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Jane Velez-Mitchell
Kristi Cornwell Found Dead; Model Dies at Beer Heir`s Mansion
Aired January 03, 2011 - 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 devastating discovery. Kristi Cornwell is dead. The Georgia mom became a national symbol in the war on women. She was simply walking down a country road, talking to her boyfriend on her cell phone, when she was snatched, her plea to her kidnapper, "Don`t take me."
Now her remains have been found less than ten miles away. Is a killer still roaming free? And are random crimes like this psychological terrorism against women?
Then, an aspiring model suddenly dies at the Anheuser-Busch heir`s mansion. Now cops release a shocking 911 tape. Did it really take 40 minutes for somebody to call for help?
And a despicable series of raunchy videos featuring a high-ranking Navy official. Sex simulation and anti-gay slurs unleashes an uproar and a military probe. The videos were shown to crew members at the USS Enterprise. Why did Navy officials try to pass this off as some kind of educational training film?
Plus, Casey Anthony chaos. Jose Baez goes on the attack after speculation he`s backing off calling Roy Kronk a suspect. The meter reader found little Caylee`s remains two years ago, but Casey`s team missed the deadline to call for a Roy Kronk court hearing.
And I`ll give you the latest on the long list of explosive evidence the defense wants tossed from the trial.
ISSUES starts now.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Tonight, a grisly discovery rips open a twisted chapter in the war on women. The tortured family of a missing Georgia mom has their worst fears confirmed. Kristi Cornwell`s own brother found her burned remains just nine miles from where she was abducted.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We didn`t want it to end this way, but that`s the way it is. And we can bring her home now. And I know in my heart she`s in heaven and we`ll see her again. So that`s what`s going to make me able to be able to go on.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: That poor woman. In endless hell. This is a horrifying case, and we here at ISSUES have tracked it from day one. 3
Thirty-eight-year-old Kristi Cornwell was snatched off a country road in the summer of 2009. She was walking home from her mom`s house. She was talking on her cell phone with her boyfriend when he heard Kristi scream, "Don`t take me."
Police suspect Kristi`s killer may be career criminal James Carringer.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VERNON KEENAN, GBI DIRECTOR: Carringer, who is deceased now by suicide, became a suspect when the GBI began working a kidnapping and rape case in Gilmer County. He was located and was in the process of being arrested in Atlanta. He committed suicide.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: OK. Let`s take a look at this guy. That`s James Carringer right there. The suspect killed himself way back in April.
Police then found out that the night Kristi vanished, James Carringer`s phone had pinged a cell-phone tower in the very area near the site where she was abducted.
But before searching those woods themselves, cop gave that information to Kristi`s brother. That poor man had to stumble upon his sister`s dead body himself. Why didn`t cops find her body first?
Kristi is one of the first victims that we here at ISSUES highlighted in the war on women. Now we`ve got to do something about this. We absolutely, as a society, have to turn her needless tragic, hideous death into a call to action. We need a campaign. Me, you at home, everybody, to stop these terrifying, random abductions of women. They`re making us all terrified. Call me, 1-877-JVM-SAYS. That`s 1-877-586-7297.
Straight out to Mike Paluska, reporter for HLN affiliate WGCL in Atlanta,
Mike, what is the very latest?
MIKE PALUSKA, REPORTER, WGCL: Well, the very latest, as you mentioned, is that tip that came in through that cell phone. What they were using was a high-intensity drug trafficking targeting that uses the cell-phone data, which led them to James Carringer. They were able to pinpoint the location of Kristi Cornwell`s body to within two miles of a cell phone tower just about nine miles away from the area where she was abducted, as you mentioned.
He was wanted in a rape and abduction case of a 19-year-old college student here at Kennesaw State University. And it was that investigation that initially got Carringer on their radar. They then developed some more leads in this case that led them to North Carolina and then finally, this was the big break in this case. When they were trying to arrest him, he did kill himself in Atlanta.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Look, I want to congratulate the Georgia Bureau of Investigations for the hard work they did do. They conducted over 1,000 investigative acts. They searched for her for 11 days back in August of 2009.
Four hundred and fifty interviews in the area. But here`s my big issue: despite all that, why her brother? Why weren`t cops the one to find her body?
Police admit they had this lead from Carringer`s cell-phone ping. That suspect, as you just heard, killed himself back in April as cops were moving in to talk to him. But cops waited to follow up on that ping lead. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KEENAN: The GBI and Union County Sheriff`s Department had made plans to search the area where the cell-phone tower indicated the pinging had occurred. This information was shared with Richard Cornwell. He used the information provided to him by the GBI to go up into the area in question. And following -- after searching in the area for a while, he found the remains of his sister, Kristi.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Now, kudos to the brother, Richard Cornwell, for never giving up. After months of sleepless nights, he set out on a holiday weekend to find his beloved sister.
