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Jane Velez-Mitchell
Bench Warrant Issued for Lindsay Lohan
Aired May 20, 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, Lindsay Lohan a fugitive? A judge issues a bench warrant for the troubled paparazzi princess after she fails to show up for her mandatory court hearing. The wild child claims she couldn`t be there because her passport was stolen in Cannes, where she`s been seen partying. Could these glamorous French film festival soirees be her last stop before "le clinker"?
And "Survivor" producer Bruce Beresford-Redman, ordered to remain in Mexico after his wife`s brutal murder, is reportedly still making big Hollywood TV deals. His new show has been picked up by a major network. And get this: his alleged mistress reportedly helped him sell the show. I`ll have all the head-spinning details.
Plus, it`s been nearly two months since missing mom Julie Ann Gonzalez mysteriously vanished. The family is pointing fingers at her estranged husband, George, the last person to have seen her. He denies it all. But he allegedly failed a lie detector test. Tonight, the same polygraph expert who administered that test and the woman`s desperate mom are back to try and find answers to this mystery.
ISSUES starts now.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Breaking news tonight as an arrest warrant is issued for actress Lindsay Lohan. Is her next big role prisoner behind bars? The actress could be headed to the slammer after blowing off a crucial probation hearing to party it up at the Cannes film festival in France, telling the world, "C`est la vie."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LINDSAY LOHAN, ACTRESS: Thank you. I`m off to Cannes right now to announce the movie. And we`re having a dinner, and I`m very excited. So going to work more. I`ve been working a lot and I like it. And I just finished more traffic school, so I`ve been in compliance, which is really good. And my court date is coming up this week.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes. But she never made it to court, infuriating the judge. Here she is the night before she was supposed to appear in L.A. Take a look at those stockings. She is yacht hopping in France.
Today, that very annoyed judge issued a bench warrant for Lindsay`s arrest. Lindsay better get comfy in a first-class seat. TMZ reports the plane ride home could be her last moments of freedom. Authorities will reportedly detain Li Lo at customs.
The actress had a slew of excuses for being a no-show. First she claimed that that pesky volcanic ash cloud was preventing her from getting a flight to Los Angeles. Then she claimed, in a vicious twist of fate, her passport was stolen. Even Lindsay`s own lawyer ran out of excuses for her.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHAWN CHAPMAN HOLLEY, LINDSAY LOHAN`S ATTORNEY: I wasn`t aware of the fact that she was partying on a yacht. I understand that there are a lot of parties going on in Cannes. She`s a 23-year-old girl. Would I do that at my age? No. She needs to get back to Los Angeles so that we can resolve this at the earliest possible time.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: You think? Cannes is packed with Hollywood`s a-list celebrities, and Lindsay has been making quite an impression. She has been photographed falling down all over the place. The blogs have nicknamed her "Linsanity," a "wacktress," and "Li Loco." Will this finally get her attention? Give me a holler: 1-877-JVM-SAYS. That`s 1-877-586-7297. What do you think of this latest move by La Lohan?
Straight out to my fantastic expert panel: chief correspondent for "Inside Edition," Jim Moret; host of "Judge Karen," Judge Karen Mills Francis; senior editor, Radar Online, Maxine Page; Michael Lohan`s attorney and CNN legal analyst, Lisa Bloom.
But first, TMZ managing editor Mike Walters.
You`ve been on top of this story. What is the very latest?
MIKE WALTERS, TMZ MANAGING EDITOR: Well, you said it, Jane. Lindsay Lohan is a wanted woman at this time. The U.S. Customs and Border are going to stop her when she comes back, we hear tomorrow, from France, and they`re going to call the court. If it`s on Saturday, they call the sheriff. Basically, they`re going to call and say, "What do you want us to do with her?" And guess what? She`s going to end up in jail.
Now, depending on what happens, we will see when she gets out. It`s $100,000 bail. Can she make that bail? I don`t know.
But Jane, let me say this, the most important thing that happened today were the bail, the parts that the judge said, "Look, I want her drug tested once a week. I want her to wear a SCRAM bracelet. And I want her to check in with this court right away." That is important to what`s going on with Lindsay. She is partying in France. She has an issue. I know Lisa knows more about that. But Lindsay needs help, Jane.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: So, Mike, you`re there in Hollywood. You and I have both covered so many crazy experiences with celebrities in Hollywood that involve motorcades. I can remember a Michael Jackson motorcade. We all remember the famous O.J. Simpson motorcade. Are we going to see a crazy, wild motorcade when she lands at the airport and is taken by cops to be booked?
WALTERS: Absolutely. People will be there at the airport, and if she does get booked, Jane, it will be like Paris Hilton all over again. If she`s in jail or she`s at Linwood or she`s downtown, there will be hundreds of cameras there, hundreds of reporters.
