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American Morning
Strangled At Yale; FBI Arrests Afghan National; Police Arrest Suspect in Yale Student Murder
Aired September 17, 2009 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
T.J. HOLMES, CNN HOST: Meanwhile, right now, I got a lot for you to see this hour. We're at the top of the hour here on this AMERICAN MORNING. Hello, to you all. I'm T.J. Holmes, sitting in for John Roberts today on this Thursday, September 17th.
KIRAN CHETRY, CNN HOST: Good to have you with us this morning, T.J. and meanwhile here's what's going on the morning agenda. These are the big stories we're going to be breaking down for you in the next 15 minutes.
We are awaiting any moment now a press conference on the case of the Yale grad student who was found dead on her wedding day. There's a live look from New Haven, Connecticut. Police now say an arrest is imminent. We will have that for you the second it starts.
HOLMES: Also, the search for evidence of an Al Qaeda terror plot moving across the country this morning, specifically to Colorado. The FBI searching the home of an Afghan national who's at the center of their investigation. His visit to New York over the 9/11 weekend prompted raids on three apartments here. We're live with the latest developments.
CHETRY: Also, President Obama fired up about health care and hoping to seize on any momentum after the unveiling of the long-awaited health plan from the Senate. So far, though, those on the right and left don't seem to like the plan, so what went wrong and will the plan's critics in both parties come around?
First, though, our top story. And we're awaiting new details on the murder of Yale graduate student Annie Le. New Haven police now tell us that an arrest is imminent and police are holding a press conference. It's set to take place any minute now.
Right now, it's still unclear whether evidence points to lab technician Raymond Clark. He was only called a "person of interest" in this case, but has been under police surveillance. He worked in the building where Le's body was found.
Our Mary Snow has been following this story from the very beginning and joins us live in New Haven, Connecticut.
And what are you hearing now, as you had heard -- we thought this press conference was going to take place at 7:00 a.m. Eastern Time. It's been pushed back. They said possibly as long as an hour, and now, we're past that mark as well. MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Kiran, it's unclear why that delay happened. As you mentioned, though, the police have been saying that they have been keeping Raymond Clark under police surveillance even though he was not in custody. And we do know that overnight, police have been surrounding an area, about 30 miles away from New Haven through the night.
Police have been also saying -- the police chief said what this investigation is really hinging on is DNA and they expedited DNA analysis, have been working 24 hours around the clock. Raymond Clark was taken into custody Tuesday night and held for about five hours. He was taken into custody to get DNA evidence. Police also executed four search warrants, and part of that was getting evidence from his home and also seized his car.
Police say that they had been waiting for any kind of DNA match before they moved further. And while they only described him as a "person of interest," they said one distinction that they did make is that he was the only "person of interest" where they had sought search warrants and they sought four of them.
Police, though, when asked about what relationship he might have had with Annie Le, the graduate student who was murdered, they would only say that they worked in the same building today. He is a lab technician and she was a researcher.
Her body, of course, was found on Sunday. The medical examiner is saying yesterday that the cause of death was strangulation. The medical examiner, though, did not make that full report available and would not have anything else to say about how she was killed -- Kiran?
CHETRY: All right. Mary Snow for us and we'll continue to check in with you again. We'll go to New Haven as soon as they give us word that the press conference is beginning.
HOLMES: Also developing this morning, more bones found on the California property belonging to Nancy and Phillip Garrido, as well as the property next door. Police say they can't tell at this point if the bones are human. The Garridos are accused of kidnapping Jaycee Dugard when she was 11, and keeping her in a makeshift compound in their backyard for some 18 years. Authorities have been searching for evidence that could link the couple to at least two other child abductions.
And another story developing this morning, the FBI shifting the focus of a terrorism investigation after raids earlier this week in New York.
CHETRY: Yes. Agents raided the suburban Denver home of an Afghan national who is at the center of this investigation. He's believed to have ties to al Qaeda.
Deb Feyerick is following this story for us this morning.
And it's, you know, a little complicated. I think that -- as you said -- this was part of an ongoing investigation and then because of what happened and the timing, and that it was in New York City, things took a turn.
DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's exactly right. And as one of the guests earlier said, really it was a perfect storm. Now, this investigation did start in Denver. It took federal agents to New York. But whether New York is the end point or just a stopping point along the way, with more raids to come, is an open question.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FEYERICK (voice-over): With some New York City residents on edge, an investigation into a possible terror strike ongoing this morning. FBI agents searched the Denver home of an Afghan man who recently traveled across the country. He's 24-year-old Najibullah Zazi, an airport limo driver who moved from New York to Denver six months ago.
This is FBI Director Robert Mueller answered questions on Capitol Hill about Monday's pre-dawn raid on two apartments in Queens, New York.
SEN. CHARLES SCHUMER (D), NEW YORK: Could you assure New Yorkers and the American public that the situation is under sufficient control and there is no imminent danger to their safety?
ROBERT MUELLER, FBI DIRECTOR: I can say that I do not believe there is imminent danger from that particular investigation.
FEYERICK: So far, no one has been arrested. CNN affiliate KUSA in Denver spoke to Zazi and his lawyer. He says Zazi went to New York to resolve an issue related to a vending cart business, and denied that Zazi has any ties to terrorism.
