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Jane Velez-Mitchell
Details Emerge of Pediatrician Accused of Abusing Patients
Aired February 24, 2010 - 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, hellishly horrifying new details and blood-boiling outrage. New charges expected for the pediatrician from hell. A doctor accused of raping more than 100 young patients inside his office, some victims just months old. But what about these poor, innocent children and their devastated parents? Will these parents be forced to watch the videotape of these incomprehensibly depraved acts? Tonight, we`ll talk to victims of child sexual abuse.
And we`re tracking down a family of four. Tonight, ISSUES joins the desperate search for this beautiful family that vanished into thin air. The house, the car, the pets, all abandoned. Now speculation and rumors spiraling out of control. The mystery escalates. Where are the McStays?
Plus, a desperate, famous family pleads for help. New developments tonight in the frantic search for "Growing Pains" star Andrew Koenig. He vanished nearly two weeks ago. Family members say he was depressed and off his medication. Now they fear for his safety. Where is Andrew?
ISSUES starts now.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Pure evil! Beyond horrific videos of sexual attacks on children by an accused pedophile pediatrician. It`s all sparking disbelief and outrage tonight.
Lewes, Delaware, ground zero for what is clearly emerging as one of the worst cases of child sexual abuse in American history. Former doctor, Earl Bradley, accused of raping 103 children at his Baybee`s pediatrics office. Prosecutors say they have 13 hours of videotape that Bradley made of himself sexually assaulting his young victims.
According to the 471-count indictment, five girls, quote, "appeared to lose consciousness" during the alleged attacks. Forty-four of those counts relate to one child who prosecutors say was raped repeatedly over a 13- month period. Cops say then-Dr. Earl Bradley forced her to perform oral sex on him and essentially choked her. Why isn`t this attempted murder? And why didn`t somebody stop this depraved sicko a lot sooner?
Now we`re learning Dr. Bradley`s history of sexual misconduct complaints dates back to -- anybody want to take a guess? 1994! Yet no arrests came until just a couple of months ago, this past December.
Parents in the community are freaked out. Who can blame them?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This thing about pictures on computer and everything else, I don`t know if my daughter is on there or not.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think it`s absolutely outrageous. I think there were signs all the way -- you know, all these years. And there have been comments, and people have reported him for various infractions. And I think it`s totally ridiculous that it has taken this long.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: All mothers are talking about this. It`s just on -- it`s on everybody`s minds, and it`s -- it`s just -- it his you right there.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Forty-eight victims last year alone. Forty-eight victims last year alone. If this could have been stopped sooner, we wouldn`t have had 48 victims last year alone.
I will have more shocking revelations about pediatrician Bradley`s alleged checkered past. And boy, is it checkered. This is an indictment of the system.
Meanwhile, depravity appears to run in the sicko doctor`s family. Bradley`s uncle, a retired teacher with a doctorate, who is now dead, was convicted of lewd behavior and exposing himself to young girls back in 1992. He was reportedly accused once of asking a 4-year-old girl to perform oral sex on him. What is the family connection?
I am taking your calls on this incomprehensibly revolting case. The number, 1-877-JVM-SAYS, 1-877-586-7297.
Straight out to my fantastic expert panel: Wendy Murphy, former prosecutor and author of "And Justice for Some," who I know is just as outraged as I am. Robi Ludwig, psychotherapist. And we need to try to understand this sickness pervading our society. David Clohessy, a child sex abuse survivor, and the national director of SNAP, Survivors` Network of those Abused by Priests. And we`re always delighted to have Judge Greg Mathis, host of the hit syndicated show "Judge Mathis." And joining me now, Dan Gaffney, talk radio host from WGMD, 992.7 News Radio in -- I think I`m saying this right, Rehoboth Beach, Delaware?
DAN GAFFNEY, TALK RADIO HOST: You got it. You got it, Jane. Rehoboth Beach.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: What is the latest?
GAFFNEY: Well, Jane, thanks for having me on. I wish it was under better circumstances. It`s absolutely disgusting. The entire community is in shock. And you said a lot of it correct in your opening statement. The system failed here.
