF JAYCEE DUGARD: You may like her, but we love her, too. And it's time that she comes home to her family. Her "sissy" has been asking for her. And she needs to be with us.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
C. BROWN: Our Dan Simon is outside of the suspect's home in Antioch, California. Also joining us right now from Charlotte, North Carolina, is criminal profiler Pat Brown, and in Kansas City, forensic psychologist Brian Russell with us as well.
Let me just go to you first, Dan, because I know you're outside the home.
Give us a sense for what that neighborhood is like. Police described, of course, this elaborate hidden backyard. Is there any sense for that, based on where you are, where you're standing? Can you get a feel for it?
DAN SIMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Can't really see the backyard, Campbell, but should tell that you authorities including agents from the FBI still inside the home searching. We have seen some aerial video of the backyard. And basically, what it looks like, it looks like a series...
C. BROWN: All right. Hold on, Dan, just for a second.
I'm going to show people, because we have those aerial pictures while you're talking about it. You can take a look there. These are the aerial pictures go. Go ahead, Dan.
SIMON: Yes. It kind of looks like a series of tents sort of in the backyard, some blue tarp-like structures, we're told. At least on one of those structures, you could lock it from the outside. And it was there in the backyard according to authorities where the victim lived with her two children.
Now, I should tell that you the vehicle that was allegedly used in the abduction 18 years ago still here at the house. That is about to be removed. We're told that it looks like a gray sedan, something of that nature, still here at the house after all these years -- Campbell.
C. BROWN: Wow. Dan Simon. Stand by there, Dan.
I want to go to Brian now.
And, Brian, what we're hearing from police is Jaycee was in good physical condition. But I cannot even imagine. I mean, what about emotionally? How do you even begin helping somebody who has been through something like this? BRIAN RUSSELL, FORENSIC PSYCHOLOGIST: Well, Campbell, this case is a torrent of emotions for everyone involved and their loved ones and even just our viewers.
There's the horror of what happened to this girl. There is the elation that she was recovered alive. There is that anger that this guy was out of prison in order to do this. And without examining her personally, it was very difficult to make an assessment and a prognosis specific to her.
But what I can tell you is there will be a lot of people on TV in the days ahead who will say that she will never recover any semblance of normalcy to her life. And to me, I'm not willing to go there. I think this case is about hope. It's about hope for all the people out there watching us tonight who have someone who is missing that they can be found alive eventually. But you have got to hold out hope.
And I also hold out hope that with lots of help weathering this storm of emotions that she's going to be wrapped up in for quite -- for the foreseeable future, really, that she will get through it and have some semblance of a normal life still possible.
C. BROWN: All right. You know, you do hear, Brian, the term Stockholm syndrome thrown around a lot.
RUSSELL: Yes.
C. BROWN: Do you think that's what's going on here? I mean, it sounds like she never had a chance to escape.
RUSSELL: Well, it's possible. You will hear a lot of people in the next few days talking about Stockholm syndrome on television, Stockholm syndrome of course being the psychologist phenomenon where somebody becomes -- starts to identify with and have an affinity for their captors after their kidnapped.
That's one possible explanation. I can tell you, Campbell, that that is very, very, very rare. Elizabeth Smart, Patty Hearst are the cases that are talked about the most in the context of Stockholm syndrome.
I think what happens also, though, and maybe is more likely is something called learned helplessness or accommodation, where somebody seriously does eventually give up all hope of getting out of the situation to the point that they just sort of make the best of it. And you have got to remember duress also, because she wasn't with these folks very long, Campbell, before she was pregnant and had a child. And so she didn't have just herself to think about, but she had kids to think about for most of this time.
C. BROWN: All right, Pat, the kidnapper, from what we know, wasn't acting alone. He did it with his wife. How do you explain what was going on in their minds?
