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Jane Velez-Mitchell

Woman Tries to Steal Baby from Womb; Cruel Practices Allowed in Pork Industry

Aired December 09, 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, a horrifying crime, almost too graphic for TV. Cops are calling it the most bizarre case they`ve ever seen. A wannabe mother allegedly kidnaps a pregnant woman, and tries to cut the baby out of her womb, using a box cutter and razor blades. The mom was allegedly tied up, her mouth gagged, her belly split wide open. Amazingly, the woman escapes. We`ll tell you what happens next.

And the Tiger Woods sex scandal spinning out of control. Still more woman coming forward, coming out of the woodwork, and they`re not just cocktail waitresses. Published reports now claim Tiger Woods is linked to at least two porn stars.

All this as sponsors continue to pull the plug on Tiger`s commercials. Gatorade announces they`re canceling their special line of Tiger sports drinks. How much money could Tiger lose in all of this, and what does he need to do now to save his career? We`ll get insight from a very special guest.

Plus, missing in America. Tonight we`re shining the light on two beautiful young women who vanished without a trace. Twenty-year-old Morgan Harrington disappeared during a crowded rock concert more than a month ago. Cops have no suspects and no clues.

And where is Brittanee Drexel? The 18-year-old never came back from spring break, and she hasn`t been seen for nearly seven months. Where are these two young women, and what happened to them? Tonight we`ll talk to parents on a desperate hunt for answers.

ISSUES starts now.

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VELEZ-MITCHELL: Tonight, an unthinkably horrifying crime. Prosecutors say a woman was so desperate to have a baby, she tried to cut the unborn child right out of another woman`s womb. This is one of the sickest stories we have ever covered here on ISSUES. And that`s saying a lot.

Maryland cops say 40-year-old Veronica Deramous lured a pregnant woman named Teka Adams to her apartment so she could steal the woman`s unborn baby girl. Cops say Deramous tied up her victim with duct tape and held her captive for five days. And sometime over this past weekend, cops say she shoved a rag into the pregnant woman`s mouth, put a piece of duct tape over it, and uttered a chilling warning, quote, "You`re strong. You can handle what I`m going to do to you," end quote.

Police suspect this wannabe mom then used a box cutter! Like the one that I am holding in my hand. Take a look at this. Can you see that? She used a box cutter, along with razor blades to slice open the woman`s stomach, and try to remove the baby girl.

Cops say the pregnant woman had not been given any pain killers during this process. When she moaned in pain, Deramous allegedly stopped cutting and then went to sleep.

On Sunday, the pregnant woman escaped. When cops found her, they say, quote, "Her abdomen was cut. Her intestines, stomach and placenta were exposed," end quote. Cops found bloodied towels, a bowl with water and wash cloths on a bedroom floor in this sicko suspect`s bedroom.

Meanwhile, even the most seasoned cops are in total disbelief.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I`ve been a prosecutor since 1990, and I`ve never seen anything like this. It`s a shocking case.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It`s a bizarre case. It`s something that our detectives have not seen.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, thankfully, the good news is, we`ve got a happy ending to tell you about. A baby girl named Miracle Sky was delivered by C-section, and the victim, Teka Adams, is recovering in the hospital. She will live.

But the big issue: this isn`t the first crime of its kind. Is it a sick trend? We will investigate. And I want to hear from you at home. Give me a call on this sick, sick case: 1-877-586-7927. That`s 1-877-JVM- SAYS.

Straight out to my fantastic expert panel: Mark Eiglarsh, criminal defense attorney and former prosecutor. I`ve got to hear what you have to say about this one. Michelle Sigona, investigative reporter and founder of MichelleSigona.com. Dr. Dale Archer, clinical psychiatrist. Boy, do we need you. Argie Allen, director of clinical training in the couple and family therapy department at Drexel University in Philadelphia. And Matt Zabatoski (ph), reporter with the "Washington Post."

Matt, fast-breaking developments in this case. You`ve been all over this story. This woman has now been charged with attempted murder. What happened at a court hearing just a short time ago?

MATT ZABATOSKI (PH), REPORTER, "WASHINGTON POST": Well, I guess today she was ordered, by a Prince Georges County circuit court judge, held without bond. She appeared on a video from the jail there. It doesn`t appear she has a lawyer yet. So she`ll be in jail until her next -- until her next court appearance, which I think is in January.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, I hope a lot longer than that. Michelle Sigona, this woman reportedly told her boyfriend and others that she was pregnant, according to authorities. She`s just been charged. We don`t want to convict her here. But that`s what the cops say, that she ran around telling everybody, "Hey, I`m pregnant," when she wasn`t.