But I want to know, why did the police wait? What`s more important for these local police officers than to solve this case? Why didn`t cops search that area nine miles from where she disappeared, where there was a nexus of a ping and find her body, possibly months ago, Wendy Murphy?
WENDY MURPHY, FORMER PROSECUTOR: Well, you know, that`s a good question. And I`m sure they feel bad about it. But you know, one of the answers, Jane, is that they probably think the killer is dead, and it`s hard to prioritize an investigation where you think, even if you find the body, you`re going to be able to do anything about it.
I`m not trying to, you know, downplay the significance of having a family member find a beloved family member dead. It`s a horrifying idea. But police do have to create a pecking order of cases. And if they think Carringer is the killer, they`re not going to put that much energy into it.
But they did give him the information. Some cops wouldn`t have even given the family the information that would have allowed them to find the body. It`s a tough call.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right. Mike Brooks, I know you`re shaking your head there. Your thoughts?
MIKE BROOKS, HLN LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: Jane, you know, you can`t always blame it on law enforcement, like you tried to do many times, but again, Wendy is right on target with this. They believed that Carringer was already deceased. He was, because of a number of facts along the way - - and, yes, were they just going to go out there and -- you know, it take - - it takes a while to put together a investigation.
And as she said, they didn`t have to give this information to the brother. And I haven`t heard the brother or the mother complain on the law enforcement not doing their job anywhere through this investigation. They said they`ve been -- they`ve been right in step with the family. So, you know, to blame the cops, I think that`s unfair.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: I`m not blaming the cops.
BROOKS: Yes, you are.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: I`m asking a question. No, I`m asking a question. And I think it`s a valid question to ask. If the body was found nine miles away...
BROOKS: And Wendy and I just answered it for you, Jane. So there you go.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: I`m not attacking the cops. You know, I`ve been told many times I could never be a police officer. I took a police course for the day, and I made every mistake in the book. I have tremendous respect for law enforcement.
I think it`s a valid question to ask.
BROOKS: Sure.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: And maybe I`ll go back to Mike Paluska, who is a reporter who`s been covering this case. Was there any question raised at the news conference as to why it was the brother who found the body, when the body was found nine miles away from where she disappeared and there was this connection of the cell-phone ping from the man who has now become the prime suspect?
PALUSKA: Well, Jane, this was an area that had never been searched before. And the brother, Richard, had auctioned off a lake house -- they sold it for $355,000 -- to get the things that they needed, air support, to go through and search this area.
The GBI had mentioned in the press conference when we asked them why the brother did, in fact, come across the body, that they just didn`t have the resources to keep going day after day to continue the search for Kristi Cornwell. They said that they`ve always been following up on those tips, over 700 tips, all of those home searches, but they didn`t have the resources to be out there.
They also mentioned it`s winter time now. The leaves are gone. There`s a little bit more -- less foliage in the area. So that was something they said helped them. They say hunters go out in the wintertime and normally stumble across these bodies.
But they gave that information to Richard, because he has made it his goal to find his sister. He has been in this area. We`ve interviewed him on countless occasions. His mother, on the anniversary told us that they are still looking.
And they have never said anything to us that the GBI were dragging their feet in this case. I guess it just so happened that once they got this new information with the cell-phone ping, which is what they got -- they didn`t say when they got the new information, but they said that this is very recent. This development is very recent. And as soon as they got that information they felt, since they knew the brother was doing all this hard work, they would pass it on to him.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right. We`ve asked the question. We`ve gotten some interesting answers.
I want to listen again to the mother of Kristi Cornwell. Remember, Kristi was walking from her mom`s house down a country road in the evening, talking on a cell phone to her boyfriend when she was snatched.
This woman is a former probation officer who was killed. She was a woman who knew self-defense and even taught self-defense. Let`s listen to her devastated mom.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We didn`t want it to end this way, but that`s the way it is. And we can bring her home now. And I know in my heart she`s in heaven and we`ll see her again. So that`s what`s going to make me able to be able to go on.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Dr. Dale Archer, assuming for a moment that the suspect, who committed suicide, is the monster who killed Kristi Cornwell, is it a relief to the family that the person who, if it turns out did this, did this is dead?
Or is it frustrating that they`re unable to confront him in court and -- and to have some kind of interaction that might give some measure of closure?
DALE ARCHER, PSYCHIATRIST: Well, first of all, they are getting closure in that the body is found, because the uncertainty of not knowing is the hardest by far for any parent. And as the weeks drag onto months and then into years, it becomes very hard to maintain hope. So they have closure there.