PAT BROWN, CRIMINAL PROFILER: Well, there's always a little sick spouse to go along with these kind of situations. When we look at the Austrian -- remember the Austrian guy who kept his own daughter imprisoned in his little jail cell down there in his house. His wife also cooperated. And she claimed she didn't know anything. But she had to actually know something.
We usually find that these people do have somebody to help them, somebody to help them kidnap. And one of the reasons women do these things is, first of all, they're pretty sick themselves. But they get tired of the demands of that husband. And they're told, you know, if you help me out, then you don't have to struggle so much. You don't have to suffer so much with all the things I want to do with you. If you just help me get a sex slave, I will relieve you of those duties.
She goes, oh, you -- hey, that is a great idea. So, she goes along with it. We're talking about a double psychopathy here, a horrible couple put together. And she's going to go with the defense that she had Stockholm syndrome. But she didn't. She is a psychopath as well. So, both of those people need to be put away for absolute forever. And they should find a really, really small cell for them.
(CROSSTALK)
C. BROWN: That was my question, Pat. Is there any -- I don't believe there is any rehabilitation for a sex offender, but is there any chance for he or his wife?
P. BROWN: Absolutely not. And who cares? I mean, you know, one of the things, the problems is, he was out. He was a sex offender. And people wanted to give him that chance before.
And what they did was they took away this girl's life. They took away the two children she has had. They destroyed their lives. And hopefully they will all be able to survive this somehow and go on. But for this one guy that we didn't want to put him in a cell, he has put three other people in a cell who are total innocent victims. And I think that's horrific. We really need to ratchet up those sex offender laws.
C. BROWN: All right.
My thanks to all of you. We're going to move on from there.
Tonight's big question when we come back is, how does this woman who was kidnapped so many years ago return to her family, return to normal life? Can she after this trauma? You're going to hear from Elizabeth Smart, who was also kidnapped and then reunited with her parents.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ELIZABETH SMART, FORMER KIDNAP VICTIM: Spend some time reconnecting. And I don't know. I -- 11 years is such a long period of time, but maybe, if it's possible, to think back and think of things that she used to enjoy being with her family and maybe going out and doing them again, and finding new things she would want to do with her family. (END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
C. BROWN: We want to get back now to this amazing story that is breaking out of California tonight, the 11-year-old girl kidnapped in 1991, forced to live in a backyard shed and discovered alive only yesterday.
Jaycee Dugard has now been reunited with her family, but authorities think she was forced to give birth to two of the suspect's children here. Just a short time ago, another kidnapped victim, Elizabeth Smart, who you will remember was held for nine months, sat down for an exclusive interview with our Anderson Cooper for tonight's "AC 360." She offered some advice for Jaycee going forward.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SMART: I would tell her to just relax and enjoy her family and spend some time reconnecting and -- I don't know. Eleven years is such a long period of time. But maybe if it's possible to think back and think of things that she used to enjoy being with her family and maybe going out and doing them again and finding new things she would want to do with her family. To continuing on with your life and not letting like this horrible event just take over and consume the rest of your life because we only have one life.
And it's a beautiful world out there. And there are so many things to learn and to see and to grow in. And I just would encourage her to find, you know, different passions in life and to continually push forward and learn more and reach more for them and not to look behind, because there's a lot out there.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
C. BROWN: Our big question, how does somebody recover from such a trauma? And Ed Smart, Elizabeth Smart's father, knows something about that. He is with us from Salt Lake City tonight.
And, Ed, you lived through this day with Elizabeth. Give us a sense based on your own experience what Jaycee's family must be going through right now.
ED SMART, ELIZABETH SMART'S FATHER: Well, you know, I think it's the most wonderful thing that you could hope for just, you know, that nightmare coming to an end, this miracle happening for their family. And I know it's complicated with the number of issues. But to have that come to an end, the not knowing is the worst thing. And so many of the people out there, so many of my friends that are out there still waiting to see their child come back home, this certainly gives them great hope and we're so happy for the Dugards and Jaycee that this has come to an end.
