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Nancy Grace
"Survivor" Producer Questioned in Wife`s Murder
Aired April 09, 2010 - 20:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAT LALAMA, GUEST HOST: Breaking news tonight. A beautiful young mother of two, a successful nightclub and restaurant owner, disappears while vacationing at a luxury Cancun resort with her two children and husband. Mommy never seen again. Successful in his own right, an Emmy- nominated former reality producer for the hit show "Survivor" and co- creator of MTV`s "Pimp My Ride," the husband claims she vanishes after heading out to go shopping. Then investigators zero in on a nearby sewer. There inside, the mother`s body found dumped with a blow to the head, signs of strangulation, bruises, and scratches to the neck. Suspect number one, husband-slash-daddy.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE) missing Monday morning. She went for a shopping on Cancun.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He`s a successful producer, making such hits as CBS`s "Survivor."
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And she never come back.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Tonight, Bruce Beresford-Redman is the prime suspect after his wife was found dead in a sewer at a luxury resort.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They love each other. You know, they -- very happy couple.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Forty-two-year-old Monica Beresford-Redman found dead, police say believed to be strangled, with scratches on her neck and a blow to the head.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I`ve never seen anything hostile in the relationship between them. They always got along. They seemed to be a lovely couple.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Reports say the couple went to the hot vacation spot for a romantic getaway to try to help a strained marriage. Now her husband banned from leaving. Why?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The timeline is key because he says he last saw his wife on Monday, when she went shopping. But apparently, they were seen together there at the hotel Monday evening in an argument.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE) that`s kind of concerning.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LALAMA: Good evening. I`m Pat Lalama, in for Nancy Grace tonight. A beautiful young mother of two disappears while vacationing at a luxury Cancun resort, and suspect number one, an Emmy-nominated reality TV producer, her own husband.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Breaking news. Former "Survivor" producer Bruce Beresford-Redman has been released from police questioning but isn`t allowed to leave the luxury vacation spot after his wife, 42-year-old Monica, was found dead in a sewer at the fancy resort.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: According to her sister, who told us that she found out he was having an affair, she was furious about this.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Police suspect she was strangled, had scratches on her neck and a blow to her right temple.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is not just a vacation gone wrong, maybe she slipped and fell. You know, she was very mad with him. She took all the money out of their joint account. She took the kids to Hawaii for a vacation. They were apparently talking, fighting, and it looks like she`s wound up dead.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Monica`s sister claims in published reports the husband got caught having an affair and planned a getaway to try and make things right with his wife. Witnesses reportedly claim they heard fighting throughout the couple`s stay.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I said, Oh, my gosh, I can`t believe this!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LALAMA: Big, big trouble in paradise. We go to Jon Baird, reporter, KNX Newsradio. Give us the latest.
JON BAIRD, KNX NEWSRADIO: This story started, apparently, when this couple went down to Cancun to put together their marriage. Apparently, she found out he was having an affair. They`re on vacation down there with their two kids. And all of a sudden, he reports her missing. He says he last saw her when she went shopping on Monday in Cancun. He reports her missing on Tuesday. And yesterday, on Thursday, her body`s found about 70, 80 yards from the resort, in a sewer. He is now a suspect. He is now in custody of the consulate down in Cancun, but he`s been ordered not to leave the country and his passport has been taken away. That`s where the case stands right now.
LALAMA: All right, so let me get this straight. He`s not been arrested. He`s not in jail. But he`s under the auspices of the consulate, so to speak, and he can`t go anywhere, he can`t leave the country.
BAIRD: That`s our understanding. The Mexican authorities have said, You don`t leave the country. They haven`t charged him yet. But basically, they have talked to him and they`ve said, You`ve got to stay in the country until we finish our investigation. He may not be going anywhere.
LALAMA: OK. Got you. Mary Margaret, senior news editor, Radaronline.com. You`ve got some breaking news about the children.
MARY MARGARET, RADARONLINE.COM: Right. Yes. A big question was what happened to the children. They have two beautiful little kids, a young girl and a young little boy. And we learned that yesterday, Carla (ph), who is the sister of Monica, the slain wife of the "Survivor" producer, filed for temporary custody of the kids and is actually planning to file for legal custody, permanent custody of the children, as well. They do not want the kids to be with his family.
LALAMA: Rupa Mikkilineni, NANCY GRACE producer, big surprise, an affair. What do you know?
