Return to Transcripts main page
Jane Velez-Mitchell
More Bodies Discovered in Cleveland House of Horrors; Jackson`s Doc: He`s Innocent
Aired November 04, 2009 - 19:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL, HOST (voice-over): Tonight, the stomach-churning nightmare escalates in Cleveland. Police have now discovered more rotting bodies and a skull at the home of a convicted rapist. And they say the gruesome body count could rise. Will there be more victims?
Cops are now tearing apart his home wall by wall, looking for more bodies, checking vacant homes in a six-mile radius. Meantime, they`re scrambling to identify these women. How did he continue his reign of terror for so long without anyone suspecting?
And shocking new insight into the Michael Jackson molestation charges. A Jackson insider drops a bombshell, shining new light on the case. You will not believe what Jackson`s doctor said Michael was doing in front of children. But will this mind-boggling new information actually save his image? We`ll take a look.
Also, inside the mind of a twisted sexual deviant. The Halloween madman who led police on a nationwide manhunt is speaking out from behind bars. Tonight, we`ll play his head-spinning comments on air. He tortured a woman for 13 hours on Halloween night. Now, four years later, he`s talking to "Inside Edition," and you`re not going to believe what he`s saying.
Plus, it`s happened again. The secret life of another celebrity sportscaster exposed. Jim Nantz, perhaps the most popular sports commentator in the country. But now a nasty divorce is revealing some of his dark secrets. As his 26-year marriage collapses, we now learn he had an affair with a woman two decades his junior. And you won`t believe the whopping amount he has to pay his wife.
ISSUES starts now.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Tonight, horrifying new details about a serial killing spree in Cleveland, as the first of at least 11 victims is identified. Police say convicted sex offender Anthony Sowell has been living with rotting corpses of at least 11 women. He allegedly strangled most of them to death. Investigators are now tearing that house apart wall by wall, piece by piece, looking for more hidden bodies.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHIEF MICHAEL MCGRATH, CLEVELAND POLICE: Our homicide unit along with the Cuyahoga County coroner`s office, went back to the scene, which has been secured ever since day one. And during the course of their investigation, throughout the day, we have discovered approximately four more bodies in the backyard and a skull in a bucket in the basement.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Sowell currently faces five counts of murder, but that number certain to go up. Investigators say Sowell hid his victims` bodies all over his property. We`re talking the basement, a crawl space, a shallow grave in the backyard.
Neighbors say the hideous stench -- you can imagine, 11 bodies -- was enough to knock them over, but apparently, nobody knew what it was.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The smell was recently out here. You could smell the smells coming down the street. We used to think that it was coming from out of Ray`s Sausage, but you smell these smells. And I live right there, and I used to be in the house, like, "Oh." We used to come out here like, "Ah, the smell just be horrible," but I didn`t know there was no dead bodies. You just think it was the sewer system.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: That`s right. Owners of the sausage company next door even went so far as to replace sewer lines and grease traps thinking they might be the cause of the awful smell.
It all raises new questions about why, why, why this house of horrors wasn`t discovered earlier. Officers had checked on Sowell on September 22, but somehow, they didn`t investigate that horrific odor.
Then two weeks ago, neighbors reported a naked woman had fallen out of Sowell`s second-story window, but the woman didn`t press charges. So again, how many missed opportunities were there to stop this killing spree?
I want to hear your take on this nightmare. Call me from home. Call me at 1-877-JVM-SAYS. That`s 1-877-586-7297.
Now straight out to my fantastic panel: Steve Kardian, former criminal investigator and director of Defend University; criminologist Casey Jordan -- there she is. Noted criminal defense attorney Michael Cardoza. Great to have you, Michael. And investigative journalist Michelle Sigona.
Michelle, what is the very latest?
MICHELLE SIGONA, INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALIST: The very latest in this investigation is there has been one victim who is identified, Jane. Her name is Tanya Carmichael. She actually went missing November 10, 2008, from the area.
And at this point, since her husband, one victim identified, what investigators released just a couple hours ago is they have five reference samples from family members who have come forward, so they don`t have enough reference samples to match up with some of the other DNA from some of the other bodies.
So they need that at this time, so they`re calling out to the public that, if you do have a family member that`s missing in that area, to come forward, talk to detectives to see if you are a good match so they can collect that particular DNA sample.
As you mentioned, Anthony Sowell was arraigned today, and he did face -- he does face five counts of aggravated murder, including some other unrelated charges on that. I do have a timeline, a very detailed timeline at MichelleSigona.com. You can check that out whenever you get a chance.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Now, did he say anything in court, Michelle?