I just hear one more case being resolved and one more family being reunited, I just -- I'm just thrilled to death for them. C. BROWN: Ed, how does the healing process begin? I mean what were those first few days like when Elizabeth came home? How do you begin those difficult conversations to try to reconnect after so long?
ED SMART: Well, you know, there are so many concerns. You wonder what your child has been through. You know, what are the issues that you're going to have to deal with in the future? How do you best help your child, most importantly?
And I think Lois and I both felt that making sure that she knew that she was loved, that she had the support, that her family and extended family were back there ready to do anything for her and that the day we're not being judgmental. But, you know, she just was put into this situation. She did not choose to be in this situation.
Regardless of the Stockholm syndrome or anything, people get to a point where they just do what they have to to survive. And I know Elizabeth did that. And, you know, she's home today. And she's moving on with her life.
So I hope that's the way things work out for Jaycee and that, you know, having these two children, that they'll know there is a better life out there than what they have existed in, and that they can also move forward with her.
C. BROWN: Ed, the media are swarming, as you well know. How do you -- how did you protect Elizabeth when she came back home?
ED SMART: Well, you know, initially we did not have her out at all. We didn't have her in the public's eye for a period of time. I think that, you know, there is one way from the police station. But we really tried to let her, you know, come to terms with what she wanted to do and how we could reconnect with her before, you know, she stepped out into the public.
And, you know, friends and family are so important. And certainly family where she hasn't had any for 18 years, this is going to be so important for her to have. The feelings of love and the feeling that she has support and people that care for her. And certainly we felt very blessed with the prayers and the, you know, the love, the outpouring.
I will never forget it. This is one thing that Lois said. Our living room was covered with flowers. And there -- I mean it was just the most amazing sight that you've ever seen. The whole thing was just jam-packed. And, you know, there were thoughts of giving them away and doing this or that. And Lois said, no, I want Elizabeth to know how many people loved her and cared about her and wanted her home. And that's what Jaycee needs to know.
You know, in all of the trauma and all of the issues that she has to face, knowing that she's loved and that it's OK and that, you know, she's going to have a life after these 18 years is what's so important to her.
C. BROWN: And, Ed, I know this family, I'm sure will appreciate your advice. You're one of the few people, really, on the planet who they can probably relate to right now. We thank you so much for your time tonight and sharing some of your thoughts and insights on this with us. Appreciate it, Ed.
ED SMART: Thank you, Campbell.
C. BROWN: And we want everybody to stay tuned. Ed and Elizabeth smart are going to join Anderson tonight at "AC 360" at 10:00. You're not going to want to miss that.
And for the second week in a row, the east coast keeping a close eye on a tropical storm this time. It is Danny. We have the latest tracking for you when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
C. BROWN: Now we want to take a look at some of the other must- see stories of the day, HLN's Mike Galanos at CNN Center with tonight's download. Hi, Mike.
MIKE GALANOS, HLN PRIME NEWS: Hi, Campbell. Yes, you mentioned that Tropical Storm Danny strengthened slightly today. Coastal residents all the way from the Carolinas to New England are being advised to keep an eye on the storm.
Now Danny is expected to pick up speed and head north tomorrow. We'll be watching.
Well, federal investigators say they're worried about the safety of the skies over New York's hubs and rivers. This in the wake of the crash that killed nine people earlier this month. The NTSB says air traffic rules need to be rewritten so helicopters and private planes don't fly at the same altitude. They also say a controller should warn the pilot of a small plane that there was a sightseeing helicopter in its path.
Well, the Navy says Somali pirates fired on but missed one of its helicopters today. The chopper making a routine surveillance flight over a hijacked Taiwanese ship off the Somali coast. Now note there were no injuries. Pirates captured the ship and its crew back in April.
And Microsoft has issued a mea culpa for one of its web ads. The software giant took this photo of three business people. You see there one Asian, one black, and one white and altered it placing a white man's head on the black man's body. The photo appeared on the company's Polish Web site. Some eagle-eyed observers also noticed that the man's laptop appears to be a MAC with the Apple logo airbrushed out.