There`s a culture of secrecy in the medical community that failed all the patients, and it has to stop. A lot of doctors knew that there was something funny with this guy and broke the law by not going to the authorities. That has a lot of people angry. You`re right about that.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Oh, boy. The powers that be say, "We`re going to bring this man to justice." But do the powers that be need to be scrutinized for how this fiasco of depravity unfolded, unchecked, year after year after year?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BEAU BIDEN, ATTORNEY GENERAL OF DELAWARE: It`s terrible. A father of two, not like you or others. It`s -- you know, these are -- these types of cases are incredibly, incredibly difficult. And it is sometimes hard to put a check on your emotion. My job here is to make sure that justice is done.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: OK. That`s Attorney General Beau Biden of Delaware. But I have to point out, Wendy Murphy, the Delaware attorney general`s office reportedly has the power to temporarily suspend the license of any doctor when there`s even the possibility of abuse.
And there were a slew of complaints against this particular doctor. The complaints go all the way back to 1994, when Dr. Bradley was practicing in Pennsylvania. Sexual misconduct. No charges filed. Then in 2004. Complaints of excessive kissing and improper touching. No charges filed.
Five years ago, his own sister reported suspicions about his behavior to the state medical society.
Two years ago, three parents accused him of inappropriate vaginal exams. An unnamed judge refused to issue a search warrant of the doctor`s office. Nobody will name this mystery judge. Why not? Who is this guy?
WENDY MURPHY, AUTHOR, "AND JUSTICE FOR SOME": Why not?
VELEZ-MITCHELL: And let me -- say one other thing, Wendy. And why didn`t the attorney general`s office suspend this doctor`s license pending a hearing of these parents` complaints? We have been reaching out to the attorney general`s office, but we have not heard back. Somebody dropped the ball.
MURPHY: Yes. You think? I mean, let`s talk about who didn`t drop the ball, because the list of those who did goes on and on. And the chain of command does go all the way up to the attorney general`s office.
And while Biden may not have been in charge at the time, there is no reason he can`t tell us what his office did back then. And if he doesn`t, shame on him; he`s part of the problem.
I`ll tell you one of the reasons this happened.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, wait a second. Let me just say this. He was - - apparently, he`s been in office since 2006. And the most recent complaints about the three vaginal exams that were inappropriate came in, in 2008.
MURPHY: Then he owns that. Then he owns that. And he has to be accountable for what he did wrong, not just throw indictments around like he`s the king and is doing everything right. He should be put his own head out on a platter, too. And if he doesn`t, then you know, that`s -- the public won`t reelect him, No. 1.
But look, let me talk about one big, big gaping hole in the system. There are lots of them. But here`s one.
We have mandatory reporting laws, so if you`re in a position of trust or you`re a caretaker -- you know, a doctor, for example. Those doctors who heard all about some of these reports? Doctors who were calling the guy a pedophile at medical conferences and so forth? The people who knew what he was doing. They had a mandated duty of law to report.
And but you know why they didn`t, Jane, aside from the fact that they`re all a big bunch of boobs who want to protect each other from scandal -- shame on them -- you know what the punishment is if you don`t report? Five hundred bucks. So you just factor them into the -- you know, what would you do if you faced only 500 bucks versus scandal...
GAFFNEY: Listen, Jane -- Jane...
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Hold on. Who wants to talk?
GAFFNEY: Yes. I do. Dan does.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Go.
GAFFNEY: The investigation will cost them a lot more than $500, because when the names are named -- this attorney general, Beau Biden, finishes his investigation and finds out the doctors that have not reported this guy, even though they knew he was up to no good with these bad vaginal exams and that sort of thing, then their names are going to become public. Their careers are going to be ruined, too, and they are investigating that.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: But didn`t his own sister, this doctor`s own sister called the medical society in Delaware, and they...
GAFFNEY: More importantly, they...
VELEZ-MITCHELL: ... have they talked to him, the pedophile?
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We`ve got a hospital...
JUDGE GREG MATHIS, "THE JUDGE MATHIS SHOW": One of the things we`re also missing -- we`re missing interviews. We`re missing interviews between the authorities and the parents and the children. The medical authorities had to interview them to address their complaints that were made. We need to see what that evidence was, what was said, what disposition was taken.
And we`re going to see a lot more negligent charges filed. We`re going to see a lot of civil suits in this case. And as well we should.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: And there is the videotape. There`s the videotape. These parents might have to be forced to watch their own children being raped on videotape.
More on this in just a bit. It`s -- it`s incomprehensible.
And we`re taking your calls. I know we`ve got Gloria from New Mexico lined up. 1-877-JVM-SAYS, 1-877-586-7297.
And ahead, a family of four seemingly drops off the face of the earth. Is it possible they were trying to disappear? We have inside details from a close family friend.
