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Nancy Grace
New Jersey Kindergarten Teacher Charged With Murdering Ex-Husband
Aired August 25, 2010 - 20:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
NANCY GRACE, HOST: Breaking news tonight, live. Long Branch, 4:00 AM, fire and police respond to a blazing inferno, a beige Nissan Altima on fire. But when they manage to extinguish the blaze before the car`s gas tank explodes in the night, they get a big surprise. In the trunk, dead, a 42-year-old father of one.
Bombshell tonight. The alleged perp, taken away in handcuffs to the shock of hundreds of grade schoolers. Grade schoolers? That`s right, the beloved kindergarten teacher, Miss Dorsett to them, murder suspect 36-year- old Kathleen Dorsett to cops, behind bars tonight for ordering a hit on her husband, the father of her 20-month-old little girl, Elizabeth.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Kathleen Dorsett kept her head bowed, looking at her shackled wrists during her brief appearance in Monmouth County court.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was a short, strained marriage.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ... accused of murdering her ex-husband, 42- year-old Stephen Moore.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It`s an awful situation. Awful, awful.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ... body was found in the trunk of his mother`s burnt Nissan Altima.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ... the 36-year-old mother and teacher...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ... little baby, 2 years old...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I feel very bad.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Authorities also arrested her 64-year-old father, Thomas Dorsett, for allegedly helping her.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Investigators say Moore was last seen dropping off his daughter at Dorsett`s home last Monday.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Police immediately began treating it as a homicide.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Dorsett`s car was towed away from her home today to be searched for evidence. Her arrest on murder charges comes as a shock to the families at the Gables elementary school in Neptune, where she was a beloved kindergarten and 3rd grade teacher.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRACE: And tonight, live to the heartland. A 14-year-old Kansas cheerleader leaves home for a party, never seen again. Less than 48 hours before her first day of high school as a freshman cheerleader, she vanishes. Cops on high alert for a new model black SUV possibly linked to the cheerleader`s disappearance. Tonight, where`s 14-year-old cheerleader Alicia?
Breaking now. As we go to air, we learn the location cops tried to keep secret, an unidentified body found last night hidden five miles to the west of city limits, behind an asphalt plant and huge mountains of gravel.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Cheerleader Alicia DeBold was supposed to be out enjoying a party Saturday night.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She went with a friend. It was around 11:00 o`clock, but her mother says she always calls at curfew time.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It`s heartbreaking not knowing where she`s at or what`s going on.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She didn`t call.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The cheerleader and high school freshman goes missing after she`s picked up by a 19-year-old male friend.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She was supposed to meet another friend at the convenience store. She never met that friend.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She did not run away. Somebody has my child!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ... Alicia never heard from again.
GRACE: A body has been found.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The body is so badly burned...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The body is unidentifiable.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It`s a terrible thing.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They weren`t able to tell if it was a male or a female.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That young man she got in a car with, he was obviously the last person to see her alive.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: After all, she didn`t get to the party.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The body found outside Great Bend may end up confirming the fear Conrad says she felt for three days.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Somebody has my baby girl. I want my baby girl home!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRACE: Good evening. I`m Nancy Grace. I want to thank you for being with us. Bombshell tonight. Fire and police respond to a blazing inferno, a beige Nissan Altima on fire. They get a big surprise. In the trunk, dead, a 42-year-old father of one. The alleged perp dragged away in handcuffs, to the shock of hundreds of grade schoolers. Grade schoolers? That`s right, their beloved kindergarten teacher, Miss Dorsett to them, murder suspect 36-year-old Kathleen Dorsett to police.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ... teacher Kathleen Dorsett...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ... charged in the mysterious death of her ex- husband.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A 3rd grade teacher and her own father have both been arrested in the murder of her ex-husband, Stephen Moore.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Authorities don`t believe his ex-wife acted alone.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: His body was found stuffed in the trunk of his mother`s burning car in Long Branch.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Stephen Moore`s charred remains were found in the trunk of a burning car in Long Branch.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ... in the trunk of a burning car...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ... the split was bitter and that the couple did not get along.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Stephen Moore was reported missing August 16th after not showing up for work, and was last seen at Dorsett`s home, dropping off their 20-month-old daughter.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Authorities tracked Dorsett`s father, 64-year-old Thomas Dorsett, to a local hospital, where he was placed in police custody, and like his daughter, charged with Moore`s murder.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ... both been charged with murder and tampering with physical evidence.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRACE: Straight out to Glenn Schuck, reporter with 1010 WINS, joining us from Paramus. Glenn, what happened?
GLENN SCHUCK, 1010 WINS (via telephone): Well, Nancy, here`s what happened. You talked about there`s this car, blazing inferno. This is a week ago, back on the 18th, in Long Branch, and then the body of Stephen Moore found in the trunk of that car. Now, as you talked about, Moore last seen at his ex-wife`s home two days earlier. He`d dropped off his 20- month-old daughter to his 36-year-old wife, Kathleen Dorsett. They had a custody agreement. They had just finalized their divorce June the 1st.