But it is always better for the family to be able to confront the individual in a court of law, because that`s one more step in the process. Here there are so many unanswered questions that go along with the fact that this guy is gone. So they really don`t know why.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Mike Brooks, how are they going to connect the dots and get some finality to this case? Can they find James Carringer`s DNA, perhaps, on the remains or perhaps find Kristi`s DNA on one of the Xterras that they confiscated from the suspect?
BROOKS: Well, so far there are three Xterras, and they have not found any forensic evidence so far from those Xterras.
And keep in mind, Jane, right after her disappearance, he apparently removed a brush guard from the front of the -- one of the Xterras, as you see in this photograph right here. He took that off after a lookout was given with -- about an Xterra with the brush guard.
But there`s always a possibility, even though a lot of time had passed, that there could still be some DNA, maybe useable DNA -- we don`t know yet -- that the GBI could find from the -- during the medical examination. But we don`t know that yet.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Michelle, Georgia, your question or thought, ma`am.
CALLER: My question is, did I hear someone say that they searched for this woman`s body for 11 days?
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, yes. That was initially after she disappeared. They did an active search. And I guess that -- that is the question, is when do you come back and do another search based on new information?
Your thoughts, Darren Kavinoky, attorney?
DARREN KAVINOKY, ATTORNEY: Well, yes. Sure, you`d hope -- you`d absolutely hope that they would, but it depends on what information they have at the time that they`re doing these things.
And, you know, mark this down on the calendar as the day that I agree with a prosecutor and Mike Brooks, law enforcement expert. But they do have to establish certain priorities. A pecking order has been said.
And obviously, we all hope that this brings some closure to the family now.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: We all do. But it`s not quite nail-tight yet. And I don`t think there is anything called closure anyway.
Everybody hang tight. We are taking your calls on this missing mother`s death: 1-877-JVM-SAYS.
Also, a mysterious death inside the Anheuser-Busch heir`s massive estate. His 27-year-old girlfriend suddenly dies, and it allegedly takes 40 minutes for somebody to call for help. You`re going to hear the astounding 911 call in a second.
But first, more on Kristi Cornwell`s tragic death and the war on women.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We`re thankful that Kristi can now have a proper burial that she deserves.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KEENAN: The skeletal remains had been discovered on January the 1st at approximately 5 p.m. by Richard Cornwell, who is the brother of the victim, Kristi Cornwell.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Kristi Cornwell`s devastated brother was the one to find her body a year and a half after she was abducted. He found her using information that he got from investigators.
We`re going to go out to Hope in Washington, D.C. Your question or thought, ma`am.
CALLER: Hi, Jane. When I was 19 years old, I was abducted and walked out of Death Valley. I think the 112th Congress really needs to focus on doing legislation to protect women and really take this war on women seriously.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: I couldn`t agree with you more, and tonight I`m going to issue right now a call to action. This crime terrorized every woman who ever heard about Kristi Cornwell. Her abduction is a threat to all of us. I mean, who among us doesn`t want to be able to walk down a country road after visiting our mom, chatting on the phone, without having to worry about being abducted and murdered? If we can`t do that, what kind of freedom do we really have? This is psychological and emotional terrorism for every woman in the United States.
So we`ve started the second decade of a new century. I think it`s time for women, as a gender, 51 percent of the population, to stand up, unite, flex our muscles, along with all the men who love us, and demand our government and our police force put a stop to this kind of crime.
How do we do that, Wendy Murphy?
MURPHY: You know, it`s such a quaint notion, Jane. I`ve been doing this work for 20 years. I am exhausted. I am angry. I am sick of asking our lawmakers to do the right thing. I`m fed up with the stories that we do night after night about dead children and women.
I`ve heard you say you think, you know, it`s time for us to step up and so forth, and we should be scared. I`m not scared. I am angry, and we don`t need to ask Congress any more. What we can say to Congress is, "We gave you so many chances. You`ve never done anything," including President Obama, who claims he cares about this issue. He`s done nothing. We don`t need to beg Congress.
We all need guns. I know you don`t like guns.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Oh, please.
MURPHY: Let me -- you know, that`s what...
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Hold on.
MURPHY: We have no power. If they had power, they would not be dying. If we had more power...
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Hold on. This Kristy Cornwell was actually trained in self-defense. She...
MURPHY; She didn`t have a gun with her. She should have. That would be it. She`d be alive.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: She was a corrections officer. How many...
BROOKS: Jane...
MURPHY: She should have shot him. She should have shot him dead.
BROOKS: Jane, how many times do we always talk about...
KAVINOKY: I`m sorry.
BROOKS: Most of these people -- most of these men -- go ahead, Darren.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: OK, Darren, you go, and then we`ll go.