ARTHUR FOLSOM, NAJIBULLAH ZAZI'S ATTORNEY: I think the main thing he wants people to understand is that he had absolutely nothing to do with this. He loves this country. He loves living here. That's why he brought his family over here.
FEYERICK: During the trip, Zazi was stopped by police before crossing the George Washington Bridge for what he was told was a random drug stop. Later, his rental car was towed for alleged parking violations. Police asked if they could search the car and examine a laptop while it was impounded. Zazi agreed.
Zazi's return visit to New York prompted FBI agents to raid the two homes of people he contacted.
One of the men questioned by agents spoke to us on condition we not use his name. The man said while not close, he's known Zazi for about seven years. He ran into him at a Queens mosque and agreed to let him stay at his place for the night. Quote, "He's Pashtun. You can't turn away a fellow Pashtun," said the acquaintance who did not see Zazi leave the next day.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FEYERICK: And there are several events that have put New York on heightened security, the 9/11 anniversary and a recent visit by President Obama to Wall Street, and the upcoming United Nations General Assembly when world leaders will gather next week. And, you know, as you said, take one set of facts, put it in the Midwest, move it over to New York, and it takes on a whole different light.
HOLMES: And that's what we saw happened here. A press report has got, and this thing kind of ratchet up.
FEYERICK: A little bit.
HOLMES: All right. Deb Feyerick, we appreciate you this morning. Thank you.
Some other stories new that we're keeping an eye on, first folk singer Mary Travers, dead. She was the Mary in the singing group Peter, Paul & Mary. The trio is best known for its hit "Puff the Magic Dragon." The band's publicist says Travers died Wednesday in Connecticut.
CHETRY: Well, actor Burt Reynolds has checked into a drug rehab clinic. His manager says he wants to, quote, "regain control of his life." A short statement released doesn't say when or where Reynolds checked himself in, but it does say that he became reliant on prescription pain pills after recently having back surgery.
HOLMES: And R&B singer Chris Brown working it out, picking up trash on the side of the road at police horse stables in Virginia. This is part of his punishment for beating his ex-girlfriend, singer Rihanna. The community service is part of a sentence that also includes five years of probation and 12 months of domestic violence counseling.
CHETRY: Well, it was the big hope in Washington. It was supposed to be the bipartisan bill that would make it through the Senate...
HOLMES: Yes.
CHETRY: ... and hopefully find a way to reconcile in the House. However, you have people on the right and left, senators saying they can't support it. So, what happens now?
We're going to be talking with two independent analysts, John Avlon and Jennifer Donahue about where we go from here. Max Baucus is laying out his plan, and immediately the critics pouncing.
Eight minutes after the hour.
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CHETRY: Ten minutes after the hour right now. A look at the White House this morning. Washington, D.C. is cloudy at 65 degrees. A little bit later, a few hours in the forecast, and it's not getting much warmer, up to high of only 68 today in the nation's capital.
Welcome back to the "Most News in the Morning."
President Obama is keeping up his renewed push for health care reform today. He's hoping to build on the momentum after the unveiling of Senator Max Baucus' plan. So far, the $856 billion proposal is not enjoying much support from either side of the aisle.
Here's just a quick look at what this bill would mandate. Insurance for all Americans; it would create health care co-ops, but not have a public option. It would create tax credits to help low and middle income families buy insurance. It also puts new restrictions on insurance companies, and again, no pre-existing conditions -- people cannot be denied coverage.
Joining me to talk about it, Jennifer Donahue, political director at the New Hampshire Institute of Politics, and also, John Avlon, columnist and Daily Beast author, also -- blogger rather -- and author of "Independent Nation." Easy for me to say this morning.
Thanks to both of you for being with us.
So, let me just talk about what this bill was. It was the bill that people seemed to be waiting for, right? They expected it to be the most moderate bill, the one that involved Republicans, and now, you have people from the "gang of six," others in the Senate saying, "I can't sign on to this," on both sides of the aisle.
So, what's going on, John?
JOHN AVLON, COLUMNIST, THEDAILYBEAST.COM: Well, it's part of being a centrist. You know, liberals think you're conservative, conservatives think you're liberal, and frequently you anger people on the extremes on both sides. And that's the state of the Baucus bill is in right now.
But I do think, it's important to remember, this is a road map for health care reform. This is going to evolve further, there are going to be amendments. Senator Olympia Snowe said she may be open to this.
And if the idea of the president pushed in this speech, that people in Congress agree on around 80 percent of the health care bill, part of the big 20 percent was the public option. Well, public option is not part of Max Baucus' bill. This is a good start towards building something that looks like a consensus bill. And if it doesn't attract bipartisan support, that says as much about the poisonous partisan tone in Washington as it does this bill.
CHETRY: You know, it's interesting, though, Jennifer, because you have people like, even Senator Rockefeller, who's a Democrat, out of a -- out of West Virginia, saying what this basically boils down to is, you know, some of my constituents, the coal miners, the working people, are ending up going to be paying more for health care. And that's why he can't support it.
You have a Democrat saying that. And where does that leave this bill?
