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Jane Velez-Mitchell
Missing New Jersey Woman Found Dead; Haleigh`s Father Close to Plea Deal
Aired July 19, 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 a horrifying discovery in the war on women. A beautiful young mother found brutally murdered in New Jersey, her body badly decomposed, possibly set on fire. Tonight her devastated family demands answers. Did cops do enough to help find Jenna Lord? Tonight we`ll go inside Jenna`s strange meeting with a mystery woman the very morning of her disappearance.
And seismic developments in the desperate search for Haleigh Cummings. Reports now say her dad, Ronald, is inches away from making a plea deal on drug charges. So what`s he telling investigators? Could this new deal put the pressure on Misty?
Also, hunting for the truth. Tonight where is little Kyron Horman? His step-mom Terri has now moved out of the house. Are the walls closing in on her? Kyron`s dad is now pointing the finger at his estranged wife. Why does he now believe Terri had an accomplice?
Plus, Rachel Uchitel is headed to celebrity rehab. Tiger`s alleged mistress No. 1 says she needs treatment. But for what? Is she addicted to love, to pills or just fame?
ISSUES starts now.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Tonight, a family`s worst nightmare realized. A missing woman`s body has been found dumped in a vacant lot in a crime- ridden New Jersey neighborhood. But tonight, the big question is what happened to Jenna Lord?
Tonight the autopsy has been completed, but the 23-year-old woman`s remains were so badly decomposed the coroner could not determine the cause of death. He says there are no obvious signs of foul play, but some reports claim her body looked burned.
Jenna`s anguished mother and the victim`s boyfriend appeared here on ISSUES last Wednesday when she had been missing about nine days. They admitted Jenna had struggled with drug abuse but insisted she had been clean for months. Jenna`s mom accused cops of ignoring her daughter`s case precisely because of her dark past.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DESIREE CARUSO, MOTHER: I believe that`s why they`re not investigating it, because they think she`s a junkie. I don`t care what she is. She`s still my daughter. She`s still a human being, and I want her home.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Camden, New Jersey, police told us they have been investigating the case and claim they did search for her. But it was Jenna`s own uncle who found her body, only ten blocks away from where she was last seen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ARIEL MORALES, JENNA LORD`S UNCLE: For her past year she`s been doing her best, you know, to go straight, and this time she was doing really good. And it just so happened tragedy struck at the wrong time.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Jenna disappeared the morning of July 5. She took a train from Camden, New Jersey, to Philadelphia and then took a train back to Camden. Why? Police say she was last seen on tape walking away with two men. Are these mystery men the key to this case? Give me a call: 1- 877-JVM-SAYS. That`s 1-877-586-7297.
Straight out to my fantastic expert panel, but I want to start with Philadelphia radio talk show host Dom Giordano from WPHT.
Dom, what`s your reaction to claims that cops were slow to react because of Jenna`s drug history?
DOM GIORDANO, WPHT: Well, I think if I were in the family`s shoes, I`d probably come up with that perception, looking at it objectively where I am. I realize what type of place Camden your viewers should know is. And it`s a very, very difficult environment.
But the Camden police have not exactly been shining in the past. This is the same police department who had two little boys trapped in the trunk of a car in the backyard of the house of the parents a few years back that made national news, didn`t think to look in the trunk of the car. The boys suffocated and died.
So you know how police departments fall into this sort of thing of we`re overwhelmed. I think that`s what happens in Camden. And sadly, if you don`t have overwhelming media push, you`re not going to get -- you`re only going to get a perfunctory sort of search.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Wow, that`s a damning indictment, but I know what you`re talking about. It`s one of the most crime-ridden cities in America.
GIORDANO: Exactly.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: And at a certain point there are too many cases for the number of people in the police department. Nevertheless -- nevertheless, it shouldn`t be determined by whether or not somebody has a drug history.
GIORDANO: No, not at all. And it`s not an excuse. They have to do better. And as you just said in the setup, found only ten blocks away. That`s a pretty amazing thing.
So at the end of the day, this is the type of thing everybody should be aware of that you may get when you think you`ll get overwhelming police reception to this. It doesn`t often happen unless you have some hook to the story which grabs people.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, I know Mike Brooks, HLN law enforcement analyst, is probably chomping on the bit to disagree with you -- Mike.
GIORDANO: OK.
MIKE BROOKS, HLN LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: You know, I agree to a certain extent with Dom. Bu, you know, when the police department receives a missing persons report. For instance, the D.C. police classify you as a critical or non-critical. This woman had been, because of her history -- and she also had been reported missing before. And you have a number of different departments working on it. Is this going to be mostly a missing person critical? Most likely not.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, she turned up dead and now her body was there for so long they can`t even figure out what killed her.
Jenna`s family last saw her July 4. She went to a family barbecue in Collingwood, New Jersey. The next morning she went to a train station in Camden, New Jersey.