SIGONA: He did respond to the judge. The judge asked him if he could afford an attorney, and he could not afford an attorney. I don`t know the exact verbiage, but I did watch that clip earlier today.
So he does have a public defender. The public defender says that he has medical -- some medical conditions. He has heart problems, takes medication. He has a Pacemaker. He`s been unemployed for two years. He`s been collecting unemployment. So that`s why he`s been going out, collecting scraps, selling them or taking his unemployment and taking that money to be able to live inside the house.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Michael Cardoza, his public defender asked for a psychiatric evaluation. Give us the possibilities as a result of that.
MICHAEL CARDOZA, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Well, certainly, the possibility, the No. 1 possibility, would be not guilty by reason of insanity. Is he insane? And that standard is, did he know right from wrong?
Clearly, there`s something mentally wrong with him. Normal people don`t do things like this. What the psychiatrist will be looking at, certainly, will be to give him mental tests, to talk with him, but more importantly, they will look at the facts of the case.
I mean, here`s a guy that takes bodies and stacks them up to the point that they`re rotting. And they can smell it all over the neighborhood. But for the sausage factory, you know, they would have been there a whole lot sooner.
So is he insane? I suggest he probably is. Will a jury find him not guilty by reason of insanity? No, because the case is too emotional, and people don`t want to take the chance of putting a guy like this in a hospital where he might get out some day.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, let`s analyze this character. Sowell allegedly tried to lure women right from his own neighborhood. One woman told ABC`s "Good Morning America" she was almost one of his victims. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I didn`t feel safe. There was something telling me don`t go in his house.
How he was in love with me, how he wanted me to go up to his house and drink with him.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Alcohol appears to be a common thread in these attacks. Other women, including a woman who said he raped her in September, said he`d invite them in for a drink. Once inside, he would suddenly become angry for no reason and violent and, apparently, tried to go at them at their neck. Most of these women were strangled, most of them with some sort of ligature, which means a cord.
The one woman said, Casey Jordan, that he came after her with an extension cord. What does this -- all of these details tell you?
CASEY JORDAN, CRIMINOLOGIST: Well, first of all, it`s really Criminology 101, not even that interesting beyond the fact that it`s going to be driven by power, control and probably a sexual thrill. It`s not going to be anything incredibly deep with this particular character.
But the more important question is how did he get away with it for so long? He picked vulnerable women, women who had a history of drug abuse or addiction, alcohol addiction, and that makes them extremely vulnerable, because very often, they can disappear for a few weeks or a few months. Their families are concerned.
But remember, even if you have a series of missing women, if you have no bodies that are recovered, no crime scene to investigate, the police, all they have are concerned family members based on, you know, reporting missing women who have a history, perhaps, of addiction and disappearing. So he picked his victims very carefully, women who wouldn`t be missed or, if they were missed, wouldn`t really be taken that seriously as a loss.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, this is why we have something here on ISSUES called the "War on Women." Eleven bodies, and so far, they are all female, what we can tell. Only one of them has been identified: a 52-year-old woman who was somebody`s mom and somebody`s daughter. And this is unconscionable, and it really is the war on women. It`s the -- it`s an ultimate example.
Why did cops take so long to arrest Sowell and discover this house of horrors? You know what? On September 22, a woman called cops to report she was drinking with Sowell inside his home when he suddenly got angry, punched her, choked her, and took an extension cord, put it around her neck and raped her. This is what she`s claiming. She says she managed to get out.
Thirty-seven days passed before police went to his home to arrest Sowell, and that`s when they found the rotting corpses inside. Thirty- seven days.
Now, I have to ask you, I know you`re representing the cops, and I`m a big believer in cops, but Steve Kardian, why did it take 37 days to check out this rape claim?
STEVE KARDIAN, FORMER CRIMINAL INVESTIGATOR: Well, Jane, let`s take a look at the fact in just about every state that I`m aware of, that rape is not a mandatory reported crime. So if you get a victim that`s hesitant, that is reliant [SIC] to come forward, that is reliant [SIC] to cooperate with investigators and you have a district attorney`s office that says, "Well, she`s not cooperative; she`s being unreliable right now," it very well could take that long.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, it`s true, Michael Cardoza, that the woman in this case was hard to reach, and she didn`t show up for an appointment, but here`s my point. If she`s saying that, "Hey, this is the house where it happened," and they know, because believe it or not, they visited early that day, doing a spot check on him at that house, because he`s a registered sex offender. If they know, wow, a registered sex offender lives there, she`s claiming rape. Maybe we got something to check out.