Then Monday, the bombshell we`re talking about here, Dorsett, recently a 3rd grade teacher in Neptune, charged with murder, held on $1.5 million bail. Then more bombshells, two additional suspects, including Dorsett`s own father, Thomas -- he`s 64 years old -- he`s also been charged with murder and arson.
And now today, Monmouth County officials arresting 31-year-old Anthony Morris. Now, he`s been charged with setting the car on fire to try to burn the body beyond recognition so it couldn`t be identified. He allegedly was paid by the father-in-law to do the deed -- Nancy.
GRACE: OK, Glenn Shuck joining from us 1010 WINS radio, joining us in Paramus. Glenn Schuck, I want so go back to the third person just arrested. Now, this mom, Kathleen Dorsett, known as Mrs. Dorsett to scores of kindergarten and 3rd grade students -- now she`s murder suspect number one to cops. How did this third guy get in the mix, Glenn Schuck?
SCHUCK: Well, the prosecutor says what had happened here was that the father did the deed here. She went to her father, according to prosecutors, her 64-year-old dad, who owns this air-conditioning business in Monmouth County. He knew this Anthony Morris fellow through the business. Not an employee of his, but he knew him from the business, apparently offered him an undisclosed amount of money to do this, to tell him to go and get rid of this car and get rid of the body. And prosecutors say Morris agreed to do this, took the payment, went and set the car on fire in the hopes that they can get rid of all this evidence. And now he is facing 20 years in prison, as well.
GRACE: Out to our producer there on the scene in Long Branch, where the car was found, basically, an inferno in the night. On the verge of that gas tank exploding into the dark, firefighters and police managed to put out the fire. And then to their surprise, when they opened the trunk, a dead body in the back of the car. Locked in the trunk is 42-year-old victim Stephen Moore, the father of one little girl, Elizabeth, just 20 months old. Then dragged away in handcuffs, a kindergarten teacher, his wife.
Marlaina Schiavo, standing by where the car was found -- Marlaina, I guess to say they had a troubled marriage is putting it lightly. What was the source of the contention?
MARLAINA SCHIAVO, NANCY GRACE PRODUCER: Sorry, Nancy. You cut out. Can you ask that again?
GRACE: What was the fight about? Why the divorce? Why the hit man?
SCHIAVO: Well, in terms of the divorce, they said that there were irreconcilable differences. But then we`re hearing all this stuff about custody. Apparently, according to Stephen Moore`s attorney, Kathleen Dorsett, the woman behind bars for murder, was very possessive. They had all of these arguments about Moore taking the child on his own. She wanted supervised visits, but that was unfounded.
She said that he wanted to take his daughter for a vacation in California. She said she had to go with him. So right before he was supposed to take his daughter for a three-day overnight stay, something he had never done before, he goes missing. And then two days later, he`s found in the trunk of his own mother`s car.
GRACE: We are taking your calls live. To Anita in Maryland. Hi, Anita.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi, Nancy. Thank you for taking my call. I love you. I love your show!
GRACE: No, thank you. Thank you for calling in, dear. What`s your question?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What is wrong with these people? Is this -- has anybody checked or have they said anything about her background as far as any other men disappearing, or does he...
GRACE: Well, Anita...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ... maybe it`s...
GRACE: I can tell you one thing.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes?
GRACE: Before the twins start their little school class, I`m going to run all the teachers` rap sheets.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That`s right!
GRACE: And teachers, if you`re listening, take it to the bank. Anita, that`s a good question.
To Ellie Jostad, our chief editorial producer. Ellie, what do we know about this lady? I mean, all I know is that her students love her.
ELLIE JOSTAD, NANCY GRACE PRODUCER: Right.
GRACE: The parents love her.
JOSTAD: Right.
GRACE: She taught school for years.
JOSTAD: Yes.
GRACE: She has hundreds and hundreds of past students that think she`s the best teacher they ever had, kindergarten and 3rd grade. She`s been dragged away in handcuffs, Ellie.
JOSTAD: Right. That`s right. There`s no black marks on her record, as far as we know. In fact, even her boss, the superintendent of schools there in Neptune, said that she distinguished herself in the classroom, that she had a great rapport with students, a great rapport with parents, that she was a great worker. Nothing to suggest anything like this would happen.
GRACE: To Veronica Davis, a special guest joining us right now from Freehold (ph). She is the victim, 42-year-old Stephen Moore`s, divorce attorney. Veronica Davis, this is a huge shock to have this kindergarten teacher, her father, and some alleged hit man dragged of to jail. But that`s nothing compared to the shock that cops got when they opened that Nissan Altima and found a dead body in there, your client.