JENNIFER DONAHUE, POLITICAL DIRECTOR, NEW HAMPSHIRE INST. OF POLITICS: Well, the biggest problem that Senator Baucus and President Obama have is the Democrats, actually. It's the sort of liberal wing of the party doesn't like what's in this bill. They don't like the lack of a public option. They don't think it goes far enough. They don't like that it's not really the mandate they feel the public wants. I think what we see right now is this sort of leverage game. It's like a tennis match where we had an advantage from the White House, when everybody wanted health care, and then Republicans thought they were getting traction on being the "party of no" and opposing anything that came forward over the summer with the bitter partisan debate and the town hall meetings. I think a lot of people in the middle, the centrists that John is talking about became sort of turned off. And now, really, we're going into a phase where the question of how it's going to be paid for is going to rule the day.
And I think the devil's in the details on all of this, as it's gotten more specific, it's gotten more controversial.
CHETRY: Yes.
DONAHUE: And the Republicans seem to have decided that saying no is a good strategy.
CHETRY: A couple of the things when you talk about some of some of the details. One is fines for people that should get insurance.
AVLON: Right.
CHETRY: If you make a certain amount of money and you don't want to get insurance, you're going to be fined for it. It's not going to be worth your while not to get insurance. How is that going to go over with some independents who, you know, may say, "Listen, I may want to decide for himself here"?
AVLON: The number one problem with health care for many independents is the growth of government. It's this idea that government is getting more involved in areas they shouldn't be. So the individual mandates, that Mitt Romney tried out in Massachusetts, could be a real problem.
It matters what the threshold is. One of the real debates right now is -- if some folks who are making three times the poverty rate, $66,000 a year, could be fined as much as $3,800. That's a big chunk of change. I think you're going to see in committee, that number get reduced. So, it's not as much of a burden.
Remember, politics in America is determined by moderates and the middle-class at the end of the day. It's very important that -- this bill is being seen as friendly to the middle-class voters and just middle-class Americans who are feeling such a squeeze right now in today's economy.
CHETRY: Go ahead, Jennifer.
DONAHUE: You know, I would have to say, though, while I agree that politics are determined by the people in the middle, the people voting on it are the people in the left and right. And so far, the people on the right are getting more play and more of a play book for 2010 out of saying no and being an opposition party than they are out of considering real health reform legislation. I think... CHETRY: Yes. But, Jennifer, the interesting thing, though, is where they are getting a lot of pushback right now. I mean, we talked to Congressman Anthony Weiner. He says, without a public option, it's not worth our time. It's not worth the money. It's not going to save money in the long run and it's not going to make sense.
So, they're getting a lot of pushback, actually, from liberal Democrats.
DONAHUE: Absolutely. The White House can't win right now. They go right, they get hit by the right. They go left, they get hit by the left for not going far enough.
But I'll tell you, sitting in Massachusetts this morning that front page of the "Boston Globe" is, "Health insurance coverage going up, rates going up, people paying more." The reality is, this has to be paid for. And what we have to see now is the details. Will the public accept -- and that's moderates, Democrats, Republicans -- the cost measures and how to pay for it.
CHETRY: Right.
DONAHUE: That's much more important than whether there's a public option in terms of how it's going to affect both parties in 2010. And that's all each side is looking at in how to get this moved forward.
AVLON: And there's no question, given the menu of options, this is the more fiscally responsible option. The nonprofit co-op plan that puts up in the marketplace would cost the government $6 billion as opposed to $500 billion and up for the public option.
When folks on the far left of the Democratic Party who have made the case very explicitly, they want a public option because they see it as a step towards-single payer. That is precisely what folks in the moderate majority of Americans do not want. That is a source of a lot of the anger we've seen at the town halls.
This is...
DONAHUE: Absolutely.
AVLON: If you look at President Obama, his numbers are hurting most when it comes to concerns about the deficit and health care. Those two issues are intertwined. That's why this bill is a step in the right direction.
DONAHUE: But, John, do you think is it -- it's a step in the right direction, but is there really any way to pay for a bill like this without touching the deficit or increasing taxes? Do you genuinely think that's realistic and plausible?
AVLON: The CBO actually scored this bill and said it would reduce the deficit over 10 years by $49 billion.
DONAHUE: Over 10.
AVLON: So, that's a step in the right direction.
CHETRY: Yes. All right. And that's really what anybody can hope for, is it's going to take a decade, I mean, from where we are right now with the deficit.
AVLON: Yes.
CHETRY: So that's also one of the big concerns. We're going to see how much the president's push -- he's out there. He's going out there all day today. He's going to be on all the shows. We'll be talking about this. We'll see whether that makes a dent in some of the public opinion about it.
But, John Avlon, great to talk to you as always. Jennifer Donahue, thanks for you as well. Thanks for coming in.
And now, we also know that you guys have a lot of questions about health care reform, helping you sort fact from fiction and putting all the answers on the line. So go to CNN.com/healthcare.
Also, don't forget -- this Sunday, President Obama sits down with our own John King. He's going to be on CNN's "STATE OF THE UNION." It's a can't-miss interview airing Sunday, 9:00 a.m. Eastern right here on CNN.
T.J.?
HOLMES: And you want to stick around with us this morning, because coming up in just a bit, Kiran is going to be interviewing four men who will be wearing more makeup than she is. You can probably guess who I'm talking about here, KISS celebrating 35 years. They'll be here with us. They'll be live.