KAVINOKY: Ultimately, force is not the answer here in combating this kind of horrible behavior.
Look, there`s no shortage of people demonstrating horrible judgment in all of their affairs, including their behavioral health affairs. But arming people isn`t the solution. It`s a national conversation.
And it`s not just a war on women, Jane. It`s domestic terrorism against everybody. Look, even a big, strapping guy like Mike Brooks doesn`t feel safe when he hears about this kind of stuff going on.
BROOKS: I carry a gun.
KAVINOKY: It doesn`t make anybody feel safe. And -- and he carries a gun. It`s not about carrying a gun. It`s about empowering...
MURPHY: Stop telling women to talk about it in a conversation.
BROOKS: Jane, what we have to change...
MURPHY: Stop telling them to be nice and talk about it.
BROOKS: One of the things, Jane, we talk about all the time here on ISSUES: the court system, the probation and parole. Look at most of the people...
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes, I agree with Mike Brooks.
MURPHY: This guy had three victims.
BROOKS: ... the change we need.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: I agree. We need to become proactive. We need to catch these guys. He was accused of two other sexual assaults.
BROOKS: Thank you.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Nancy Grace has a lot more on this story.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Emergency 911.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, we need an ambulance.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK, is that a residence or business?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Residence.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK, what`s the problem?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She`s -- this girl`s just not waking up. We can`t get her to...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Is she -- is she breathing?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We don`t know. It`s dark back there. I`m going to get a light and try to see.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK, all right. I`ll get them going right away.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: All right, thanks. Bye-bye.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Tonight, the mystery deepens in the case of a beautiful young model found dead in a multimillion-dollar mansion owned by the king of beer.
That 911 call you just heard was made 40 minutes after Adrienne Martin was found unresponsive in a home belonging to her boyfriend, August Busch IV, the playboy ex-CEO of Anheuser-Busch and the heir to the Budweiser billion-dollar fortune. He had been dating the model and former Hooters waitress for about a year. Why did his staff allegedly wait almost an hour to call 911?
Adrienne`s death is a complete mystery. Police found no sign of trauma or any signs, really, of what killed this model.
August, an infamous playboy, known to friends as simply Four, for being the fourth, was born as a silver spoon in his mouth, or maybe I should say a silver spoon filled with beer. It`s a family tradition for each baby in the Busch family to drink tiny drops of Budweiser when they`re born. Could his money and power and influence have influenced this case?
Straight out to my fantastic -- Julie McIntosh-Levin, author of "Dethroning the King."
Julie, you`re an expert on everything Budweiser. How lavish a lifestyle does this August Busch IV lead?
JULIE MCINTOSH-LEVIN, AUTHOR, "DETHRONING THE KING": He was born into incredible wealth and privilege. The Busch family controlled Anheuser- Busch for more than 150 years.
And so his dad flew around in helicopters. He was an avid pilot and still loves to fly. He`s known for loving to race speed boats. And he has lots of incredibly expensive cars. So he certainly lives very well.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, August has somewhat of a checkered past. Back in 1983, he was allegedly speeding and his Corvette, spun out of control and actually crashed. His passenger, a female, died, and he allegedly fled the scene. Cops later found him at home with a severe head injury. But guess what? There were no charges due to lack of evidence.
A few years later Busch was arrested after leading police on a high- speed chase in his dad`s Mercedes.
His attorney tells CNN, "Adrienne`s death is nothing more than the sad passing of a very nice young woman." He adds, "There is nothing suspicious about her death."
But I find it interesting, and I don`t know if we have Mike Brooks here -- do we? Well, then I`ll go out to Julie again. I find it interesting that August Busch IV did not attend his dead girlfriend`s memorial service. Does that surprise you in any way?
MCINTOSH-LEVIN: It does, but St. Louis, when it comes to the Busches, is an incredibly small town. I think he would have been absolutely mobbed there. And there have been reports that representatives of his were there. So I think he`s probably incredibly sad he passed away, but he might not have been able to manifest it in the way he wanted to.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: I want to point out that they don`t know what she died of, and her ex-husband, who is a doctor, says she had a heart condition. So it`s very possible that this was just, as the Busch lawyer said, you know, a tragic accident, and there`s nothing to it.
But I find it kind of interesting that the 911 caller said, "Well, it`s so dark in here." And that`s because they have blackout curtains. So I`m wondering, why didn`t they just open the curtains? It happened around noon or 1 p.m. in the afternoon. Why should it be dark in there if they`ve got all this time to open the curtains? Just something to think about.
Thank you so much, Julie, for joining us. Got to leave it right there.
You won`t believe the next story.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Despicable series of raunchy videos featuring a high ranking Navy official, sex simulation, and anti-gay slurs unleashes an uproar and a military probe. The videos were shown to crew members of the USS Enterprise. Why did officials try to pass this off as some kind of educational training film?