RUPA MIKKILINENI, NANCY GRACE PRODUCER: Right, Pat. We know that she apparently found out about an alleged affair that had happened between him and a work colleague of his. When she found out, she became upset, she left him, she took off for Hawaii, according to family members and friends, with the two kids. She cleaned out the bank accounts. And then he was trying to reconcile with her and convinced her to come down to Cancun with the children to reconcile.
LALAMA: All right. We have Marcelo Gomez, friend of the victim, Monica Beresford-Redman. Thank you so much. I`m sure this is a difficult time. You know, it`s interesting -- by the way, you`re looking at video from CBS`s "Survivor" as we`re speaking. And back to Marcelo. I`m wondering, you know, first I hear that nobody knew of any problems in the family. Then I heard, yes, everyone knew, it was on and off and on and off. What -- can you set the record straight for us?
MARCELO GOMEZ, FRIEND OF VICTIM: I think this is the major problem that`s happening with this case is too many people talking too many things and news coming back and forth. I heard so many crazy stories. We own a Brazilian mall across from her restaurant and clients are coming in. Everybody`s, you know, in shock. And people have different stories. We`re just waiting to see what the investigation is really -- I mean, what`s really happening.
LALAMA: So Marcelo, you`re saying that you don`t really know about these allegations of an affair, then, yourself.
MARCELO: No, I don`t know. I`m learning all that now, you know? I`m sure -- Monica just found out, you know?
LALAMA: Does it surprise you, sir, to hear of this?
MARCELO: The relationship I had with the couple is mainly professional and social. We all work with the Brazilian community
LALAMA: Right.
MARCELO: ... and she is an outstanding personality in the community. We meet all the time. We`ve been friends for 17 years. And I don`t know her personal life, you know? I don`t know.
LALAMA: Right. Well, I can tell you that from what I`ve read, no one has a bad thing to say about this young woman. And I`m sorry about the loss of your friend.
I want to go to Mike Brooks to clear a couple of things up, from HLN, law enforcement analyst, former D.C. detective. And of course, you served on the FBI anti-terrorism task force. Now, are the laws so much different in Mexico? What can they do with this man? And you know, they haven`t filed charges. Let`s make that clear.
MIKE BROOKS, FORMER D.C. POLICE, HLN LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: No.
LALAMA: So what are their rights in terms of keeping him there?
BROOKS: Well, apparently, they had him in custody, Pat. They let him go. Now, he can stay away for -- it can be up to 48 hours before they bring him back, if they want, for additional questioning. Now, we know that the investigation is not complete. Now, Pat, if they wind up charging him, he could go to trial in Mexico. Let`s say he is found guilty and he is sentenced. Again, he has not been charged yet, but if he is, if he does go to trial and he is sentenced, there is an agreement between Mexico and the United States where he probably could most likely serve out his sentence in the United States.
But that`s way down the road. We still don`t know what exactly happened. And the big thing with this case, Pat, is the timeline. When was she last seen? What really happened? You know, he said, Oh, well, she went shopping on Monday. They were seen at the hotel arguing, having dinner on Monday. What really happened? We don`t know yet.
LALAMA: Right. All right, let`s update the audience on exactly what we do know from an evidence and forensic standpoint. Dr. Joshua Perper, M.D., chief medical examiner, Broward County, author, "When to Call the Doctor." We understand strangulation. We understand there was a big blow to her head. It`s going to be critical to find out whether someone placed that blow or whether it happened with her falling somehow. Explain to us the significance of that.
DR. JOSHUA PERPER, CHIEF MEDICAL EXAMINER, BROWARD COUNTY: Well, in this particular case, the scratches on the neck are indicative most likely of strangulation. That`s why they say it`s strangulation. And usually, they are associated also with pinpoint hemorrhages in the eye, which are also diagnosis or significant finding in strangulation.
Now, the lesion to the head -- we know that she has in the left temporal area a bruise. Whether this bruise is significant or not, we don`t know because we don`t know what happened under the bruise. Is there bleeding in the skull? Is there a breakage or fracture of the skull? Are there hemorrhages inside the skull? Are there bruises of the brain?
The more injuries there are and the fact that a fall inside the sewer was not apparently from a large of a height, then this might show that those were injury inflicted intentionally during an assault. So you have to know the nature and the severity of injury to conclude what happened.
LALAMA: All right. Now, before we analyze more the allegations of an affair and whatever alleged salacious activities may have been going on, Jon Baird, back to you, reporter KNX Newsradio. Do you have -- are you getting any word as to whether charges are imminent? Do you know?