CARDOZA: Jane, that`s really nice, but I mean, the police in most metropolitan cities, I mean, Cleveland, they`re busy. You have a victim or an alleged accuser that comes in, says, "You know, I was raped." And then she disappears for awhile. Even though it may be a sex offender, what are the police to do? Check this out all the time? It`s really -- no, it`s really difficult.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: I got -- I got for you.
KARDIAN: And they may tip her off.
CARDOZA: You can`t do the blame game all the time. You can`t do that.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: I think we have to analyze it. I`m not blaming. I`m asking questions.
CARDOZA: I agree with that. Analyze is fair. But you`ve got to look at the accuser. Was she cooperative? And by the way, D.A.`s offices don`t get involved until there`s an arrest. So they`re certainly not to blame.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Right. That`s what we`re talking about.
KARDIAN: They`re usually brought on board right from the beginning.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: More on this...
CARDOZA: Not all the time. That`s not true. Not all the time.
KARDIAN: Violent sexual offenders? I would say yes.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: More on this hellish nightmare in a moment.
We`re also taking your calls. I want to hear your theories and your thoughts: 1-877-JVM-SAYS, 1-877-586-7297.
Plus, a very bizarre new twist in the Michael Jackson molestation case. Why his doctor says some of M.J.`s head-spinning habits could actually help save Michael`s reputation. You won`t believe this one.
But first, how does a serial killer go unnoticed for so long? Cops say Anthony Sowell had at least 11 bodies on his property, and neighbors would gag as the stench of death poured out of the house. A councilman says the complaints started two years ago.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We received a phone call from a resident that said, "Councilman, there`s a foul odor that`s coming from across the street, and it smells like a dead person. Not dead meat."
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DEPUTY CHIEF EDWARD TOMBA, CLEVELAND POLICE DEPARTMENT: Never seen anything like it. So it`s very challenging from an investigative standpoint, from an emotional standpoint.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Imagine what these police officers are going through having to go through that home. I dare say they will probably have post- traumatic stress disorder from having to deal with the overwhelming stench and the depression of dealing with -- count them -- 11 bodies thus far.
That was a veteran police officer in Cleveland describing what it`s like to comb through a home where 11 corpses were hidden, the bodies so badly decomposed police struggling to identify them. They`re desperate for family members of missing women, please come forward, they say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. FRANK MILLER, CUYAHOGA COUNTY CORONER: People have a loved one missing from that area, we`d like to have them contact the Cuyahoga County Coroner`s Office. Our number is 216-721-5610. Or they can contact the Cleveland police to make arrangements to provide a DNA sample.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Police have only identified one victim so far. Her name is Tanya Carmichael. She was 52 years old when she disappeared from the area a year ago. Police say her remains were buried in Sowell`s backyard.
Carmichael`s daughter says her mom struggled with drug abuse and often hung around in Sowell`s neighborhood. And it appears that he would invite women in the area into his home, allegedly, to have a drink, and then cops say he would attack them violently, sometimes with an extension cord.
Phone lines lighting up on this one. This is just a horror story in so many ways. Lorraine in Ohio, your question or thought, ma`am.
CALLER: Yes. About the case in Cleveland, good evening.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Good evening.
CALLER: Yes. About three years ago, there was an incident on my train. I was a rail operator. And I had to go downtown Cleveland to the sex crimes. And actually, when we finished talking about the incident on the train, the sex crimes detective had showed me some pictures.
And she told me then there was a serial rapist on that side of town, but these ladies were not found in that home. One lady, I guess he thought he killed her, but he didn`t. And she made a composite sketch, and the composite sketch that she gave me is this gentleman that`s on this TV right now.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: What is -- when did this all happen, ma`am?
CALLER: It was about three years ago. And I told her that -- you know, I read the paper and watched the news every day, and I never heard anything about anyone running around on the East Side that was raping women.
And you know, I don`t believe that they didn`t know what was going on. I just get the impression that nobody really cared, you know. Anybody that could kill this many people, they didn`t care. It should have been more of an investigation for that.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, listen, Michelle Sigona, he is quoted as saying, according to one of his victims who escaped, "Oh, nobody`s going to go look for you. You`re just a crack expletive, and nobody is going to care."
SIGONA: And that`s the unfortunate part of this, is that he really picked his victims and really picked who he wanted to prey upon. Even -- there was an October 20 incident, Jane, and they announced this yesterday during -- during the press conference, the police chief did. And he said that this woman fell off the balcony. The fire and EMS came. This is just October 20th of 2009.
They picked her up. They also picked up Anthony Sowell. They both went to the hospital together. He said that she was his girlfriend and vice versa, and that they were partying: they were doing cocaine; they were drinking; they were hanging out. And that she was looking for her keys and fell off the balcony.
So this is a little bit of insight into his lifestyle and the kind of -- the kind of activities that he was partaking in.