From there, she did something very, very strange. She took a train to Philadelphia. Then once in Philly, surveillance video shows that she met a mystery woman at the Philadelphia train station, took a bundle of what appeared to be clothing from her, then took the train back to Camden. And police say she was last seen walking away with two men and her body found just ten blocks from that station.
Jason Nark, reporter with the "Philadelphia Daily News," you were the one who reported all this stuff that they saw on the surveillance tape of her going from Camden to Philly back to Camden. What do you make of it and these two mystery men?
JASON NARK, REPORTER, "PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS" (via phone): Well, from what I was told, the two men she left with, it didn`t appear that they were putting her in any kind of danger. She didn`t appear that she was in any kind of distress. And police didn`t really have any clear reason to think she was in immediate danger based on that video footage.
And that footage was also sort of in contention with the family. I know many people that I have spoke to didn`t even believe that that video existed. From what I was told, her mother did meet with Collingdale, Delaware County, police on Saturday and saw this video and confirmed that it was her daughter who went to Philadelphia and came back to Camden.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Look, Howard Samuels, we certainly never want to blame the victim, and even if you are a drug addict, a practicing drug addict, it doesn`t mean that it`s OK to kill you. I mean, I`m a recovering alcoholic recovering with 15 years of sobriety. Twenty years ago, would it be OK if somebody killed me? No. OK?
So nevertheless, we have to point out that the Camden train station where she was last seen and the lot where she turned up horrifically dead are both known drug dealing locations. What do you make of it, Howard?
HOWARD SAMUELS, FOUNDER/CEO, THE HILLS TREATMENT CENTER: Well, first of all, I think that addicts, alcoholics are looked at as second-class citizens. So it does not surprise me that the police would not really make this a high priority. "Oh, she`s junkie or she`s a drug addict."
I mean, I used to deal with this all the time when I was using and with a lot of people I work with.
And secondly, you know, when drugs are involved, anything can happen. I mean, people`s behavior is out there. So for her to die if she`s involved in this, unfortunately that`s sort of the nature of the beast.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, I guess my point is what has to occur to me -- and I have no proof of this. So again, I`m not blaming the victim. But for somebody to take a bundle of clothing and then return to Camden after she called her mother, it says to me, was there something in the bundle? Could it have been something like drugs? I mean, that`s what occurs to me.
I have absolutely no proof of that, but let me go back to Jason nark. Are police investigating that? Have they found who this woman is? Have they found out who these two men are?
NARK: That`s part of the problem, I think, is that there were clearly people who saw her and were with her after that video, and those people just haven`t come forward. And regardless of whether that would have saved her life, obviously as you learned today...
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Jason, I have to ask you this question. There were reports in your article that a strange man said he had been with Jenna Lord and pointed the family members and searchers in the direction of where the body was found, and then ran off. Tell us about that.
NARK: Yes, well, that was told to me by a man who had gone to the search. He said this guy had told them, you know, "Look over here in this empty lot." When they went into the empty lot, this guy -- and the screaming started, this guy took off.
Apparently, he got picked up by a police car, but police haven`t said that they arrested or charged anyone. And all they said today is they have been speaking with people who have last seen her.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Margaret, New York, your question or thought, ma`am.
CALLER: Yes, my thought is, is why does it take so long for these police stations to take these people on as missing -- MISSING persons? My sister disappeared in 1983. It took me 19 years -- 19 years -- to get her declared as a missing person and another ten years before they found her. And in fact, she was dead. She had passed away at 44 in 1987.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Casey Jordan, criminologist?
CASEY JORDAN, CRIMINOLOGIST: Well, you`ve got to understand that some people who go missing want to be missing. That doesn`t appear to be the case in Jenna, but they have brought up the fact that she had a court date the next very day on the 6th. And if somebody wants to skip town, very often they do it the day before court.
It didn`t fit with the family, but you`re right her behavior, going to Philly, coming back with a bundle of clothes, which as far as what I read they never found the bundle that she was seen in the camera with. And she was wearing the same clothes she disappeared in. So there`s no evidence of foul play. And there`s not even evidence of homicide. She could have died of an overdose or natural causes. You just don`t know.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: And she could have -- and she could have suffered a horrific death and a violent brutal death, but her body was laying there ten blocks away for so long that now they can`t figure out that that happened.
So more on this tragic Jenna Lord case in just a moment. We`re taking more of your phone calls on this: 1-877-JVM-SAYS.
