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Jane Velez-Mitchell
Producer Arrested in Wife`s Murder
Aired November 17, 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, explosive developments in a huge Hollywood murder case. The ex-producer of the hit show "Survivor" is arrested in his wife`s murder and is being hauled back to Mexico. You won`t believe what other hotel guests say they heard in Bruce Beresford-Redman`s hotel room the night of the murder.
Then, a small Ohio town, consumed by the frantic search for a missing family. The teen daughter found bound and gagged in the 30-year-old suspect`s basement. The three others are feared dead. What has the lone survivor told cops?
Plus, a Hollywood insider gunned down, execution style. One moment she`s at a Hollywood premiere; the next she`s riddled with bullets driving through Beverly Hills. Was the superstar publicist, Ronni Chasen, targeted? Why would anyone want her dead?
And a vigilante mom patrols the streets on Halloween night, making sure sex offenders steer clear of kids. Now she could face charges for taking matters into her own hands. Are the "powers that be" siding with the predators?
ISSUES starts now.
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(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My sister`s an American citizen, and she has left two very young children who had their mom brutally murdered. The criminal is at loose and threatening the well-being of society. Justice needs to be made for her and her children.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Breaking news tonight. Hot-shot reality TV producer Bruce Beresford-Redman is finally arrested in Los Angeles -- finally -- for the murder of his wife, Monica. His dramatic court hearing just wrapped up just a couple of moments ago in Los Angeles.
For about eight long months, we have heard all of the gruesome, horrific details of this woman`s violent -- and I mean violent -- murder. All the while Bruce, whom Mexican police say is the prime suspect, was brazenly walking the streets of Los Angeles -- You see him right there -- a free man. Reporters had absolutely no trouble tracking him down.
Check this out.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Who do you think killed your wife, Bruce?
BRUCE BERESFORD-REDMAN, SUSPECT IN WIFE`S MURDER: No comment.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) Are you going to Monica`s memorial? Do you have anything to say to her family?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Like I said, reporters had no trouble finding him. But he roamed the streets for almost eight months before his arrest today.
Monica Beresford-Redman, murdered way back in April at an exclusive Mexican hotel where the couple was vacationing, as a last-ditch attempt to save their very troubled marriage. Friends say Monica knew Bruce was having an affair. Monica`s battered body was found dumped in a sewer on the hotel grounds in Cancun.
Tonight, brand-new, never-before-heard, chilling testimony from two witnesses. British teenagers were staying at the Moon Palace Resort in the room right below Monica and Bruce. They say they heard terrifying screams and loud banging coming from the room upstairs the very night Monica died.
Bruce, best known for his past work on the hit CBS TV show "Survivor," was arrested last night. He appeared in court in Los Angeles today. Mexican authorities fighting to have him extradited to Mexico to face these murder charges. So what is the holdup?
Call me: 1-877-JVM-SAYS.
Straight out to my fantastic expert panel. First is Dylan Howard, senior executive editor of Radar Online. This hearing ended just a couple of minutes ago. What is the very latest?
DYLAN HOWARD, SENIOR EXECUTIVE EDITOR, RADAR ONLINE: Well, Jane, the breaking news that we can tell you about now is that Bruce Beresford-Redman will remain in bars until at least November 29. On that day, a hearing has been set down in which he will attempt to get bail after being arrested by U.S. marshals at his home in California yesterday.
Now, Bruce appeared in court. He sat there silently as his defense counsel spoke to the U.S. district court judge here in Los Angeles. He was wearing a white T-shirt, and he had his hands cuffed in front of him.
He said nothing. The question was asked of his -- of, indeed, the U.S. attorney as to whether or not they had filed those extradition papers. The answer was no. The U.S. attorney said that they have 60 days to do so. And they have intent to comply with that legal order within 60 days.
So Bruce Beresford-Redman well and truly remaining behind bars tonight in Los Angeles.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Now, I find this absolutely astounding, that we have to wait for another hearing, given all the evidence. Tonight`s stunning, newly-released evidence piling up against this guy you`re looking at right there. Hotel guests said they heard a woman screaming like hell coming from that room, Bruce and Monica`s room, on the night Monica was murdered.
Bruce told hotel staffers, "Hey, those noises were from a fight we were having about the kids." He later changed his story and told cops it came from a game he was playing with his 3-year-old son.
Bruce told hotel staff, "Do not enter my room all day on April 5," the very day his wife died.
On the day she was murdered, a key card was used to open the couple`s room at least nine times between 4 and 4:15 a.m. Bruce reported Monica missing at 7 a.m. that very day.