And possibly -- and what the investigators say is that some of these women may not even have missing reports on them. So we do know of some that do actually have missing person reports, but there could be others, unfortunately, that we just don`t know who they are.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: and we have to leave it right there. Thank you to my fantastic panel. We`ll stay on top of this story.
Veterans Day is a week away, but we salute the troops here on HLN every single day. Today, Robin Meade of "Morning Express" has a salute for Marion Yarborough, who says is so grateful for the sacrifices her son makes each and every day. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROBIN MEADE, HLN ANCHOR: Thanks, Jane.
Today`s salute comes to us from a proud mother to her son, Marine Corporal Greg Yarborough.
Greg, your family is so proud of your accomplishments and your service to your country.
MARION YARBOROUGH, MOTHER OF GREG (via phone): Hi, Robin. This is Marion. And I`m saluting my son. He`s a corporal in the United States Marine Corps.
And Greg, we`re so proud of you, the whole family. We miss you so much during your deployment and can`t wait for you to return home soon. God bless you, Greg. And you`re such a role model for your younger brother, sister and all your cousins. We`re so grateful for all your sacrifices. We miss your practical jokes and your laughing and your bear hugs. Be safe and hurry home to us. Booyah.
MEADE: Greg`s mom says that Greg made corporal only a month ago, so congrats to him.
Back to you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Could a bizarre fetish help Michael Jackson`s reputation? His doctor says yes. We`re going to take a look at some head- spinning new claims about Michael Jackson`s habits.
Plus a beautiful young woman tortured for 13 hours on Halloween night. You`re going to hear from this sick monster on camera.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Disturbing details, and I mean disturbing, behind the Michael Jackson molestation charges. Michael`s friend and former dermatologist drops a bombshell. He says the pop star never touched children, but you won`t believe what he says did happen.
Let`s rewind a little bit. 1993, a boy accuses Michael of molesting him. He`s described Michael`s genitals in detail. The case reportedly settled out of court for 20 million bucks. Michael swore he was innocent.
Listen to Michael.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAEL JACKSON, POP STAR: It brings tears to my eyes when I see any child who suffers. I am not guilty of these allegations, but if I am guilty of anything, it is of giving all that I have -- all that I have to give to help children all over the world.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Now, Dr. Arnie Klein tells TMZ Jackson was innocent. His bizarre rationalization? The boy knew what Michael`s genitals looked like because the pop star liked to urinate in public and in front of children. Michael was famous for wacky behavior but does this make sense? Or is Michael`s friend trying to salvage the star`s image?
Straight out to the one and only Harvey Levin, TMZ`s executive producer.
Harvey, you spent three hours with Dr. Klein? Dare I ask what came out of that meeting?
HARVEY LEVIN, EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, TMZ: Well, Jane, everything came out in the meeting.
I mean, I got a call from him on Saturday, essentially saying, "Look, I am not a monster. I need to sit down with you." So I went to his house on Sunday night. I spent three hours with him, and he talked about everything.
I mean, he started by saying, "Look, I raised a lot of money for the AIDS Foundation, and I can`t raise money any more because I`m being vilified, so I want to set the record straight." And he then went on and talked about the family, the Propofol, Dr. Murray, drug -- drug addiction, his own treatment of Jackson, how much Jackson, he says, hated his family, and on and on and on.
But one of the things I asked him about was what you just mentioned. He said Jackson loved to pee in front of an audience, and what he would do is at his home, where the children spent a lot of time -- I mean, Arnie Klein was his best friend, and Jackson spent holidays there, vacationed with him. He says that Jackson would pull out cups and pee in cups in front of everybody and then laugh, and that he did it in front of the 1993 accuser. He did it in front of a lot of people.
Klein said he did it so much that he installed, I believe he said -- again, there was so much coming out here, Jane. I believe he said he installed a urinal in Dr. Klein, in his office, in his office...
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Ouch.
LEVIN: Because Jackson liked doing this so much.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Have you ever heard of that before, though? Because so many books have been written about Michael Jackson, and we`ve read them all. I haven`t heard that one. I`ve heard a lot of strange stuff but not that one.
LEVIN: Yes, no, I have not heard the peeing defense ever, Jane. But no, he was adamant about that. He just -- he said that is absolutely why - - and remember, the reason the genitals were so important in this case is Michael Jackson had vitiligo. And I talked to Klein about this and that there were certain distinctive markings on his genital area.
And I`ve seen the report from 1993 where the boy describes in great detail, as well as in illustration, great detail what these discolorations are. And a lot of people thought this is why Michael Jackson settled the 1993 case for $20 million, because the evidence was so powerful. But this is Klein`s explanation, and he insists Jackson did not molest them.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: We have ten seconds. Do you buy it, yes or no?