And you know what else? Her dad and mom should be there. That`s what I think. I think she needs family and she needs people to help her at this time. But yes, Jane, we will be there. Everybody on this panel will be there. So CNN will be there. Yes, everyone will be there.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: And one last question: is it happening tomorrow? Is she landing tomorrow? Because that`s what an A.P. wire story said.
WALTERS: Yes, we are told that she is trying to get here, that she has booked to come home tomorrow. But Jane, it`s Lindsay Lohan, and at this point in her life, you never know.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: You are absolutely right on that. Thank you so much, Mike Walters, TMZ.
Lindsay`s dad, Michael, was inside the courtroom, and he wants Lindsay to go to rehab, not jail. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LISA BLOOM, MICHAEL LOHAN`S ATTORNEY: We ask that Lindsay not be ordered to jail but rather that she be ordered to residential rehabilitation. Michael has spent considerable time and effort searching for and identifying the ideal program for his daughter.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: And that face is familiar, because we have Michael Lindsay`s attorney, Lisa Bloom, right here on ISSUES tonight, and she, of course, is also a CNN legal analyst. Lisa, thanks for joining us.
This just in, panel, if you haven`t heard this. Lindsay is now blaming her father for stealing her passport. She e-mailed "Us" magazine, quote, "My father had somebody do it." So she`s blaming somebody in the United States for stealing her passport in France. What do you make of it?
BLOOM: Well, it`s a very sad and, of course, untrue allegation, Jane. Michael has been here in Los Angeles with me the last few days, and he`s been working tirelessly behind the scenes to try to arrange a private plane to get Lindsay back, to try to get an embassy official out there in France to help her get a temporary passport if, indeed, she really did lose her passport or have it stolen.
She`s obviously gotten to the point of desperation, where she`s lashing out, blaming everybody else for her own issues and for her own failure to take responsibility. Nevertheless, Michael loves her. He stands ready, willing and able to help her at any time.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, Maxine Page, Radar Online, what I thought of when I heard that is that old phrase, "Paranoia will destroy ya." Could she be at a state of her life where she`s actually so paranoid that she thinks "Dad had my passport stolen"?
MAXINE PAGE, RADAR ONLINE: I -- I think it`s part that, and I think it`s part, like, typically addict behavior. You know, the girl`s addicted to prescription drugs. She`s got issues (ph). And addicts typically blame everyone and take no responsibility for their own actions.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes. And that`s what I was saying about the paranoia. That`s also a hallmark of addiction. And as I always say, I don`t have my pinky in her drink. I don`t know if she`s drinking or using. But certainly we know, looking at these photos, listening to her father, who says she`s deteriorated, that there are a lot of people who believe she has a big problem.
Lindsay Lohan, is she high above the law? This courtroom drama all started when Lindsay was popped with a DUI. Now, in this crazy chase, she allegedly told the passengers in the car, "I`m a celebrity. I can do whatever the `F` I want."
Now look at her track record. Drugs, addiction, three stints in rehab, DUI. Throughout all of it, she has only spent 84 minutes in jail.
Jim Moret, you were in court today. She acts like the rules don`t apply to her, because they don`t. Wouldn`t anybody else have done more than 84 minutes in the slammer by now, given all her hijinks?
JIM MORET, HOST, "IN SESSION": You know what? Perhaps. Not necessarily in Los Angeles. I mean, we`ve seen people go in and out of jail. The jails here are horribly overcrowded, and you can be given a sentence of a week or two and get out in an hour.
I was sitting across the aisle from Michael Lohan. He was sitting right next to Lisa, his attorney. And I was looking at him from the standpoint of a dad. I have a daughter who`s Lindsay`s age, and I saw in Michael Lohan a legitimate concern for his daughter. I think he was relieved that the judge has issued not only the order that she be arrested and post a high bail to get out, but also that she be drug tested if she posts bail, that she use a SCRAM device, which would identify alcohol in her system.
And Lisa said it very clearly. Michael Lohan does not want his daughter to go to jail. He wants her to get help. It is clear. I mean, we were all waiting. "My dog ate my homework." It`s that kind of a response. This time, it`s her passport, you know?
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes, yes. I think it`s great -- you know what? I think it`s great that she get rehab and everything, as long as all the other people who are in a similar trouble, who are not famous and rich, get to go to rehab, too.
Unfortunately, our prison system is chock full -- you talked about prison overcrowding -- with hundreds of thousands, if not millions of people who are doing hard, serious time for non-violent drug offenses. They are not rich. They are not famous. They don`t get an easier, softer way. They have to do hard time. So if we`re going to be compassionate, let`s be compassionate to everybody, not just the Lindsay Lohans of the world.