But first, could this be the nation`s worst pedophile? There are more than 100 alleged victims in Delaware alone. Could there be countless more in other states?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: All mothers are talking about this. It`s on -- it`s on everybody`s minds, and it`s -- it`s just -- it hits you right there.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BIDEN: These were crimes committed against the most vulnerable among us. Those without voices. And they were crimes committed by someone with whom an entire community and parents have placed their trust.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: And did we mention? This sicko doctor is accused of holding up babies upside down while he sexually abused them? That five girls appeared to lose consciousness during the sex assaults that were videotaped?
OK. Here`s a parent on the CBS "Early Show," terrified his child might be a victim.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD NAUMAN JR., LIVES IN TOWN WHERE BRADLEY PRACTICED: Almost everybody probably knows somebody that, yes, their kid went there. Look at her when she`s laying there sleeping, and I`m just thinking, you poor girl, you know. And just praying she`s not one of them. Because she`s so sweet. You know? Because she`s my little baby.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Gloria, New Mexico, your question or thought, ma`am.
CALLER: Hi, Jane.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Hi.
CALLER: Thanks for taking my call. I had a comment. I`m kind of confused. I didn`t really understand why the children were allowed in the -- not putting any blame on the parents, but you know, not really understanding why the children were allowed in the room alone with the doctor. I mean, it seems like they must have really trusted him at the time.
GAFFNEY: I can tell you that. I can answer that question.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: OK, go ahead.
GAFFNEY: The -- many of the -- many of the children were abused while the parents were even in the room. This guy had hidden cameras in his pen lights. He was taking videotapes during genital exams, which shouldn`t have been happening.
But it was a situation where there`s no one you trust more than a doctor. And this guy was a supreme con artist as well as a big fat monster, hairy monster. This guy is a con artist who conned the parents. A parent is busy putting -- dealing with another child, paying a bill, and the doctor you trust says to them, "Oh, I`ll take your daughter and we`ll go get -- we`ll go get a snack or we`re going to get a toy, because you were so good here today."
And in that two minutes, three minutes or five minutes that he`s out of the office, he would take them into another room and commit these crimes, right there in the office.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes. And that absolutely happened. Now, I have to ask you another question. I`m going to bring in David Clohessy, who was a victim of sex abuse as a child.
Does abuse like this run in the family, David? You know, we`re learning tonight that this sicko pedophile`s uncle was convicted of several counts of indecent exposure and open lewdness and one count of indecent assault. And this uncle did not go to prison. He died in 1997.
But here`s what struck me, David. The pedophile uncle was accused of exposing himself to three minor girls and asking a 4-year-old girl to perform oral sex on him. Sound familiar? Does pedophilia get handed down from generation to generation, David?
DAVID CLOHESSY, NATIONAL DIRECTOR, SNAP: It often does. In studies of men who molest kids and women who molest kids show that they have almost always had some sort of terrible trauma, oftentimes sexual, in their own upbringing.
Now, that doesn`t excuse, of course, their behavior at all. But it does point to the importance of what Wendy Murphy said earlier, which is that the other adults who suspect abuse have simply got to call 911. It`s hard; it takes courage. Most of the times you`re not sure. But you`ve simply got to make that call to the independent professionals in law enforcement, or else that cycle of abuse just keeps continuing and continuing.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: And let me tell you, it`s an affirmative duty. In other words, these doctors and police and prosecutors and nurses, it`s their duty to report it.
CLOHESSY: That`s correct.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Now, the devastated parents say this doctor from hell gained their trust to the extent that they didn`t even question some of his questionable behavior when they saw it themselves. Here is CBS`s "Early Show."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There were children being molested, probably on a daily basis in that office. He said he was checking her for a bladder infection. And he actually inserted fingers inside of her. And it was very quick, and I didn`t question it, because I trusted him.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: And that`s my big issue. Never alone. I mean, was there a perfect storm for this accused child rapist? He had the trust of parents, and he had alone time with his innocent patients.
Shouldn`t there be a federal law requiring a witness such as a nurse in the room when young children are being examined? A nurse would have perhaps seen if he was doing an unnecessary vaginal exam, because she`s a trained professional.
And we`ve got a doctor on the phone, Al in Connecticut. Your question or thought, sir.
CALLER: Hi. I`m a physician myself, as you know. And if these allegations are true, I just find it beyond atrocious. And although I`m not normally a proponent of the death penalty, I think an exception should be made in this case.
I did have a question about how he was able to molest these children when -- with no parent in the room. But your previous caller did answer that.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, thank you, doctor. And thank you for speaking out.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Psychotherapist.