A forensic expert found stains in the room they believe are blood. Bruce had scratches on both hands, behind his ear, on his left shin, and on his right ankle. He said that came from climbing a slippery wall and swimming earlier on in the vacation.
Lisa Bloom, it takes eight months to arrest him. And then the extradition hearing doesn`t happen now. Now, we`ve got to wait until November 29, where he comes back and he gets to argue that he might get bail? How can you give bail to a guy that the relatives of the murdered woman say he`s an obvious flight risk?
LISA BLOOM, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Well, he should not get bail in a homicide case. And he should be extradited right -- extradited right away. And I think he will be, Jane. Ultimately, he is going to be.
A lot of people are extradited between the United States and Mexico. It happens all the time. Bruce Beresford-Redman might feel like he`s special. But as you point out, the evidence here is overwhelming. These were not screams from a 3-year-old. There`s no explanation for going in and out 15 times at 4 a.m. I mean, there were people witnessing him assaulting her, attacking her. We know that he was having an affair. I mean, the evidence is just overwhelming, and eventually, he`s going to be brought to justice.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes, but I don`t understand this. When we catch criminals, they`re racing across the country, fleeing police. There`s an extradition hearing. It`s like, you know, bang, bang, bang, they`re extradited. Why is this process in slow motion? And I`ll throw that out to Jim Moret, chief correspondent, "Inside Edition."
JIM MORET, CHIEF CORRESPONDENT, "INSIDE EDITION": Jane, according to Beresford-Redman`s lawyers, they could have -- they could have protested the extradition today, but they wanted time to prepare papers to file with the court. That`s why the hearing was set for November 29.
So they will be fighting extradition, but they`re not going to be submitting those documents until then.
I also want to read you one other thing in the complaint that was filed by Mexican authorities. There was a hotel employee who saw a woman later identified as Monica and a man identified as Bruce fighting the night before she was reported missing. And he said that the man looked like he was about to hit her, but then noticed the employee looking and refrained. But he said the woman was crying and appeared very upset.
So all this, as -- as we just heard from Lisa, a mountain of evidence pointing at Bruce Beresford-Redman.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Marcelo Gomez, you are a dear friend of the victim, Monica. You, I`m sure, have gone to Zabumba many times, the very popular restaurant that she owned on Venice Boulevard in Los Angeles. I used to pass it every day on the way to work when I lived in L.A., and I have been there. It`s a lot of fun. It`s a hub for the Brazilian community.
What is your reaction to Bruce being arrested?
MARCELO GOMEZ, FRIEND OF VICTIM: Relief. Relief is being -- I mean, sounds like immigrants have no rights in this country. That justice is just taking so long.
As you just said, I mean, people are sent out of the country for no reason. And now is he special? Was Monica married to a white guy, and she has no -- I mean, the family has no right to seek justice? The whole Brazilian community is waiting for justice. And today is -- today is a happy day.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, I`ve got to say, you bring me to my -- my big issue tonight: why so long? Why did it take almost eight months for police to arrest Bruce Beresford-Redman?
They knew Mexican police were accusing him of this brutal murder of his wife. They issued an arrest warrant for him months ago. And yet this guy was roaming free in Los Angeles. He was allowed to live with his two young kids. Here he is pushing one of his kids on the swing. Paparazzi and reporters had absolutely no trouble finding this guy. He was not on the run. I just don`t get it.
Lisa Bloom, it doesn`t seem fair. And your -- the Brazilian community believes maybe it has something to do with the fact she is Brazilian.
BLOOM: You know, I don`t want to go there, but there is no good explanation, except incompetence. When there is this much evidence, why on earth would you allow somebody to be walking the streets with this kind of propensity for violence?
Perhaps money talks. He seems to be a relatively well-off guy. It reminds me very much of Mel Gibson. Why hasn`t he been charged with a crime yet, even though a ton of evidence that Oksana Grigorieva has against him. And some people, the system just seems to move very, very slowly. They have high-priced lawyers who get in there and try to persuade prosecutors not to file charges, and we all hope that ultimately justice will catch up with these guys.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, we all know justice has 20/20 vision.
Lori Wheeler, you are Bruce Beresford-Redman`s neighbor and friend. What`s your take on everything we`ve been saying here?
LORI WHEELER, NEIGHBOR (via phone): What`s what?
VELEZ-MITCHELL: What`s your take on everything we`ve been saying, that, hey, it`s taken a long time to arrest him? There`s a mountain of evidence against him. What`s your take on it?