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HOLMES: Good morning, everybody. Good morning, New York -- 58 degrees. A little cloudy, a little gloomy today. Expecting a little rain; possibly, a high of 66 degrees.
That, folks, New York, is not where the rich, young Americans are living. You might think, maybe, that a lot are living there, but apparently not the highest concentration. They are actually, where? D.C.
CHETRY: D.C.?
HOLMES: They are in D.C.
CHETRY: I was going to say Atlanta, just for you to make you feel better.
HOLMES: Oh, no, we're broke down there.
There's a new report that says the highest concentration of 25 to 34- year-olds making more than 100 grand -- Christine, that's not rich these days, is it?
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Oh, it's rich in most the country.
HOLMES: With that said -- yes, 100 grand a year, and living in counties around the nation's capital. That's the highest concentration. The appeal of Washington is believed to be jobs, strong education, health care institutions and a moderate climate and easy access to recreational...
ROMANS: It's where the money has been.
(CROSSTALK)
ROMANS: ... people got the money, and it's our money.
HOLMES: But D.C. is expensive to live in.
ROMANS: It is. It is.
HOLMES: In and around D.C., 100 grand.
ROMANS: But that's -- look, that's where -- a lot of people say that the center of the American economy has shifted from Wall Street to Washington. And some would say that's not necessarily a good thing. But that's the way it is.
HOLMES: Because government is growing and there's always going to be some government jobs.
ROMANS: And there's going to be a lot of lobbying jobs there, a lot of lobbying jobs. Where there's money to be passed out, there are people making money trying to influence the debate.
HOLMES: And we're talking to you this morning. We're talking about houses before. We're talking about...
CHETRY: Now we're talking about our ride.
ROMANS: Talking about cars. And I swear, I did not tailor this for Kiran at all, who drives a...
CHETRY: I get a lot (INAUDIBLE) because I have a mini van. I have a Chrysler Town and Country. Yes, I do, and I absolutely love it.
ROMANS: OK. Well, let me just say this. This is a new...
(CROSSTALK)
ROMANS: The American automakers are trying to figure out how to get your money, how to get you to buy new cars, how to upgrade, how to keep moving, because cash for clunkers is over. We've heard last week that G.M. is going to have 60-day money-back guarantee. And now, we're hearing that Chrysler is leasing vehicles again. After it filed for bankruptcy, it hasn't been leasing. It's now back in the leasing business with GMAC. Effective today, you'll be able to lease a 2010 model year Chrysler, Jeep, and Dodge. They're actually having some special leasing rates available on the Chrysler Town and Country and the Dodge Caravan. And there are no-interest loans or $4,500 rebates on some 2009 cars for Chrysler and some cash-back of about $3,000, some incentives there on 2010 models.
Now, remember, after cash for clunkers is over, you know, there's a lot of concern that people are going to sit back and they're not going to be out there buying new cars in droves. And, of course, out of coming out of bankruptcy, this is something that American automakers absolutely need. The Fiat CEO -- Fiat, of course, took over Chrysler through its bankruptcy process and after.
And the Fiat CEO recently said that Chrysler's condition was way worse than they thought and now, they've got they got control of the company and that they are sort of revamping their business plan for November. So, there's still a lot of challenges ahead for Ford and G.M. -- I'm sorry, for G.M. and Chrysler. Ford did not file bankruptcy.
So, we'll wait and see post-clunkers what the landscape's going to look like for these automakers. But I think you can expect to see incentives. Chrysler leasing again with some new incentives -- 60-day cash back guarantee, money back guarantee for G.M. You know, it's still kind of a buyer's market there if you've got the money and the confidence to go out and be buying a car right now.
CHETRY: If you have the money and confidence to drive a minivan, T.J., now's the time to act.
HOLMES: I have neither the money nor the confidence.
ROMANS: Nor the taste.
(LAUGHTER)
HOLMES: But, no, people are expecting deals. People will just wait. They're expecting cash for the house. They're expecting cash for the cars.
ROMANS: It's true. And some would say that, you know, you need demand to come back at a normal level, not to have these incentives to spur demand. But people are -- people are a little nervous, you know, and they're justifiably nervous with their money. So, it takes something to get people to open their wallet.
HOLMES: Christine Romans, appreciate it as always.
ROMANS: Sure.
CHETRY: All right. We're going to take a quick break and when we come back, we're going to be talking about the issue of these attacks on the president when it comes to the health care debate. Is it legitimate policy concerns or is there an element of racism?
It's 24 minutes past the hour. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: It's 26 minutes past the hour right now. Welcome back to the "Most News in the Morning."
Former President Jimmy Carter is backing up his statement that racism is fueling some of the protests and anger directed at President Obama. Here's what he had to say to students at Emory University in Atlanta.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JIMMY CARTER, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: When a radical fringe element of demonstrators and others begin to attack the president of the United States of America as an animal, or as a reincarnation of Adolf Hitler, or when they wave signs in the air that said we should have buried Obama with Kennedy -- those kind of things are beyond the bounds of the way presidents have ever been accepted, even with people who disagree.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Republicans are blasting former President Carter, calling on the White House to fire back as well. The RNC chairman, Michael Steele, who is the first black man to serve as head of the RNC, says that too many Democrats are playing the race card.