Plus Ron Cummings closes in on a plea deal. Could he sell out Misty in order to get less jail time?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RON CUMMINGS, FATHER OF HALEIGH: I want my family to know I love them, my girlfriend to know I love her, my kids to know I love them, Haleigh to know I`ll never give up on her.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CARUSO: The last time she was seen, me and my sister and friend, she dropped her off at Ed`s house. She called me on July 5 from a guy named Eric`s phone. And I didn`t -- I didn`t answer the phone. I didn`t get the phone call. And that`s all I really know. Like I don`t know nothing else.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: That was Jenna Lord`s mom on ISSUES days before her daughter`s body was found in a vacant lot in Camden, New Jersey, the area infamous for drugs and violent crime. Jenna`s body so badly decomposed the coroner cannot say how she died, which certainly could impede the investigation.
David Schwartz, criminal defense attorney, does this family have some sort of case against the city if they can never determine what happened to this girl or whether somebody killed her because it took them so long to find her?
DAVID SCHWARTZ, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: No, I don`t think they have a case against the city at all. You can`t find that type of negligence to bring a civil lawsuit.
You know, this police department doesn`t have the proper resources. I`ve dealt with a lot of police departments that have been overwhelmed in urban areas. And the government -- the state governments do not give them the resources to fight crime in these high crime areas. So we`re jumping to conclusions as to how they`re handling the investigation.
They clearly have a public relations problem. There`s no doubt about it. It is unconscionable that they don`t give the family the proper time that they deserve when they have a child that`s missing.
The other conclusion that we`re jumping to right now is that this is actually a homicide. We at this moment in time do not know that this is a homicide yet until all the autopsy results are in.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Holly -- Holly, West Virginia, your question or thought. How are you doing?
CALLER: I`m doing good, thank you. I have a question. I want to know when they`re going to change the laws. We have so many women coming up missing every day I see on your show, I see here locally. When are they going to do something? This woman is dead, has a child. No mother now. This is ridiculous. We have seen this so many times in the past years. I`ve seen you do it. This is getting old and ridiculous. Something needs to be done.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, it`s the war on women. That`s why we are waging a battle to have these cases, crimes against women, given higher priority.
Now, Jason Nark, people are questioning whether this was a murder or not. To me, I think it has murder written all over it. Do we know exactly in this lot how this woman`s body was found? Because, for example, if it was found in a Dumpster, changes are she didn`t like overdose and then jump into a Dumpster and die. Chances are she was murdered and put in that Dumpster -- Jason.
NARK: I don`t believe they`ve -- there`s any evidence that there is a homicide so far. You know, the coroner has said there`s no evidence of foul play.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, that`s what the coroner is saying. But I`m saying where -- in this lot, where did they find the body?
NARK: Just laying in the grass, the tall weeds. And the heat -- it`s been so hot in this area that the heat has sort of accelerated the decomposition.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: That`s why it should be a top priority if somebody goes missing to find them right away because, obviously, if you don`t -- they can`t even do -- Dom Giordano, they can`t even do toxicology tests on her to determine whether or not she was doing drugs because of the advanced decomposition.
GIORDANO: Yes. It`s small consolation to parents their daughter is dead. But at least if they have answers to what happened here, and at least they can move forward. And in a chaotic situation like Camden we all know the longer you wait for somebody like this the harder it is to find someone who did this, if it is homicide, are very, very long.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: It seems like there`s a lot, Mike Brooks, of clues here. There`s the two guys she`s on surveillance video walking away with. Why don`t we have that so we can put it on TV and somebody say I know that guy. That`s Joe.
BROOKS: I wish we had it here on ISSUES, Jane, but we don`t. But there is a possibility -- I have not given up hope that there`s a possibility of finding out what the possible cause of death is.
They say the decomposition was so bad, but there`s other tests that they`re going to -- that they possibly could do with bone, bone marrow, those kind of things, that could determine whether or not there was any kind of toxins in her body. So there`s a possibility -- I`m not saying it`s going to happen. But -- and it could take some time before they get those results back. But I`m not giving up yet.
But, again, there are no obvious signs of foul play on the body at this time.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Jenna`s family says they`re convinced she was sober and cleaning up her life, but her criminal history may tell a slightly different story. This week she was due in court, as you heard Casey mention, on charges of simple assault, aggravated assault, reckless endangerment, robbery, theft, terroristic threats, and receiving stolen property, all allegedly committed this year. And again, she has this history of drug abuse and some minor drug offenses from 2006.
Now, Howard Samuels, you`re the rehab expert. Does that sounds like a sober person to you?
SAMUELS: Absolutely not, Jane. I mean, you know, sober people don`t engage in that kind of behavior. People that are really working a 12-step program, that are really in recovery, they don`t act out like that. So I really have my doubts whether or not this person was truly sober.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, and also, there could be a slip. In other words, when you are sober, you`re supposed to avoid the places where there is temptation. And she may have been at this Camden train station for a legitimate reason and felt the temptation, because that is a known area for drug dealing.
Marty, Texas, your question or thought.
CALLER: Yes. If they have the meeting with two men and a woman on camera, then why don`t they show their faces on TV?