WHEELER: My take is that all of this is sensationalism. Does nobody know about a thing called the judicial system? Mexico had to send the papers over to the United States. They send them over in Spanish. Somebody then has to translate them into English. Then it goes to our system, and they have to go through it to see if they have enough evidence to warrant to extradite him.
This is all a process. It has nothing to do with how much money he has or doesn`t have. It`s just the judicial system. Usually, it takes...
BLOOM: They have full-time Spanish translators in California courts. They work there every day.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: It doesn`t take eight months to translate a couple of documents. That`s for sure. And if it does, then we`ve really got a problem with our criminal justice system.
Everybody, stay right there. Lori, hang on the other side. We`ll continue this debate. We`re taking your calls from home: 1-877-JVM-SAYS.
A Hollywood insider gunned down while driving in Beverly Hills. Was this a random attack, or was it a hit? Something is very, very suspicious about this tragedy.
Plus more on the murder of a "Survivor" producer`s wife.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The next (ph) part is to not waste any more time and take all the steps necessary to conduct a thorough investigation. The U.S. and Mexican authorities must work together, within their jurisdiction, and take this investigation to the next level.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you feel your son is innocent?
DAVID BERESFORD-REDMAN, FATHER OF BRUCE: I know my son is innocent.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Tonight, TV producer Bruce Beresford-Redman finally arrested and behind bars, arrested in L.A. for the murder of his wife, Monica. He`s going to be locked up for just under two weeks while he waits for a bail hearing. He`s fighting extradition to Mexico tooth and nail. That`s where Monica died at a very swanky Cancun resort.
We`re going to go back to Lori Wheeler, one of Bruce`s friends, in a moment. But first, I want to ask Dylan Howard, senior executive editor, Radar Online, about the purported affair Bruce was having and what new information you may have on that.
HOWARD: Well, Jane, this is a crucial piece of evidence which has emerged today. And this is a document that law-enforcement authorities believe could keep Bruce Beresford-Redman behind bars and then extradited to Mexico.
This is a used plane ticket from Miami to Los Angeles, and Radar Online uncovered this document discarded at a home in Gardena, California, today. It`s made out to a woman by the name of Joy Pierce, who is the same woman who was supposedly linked to Bruce Beresford-Redman. This was dated November 4, the inference being made that Joy Pierce is still very much linked to Bruce Beresford-Redman.
And we have sources that are telling us at Radar Online that this particular woman, Joy Pierce, who worked with Bruce Beresford-Redman on a television show called "The Contender" has indeed been living at that Gardena home, which is owned by Bruce Beresford-Redman, even now, despite the fact that Monica passed away and their affair was said to be over.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, I just want to say that we attempted to reach Joy Pierce unsuccessfully. But she or her attorney is invited on any time at all to tell their side of the story. We want to be fair here.
Lori Wheeler, your reaction to that, to the reports that Bruce was purportedly having an affair?
WHEELER: What do I think?
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes.
WHEELER: That he was having an affair?
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes.
WHEELER: Well, I heard he was having an affair. But I heard it was over.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, I guess the reason I`m asking you is that authorities believe that`s a possible motive. In other words, that they had a troubled marriage, that they -- that this is a reason why they were having a confrontation that night.
WHEELER: No. I understand that they went down to Mexico to celebrate her birthday.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: OK. So you`re saying that all of this evidence that`s piling up, that a woman saw them arguing, that the people downstairs heard them fighting like cats and dogs -- well, I shouldn`t say like cats and dogs -- fighting very intensely, all of this you`re saying -- you want to discount it, Lori? You don`t think it has any validity?
WHEELER: It might have validity. Maybe they did get in an argument, but that still doesn`t mean that he killed her. I mean, it`s like you people want to string him up or something. Oh, how could you have a murderer with his children.
He`s a great husband. Monica was a great mother. They were -- they were a wonderful family. I feel very sorry that this happened to Monica. But I also feel for the children. They`re wonderful children. He was -- he `s a great father to them.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: We`re not trying to convict anyone. All we`re doing is laying out the evidence, Lisa Bloom, that has come up. That he, according to Mexican authorities, had scratches on his body. That the hotel key card was used numerous times. That people heard arguing. This is evidence that`s going to be presented if and when he goes to trial.
BLOOM: Yes. And Jane, the affair is highly relevant, because I have a copy right here of the criminal complaint. And in the criminal complaint, it is alleged that he continued to have contact with his mistress when he was in Cancun with Monica. And that they had a big fight about it. And she told her sister about it.
So at least according to the sister that she called and told that to, it was not over. It was a big cause of friction between the two of them. And I can guarantee you this is going to be front and center in his murder trial.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Jim Moret, what about the custody battle?