MICHELLE SIGONA, INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER: This is definitely true, and this is according to reports that have come out.

Now, what I can tell you is that this victim, she was, in fact, at a homeless shelter. I called the homeless shelter earlier today and can verify she was there about a month before she was led to believe that she had some baby clothes for her from the -- from the alleged suspect.

And then the alleged suspect apparently took her to the home in Maryland, where she held her captive for about five days straight. Bound her, according to the arrest documents I have in front of me from Prince Georges County, Maryland. Bound her with duct tape, had the assistance from her 17-year-old son, who is cooperating with investigators and did let them in on every single thing, and did, in fact, say, quote, the defendant turned up the TV in the bedroom, gagged the victim, and began to cut the victim`s abdomen open in an attempt to remove the victim`s unborn child.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: And Michelle, a follow-up. Isn`t the son the teenage son that this suspect -- the mother of this boy, she used him as an accomplice, even though he`s developmentally disabled, to tie this woman -- this pregnant woman up that she had lured from the homeless shelter.

SIGONA: According to the arrest documents, that is true. And he did waive his rights, and was very open and forthcoming with the information. And he even says in these documents that he saw the victim upstairs, after she escaped, and by a neighbor`s door. Her stomach was hanging out.

He alerted his mother. Mom runs upstairs, and they actually get into a fight. So this woman`s stomach is cut open, she`s bleeding to death, and the mother allegedly is fighting -- the defendant is allegedly fighting the victim in the middle of the staircase in front of all of these people. And that`s when cops came.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, let`s hope the developmentally-disabled son doesn`t have to go to jail for a long time, because his alleged sicko mom is the one who dragged him in. And he obviously, having problems, being developmentally disabled, was probably not able to appreciate the horror of what was going on.

Tonight`s big issue. Is this a sick trend? While tonight`s story is horrific, it`s not the first of its kind.

This past summer, cops in Worcester, Massachusetts, found 35-year-old Julie Corey at a homeless shelter with a 4-pound baby girl that wasn`t her own. She`s been charged with kidnapping in connection with the case of a murdered 23-year-old whose baby was ripped from her womb.

In June, Korea -- or Korena Roberts was charged with murdering a 21- year-old pregnant woman found dead in a crawl space of a home with her baby taken from her abdomen.

In 2007, 39-year-old Missouri woman Lisa Montgomery was convicted and sentenced to death for kidnapping an infant from her 23-year-old mother`s womb? Montgomery`s lawyer said she was the victim of years of child abuse. The jury did not buy the insanity defense.

Dr. Dale Archer, this list goes on and on. Is this some kind of twisted trend that we are now seeing in America, cutting open a womb with a box cutter, and stealing the baby from another woman`s stomach?

DALE ARCHER, CLINICAL PSYCHIATRIST: Well, Jane, unfortunately, we live in a society where when you have a twisted mind, and something like this is publicized on TV, and a sick individual sees this, all of a sudden, they start thinking, "You know, I`m thinking about having a kid. And I think that`s a good idea." And they become a copycat type of criminal.

But I would say that, in this particular case, from what I`ve heard, it really sounds like this woman is not going to be found competent and is going to be insane, because she just does not sound like someone who was in her right mind.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: I don`t know that I buy it, Mark Eiglarsh.

MARK EIGLARSH, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Yes.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: I mean, she went to a homeless shelter, allegedly, for the specific purpose of luring a homeless pregnant woman with the offer of baby clothes. And say, "Hey, come over to my place. I`ve got a whole bunch of baby clothes I`m going to give you."

And this poor homeless woman who`s pregnant, says, "Oh, yes, sure, I`d love to have some baby clothes for my child when it`s born."

And then the next thing you know, she`s tied up and this woman is attacking her stomach with a box cutter. Does that sound crazy to you or just evil?

EIGLARSH: It does sound crazy, and it sounds evil. And I disagree with my dear friend Dale. I don`t think that the jurors are going to excuse this conduct.

Without question, they`re going to determine whether she`s competent to stand trial, first of all. Secondly, they`re going to establish that she does have a mental illness. And that`s clearly going to be the defense.

However, that rarely works. Jurors are not keen on the notion that the defendant is admitting that they did the horrific crime, No. 1, but No. 2, "I shouldn`t be held legally responsible for it." Jurors just don`t love that defense. And something like this, I don`t see it. I disagree with Dale.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Argie Allen, family therapist. What do you make of this?

ARGIE ALLEN, FAMILY THERAPIST: Yes.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: This is beyond sick.

ALLEN: Yes, you know, the reality of it is that there are so many women out there that are bound to these messages that they have to have children. It`s the message that we put out in the media. We put it out in print.