CHETRY: Then you have Rush Limbaugh and some of the other conservatives saying that it's whites who are being persecuted. So, is this explosive debate over race, policy, or a little bit of both?
Our senior political correspondent Candy Crowley breaks it down.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CANDY CROWLEY, CNN POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Race and politics is a combustible combo, and it explodes into headlines when an ex-president lights the fuse, as Jimmy Carter did on NBC.
CARTER: An overwhelming portion of the intensely demonstrated animosity toward President Barack Obama is based on the fact that he is a black man.
CROWLEY: There is a tiny part of this argument that is not an argument.
ROLAND MARTIN, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: We cannot deny that race does indeed have an impact in our society.
CROWLEY: Racism is there to see online and on the signs...
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHETRY: Sorry about that. We're going to get back to Candy Crowley in just a moment. Here's the New Haven Police Department holding a press conference about the murder of Yale grad student, Annie Le. CHIEF JAMES LEWIS, NEW HAVEN POLICE DEPT.: Good morning. I apologize for the delay this morning. With me today is Chief Jim Perotti from Yale P.D., special agent in charge of the FBI in Connecticut, Kim Mertz, and the commissioner of the Connecticut State Police, John Danaher. They each have a short statement after I read my prepared statement.
About 20 minutes ago, an arrest warrant was signed by the Honorable Judge Fischer, charging Clark for the murder and the death of Annie Le. Bond has been set at $3 million. A few minutes ago, Raymond Jay Clark III, 24 years of age of Middleton, Connecticut, was arrested at a motel in Connecticut. Annie Le was reported missing on September 8th and a missing person investigation was started by Yale P.D. with the assistance of the FBI, Connecticut State Police, and New Haven P.D.
On Saturday the 12th, Connecticut State Police secured the building at 10 Amistad Street in order to conduct a thorough forensic review of that building. The afternoon of the 12th, the New Haven P.D. assumed the lead in the criminal investigation in this case. Close to 300 items have been seized this in investigation and detectives have worked around the clock on this case.
Based upon numerous interviews, forensic evidence, and information learned from reviewing video surveillance, detectives have secured the arrest warrant for Clark. This arrest warrant has been sealed. So, no further information can be released in order to comply with this court order.
Annie Le was a young woman with unlimited potential. Her loss will be deeply felt by her family, friends, and the community. I think it's important to note this is not about urban crime, it's not about university crime, it's not about domestic crime -- but an issue of workplace violence, which has become a growing concern around the country.
You know, I want to -- I can't thank enough the Connecticut State Police, the FBI, and Yale P.D. This was about as smooth an operation among four agencies as I've seen in my 39 years. Every agency offered everything they could bring forward and have progressively pursued this investigation to what we believe is a successful conclusion. So, I would first like to invite the commissioner.
JOHN DANAHER, COMMISSIONER, CONNECTICUT STATE POLICE: Thank you, Chief.
On behalf of the Department of Public Safety, we certainly want to extend our profound sympathies to the family of Annie Le, of her fiance, to everyone that was affected by this tragedy. I echo what the chief said that this was an extraordinary cooperative involving four law enforcement agencies. As the chief said, people worked around the clock. That was not an idle statement. That was literal truth with regard to all agencies.
For our part, for the Department of Public Safety, our major crime squads and our forensic scientists have performed extraordinary work, as have all the agencies involved.
Our commitment, our promise is that we will continue to provide all support necessary to New Haven P.D. We will do what is necessary to bring this case to an appropriate conclusion. That is our obligation and our commitment to Annie Le, to her family -- Jen?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you, chief. I would like to acknowledge the dedication and professionalism of the employees of the New Haven Police Department, the Yale University Police Department, the Connecticut state police, and the FBI, who have worked tirelessly throughout this investigation.
I would also like to acknowledge the assistance provided in the case by the FBI's polygraph unit and behavioral analysis unit.
Lastly, it is important to recognize Lieutenant Lisa Dadio and the members of the New Haven Police Department's major crimes unit. I have been able to witness firsthand what a talented team Chief Lewis has, and they have been working around the clock to ensure the individual responsible for the murder of Annie Le is brought to justice.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Good morning. I'm proud of the contribution of the men and women of the Yale Police Department for their work on this case.
The Yale community is grateful for the collaborative efforts of the New Haven police, the state police, and the FBI and for their tireless devotion over the last eight days to the difficult task of finding Annie and determining who is responsible for this horrible crime.
The Yale Police Department and the Yale Security Department pledge to do everything they can to support the state's attorney in his prosecution of this case.
And we are eager to focus our attention on the day-to-day activities of serving the faculty, staff, and students of Yale as we do our part to keep our city safe. Thank you.
CHIEF JAMES LEWIS, NEW HAVEN POLICE DEPARTMENT: I know this doesn't make your job any easier, but I cannot answer any questions about anything that's in the document that's been sealed by the court. If there's other questions, I'll try to answer them as long as you stay away from that area.
Yes?
QUESTION: Can you tell us where the suspect goes now, and will he be arraigned today?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He will be brought to one Union Station here today. We're expecting him to be arraigned today or tomorrow?
(Inaudible)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Within the next 24 hours. He may not make it today. But he's on his way here to the station.