CLOHESSY: If I can just toss in, you know, it`s important for people to remember that these guys are incredibly shrewd and incredibly manipulative and very, very cunning. And it does -- as pointed out. All it takes is seconds.
ROBI LUDWIG, PSYCHOTHERAPIST: What we know about pedophiles -- what we know about pedophiles, too, is that they are very attracted to jobs that surround them with children. And they are incredibly seductive and smart.
And listen, when you are a physician, you have an incredible amount of respect. It takes a lot of training, a lot of intellect. And so some people forget that you can still be an impaired physician. You could be very psychologically sick.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Robi, what you`re saying is that actually these are magnets. Priesthood...
LUDWIG: That`s right.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Pediatrician. That`s a magnet for somebody who is a pedophile who wants a good cover.
GAFFNEY: Jane, he had an awful...
LUDWIG: So this is good for psycho education, though. This is good for psycho education.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Hang on. I`ve got another segment here. We`ll be back in a moment with more on this.
A man accused of murdering a mom and her two girls complaining about his jail accommodations? One of them gripes, he has to eat with his hands? Boo hoo. You`re going to hear his reaction and the reaction of outraged victims.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: All mothers are talking about this. It`s just - - it`s on everybody`s minds, and it`s -- it`s just -- it hits you right there.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: The state of Delaware in a panic. More than 100 victims, children, of this pedophile pediatrician, one of the worst cases of pedophilia in U.S. history.
And Judge Greg Mathis, now we have to deal with the fact that 13 hours of the rapes and various assaults were videotaped. Some of the kids have been identified. Some haven`t. How is court system going to deal with that and the prosecution going to deal with that? Are these parents going to be brought in to have to look at this tape?
MATHIS: Absolutely. And I think it should have been done earlier in terms of full disclosure on behalf of the parent for the child. But in the child, yes, we`re going to have direct evidence by way of the videotape. You`re going to have parents who will have to verify that it is their child, and they`re going to have to verify the age.
A jury will determine whether they believe the child was of a certain age, and whether that child was of age to cooperate or not. And I`m sure that`s -- may be one of the defenses that this sicko might have. Is that it was consensual, particularly for the older ones.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: A 3-month-old child?
MATHIS: You have some...
(CROSSTALK)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Hold it, get out my gavel. Hold it.
MATHIS: You have some as old as 13. And I`ve seen cases in the past where the 13-year-old is accused of consenting to some sicko like this, so you may hear that.
GAFFNEY: Well, let`s hope not.
MATHIS: I think that his defense attorney is going to go for insanity. He`s already hinted at that.
But Wendy Murphy...
MURPHY: Yes.
MATHIS: Let me ask you this. Imagine what it`s like for parents to have to watch their own precious child, their own beautiful little daughter raped on videotape. I can`t even imagine it.
MURPHY: I can`t go there, Jane. You know, I have five kids. I can`t even go there. And I`ve had these cases. I`ve handled them as a prosecutor. This one is just so beyond the pale. It brings tears to my eyes.
You know what, though? I mean, one of points we haven`t talked about is the fact that some of the kids on the videotape seemed unconscious. Clearly there were kids who are going to be old enough to testify and would have been able to remember. But you know why they might not remember, and in fact, why they may be unconscious and why a doctor like this is so dangerous? They may have been drugged.
Doctors can give amnestic drugs like benzodiazepines to their victims, and then they go home and don`t even remember what happened. So if Mommy is not in the room and the kid can`t remember because they were doped up, that`s one of the reasons he got away with this so long.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Right.
MURPHY: I bet we`re going to hear that he was drugged.
GAFFNEY: Let me sell you something else that the guy did. Let me tell you something else that some parents told us on our radio show that he did. He would give -- if he had to give an injection, we`ve had parents testify on our radio show that he may have given them a shot in the upper thigh area so that, if the child was of speaking age and they complained of pain down there...
MURPHY: There you go.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Oh, my God.
GAFFNEY: He may have...
MURPHY: I bet that was the benzodiazepine. That would create amnesia.
You know, parents need to -- parents need to call the 911 not after they get suspicious, but when any doctor says, "Can I take Johnny and go into the room alone?" Or Mary. Any doctor who wants to be alone with a child, that`s a red flag. Call the police.
(CROSSTALK)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: One at a time!
MATHIS: He assaulted 10- and 11-year-olds. They should have been able to tell their parents and be able to report to the authorities when they inquired.
LUDWIG: Yes, but a lot of kids blame themselves.
MATHIS: A 12-year-old?
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Hold it. Panel, please.
LUDWIG: There are kids that blame themselves for abuse.