And unfortunately, for many of these women who also have mental illness, they begin to think, "Well, maybe I will go out and get somebody else`s child. Maybe I`ll begin to act like I`m pregnant."

And then when they really can`t see any other way out, then they resort to some of these issues around, you know, getting some other woman or luring them in, just like this woman did.

But as you can tell, there`s many other women out there that have done this. The reality of it is, many of them are mentally ill, but that is not an appropriate defense for them not to get the help that they need so that this doesn`t happen again.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: I`ve got to tell you, just researching this made me sick to my stomach today. I had a hard time reading it. Because, you know, we have to read tons of research on this stuff. And I just literally became nauseous reading it.

More on this horrifying crime in just a bit. We`re also taking your calls on this: 1-877-JVM-SAYS, 1-877-586-7297.

Plus, the Tiger Woods story takes another very nasty turn. He is now being linked to two porn stars. Are you kidding me? Can he save his career?

But first, a pregnant woman kidnapped, her stomach sliced open with a box cutter. Cops say a woman actually tried to steal her unborn baby.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I`ve been a prosecutor since 1990, and I`ve never seen anything like this.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was fantastic. I actually looked at my friend and said, you know, "That`s a beautiful thing," because that`s actually what that is. That`s a miracle.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: That man, talking to a TV news reporter about the miracle of a baby named Miracle Sky. She`s the little baby girl who survived the horrific ordeal of nearly being sliced from her mother`s womb.

Phone lines lighting up. Marcia in Nebraska, your question or thought, ma`am.

CALLER: I just wanted to let you know. I was watching your show, and I saw the exact same thing on an episode of "Private Practice." I mean, word for word, everything that she did. It happened on an episode, it was back in April of 2009. This girl did the exact same thing that was on TV. So...

VELEZ-MITCHELL: What do you mean, word for word?

CALLER: I mean, she even told her that "You`re strong enough to handle this," you know, "you can handle anything" or whatever she said, you know...

EIGLARSH: Jane.

CALLER: The same thing she said on the television show. She did the exact same thing. So as far as her pleading insanity, I don`t think so. She...

VELEZ-MITCHELL: That`s a very good comment. Thank you, Marcia, from Nebraska. Mark Eiglarsh, the "Private Practice" defense, is that what we`re going to see here?

EIGLARSH: Well, let me just say this. I put this subject matter out on my Facebook announcement, and I got a number of friends who said that sounds exactly like the show that she just described.

That will not preclude the insanity defense. What the lawyers will argue was she was sick at the time, and then the sickness, mixed with what she saw on television, gave her the impetus to commit this horrible offense.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, maybe it`s just a case of TV giving people bad ideas.

Part two of my big issue: what could possibly be fueling this pathological trend, where women go to extreme lengths to get a baby, even trying to slice a child, unborn baby, out of somebody else`s womb? Have babies become the latest must-have item? Has reality TV, for example, trivialized motherhood and glorified the success of multiple births?

Octomom, of course, is the biggest offender, but "Jon & Kate Plus 8." Hey, we`re captivated by this messed-up mom and dad who have dragged their kids in front of the camera 24/7. And now the kids reportedly cry because they miss the camera crews being around, FYI.

And then there are the Duggars. The name of their show, "18 and Counting." Guess what? Mom, who`s also a grandmother at the ripe old age of 43, is preggers again.

And what`s cooking at the Hayes residence. Well, check out their reality TV show, "Table for 12."

Reality TV, is it turning babies into commodities? And I will put that to Argie Allen, family therapist.

ALLEN: You got that right, Jane. You know what? I said it before. The media, I think, does a job on us, but the reality of it is that, since the beginning of time, mothers have had this desire and this urge to have children. And if they can`t, then there`s a deep loss and grief that goes into it that I think can spiral out of control.

And I think the other issue that we are not paying attention to is that there are always warning signs. And our community is not paying enough attention to whether or not there`s isolation for these women, whether or not they`re beginning to shift their moods, and whether or not they`re beginning to talk in a way that suggests that there could be a problem, and then get these women some help, no matter what.

Because the bottom line is, whether you`re rich or poor, whether you`re a celebrity or not, you deserve to have good therapeutic care, and some of these women have mental illnesses that have not been dealt with.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, I agree with you there. I mean, if our society spent as much money on prevention of these horrific crimes as they do on prosecuting them, we would have a totally different society.

As you know, we lock up more people than any other country in the entire world. We`re very interested in crime and punishment, crime and punishment. But what about preventing these crimes in the first place by giving people who are clearly disturbed some mental health before they get to the point where they`re so sick that they`re going to take a box cutter and try to slice open a woman`s stomach?