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, this is exactly what I was just saying. Thank you for that.
Casey Jordan, if the authorities want to break this case. They`re saying, well, no sign of foul play. Why don`t we find out how the people are that she was last seen walking away from -- with and talk to them and what better way than to put it up on television? Why aren`t they giving us these images?
JORDAN: I don`t think there`s any good reason why they aren`t. And it really doesn`t help the Camden police to not share that, considering the criticism they`re under these days.
You`re absolutely right. She did have a difficult past. She has a history of drug use and abuse. The circumstances look a little hinky, and maybe it was a drug deal, stolen goods, that sort of thing.
But Jane, never forget: you`re right, women who have these sort of histories are often discounted their value in the criminal justice system, and the Camden police did not really respond.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: We`ve got...
BROOKS: Maybe the police know who it is.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Thank you, fantastic panel.
BROOKS: Maybe they know who it is.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: We hope so.
Breaking news in the Kyron story.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Tonight, is Ron Cummings about to put the squeeze on his ex-wife Misty? Ron, whose little daughter, Haleigh, has been missing for nearly a year and a half, was supposed to stand trial today on a slew of drug-trafficking charges, but in a head-spinning development, Ron`s attorney announced they are this close to a plea deal now.
So does this mean double trouble for Misty? Misty was baby-sitting Haleigh the night the 5-year-old vanished. Misty`s own lawyer says he believes Ron is cutting a deal in his drug case in exchange for testifying against Misty, who`s also facing drug charges that could land her in prison for decades.
Straight out to Art Harris, investigative journalist and founder of ArtHarris.com.
Art, is this really all about the drugs, or are prosecutors turning up the heat on Misty because they still think she could tell more about what happened to little Haleigh?
ART HARRIS, INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALIST: They have squeezed this orange, and Misty says she`s been squeezed as far as it goes but that`s exactly what it is, Jane. They are trying to keep putting pressure on her.
Actually, they have tentatively agreed to a plea deal with Ronald, but they will not sentence him until after Misty`s trial. She`s scheduled to go on trial there in Putnam County August 22. He`ll be back in court August 20.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, what`s the significance of him having to wait? In other words, they waiting to see what he says about her on the stand?
HARRIS: Exactly. Part of this plea deal, pleading to three counts of 15 years versus a 25-year drug-trafficking charge, means that they want to wait and see how cooperative he is going to be in helping them in not just the drug case. They don`t need him for the drug case. They`ve got videotapes. They want him for Haleigh, anything he can do to help them there. They`re going to wait and see. And then they`ll sentence him after Misty goes on trial.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Back in April comes dragged Misty out of jail. They schlepped her down to the banks of the St. John`s River. Days later Misty`s grandma told me here on ISSUES what Misty had told her.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FLORA HOLLARS, MISTY`S GRANDMOTHER: She called me on Monday to let me know that Tommy and Joe had wrapped Misty -- I mean wrapped Haleigh in a yellow rope and tied a brick to it and throwed [SIC] her off a dock in the St. John`s River.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Now, Tommy and Joe insist they did not do that, and neither of them have been charged with that. Nobody has been charged. Haleigh`s body hasn`t been found despite repeated searches. So Art Harris, was this all a big dead end? We were so hopeful when we saw this activity that we`d finally learn what happened in this mysterious case.
HARRIS: Well, at the time, Jane, Tommy told the cops that he was in the van with Joe when he took Haleigh, that he passed out, he was on drugs, taking Xanax, and he doesn`t know what Joe did with her but says he did dump her in the river.
Now, no body has been recovered. And I know that law enforcement is very frustrated with Tommy, because he basically pointed out where they should search the river, and they didn`t find a body there, Jane. Now, anything could have happened to that body. It`s got swift currents. It`s got alligators. And we don`t know. They have not found the yellow rope nor that cinderblock.
So this is something that is yet to be determined. They`re calling it a murder but don`t have a body.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: It`s absolutely fascinating that this little -- little teenager has managed to really perplex and mystify all of these seasoned investigators and that we still do not have the straight story after more than a year and a half of what happened to this precious girl.
Thank you, Art Harris. Come back soon.
HARRIS: Thanks, Jane.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: From one mystery to another, are cops any closer to finding little Kyron Horman? We`re going to have some stunning new developments. You will not believe what Kyron`s dad is saying now.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Hunting for the truth. Tonight where is little Kyron Horman? His stepmom Terri has now moved out of the house. Are the walls closing in on her? Kyron`s dad is now pointing the finger at his estranged wife. Why does he now believe Terri had an accomplice?
Plus Rachel Uchitel is headed to "Celebrity Rehab". Tiger`s alleged mistress number 1 says she needs treatment but for what? Is she addicted to love, to pills or just fame?