Everybody, stay right where you are. More on Lindsay`s global drama. When is she coming back from France?
All right. Melanie in Ohio, hang in there. We`ll get to you on the other side. We`re taking your calls: 1-877-JVM-SAYS.
Plus, shocking developments in the "Survivor" murder mystery. Is this hot show [SIC] reality producer working on a new show? Has he made a big business deal while she`s hanging out in Mexico, waiting for the investigation into his wife`s murder to conclude?
But first, could Lindsay Lohan`s downward spiral end in prison?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
L. LOHAN: I just wish he would shut up.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That`s understandable.
L. LOHAN: Isn`t there a way to, you know? Whatever happened to slander? I don`t know how people can still allow him to continue to do such things.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
M. LOHAN: Anyone can die in her position in what she`s doing. I just want the people around Lindsay to know that they`re on notice. If something happens to my daughter and you`re around her and you enable her, you`re going to be held responsible, too. And my lawyers will make sure of that. And I will, as well.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: A warrant issued for Lindsay Lohan after the actress is a no-show in a Los Angeles court. The fallen starlet out yacht hopping or perhaps yacht falling in France last night instead of flying to L.A. for a mandatory court hearing. There`s a warrant out for her arrest.
Phone lines lighting up. Melanie, Ohio, your question or thought, ma`am?
CALLER: Hi, Jane. It`s always a pleasure speaking with you. With her being put under probation, was there that stipulation there that she abstain from all alcohol and any type of drugs?
VELEZ-MITCHELL: That`s a very interesting question. I`m going to take it back to Lisa Bloom on that. In other words, they`re having a hearing to determine whether or not she`s been faithful to her alcohol rehab classes. What about just staying sober in general?
BLOOM: Michael Lindsay, through me, his attorney, two weeks ago sent a letter to the court, asking for many of the new conditions to be imposed which were, in fact, imposed today.
There`s no winners here, but today was a small victory for Michael, because he got stricter control of his daughter via the court system. Before today, she was only required to go to alcohol education classes once a week. That was the only condition of her probation.
After today, if she returns to the U.S. and makes bail, she will also be required to not drink any alcohol, to wear the monitoring bracelet that monitors her for alcohol, and to be subjected to random drug testing. These are the kinds of restrictions that we asked for and were gratified that the court...
(CROSSTALK)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: The reason I`m laughing is that there`s a picture of her wearing an ankle bracelet, and she`s in a bikini in sunglasses, and it looks like she`s holding some kind of drink. I don`t know what she`s holding there. But it`s not funny. But you know -- oh, cell phone, sorry. She`s texting.
You know, Lindsay Lohan has apparently never been told no, but this judge finally threw down the gavel. I love this particular judge. Listen to her.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JUDGE MARSHA REVEL, LOS ANGELES SUPERIOR COURT: She was supposed to be here at 8:30. She`s not here. There`s really no valid excuse, so at this time, the court is going to issue a warrant. Probation is revoked.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Judge Karen Mills Francis, this judge, I think, rocked for what she did. What say you?
JUDGE KAREN MILLS FRANCIS, HOST, "JUDGE KAREN": No, I think it`s wonderful that she didn`t -- you know, the perception that most people have is that celebrities get coddled in Los Angeles. You know, you talk about the 84 minutes that she spent behind bars.
But the fact that this judge issued a substantial bond. And what you have to remember is that, when she returns from France, her point of entry isn`t going to be Los Angeles into the United States. She`s going to come into New York. So there`s going to be some type of hold. There`s going to be some type of discussions once she hits New York, because that $100,000 bench warrant is going to take effect when she enters the United States in New York.
So there`s going to have to be discussions about what`s going to happen between her landing in New York and then making that five-hour flight across the country to Los Angeles.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: I didn`t know that. I thought you could get a flight all the way to Los Angeles. But I`m not an international traveler these days. So please correct me if I`m wrong.
FRANCIS: Well, I mean, it`s an eight-hour flight across -- across from Europe and then it`s another five- or six-hour flight across to Los Angeles. My point is that her point of entry into the United States is probably not going to be Los Angeles. I`m assuming it`s going to be New York.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right. All right. Well, let`s see. Let`s see what happens. Let`s see if she comes back.
Here`s my big issue tonight. "Poor me, poor me, pour me a drink." Lindsay has been having a huge party in Cannes. And I call it a pity party.
Radar Online got a hold of this e-mail Lindsay sent to her friend: "Please help me. Get on a private plane tomorrow by at least 5 p.m. My passport has been stolen the day before my court hearing. Please, please let me know if you can help me." That was probably a bad Li Lo imitation.