QUESTION: Chief, what was his demeanor when he was arrested? Can you tell us a little bit about how the arrest went down?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There were no issues with the arrest. It went smoothly.
QUESTION: Can you tell us if it was a DNA match?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's in the sealed document.
QUESTION: Is there anything you can tell us about what evidence first led you to suspect minimum and what evidence led you to the point that you came up with an arrest warrant?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Only what I've told you, that we have reviewed tapes, we have interviewed about 150 people, but nothing more specific than that. I'm sorry. It's in the document. I can't talk about anything that's in the --
QUESTION: You've talked about the polygraph...
T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: All right, listening again to the police, and the word we are getting, which we thought we were going to get and that we have indeed gotten this morning is that, in fact, they have arrested the lab technician, Raymond Clark III, arrested and now being charged with the murder of Annie Le, the Yale student whose body was found on her wedding day, which was this past Sunday, but she had been missing for almost a week.
Her body was found officially in the wall of that lab, the basement of that building where she had been working.
Saying some interesting things here, a lot of people wondering about motive, why? Was she targeted? The police chief there making an interesting statement that this was not about domestic violence, this was not a situation of campus violence. Call this an episode of workplace violence.
So who knows what that means? He says the actual arrest warrant has now been sealed, so we're probably not going to get a whole lot more information.
But bond set at $3 million. The judge signed an arrest warrant and in fact they had called this man only a person of interest for quite some time. Obviously, he was their suspect.
But they had got some DNA evidence from him and actually let him go, kept him under surveillance, but essentially let him go, kept an eye on him, knew where he was. But he wasn't arrested and it sounds like just at about 8:10, what the officer said, is they finally got their guy.
KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: That's right. And we had our CNN producer there outside of that hotel or motel area where this happened. Julian Cummings joins us on the phone right now with more about what he saw this morning as this arrest went down -- Julian?
JULIAN CUMMINGS, CNN PRODUCER, (via telephone): Hey, Kiran. How are you?
CHETRY: Hey there. What did you see this morning?
CUMMINGS: We're at the Super 8 motel, and the scene was police waiting outside the motel, moving around, kind of waiting as we were. And then at 8:10, about nine police cars came in with sirens on, the road was closed.
And they went to the back of the motel, and a lot of waiting there again. At one point, we saw them take him out in handcuffs. And just now, they just pulled away, heading towards what we believe is New Haven.
CHETRY: And we just heard from the police chief there that he said this arrest went down with no problems. And as we had said before, he was named -- Clark was called a person of interest all this time, but there was a lot of talk -- police were trying to keep this as tightly under wraps as possible -- but there was talk that an arrest was imminent this morning.
And I guess what they were just waiting for was that arrest warrant to be signed by a judge, right?
CUMMINGS: Correct. Yes. This went down with no problem at all. There was a major police presence. You know, we saw him walk out in handcuffs. He was wearing a white shirt. There was no altercation whatsoever, and it was pretty quick.
HOLMES: And I guess we're seeing the first pictures, Julian. This is T.J. here. But we're seeing some of the first pictures this morning of them putting him in that vehicle and taking him off.
You said that several police cars came in with their lights on and came into the parking lot. What did you understand was the level of surveillance he was under?
According to police, they knew where he was at all times, so I assume they had people there keeping an eye on him. But what was the police presence there, even before all these police vehicles came in and swooped in and swooped him up?
CUMMINGS: There was about five cars here, and there's a lot of media here as well. We're across the street, you know, have been kept away. And at one point, our photographer tried to go over there and he as immediately moved away. There was no one getting in or out of there who shouldn't be there.
And there were people in the front as well of the main entrance making sure guests were uninvolved in this incident. So it was definitely a controlled environment.
HOLMES: All right, I want to remind our viewers of what we're seeing here and what has just happened just minutes ago. Police in New Haven in Connecticut have announced that, in fact, they have arrested someone for the murder of Annie Le, the grad student at Yale who was found on Sunday, which was her wedding day, found -- her body was found in a building.
She was last seen entering, and surveillance video showed her going in, but did not show her going out. She had been missing almost up to a week.
The person of interest they named was that gentleman you see in the picture there. His name is Raymond Clark. He's a lab technician that works in that same building. There's his picture.
He was only called a person of interest. He was put in handcuffs and questioned, got some DNA evidence from him and other things, but then let go. But police did allow him to go, but they had him under tight surveillance at that hotel video you were just seeing, and they just picked him up.
CHETRY: Yes. It looks like what they were waiting for was that arrest warrant to be signed by the judge, which they said happened today, according to New Haven police.
The other interesting thing that they talked about was just how many items they had seized. From finding out by September 8th by September 12th, they had talked about conducting hundreds of interviews, collecting a lot of forensic evidence and seizing 13 items, as well as going over 700 hours of surveillance tape from that lab building.
And the other interesting thing that caught both T.J.'s and my attention was what the police chief said about what this was. And he said this arrest warrant is sealed, and we're not going to be giving out that much information.
But I do want to say this -- this is not a case of campus security, this isn't a case of domestic violence situation, that it's workplace violence. Then he went on to say, a growing problem in the United States.
HOLMES: So he leaves a lot there to be desired as far as questions about a motive here by calling this workplace violence.