MORET: Well, the custody battle is pretty much settled. Monica`s parents will get custody of the children. That was settled before today`s hearing. And it`s good, because let`s face it, if you`re looking at the interests of the children, they need some stability. And at least they will have that. They`ve lost their mother.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: But they`re with Bruce`s parents right now.
MORET: Well, I understand that.
WHEELER: ... kid. Bruce`s parents got custody of the kids, not Monica`s parents.
MORET: Yes. I know. I misspoke; I apologize. But it`s important that -- it`s important that they have some stability. They`ve lost their mother. They very well may lose their father in this extradition hearing.
But I want to go back. Lisa is correct. You know, this affair is really at the key of all of this. Because if that affair was continuing, if Monica called him on it, that`s clearly a motive for this killing.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes. Absolutely wild.
Thank you, fantastic panel. We`re going to stay on top of this story.
Thank you, Marcelo, for coming on. We`ll have you back soon.
Another Hollywood homicide. A famous publicist attending a fancy premiere in Hollywood, gunned down. Five bullets to the chest. Was it a hit?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHERIFF DAVID BARBER, KNOX COUNTY, OHIO: Unfortunately, the reality that these folks may not be alive is becoming more and more prevalent, simply because there`s been no word from these folks. There`s no credit- card activity. There`s no cell-phone activity, anything like that since this event occurred last week.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Tonight, the plot thickens in Ohio, as cops desperately search for three people who went missing one week ago today. Cops believe this man you`re looking at right there, Matthew Hoffman, definitely had something to do with it. But what`s the connection?
Hoffman appeared in court yesterday on a kidnapping charge and did not say one single solitary word. Cops say Hoffman kidnapped 13-year-old Sarah Maynard at the very same time as the other three people disappeared from the Maynard home. Sarah was -- thank God, she was found alive. But she was bound and gagged. Sunday they found her in Hoffman`s basement. The other three, this girl`s mom, her kid brother and a family friend, still missing.
Today police said two cars pulled from nearby ponds, they`re not connected to the case.
Straight out to HLN law enforcement analyst, Mike Brooks.
Mike, it has been a week. It`s not looking good, is it?
MIKE BROOKS, HLN LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: Jane, no, it`s not looking good at all. And, you know, I`m just hoping that they`re able to get some information, because Sarah has to know something about what happened. You know, we heard that this guy, that Hoffman knew them. But they didn`t really know him. And I said yesterday, that maybe he knew them but they didn`t know him.
But how did he get all these people, if that`s the case, into his basement?
Now, the key, Jane, is going to be waiting on the forensics to come back to find out, all the blood in that house that was found, in Tina Herrman`s home, was that just her blood? Was it somebody else`s blood? Was it maybe other people`s blood? We don`t know. That`s going to be very, very important.
And I`m sure that they worked that crime scene very thoroughly. They brought out bags of evidence. They also processed all three cars. Remember, they wanted to talk about those cars the other day. They said -- they showed pictures. They said if you`ve seen any of these three vehicles -- one was a Ford F-150 pickup, the Toyota that belonged to Hoffman, and the Jeep that belonged to Stephanie Strang. Look, if you`ve seen these cars anywhere know at all, let somebody know.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Absolutely. Now, a lot of people want to know what the Survivor, 13-year-old Sarah Maynard, told cops about a horrific five days with this sicko.
Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you know anything more what the 13-year-old has said about what the relationship may have been with Hoffman, how he...?
BARBER: It`s inappropriate at this point to discuss anything that Sarah has discussed with us, as part of the investigation.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Have you determined how Hoffman may have come to take these folks?
BARBER: We`re following the investigation where it`s leading us. And that`s yet to be determined.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Mike Brooks, this weirdo, this Hoffman guy who shot squirrels and ate them and hid in trees, it seems like he was after the 13- year-old girl. Could he have wanted to get rid of her mother, her kid brother and the family friend so he could have this girl all to himself? And could he have terrorized the family? Because when they -- when they went into the family home...
BROOKS: Right.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: ... they found beer cans and blood everywhere.
BROOKS: That says to me that they were probably there for some time. How long, we don`t know, Jane. But again, that evidence is going to be crucial in this case. They -- it sounds like they do have some leads. The investigation is going. But still, no sign of these three other people.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Terrifying. So random.
Up next, a famed Hollywood publicist gunned down. Was it a hit?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: A Hollywood insider gunned down, execution style. One moment she`s at a Hollywood premiere, the next she`s riddled with bullets driving through Beverly Hills. Was the superstar publicist Ronni Chasen targeted? Why would anyone want her dead?