BAIRD: We don`t know whether charges are imminent. You know, the facts of the case are very interesting. He`s basically saying that she disappeared on Monday to go shopping, and yet supposedly -- they had a violent fight on Sunday night. She disappears on Monday. And then they`re heard arguing again on Monday night in their hotel room. So basically, you know, I`m sure the Mexican authorities are trying to piece all of this together right now, trying to figure out exactly the timeline. And of course, that`s why he`s told, You`re not leaving the country.
LALAMA: Mary Margaret, Radaronline.com, let me get this straight. Are you hearing that she cleaned out the account, went to Hawaii? I think that`s what Rupa had mentioned. And then he allegedly called her and said, Honey, I love you, let`s try to patch this up, meet me in Cancun? What do you know about that?
MARGARET: Right. As far as we know, according to family members and friends, this was sort of a last-chance getaway for the couple. They`ve clearly had a lot of strain, again, from this alleged affair, and this was a time for them to repair and to reconcile, using the words from a very long-time friend of Monica`s. So clearly, he was sort of in a groveling state, and that somehow went wrong.
LALAMA: All right. Rupa Mikkilineni, can you tell us, have we established, are there records indicating that she was, in fact, in Hawaii first and then went to Cancun?
MIKKILINENI: Pat, we just know this from friends of hers and from family who`ve said that that was where she was. We don`t have actual records indicating this.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She was loved. I don`t want to say that she passed away. I really don`t want to believe that! Knowing her, her marriage, it seems very happy. She -- you know, she can never wait for him to come home when he goes do his things. And I -- you know, if there is any trouble in their marriage, I have no idea.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A producer with the hit reality TV show "Survivor" has been released from police custody in his wife`s death.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Now, Monica Beresford-Redman`s body was found yesterday in a sewer at the Moon Palace hotel. She was staying there with her husband, Bruce, and their two kids. Right now, state prosecutors say she was possibly strangled. Her husband has not been charged with the crime, but he was detained for questioning, released. Now he`s not allowed to leave the country.
And we`re getting disturbing new details about what happened before she vanished. Witnesses say there was fighting hours before she was killed. His face appeared to be scratched up.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was a happy marriage. Monica`s sister had told us at Radaronline that she was in a very happy relationship, she never expected this to happen. But she was shocked to learn that Bruce was having an affair, and that just devastated her. And so she decided, you know, to get out and get away from him. But they did have a happy marriage. She didn`t expect this at all. She said she knew there might have been arguments here or there, but lots of people have arguments, but nothing to this extreme. She`d never expected this at all. That`s why it`s been such a surprise, that it turned so violent.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When I knew him, he was just a cool, even-tempered type of guy, you know? And you have to be to be a producer on "Survivor." You know, you`re dealing with a lot of hungry and cranky "Survivor" contestants. And you know, when I got voted off, he was very encouraging to me. He was very -- he hung out with us and -- yes, he`s just not that type of person.
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LALAMA: And that was from CBS`s "The Early Show." You know, this guy worked on some major, major shows. We`re talking big potatoes in the Hollywood reality industry.
Gloria Allred, attorney and victims` rights advocate, I said to myself yesterday, I bet tomorrow, there`s going to be talk of an affair. Does it surprise you?
GLORIA ALLRED, VICTIMS` RIGHTS ATTORNEY: And once again, you are right, Pat. Absolutely. That`s what the sister...
LALAMA: It wasn`t that hard to figure out. Yes. Go ahead.
ALLRED: Exactly. That`s what the sister is at least speculating about -- maybe she has some facts, I don`t know -- that he was having an affair with someone at work, that his wife found out. Obviously, his wife was upset. And maybe that was the reason that they -- one of the reasons that they were going to be breaking up.
Then there`s a report from the attorney general`s office in Mexico that witnesses heard arguments, maybe over the children. You know, we can go on and speculate, and maybe she was going to move out with the children, one of the children. Maybe he wanted the children. Maybe there would be, of course, financial consequences if she got the children, as well as emotional consequences.
LALAMA: Right.
ALLRED: So you know, maybe that was a motive if, in fact, he`s implicated, which we don`t know yet.
LALAMA: Absolutely. Let`s make it clear. Let`s make it clear. And Joey Jackson, defense attorney, apparently, the key card used to get in and out of the hotel room on that night in question was used 11 times. I doubt they went out to look at the moon that many times, though. What do you have to say about that?