And I'm certain a lot of speculation, a lot of analysts and law enforcement folks said because of where her body was found, that they guessed essentially it had to be someone that worked in that building, maybe familiar with it.
And it turns out he was a lab technician that worked there. So apparently he had to work with her some. This is a building she did a lot of work in, and he worked there as well.
But now, there he is, a person of interest, now, in fact, no doubt just a suspect, but now the person police believe is in fact their guy who did murder Annie Le.
Police there say they've had their eye really on Raymond Clark all along. And his lawyer, though, stressing, as he said throughout the investigation, his client has, in fact, cooperated with police. And our Tom Foreman has more about the man police now say has killed Annie Le.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Thirty miles from the crime scene, the street where Raymond Clark lives is buzzing.
ASHLEY ROWE, RAYMOND CLARK'S NEIGHBOR: He was decent, you know. His dog was really excited and he was just like, oh, he's really friendly, don't worry, you can pet him. He's really nice. So pretty much he was just known to love his dog and walk around with his dog all the time.
FOREMAN: And you said he was sort of different in that he wanted to know a lot about the people he was talking to.
ROWE: He really wanted to know their full name, where they're from, stuff like that.
FOREMAN: Clark, who is 24, is not a student at Yale but works there taking care of mice in the medical labs. His fiancee and two relatives also work in the labs according to police.
But officials will say little about how Clark knew Annie Le.
CHIEF JAMES LEWIS, NEW HAVEN POLICE DEPARTMENT: They worked in the same building. They passed in the hallways. Anything beyond that, I'm not going to talk about.
FOREMAN: Any past troubles for Le?
LEWIS: I'm not going to talk about that issue.
FOREMAN: Any video of Clark in the building that day?
LEWIS: I'm not going to talk about what video we have and don't have.
FOREMAN: An old high school friend Lisa Heselin remembers Clark well.
LISA HESELIN, RAYMOND CLARK'S HIGH SCHOOL FRIEND: He was a nice kid. I mean, he was a jokester, kind of like a class clown. Everybody knew him, everybody liked him.
FOREMAN: For a while, Clark lived here, not far from Yale. But neighbors here have little to say.
FOREMAN (on camera): This is the house where he used to live, up there on the second floor, we're told. But all of the residents of this build now say that they either moved in after he left, or, if they knew him, they did not know him well. They saw him in passing at best.
He had a girlfriend and a dog by most accounts. But that's about all they know.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHETRY: All right, there was Tom Foreman for us just giving us a little bit more detail about who this person is. Raymond Clark, again 24 years old, a lab technician at Yale University, now arrested by New Haven police. A bond set at $3 million.
There's a video from just about 30 minutes ago of him being taken into custody. Again, as T.J. has said, they called him a person of interest, had him under constant surveillance. Now he is in the hands of police, the only person arrested in the murder of Annie Le, who was a grad student at Yale University.
HOLMES: It's about a quarter to the top of the hour. We'll continue to follow that breaking news story. Quick break, we're right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: And the breaking story is that an arrest has been made this morning in the case of Annie Le, the Yale grad student who was murdered, body found on Sunday.
What you're seeing here is video of the man police have arrested. His name is Raymond Clark. He was a lab technician that worked at the building where her body was found.
The 24-year-old man now is being held on $3 million bond. Arrest warrants were signed around 8:10 a.m., and that is when he was picked up. That is the video you are seeing this morning.
Police say this was a case of workplace violence. Those are the words from the police chief there in New Haven, that this was a case of workplace violence. I'm not sure how many more details we might get because the arrest warrant has been sealed.
But the authorities again, are saying that they have, in fact, arrested the person that they have come out and called a person of interest, Raymond Clark, called him a person of interest. Put him in cuffs, came in and questioned him, took some DNA from him, but then let him go.
But this morning now, they have gone back and put cuffs on him once again. But this time he is not just a person of interest, he is their suspect, the one they believe did murder Annie Le. A lot more to come on our breaking story this morning.
CHETRY: That's right. The only other thing, that Clark is now not talking to police according to his attorney -- according to his attorney, that he cooperated and gave DNA evidence, but according to the police chief, he's says that at this time he's invoking his rights, and they are not able to question him.
We'll find out more details maybe later today.
Meantime, the economy showing signs of recovery, but Americans, unfortunately, still losing jobs. It's definitely a glass half full story, though, because in this "Money and Main Street" report, Allan Chernoff shows us that a jobless family determined to make 13 weeks of severance pay last a full year, and they say they're actually having fun doing it.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALLAN CHERNOFF CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: Carmen (ph) and Chris Kubocki (ph) jogging home from an errand instead of driving. It's one of many cost-saving steps the Kubocki (ph)'s are taking since Carmen (ph), the family bread winner was laid off in July from her software job.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: At first it was instant panic, oh my gosh, we're going to lose the house tomorrow and we're going to be living on the street in a cardboard box.
CHERNOFF: Carmen (ph) decided to turn her loss into an opportunity to spend more time with the family while taking time to find another job she'd love.
So they Kubockis (ph) planned to stretch Carmen (ph)'s unemployment checks and her 13-week severance to last a full year, determined not to dig into savings.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How do you do it? I have the rules posted, actually, at my desk.