MATHIS: A 12-year-old? With a doctor?
VELEZ-MITCHELL: We`ve got to come back to this story, panel. We want you back. We`re going to stay on top of it.
Next, a family of four vanishes.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Tonight, ISSUES joins the desperate search for a beautiful family that vanished into thin air. The house, the car, the pets, all abandoned. Now, speculation and rumors spiraling out of control. The mystery escalates. Where are the McStays?
And a famous family desperately pleads for help. New developments tonight in the frantic search for "Growing Pains" star, Andrew Koenig. Family members say he was depressed and off his medication. Now they fear for his safety. Where is Andrew?
Those stories next. But first tonight`s "Top of the Block". A man accused of horrific rape, torture and murder is now whining about jail conditions. Steven Hayes` lawyer says his client is being denied medication and can`t sleep because the lights are on 24/7. Boo-hoo-hoo- hoo-hoo.
Here`s my favorite part of the complaint. Poor Hayes has to eat with his hands. He and another man are accused of raping and strangling Jennifer Hawk Petit (ph) in her Connecticut home in 2007. Her two beautiful daughters, ages 17 and 11 were tied to their beds. They died as the house was torched.
The victim`s husband and father survived the attack. Here he is on ABC`s "Good Morning America".
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. WILLIAM PETIT, WIFE & 2 DAUGHTERS MURDERED: Somehow it was ok for the defendants to bind us and beat us and rape us and torture us and set the place on fire. But you can`t be -- can`t be held in a cell with the lights on.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: The murder trial, believe it or not, is now on hold, until the court decides whether this accused monster is being treated fairly. Mr. Petit, I am just as furious as you are, and I hope this lunacy ends fast, real fast. That`s tonight`s "Top of the Block".
Mind-blowing new developments in the mysterious case of the family of 4 who vanished from their California home; investigators are furiously searching for Joseph and Summer McStay and their 2 children. Passing out this flier to everyone near the Mexican border where the family`s car was found abandoned.
Tonight, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children has joined the search. They believe there is a chance the family walked across the border into Tijuana. And law enforcement shares that theory. Right now, investigators are sifting through hours of surveillance footage from the border crossing hoping for a glimpse of this family.
Plus, we`ve got mind-boggling new details. The McStays` cell phones went dead February 6th. Tonight we`re find two cell phones were found inside their home. But investigators tell ISSUES the couple might have had other phones. They also tell us they`re expecting brand new information from the McStays` phone records tonight.
The family was last heard from February 4th. But was there a mystery call the next day on February 5th? And a bizarre twist just into ISSUES: we spoke to one of Joseph McStay`s close friends. And he says he was blown away when he found out it took 11 days for people to notice that this family was missing.
He says Joey the dad talked to friends and family every single day. He tells us you could, quote, "Set your watch by this guy".
Take a look at this video the couple posted on YouTube.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOSEPH MCSTAY, MISSING FATHER: All right. G, come on, let`s go.
Can`t get any worse.
Look, who is this? Our new Cadillac bike.
What`s up, Jay? First bike ride ever. Jay, come here. Oh, my God. Cadillac mama.
SUMMER MCSTAY, MISSING MOTHER: G. Come on, G.
J. MCSTAY: Whoo. Does mama know what she is doing?
S. MCSTAY: It`s questionable.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Look at this happy family out and about in their neighborhood. Why did it take people so long to notice something had happened; people in the neighborhood? It doesn`t add up. Something doesn`t make sense about this mysterious story.
Straight out to my fantastic expert panel: investigative reporter Michelle Sigona; attorney and former police officer, Marc Harrold; and joining me by phone, Lt. Dennis Brugos from the San Diego County Sheriff`s Department.
Lieutenant, what is the very latest?
LT. DENNIS BRUGOS, SAN DIEGO COUNTY SHERIFF`S DEPARTMENT: well, right now we`re working on more records of phone calls and we`ve obtained more financial records, both of their personal business and the business that he was engaged in. We`re reviewing the surveillance tapes, like you mentioned, at the international border. And also we`re following up on leads from the family and the public, as well.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: So what have you found out about their finances? I mean, this is -- this doesn`t add up, as you, I`m sure, are well aware, lieutenant. And I know you`re working and your team is working as hard as you can on it. But it doesn`t make sense. None of it makes -- it doesn`t add up.
BRUGOS: No, and in talking to business acquaintances and family members, it would be completely out of character for these people just to disappear in the manner that they did.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes. Well, let`s get specific. Joseph McStay`s father, Patrick, told ABC News his son did business in Mexico. He says Joey was in Tijuana as recently as December.