Veronica, what`s this business about the mother complaining he took a bath with the 20-month-old little girl, Elizabeth?
VERONICA DAVIS, STEPHEN MOORE`S DIVORCE ATTORNEY (via telephone): That`s correct. She did complain about that. She was very controlling, very possessive. And apparently, she did not want her estranged husband to have any relationship with his 20-month-old daughter.
GRACE: Now, what`s the story behind him taking a bath with the little girl?
DAVIS: Well, she`s 20 months old. He put on a bathing suit. And he would climb into the bath with her to make sure that she didn`t slip and slide.
GRACE: OK, I -- you know, I don`t see...
DAVIS: There`s nothing (INAUDIBLE) about that.
GRACE: I don`t see what`s wrong with that. Why did that become an issue?
DAVIS: She made it an issue.
GRACE: I mean, there have been times when I would have the twins in the bathtub, when I stupidly would try to bathe them without the inflatable tub in there, I`ve had to just get right into the tub with them, fully clothed, because I would be worried they would slip or fall. I don`t understand what`s wrong with that.
DAVIS: I agree. And the judge that heard that argument apparently agreed, as well, because she didn`t make any progress in that regard.
GRACE: Did she also complain about the food the biological father would give the baby? In fact, the bio dad, your former client, now dead in a car trunk, burned to death -- he actually moved in with his mother and they provided that home for the little girl, right? He lived with his mother now.
DAVIS: Yes, that`s correct. She had a lovely home, and Elizabeth had her own room in that home. She had her own crib. She had her own toy box. And I know that now because I made a shiva call, so I actually saw the premises. But otherwise, I would not have made a visit, but I had heard about that from Stephen.
GRACE: Everybody, you are seeing a shot of Miss Dorsett, to all of her kindergarten and 3rd grade students. Now she`s Kathleen Dorsett, the 36-year-old murder suspect number one.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE) understand your right to remain silent?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You bet.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ... beloved kindergarten and 3rd grade teacher...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No smile on Dorsett`s face...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ... arrested in the murder of her ex-husband, Stephen Moore.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ... as she stood with a defense attorney in a Monmouth County courtroom...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The body of Stephen Moore was found in the trunk of his mother`s Nissan Altima August 18th.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A 36-year-old mother and teacher...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A 3rd grade teacher...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ... Kathleen Dorsett...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ... arrested in the murder...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ... accused of murdering her ex-husband.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ... Stephen Moore...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ... 32-year-old Stephen Moore...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ... an unwillingness to share parenting.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The split was bitter.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The baby`s a little baby, 2 years old.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I feel very bad.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The couple did not get along.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Stephen Moore was reported missing August 16 after not showing up for work.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: His body was found stuffed in the trunk of his mother`s burning car.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It`s an awful situation. Awful, awful.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She was a beloved kindergarten and 3rd grade teacher.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ... 36-year-old Kathleen Dorsett...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Her arrest on murder charges comes as a shock.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ... charged with murder and tampering with physical evidence.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What about it made you scared?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That sweet old Miss Dorsett could do that, or might do that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRACE: Former 3rd graders and kindergartners are scratching their little heads after their teacher, Miss Dorsett, is arrested for murder one. This is after firefighters and cops arrive on the scene around 4:00 AM. Long story short, her husband found dead in the trunk. There she is in court.
Straight out to the lines. Diane, Florida. Hi, Diane.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi, Nancy. I love your show!
GRACE: Thank you, dear, and thank you for calling in. What`s your question?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Was there an insurance policy?
GRACE: Oh, Diane, you`re so smart! Diane, what do you do for a living?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I`m a cashier.
GRACE: Maybe you should consider criminal justice.
Out to you, Glenn Schuck. What about an insurance policy? There`s always one lurking in the background somewhere.
SCHUCK: Well, the prosecutor in Monmouth County, Louis Valentin, said there was a policy. They didn`t disclose the amount, Nancy. And when I had I chance, I just want to mention, too, Nancy, as well, that the cause of death here hasn`t been determined, either, for Stephen Moore. This could get even more gruesome, possibly.
The fellow that set the car on fire is being charged with arson, so they`re believing that Morris didn`t actually kill Mr. Moore when he was in the trunk, that he was already dead. So someone killed Mr. Moore before he was put in that car, and they don`t even know yet how they did it because his body was burned so bad. So there`s still more information to come out on this tomorrow.
GRACE: Glenn Schuck, that is an excellent deduction, or else the hit man would have been charged with that, as well, as opposed to arson. I get it.
To Veronica Davis. This is the victim, the murder victim`s attorney in the divorce. Ms. Davis, you know, I understand a mother`s instinct, a mother that thinks nobody can do anything as well as she can, because actually, they probably can`t because nobody`s going to care about that child the way a mother does. But this is the father. He might not do it the same way, or as good as the mother -- as well as the mother would. But he obviously loved the baby so much, 20-month-old Elizabeth.