LEVIN: You know, Jane, you covered Michael Jackson enough to know that what makes sense in our world didn`t necessarily make sense in his, so I honestly don`t know.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Got to leave it right there. Thanks, Harvey. Love having you on.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Inside the mind of a twisted sexual deviant. The Halloween madman who tortured a woman for 13 hours on Halloween night is speaking out from behind bars on camera, and you`re not going to believe what he`s saying.
Plus, the secret life of a celebrity sportscaster: Jim Nantz, perhaps the most popular sports commentator in the country. But now a nasty divorce is revealing some of his dark secrets as his 26-year-marriage collapses. We now learn he`s had an affair with a woman who was only three years old when Nantz was married.
In the spotlight tonight, a sadistic sexual deviant boasting from behind bars about how he subjected his victim to a twisted 13-hour torture session. Yes. "Inside Edition" sat down with this convicted creep.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PAUL BOYD, "INSIDE EDITION": You snapped --
PETER BRAUNSTEIN, SEXUALLY ASSAULTED AND TORTURED HIS VICTIM: I snapped.
BOYD: You became a sick, twisted psychopath.
BRAUNSTEIN: Yes. I didn`t really know what I was going to do after that. Was this going to be like a completely insane Hannibal Lecter type evening, like was it just going to be your worst crime nightmare?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: You may remember this unlikely criminal, a writer and media critic for a well-known magazine, Peter Braunstein was once at the center of a glamorous Manhattan lifestyle, furious when his fashionable girlfriend dumped him. He decided for some reason to go after her co- worker. So he dressed up like a firefighter on Halloween, no less, and lit two fires in the lobby of the victim`s apartment building to get her to let him in, then he knocked her out with chloroform and proceeded to terrorize her for 13 hours.
The "New York Post" reported in 2007 he, quote, "stripped and bound her by her wrists and ankles to the bed. He put electrical tape over her eyes. She felt his hands on her breasts and between her legs." Yikes. The phony firefighter told "Inside Edition" that she was his perfect mark.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRAUNSTEIN: This woman, it seemed like the ideal victim, because she represented everything I loathed. She had just an enormous number of shoes. It was striking. It was like I couldn`t believe someone would have these many shoes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: He`s laughing. Is that because he`s a lunatic?
Here to analyze this sicko`s jailhouse rant, Jill Vermeire, certified sex addiction therapist and co-leader of the treatment team on VH1`S sex rehab with Dr. Drew, and Jim Moret, attorney and chief correspondent for "Inside Edition."
First of all, Jim, quite a scoop for "Inside Edition," getting inside prison and talking to this loony-tunes. Why do you think this chock full of nuts decided it was a good idea to talk to you guys? Was this his way of getting attention again?
JIM MORET, CHIEF CORRESPONDENT, "INSIDE EDITION": I think so. He sat down with our weekend anchor, Paul Boyd, and Paul got a lot of really interesting, bizarre, strange comments. What you played was only part of this bizarre rant where he would laugh and go off on all these tangents.
He said something that was really odd, among other things. He said this was my first felony. It was like being a rookie in the major leagues and my first time at bat, I hit a home run. He seemed really proud of himself. He was -- you know I`ve gone back and forth on this because you certainly don`t want to give a demented lunatic air time for no reason.
I`ll tell you one good thing about this. He`s facing 23 years to life. If he ever comes up for parole, one thing he said to Paul Boyd stuck out in my mind -- stood out in my mind. He said -- Paul said, "What would happen if you got out of prison tomorrow?" And this man said "I would start off right where I left off." If that doesn`t give any parole board pause, to keep this guy in forever, nothing will.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: We have actually got the clips that you just referred to. This next one from this weirdo talking to "Inside Edition" will make your blood boil. Not a drop of remorse.
Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRAUNSTEIN: This is my first major crime, my first felony, so it was like being a rookie, you know, and like the major leagues and your first time at bat, you hit a home run.
BOYD: That doesn`t bother you that this stuff coming out of your mouth is completely insane?
BRAUNSTEIN: Would you prefer this sort of insincere remorse that a lot of people fabricate?
BOYD: What would happen if you got out of prison tomorrow?
BRAUNSTEIN: I would start right where I left off.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Jill Vermeire, even before this horror on Halloween, Braunstein had pleaded guilty to harassing his ex-girlfriend but guess what, he got probation for that even though he posted nude pictures of her on an adult Web site. Now he`s doing 18 years to life.
Given the threats, shouldn`t there be a way to make sure this guy never gets out at all?
