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Nancy Grace
Alabama Baby-Sitter Said to Kidnap Two Little Boys
Aired March 14, 2011 - 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. A young Montgomery mother heads to work, leaving her two boys, Angel and Christian, ages 5 and 6, at home safe and sound with the baby-sitter. But when Mommy gets home, Angel and Christian gone! Bombshell tonight. As we go to air, an Amber Alert just issued for the two little boys. And what about the baby-sitter? Was she overpowered, beaten, kidnapped, attacked, left tied to a staircase or the kitchen chair? No, the baby-sitter is the kidnapper! At this hour, all-points bulletin out for a white female baby-sitter, name, Teresa McGee.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Alabama police are searching for two children allegedly taken by their baby-sitter. Police say 6-year-old Angel and his brother, 5-year-old Christian, were taken by their baby-sitter, Teresa Lynn McGee. The baby-sitter may be on the way to Indianapolis in an unknown vehicle with male friend Enrique Jimenez. McGee has an active arrest warrant out for her on kidnapping charges. Angel is 4-foot, 60 pounds, with brown eyes and black hair, and Christian is 3-foot, 50 pounds, also with brown eyes and black hair. Police are asking for the public`s help in locating these two boys. Where are Angel and Christian?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRACE: And tonight, live, Tombstone, Arizona. An up-and-coming movie-maker keeps a female`s dead body -- repeat, a female`s dead body -- in the home for over a year. Why?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thirty-four-year-old Timothy Fattig was reportedly fascinated with horror movies, but now he`s living a nightmare of his own behind bars.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He had a darker side, oh, sure.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE) was writing about (INAUDIBLE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Police head out to Fattig`s mother`s home for a welfare check. Nobody was home, and cops call Fattig, who reportedly tells them his mother was at the hospital.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He`s more successful than a lot of his peers (INAUDIBLE) come out. But we`ve digging up bits and pieces (INAUDIBLE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Cops check it out and determine it`s not true. Fattig reportedly admits his mother died a year ago. Police execute a search warrant and find skeletal remains believed to be 68-year-old Jill Fattig inside the home.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE) place to be.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The horror fan reportedly tells cops he was so upset by his mother`s death, he just locked the door to the home and never told anyone she had died.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE) that much (INAUDIBLE) history (INAUDIBLE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRACE: Good evening. I`m Nancy Grace. I want to thank you for being with us. Bombshell tonight. A young Montgomery mother heads to work, leaving her two little boys, Angel and Christian, ages just 5 and 6, there at home safe and sound with the baby-sitter. But when Mommy gets back, Angel and Christian are gone. And what about the baby-sitter? Overpowered, beaten, kidnapped, attacked? Was she left tied to the staircase or the kitchen table? No, the baby-sitter is the kidnapper!
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Authorities in Alabama are desperately searching for two young boys allegedly kidnapped by their baby-sitter. Russell (SIC) Police Department has issued an arrest warrant for kidnapping for 30-year- old Teresa Lynn McGee, also known as Teresa Easterday, for allegedly taking the two children. Investigators say McGee may be en route to Indianapolis, Indiana, in an unknown vehicle and possibly with a friend named Enrique Jimenez. Police are asking for the public`s help in finding the boys. Six-year-old Christian is just 3 feet tall and only 50 pounds, and his 4- year-old brother, Angel, is 4-foot, 60 pounds. Police are working day and night, doing anything they can to bring these boys home safe.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRACE: We are taking your calls live. I want to go first out to Nicole Partin, investigative reporter. Nicole, Mommy leaves the boys, ages 5 and 6, Angel and Christian, with the baby-sitter, a trusted baby-sitter. She gets back home, they`re gone. I`m wondering at first if maybe she didn`t even realize anything was wrong. What do you know, Nicole?