JOEY JACKSON, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Well, you never can tell. Maybe they did look at the moon. Listen, what we have to understand is that -- you know, look, there`s marital discord. It does not necessarily equate to murder. People fight. It doesn`t equate to murder. Unfortunately, people get scratched by their wives. That doesn`t equate to murder.
LALAMA: No, that`s true.
JACKSON: There could be many things that could have happened here, and so it`s kind of early to -- you know, to speculate about it. And presumably, you know, they did have issues, they did have problems, but that doesn`t make them any different from many other married people living in America or Mexico.
LALAMA: True. Yes, Joey, you`re right. But Renee Rockwell, defense attorney, who else should we be looking at? Fair question. Who else should we be looking at?
RENEE ROCKWELL, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Well, first of all, it`s very reasonable for them to concentrate first on the spouse. It`s a little early, though. Let`s wait for the autopsy to come back. Who knows, she could have been sexually assaulted. And just because they were having marital problems does not exclude every other possible suspect. There could be any amount of scenarios besides the husband in this case.
LALAMA: Jeff Gardere, Ph.D., psychologist, author, "Love Prescription," everybody knows you don`t have to have a criminal record, you don`t have to have a history of domestic violence. Sometimes, it can just take one bad night for things to go wrong. And I`m not saying -- you know, I`m not saying it`s the case here, but it does happen.
JEFF GARDERE, PSYCHOLOGIST: Well, there`s a possibility that if, in fact, Bruce had done something, that it might have been accidental, that they were in a very heightened emotional state, arousal, and they were constantly fighting. That`s why we know about the scratches, and so on. But what I find interesting, Pat, is that Monica`s sister is taking -- trying to take the kids. That means they think that Bruce is capable.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Monday morning, she went for shopping on Cancun and she never come back. They noticed that she did not make to the shopping because they went through her credit cards and they didn`t see anything. So she did not purchase anything.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Bruce Beresford-Redman, the suspect in his wife`s death. his wife of 10 years was found dead on what would have been her 42nd birthday. Authorities say her body was discovered 80 yards from the couple`s hotel room. Investigators believe the 42-year-old victim was strangled. They say her body and neck had scratches and she may have suffered blunt force trauma.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Authorities believe Bruce has scratches on his neck and arms. His sister-in-law tells us her baby sister, Monica, found letters to a mistress and recently fled to Hawaii with their two children.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LALAMA: I`m Pat Lalama, in for Nancy Grace tonight. A shocking story, a Hollywood couple, loved, apparently, adored, particularly the victim. And I want to ask -- before we take a quick call, I want to ask Marcelo Gomez, friend, just give me a description of this woman. I hear she was very loved, very optimistic, happy girl. Tell us about her.
MARCELO: I met Monica back when she was single. And we met socially and we shared parties. She`s really outgoing. The whole Brazilian community -- she`s -- she`s an icon. She knows everybody. She`s a good person. Basically, she has always been a good person. Her sister -- she has two sisters is awesome, you know? Her father is also a great guy...
LALAMA: Was she a good mother, Marcelo? Marcelo, I`m sorry. How about her relationship with her children?
MARCELO: It`s, like, a loving mother. I remember when she got pregnant. She called me to tell me she got pregnant because my wife got pregnant same time. So she -- she`s a good mother, yes.
LALAMA: Yes. OK. Our callers...
MARCELO: She`s devastated -- go ahead. Sorry.
LALAMA: Go ahead, Marcelo.
MARCELO: She`s devastated for the whole community. She -- who doesn`t know Monica, you know?
LALAMA: Right. Right.
MARCELO: And she is known beyond the Brazilian community. Her restaurant is -- when the Brazilian soccer -- the Brazilian national soccer team comes in town, they eat and party on her restaurant.
LALAMA: Right. No, I live in Los Angeles. I`m very well aware of it.
I want to take -- our callers have been waiting so patiently. I know Sheeba is in Illinois. Sheeba, your question, please, briefly.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi. My question is, could he have just gotten ticked off, if he did this, because she wasn`t going to give him the money back? And I`m sure she cleaned out more than one account, if it has her name on it.
LALAMA: OK.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And also, with her -- I got one more. With her family seeking custody, I`m sure, because nobody knows what goes on behind closed doors...
LALAMA: Right.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ... maybe they saw bruises and she confided in them (INAUDIBLE) wrong.
LALAMA: All right, let`s ask Gloria. We`ve just got a few seconds. What do you think, Gloria?