Plus, Casey Anthony case chaos. Jose Baez goes on the attack after speculation he`s backing off calling Roy Kronk a suspect. The meter reader found little Caylee`s remains two years ago, but Casey`s team missed the deadline to call for a Roy Kronk court hearing.
And I`ll give you the latest on the long list of explosive evidence the defense wants tossed from the trial.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All of you bleeding hearts and you (EXPLETIVE DELETED) slow boy, why don`t you just go ahead and hug yourselves for the next 20 minutes or so because there`s a really good chance you`re going to be offended tonight.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Outrage and embarrassment on full display in a series of raunchy and offensive videos created by and starring the then-number two in command aboard a Navy aircraft carrier. You will not believe what his new position is now.
The videos were produced by the U.S. Military while the USS Enterprise was fighting in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. These videos are loaded with sexual jokes and anti-gay slurs, including the disparaging word for gay person that we bleeped in that clip we just showed you.
And there`s sexism, too. In one scene Captain Owen Honors introduces two female officers washing each other as chicks in the shower. And he says that was his favorite topic. Other scenes show sailors parading in drag, a mock rectal examination, a man insinuating sex with a donkey and mock masturbation.
Now, some of this stuff is so gross we cannot show it to you on television. In the wake of this scandal, the Navy is now calling these videos, which were shown to 6,000 crew members, unacceptable.
But get this. The military`s first response was that these videos were educational. Really? Meantime, wait until you hear about the man who masterminded these videos. He is now the boss in charge of the entire aircraft carrier. Way to go, Navy.
However you feel about the wars, we can all agree there are many courageous Americans in our Armed Forces risking their lives as we speak. Do these videos trivialize what they do? Do these videos undermine their work and make Americans look reckless and immature? Call me, 1-877-JVM- SAYS.
Wendy Murphy, your gut reaction to these videos and the fact this commander was promoted. Shouldn`t he be fired?
WENDY MURPHY, FORMER PROSECUTOR: Well, you know, on the one hand I`m absolutely not surprised. And frankly what it makes me think about, Jane, is how this pales in comparison to the work that I do in terms of military and violence against women every day.
You know, if anyone should be fired it should be the military person who rapes a woman and they never get fired. So compared to the video, you know, I don`t think this is such a big deal.
On the other hand, this is --
VELEZ-MITCHELL: It`s a mentality.
(CROSSTALK)
MURPHY: I understand. That`s my point. This breeds the behavior.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: And it`s caught on tape.
Imagine what`s not caught on tape if this is it what`s caught on tape. And I have to ask another question, was homophobia and anti-gay bias rampant aboard this Enterprise? Check this clip out. Listen carefully.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This evening all of you bleeding hearts and you (EXPLETIVE DELETED) boy, why don`t you just go ahead and hug yourselves for the next 20 minutes or so because there`s a really good chance you`re going to be offended tonight.
(EXPLETIVE DELETED)
I just (EXPLETIVE DELETED) can`t get that.
Finally let`s get to my favorite topic and something foreign to the gay kid over there, chicks in the shower. This is certainly the most popular video of any of them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Joining me now is J.D. Smith, co-director of military operations at Outserve, a support group for LGBT active duty members of the Armed Forces. J.D., you`re in shadow because you`re an active duty member of the military who is gay. Though "don`t ask, don`t tell" is history", it hasn`t been enacted yet to the point where you can reveal your face. That`s my understanding.
What`s your reaction to these taxpayer-funded military videos laced with slurs against gays?
J.D. SMITH, CO-DIRECTOR OF MILITARY OPERATIONS, OUTSERVE: Well, I think first off I don`t think it`s really representative of the military in the whole. At first I was really shocked when I saw this video because I don`t think many people in the military actually have this mentality that Captain Honors was actually portraying on the ship in particular.
But I was absolutely offended. I think it`s one of the reasons to show why "don`t ask, don`t tell" needed to change because it was never "don`t ask, don`t tell", don`t harass, don`t pursue. We had to live under this policy where we had to see some of this stuff or hear some of these remarks and we weren`t able to report it.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Anthony Woods, you were discharged from the Army in 2006 because of "don`t ask, don`t tell". What is your reaction to these videos? And again, for those at home, the pejorative word for gay is bleeped so consider that. It was mentioned numerous times by this man who is now in charge of this entire aircraft carrier of 6,000 people. But your reaction, Anthony.