EIGLARSH: They have to want it, Jane. Jane -- Jane, they have to want it. That`s the key. A lot of these -- I don`t know about her situation, but you can`t force a pill down someone`s throat. So they have to want to get the help after somebody identifies them as mentally ill.

ARCHER: No, but...

ALLEN: Yes, but you identify them...

ARCHER: ... and have a psychiatric condition, it has nothing to do with wanting the treatment. Because in a delusional case, you have a break from reality. You don`t know what`s real and what`s not real.

And I would say that delusions about kids are a very common delusion in mentally ill patients and has been forever. But what we have now is, if you`re fixated on having a baby and then you see a TV show or you hear about another example of a woman trying going and trying to get a baby out of a womb, all of a sudden, that plays into your own delusional system. And it becomes an idea that you`re going to act on.

In terms of getting treatment, the community resources have to be there to identify people...

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Let me...

ARCHER: ... and get them into treatment, because they`re not going to know to ask for help.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: OK. Quick point I want to make. That one therapist suggested this was often related to keeping a man around, and in this case, she told her boyfriend that she was pregnant. So final thought on that, Michelle Sigona.

SIGONA: Well, my -- my final thought on that note is -- is that if she did, in fact, tell her boyfriend and did, in fact, tell family members that she did, in fact, need to come up with a baby somehow, some way, when this woman obviously was not pregnant, that we know of.

So I think desperate times call for desperate measures and if she is, in fact, convicted and guilty of this particular crime, this is just horrific.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: This one is a sicko. Thank you, fantastic panel.

More women coming out of the woodwork, all claiming they had affairs with Tiger Woods. And get this: two of them are now, according to published reports, porn stars. Well, now sponsors are pulling the plug on Tiger commercials. Is there any way he can save his career?

Plus, it`s a story we hear way too often. Too young women in two separate cases, both vanished without a trace. They have not been seen in months. We`re going to talk to their heartsick parents as they search for their beautiful daughters. We will not let their cases die.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: In tonight`s "Spotlight," yet another example of the horrific and barbaric conditions at factory forms in America. The Humane Society has just released some undercover video. We have to warn you: it`s shocking; it`s disturbing.

These are downer pigs, the term for animals so weak or sick, they cannot even walk. Now, the footage speaks for itself. These pigs are on the assembly line to death. They can`t even stand up. Despite how cruel these practices obviously are, they are completely, 100 percent legal.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL SHAPIRO, DIRECTOR, FACTORY FARMING, HUMAN SOCIETY: Just because a practice is standard doesn`t mean that it isn`t inhumane. In fact, there are many standard practices within the world of animal agribusiness that are very cruel and inhumane. And one of them is the slaughter of these downer pigs.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: It`s not just inhumane, it`s dangerous. A Pew Commission study found that these horrific conditions make animals ripe for disease.

I want to welcome CNN correspondent Nicole Lapin, who has been investigating the dangerous and barbaric practices of the pork industry.

What do people need to know about these grotesque factory farming practices?

NICOLE LAPIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Jane, they just need to know that it`s happening. Not only is it happening, but it is standard and it is legal. Eureka, that is not just one bad apple. This is not just one bad farm. They aren`t hiding this, Jane. This is just the way things are done. And just because it`s the way things are done doesn`t necessarily mean it`s humane.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: There is a growing trend in this country to take a closer look at how our food is produced. It doesn`t take an expert to look at these poor animals and realize, there is something ethically wrong here.

LAPIN: Well, the National Pork Producers Council, Jane, invited me to a farm right near Atlanta, and they said I wouldn`t see anything different, aside from a little bit of high paddling in some of this video. They said they weren`t shocked to see any of it.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, I want to say that pigs have a higher I.Q. than dogs. Now, if you did this to a dog, you would be charged with animal cruelty.

There is something you can do about this. You can get involved with the Humane Society of the United States. You can also go to FarmSanctuary.org and click on "get involved." And there`s actually a petition there to President Obama, asking him to ban the slaughter of downer pigs.

Is the administration turning a blind eye to this?

LAPIN: Well, I asked them that. I reached out to the USDA, and I said, "There was a ban on downer cattle, so why didn`t that include downer pigs?"

The USDA, of course, responded to a downer cow investigation with a ban on downer cows, Jane, as you know. So you`d expect the investigation on downer pigs would result in a ban on downer pigs. I reached out to them, of course, and they said that that is still a possibility, Jane. I am looking to you to keep watching this, and keep on keeping them on.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: We are going to stay on it. Not just for the sake of the animals, but for people, too. The Pew Commission said that factory farming poses a threat to public health. We`ve got all these flus and viruses flying around, swine flu and various other flus. And there are those who believe that the government should investigate the connection between these conditions of these pigs and swine flu.