JILL VERMEIRE, CERTIFIED SEX ADDICTION THERAPIST: There absolutely should be a way that he should never get out and he`s sort of already telling you the minute he gets out, he`s going to commit more crimes and pick up where he left off. So he`s clearly already in the obsession, already in the fantasy of leaving and continuing his behavior. And he`s getting high, he`s getting a hit just off of the attention and the shock value of what he`s done.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes. And it`s funny because -- it`s not funny -- but it`s bizarre that it doesn`t wear off.
In other words, sometimes in prison the reality and the horror of what somebody does creeps up on them and they experience remorse. But this guy, it`s the opposite. He seems to become more brazen as time passes behind bars, which is very strange.
Here`s another clip from "Inside Edition." this sick character talks about his victim in a very strange and bizarre exchange.
Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRAUNSTEIN: I was always about to lose it, and she, because she was so even-tempered, it just kept me in check.
BOYD: Oh, so now we`re supposed to thank you for the not killing her?
BRAUNSTEIN: No, you`re not supposed to thank me for not killing her although I think she`s probably grateful that I didn`t kill her. I mean who wouldn`t be?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Jim Moret, Braunstein was convicted of sexual abuse but he technically did not rape his victim. It would seem to me his victim was very courageous and heroic by being even-tempered and talking him out of something even more gruesome.
MORET: The challenge for her, Jane, was on many levels. She was chloroformed multiple times and on the stand, the victim talked about going in and out of consciousness. She was basically shackled to her bed, wearing basically a bra and panties, for part of her time, this 13-hour ordeal, her eyes were taped shut.
She could hear him but she couldn`t see him. And through this, she was still able to maintain a sense of calm. And this person, this lunatic, talks about that as keeping him even-tempered, so even in the face of horrible, horrible situations, this woman was able to basically save her own life.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Braunstein was a fugitive for six weeks after the crime. When he was finally caught, he stabbed himself in the neck three times in a failed suicide attempt.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRAUNSTEIN: This idiot, like I was in a misguided sense of professionalism, you know, saved my life.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Ok. Here`s what I don`t get. Maybe you can give us some insight, Jill Vermeire. This guy was an educated writer, he was a journalist, he was from an upper middle class family, he was fluent in French, he sought a PhD degree in history from NYU, he didn`t get it. But he was also obviously deranged.
He actually wrote a personal manifesto saying God wanted to have him work justice on sinners.
So give us an analysis of this guy, because he`s all over the map and he`s scary as all get out.
VERMEIRE: Well, he`s definitely got what we would call an antisocial personality disorder. It`s basically your every day sociopath and one of the major criteria for that diagnosis is having no remorse at all. So these are the people who are the mass murderers, the serial killers; and they can do all their crimes and have zero feelings, zero remorse at all for their actions. And they get off on it and they actually are proud of it, a lot of the times, like we`re hearing in the tapes.
Just because they`re a sociopath doesn`t mean they`re not smart. And sometimes some of the most brilliant minds can just snap. And they`re probably -- my guess would be there were signs leading up to this. I would venture to say it didn`t just come out of the blue.
I would be really curious to look back into his childhood records to see if he had any problems in childhood with violence or aggression or hurting animals or things like that. So there were probably signs leading up to it.
We already have a history of him with his girlfriend and the pictures and the obsession. So I don`t think it was an out of the blue thing and he is really smart and he`s antisocial personality. They can go together.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Right. In his professional life, as we mentioned, he was a journalist. He covered the world of fashion.
"Inside Edition" asked about his designs on high-powered fashion editor Anna Wintour.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRAUNSTEIN: I knew her schedule. I knew the whole routine.
BOYD: You really thought about killing her?
BRAUNSTEIN: Yes. I thought about killing her.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: You know, Jim Moret, none of this makes sense. It`s hard to make sense of insanity but why, for example, would he target a co- worker of the girlfriend who dumped him? It doesn`t -- that doesn`t add up to me.
MORET: A lot of it -- you know, he pled guilty to, what, 37 counts of harassment against his ex-girlfriend. She worked for "W" magazine. He initially worked for "W," then "Women`s Wear Daily".
He basically had it out for all of the fashion industry. He had it in his mind that maybe they were out to get him so he would get them first. So I think he wanted to hurt his girlfriend. The next best thing was hurting her friend.
(CROSSTALK)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: This is a perfect example to me of how harassment as a crime is undervalued. He got convicted of harassment but he ended up getting probation. And you know, harassment often leads to more serious violent offenses.
We`ve got just ten seconds, Jill, but isn`t that just a cautionary tale?
VERMEIRE: Absolutely. I think it would be great to see stricter laws around this kind of behavior in the future, if we could get legislation to pass it.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes. If we locked them up for harassment he wouldn`t have had the chance to do what he did to that poor woman.