ALLRED: Well, sometimes, if a woman is battered, she will confide in her family, and sometimes she`s ashamed and doesn`t confide.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She`s always been just warm, you know, and very, you know, loving friend for all of us. We`re going to miss her dearly.
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UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: On her birthday her husband and reality TV show producer Bruce Beresford-Redman was with police answering questions in connection with her death.
Authorities say Monica`s body was found in a sewer at the Moon Palace Resort. She had scratches on her neck, signs she was strangled, and an injury to her head. Her husband also had scratches on his face and arms. He told police earlier this week his wife had gone shopping and never returned.
So far, the former "Survivor" TV show producer has not been charged.
Monica`s sister told the "L.A. Times" that recently the couple has had a difficult time with their relationship after Monica found out Bruce had an affair. The trip to Cancun would have been a repair for their marriage.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I`ve never seen anything -- any hostile relationship between them. They always got along. They seemed to be a lovely couple. And I don`t know. This is a devastating news for our community.
Monica was an icon. She -- everybody knows her. I have only good things to talk about her.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, I`m about to turn that beast into a piece of art. He has no idea I`m about to pimp his ride.
(MUSIC)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hi. I`m Justin. I`m 19. And this is my ride. I drive a 1997 Toyota RAV4. My parents --
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PAT LALAMA, GUEST HOST: That`s video from MTV`s "Pimp My Ride." Again, Jon Baird, reporter KNX Newsradio. He worked on some major shows. But in the last couple of years do you know what he`s been doing recently?
JON BAIRD, REPORTER, KNX NEWSRADIO, COVERING STORY: No, actually, I don`t. But he has been associated with a lot of reality shows. And of course he`s most famous for being on CBS "Survivor." He was a producer on "Survivor."
We talked to -- we had an interview this morning. Anyway we aired an interview with someone who was a contestant on "Survivor Amazon." I think it was back in 2004. Can`t believe this. Says he would never do anything like this. He`s totally shocked.
But that`s his background. And "Survivor" of course is what everyone knows him for.
LALAMA: Exactly. Mike Brooks, HLN law enforcement analyst. You know, people heard yelling. Apparently there was someone from the resort that said he saw him try to hit her. All of that is really important. Hopefully, it`s on surveillance tape, correct?
MIKE BROOKS, H;N LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST, FMR. DC POLICE DETECTIVE; FBI TERRORISM TASK FORCE: Well, I have been there, Pat. I`ve actually stayed at that resort. And it`s huge. It`s right there on the gulf. There are security cameras in different parts of the resort. Now, there`s a big golf course. There`s no cameras on the golf course.
So hopefully, a lot of this activity -- will help put together that timeline -- was captured on those video surveillance cameras. But the other thing is, too, I hope the investigators, Pat, from the Quintana Roo, which is the state that Cancun is in, I hope they do a good job and I hope that they process that hotel room because if there was an argument there that could glean a lot of evidence from that room.
LALAMA: And we all know so many times in international cases the crime scene gets messed up, questions aren`t asked, people are let go, and basically it destroys the case. Correct?
BROOKS: It does happen. But I have to say, this is one of the -- kind of the crown jewel, if you will, of the states if Mexico. And I can guarantee you that they want to make sure that this case is handled well, Pat, because there are a number of other, you know, resorts in this chain of the Moon Palace, and you know, they don`t want to say hey, this was a stranger coming in here, you know, this is a crime-ridden area.
They don`t want that. So I guarantee you they`ve got their best investigators on this, and hopefully, they`ll be able to wrap this up soon and either file charges or let him go.
LALAMA: Joey Jackson, defense attorney, can they keep him as long as that investigation is under way? Could it be months?
JOEY JACKSON, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Well, you know what, Pat, what`ll happen is, is that will be a question for the State Department. Ultimately the first question you would ask is why would he want to go? This is his wife. She apparently either was murdered or something was amiss.
And therefore, he would have a vested interest in staying and furthering the investigation to ensure that everything is OK. So why would he want to leave?
Now in the event that he does, the fact is that the State Department would have to get involved because just like here, Pat, where a judge, you surrender your passport or something else happens, it`s reasonable -- listen, we`re investigating, we`re not going to charge you, but you`re not going anywhere until we conclude.
And so ultimately, if it is too long, I believe the State Department will step in and there will have to be legal decisions and motions that will have to be made.