Ten seconds, Nicole.

LAPIN: Well, I hope that you will continue to watch. Of course, health officials we spoke to said that it is a real concern. And it is something that you and I know about already, but our viewers hopefully do now.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Americans are decent people. When they find out about something like this, they take action. And I expect they will. thank you, Nicole.

Tiger Woods now linked to two porn stars. When is this scandal going to end?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I would hope that one day, soon, that he would come publicly, just say, "Hey, I`m here, yes, I made a mistake." You know, and -- tell the honest truth. And then just move on.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: The Tiger Woods sex scandal, spinning out of control. Still more women coming out of the woodwork, and they`re not just cocktail waitresses.

Published reports now claim Tiger Woods is linked to at least two porn stars. Now some sponsors are pulling the plug on his commercials. What does Tiger need to do to save his career?

Plus missing in America. Tonight we`re shining the light on two beautiful young women who vanished without a trace. Where is Morgan Harrington and Brittanee Drexel? What happened to these beautiful, young women? We`ll talk to parents on a desperate search for answers.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Tonight`s stunning updates in the Tiger Woods sex saga. Published reports now link him to at least 11 mistresses, and claims are that two of them are porn stars.

The only woman to publicly admit an affair with Tiger is now apologizing to his wife, Elin. Listen to what Tool Academy alum Jamiee Grubbs told "Extra."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAMIEE GRUBBS, TIGER WOODS` ALLEGED MISTRESS: I have no words to explain, you know, what I have done to her or her family. I guess I would be deeply sorry for never considering her during the whole process. And not -- him not bringing her up was just a way for me to just pretend that he didn`t have one, and for me not to deal with it. But, I mean, I`m not going to ever say what I did was OK.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: What are those little things on her face? Were those like decals or piercings? I couldn`t figure it out. Grubs blew the lid off a sex scandal when she released this bombshell. A voice mail she claims is from Tiger himself. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey, it`s Tiger. I need you to do me a huge favor. Can you pleas take your name off your phone? My wife went through my phone and may be calling you. If you can, please take your name off that. Just have it as a number on the voicemail. Just have it as your telephone number, that`s it, OK? You got to do this for me. Huge. Quickly. All right, bye.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Huge, quickly. The first alleged mistress to surface was Rachel Uchitel. She denies having an affair with Tiger, but that hasn`t stopped the paparazzi from following her every move.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Was it fun? Was it fun or -- do you think you have a chance to get back together? What are you going to do with the money?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: That question was apparently in reference to the alleged hush money Uchitel took from Tiger. She provided a real Kodak moment when she climbed on to a balcony yesterday to get into her very own New York apartment.

Oh, my gosh, the sex, the women, the demolished image. This story gets wilder and wackier by the day.

I want to welcome a very, very special guest, Perez Hilton, the author of the fabulous, and I mean fabulous, new book, "Perez Hilton`s True Bloogywood Stories: The Glamorous Life of Beating, Cheating and Overdosing."

I`ve got to tell you, that`s going in my permanent collection. It`s going in my library. Congratulations on a great book. Of anybody that I would like to talk to about this scandal, it`s you because you know Hollywood.

What are your thoughts on this still imploding Tiger Woods fiasco?

PEREZ HILTON, CELEBRITY BLOGGER: Well, this story is bigger than anyone ever would have thought it had been, because even the -- one of the heads at Yahoo! has revealed that this controversy has driven more traffic to their Web site and all of the pages than Michael Jackson`s death.

That`s to put it in perspective for you, and I think what makes it such a big story is it was so unexpected. He had had such a clean-cut, good image, and actually wanted and proclaimed to be a role model until now.

And the only person in charge of Tiger`s destiny is him. He has the ability to put an end to this if he takes the appropriate steps.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: It kind of dovetails with your book because it`s about the bloogywood stories, the glamorous life, the mask, and then what happens behind the mask. You and I have both spent a lot of time in Hollywood. This is, in a sense, even though it`s a sports story to a degree, it`s a classic Hollywood story, is it not?

HILTON: Yes, it`s almost like an epic Greek tale. It`s so -- there is so much going on there. If I were to give Tiger advice, I would tell him that he really needs to be honest, or pretend to be honest. At this point, when we sit back and look at the severity of the situation, I`m not a doctor, but if I were to analyze things, I`d say this man is a sex addict or sexually compulsive, and he should tell the world, I have a problem, I`m going to seek help for this, I`m seeking spiritual counseling, as well.