Do you think she will actually show up, Maxine Page of Radar Online, or could she pull a Roman Polansky and decide to live in exile?
PAGE: I doubt she`ll live in exile, but it`s possible she won`t turn up tomorrow. I mean, it is Lindsay. Anything is possible. There could a new excuse, there could be a new reason, or she could just, like, thumb her nose and just not turn up for another week, two weeks. Who knows?
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Christine in California, your question or thought?
CALLER: Hi, I just had a comment. I`ve been in recovery for 17 years and...
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Congratulations.
CALLER: Thank you. And my experience is, you know, this has been going on for so long with her. You know, them wanting to put her straight into rehab, you know, unless she wants to get clean and sober, it`s not going to work. You know, I think she needs to spend a little time in jail to see what it`s like for the rest of us, you know, real people that are going through this and have gone through this, and it`s just -- you see this with stars all the time. They get this special treatment. I just don`t think it`s fair at all.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, I agree with you.
And Jim Moret, back to you. They`re saying -- OK, she was supposed to show up for a court hearing to determine whether she was staying true to the letter of the law, vis-a-vis her alcohol rehab classes. And it -- it turns out when they finally have this hearing, if they ever have it, if she did violate her probation, she could go to jail for 180 days. Well, given that she just violated her probation by not showing up at the court hearing, why not just throw her in the clinker for 180 days right now?
MORET: Well, the judge -- she`s entitled to a hearing, first of all. But I think that she needs to be scared straight. I mean, she`s used to being told yes.
And the problem with Lindsay in particular is she`s not simply abusing herself, but if you look at what she was picked up for, she was picked up on DUIs. So she`s putting others at risk. That`s my big problem with Lindsay.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Damn right. She`s got a lawsuit about that, that she`s also dealing with.
Stay right where you are, fantastic panel. Is Lindsay really headed to jail? Do regular rules apply to her?
Plus, a young mother vanishes in Austin, Texas. She was going through a divorce. Her estranged husband is the last person to see her alive. We`ll talk to her heartbroken mom.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HOLLEY: The fact is, she intended to be here today. She had a ticket to be here. Her passport was stolen. She`s filled out an arrest report or police report in Cannes regarding the stolen passport. And as far as I`m concerned, she had a valid reason for not being here today.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, guess what? That`s Lindsay Lohan`s lawyer, but published reports say they checked with French police and she did not, according to the French police, fill out any kind of report about a stolen passport.
So is she lying to her attorney and then putting her attorney in a position of lying to the court? I`m sure if her attorney thought she was telling the truth, I`m not suggesting otherwise. But that`s playing with fire.
Jackie, Texas, your question or thoughts?
CALLER: Hi, Jane. Thanks for having me.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Sure.
CALLER: I just wanted to say that it`s going to take Lindsay at least 30 days in the county before she realizes that she`s a hard-core addict. It took me a few days in the county jail to realize marijuana is addictable. And she does substances so much harsher than marijuana. It`s going to take her some time in jail, unfortunately.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, Judge Karen Mills Francis, again, she`s been in rehab three times. I can`t tell you for a fact that she`s using right now, but she`s exhibiting addict behavior. What about that point, that rehab -- she`s been in rehab. It hasn`t worked. Maybe going to jail is going to save her life.
FRANCIS: Jane, if the girl had shown up in court this morning, we wouldn`t be having this conversation at all. I mean, why are we having the discussion about her needing rehab? Because her father is in a courtroom in Los Angeles saying she needs rehab?
If she had shown up this morning and said, "I have -- I have been to 10 of the 13 sessions I`m supposed to go to," which is what I read, then we wouldn`t be talking about this today.
I also wonder how does she get to leave the country? Most people who are on probation have stipulations that they can`t even leave the county without prior approval of the court. Was there court approval that she could go to Cannes? Was there an understanding as to when she was going to come back? What did her lawyer know?
I think there are more questions about what happened on this side of the Atlantic as opposed to the other side of the Atlantic.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, excellent point. Let me throw that over to Lisa Bloom.
BLOOM: Sure. There was no requirement that she get the permission of the court. She was only convicted of a misdemeanor. She was, therefore, allowed to leave the country without permission. But in the future, of course, she`s going to have to ask for permission.
As for rehab, Michael Lohan, through me, prevented the court with a good alternative that would do something different than the prior rehab, and that is family therapy. And Michael has said it would be his No. 1 priority to attend those family therapy sessions. I think we can all agree this family needs some therapy.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: But Lisa...
BLOOM: Michael is going to be first in line to be there if Lindsay signs up for it.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Or let me throw this to Jim. But she despises her father. That`s going to be a problem in family therapy.