And a vigilante mom patrols the streets on Halloween night, making sure sex offenders steer clear of kids. Now she could face charges for taking matters into her own hands. Are the powers that be siding with the predators?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TONY LEE, BEVERLY HILLS POLICE DEPT: We don`t have crimes like this in the city of Beverly Hills so it is a surprise to us. We`ve got numerous investigators at the scene that are trying to piece this thing together. We don`t have a motive at this time. We don`t have a suspect information.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: It`s something out of a movie -- a Hollywood movie. Unfortunately, it`s all too real; a Hollywood murder shocker. One insider calls the shooting death of famous publicist Ronni Chasen mind-numbing, at the very least.
Chasen was brutally shot, gunned down five times in the chest, her body riddled with bullets while driving her Mercedes to a very exclusive, mansion-filled Beverly Hills neighborhood.
Could this have been a professional hit? If so, why? Who would want this 64-year-old woman dead?
Chasen was shot when she was driving home from the star-studded premiere party for the Sony Pictures movie, "Burlesque" starring Cher and Christina Aguilera.
Here is a clip of that film.
(EXCERPT FROM THE MOVIE, "BURLESQUE")
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Chasen was there with singer/songwriter Diane Warren, pushing the movie`s soundtrack for an Oscar nomination. A stunned Diane Warren told reporters today she cannot believe this happened just moments after Chasen left that party.
The gunshots shattered the front passenger side window of Chasen`s brand-new Mercedes. After the shooting, her car slammed into a light pole. Witnesses say Chasen was in the front seat covered in blood and gasping for air.
Could an assassin have been laying in wait for Ronni Chasen to drive up? You always hear about people making enemies in Hollywood. But this woman seemed loved by everyone in the industry.
Call me, 1-877-JVM-SAYS.
Straight out to my fantastic expert panel: but first, to RadarOnline`s senior executive editor, Dylan Howard. Dylan, what is the very latest?
DYLAN HOWARD, SENIOR EXECUTIVE EDITOR, RADARONLINE: Jane, no suspects, no witnesses and at this stage, no motive. That`s the grim outlook from police who are investigating this brutal homicide.
Now, Beverly Hills detectives went to Ronni Chasen`s office complex yesterday and seized computers. They also seized a telephone. And on that telephone it was revealed that just six minutes before she was murdered on Tuesday morning, she telephoned her office and left a voice message, looking forward to the next day`s work for her work colleagues.
Now, this has left Hollywood stunned, because people are actually pointing to the suggestion that this may have been a targeted hit. Some are suggesting that in fact it could have been road rage. But the ironic - - not ironic, but the interesting thing about this is, the bullets weren`t sprayed, there were five bullets pumped into the chest of one woman seemingly at close range. It`s left everyone in Hollywood baffled.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: It really is baffling and so horrific and tragic. I have driven that street so many times. It`s a popular short-cut when you`re going through Beverly Hills. And it is a beautiful area. And shortly after midnight -- what -- 12:28 in the morning, to be driving down that street and be riddled with bullets. It has to have everybody in that neighborhood -- I know a few people in that neighborhood -- terrified. So we`ve got to solve this.
At the time of her death, Ronni Chasen was trying to help Michael Douglas win an Oscar for his role in "Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps".
Here`s a clip of that film.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAEL DOUGLAS, ACTOR: Someone reminded me, I once said greed is good. Now it seems it`s legal because everybody`s drinking the same Kool- Aid.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Now, that`s what Chasen did. She helped actors, directors, composers, anyone in Hollywood who needed that special edge come movie premiere time or during the award season.
Michael Levine, you are a Hollywood publicist and an insider in Hollywood. You were also a close friend of Ronni, so my condolences. My heart goes out to you and everyone who knew and loved this woman who was extraordinarily popular.
Given that she was so loved, can you think of any possible motive for somebody wanting to kill her?
MICHAEL LEVINE, HOLLYWOOD PUBLICIST: I sure can`t. I drove that street that very night two and a half hours before. It is unimaginable.
When I heard the news, my jaw dropped. I thought it must be a mistake. It simply can`t be possible. And I can`t think of any -- she was very beloved. She was iconic. I would see her around all the good restaurants in town, lunches and dinners almost always with a client. She had a relationship with her clients that was almost familial.
It`s just so shocking. And such a reminder how short life is and how unpredictable.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Oh, it is. I know that this kind of thing really rattles Hollywood. They say that the `60s died when the Manson killings happened not too far from where this woman was gunned down. And it changed our culture.