Even if he doesn`t think he has a problem. But people will be rooting for him if he acknowledges the severity of the situation, which he hasn`t until now.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, here`s a little evidence to back up your analysis of how severe the situation is. The Tiger sex scandal started out with one woman, Rachel Uchitel, here she is a couple days after the "National Enquirer" broke the story, and now she is just one of what you might call the growing Tiger bunch.

There`s reality TV star Jamiee Grubbs, the only woman to publicly admit a relationship with Tiger. You heard from her a second ago. Then there`s Corey Rift, her ex-husband is threatening to use the scandal to prove that she is an unfit mother.

Then you`ve got Jamie Youngers. She told "Life & Style" Tiger gave her thousands of dollars which she used to get lipo -- I guess it worked. The list goes on and on and we are not going to show you the porn stars that are allegedly connected.

Perez, how do you dig yourself out of that hole? I know you`re saying maybe go on Oprah, right, and just say I did a bad thing, I`m a sex addict. But is it too little too late at this point, and what if there are still more women to come out?

HILTON: I don`t think it`d be too little, too late. America will be rooting for him. They just want to see him repent, especially because he did proclaim to be a role model. And he was living his life very publicly, using his image to sell products.

And also, one of the biggest issues for me that has come of this, more than one woman has also come forward that he`s reportedly had affairs with to claim that they were not practicing safe sex.

So he was putting the health of his wife in jeopardy over his sexual indiscretions. That`s not only wrong, but really immoral and maybe illegal. I don`t know, I`m not a lawyer. But ewe, ewe, Tiger.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, I guess what you`re saying is he didn`t use a condom, according to the sources you`ve talked to, obviously. I have no independent confirmation of that. I can`t believe I`m even saying that. But I mean you`re dancing around that thing that I think that`s what you`re saying, correct?

HILTON: No, no. One of the women -- that Jamie woman went on the record saying that they never once practiced safe sex. Yes. They never once even talked about using condoms.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes. Now, I got to tell you that at least one of Tiger`s sponsors is having some fun with the story. You know, the Escalade Tiger rep thanksgiving night was a courtesy car from GM. They loaned it to him while he was a spokesman for Buick.

GM now plans to repair the infamous Cadillac and put it up for auction. Gatorade, on the other hand, appears to be doing a little damage control. They have yanked the line of Tiger theme drinks. Gatorade claims they made this decision before the scandal broke.

Perez, look, I think this whole idea of sponsorship is nonsense, anyway. You buy a product because maybe you need it, not because there is a famous person who has been paid tens of millions of dollars to put their name along side the product.

Maybe it`s time that America takes another look at this whole idea of product endorsement.

HILTON: Yes. No, but -- sponsors are becoming skittish. You know in addition to Gatorade, every single commercial spot featuring Tiger has been pulled from TV. I think the real big test, if he`s going to remain quiet, definitely is going to be the next tournament that he plays in.

And it will be critical for him to win that. Because at least the focus will be back on his golf and him being able to win and overcome all this adversity that he has been through.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, you`re a very good analyst. Perez Hilton, I agree with you. The next tournament is going to be crucial. We`ll see how he plays. I mean, can you imagine the pressure of performing under this kind of scrutiny?

I want to tell everybody out there, you get Perez Hilton`s book, "Celebrity Blogger." He`s just released this, "Perez Hilton`s True Bloggywood Stories: The Glamorous Life of Beating, Cheating and Overdosing." It`s a great read.

Please come back, Perez, soon because obviously this scandal ain`t going anywhere. Thank you.

HILTON: I`d love to.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right. Talk to you soon.

Now we`re going to switch gears to something really tragic and awful. Missing in America, two young women vanished without a trace. Tonight we`re going to talk to their parents as they desperately search for these beautiful young women. We`re also taking your calls. 1-877-JVN-SAYS, 1- 877-586-7297. What do you think?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I believe that she is still alive because not only is -- she`s the most headstrong person that I know. That I`ve ever met and that I know.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: How many of us go to the office cafeteria every day and reflexively, without even thinking, we grab one of these. You know, there is an alternative. You can use your own reusable plastic container.

It`s very simple. Imagine if you did this every day, how much plastic you would save. Guess what? It`s up to us to save the planet. I`m Jane Velez-Mitchell and that`s your "Green Alert."

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VELEZ-MITCHELL: Excuse me. Two young girls vanished into thin air. Their families frantically search, desperate for a single lead. But months passed without any solid clues.

The question we`re asking tonight, what happened to Brittanee Drexel? What happened to Morgan Harrington?

There is a war on women in this country, and we need to fight it, you and me. One way is to keep these stories of missing women in the public`s consciousness. And that`s what we`re going to do here on ISSUES.