Tonight the frustration and frenzy mounts for the family of Kyron Horman. The missing boy`s day is now admitting that he and his wife Terri had marital problems long before Kyron vanished six weeks ago. And he says he is now convinced his now estranged wife is responsible for Kyron`s disappearance and that he had an accomplice -- or that she had an accomplice.
Kyron`s stepmom Terri Horman has not been named a suspect or a person of interest but she did get the heave-ho over the weekend. A judge forced her out of the house she once shared with her husband Kaine, stepson Kyron and baby Kiara. As soon as she left Kyron`s dad and his baby sister moved right back in.
Terri Horman was the last person to see Kyron June 4th at his school. Terri`s attorney says she is getting death threats and is the subject of a witch hunt.
But Kyron`s biological parents say Terri brought all of this on herself.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DESIREE YOUNG, KYRON HORMAN`S BIOLOGICAL MOTHER: We implore Terri Horman to fully cooperate with the investigators to bring Kyron home.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Again, Terri Horman still has not been named a suspect. So until investigators determine whether 7-year-old Kyron is dead or alive, is this case at a crossroads?
I`m taking your calls on this, 1-877-JVM-SAYS.
Straight out to my fantastic panel; we begin with Victoria Taft host of "The Victoria Taft Show" on KPAM 860. Victoria, my good buddy, let`s talk about this accomplice theory.
Kaine Horman thinks someone else is involved in Kyron`s disappearance along with his estranged wife Terri Horman. Is that a far-fetched theory?
VICTORIA TAFT, HOST, "THE VICTORIA TAFT SHOW", KPAM 860: No, it`s not at all. As a matter of fact, a lot of people have thought that maybe she didn`t have the guts to do something with the child herself and indeed because she uses her feminine wiles to get what she wants, i.e. sex, that she might have enticed someone else to help her.
That`s something that`s been sort of a sub-rosa throughout this investigation. It`s something I have thought about myself and a lot of other people have. And we wonder who else was involved.
Who was that guy in the photo with Kyron during the science fair? Who is that individual? What else do we know?
We also know about the landscaper. This is the landscaper that Kaine Horman had no idea they even had, who was then approached by Terri Horman, according to authorities, and asked to kill off her husband, with whom she had been having some problems.
Now we find out that indeed they`d had problems for months in advance. Now we find out that they believe -- at least the family does -- that there was an accomplice involved here. That if she didn`t do it, she knows who did.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, wow, you certainly said a lot. For one thing, I want to say that Michael Cook, the guy that she got involved with purportedly after Kyron disappeared, did not meet her until after Kyron disappeared. So let`s put him off of this for now. This is a guy who may have just shown poor judgment and gotten sucked into a situation because she needed a shoulder to cry on.
As for the landscaper, he cooperated with police and purportedly wore a wire trying to get her to admit to some kind of plot, but it back fired. So I don`t know if we could -- Mike Brooks, they wouldn`t work with somebody that they suspected, would they?
MIKE BROOKS, HLN LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: Normally not. You say backfired. There`s a good possibility she could have gotten cold feet and just went, "Hey, I`m calling the police, that I had no part in this whatsoever.
But I guarantee you they`re going back and they`re looking at friends and associates of hers, anybody else, including anyone she may have spoken to, she`s got her phone records, on who exactly this other person that Desiree Young and Kaine Horman think it is.
But Jane, you know, there`s just -- I think law enforcement is just letting this thing play out. And keep in mind Captain Gates, the spokesperson for the sheriff`s department said early on that there`s no danger to the community.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Right. Exactly.
BROOKS: So they know a lot more than what they`re saying.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, Mike, speaking of what you just talked about, is it possible that Terri Horman gave Kyron to somebody, maybe somebody who wanted a child?
On Nancy Grace Kyron`s parents said they believe somebody else, again, is involved in their son`s disappearance. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
YOUNG: No. I know she`s involved.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you think she would have done this alone?
YOUNG: I don`t believe so, because honestly, she didn`t take out a contract on her husband alone, so I think that she would probably need help.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: This reminds me of the Baby Gabriel case in Phoenix. Remember that one? The mom there claimed to have given her son to another woman who wanted to adopt him.
Casey Jordan, is it possible Terri Horman gave Kyron to someone who was desperate for a child? Because remember somebody said cons were walking around saying have you seen this family?
CASEY JORDAN, CRIMINOLOGIST: I love the theory because I would love to believe he`s alive and being well-cared for somewhere but I think it`s extremely unlikely. That`s a situation that you see very often for women who are terribly desperate at the bottom rung of the socioeconomic ladder. None of this describes Terri.
But what does describe her is a woman who did try to get someone -- hire somebody to kill her husband and that indicates she`s not afraid of using violence to get somebody out of her life. And it`s really sad.