LEVINE: Jane beyond rattled. This is Hollywood`s 9/11. It`s that shattering to the people in the entertainment industry.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Chasen was shot only five miles from the movie premiere party. Now, sometime after midnight, she left this party at the very hip W Hotel on Hollywood boulevard. And that is the very, very hip hotel. I actually stayed there just less than a month ago. And it`s filled with very glamorous people. It`s the center of very hip, young Hollywood scene.
She left that, and she left Hollywood and decided to take Whittier Drive, which is a very quiet tree-lined street, often used as a short-cut in Beverly Hills. That`s where she was shot. She was headed to her condo in Westwood which is a little bit farther toward the beach just a few minutes away.
Ronni Chasen, as you just heard, made two phone calls on her way home, leaving messages for her staff. Police say the last call was just a couple of minutes before she was shot.
Mike Brooks, her purse was left there, so we know that it`s not a standard robbery. If it was a carjacking, well, unless the car was undrivable, they didn`t take the car. She doesn`t have a husband or children at this point, you know, never had children, is not married. It couldn`t be a family dispute. What do you think?
MIKE BROOKS, HLN LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: Jane, I`ve been thinking about this all day since I`ve heard this. And was calling some of my law enforcement sources out there and they don`t really have a motive right now either. We spoke to one of the sergeants with Beverly Hills Police on "PRIME NEWS", and any information they have, they`re holding very close to the vest.
My question is there were five shots in the chest. If you`re going to come up and you`re going to hit somebody, if you will, you`re probably going to shoot them in the head. But then again, what`s going to be important is the route she traveled from the time she got in her car, after that party, until the time of that shooting -- look at the surveillance. There are a lot of buildings that have surveillance videos, ATMs, even homes that have surveillance systems. They could be crucial information in finding out who is responsible for this. And putting together a timeline and a line of events of exactly what happened to Ms. Chasen.
This is just unbelievable. And evidence possibly at the scene.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: If the voicemail that she left six minutes before shows that she didn`t know that -- she wasn`t in fear, she wasn`t like, "help me," it was just a standard voicemail. That means she didn`t know what was coming so that this came out of nowhere.
And my question is, how do you shoot somebody five times in the chest when they`re driving. It`s hard to get that when a car is moving. You would have to think the car would have to stop. If the car stops, for whatever reason, maybe this man -- or this person stands in front of the car and she stops. Then he turns around on the passenger side, shoots her five times. For what?
Hollywood is no stranger to bizarre intrigue, filthy dirty tricks. We all remember that case of the Hollywood private eye, Anthony Telecono. He`s behind bars now for wire-tapping and offering bribes to get dirt on Hollywood celebrities and insiders.
You remember this Michael Levine. He put a dead fish with a rose in its mouth and a note that said "stop" on the car of an "L.A. Times" reporter who`s writing an expose. Things are crazy sometimes in Hollywood, Michael Levine.
LEVINE: Yes, they are. Very crazy. But, you know, this is really -- this has so many mysterious elements. It`s hard to put this together.
It`s hard, because the area is so pristine and so rich and affluent. These kinds of things don`t happen. It`s a very quiet street. I drove it again last night going home. I went right up to the same street again last night. It`s unthinkable. Very, very hard to do this.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: One last question. I`ve got to ask Mike Brooks, do you think the fact that they are going through her computer records indicates that they are searching for the possibility that somebody may have had a grudge against her? She might have had an argument. She might have dropped a client. Something like that.
BROOKS: Absolutely. Absolutely. It could be anyone who had any kind of beef with her, that`s just -- for whatever reason they felt that this was going to be the way to settle it. It could be a stalker. But what I find interesting, it came from the passenger side, not the driver`s side. It doesn`t seem like someone rolled up on her. Maybe someone came from the sidewalk onto her car.
Was she at a stop? It doesn`t look like that because there`s damage to the front of the car. There`s so much more that I want to know about this case.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: We`re going to stay on top of this. And don`t miss Joy Behar tonight at 9:00 p.m. Eastern. She`s going to go inside this Hollywood murder mystery with John Walsh, host of "America`s Most Wanted".
Next, an update on the shocking jawbone discovery in Aruba: could this be the key to solving the five-year-long disappearance of Natalee Holloway?
One woman patrols the streets on Halloween checking on sex offenders, 70 of them. Now she could face charges? Why are the powers that be siding with the predators? I want to hear what you think about this, call me, 1- 877-JVM-SAYS.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARBARA FARRIS, CONFRONTED SEX OFFENDERS IN HER AREA: Why would you, knowing you`re an offender have decorations and have kids come to your residency, knowing you`re a registered offender? Why -- why would you do that?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Coming up, could a woman face charges for making sure pedophiles steer clear of trick-or-treaters? That, in a moment.