LALAMA: Renee Rockwell, I was told that they were actually going to Brazil to celebrate her 42nd birthday, which I believe -- someone will yell in my ear if it`s not right -- is Thursday.
Doesn`t it seem like a trip to Cancun is sudden when you`re going all the way to Brazil?
RENEE ROCKWELL, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Well, it is kind of interesting because if there`s one place you`re going to go to commit a crime, certainly Mexico might be that place. But I`ve got to tell you, it`s a little early.
I`ll say this again. What has happened to him so far is he`s been taken into custody only for questioning one day. Then he`s been released to the consulate. The consulate does not have him under any kind of lock and key.
He`s in an undisclosed hotel with the promise that he`s not leaving until the investigation is over. So he`s really not in custody or in jail anywhere. Good for him. But I would imagine that he`s not bucking any kind of the system.
He`s going to have a team of lawyers from the United States coming in to assist him together with lawyers from Mexico. And I can see this wrapped up quickly.
LALAMA: Dr. Joshua Perper, the scratches that are evidently on him, how important are those? He could argue I was swimming and got hit by coral, you know? How important are those scratches on him?
DR. JOSHUA PERPER, M.D., CHIEF MEDICAL EXAMINER, BROWARD COUNTY, AUTHOR OF "WHEN TO CALL THE DOCTOR": Well, they`re very important because what they did hopefully, that they examine the fingernail and the tissue under the fingernail of the deceased.
And if they found the tissue which can be DNA fingerprint that it belongs to him, he would have a difficult time in explaining that it was accidental because this would be irrefutable proof that there was an assault or there was an altercation. So the --
LALAMA: Go ahead, sir.
PERPER: So the -- basically, it`s true that they can be due to something which he`s not responsible for. But the entire picture, when you put everything together, the altercation or the discussion which was quite loud between them, the fact that he apparently said that he didn`t see her at time when they were together, the scratches on him, the strangulation on her.
Again, there`s additional information which should be collected. And whether she was raped by someone else. But at this time the indication are fairly strong that he might be involved.
LALAMA: Jeff Gardere, psychologist, author, "Love Prescription." I`m a little concerned about the children. What they may or may not have seen if in fact this happened between the two of them.
JEFF GARDERE, PH.D., PSYCHOLOGIST, AUTHOR OF "LOVE PRESCRIPTION": If it happened between the two of them, it`s quite possible that the kids saw something going on because they were there at the resort with them. It seems that the fighting that they had going on was happening for quite some time.
And there was all of this thing about him having an affair. She grabbed the money. She grabbed the kids, went to Hawaii. So those kids know that there is turmoil in that relationship.
What we don`t know is what they`ve been told about the death of their mother if anything at this point. But I`ve got to believe they know something, mommy`s not there.
LALAMA: Yes, right. Gloria Allred, victims` rights advocate and attorney. You`ve dealt with children in so many cases. I`ve followed many of your cases over the years.
Those children as pawns in any kind of legal matter that comes up, how will they be protected? Chances are if he`s responsible, and again, we do not know, but if he was, they may have seen something really critical to this case.
How do they deal with children under those circumstances?
GLORIA ALLRED, ATTORNEY & VICTIMS` RIGHTS ADVOCATE: Yes, well, we`ll have to find out the ages of those children. But I`m sure what the children have seen or heard or both is going to be of interest to the investigators.
Also of interest is the report that the investigators have said that before he reported his wife missing he took the children back to the United States. How do you do that? If your wife is missing, don`t you immediately report her to the authorities so a search can begin and maybe then arrange for your children to go back to the United States or take them, but at least get that investigation started if your wife is missing?
That`s not a good fact for him if it`s true.
LALAMA: Joey Jackson, got a response to that?
JACKSON: Well, I have to tell you, in the event that that is true, that it would seem that something would be amiss. I mean, in the event that your wife is missing, as I mentioned before, you want to stay, you want to further the investigation, you want to show concern.
You know the only alternative, I would think, would be he would want to get his children out to ensure that they were comfortable and emotionally OK.
LALAMA: We`re going to break -- want to wish Carolina friend Kathy Evans. She loves classic moving, reading, and the love of her life, great niece, Abby.