If there is someone involved who has the child, I think that she would have come forward and said he is alive, let me tell you the truth because she is looking at conspiracy to commit murder charges down the pike. And if he were alive I think she would fess up by now. It really doesn`t bode well for the future of Kyron.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: So tonight, I hope -- go ahead
(CROSS TALKING)
DAVID SCHWARTZ, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Jane, this is all speculation and guesswork at this point. The police are building up a case right now. You need hard core facts, hard core evidence. And everything that I`m hearing about this case is al speculation and guesswork.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, let me give you --
SCHWARTZ: So what they had marital problems? That`s a great piece of evidence. They had marital problems? Come on. Who cares?
(CROSS TALKING) VELEZ-MITCHELL: Let me say this. Kyron`s dad didn`t say marital problems alone. He said there was talk of separation or divorce before Kyron disappeared. But he thought they had worked out their issues.
Victoria Taft, help me out with this one.
TAFT: This is not the Brady bunch. This is a dysfunctional core of people who got together against all reason and now the kid is missing. We have a woman who`s clearly a narcissist and possibly worse. She might have done something with him. Lord I hope she did not.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Do we have those body building photos? I love to see those.
TAFT: Yes, bring on the body building photos.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Please, bring them out.
TAFT: People who care about every sinew of every muscle and find out how well-oiled it is to be able to go in front and parade herself in front of a bunch of people. This is a woman who clearly has issues. She is an attention seeker. That`s obvious.
I just don`t think that maybe she got rid of the kid and then decided that she was going to come clean. She`s not going to do that. I just don`t think she will.
SCHWARTZ: None of this adds up to being a murderer. Come on. None of this adds up to being a murder.
TAFT: Of course not.
SCHWARTZ: Please.
TAFT: Well, that`s true. You don`t know she`s a murderer.
SCHWARTZ: You need hard-core facts. This is all speculation and guesswork.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: I`m bringing out the big gavel if you keep talking over each other.
Listen, Terri tonight is living 180 miles away from the epicenter of the investigation into Kyron`s disappearance. She moved from Portland to Roseberg, Oregon, the hometown of her parents. That`s a three-hour drive, people.
Investigators in Utah know the scenario all too well. Remember this while they investigated the disappearance of Susan Powell who still hasn`t been found, her husband and only suspect in the case Josh Powell picked up and moved out of state and he also went to live with his parents.
You know, there`s an old saying, Mike Brooks. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. I`m worried that Terri`s move is going to make it a lot harder to investigate her.
BROOKS: I don`t think so. I guarantee you there`s enough technology out there that`s used by law enforcement without giving out too much on the air here that I guarantee you that they`re going to as we say keep her in pocket until this investigation is resolved.
TAFT: Besides, how much can she tell them? She`s already lawyered up; she`s probably not going to talk to them again.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, because isn`t it true, and I`m not saying she`s a criminal, I`m not saying she`s responsible. But criminals sometimes return to the scene of the crime. And that is -- literally cops watch them do this and that`s how they sometimes they find out where whatever they did happened because that is just a fundamental human emotion. But when they`re 180 miles away they can`t do that.
Paulette, Ontario, brief question or thought, ma`am.
PAULETTE, ONTARIO (via telephone): Yes. I`m wondering if Kaine Horman should have his house swept for bugs because she might have bugged that house. And then when he talks to the police, she will know everything the police know.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Oh, Paulette, Paulette, you are working overtime. But I think it`s possible, Victoria Taft.
TAFT: Well, I think anything is possible. I think she might be capable of doing something like that. You can go to any spy shop and get bugs that you can plant in pots and all sorts of things. And you can figure it out and watch it from your computer in Roseberg. You can go get eyes there and figure out how to do that.
Now, I`m not saying she did. It`s an interesting idea, though.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, when you consider that police purportedly believe she tried to hire a hitman to kill her husband then everything that is plausible beneath that is something that you`d have to look at.
TAFT: That`s right.
BROOKS: Never say "never". That`s right.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes exactly.
TAFT: Never say "never".
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Especially in a case like this.
BROOKS: Right.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Fabulous panel thank you so much.
The war on women goes coast to coast. Two more young women have vanished without a trace and tonight we are tracking them down.
Plus, Rachel Uchitel she`s headed for rehab. But what is she going to rehab for? Attention? Love addiction? Fame addiction? We`re taking your calls on this one, 1-877-JVM-SAYS.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ARTHUR JOHNSON, VIEWER: Ok. This right now, to me, is considered a biblical proportion. Just like someone dropping a nuke. That`s how bad this should be taken care of. It should be taken care of to the point where it`s of that nature.
I mean, come on, this should be first priority. This should be number one priority. My goodness, you`re killing people out there.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Bravo, Arthur. Thank you for sending in your ISSUES rant. And now it`s your turn at home. Are you outraged about an issue you see on this show? Send us a video rant. It can be about this or any story that just gets your blood boiling.