MORET: Look, it doesn`t mean that -- you know, families have different dynamics. This is clearly a family that is dysfunctional, in the sense that her mother is often photographed with her at clubs. I mean, this family needs to get together, because they have a daughter -- the mother and father have a daughter that clearly needs help. And in a...
FRANCIS: They have a daughter who didn`t show up in court. They have a daughter who didn`t...
MORET: I agree with you. I agree. And I feel...
(CROSSTALK)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: OK. Go ahead.
MORET: I feel badly for her -- for her attorney.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: You know what? We`re out of time.
MORET: I feel badly for her attorney.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes, I do. I do, too. That she`s put her attorney in a terrible spot.
Thank you, fantastic panel.
A hot-shot TV producer questioned in the murder of his wife. He just sold a...
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: "Survivor" producer Bruce Beresford-Redman ordered to remain in Mexico after his wife`s brutal murder. He`s reportedly still making big Hollywood TV deals. His new show has been picked up by a major network. And his alleged mistress reportedly helped him sell the show. I`ll have all the head-spinning details.
Plus, it`s been nearly two months since missing mom Julie Ann Gonzalez vanished. The family is pointing fingers at her estranged husband, George, the last person to have seen her. He denies it all, but he allegedly failed a lie detector test. Tonight, the same polygraph expert who administered that test and the woman`s desperate mom are back to try and find answers to this mystery.
All that coming up. But first, "Top of the Block" tonight. What a shocker. Stunning video just released of a bus flying towards a 14- month-old babysitting alone in the middle of the street. Miraculously the bus stops just feet from this little girl; the driver races out to check on the child. City bus driver Michael Hubbard said he thought it might be a bag or a dog until he realized it was a child in the middle of the road.
Then suddenly, this guy comes out of nowhere and grabs the child and leaves without a word. Well, guess what? The child`s mother, she`s been in a battle to keep her daughter, although officials claim she`s a neglectful mom. There`s going to be a custody hearing June 7th.
You know, I don`t think this incident is going to help her case. Thankfully now they have evidence of her mothering skills caught on tape. That is tonight`s "Top of the Block".
Fast breaking developments tonight in the murder of a Hollywood TV producer`s wife. Bruce Beresford-Redman once produced the reality show "Survivor", the big hit. Now Mexican police call him a person of interest in his wife`s murder in Cancun. But that`s not stopping him from making some huge TV deals. The CW network picked up one of his shows and you will not believe who brokered the deal for him.
Plus, an L.A. judge has ordered a trial to determine who gets custody of their two children.
Bruce and Monica Beresford-Redman went on a last minute trip to beautiful Cancun reportedly to try and save their marriage. Take a look at this video of the couple from RadarOnline.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(MONICA AND BRUCE BERESFORD-REDMAN DANCING)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right, that is so eerie and creepy, given that that woman you just saw, her naked body was found in a sewer not far from their hotel room on April 8th. Now as we wait for an arrest, her husband is sightseeing in Mexico because he`s not allowed to leave the country.
You know, we`ve got to get to the bottom of this murder. Give me a call, what`s your theory? 1-877-JVM-SAYS, 1-877-586-7297.
Straight out to my fantastic panel: back with us, CNN legal analyst, Lisa Bloom; and Judge Karen Mills Francis from the "Judge Karen Show"; plus, senior editor for RadarOnline, Maxine Page.
Maxine, let`s begin with you. Tell us who brokered this deal for Bruce Beresford-Redman`s new TV show?
MAXINE PAGE, SENIOR EDITOR, RADARONLINE: His mistress. That`s the crazy thing. You know, I`m sure this still was in place way before his wife was murdered but it just seems crazy. This guy is concentrating on his career just over a month after his wife was found brutally murdered.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: And his alleged mistress is reportedly the one who brokered or helped to sell the show to a major network. I would think he would have to have more important things on his mind, Lisa Bloom, given the fact that he is a person of interest -- and we`re going to check out some video from TMZ as you talk.
There is, by the way, the alleged mistress, and Bruce Beresford- Redman; there he is with his now deceased wife.
LISA BLOOM, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Well, as you know, Jane, it does take months, even years to sell a show. This has probably been going on well before the murder. He is innocent until proven guilty. He`s down in Mexico; he`s not allowed to leave until the forensic results come back. At some point he might be arrested and he might be charged.
But at this point, I don`t see the network being in a position to say that they couldn`t do it. If it`s a viable show and they had a deal in place and they wanted to go forward, they`re entitled to do that.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Oh, yes, it`s entitled. I`m just saying if I were in his shoes I would be thinking about something else other than selling a TV show.
BLOOM: Well, he`s got to pay for an attorney, Jane. He`s got to raise some money.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, that`s a very good point. That`s why you`re a CNN legal analyst, Lisa Bloom.