Do you know, Veronica, about the insurance policy?
DAVIS: No, I have no knowledge of an insurance policy, and I don`t believe that that would be a motivation in this case to harm Stephen.
GRACE: Well, you know, I never understand any motive for murder, Ms. Davis.
Speaking of lawyers, let`s unleash the lawyers -- Jennifer Smetters, family law attorney, Chicago, Mickey Sherman, criminal defense attorney and author of "How Can You Defend Those People?" joining us out of New York, veteran defense attorney Doug Burns also joining us out of New York.
So this proves my point, Mickey Sherman. If you want it done right, you`ve got to do it yourself. They hire a hit man. He probably ratted them out or managed to get caught. Then the whole house of cards falls in.
MICKEY SHERMAN, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: In a heartbeat. I mean, they didn`t do anything right here. But I agree with Attorney Davis, this is not a crime for profit or money. This has nothing to do with it. You know, the courthouse that I generally work in, they didn`t put the metal detector machines in until they started doing divorces in that courthouse. Those are the people who get crazy, people who are going through divorces, separations. And that makes people crazy and do these stupid things.
GRACE: To Doug Burns. I`ve had many a criminal defense attorney say they would rather defend a murderer than get entangled in a divorce case. Explain.
DOUG BURNS, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Well, somebody wiser than me, Nancy, once said that in criminal law, you have bad people on their best day in court, and in matrimonial, you have good people on their absolute worst days. So the emotions run incredibly high, and you see incredibly bad stories like this one.
GRACE: Smetters?
JENNIFER SMETTERS, FAMILY LAW ATTORNEY: It`s true. I`ve often compared divorce court to an emergency room. You`ve got bleeding and gushing and people in panic. And that`s what happened here. A mother who was so desperate to hold onto her child did the unspeakable act.
GRACE: Well, I don`t know about panic because they managed to go out to the 7-Eleven and get a hit man. This sounds very well thought out.
We`ll be right back, taking your calls, but to tonight`s "Case Alert." Twenty-four hours after reporting the story of an 8-year-old boy snatched from his own home, broad daylight, miracle headline. There is a God! Just moments ago, 8-year-old Terry found alive. The perp, a convicted sex offender with convictions for child porn and wanted for actual sex attacks on at least three children, that I know of. A tip leads cops straight to the little boy, unharmed, at a Medford pharmacy. Terry Dusseault now in custody, facing two counts aggravated sex assault, five counts endangering the welfare of a child. The little boy, Terry Dusseault, Jr., found alive.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ... 36-year-old Kathleen Dorsett...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Her arrest on murder charges comes as a shock.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ... charged with murder and tampering with physical evidence.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ... accused of murdering her ex-husband...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ... Stephen Moore...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ... 32-year-old Stephen Moore...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ... an unwillingness to share parenting...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The split was bitter.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The baby`s a little baby, 2 years old.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The couple did not get along.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Stephen Moore was reported missing August 16 after not showing up for work.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: His body was found stuffed in the trunk of his mother`s burning car.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It`s an awful situation. Awful, awful.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRACE: We are taking your calls live. I want to go back to Glenn Schuck, reporter 1010 WINS radio, joining us out of Paramus. I want to get back to how the body was found, the condition it was in in the back of that car, locked in the trunk.
Everybody, for those of you just joining us, scores, hundreds of former kindergarten and 3rd grade students in shock, scratching their heads. Their beloved teacher, Mrs. Dorsett, dragged away in handcuffs. Why? Cops say she`s murder suspect number one in the brutal slaying of her husband, the father of her 20-month-old baby girl, Elizabeth, his body found locked in the trunk, the Nissan Altima up in flames. Just before that gas tank explodes in the night in a residential area, cops put out the flames, and firefighters manage to find this body locked in the trunk.
Back to you, Glenn Schuck. Was he in handcuffs? Was he tied up? Have we got any knowledge he was stabbed, shot, poisoned? I know the last time he was seen, that we know of, was dropping the little girl off with the mommy, right?
SCHUCK: That`s right. And it was only several hours later he was supposed to be at work and never showed up. So something happened quickly in those couple of hours from the time he left his ex-wife`s house to the time he was supposed to be headed to work.
Now, Long Branch is right -- is along the Jersey shore, of course, for people who aren`t familiar with it. And as you mentioned, it`s a residential area, and they`re -- you know, they hear this explosion at 4:00 o`clock in the morning. This car is engulfed in flames. And prosecutor Valentin in Monmouth County talking about how the condition of the body was just so bad, they haven`t still been able to determine how Moore died. Was he dead before he was put in this car? Did he die from the burns? You know, the way he was talking at the press conference would lead you to believe he most likely was dead before he was put in that car and...