Send your video to Jane@CNN.com. Please make it 30 seconds or less. We want to hear from you. Do your hair and makeup and put some good lighting on there and send them in. And then we will air the most passionate ones live.
Well, Rachel Uchitel headed to rehab that`s next.
But first, "Top of the Block" tonight.
The war on women spirals out of control. Two more beautiful young women have vanished without a trace. In Shreveport, Louisiana, 12-year-old Amber White was last seen on Saturday afternoon.
Her devastated parents called police when she didn`t return home from the swimming pool. She`s 5`9", and weighs 140 pounds. She was last seen wearing a green t-shirt and cut-off shorts.
Then, on the opposite side of the country, in southern California 17- year-old Norma Lopez vanished while walking home from school. She has been missing for five days now. Friends say she decided to take a shortcut through a field. She hasn`t been seen since.
Norma is 5`7", weighs 110 pounds. She`s last seen wearing a black and white shirt with black jeans. Boy, you can`t even take a shortcut through the woods anymore without putting your life at risk.
What is going on here with this war on women? Please, if anyone out there has any information at all, call police. Keep a lookout. These young women are in danger. They need to be brought home safely. We`re going to stay on top of both of these stories here on ISSUES.
That`s tonight`s "Top of the Block".
All right, it`s Tiger Woods` most infamous alleged mistress, mistress number one addicted to love. Rachel Uchitel is the latest shocking cast member joining next season`s "Celebrity Rehab" with Dr. Drew.
Rachel -- no stranger to the cameras, oh, no. She was at the epicenter of the Tiger Woods sex scandal that stunned the nation.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RACHEL UCHITEL, TIGER WOODS` ALLEGED MISTRESS: I don`t have any comment. I`m not going to have any comment. And so I have to live my life and I would appreciate you guys not being on my property and not bothering me while I`m trying to be here.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Ok. We`re just trying to get one comment from you about Tiger. Because you know there`s --
UCHITEL: I have no comment.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: -- they`re spreading those rumors that he was here with you but no one has really seen you with him.
UCHITEL: I have no comment.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So that`s why we`re just trying to clear it up.
UCHITEL: I know, I have absolutely no comments.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: You got have to that reporter. She was quite intrepid there.
There is just one problem. No one is sure what Rachel is addicted to or if she has an addiction at all.
A rep for VH1 tells TMZ she`s going to be tackling a prescription pill problem. But "US" magazine has a different scoop. They claim a source close to Rachel says the ex-Las Vegas hostess might as well face it, she`s addicted to love.
She`s infamously dated two married superstars allegedly Tiger and "Bones" actor David Boreanaz. And she claims in those relationships she was the one who got burned.
So is Rachel`s drug love? Rachel will be in very good company so to speak. The VH1 reality show will also follow outspoken super model Janice Dickinson -- that`s one way to describe her and actor Jeremy London as they tackle their recovery.
Is Rachel just looking for love in all the wrong places? No, I won`t break out into song, don`t worry. Or is she looking to make a quick buck. TMZ reports Rachel is cashing in and reportedly getting a cool $500,000 to appear on the show.
But despite that big chunk of change, TMZ says what really sealed the deal is, are you sitting down people, Rachel`s massive crush on the host, Dr. Drew. Hey, paws off, Rachel. He`s married.
Is it appropriate for her to be on the show? Straight out to my fantastic expert panel: addiction specialist and founder of The Hills Treatment Center in L.A., Howard Samuels and senior editor of "In Touch" magazine, Kim Serafin.
Kim, what is the very latest?
KIM SERAFIN, SENIOR EDITOR, "IN TOUCH" MAGAZINE: Yes, it`s interesting. I mean, look, for $500,000 is what she is reportedly getting, I`m sure a lot of people could come up with an addiction, too.
Yes, this is sort of the big mystery. Nobody really knew that she had an addiction to anything. As you mentioned, a rep from VH1 has apparently said it`s for pills but I guess we`ll find out when we tune in to the show later this year that will air.
It will be eight-hour episodes. It`s 21 days and of course she`s appearing on this but will not be appearing on "Celebrity Apprentice". That was the buzz. Everyone thought that was going to be her big next show.
Donald Trump had talked about it last week, said that he wanted her to be on "Celebrity Apprentice". And now he says that offer is off the table. She made a big mistake. He said "Celebrity Apprentice" is the way that she should have gone because look what it did for Pierce Morgan`s career. And look, look what it did for Bret Michaels even. But apparently she`s doing "Celebrity Rehab" and not "Celebrity Apprentice" so we`ll have to see. It`ll be maybe a different side of Rachel that we have not seen.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, here`s my big issue tonight. And I`ve -- I have to say this. I`ve always been a huge fan of Dr. Drew`s and I really admire him. And I think he`s done a lot of good. But I cannot help but wonder in this particular case if this choice is cheapening recovery.