Happy birthday, Kathy. Make it a great one.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Producer with the hit reality TV show "Survivor" has been released from police custody in his wife`s death.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, my gosh. I can`t believe this.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Authorities say Monica`s body was found Thursday in a sewer at the Moon Palace Resort. She had scratches on her neck, signs she was strangled, and an injury to her head.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She helped the community. Everybody loves her.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Authorities say her body was discovered 80 yards from the couple`s hotel room.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: She was staying there with her husband, Bruce, and their two kids.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It`s going to be devastating for the kids.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Right now state prosecutors say she was possibly strangled.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: A close friends say they never knew the couple had a turbulent relationship.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It`s just absolutely awful.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: The husband has not been charged with the crime, but he was detained for questioning, released. Now he`s not allowed to leave the country. And we`re getting disturbing new details about what happened before she vanished.
Witnesses say there was fighting hours before she was killed. His face appeared to be scratched up.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
LALAMA: I`m Pat Lalama in for Nancy Grace tonight.
Mary Margaret, Radaronline.com, the girlfriend, what do we know? Alleged girlfriend.
MARY MARGARET, SR. NEWS EDITOR, RADARONLINE.COM: The alleged girlfriend, yes. That is a very good distinction. We know from Carla, the sister -- she spoke to Radaronline and said that it seems like it`s a newer relationship. But obviously, something that was deep enough and intimate enough to cause a massive rift in his marriage.
It was something that obviously was a serious relationship that was outside of his marriage and one that he had with a co-worker, supposedly.
LALAMA: Rupa Mikkilineni, we haven`t heard a peep out of anyone who claims to be representing this gentleman. It`s been awfully quiet from Cancun, hasn`t it?
RUPA MIKKILINENI, NANCY GRACE PRODUCER: This is true, Pat. You know, he is in Mexico and he is not under arrest. So I don`t think he`s retained counsel yet. They`ve just merely brought him in for questioning. And that was only today.
So again, as one of our panelists pointed out earlier, it`s quite normal, a husband, wife found dead, he`s concerned. Wants to investigate this further. Wants to be there.
LALAMA: Mike Brooks, I`m going to bet he`s got counsel.
BROOKS: You know, I would say that most likely he did or at least he went to the American consulate there and they may have given him some legal advice, if you will, because when something happens, when an American is involved with something in another country, the embassy will usually come down and talk to them.
Now some people have asked me today, well, Mike, is the FBI going to get involved? The FBI has no jurisdiction there. But if the Mexican authorities through the State Department Bureau of Diplomatic Security need some leads run out here in the United States, it would be done by the FBI.
Then the FBI would send it back to the State Department Diplomatic Security. And then to the local police there in Quintana Roo.
LALAMA: All right. You know our callers have been so patient, and I thank you so much for that.
So Linda, are you still with me? Linda in California.
LINDA, CALLER FROM CALIFORNIA: Yes, I am, Pat. Thank you so much for taking my call.
LALAMA: My pleasure. Your question?
LINDA: I was just wondering how long they could hold him down there. I live about two blocks from the club, and I worked at a club that was about three blocks from hers and used to stop in there occasionally, and she was such a sweet lady. And I do know that I did hear them fighting a couple of times.
LALAMA: Oh, you did? All right, well, let`s ask Renee Rockwell. We`ve kind of been through this before. But they can`t hold him forever, correct?
ROCKWELL: No, they can`t hold him forever, but I would imagine that what he can do is request that the State Department come arrange for his return. As long as they know where he is.
And as long as he`s got no passport and he can`t travel from one place to the other, he`s not a guy that`s going to be able to disappear just in the woodwork. I would imagine that after two or three weeks that he`d be allowed, if not charged.
I don`t see this going on that long. I would imagine there are going to be charges or there`s going to be a clearing of him very shortly.
LALAMA: Gloria Allred, at this point, you know, it`s all circumstantial. Would you consider it a strong circumstantial case at this point or pretty weak?
ALLRED: Well, I would say at this point they`re saying that he`s a person of interest. It would be wise for him to get an attorney. Especially if it`s also true, as being reported, that an investigator has said that he last saw her on Monday morning, but in fact others heard them arguing Monday night. That would be very inconsistent.
And this was kind of a snowball effect. So I think he`d better get an attorney as quickly as possible.
LALAMA: Yes, Jeff Gardere, I just want to get you in here one more time. I mean I know you speak from the psychological perspective, but that`s -- you know, the last I saw her was Monday, and people saw us yelling that night. It`s a little bit inconsistent.
GARDERE: It is inconsistent. And therefore, we know that there may be something going on with him and his psychological state of mind. Of course, being through something traumatic like this, ongoing fights.
The other thing is we know there is a statistic that has been thrown out on this show that there`s a 70 percent rate of the person who last saw the victim is the one who may be responsible.