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Kathleen Dorsett kept her head bowed, looking at her shackled wrists during her brief appearance in Mammoth County court.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was -- short, strained marriage.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Accused of murdering her ex-husband, 42-year- old Stephen Moore.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It`s an awful situation. Awful, awful.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Body was found in the trunk of his mother`s burnt Nissan Altima.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: The 36-year-old mother and teacher.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Little baby, 2 years old.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I feel very bad.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Authorities also arrested her 64-year-old father, Thomas Dorsett, for allegedly helping her.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Investigators say Moore was last seen dropping off his daughter at Dorsett`s home last Monday.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Police immediately began treating it as a homicide.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Dorsett`s car was towed away from her home today to be searched for evidence. Her arrest on murder charges comes as a shock to families at the Gables Elementary School in Neptune where she was a beloved kindergarten and third grade teacher.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
NANCY GRACE, HOST: We are taking your calls live. I want to go to Dr. Lillian Glass, psychologist, body language expert, author of "Toxic People."
Lillian. As soon as people heard this story, they immediately began to suggest the father was suspected of molesting the 20-month-old baby girl. I don`t believe it. I do not believe it.
LILLIAN GLASS, PSYCHOLOGIST, BODY LANGUAGE EXPERT, AUTHOR OF "TOXIC PEOPLE": I agree. I agree with you, Nancy. This is such an example of hate consuming the hater. I mean, look at her. She didn`t want this father to see his own daughter. And now she will never see her own daughter. Because look at what she`s done.
Look at her body language in the courtroom. You see her head bowed. She`s all embarrassed. She`s in shock. So she`s not -- she`s in shock, her students are in shock, and she`s created this complete horrible situation for herself.
GRACE: We are taking your calls. Out to Tami in Georgia. Hi, Tami.
TAMI, CALLER FROM GEORGIA: Hi, Nancy. First I want to tell you, you are every victim`s angel. And I have two quick questions. How in heaven`s name can this woman teach kindergarten and third grade? Weren`t her credentials not checked? And do you think that this happened because he was going to get custody of the child?
GRACE: I don`t think he was going to get full custody of the child. But let`s -- let`s ask his lawyer, Veronica Davis, a very well-respected divorce attorney in her area.
Veronica, I understand that the agreement was final and that they had joint custody.
VERONICA DAVIS, DIVORCE ATTORNEY FOR MURDERED EX-HUBBY, STEPHEN MOORE: They had joint legal custody. She was the primary caretaker. And he only had two overnights a month and six daytime parenting time.
GRACE: OK, Veronica, that doesn`t sound like very much.
DAVIS: It wasn`t because she -- well, he was looking forward to enjoying more parenting time when they moved to Florida which was imminent.
GRACE: OK, explain to me about the move to Florida.
Joining us is Marlaina Schiavo, our producer there on the scene where the car on fire was discovered around 4:00 a.m. In the trunk, a dead body. Now a kindergarten teacher suspect number one.
Go ahead, Marlaina. What about this move to Florida?
MARLAINA SCHIAVO, NANCY GRACE PRODUCER, COVERING STORY: Well, Kathleen Dorsett had plans to move to Florida in -- this fall. And her ex- husband, Stephen Moore, was supposed to move as well. They agreed upon it.
He was going to get a job. His father-in-law -- also behind bars -- was going to help him find a job and he was going to pay rent to his in- laws. So it`s a little -- it`s a little odd that this would happen right before this big move was supposed to happen.
GRACE: I`m sorry, Marlaina, I couldn`t hear that last sentence.
Everyone, Marlaina Schiavo joining us there at the scene where this inferno took place around 4:00 a.m. A Nissan Altima on fire. When cops and firefighters finally look in the trunk, they find 42-year-old victim Stephen Moore, the father of a 20-month-old little baby girl, Elizabeth. His former wife and her father now suspect number one and suspect number two.
Marlaina, back to that last sentence, please.
SCHIAVO: I was just saying that they both agreed upon this move and he was supposed to get a job with the help of his in-laws. And so it was a mutual agreement. And I was just saying that this -- this situation happened at a very odd time, considering that this was agreed upon by both parties.
GRACE: Back to the lines. Laurie in Pennsylvania, hi, Laurie.
LAURI, CALLER: Hey, Nancy, I think you`re the best.
GRACE: Thank you. And thank you for calling in. I really don`t deserve that but I`m grateful for your compliment. What is your question, dear?
LAURIE, CALLER FROM PENNSYLVANIA: It was kind of answered but does she have a history of mental illness or anything?
GRACE: Good question. Do we know anything about that, Ellie Jostad?
ELLIE JOSTAD, NANCY GRACE CHIEF EDITORIAL PRODUCER: No history of mental illness as far as we know, Nancy. Like I said before, as far as we know, she was a well-respected teacher, never been in trouble, no criminal history in her background.