Joey owns his own business making indoor fountains. And here`s his Web site, as a matter of fact.
But Joey`s friend, told ISSUES this surprised him. He tells us Joey always got his supplies from China, not Mexico, because it was cheaper. He also said Joey is a real family man.
So take a look at this video posted on YouTube.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
J. MCSTAY: Hi, Jay. Did you just make the perfect latte? Or actually, cappuccino for mama? Wow, look how perfect it is. That just looks absolutely perfect. How did you do it?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Lieutenant, this friend of Joey`s told us he knew Joey`s older teenage son from his first marriage, and knew that he was a great dad who would never put his kids in any danger.
Have you found out anything about the children, about the family that is in any way out of the ordinary?
BRUGOS: Well, I don`t want to go to into every aspect of these people`s lives; this may be a voluntary missing. But I can tell you that what we have heard is that they wouldn`t take their family down into Mexico.
We are checking the angle that he did business in Mexico. We have two of our liaison detectives working down there right now, and they`re checking -- they`re working with the local authorities. And also, we have contacted Interpol.
So there is a lot of things we`re doing in Mexico. We have checked the airports and bus stops and talking to taxi drivers and that type of thing.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: But you have been quoted as saying you think it`s a good possibility they may have parked their car there and walked across the border at San Ysidro to Mexico.
BRUGOS: Yes. I mean, anything is possible. I really hate to speculate without having hard facts to support that. And that`s why we`re going through the tapes now and seeing if, in fact, we can view them walking into Mexico. We haven`t seen that as of yet. But I think it`s a good possibility. And I think it would be negligent on our part if we didn`t check into that possibility.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Ok. Now Summer`s family has now had a chance to go through their daughter`s home. They say there were no obvious signs of a struggle. But there were signs that Summer, the mom, was not planning to be gone long.
For example, a ton of fresh groceries and Summer`s prescription sunglasses that she usually took everywhere on -- they were right on the counter. And, of course, the most alarming thing was that Summer left her two dogs, Bear and Baby Bear, alone in the backyard with no food or water.
So I have got to go back to Lt. Brugos. What about these cell phones that were in the house?
BRUGOS: We`re checking on those. You know, we understand that the family may have had several different cell phones, so we`re checking on all of them. You know, and as far as -- it was unusual to -- the fact they found perishables in the house, and that`s why we were called to the scene that evening.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Michelle Sigona, what`s your insight? We only have about 20 seconds?
MICHELLE SIGONA, INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER: Apparently from what I`ve learned, the family doesn`t speak Spanish, so it`s going to be a little bit difficult to communicate if they are over the border in Mexico. In addition, they were going through a pretty major renovation inside of their house. Some of the windows were out; a lot of the personal belongings were inside the garage.
So it`s sort of hard to tell if they were, in fact, packing or if they didn`t pack or exactly what happened before they left their home.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right, Marc Harrold, your thoughts. This is a total mystery, it does not add up.
MARC HARROLD, FORMER POLICE OFFICER: Yes. This is a complete mystery, there`s no doubt about that. What they`re looking for, law enforcement wants a chronology; they want to figure out when things happened. What they can actually point to that actually happened; if they crossed the border, when they crossed the border, when they made calls, when they didn`t.
What we`ve got now is you`ve got a web, you have an investigation that`s basically a web. You go out and get as much information about these people as you can, their patterns, habits and go from there. But I`m sure that the authorities down there are doing everything they can to rule things in and rule things out, but it`s a total mystery, as far as I know.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: And of course find out that their car was abandoned two blocks from the border. And apparently, it`s in a parking lot that is a popular shopping center.
So my question is, wouldn`t this parking lot, Judge Mathis, have video cameras, so we could see what happened once that car was abandoned there? Ok.
Well, let`s go to Lt. Brugos.
BRUGOS: Yes, in fact, there were some surveillance cameras in the parking lot. Unfortunately, where their car was parked, it wasn`t capturing that particular area of the parking lot.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: So, in other words -- boy, that -- that is upsetting, that, in other words, you -- you had surveillance cameras at that parking lot, but they just didn`t catch that particular section. Is that right?
BRUGOS: That`s correct.
SIGONA: Also, Jane, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children is also helping the sheriff`s office to review a lot of those tapes of border crossings over into Tijuana, as well. So they have got extra eyes, extra hands, everyone sort of pulling together to figure out.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: And last thing, what about -- Lieutenant, what about that cell phone call that was made the day after they disappeared?