LALAMA: Thank you, sir. Now good news. Tonight`s "CNN Heroes."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MACKENZIE BEARUP, YOUNG WONDER: I was in fifth grade when I hurt my knee.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You ready?
BEARUP: Yes, I`m ready.
The doctor diagnosed me with reflex synthetic dystrophy. When something touches it, it`s like a bomb goes off in my knee. Even though I`ve tried many different treatments, the only thing able to get my mind off the pain was reading.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You guys like to read?
BEARUP: My pediatrician told me about a home for abused children. Any child being in horrible pain like this, they need something. And something that I knew that helped me was books.
OK. This is called "Screaming Millie."
But the people in these shelters are just like you and me. They need things to get their mind off whatever they`re going through.
I put flyers in mailboxes, and I set up a Web site.
Thank you so much for donating.
My original goal was to get 300 books. Before I know it I had 3,000 books. My total right now is38,000 books and I`ve delivered books to libraries and reading rooms in 27 different shelters in six states.
Take as many books as you want.
If one child finds a love of reading through books that I`ve given them, then that will help them in school and just turn their life around entirely. I really think that reading can do that for someone.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LALAMA: And now a look back at the rest of the stories making headlines this week.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Miss Sandra Bullock for "The Blind Side".
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: On a human level, it is just sad.
SANDRA BULLOCK, ACTRESS: Don`t aspire to be in these shoes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She is humiliated.
BULLOCK: No one saw it coming.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She is beyond repairing this message.
BULLOCK: I didn`t see it coming.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: TMZ is reporting that James` mother and daughter were seen carrying boxes out of the home James share with his wife, Sandra Bullock.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The divorce is on.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She, in fact, is going to file for divorce.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Divorce.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Divorce.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Law enforcement needs your help finding 12- year-old Kayleah Wilson.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She left about 4:30 in the afternoon, she told her mom bye. That she loved her and she was heading out the door to go to a party.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If they see anything, heard anything, you know, know anything. Anything is -- even if it doesn`t seem like it`s anything, it might be something.
CASEY ANTHONY, MOTHER OF MURDERED CAYLEE ANTHONY: I`m going to start writing letters. I`m going to do it today.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: We`re getting shocking new details from the 258 pages of notes and letters Casey Anthony wrote to a female drug dealer that she met at a Central Florida jail.
ANTHONY: As long as we have Caylee home, everything else we`ll deal with as we can.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: The "Orlando Sentinel" is reporting Adams told investigators Anthony admitted she used to knock out her toddler daughter so she could go out at night.
JON GOSSELIN, REALITY TV STAR: Our number one priority for Kate and I is our kids.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Breaking news in the ongoing saga of the Gosselins.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, it`s OK, you can smile now.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Jon Gosselin reportedly wants custody of the kids.
J. GOSSELIN: I`m just fed up.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: His attorney telling TMZ that ex-wife Kate Gosselin`s appearance on ABC`s "Dancing with the Stars" is harmful to the children.
KATE GOSSELIN, RELIATY TV STAR: I know that my kids were happy.
J. GOSSELIN: That`s my job. That`s what I do.
K. GOSSELIN: My story is that.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: The attorney reportedly says he will use the reality TV show as evidence that Kate Gosselin is an absentee mother.
K. GOSSELIN: Constructive criticism is great.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Tragic, tragic story.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Your nephew.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It began on March 23rd, 2010.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Your children -- please come home.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Miss (INAUDIBLE) was reported missing by her husband (INAUDIBLE).
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She loves her kids very well, very much.
NANCY GRACE, HOST: Under water, mommy found slumped over the front seat of the family car.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Arrested her husband on the charge of first-degree murder.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
LALAMA: Tonight, let`s stop to remember Army Staff Sergeant Robert Pirelli, 29 from Franklin, Massachusetts, killed in Iraq. A Green Beret, awarded two Bronze Stars, the Purple Heart, and Combat Infantry badge.
A Northwestern University grad, loved hockey, dreamed of being a Secret Service agent or a federal agent. He leaves behind grieving parents Nancy and Robert, brother Sean, sister Stacy, grandparents Evelyn and Russell who served in World War II and Korea.
Robert Pirelli, an American hero.
Thank you to all of our guests and to you at home for being with us.
Thank you, Nancy, for the opportunity, as usual.
See you tomorrow night, 8:00 p.m. sharp Eastern. Until then, good night, everybody.
END