But first, "Top of the Block" tonight.
We may soon find out if that jawbone that washed up on an Aruba beach is Natalee Holloway`s; investigators examining the one remaining molar to see if it matches up with the Alabama teenager`s dental records. Holloway vanished five long years ago while vacationing with friends. This could be the key to solving her mysterious disappearance.
Lisa Bloom, if this turns out to be Natalee`s remains, what could that mean to the case particularly for Joran Van Der Sloot?
LISA BLOOM, ATTORNEY, THEBLOOMFIRM.COM: Well, I think this is so important. They have been trying for five years, Jane, as you said, to find some evidence of her remains. Because keep in mind, he`s been saying all along, including recently, that she could still be alive, that she could be off somewhere.
So technically you don`t need to have a body to have a murder case. But you really do in this case because there`s such a lack of evidence. We have all of Joran`s contradictory statements to the police all evidence points to him. But if they have some evidence that she is deceased, I think that`s absolutely critical. And I think Aruban officials would charge Joran Van Der Sloot if they had that.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, given all the lies he`s told and given the fact that it`s been five years, and aside from this evidence, there doesn`t seem to be any other hard physical evidence whatsoever, could they still have trouble convicting him or not?
BLOOM: Well, they could. But one important element of murder is that the person is deceased. And this would allow them to be able to establish that. So I hope that they could prove that this is the jawbone, and if it can be linked to Natalee Holloway through dental records, medical records or DNA, which is going to be tough in the case of a bone. That if they can prove that this is her, I mean I`m so sorry for her family if that is the case, but that will give them that important evidence of murder and then the question is, who did it. And you have all of the contradictory statements. And there`s certainly enough to charge him.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: And certainly the Holloway family does want answers. Their lives have been completely destroyed by this.
BLOOM: Of course.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes our hearts go out to them. We`re going to have more on this tomorrow.
Thank you, Lisa Bloom. And stay tuned for breaking news.
Coming on "NANCY GRACE": Nancy talks exclusively with Natalee Holloway`s aunt. That is right at the top of the hour.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FARRIS: You`re using decorations. You have decorations behind your house, in front of your house. You`re a registered offender, right?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, ma`am. But my wife she`s a schoolteacher. She decorated it.
FARRIS: You`re wife is a school teacher, why -- why would you, knowing you`re an offender, have decorations and have kids come to your residency knowing you`re a registered offender? Why -- why would you do that?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Boy, I love that woman. She has guts. Tonight, that brave citizen taking matters into her own hands, going door to door on Halloween, no less, to make sure registered sex offenders are not breaking the law.
But now that very woman, Barbara Farris, is the one who could be facing charges. And we`re going to hear from Barbara exclusively right here on ISSUES in just moments.
Here is the deal, right before Halloween, Florida passed a law making it a crime for registered offenders to decorate their homes or pass out candy to trick-or-treaters. Makes sense, right? So Barbara, whose mission is to protect kids against predators, paid a visit to more than 70 homes in her county where predators live.
And she videotaped her crusade. Brilliant, brilliant. But the outrageous twist is that Barbara could now be charged with harassment and impersonating a police officer. Somebody complained. Hey, she`s misusing the registry.
What on earth is going on here? Are the powers that be siding with the predators over decent citizens who want to protect our kids? Call me, 1-877-JVM-SAYS.
Barbara, welcome. First of all --
FARRIS: Hi, how are you?
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Bravo. You`re doing a fabulous job. And I say keep doing it. Why did you decide you had to go door to door on Halloween night?
FARRIS: Well, I`ve -- I`ve been going after offenders for several years now. And on Halloween they do put up decorations and they do hand out candies. So I wanted to prove to the people that these guys are still handing out candy, they`re still out there luring your children into their homes, creating an unsafe situation. And I did just that, which has now created a controversy to put me in handcuffs once again.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: They put you in handcuffs?
FARRIS: No, no, they want to. They want to arrest me. Yes they --
VELEZ-MITCHELL: I was going to say. I`d really be furious if they actually put you in handcuffs, when these sickos are roaming -- you know roaming the streets at will, it would appear.
Here`s another clip from your unbelievable confrontation with a registered sex offender. Check this out.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FARRIS: You are a registered offender; whether she`s a schoolteacher or not, you know the law. You were put a special set of orders. You know the law.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, ma`am. Yes, ma`am -- but I have to -- I did not know -- (INAUDIBLE)
FARRIS: How about your victim?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Oh, I didn`t know. You know what?