GRACE: Out to the lines. Laurie, Pennsylvania. Hi, Laurie. Excuse me, Beth, New York. Hi, Beth.
BETH, CALLER FROM NEW YORK: Hi, thanks for taking me call. Well, it reminds me a little bit of a much minor version of the -- I`m thinking of Hedda Nussbaum and what happens behind closed doors that we may not know about.
And the poor child in the Joel Steinberg and Hedda Nussbaum case walked to the streets of New York with bruises and filthy clothing and nobody did anything. So we may not have known, something may have gone down and this woman may have thought either she could be held responsible for it, because you can be if you don`t protect your child, or she just thought, I cannot let my husband near my child again, I will now be able to prove that he`s got -- he`s dangerous to them.
So that`s -- I mean, I can`t imagine her going to that extreme of lengths, throwing her life away. It wasn`t a professional-looking hit. Unless she had witnessed something. And that`s what I`m thinking.
GRACE: OK. Jennifer Smetters, family law attorney. This is your line of work, your expertise. What do you make of that?
JENNIFER SMETTERS, FAMILY LAW ATTORNEY: I disagree with your caller respectfully. I do believe that she thought that she was the best parent for that child, and she was going to do anything and get away and keep away whoever she wanted.
She thumbed her nose at the court system and she took away her -- the father`s rights. That -- the child is now not going to have either one of her parents. This is tragedy. But this woman took the matter into her own hands in a way in which she thought she could get away with it or it was justified in her mind.
GRACE: I want to go to you, Doug Burns. Response?
DOUG BURNS, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Well, look. I mean, it`s a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. You`ve been handicapping her correctly the entire night. Here`s a woman who`s highly respected in the classroom, beloved to her students, and all of a sudden she stands accused of a horrific murder.
A, I agree with a lot of the psychiatric stuff. Legally, in my view, I think it`s some kind of contract hiring thing. I think there`s lots of legal issues about accessory after the fact. And I think by the way somebody`s going to flip ultimately and bring this puzzle together.
GRACE: Back to Marlaina Schiavo. Marlaina, explain to me the timeline. They drop the baby -- he drops the baby girl off at her home, and then what happens?
SCHIAVO: He was supposed to go to work that day. He worked at a dealership in the area. And he dropped the baby off and was never heard from again. And then, less than 48 hours later, this explosion. And they find him in the trunk of his mother`s car.
GRACE: Back out to the lines. Beth in New York, hi, Beth. Bobbe, New York.
BOBBE, CALLER FROM NEW YORK: Hi, Nancy. Love your show, love your twins.
GRACE: Thank you, dear. What`s your question?
BOBBE: I just want to know. How did they come about to have the mother`s car and who has custody of the baby?
GRACE: Good question. What about it, Glenn Schuck?
GLENN SCHUCK, REPORTER, 1010 WINS: Why did he have his mother`s car? Is that what she`s asking?
GRACE: Yes, and who has custody of the baby?
SCHUCK: Well, that actually I was going to point -- I was actually going to ask Veronica that question because I was just told it was in foster care -- the child was in foster care.
Now in New Jersey, obviously there`s a state foster care system. I was going to ask her if she knew if this was -- if the child was with a family member or if this child was -- you know, possibly never going to know what happened here and end up in someone else`s care.
I don`t know that answer --
GRACE: Veronica, who does have the baby?
DAVIS: I anticipate that the baby will be in the custody of a family member, perhaps tomorrow.
GRACE: So tonight it`s in the care of the state, and it will go to a family member tomorrow. What family member?
DAVIS: Well, there are a number of options. Elizabeth had a very attentive grandmother. And she also has a number of aunts and uncles who are willing and prepared to take custody of her immediately.
GRACE: Now are you talking on the paternal or maternal side?
DAVIS: The paternal side.
GRACE: OK, I think that this mom, a third grade and kindergarten teacher, has pretty much destroyed the possibility that anyone on her side of the family is going to get the baby. The fate of 20-month-old Elizabeth hangs in the balance.
As we go to break, I want to thank you. You made "Death on the D- List" a "New York Times" best seller now two weeks in a row. I`m overwhelmed. My proceeds going to a Methodist home for the handicapped. And on their behalf, we cannot thank you enough.
And the top three viewers select the celebrities you say should play the role of Hailey Dean are Sandra Bullock, Julia Roberts, and Angelina Jolie.
Also, a special shout-out to Betty White, who`s also getting a lot of votes to star as Hailey Dean.
Everybody, keep those votes coming in. As we go to break, happy birthday to a Georgia friend, Anne Lynch, mother of three, grandmother of six. She adores her family. She loves to cook. She loves to can figs that she grows in her own yard. Famous for her homemade pound cakes and as a church volunteer she`s dedicated.