BLOOM: Hey, we attorneys need to be paid.
JUDGE KAREN MILLS-FRANCIS, HOST, JUDGE KAREN SHOW: And they do get paid, that`s for sure.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: We have never actually seen where Monica`s body was found until now.
Here`s CNN`s Ted Rowlands in Cancun.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This is where her body was found. Basically it`s an opening to an underground sewage system which runs throughout the entire resort. The family was staying in a room right over here in this building, up on the second floor.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Now, there`s a laundry list of red flags in this case, according to police. Again, he`s not a suspect; he`s just a person of interest. And he hasn`t been charged with anything. But Bruce reportedly wanted his now deceased wife to take out a life insurance policy. Monica apparently knew about Bruce`s alleged affair, even communicating with his alleged mistress through e-mails.
Once in Cancun, people heard them fighting in their room. And cops say their key card was used 11 times between midnight and 6:00 a.m. on the last night Monica was seen alive. Additionally police say there were scratch marks on Bruce`s body.
Judge Karen, people are wondering, why haven`t Mexican authorities made an arrest in this case?
MILLS-FRANCI: Well, you know, it`s a whole different system of justice over there. But my understanding is that they are waiting for the forensic results to come back. They don`t really have any eyewitnesses. All of the evidence, including what you just recounted, is all circumstantial evidence.
This man is in "Survivor" mode. He came up with the show "Survivor". He`s in "Survivor" mode. He`s over there. He`s doing everything that he`s supposed to be doing. Everything is looking totally awful for him right now.
I don`t know how it`s going to turn out for him, but there is a stronger standard of evidence -- I was going through the Mexican Constitution -- that the police have to have before they can arrest somebody. Here they can arrest somebody based on reasonable doubt. There has to be a stronger -- there has to be stronger evidence and circumstantial evidence under the Mexican Constitution.
Maybe that`s what they`re waiting for.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Good information. And by the way, just FYI, there`s also a battle over custody of the two kids. Bruce`s parents have them now. The sister of the dead woman wants them and we`re going to stay on top of that story, keep you updated.
Fantastic panel thank you so much.
A desperate family searches for justice. A young mother vanishes in Austin. Tonight, I will talk to her heart broken, devastated, frustrated mother. Where is Julie Ann Gonzalez? We`re taking your calls on this, 1- 877-JVM-SAYS, that`s 1-877-586-7297. Talking to the attorney for the estranged husband in a moment.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SANDRA SOTO, MOTHER OF MISSING WOMAN: Beautiful. You could just look into her eyes and see that she is a kind person; loved by many.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Turning now to a deepening and heartbreaking mystery in Texas. Where is 21-year-old mom Julie Ann Gonzalez? And what does her estranged husband know?
Tonight, we`ll ask his attorney about the lie detector test his client allegedly failed. On last night`s show, a renowned polygraph examiner who administered the test to George de la Cruz told me right here on ISSUES that George is not telling the truth about what happened to Julie.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JACK TRIMARCO, POLYGRAPH EXAMINER: It was a wonderful two-hour polygraph test that came to the right conclusion, despite what his defense attorney might say.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: And what is the conclusion that you came to?
TRIMARCO: That he was deceptive to the relevant issue of having been responsible for Julie`s disappearance.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Polygraph examiner Jack Trimarco is back with me here on ISSUES tonight.
George De La Cruz, the estranged husband, was the last person to see Julie March 26th, the day she disappeared. I will say this about George, he was willing to take the polygraph and he was willing to come here on ISSUES more than once to talk to us to try to clear his name.
Coming up, I will be talking to a criminal profiler Brent Turvey, Jack Trimarco who administered the polygraph test to George and Julie`s mom, Sandra Soto will also join me.
But first, I would like to talk one on one with George`s attorney, Patrick Fagerberger (ph). Patrick, thank you for joining us.
What is your response to the polygraph examiner`s findings that George is being deceptive?
PATRICK FAGERBERGER, ATTORNEY FOR GEORGE DE LA CRUZ: Well, first of all Jane, thank you for having me on. And I would like to say that my client shares with Julie`s family the concerns and prayers and thoughts about the well-being of Julie.
Second of all, I understand the frustration by Julie`s mom. Once a person hires an attorney and instructed to no longer communicate regarding the case. And, again, I understand their frustration.
As far as --
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Let`s talk about the polygraph.
FAGERBERGER: The polygraph. The polygraph, Jane -- obviously they have never been admissible in court. And the reason they`ve never been admissible in court is because it`s never been considered a true science. It`s a voodoo science at best and it`s the polygrapher who -- subjective analysis of the data determines whether or not it`s a fail or a pass.