So that, Campbell, back to you.
C. BROWN: All right. Mike Galanos, of course, tonight. Mike, thanks very much.
We'd like to correct an error that was in one of our graphics used in last Friday's show. There was a map that showed an area labeled Kurdistan wrongly suggesting there was a country of that name, covering parts of Iraq, Iran and Turkey, while large numbers of Kurds live in all three countries. There is no state of Kurdistan. Our apologies for the mistake.
And this is no joke. A stand-up comic is being sued by her mother-in-law for telling mother-in-law jokes, like this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: With the first baby, the doctor said to me when the pain gets to be rough (ph) call us and we'll give you a pain blocker. And I said, too late, you should have given me a pain blocker for the first five years of my marriage. Hey, now. Because I have a Jewish mother-in-law.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
C. BROWN: Have you heard the one about the comedian whose act is built around wisecracks about her mother-in-law. Well, now she is being sued by, you guessed it, her mother-in-law.
It sounds like a joke but it isn't, especially since more than a dollop of racial and religious tension is involved here. Here's Sunda Croonquist making some of the jokes that started the trouble. See what you think.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SUNDA CROONQUIST, COMEDIAN: A black woman with a Jewish mother- in-law. Yes, you know the only thing we have in common is that we don't want to get our hair wet. Hey.
Now I realize there's a difference in the background with the African-American, colored, black, whatever you people call yourselves these days. Seriously, I just don't want to be named. It's difficult to pronounce like Shanigua (ph). Because in my mind, I'm thinking of a name short but delicious like Haddasa (ph) or Goldie.
Now I met Ruthie (ph) for the first time. And I walked in. I'm trying to be real polite. I said Ruthie (ph), thank you so much for having me. She said, oh, the pleasure is all mine, have a seat. Elliott, put my pocketbook away.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
C. BROWN: And joining me right now is Sunda Croonquist. Sunda, welcome to you. It's good to have you here.
SUNDA CROONQUIST, COMEDIAN: Thank you.
C. BROWN: So you are half black, half Swedish, Catholic. You converted to Judaism. You keep a kosher home, right?
CROONQUIST: Right.
C. BROWN: And all of that has provided fodder for a lot of the jokes, as we just saw.
But did you ever think that your family would really take offense to this degree?
CROONQUIST: Absolutely not. Considering the fact that I use my other side of the family, as well, as fodder for material.
C. BROWN: So this is a total surprise to you?
CROONQUIST: This was a shock. This was a shock coming to me.
C. BROWN: You've been with your husband for 15 years.
What was your relationship with your mother-in-law like before this?
CROONQUIST: Well, it was always -- I wasn't the perfect daughter-in-law, and I know that. I wasn't what they had in mind. Campbell Brown is somebody they had in mind. They would like to see you at the same table.
(LAUGHTER)
CROONQUIST: They didn't expect Sunda Croonquist to come and just take over.
C. BROWN: But over time, did that evolve?
CROONQUIST: Sure. Sure it evolved and we had a relationship. And so I've been doing these jokes for years and they're not -- they're family-oriented jokes, actually.
C. BROWN: She says that you portray her as -- as a racist.
CROONQUIST: And what do I say about everybody else in my act? I mean it's an act. And that's not necessarily being a racist when I say I put my pocketbook away. My mother used to say that. A lot of grandmothers say that.
C. BROWN: It's a joke, right?
CROONQUIST: It's a joke.
C. BROWN: And it's intended as a joke?
CROONQUIST: Exactly.
Where's your pocketbook right now?
C. BROWN: Have you explained that to her? I mean have you been able to talk about it or no?
CROONQUIST: No, no, no. We haven't been able to speak and legally I can't be in contact with her.
C. BROWN: Your husband, he is a lawyer.
CROONQUIST: Yes.