Happy birthday, mother and grandmother, beautiful Anne.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEAN CASAREZ, LEGAL CORRESPONDENT, "IN SESSION": You see her right there, Alicia Debolt.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: The cheerleader and high school freshman goes missing from her small Kansas town.
GRACE: A body has been found.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They weren`t able to tell if it was a male or a female but they did find a burned body.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Long before a body was found outside Great Bend, Alicia Debolt`s family was adamant, she is not a runaway.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is not like her. She doesn`t (INAUDIBLE) or run away.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Reports say the 14-year-old girl was picked up by a 19-year-old male friend to head to a local party. But Alicia never makes it.
GRACE: Thirty registered sex offenders right there.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Body was unidentifiable. They weren`t able to tell if it was a male or a female.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There`s going to be really three things that this medical examiner`s going to be looking at. First, identify the body. Second, they`re going to be looking for a cause of death. Thirdly, any signs of sexual assault.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The only thing they can do is pray she`s safe.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I just want her home. I want her alive. And we`ll get through it.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
GRACE: We are taking your calls. As you see, the photo of this 14- year-old little girl, Alicia Debolt. Is it her body found a few miles outside city limits? We now learn that location police tried so hard to keep secret is behind a big asphalt -- a factory behind mountains of gravel.
Straight out to Jean Casarez, legal correspondent, "In Session." Jean, what do we know tonight? They`re not identifying the body, I don`t get that.
CASAREZ: Well, Nancy, we have just learned, we can confirm with you the autopsy is taking place right now. They were able to get dental records. That is how they are going to make the I.D. They are waiting momentarily for the professionals to come in to make that I.D.
There`s going to be a press conference tomorrow morning at 10:00. The family is saying, though, that law enforcement has told them that they believe these are the remains of Alicia.
GRACE: OK, at first I was thinking either she had been burned -- the 14-year-old girl, had been burned beyond recognition. Or she had been dismembered, including a possible beheading. Because they couldn`t make any identification.
You can make an I.D. on dental records in a matter of moments, as long as it takes to make an X-ray. That`s all it takes. That`s why I don`t understand why they are not announcing whether this is the little girl or not.
Also, I want to find out. Back to you, Dale Hogg from earlier, joining from us Great Bend, managing editor of "The Great Bend Tribune."
Dale, explain to me this location. It`s in -- what type of a factory is it?
DALE HOGG, MANAGING EDITOR, GREAT BEND TRIBUNE: It`s not so much a factory, Nancy, as it is an asphalt production plant. It`s just a facility where they grind and producer their asphalt that the company uses for overlays on highways.
So it basically consists of several piles of rock and other material and a processing machinery. Not a factory as such.
GRACE: So Dale Hogg, her body is hidden out behind these mountains of asphalt?
HOGG: That`s where they found her. They found her yesterday afternoon.
GRACE: Joining us also, Kevin Wheeler, reporter from CNN affiliate KSNW.
Kevin, what more can you tell us?
KEVIN WHEELER, REPORTER, CNN AFFILIATE KSNW: Yes, Nancy. I was just finding out about the press conference as well. I`ve been told that the family has not been officially told that this is -- that the body is hers. But I think that they are preparing for the worst.
And as I spoke with them earlier as compared to yesterday, they were hopeful that they would be able to locate Alicia. But today a lot of the family members have gone back home and gone about their business. They don`t seem to have the same type of tone that they did yesterday.
GRACE: The parents insisting this girl is not a runaway, her big dream was to be a cheerleader. And now just 48 hours before that dream was to come true -- she was starting off the following week as a freshman cheerleader -- she goes missing. Leaving her home 11:00 p.m. -- her curfew was 12:00 -- to go to a party.
Back to you, Jean Casarez. How do you know that the mode of identification is going to be through dental records?
CASAREZ: Well, that`s what your producers were told, that it`s dental records that were retrieved.
Now, Nancy, the search for Alicia has stopped. There is no longer a missing persons search. It was a very big clue in all of this.
GRACE: You`re right, Jean Casarez, that`s a big clue that this is the body of the 14-year-old cheerleader, Alicia Debolt.
But, Jean Casarez, why am I not hearing a word about the 19-year-old man that took her to the body? What happened to him?
CASAREZ: Not a word, you`re right. Not a word is being said. What they are saying is that they are interviewing numerous people, but not one word about who, where, or why this young man was picking her up.
GRACE: To Marc Klaas, president and founder of KlaasKids Foundation. What do you make of it, Marc?
MARC KLAAS, PRESIDENT AND FOUNDER, KLAASKIDS FOUNDATION: Well, I think that there is certainty that this is the body of Alicia for the reasons that Jean mentioned, and also because the family is preparing for a funeral. And until they`re given proof, they`re going to be hopeful that she`s alive.
And I agree that this is just very bizarre, that there`s no mention of this individual. If he is involved, there`s no doubt in my mind that this was a sexually motivated crime.