So I personally and anybody in my field, have no faith and put no validity in a lie detector test one way or the other.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: So first of all we`re going to talk to the polygraph examiner in a moment. But why did he take it then if he thinks it`s voodoo science?
FAGERBERGER: Well, Jane, I was not hired at the time. I do not know. I know -- I know he has nothing to hide. Feels he has nothing to hide, had nothing to hide. Furthermore, I think you really need to look at the motivation of the polygrapher.
Here is a kid who is on the "Dr. Phil Show". Dr. Phil and his polygrapher take advantage of a kid who doesn`t understand the consequences whether they`re not legal --
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, look, I don`t want to sit here and blame the messenger. I would like to stick to the issues surrounding this case. So -- and I want to point out, your client is not even a person of interest. He is not listed as a suspect or a person of interest. He`s been charged with nothing.
But I was struck by how incredibly emotional your client, George, was after learning the results of the polygraph test. Here he is on that "Dr. Phil Show".
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Where is she?
GEORGE DE LA CRUZ, JULIE ANN GONZALEZ`S HUSBAND: I don`t know.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Tell me the truth, George.
G. DE LA CRUZ: I don`t know, mommy. I don`t know, I wish I knew. I really wish. You think I like this? You think I like people thinking I had something to do with it?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FAGERBERGER: Well again, Jane, I think it goes to show the ignorance that people have regarding a polygraph. People generally think that they`re reliable. So when you have an innocent kid who is doing everything he can to help APD in a missing person search, get on a TV show and have some polygrapher say that he failed a test, of course he`s going to be emotional, because they don`t understand that polygraphers are not reliable.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right, let`s -- you`ve made your point about that, and we`re going to get the other side in a moment. What is George doing to find Julie?
FAGERBERG: George has done numerous, numerous interviews with APD. He`s cooperated in every shape and form since she went missing. After APD determined that -- they turned it into a criminal investigation as opposed to a missing person investigation, it obviously was very prudent for him to seek counsel.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Ok, let me ask you this question. There were published reports that cops impounded two vehicles and took two other items from the home where George is living. Try to clarify this for us. I understood that George has now moved from the house where he was living to the house where Julie was missing. Is that correct or if not, clarify it?
FAGERBERGER: Jane, I don`t want to speak to the facts of the case because it`s an ongoing investigation. And as far as any details of the fact --
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Ok. All right.
FAGERBERG: -- I would ask that you would ask APD for those details.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right, well, they`re not talking to us. And you`re talking about the Austin TV, they`re not talking to us.
Listen, I want to thank you, Patrick. Keep us posted. If there`s something you want to say to respond to anything that`s said, you call us and you can come right back on or bring your client or both of you. Thank you very much.
FAGERBERGER: Great, thank you, Jane.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Now -- yes.
There was some suspicious messages on Julie`s MySpace page posted two day after she disappeared, quote, "I wanted to run away. I`m sick of my life," end quote. The question is, do cops think she disappeared on purpose? Here is investigative reporter, Michelle Sigona on ISSUES.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHELLE SIGONA, INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER: Detective Scott does want everyone to know that there is some quote, "Some indication that Julie may have wanted to withdraw contact".
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes, but Sandra Soto, you`re the mother of the missing girl. You`re saying, "Hey, she may not have sent that message. Whoever has her cell phone may have sent it after she was abducted." Is that correct?
SANDRA SOTO, JULIE ANN GONZALEZ`S MOTHER: That`s right.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Now, let me ask you this.
SOTO: That`s right.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: One of the big questions, because when you first -- when we first really broke this story nationally here on ISSUES, you were very upset that police didn`t do a whole bunch of stuff. And one of the things you were upset about was they didn`t check the pings to find out where those -- those text messages were coming from, where that cell phone had been.
Have you heard anything from the police about whether they checked the pings, which could solve the case?
SOTO: I haven`t heard anything. They haven`t told me anything it`s an ongoing investigation. I call them every day. I call them several times a day. But I understand they`re doing their job and they cannot share with me, you know, what I want to know.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, I don`t know about that. I mean, I have questions about that, because I know in some cases they do share bits and pieces if it`s -- you`re a mother who`s sitting there, you haven`t seen your daughter in a long time, you don`t know if she`s dead or alive. This is making you and your entire family frustrated and devastated. I would think they could communicate with you to a certain degree.
Are you telling me they`re just not talking to you?
SOTO: They`re just not talking to me. They`re just not talking to me, they asked me questions, you know. They asked me questions, anything that I could tell them to help them with their investigation, I share with them.
But other than, you know, them sharing information with me, no. They keep -- they`re not doing that.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: I hope they have finally checked out the pings, because that could reveal the entire story of whether she really sent those texts or whether she -- something untoward happened and the killer or abductor -- God forbid, sent those texts.