A big thank you to our fantastic panel.
Three college students killed in a tragic accident. Their car was found at the bottom of a lake. So how exactly did this happen? We`ll investigate.
Plus, the golden boy of the sports booth caught up in a nasty divorce. We`ll have the latest on Jim Nantz and his wife`s million dollar payday.
Also, we`re taking your phone calls on Jim Nantz. What do you think? His ex-wife is getting almost $1 million a year but then again, he had an affair with somebody who was only 29 years old and he`s 50.
I want to hear from you, 1-877-586-7297.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: And let`s meet today`s winner, Laura Lee from California. That`s Laura Lee and her granddad, the man she says inspired her to quit smoking. After ten years of puffing on those coffin nails, she remembered that he told her that if she could stop smoking by the age of 25, her lungs would heal themselves.
She then weaned herself off nicotine the day before her 25th birthday. She finally quit. Seventeen years later, she`s a mom, married to a fellow nonsmoker. Just as grandpa promised, she is breathing just fine and dandy with a pair of healthy lungs.
Laura lee, for sharing your story of recovery, you`re going to get an autographed copy of my new "New York Times" best-selling book "I Want" plus a chance to visit me in New York City and visit me right here on the set of ISSUES where no smoking is allowed, not at all. But we`ll still have a very good time.
Seriously, if you`re struggling with addiction or know somebody who is, check out my new book "I Want" at cnn.com/jane. It can help with those addictions.
Coming up, famous sportscaster Jim Nantz is in the middle of a very nasty, very expensive divorce. He`s been ordered to pay -- are you sitting down -- almost $1 million a year to his ex-wife.
But first, "Top of the Block" tonight: this is so sad; a mother`s desperate cry for help. Virginia tech student Morgan Harrington vanished in the middle of a crowded Metallica concert last month, she has not been seen since.
Now her mom is begging everybody in the community to come together this weekend to help find her beautiful missing daughter.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MORGAN HARRINGTON`S MOTHER: Be strong. We are trying to find you. We will never stop. We are trying, honey. Hang on.
And to the person who has taken Morgan from us, please just let her go. She has so much more to live and so much more to give. Please let her come back to her family. We need her.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: That poor woman, so clearly tortured minute by minute. Morgan`s cell phone and purse were found abandoned outside the crowded arena on the University of Virginia campus. Cops have already followed up on 350 tips so far. They have come up empty-handed.
A $100,000 reward is being offered by police and the band Metallica is also chipping in, adding an extra $50,000 to anyone who can help find Morgan.
Please, if you know anything, call investigators ASAP. We`re going to stay on top of this investigation and we will keep you posted with any and all new developments.
Moving on, another sportscaster cheating scandal; this one ends in a monster divorce settlement. 50-year-old Jim Nantz, we all know him, he`s one of the most popular sports anchors in America and he admits, "I cheated with a 29-year-old woman." He`s 50, she`s 29.
Now he`s going to have to pay ex-wife Lori $916,000 a year. Yes, you heard me right, almost $1 million a year to the ex.
The CBS anchor and his wife were married for 26 years. That means they got married, let`s see, when the woman he later had an affair with was just 3 years old. That`s pretty fascinating, isn`t it?
Today, Nantz reportedly brings in $7 million a year. Now his ex-wife will also get their Connecticut mansion, a condo, plus $70,000 a year in country club fees. Wow.
What about the big issue? What is it with these middle-aged TV stars having affairs with 20-something women, leaving their long-suffering wives in the dust?
Here`s David Letterman on CBS`s "The Late Show."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAVID LETTERMAN, CBS HOST, "THE LATE SHOW": I have had sex with women who work for me on this show. Now, my response to that is yes, I have.
My wife Regina, she has been horribly hurt by my behavior and when something happens like that, if you hurt a person and it`s your responsibility, you try to fix it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Some published reports are suggesting his wife is unhappy and might be thinking about a divorce. We don`t know. We have no independent confirmation of that.
Let`s not forget ESPN`s Steve Phillips. His affair with a 22-year-old turned fatal attraction. She allegedly threatened his wife and his kids.
Is cheating just par for the course in this locker room TV sports world of ours?
Straight out to my fantastic expert panel: Jill Vermeire, sex addiction specialist with VH1`S "Sex Rehab with Dr. Drew"; also joining us, celebrity divorce attorney Randy Kessler; and senior editor of "In Touch Weekly" Amy Palmer. Great to see you all.
Randy, they were married for 26 years. Yes he had a girlfriend on the side but the judge said this marriage had deteriorated long before his affair started. So what is your opinion? Is this a fair payout?