Where are these two young women? Somebody out there has to know something. We`re not going to let these cases go cold. These families need answers. They need help.

First, a springbreak nightmare. Against her mom`s wishes, 17-year-old Brittanee Drexel went on vacation with friends to the beaches of South Carolina when she vanished more than seven months ago after leaving a local hotel.

Now surveillance video caught Brittanee leaving at around 8:00 p.m. There she is, leaving the hotel. This is the last time Brittanee was seen alive. Cops traced her cell phone signal to a nearby town. That`s where the trail stops cold. Her parents are desperate. Listen to this.

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CHAD DREXEL, BRITTANEE`S FATHER: My daughter vanished. That`s the word I have. And I -- doesn`t make sense in my mind. If she`s watching, baby, come home. Please, daddy -- just come home. We will be with you. Please come home, your sister and brother love you.

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VELEZ-MITCHELL: Tonight, a new lead sparks an intense search. Cadaver dogs and a dive team scour a South Carolina river. Did they find a human bone? We will speak to Brittanee`s mom tonight.

And in Virginia, Morgan Harrington disappears from a crowded rock concert. She steps outside and then just vanishes. She has been missing almost two long months now. Listen to her heartbroken mother.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GIL HARRINGTON, MORGAN`S MOTHER: 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.

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VELEZ-MITCHELL: Morgan`s mom is joining us tonight. Police say Morgan was hitchhiking on this bridge the very night she went missing. Why hasn`t that information brought any new clues?

Joining me by phone tonight, Gil Harrington, Morgan Harrington`s mother, and also with us, criminal investigator, John Lucich, psychiatrist Dr. Dale Archer, and we begin with Brittanee Drexel`s mother, Dawn Drexel.

Dawn, thank you so much for coming on the show tonight. I honestly can`t imagine what you`re going through.

DAWN DREXEL, BRITTANEE DREXEL`S MOTHER: You`re welcome.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: What is the very latest in the search for your precious daughter? What have police told you about the search of this river?

D. DREXEL: Well, I had went (sic) down to Myrtle Beach on Thursday. They weren`t in any way planning to search down there, but there happened to be a tip that came in on Friday, and that`s when it all started.

Three of the police agencies, which was Georgetown County, Myrtle Beach and Charleston County, came together with the Q Center to head a search that they were searching down near the North Santee River. North Santee River is pretty large so.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Did they find anything? I mean they had cadaver dogs down there, cadaver dogs. They had divers. Did they find anything at all? There was talk of some kind of bone. Has that been disqualified as an actual piece of evidence?

D. DREXEL: It has been disqualified. It actually was a piece of mortar. But they don`t have anything, as -- you know, as of right now. They are continuing to search in the area -- in the Georgetown area, along that North Santee River.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: What a beautiful, young lady. One of the last people to see Brittanne was a young man, who was not her boyfriend, and we are not naming tonight. But Brittanee knew this guy because they`re both from Rochester, New York. She met up with him and his friends in Myrtle Beach.

She was last seen leaving their hotel. They say she stayed for about 10 minutes. Brittanee`s boyfriend believes these men do not know what happened to her. Listen to the boyfriend.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NANCY GRACE, HOST: What do you make of police clearing these guys?

JOHN GRIECO, BRITTANEE`S BOYFRIEND (via phone): Well, the evidence that we`ve gathered so far, being down in South Carolina, does not show any foul play. Now there is suspicion with how he reacted to the situation. However, all the evidence that we have gathered just leaves them in the clear. If anybody is to survive a situation like this, it would be Brittanee.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: So let me ask you this, Dawn. Police question these boys. They found it very odd that they checked out of their hotel room at about 1:00 in the morning the very night Brittanee went missing, even though they were supposed to leave the next morning.

Some published reports have named this guy from your hometown of Rochester, New York as a person of interest. He claims he had nothing to do with it and says he even offered Brittanee a ride, but she said she preferred to walk the mile.

We called police. They didn`t give us any information tonight. Are you satisfied with how they have handled this aspect of the case?

D. DREXEL: I`m satisfied on how they`re handling the case. He was a point of interest at one point. But, you know, according to the statements that were given, you know, they don`t have any evidence to say that, you know, he has done anything. So -- I mean, that`s just -- I guess that`s something that you have to rule out, you know what I mean?

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes. I totally do. And we`re going to switch now to -- for a moment, but stay right there, Dawn. Another missing woman, Morgan Harrington. She is 20 years old. She disappeared after a Metallica concert in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Cops have released a timeline of where they believe Morgan was in the hour before she vanished. So watch and listen carefully. At 8:20 p.m., Morgan tries to reenter the arena from outside. Apparently she can`t get in because she doesn`t have her ticket stub.