BRUGOS: We`re trying to track that down to find out whether it was made from their phone or to their phone. And we`re reviewing that right now.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes. And you know what? We have to say we are so very concerned about this family, this beautiful family with these two love kids. We want to find them safe. We`re going to keep this story alive to try to help find them. Thank you, fantastic panel.
Hollywood actor vanishes in Vancouver. His famous parents pleading for help. Where is Andrew Koenig? We`re taking your calls on this, 1-877- JVM-SAYS. And we`re talking to some people very, very, very, very close to Andrew. Once again, 1-877-586-7297, call me.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WALTER KOENIG, ANDREW KOENIG`S FATHER: Anything that you might see, any possibility of seeing this 41-year-old man with long hair, about 5`5", great smile. It would be very much appreciated.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Together so thank you.
Fast-breaking developments tonight out of Vancouver. The totally distraught parents of missing "Growing Pains" actor, Andrew Koenig beg their son, please contact us. They reveal he has been off his antidepressants for a year. Andrew played the character Boner on ABC sitcom "Growing Pains."
Since then he has launched a career as a photographer and editor. And he is darn good at it. In fact, I worked with Andrew at Veg TV, a Vegan cooking show and Web site, for several years. He`s a kind and sensitive soul, and we all just want to know that he`s ok.
Walter and Judy Koenig are now in Vancouver, desperately trying to find Andrew. He has not been seen since February 14th. Today, his father Walter, who played Chekov on "Star Trek," made an emotional plea.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
W. KOENIG: We just want to know that you`re ok. And do you want to stay here -- you know, if you want to change your life and stay here. And fine. A little peace and happiness here, as you have in the past. That`s ok. That`s ok. You don`t have to come back. But just let us know that`s your intention.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: And now there is a newly posted YouTube video made by Andrew called "Run for Your Life".
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANDREW KOENIG, ACTOR: I wanted out. But getting out, it wasn`t easy. I`ve been on the run for 27 and a half weeks.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: That video makes me wonder if Andrew had long had dreams of getting away. Is Andrew simply hiding out and trying to find himself in the beauty of Vancouver? We all hope so.
Tonight, my two very special guests, Jenny Magenta joins us by telephone. She is the friend Andrew was staying with in Vancouver and we are very honored and delighted to have with us Danielle Koenig, she is Andrew`s sister.
Thank you so much to the two of you.
And Danielle, I want to begin with you. I know what you`re going through is very tough. And as you know -
DANIELLE KOENIG, ANDREW KOENIG`S SISTER: Yes.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: I`m friendly with your brother and I admire his work, and I admire his ethics. We share a lot in common as environmentalists, animal activists and vegans, both of us and that`s why we got together and worked together.
D. KOENIG: Thank you.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: When was the last time you heard from your brother and what was his emotional state at that time?
D. KOENIG: Well, I just did a brief e-mail with him, like, on February 5th or 6th, something like that or 4th, something like that. And that wasn`t emotional. I just asked him a simple question. And previous to that, I saw him on that previous Sunday, which was I think January 31st and he was -- he was ok.
He and my parents were at my house for my birthday and so he was fine. He was playing with my son, which he loves to do, which he gets great joy from.
So he was -- he was ok. And certainly we knew that he had been down recently.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: And why?
D. KOENIG: Well, he is just -- you know, he has wrestled with depression for a large part of his life. I can`t really say that`s like one specific thing. It`s just sort of -- something he has had to deal with.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: So it`s something that comes up over and over again. And --
D. KOENIG: Yes.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: -- Andrew is -- I guess this is your mother, as well. Andrew`s mom, your mom, talked about --
D. KOENIG: Yes.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: -- her son`s depression and the fact that he had not taken his meds for a year. Let`s listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JUDY LEVITT KOENIG, ANDREW KOENIG`S MOTHER: With somebody who is depressed and not on medication, as parents, we always look for -- there`s things that -- a pattern that you look for. And we`re always concerned.
As it is, the experiences that he`s -- the things that he had been going through that didn`t form a whole picture, because people who had observed certain things did not know us. There was a certain pattern of, you know, closing out things, giving away things, that there is not the network that could have put all this together.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: So Danielle, we`re hearing a lot of different things. We are hearing that he gave away a lot of his possessions, sold some of his possessions before he left. We are hearing that he gave a month`s notice at his Venice apartment and got a security deposit back and that the people there didn`t think he was coming back.