ANTHONY WOODS, DISCHARGED FROM ARMY DUE TO DADT: The first thing I would say is that military units have all sorts of cultures and customs that are unique to them. You know, out of context, a lot of times we wouldn`t understand what they mean by those and maybe they wouldn`t look so funny to us. But that`s never an excuse for racism, sexism, homophobia, any sort of unprofessional behavior. And so I`m actually appalled that this person is still in command of this ship.
I`ve written frequently and said that everyone in the military is replaceable, and nobody is allowed to stay in their job if they act this carelessly and this inappropriately. I`m surprised he`s not out of a job yet.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: It`s interesting. There was sexual harassment implied in this video. The women who took part were presumably doing it of their own volition. But who knows in the military? There were reports that female sailors complained about this. They were offended and they complained and in the videos themselves this captain, Captain Honors, acknowledged it. He acknowledges it on camera, saying, essentially, that anybody who criticized him was gutless.
So Dr. Dale Archer, now you have to add this other component of sexism because this is a man who is in charge of this ship and there`s even one segment where two women are in a shower and they`re holding a cardboard cut out of this captain.
DR. DALE ARCHER, CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST: Yes. Look, this is clearly offensive any way you look at it. But if this had been a 19-year-old sailor, you know, you send them to counseling, diversity training, and it`s over with.
This is a captain. This is it supposedly an officer and a gentleman in the United States Navy. He is leading this entire ship. This is horrendous judgment. And you have to ask, is this the type of guy you want on a floating nuclear reactor with bombs and guns and planes and in charge of all that? The answer is clearly no.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: And at the time they were making these videos and showing them, the "USS Enterprise" was actively involved in supporting the Iraq and the Afghanistan war and was doing a record number of bombings.
Now, again, I want to say that I agree totally with Anthony, that this does not reflect the average soldier, courageous soldiers who right now are sleeping on dirt who are enduring terrible conditions, displaying incredible courage and bravery. But we do have to ask here, aside from the vile offensive displays of insensitivity what else do these "USS Enterprise" videos show us?
I would have to ask, how about an immature mentality? I mean that`s really my big issue. If this is the maturity level of the number two person in charge of an aircraft carrier with 6,000 people, does that reflect poorly on the maturity level of the commanders in charge of these very complex wars in two country, conflicts that require perhaps more than anything else sensitivity about cultural differences?
If you take this to the logical extreme, you have to think back on other scandals like the Abu Ghraib scandal where members of the U.S. Military were caught on camera degrading and dehumanizing their captives.
So, I go back to Wendy Murphy. Is there a link between these horrifically unfunny videos and the humiliating behavior that took place during Abu Ghraib and these politically incorrect videos done by this guy who`s now in charge of a ship that contains 5,000 human beings?
MURPHY: You know, what`s hard for me is to appreciate the value of this. I`ve heard some of the commentary that when you`re on a ship it`s a stressful time and you have to blow steam. I once dated a lieutenant on a sub who was in the Navy and they painted their noses blue at some point.
It was -- very strange things happen on these ships, I think. They get isolated, they go a little crazy. Again, it`s not an excuse for this behavior. But what worry me isn`t that it`s immaturity. I think boys do stupid things at all ages, frankly. More so than girls and that`s a sexist comment.
What I`m worried about is that they`re trying to create an atmosphere of the kind of morale where if they land on a battlefield they`re going to care about each other and protect each other and feel equal to one another. That`s what I worry about. This creates the wrong kind of soldier.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Stephanie, Maryland, your question or thought.
STEPHANIE, MARYLAND (via telephone): My thought is that he should be reprimanded very severely for this. It`s not -- it is just as bad if not worse than what that lady said about a military person raping a woman. Yes, maybe they can`t get fired but they sure can go to jail for it.
This person should be fired. This should not -- this should not be allowed. This is not considered what -- what you said earlier, training. This is not training -- this is pure out and out hatred crime. And this is not right do.
We have lots of people serving in the military of all races and backgrounds and -- and sexual whatever they want to have their own way about that should not even be tormented like this --
(CROSSTALK)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Stephanie, Maryland, I agree with you 100 percent.
Thank you so much for joining me wonderful panel.
And we`re moving on. Major developments in the Casey Anthony case as a judge rules on which evidence, will stay out of the trial.
Plus, why was Casey`s defense found in contempt of court? You won`t believe it. Give me a call, 1-877-JVM-SAYS.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CASEY ANTHONY, MOTHER OF CAYLEE ANTHONY: Come on.
CINDY ANTHONY, MOTHER OF CASEY ANTHONY: Casey, hold on sweetheart. Settle down, baby.
CASEY ANTHONY: Nobody is letting me speak. You want me to talk then --
CINDY ANTHONY: All right. I`ll listen to you.
CASEY ANTHONY: Give me three seconds to say something.
CINDY ANTHONY: Go, sweetheart.