C. BROWN: And his law firm is representing you in a legal battle with his mother.
I mean this -- you know, there are huge issues here for him, I'm guessing, huh?
CROONQUIST: Of course, can you imagine how embarrassing when you get back to his firm, you have to face these people at Abrams, Fensterman (ph), and they know that his wife is being sued by his mother.
C. BROWN: So how is your family dealing with this?
CROONQUIST: It was -- it was very, very -- I've said this many times, but there were very dark moments. I had very dark moments, because in my world and in my life, I can't begin to think of people in Hollywood at The Laugh Factory who would know who these characters are. I mean it's one of those characters.
C. BROWN: But you -- but you have been specific and just your -- it was your sister-in-law and her husband, they're also upset about the way you portrayed them and they say you've identified them by name and revealed where they work, where they live, that kind of thing. And -- and it's...
CROONQUIST: Who cares? Does anybody care?
Is anybody going there to see them. Does anyone care? Does anybody really care? No. But now they do. And it's not my fault. So now everybody knows.
C. BROWN: So why not just drop them from the routine? Why not the routine?
(CROSSTALK)
CROONQUIST: Let them drop everything. Because that's my act. And it's like me asking you why don't you stop doing this, Campbell?
Sing. I want you to stand up here and sing.
C. BROWN: No, but you're -- you're a funny, talented woman. You could -- you could certainly joke about other things.
CROONQUIST: Of course I can, but my family is part of my act. And when you have a black and Jewish family, that is fodder for material. That is gold and you're not throwing that away.
C. BROWN: So do you think this can be resolved peacefully?
I read it goes before a judge September 8th. CROONQUIST: I am a nervous wreck. I don't know what's going to happen. I just don't know what's going to happen.
And I don't know - I do know this has strengthened our family. I mean we had a really bad time for a moment. My husband and I had really bad times.
I'm like you've got to call your mother. You know, that's the first thing that came to my mind was you'd better call her and talk to her. This is crazy. Because the way it came to my attention is I was going for a job -- not a job but, you know, an audition.
C. BROWN: Right.
CROONQUIST: And someone had Googled me and I came up in a legal section stating that I was, you know, in impending litigation for slander, assault and libel. And that's terrible. So nobody ever looks at that end. Nobody ever says, oh my God, look what we did to Sunday. It's not funny, you know.
C. BROWN: No. No.
(CROSSTALK)
For a comedian, this is --
CROONQUIST: Yes, seriously.
C. BROWN: This is not a funny position to be in.
CROONQUIST: Right. Because if I were to Google you and see that you were up for charges like that, I would say I don't want to work with her, you know, so that's -- that's -- that's business. And it's -- that's business. And that's just inappropriate.
C. BROWN: And again, that was comedian Sunda Croonquist who is being sued by her mother-in-law.
In tonight's "Money and Main Street," you may have been scared away from the single best way of making money for your retirement. We're going to tell why you don't have to be scared anymore when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
C. BROWN: "Money and Main Street" tonight. A year ago you were probably jolted when you opened your 401(k) statement. Well, have you looked at it again lately? You should. You might be surprised.
And we've got Ryan Mack, financial adviser and president of Optimum Capital Management here. So give us the big news. There is good news about 401(k)s, Ryan. Tell us.
RYAN MACK, PRES., OPTIMUM CAPITAL MANAGEMENT: Well, there definitely is good news. I think that individuals who look at their statements now are seeing quite of a joke when you're up 46 percent from the lows of March 9th in S&P and from the Dow Jones, up 51 percent from the March 9th lows in the Dow Jones. So we're definitely seeing some good results and the market is recovering again.
C. BROWN: What we do know that last year at least a lot of people disengaged and just got out.
MACK: Yes.
C. BROWN: What do they do now? I mean --
MACK: Well, essentially, with the 401(k), there's a lot of strategy that you have to implement. You know, we don't want to have knee-jerk reactions.
You know, 2000, the market was high. 2003, it was low. 2007 it was high. Now, it was low in 2009.