But were also hearing he tells some people he was going on vacation in Vancouver and he told other people he was going to start anew, start over again in Vancouver. What do you know?
D. KOENIG: He did not tell us that he was closing out his apartment. We didn`t know that until that after this all happened so that was completely a shock to us. We didn`t know that.
The thing about telling people that he was going to go start over, that seems to be rumor. I don`t really know who said that. But it seems to be like a third-hand thing.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Are you --
D. KOENIG: -- I hope to God that`s what it is. But -- I don`t know.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Are you concerned by the fact that he gave possessions to his friend? Like Lance Miccio, a friend he`s worked with said that he found this bag of possessions, some of the things that he had given Andrew as gifts, returned to him.
D. KOENIG: Yes, of course, I`m concerned. I know that that`s not a good sign, people giving away possessions is not a good thing. And I`m absolutely concerned.
I`m just hoping that by some grace of God or whatever, that he hasn`t harmed himself and that he is just trying to get away or start over and, you know, I just want to find him. I just want to find him. I just want him to know how much we love him and how much we feel for him.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: This has got to be hell for you.
KOENIG: It is.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Tell me about what you`re going through.
KOENIG: I`m a little bit numb. I`m a little confused, certainly. The not knowing is very, very hard to deal with. The fact that it`s public is just very surreal to me. I don`t quite know what to do. I`m just trying to stay busy to get through each day.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, we`re going to try to help find him.
KOENIG: Thank you.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Hold on, we`re coming back with Jenny Magenta, a friend of Andrew`s, the last person to see him before he disappeared.
Much more in a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANDREW KOENIG, MISSING ACTOR: Growing up we used to get live trees. My mom would get live trees. They weren`t huge trees. They were only like four, five feet tall but the nice thing was we planted them and for years they would grow and continue to be live trees.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: That was my friend Andrew Koenig on Veg TV. We worked together on that show years ago. The "Growing Pains" actor missing since February 14th his family and sister -- we`ve been talking to her -- they`re all worried sick.
Jenny Magenta is a friend of Andrew`s. I understand, Jenny that Andrew was staying with you the night before he disappeared.
Tell us about that night. Apparently you went to sleep and you woke up the next day and he was gone?
Ok.
What we understand is that -- and I`ll go back to Danielle on this -- we understand that he stayed with Jenny. She went to sleep. When she woke up the next morning he was gone and left a note that simply said, "Thank you." What do you make of that?
D. KOENIG: Yes. That he was -- didn`t want anyone to know he was leaving, I guess. That he was --
VELEZ-MITCHELL: I know.
D. KOENIG: Yes.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: It`s rough.
Now, let`s take a look at this YouTube video that just surfaced featuring Andrew. It was made years ago. But TMZ reports it was just posted last month. It`s called "Run for Your Life." Let`s watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
A. KOENIG: My name is jack. I used to belong to a secret organization called The Umbrella. I thought we were there for the good of humanity. I was wrong. I wanted out, but getting out, it wasn`t easy.
I`ve been on the run for 27 1/2 weeks. I thought I was finally free, but it looks that it doesn`t seem -- but that might not be the case.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right. We`ve got Jenny back. Jenny, you saw him the night before he disappeared. Did he seem extremely despondent, what were his plans?
JENNY MAGENTA, ANDREW KOENIG`S FRIEND (via telephone): We`ve been friends for almost 20 years. He came to my home to stay with me. I picked him up at the airport on the 11th. And originally he was going to stay for three nights; that`s what we had talked about.
He asked if it was ok if he stayed another night which, of course, I said yes. We kind of all hung out. It didn`t seem particularly odd or anything.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Did he seem despondent?
MAGENTA: That`s the word that everybody is using a lot right now. The only thing I can say about him as a person, as somebody who`s known him for a long time, is that he definitely seemed not as -- not as vibrant as he usually is.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: What did he say he was going to do? He was in Vancouver --
MAGENTA: He was here visiting. He was here to see friends. He was here --
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Did he tell you what his plans were when he left you, where he was going?
MAGENTA: He said he was going to -- he told me the reason he stayed the extra night was because he was going to be -- he said he changed his flight and, you know, I didn`t have his flight itinerary so I had no reason to believe anything other than that.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: You were surprised when you woke up in the morning and he had left and he --
MAGENTA: I was surprised because we had discussed the possibility of being able to you know, get him a ride or drive him back to the airport or whatever.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Danielle, ten -- we want to find your brother. Right?
D. KOENIG: Yes.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: If you`re out there, Andrew, we all love you. You`re watching ISSUES on HLN.
END