CASEY ANTHONY: I`m not in control.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CASEY ANTHONY: I still have that feeling, that presence. I know that she`s alive, whether you have a bucket load of evidence downstairs that contradicts that and says otherwise or all you have is speculation or -- or nothing at all.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Tonight, a war over racy Casey sex details. Should they be allowed as evidence in her trial? Shocking, you have to call them bombshells in the case against Casey Anthony. The young mom accused of murdering her 2-year-old daughter Caylee was back in court today again as her lawyers begged the judge not to allow the jury to hear testimony about her steamy sex life.
Casey`s dream team wants statements from two of Casey`s ex-boyfriends thrown out, specifically a conversation with detectives about Casey`s skills in the bedroom. The judge gave the prosecution 15 days to respond as to why they should remain in.
Casey`s lawyers also wanted a slew of other evidence banned like testimony about a shovel Casey borrowed from a neighbor and a knife found in her car. Also, details about her Bella Vita tattoo.
We`re going to tell you everything that went down in court today. Is the prosecution trying to paint Casey as a promiscuous party girl, a girl who was out dancing and romancing while her precious daughter was missing? Instead of calling the cops?
Straight out to investigative journalist, Rozzie Franco; Rozzie, why is the defense so darned determined to ban statements about Casey`s sexual adventures?
ROZZIE FRANCO, INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALIST: Well, obviously there were some details in there that was explained by Casey on her -- between her and Anthony Rosciano (ph) and Anthony Lazzaro (ph) that was talked about with those detectives.
He doesn`t want it in, he doesn`t want the jury to see how she was, he doesn`t want her to see -- he doesn`t want the jury to see that she might have been a promiscuous girl.
As for the state, Linda Berdick (ph) said that she -- they`re just simply not interested in the details of the -- of -- of the -- of her sexual promiscuity. And like you said, they have 15 days to file a response and Perry withheld a ruling on that, whether that evidence will be admitted in court.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Mark Eiglarsh, I`ve got a question, why are cops asking things like, how was she when she had sex, of an ex-boyfriend? Why are they asking whether she used protection, whether she had sexually transmitted diseases? What does that have to do with anything?
MARK EIGLARSH, SPEAKTOMARK.COM: It might have absolutely nothing to do with anything. It`s the same reason why when we take depositions we ask a million different questions, most of which will never see the light of day in a courtroom.
The detective doesn`t know exactly what the defense is going to be alleging. He doesn`t know what the motive is going to be. So it`s his job to ask every possible question. It doesn`t mean that it`s relevant.
It`s great to show on your show, people are interested in it. But it doesn`t necessarily mean it has anything to do with this trial.
(CROSSTALK)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Come on, Mark. Let`s be real. Painting Casey as being promiscuous would help the prosecution, wouldn`t it, especially if she was being promiscuous at the very time that her daughter was missing?
EIGLARSH: Of course. Especially because probably the only motive they`re going to get is she`s out there dancing, she`s promiscuous; she didn`t want her daughter around. That`s probably what they`re going to be advancing. This isn`t about an insurance policy. They`ve got to come up with some reason why she did this.
(CROSSTALK)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Casey`s defense --
FRANCO: And that`s such a good point, Jane. I was really shocked that the state actually backed down and really didn`t say that they wanted those details admitted in court. Of course they still have those -- that time period to file a response.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Why in the heck are we arguing about this if they don`t want to use it anyway? That doesn`t make any sense. Darren Kavinoky, a quick shot about that?
DARREN KAVINOKY, ATTORNEY: Yes, I think they do want to use it. Ultimately their success in trial -- put -- put aside that she`s already been convicted in the court of public opinion. They want to portray her with conduct that`s unbecoming to a grieving mother.
They want those jurors to question what it was that she`d be out doing with -- whatever bedroom skills she had.
(CROSSTALK)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Speaking of which --
KAVINOKY: When she should have been grieving and searching for her daughter.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Casey`s defense also wanted a blog that Casey wrote thrown out. On July 7th, while Casey was missing, but before she called cops Casey posted, "What is given can be taken away. Everyone lies. Everyone dies. Life will never be easy," end quote. Now, Casey posted the message while she was apparently watching the horror movie "American Psycho".
The judge will decide in 15 days whether to ban that blog from being heard by the jury.
But Mark, that`s got to hurt, that she`s writing these ominous quotes and watching this bizarre movie while her daughter is missing? "American Psycho"?
EIGLARSH: Yes, absolutely. And let me explain to the people out there that there`s one thing in terms of admitting evidence. The other thing is cross-examining on it. In other words, if it`s close, you let it come in and then you let the other side cross-examine and let the jurors decide how much weight if any they`re going to get.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Shawna, Missouri, your question or thought, ma`am.