OK, then 8:48, she calls her friends who are inside the concert. She tells them, hey, I can`t get back, I`m going to try to get a ride home from some friends. 9:00 in the evening, Morgan is spotted outside the arena, walking through a parking lot towards a field. 9:10 p.m., witnesses see Morgan walking in a grassy overflow parking lot. The lot is often used for RV parking.

9:20 p.m., Morgan is seen walking on Copily Road, Railroad bridge. Investigators believe this is where she hitch-hiked and may have gotten into a car.

Gil, you`re the mom. Cops say multiple witnesses saw Morgan hitchhiking. Have you gotten any other tips as to a car that she might have gotten into?

HARRINGTON: Nothing. We are stuck at that 9:30 timeline, and it won`t budge. But somebody knows something. I mean someone -- there are many people around. It`s not a deserted area. Someone saw this happen. Or someone knows someone who`s acting suspicious. We need someone to step forward with more information.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: And in these cases often an abductor will confide in someone or there`s an accomplice or there`s somebody else who has a gut feeling, a relative who thinks that this person is acting strangely.

If anybody out there has any feelings about what may have happened to these two girls, call authorities, please. It`s OK if you`re not right. But just don`t hold on to any information.

Stay right there, everyone. We`re going to have more on the search for these two beautiful young women after the break.

ANNOUNCER: ISSUES WITH JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL, brought to you by.

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(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAN HARRINGTON, MORGAN`S FATHER: I`d like to say if Morgan is out there and hears us, please come home. And if someone has Morgan, please let her come home safely.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: That was Morgan Harrington`s desperate father. My big issue tonight, missing in America. This has become such a big issue that "People" magazine ran a cover on it. Look at all these girls. Brittanee Drexel, Morgan Harrington on the cover. Many more missing women out there who need our help.

Mitrice Richardson was arrested when she couldn`t pay for her meal at a Malibu. She was released from jail early in the morning. She hasn`t been seen since. There`s also 24-year-old Jennifer Kesse, vanished from her Orlando apartment almost four years ago. A suspect was caught on surveillance tape abandoning the car but video was too grainy.

Kristi Cornwell, this north Georgia woman abducted walking near her home. There is a war on women.

John Lucich, we got to do a better job tracking the -- I don`t care if we put a camera on every telephone pole in America. Something has got to change.

JOHN LUCICH, FMR. CRIMINAL INVESTIGATOR: Absolutely. But I think you have to start with the judicial system because a lot of times these are recidivists that constantly do the same crimes over and over again. As we`ve seen in so many, wasn`t too long ago when we had one guy with 10 women in his walls, right?

And he shouldn`t have been out. And the government let them down every step of the way. But when you take a look at these specific cases right here, just you putting this up will definitely generate time and time again more leads for officers to follow up on, and that`s very crucial in investigations like this.

On the other side of the coin, I would start going back and take a look at everybody`s provided information. If I was the cops, if they haven`t already done it, do a background on everybody to see if anybody has a criminal history.

I would take a look at the computers at work, where Mrs. Harrington worked. I don`t think anybody`s done that to date to find out if she made any last-minute plans to meet somebody. I just find it hard to believe that she actually made it outside and couldn`t get back in when this was a concert that she wanted to attend.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, Dr. Dale Archer, the holidays have to be particularly agonizing. In Morgan`s case a group called Forgotten Victims have created a float to put in the local holiday parade. But oh, my god, can you imagine going through the holidays with your precious daughter missing?

DR. DALE ARCHER, PSYCHIATRIST: No. It`s the worst nightmare for a parent, Jane. But I really think that the operative key here is hope. You have to maintain hope no matter what. And I point out miracles such as Jaycee Dugard and Elizabeth Smart to show that these women can be found eventually.

And anything the parents can do, anything that anybody can do to keep the name out there, to keep the name alive and in the media attention is worthwhile, and you never, ever give up hope.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Gil, one quick word. We`re almost out of time. If you could say one thing.

HARRINGTON: I appreciate the opportunity to get Morgan`s message out. We cannot give up hope. We still need to keep moving forward. Remember her. Remember all the young women that have taken. And you know, we have a false sense of complacency that women can walk the street unmolested. We need to look at that.

Everyone, be more cautious. Have a safe holiday.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: We are going to stay on this on ISSUES. We will not let either of these stories go. Thank you, fantastic panel. And please remember to click on CNN.com/jane. Order your copy of my book "I Want." It is now on audiotape.

You are watching ISSUES on HLN.

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