RANDY KESSLER, CELEBRITY DIVORCE ATTORNEY: I don`t think it`s an affair. I think marriages fall apart for all sorts of reasons and sometimes people don`t have the energy or desire to bother with the divorce until they say, "Hey, I can move on." And apparently he met somebody and made that decision, "Hey, I can move on."
But you know, $1 million a year is a lot of money, but he makes $6 million or $7 million a year. If he made $70,000 a year and he was paying $10,000 a year in alimony, we wouldn`t be surprised. So it`s just a little higher level, higher math. And she does pay income tax on that income.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Amy Palmer, you know what I hear? The message of the story, money does not buy happiness. I mean, these guys had it all, this couple and they`re still miserable with each other.
AMY PALMER, SENIOR EDITOR, IN TOUCH WEEKLY: Yes, money doesn`t buy happiness. But what this is, is about men in power. And what do men in power want? Whatever they want is what they get. And that`s what it is. They want younger women.
Jane, this is not news. This has been happening since men and women started being together.
(CROSSTALK)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: And guess what? We`re going to ask you more about this in a moment. Did sex addiction play a role in Jim Nantz`s divorce?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ok, we`re in the 29 there. That Jersey is for my daughter. It`s her lucky number, my Caroline.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There you go.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What do you think? I didn`t see.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: There`s a smiling Jim Nantz. We certainly all know him. One of the most popular sports casters in America. He`s on the (INAUDIBLE) Sports Network at that point talking about tossing out a pitch for the Red Sox.
Nantz cried, he cried tears on the stand as he testified that his wife lost interest in his career. He says she wouldn`t join him in events. And she wouldn`t let him hang an oil painting of himself in the house. He has to put it storage. He says that she was a shopaholic. She described a $12,000 necklace she just bought to court and saying. "I think it has some sort of stone." I would think for 12 clams yes, it had probably had some sort of stone, honey.
Nantz admits he took a young lover, but says his marriage was already dead with a fork in it. The wife says no way, "I was in marriage counseling until last year."
Randy Kessler, I understand that you know Mrs. Nantz`s divorce lawyer. Give us some Scooby Doo, some insight into this.
KESSLER: All right, the insight is that she, that her client is a warm, sweet loving woman and didn`t want a trial. And I`m sure Mr. Nantz didn`t want a trial. The problem is they couldn`t resolve their differences.
And you know the nice thing about this is, is this sort of, it`s the highest award from what I understand in Connecticut of alimony. And it lets other people realize, hey, maybe there is some validity to the idea that marriage is a partnership. And when we divide our partnership, you know both sides should get something.
And $1 million out of $7 million, or $1 million out of $5 million and some assets, is that so terrible, it`s a good concept. So when people break up after a long term commitment, they each walk away with something. He gets the rest.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes, yes, I don`t have a problem with it. I mean, give her the money. I just find it amazing that these people have at least four houses between them and they are this miserable. I think it`s -- it`s a cautionary tales about the dangers of equating materialism with happiness.
And they were probably happier when they lived in a little apartment at the beginning of their marriage and didn`t have any money.
KESSLER: Not only that, they are one of the few percentages that go all the way to trial. People with this much money almost always resolve it out of court because they don`t want to be on TV, they don`t want to be on Headline News.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes.
KESSLER: They want to resolve it privately and that`s what comes with it when you don`t take matters into your own hands.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes, I think that is another penalty as they say.
In the meantime, we ask is ESPN a breeding ground for seedy sex scandals. The "New York Post" is reporting the execs are saying no more from sexual harassment suits for that Steve Phillips scandal. ESPN is now warning its on-air talent, no more. Stop it. If you fool around with co- workers and it gets messy, you will be fired.
But get this Jill Vermeire, you`re the sex addiction specialist, there`s reportedly no official policy. So, you know, they`re using the Steve Phillips mistress madness example, but to me the boundaries are still very vague here.
VERMEIRE: Yes. They`re going to have to get really clear about what they are forbidding and what they`re asking their talent to do and to not do. And how much can they really interfere with the personal lives of their on-air talent.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Now, Amy Palmer, let me ask you about all of this. Mr. Phillips went off and he`s now an official sex addict. He`s getting rehab. Do you think -- I believe in sex addiction -- ten seconds, do you think the nation buys the concept of sex addiction?
PALMER: You know, I think they do. I think they realize that this is probably an illness and that, if these people do have a problem, they should be treated. It`s just that -- usually they are treated when they get caught.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right.
PALMER: So that`s the issue.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes, we have to leave it right there.
Thank you fantastic panel.
You are watching ISSUES on HLN.
END