SHAWNA, MISSOURI: Hi.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Hi.
SHAWNA: Thank you for hearing me. I`ve been watching the cases since the beginning and I watched "In Session" today. And I think the jury should be able to hear all the evidence: the shovel, her sexual lifestyle with the boyfriends, to show what life she wanted to lead. And let them determine what she was thinking or --
(CROSSTALK)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: I agree with you. Shawna, I agree with you. Let`s - - let`s talk about the shovel. Casey`s defense wants to throw out testimony from a neighbor who says, Casey asked to borrow a shovel from him. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Can you tell me about the day and what happened that day?
BRIAN BURNER, CASEY ASKED TO BORROW HIS SHOVEL: I was out in front of my yard, I had just cut my grass and I was using a weed blower blowing off the debris. And Casey had approached me and said that she couldn`t find the key to their shed and wanted to know if I had a shovel she could borrow to dig up a bamboo root that she had been tripping over.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Darren Kavinoky, I think that`s got to hurt. I cannot picture Casey Anthony digging up some root in her parents` house and borrowing a shovel for that. Any other ideas why she might want a shovel?
KAVINOKY: Well, look, defense lawyers figure that you`re just like every juror on that jury. They don`t want them to hear about that and speculate about that either.
Trials are an interesting thing. What really happens at trials, the objective truth and objective reality really doesn`t matter. Those jurors are instructed that they`re only allowed to consider that evidence which comes in so the important fight right now is about keeping stuff out.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: I hear you. Why would she want a shovel? More on the other side of the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
911 Operator: You can tell me a little bit about what`s going on?
CASEY ANTHONY, MOTHER OF CAYLEE ANTHONY: My daughter`s been missing for the last 31 days.
911 Operator: And you know who has her?
ANTHONY: I know who has her. I ride to contact her. I actually receive phone call today from a number that is no longer in service. I did get to speak to my daughter for about a moment, about a minute.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Tonight Casey`s defense team battles in court. They want tons of evidence off the table. But instead of worrying about all the seemingly obscure evidence about Casey`s sex life and character, why aren`t they worrying about what the judge is telling them to do? The defense did not give the court a list of what their expert witnesses are going to talk about as the judge demanded and tonight the defense was named in contempt of court.
Big problem, Darren Kavinoky?
KAVINOKY: Well, certainly they`re not making any friends with that bench officer. As a defense lawyer, you`re always concerned about two things. About putting your client on the stand which is generally a decision that you don`t make until very late in the game, or really having your experts nailed down in terms of exactly what it is that they`re going to testify to. Trials are a very, very fluid thing. So it doesn`t surprise me that they want to hold that information very close to the vest.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: The defense also wants to the keep the jury from hearing certain things Casey`s parents, George and Cindy had to say about their daughter, Casey. Cindy Anthony wrote a very telling post on her MySpace two weeks before little Caylee was reporting missed.
It was titled, "My Caylee is Still Missing". She wrote, quote, "This precious little angel from above gave me strength and unconditional love. Jealousy has taken her away, jealousy from the one person that should be thankful for all of the love and support given to her."
George reportedly also called his daughter a pathological liar and thief. So, Mark Eiglarsh, why is the defense so worried about what the parents are saying about their daughter?
EIGLARSH: Well, the inference is the parents know her better than anybody. If they think that she did something wrong and she`s a liar and/or a killer, obviously she must be guilty. But, you see, that interferes with the juror`s right and obligation to decide when she`s guilty or not.
It`s the ultimate issue. And you can`t, as a judge, let people come in there saying I think she`s guilty, I think she`s a liar. That`s for the jurors to decide.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Now, here`s my big issue tonight. Trivial Pursuits - - is the defense playing games? They argued to get, for example, the video you`re about to see banned from the trial. Take a look at this from Jibjab.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(CLIP FROM JIB JAB)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: So why are they arguing to have this taken away, not shown to the jurors, when they`re being found in contempt of court on some rather serious issues? Is this misplaced priorities?
KAVINOKY: I want to go on record, I`m a huge fan of Jibjab. I`m just trying to -- I`m just wondering what relevance this could possibly have to the facts that are at issue actually in the courtroom. Love Jibjab; has no place in the trial, though.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Ok, Mark?
EIGLARSH: That the defense -- that the defense would be concerned that the state would say, ok, judge, our next exhibit is going to be the Jibjab video. Come on.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: I`m just wondering. Maybe they`re crazy like a fox.
(CROSSTALK)
EIGLARSH: I`ll tell you this, you know what? Seriously, they screwed up. They should never have recused Strickland. This judge is not very good for them.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: He`s no nonsense and you`re watching ISSUES. See you tomorrow.
END