It`s no secret they were struggling to get a cast together for this season. It was rumored they offered Lindsay Lohan a million dollars to sign on board. She allegedly turned that down. Troubled reality star Tila Tequila reportedly pulled out at the last minute.
And there were reports that unless they got a good cast the show might not happen at all.
So Howard Samuels, you`re the founder of a treatment center, I think it`s fair for us to ask is this cheapening recovery?
HOWARD SAMUELS, ADDICTION SPECIALIST: Well, Jane, without question. I think it`s really a joke to have somebody like this on a show. I mean, she`s not really getting help. I mean, she`s making $500,000. And it seems like she`s addicted to the need to be famous.
So instead of dealing with the real issue which is an emptiness within her and having to be on TV just like all the other D-rated celebrities that are on the show, you know, it`s -- I love Drew also, but it`s -- it`s a great educational show, but it gets to a point where it does become a bit of an embarrassment for people in recovery. I`ve got to be honest with you.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes. And then you could also argue, and this is my position that everybody has something that they need to deal with. So hypothetically everybody would have some reason to go into rehab for something, whether it`s food or drugs or co-dependency.
We`re going to continue to tackle this on the other side of the breaks. Call us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RACHEL UCHITEL, ALLEGED MISTRESS OF TIGER WOODS: Who are you with?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: TMZ.
UCHITEL: Of course you are.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Any comments at all?
UCHITEL: No. I have no comment.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.
UCHITEL: We can`t even see.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Rachel, what are you planning on doing while you`re in L.A.? Any fun activities planned? Still rooting for Tiger?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: That was Tiger Woods` most infamous alleged mistress Rachel Uchitel leaving a Hollywood nightclub.
Tonight it`s official. Rachel will appear on the newest season of VH- 1`s "Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew", but what in the heck is she trying to recover from?
Diana Washington, your question or thought.
DIANA, WASHINGTON (via telephone): Hi Jane. It`s so nice to talk to you. You know my biggest issue is number one: how did she get on to "Celebrity Rehab"? She`s not a celebrity. She`s a mistress. She already go paid, allegedly, millions. I`ve got three things that I think she`s addicted to. I think she`s addicted, to you know, the spotlight --
(CROSS TALKING)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Right. Diana, I think you make a very good point, and I think that if anything if she is addicted to fame, this is only going to feed her addiction, but Diana also raises the point that she may be required to be tight-lipped in the wake of the Tiger Woods scandal.
Some reports claim that she reached a settlement for up to $10 million and in return has to stay quiet but VH-1 "Celebrity Rehab" is not about staying quiet. It`s about being raw and talking a lot. Take a look at this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I have to do something. This isn`t how I live. I`m afraid, you know, I was going to die accidentally because of the heroin.
MACKENZIE PHILLIPS, ACTRESS: You know, my dad taught me to roll joints when I was very young. If you start with a person like me from a family like mine, you`re going to get a drug addict.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I died at least 20 times. My mom and dad had found me in the backyard with that white stuff coming out of my mouth like Pulp Fiction.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: So Kim Serafin, how is she going to open up about her issues whatever they are if she`s got a confidentiality agreement and she can`t talk about anything involving Tiger?
KIM SERAFIN, SENIOR EDITOR, "IN TOUCH WEEKLY": Yes, exactly. And we`ve seen her even do some interviews now, and she will not talk at all about Tiger.
Look, if it is true that she got a reported $10 million to keep quiet about Tiger. I also don`t understand why she would need an extra $500,000. I`m not in a position to have $10 million and deal, well, why do I need an extra $500,000 so maybe she does have an addiction and wants to deal with this because if she really just wanted fame, I would think the "Celebrity Apprentice" is certainly a way to get out there to be famous, to also do something good to show a different side of yourself, to do something for charity.
That would be a good thing. So maybe she really does have an addiction she wants to deal with it and this is the way she wants to do it.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Before Rachel was famous for allegedly bedding Tiger Woods she was engaged and tragically lost her fiance in 9/11. She opened up to "Extra". Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UCHITEL: I was very lucky to have been loved by somebody like Andy and to have him in my life and he was very much like a coach to me, so after that horrible event I knew that I could go on sort of with that in the back of my head knowing that he had chosen me to spend the rest of his life with.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, look, again, I`m usually most often a great admirer of Dr. Drew`s and who knows what`s going to happen on the show and maybe a lot will come out and we`ll all have to take it all back. So we certainly wish her the best and we`ll see what happens.
All right. Thank you, fabulous panel.
Remember, tomorrow, is Lindsay Lohan going to jail? We`re going to be all over this. Please join us for lockdown Lohan.
END