CHERNOFF: Rules like, "Live within your means," which the Kubockis (ph) say they've always done. They're also do-it-yourselfers. Chris, a stay-at-home dad, who is a woodworker, builds toys for his son, Max.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My dad made it. That's the best.
CHERNOFF: For the first time, Carmen (ph) set up a budget. To stick to it, the family shops only for absolute necessities. The library is now a frequent stop, as are other free community resources.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We've had more fun since I lost my job than ever.
CHERNOFF: Having adopted a frugal lifestyle, the Kubockis (ph) say they now truly appreciate small luxuries.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And if you pick just a couple of luxuries like Hershey bars, you really enjoy them.
CHERNOFF: Even as they stretch, the Kubockis (ph) still donate 10 percent of her Carmen (ph)'s unemployment check to their church. Living only a few doors away from the neighborhood food pantry, the Kubockis (ph) are often reminded of their blessings.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So I don't have a job right now. We've got a house, we've got food. We have nothing to complain about.
CHERNOFF: Allan Chernoff, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE) CHETRY: All right. Well, good luck to them. They're doing their best, trying to stretch that budget.
And for more tips on how you can stretch your own budget, maybe trim a little here and there, head to CNN.com/moneyandmainstreet.
While you're there, you can test your financial health. You plug in your age and your salary and how much you're saving and spending and see how much you score. I haven't done this yet, because you don't really want to depress yourself this early in the morning, do you?
HOLMES: I'm nervous about doing that.
CHETRY: Tonight, after the fall of Lehman Brothers and the worldwide financial collapse, our Anderson Cooper and Ali Velshi are going to be telling you how to take control of your own economic future. It's a CNN "Money Summit" special, "Money and Main Street," tonight at 11:00, only on CNN.
HOLMES: All right, the man waited his whole life to catch a foul ball, to catch a ball at his beloved Phillies game. He finally gets hold of one, and he made a mistake. He gave it to his daughter.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Good morning to the shah (ph) this morning.
CHETRY: The what?
HOLMES: The shah (ph). Chicago.
CHETRY: I thought you said the shah (ph). Did you know he was visiting?
(LAUGHTER)
HOLMES: I don't know.
Chicago, good morning. You all knew what I was saying. A lovely day in Chicago, a little bit beyond 75 and sunny. Beautiful summer time -- summer town, beautiful summer town, but summer's almost over.
CHETRY: It's very nice around this time of year. Take a dip in the lake.
HOLMES: Don't do that.
CHETRY: Eat a hot dog.
(WEATHER BREAK)
CHETRY: Meanwhile, oh gosh, as you said, this is this guy's dream. He's a huge Phillies fan, watched the team for years, went to the game, caught a foul ball, and then his three-year-old got in on the action.
Now dads across the country are saying, good job, buddy. We'll show you the story. That's coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: All right. Fans dream about it, to catch that foul ball, you catch a ball during a baseball game. The dream finally came true, a beautiful moment for this guy. You can see the big smile on his face. He's a Phillies fan since he was three, been looking to catch a ball ever since.
CHETRY: Now he's 32 years old and daddy tried to share his major league moment with his little girl. Well, it's what happened after he caught the foul ball that has the whole country talking.
Here's Jeanne Moos.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It was a foul ball catch that left folks in anything but a foul mood.
(LAUGHTER)
No, it wasn't Steve Monforta's (ph) catch at the Philadelphia- Washington game that had him laughing. It was his three-year-old's daughter right arm.
(LAUGHTER)
Though she threw back daddy's souvenir, a heartwarming hug is what lingers. One of those moments that evokes this from women.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Aww!
MOOS: And from men.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh! Like, what are you doing?
MOOS: He was doing what Emily was used to doing, catching and throwing a Nerf ball with dad. But it was the post-toss hug that tugged at most folks.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My husband would have had a fit.
MOOS: That hugged turned the 32-year-old engineering project manager into a paragon of parenting. What a prince, absolute hero, dad of the year, best dad ever. I want to meet this dad.
Yes, well, he's already married. That's his wife with their younger daughter at the game.
Steve told us he hugged Emily when she looked as if she thought she'd done something wrong by tossing away the ball.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Wow, classy.
MOOS (on camera): By the way, the Phillies sent someone up to the stands to give dad and daughter a ball to replace the one that Emily threw back.
MOOS (voice-over): When an online curmudgeon suggested dad should have tossed her after the ball, the next person responded, "Do us all a favor and don't reproduce."
But let us reproduce the slow-motion replay and watch Steve's face as he realizes the beloved foul would be gone, but the fairest of all is still in his arms.
Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHETRY: What a sweet dad. She's so cute. She did what he taught her to do, right? Throw the ball.
HOLMES: And make sure she knew she didn't do anything wrong.
CHETRY: All right, well, great having you with us this morning. And you'll be back tomorrow?
HOLMES: Back tomorrow, yes.
CHETRY: We hope you'll be joining us as well. Please continue the conversation on today's stories at our blog, CNN.com/amfix.
HOLMES: And, of course, the big story this morning out of New Haven, Connecticut, an arrest made in the case of a Yale student who was found murdered. That coverage continues.
Right now, "CNN Newsroom" with Heidi Collins.