GRACE: Why do you say that, Marc Klaas?
KLAAS: Well, I can`t see any other reason that somebody would murder a little 14-year-old girl and then try to dispose or otherwise -- dispose of her body and make it unrecognizable, except to cover up evidence of, I believe, a sexually -- a sexual motivated crime.
GRACE: And another clue, Sergeant Scott Haines, sheriff`s officer, Santa Rosa County, Florida, building on what Marc Klaas has just said, when it is a random murder -- random -- you don`t find the body hidden or secreted away.
You`ll find the body dumped on the side of the road, left at a trash dump. Wherever the murder took place. But here, great pains were taken to -- what we have been told -- hide the body and burn the body. That says they knew her.
SGT. SCOTT HAINES, SHERIFF`S OFFICER, SANTA ROSA COUNTY, FL.: Absolutely. And it also goes along with the fact that someone was familiar with that area. They knew where this asphalt plant was. They knew where they can go take this body and try to burn and dispose of a body without anyone possibly finding it.
GRACE: And to Dr. Marty Makary, physician and professor of public health, Johns Hopkins, joining us tonight out of D.C.
Welcome back, Dr. Marty. Doctor, what`s concerning me is they`re just now bringing in the experts to I.D. the body and perform the autopsy. This is two or three days later. I don`t get it. And how do you I.D. a body?
DR. MARTY MAKARY, PHYSICIAN, PROF. OF PUBLIC HEALTH, JOHNS HOPKINS: What typically delays something like this is, you know, people have a fear of making a delayed announcement. That gets a lot of people angry. But nothing outrageous the public more than a wrong identification.
GRACE: Everyone, as we go to break, taking your calls, the other day I met a young lady, Stacy Bailey, friend of the show and of the book, "Death on the D-List." She`s also the proud army wife and true love of Specialist Chad Bailey, just home for a second tour in Iraq.
Here he is with battle buddy Army Specialist Jose Olivero.
Welcome home, Chad Bailey. And from all of us, Chad, thank you.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Tammy Conrad says her 14-year-old daughter left their house in Great Bend around 11:00 Saturday night.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: After she`s picked up by a 19-year-old male friend.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: The two were supposed to meet another friend at a nearby gas station and go to a party.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: But Alicia never makes it.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
GRACE: Back to Sergeant Scott Haines, sheriff`s officer, Santa Rosa County in Florida.
Scott, what do you make of the way her body was found, the location?
HAINES: Like before, someone familiar with the area brought her there in an attempt to dispose of her and possibly that no one would find her. If they do grind up asphalt there, it`s possible they thought that the more asphalt would be brought there and maybe nobody would ever find her and she would be considered a runaway or missing person.
Luckily, someone found that body before something like that occurred.
GRACE: I still don`t understand, Kevin Wheeler, why we`re not hearing a thing about the 19-year-old man that took her to the party.
WHEELER: Yes. It sounds like a lot of people from what I`m hearing in town, a lot of people may have been involved with her that night. She may have come in contact with some other people. So it sounds like it`s not just one person that they are focusing on. It might be multiple people in this case.
GRACE: Right. OK. To the lines, Laurie in Maine. Hi, Laurie.
LAURIE, CALLER FROM MAINE: Hi, Nancy.
GRACE: Hi, dear. What`s your question?
LAURIE: We love you. We watch you every night.
GRACE: Thank you. Thank you, dear. What is your question?
LAURIE: Why haven`t they released the name of the 19-year-old that was with her?
GRACE: Good question. What about it, Mickey Sherman?
MICKEY SHERMAN, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY, AUTHOR OF "HOW CAN YOU DEFEND THOSE PEOPLE?": The police have to share every aspect of their investigation with the general public. Obviously they have a suspect or a person of interest. But that doesn`t mean they have to let us know.
Maybe they have good reasons which I have to believe for not keeping this -- putting this man`s name out there.
GRACE: What about it, Doug Burns?
BURNS: I agree. Law enforcement plays their cards close to the vest a lot of times because they have their internal reasons for that and they want to make sure that people don`t come up out of the blue with other information.
GRACE: Everyone, let`s stop and remember Marine Lance Corporal Lawrence Philippon, 22, Hartford, Connecticut, killed Iraq. Awarded the Purple Heart, lost his life just months before he was set to marry finance Olivia.
Loved lacrosse, hockey, smile lit up a room. Nicknamed goat. A scholarship for high school students named in his honor. Leaves behind parents Ray and Lisa, sister Emily, brother, Brian.
Lawrence Philippon, American hero.
Thanks to our guests but especially to you and a special goodnight from Georgia friend, Virginia, also known as V.G.
Everybody, I`ll see you tomorrow night, 8:00 sharp eastern. And until then, goodnight friend.
END