FARRIS: Yes.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Here`s my big issue. Barbara, you`re picking up the slack. One of the reasons people like you are needed is that the probation officers are clearly dropping the ball here.
FARRIS: That`s right.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Were you scared? Were you scared when you were -- when you were confronting these guys?
FARRIS: Oh, lord, no, no, I`m not scared of them at all. No. I -- I hope to create -- to where they fear me, when I like come into a city after them, that they know that I`m coming for them. That`s my purpose and goal of what I do, is just to create that fear.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right. I hear Debra Opri, family law attorney, laughing. I don`t find this a particularly funny issue.
DEBRA OPRI, FAMILY LAW ATTORNEY: No, I am so proud of Barbara. Barbara, you know they have citizens` arrest, they have the media who sets up these child predators who go out and -- and have a setup where they walk into it. You are doing the right thing.
The only thing that I can say to you as an attorney is be very careful that you clearly say I`m not in law enforcement but I`m a citizen`s group and this is what we`re doing.
And you have every right to report what you see and to continue doing what you`re doing, as long as you`re doing it within the parameters of the law. And what I have seen tonight, you are.
FARRIS: Thank you.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes. Obviously, people who are predators who are putting up decorations may well be luring kids into their home. That`s why what you`re doing is so absolutely crucial.
More on the other side of the break; we`re taking your calls.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: We`ve been getting fabulous responses about how you at home are working to save the environment. Today, a great e-mail from Denise. She says, "I dry line my laundry on three retractable double clotheslines. I use corn cat litter" -- gee, I need to get some of that -- "and corn-based garbage bags" -- I do have those. "I am proof that you can be very green, even if you live in an apartment."
Denise, congratulations. We are getting rid of these plastic things and your issues eco-canister is in the mail.
Do you have a green improvement? Send them to cnn.com/Jane. I want to hear from you. Let`s all be part of the solution. Let`s all go green.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARK LUNSFORD, DAUGHTER JESSICA MURDERED: Jessie`s important. She`s very important. It`s easier for me to tell you what`s wrong with the system than to hurt you with the truth about what a wonderful daughter I had. She was my life. I had plans.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Mark Lunsford, devastated, 5 1/2 years after his precious 9-year-old daughter was abducted, raped and murdered by a repeat sex offender in Florida.
And tonight, we`re talking to Barbara Farris, who`s the creator and founder of justbeaware.com. She is a courageous woman confronting sex offenders when they are putting up Halloween decorations. Are they trying to lure kids into their home?
Grady, Georgia, your question or thought?
GRADY, GEORGIA (via telephone): I`ve got a comment and a question. I think the lady deserves some kind of award for what she`s doing. And my question is, why can`t this sex predator go to jail for enticing kids to come to his house? Thank you.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Absolutely.
OPRI: Jane, he`s right.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes. Debra Opri, go.
OPRI: Jane, it`s a violation of probation. And with Barbara`s help as a citizen, think of citizen`s arrest, she`s bringing this to the attention of the probation officer in the system.
I`m going say it again, Barbara, I am very proud of you, and don`t stop. Just clearly define your presence. But look what you have provided for this sex offender. He`s going back to jail because of you.
FARRIS: Thank you.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, if they do their job. Now, instead of accusing people like Barbara of stepping on their toes, maybe government officials need to look in the old mirror, because they`re dropping the ball.
OPRI: She won`t get charged.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Phillip Garrido kidnapped and repeatedly raped Jaycee Dugard. Parole officers totally missed the fact that she was a prisoner in his home. They even spoke to her and couldn`t figure it out.
And then there`s a suspect in this Ohio missing family case that we`re covering right now here on ISSUES. He was on parole for arson. Did his parole officer figure out that he was setting fires in the backyard?
Then there`s John Gardner. He raped and killed two young girls. He was on parole for beating and molesting a 13-year-old girl and they let him go despite numerous violations. He went on his merry way and he ended up raping and murdering two girls after that.
My opinion, if cops are not going to stay on top and parole officers are not going to do a thorough job, you are needed, Barbara Farris. Your reaction to that?
FARRIS: Thank you. Our goal is to show how these repeat offenders and offenders that are out in public and out on probation, that they do -- they`re out drinking behind trash cans, they are following kids to parks, they are still breaking and violating laws, that the law may not exist, but to us as community control and start caring as parents --
(CROSSTALK)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Got to leave it right there. You`re my hero. You deserve an award.
Nancy Grace up next with Natalee Holloway`s aunt.
END