So we want to do now is just make sure we have a dollar cost investment strategy that makes sure that's right and in asset allocation is appropriate for our age level for what we want to do. If you're 25 years old and your asset allocation is 10 percent stocks and 90 percent bonds, you might want to adjust that to take on a little bit more risk because you have more times to deal with the ebbs and flows.
C. BROWN: Right.
MACK: But if you're --
C. BROWN: But if you're 65 or 55 or --
MACK: And you have 90 percent stocks and 10 percent bonds, you might want to think about retirement, you want to have a little bit more of a fixed income strategy for the long run.
C. BROWN: All right.
MACK: Yes, definitely. So, I mean, at the end of the day, these are the things that we have to do. Don't make knee-jerk reactions. Look to see what type of a plan you have. Take advantage of the rollover IRAs that you have and enter your IRA if you leave your job. Make sure that all these things are in place for the long run.
C. BROWN: All right. Well, at least starting to look up a little bit. Ryan Mack for us tonight. Ryan, thanks very much. Appreciate it.
MACK: Definitely (ph). Thank you.
C. BROWN: And for more on financial awareness and security plus ways to find the perfect portfolio, answer seven simple questions at CNN.com/moneyandmainstreet and you will be on your way.
We're going to be right back with more breaking news tonight on this shocking kidnapping case of Jaycee Dugard. That's happening in just a minute. Stay with us. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
C. BROWN: We are getting back now to tonight's breaking news. And you are looking at a live picture, an aerial shot of the backyard in Antioch, California, where Jaycee Dugard, this young girl who has been reunited with her family after 18 years. This is where she was held, where she lived with her two children, all of this time. And Randi Kaye has been tracking this story for us.
And what we have learned is that one of the suspects arrested in the kidnapping of this little girl back in 1991 has just spoken out in a jailhouse interview. Randi is in Los Angeles with more on this.
Randi, what do we know?
KAYE: Well, there is a phone interview with our affiliate KRCA. And this is the strangest interview.
I was just reading a transcription of it. It's really about -- he talks about how this is really about humanity and that the real truth about this case will come out and whether or not he -- seems to be almost working with Jaycee Dugard. He keeps saying that he and Jaycee will work with this and this is a moment of beautiful things.
He talks about the children that he fathered with her, the two children, one 11 years old, one 15 years old. And he says the youngest one was born from that moment things turned around. He talks a lot about turning life around and how the federal government will understand, and that what we're really going to see here when everything comes out, Campbell, is a very heartwarming, powerful story.
He seems to think that he turned somebody's life around here, possibly Jaycee Dugard's. We're not sure. But it's a very, very interesting interview from the jailhouse.
As you know, he's a convicted sex offender. He was out on parole. He served time for kidnapping and rape in the state of Nevada. And he supposedly, according to the authorities, admitted at the police station yesterday that he is the one along with his wife, Nancy, who took Jaycee from just nearby her bus stop back in June of 1991. She was just about to get on her bus. And he says he took her and he says that he fathered these two children with her, Campbell, according to authorities.
C. BROWN: So, he's clearly a complete psychopath here, Randi. And I know we'll be learning a lot more about him in the days ahead.
As far as you know, the family, though, has been reunited at this point, right? Jaycee is with her mother? They've actually physically been able to reach each other?
KAYE: Yes. From what I understand, her mom was flying to meet where they could all meet in the area where she turned herself in in Northern California, and along with her sister who was just 1 1/2 when she disappeared. So this will be really interesting for them to get together.
I spoke with the stepfather today. He's also looking forward to seeing her. He was in the driveway when she was taken and saw the people grab her. So he's really looking forward to seeing her again as well.
C. BROWN: I can't imagine what this family has been through and what a day for that mother to lay eyes on her girl again. Randi Kaye for us tonight. Randi, thanks so much.
That is it for us tonight. "LARRY KING LIVE" will have a lot more on this coming up just after this.