Jack Trimarco, polygraph examiner, very well-known and very famous, you heard some criticisms of your field. How would you like to respond, sir?
TRIMARCO: Well, first of all, I understand that George`s defense attorney is going to try to deflect from his client. He`s going to claim that polygraph is subjective and the examiner relies on scribblings and it`s a subjective conclusion that he comes to.
But it sounded to me like he was describing a cardiologist. Don`t our heart specialists do the same things? Not to -- not to minimize this, Jane, but the bottom line is I`ve run 3,000 polygraph tests in my career. The FBI, the U.S. government, depends on polygraph in our most sensitive foreign counterintelligence cases and our terrorism cases.
It`s what we do to get to the truth. And so, I expect a defense attorney to razzle-dazzle and to try to deflect from their client.
That having been said, no one`s ever said that George absolutely, positively is responsible for his wife`s disappearance. What this test has done is it`s said that he probably is.
And quite probably is and so, it`s given the police and investigators focus --
(CROSSTALK)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Ok. Well, we`re going to get to more of you on the other side of the break. Two seconds. Hang in there.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, Julie didn`t trust you and you know that.
GEORGE DE LA CRUZ, ESTRANGED HUSBAND OF MISSING WOMAN: I understand they suspect me because I was the last person. Like I said, if anyone sees someone, of course they`re going to be a suspect. Like I said, I`ll be willing to do anything.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: George de la Cruz has not been named a person of interest or a suspect in his wife`s disappearance. The couple was going through a divorce when she vanished March 26th. George was the last person to see her.
Phone lines light up, Reve (ph), Pennsylvania.
REVE, PENNSYLVANIA (via telephone): Hi, Jane.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Hi.
REVE: Hi. I just want to say I love your show. I watch you every night.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Thanks. I`m so glad.
What`s your question or thought?
REVE: I have a comment and a question. From the very beginning, I thought that George has definitely been involved in this. I just think it`s weird that he says that she stopped by the house and then decided not to take their daughter.
I think if she had any plans to go missing that she just would have not stopped by at all. You know, I don`t think she would have -- I think he would have been the last person that she would have told this, you know, if she were to go missing.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: You`re making a very good point. Brent Turvey, criminal profiler, what do you say?
BRENT TURVEY, CRIMINAL PROFILER: I say it`s a really good question. I say that we ought not try people for guilt or innocence in the media, first of all. I was very concerned about the statements made by the polygrapher especially since he was a member of the board of ethics for the professional organization he`s involved in so he should know better.
But second of all, the behavior has to be looked at in terms of the time line. We have to go back to the victim and look at this from a (INAUDIBLE) sense. Do a time line, run out the behavior, look for areas where there may have been surveillance. Let that investigation unfold and contribute to it.
I am also concerned that the police are not talking to the family. And that tells me they are thinking somebody in the family is somebody they don`t want to have on the record with multiple inconsistent statements. And I understand that. But they need to appoint a liaison who can act as a point of contact so information can flow both ways easily. So I`d like to say there`s a lot of good questions being asked.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Jack, you want to respond?
TRIMARCO: Yes. I think if my profiler friend was listening to what I said, he would have heard me say that George is probably responsible and it has given the police the focus that they`ve needed to form a task force and to put this investigation into high gear.
I don`t understand the criticism coming from the profiling side of the investigation, and that`s what we are. We shouldn`t be adversaries in this. We should be investigating trying to save a girl`s life not throwing stones.
TURVEY: Definitely we should not be trying people in the media. We should never --
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Hold on.
TRIMARCO: Who are you?
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Make your point.
TRIMARCO: Who are you?
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Ok. Let`s not do resumes on the panel right now.
I want to get back to Sandra Soto. You both --
TURVEY: It`s a professional courtesy -- we should not be trying people in the media.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: You`ve made your points. Agree to disagree, gentlemen. Back to Sandra. We only have a couple seconds.
Here`s my problem. If the police dropped the ball at the onset of the investigation, you said they didn`t find her car. Her car was found abandoned at a Walgreen`s, she worked at another Walgreen`s. You found the car; you said they didn`t fingerprint the car. We don`t know if they`ve done things.
If they dropped the ball on the investigation, then if somebody else is responsible, they may have gotten away with it.
SOTO: They may have gotten away with it, but I still feel that George knows something. He is not doing anything to help find Julie. If he loved Julie so much, he would help.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right. Thank you. We pray that she is found safe and sound. Thank you, fabulous panel.
Now, I want to congratulate my friend and colleague Nancy Grace. She was awarded the 2010 Woman of Achievement Award from the YWCA of Greater Atlanta. Way to go Nancy.
END