NICOLE PARTIN, INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER (via telephone): Good evening, Nancy. Yes, a very sad story, as the baby-sitter is now wanted in kidnapping for the 5 and 6-year-old little boy. The mother comes home from work. The children are gone. The baby-sitter is gone. And now as we come to air, Russellville, Alabama, police tell us they believe that Teresa McGee has these two boys and is somewhere en route from Alabama to Indianapolis, Indiana, in this unknown vehicle. Police now looking for her with kidnapping warrants.
GRACE: What I don`t understand is why she would take the 5 and 6- year-old with her. Everyone, take a look at this baby-sitter, Teresa McGee, also known as Teresa Easterday. She is baby-sitting a 5 and 6-year- old little boy. Mommy comes home. Everybody`s gone. And I`m just wondering if when he first walked in, did she think, Oh, they went to the mall, Oh, they went to the playground, they went to go play on the swingset behind the church? Who knows what she first thought and how long of a delay until Mommy realizes her children have been kidnapped.
We are taking your calls live, but first to Jean Casarez, legal correspondent, "In Session." Jean, you`re out in the field. What do you know?
JEAN CASAREZ, "IN SESSION" (via telephone): Well, Nancy, this is a very urgent situation because the Alabama Department of Public Safety has issued a missing child alert. They do not have the description of the vehicle, so everybody needs to look at the pictures. And they are describing this baby-sitter, 30-year-old Teresa Lynn McGee, as a white female, 5-foot-5, 150 pounds, brown hair and blue eyes. But Nancy, you look at that picture. That`s blond hair on her with dark roots.
GRACE: You know, that looks nothing like the description they`re giving. Repeat the description again for me, Jean, the description...
CASAREZ: White female...
GRACE: ... police have put out.
CASAREZ: ... 5-foot-5, 150 pounds, brown hair and blue eyes. I see brown roots, Nancy, but I see blond hair.
GRACE: The little boys, ages 5 and 6. We are literally getting the wires in as we go live tonight. Take a look at the two little boys and this woman. It is believed that she is on her way from Russellville, Alabama, to Indianapolis, and with her these two little boys.
Joining me right now, special guest, in the studio with me tonight, Marc Klaas, president and founder of Klaas Kids Foundation. His daughter, Polly, was also kidnapped many years ago. You see him wearing her face on the button on his lapel that he has worn ever since he lost his girl.
Marc, I`m imagining the mom coming home, walking through that door, calling out, Angel, Christian. Nobody answers. Angel, where are you? Nobody answers. And then she probably thinks nothing is wrong at first.
MARC KLAAS, KLAAS KIDS FOUNDATION: But when she finds out something is wrong, she thanks her lucky stars that law enforcement took this seriously enough that although they didn`t fulfill the entire Amber Alert criteria, they wanted to get this information out to as many people as possible.
What they need to do, Nancy, is they need to get the pictures of these three people, the two boys and the woman, along any potential routes from Alabama to Indianapolis. Get them to highway convenience stores, get them to service stations, get them to fast food outlets, get them to truck stops. Notify the truckers so that people can be on the lookout for these boys. And if they do that and if they do that quickly, they`ll find these kids and they`ll get them back.
GRACE: OK, let`s talk about the most likely scenario, the most likely spots where these kids can be found, where these two little boys -- they`re only ages 5 and 6, everyone. This is an urgent missing child alert that has just happened in the hours before we go to air.
You mentioned truck stops, restaurants. Explain.
KLAAS: Well, everybody that`s going someplace is generally -- generally going on an interstate highway. If a child has been kidnapped, they can disappear at the rate of one mile a minute. Figure out how many miles it is from Alabama to Indiana, and you`ve got a pretty good idea of how long it`s going to take.
They have to stop for gas. They have to stop for food. They may even stop for the night at a highway motel. These are the places that are critical to get the information out to so that the merchants, so that the various people that stop in and out of those places can see these kids, see this woman, and if they make that connection, they can contact law enforcement and bring them back.
GRACE: OK, let`s see that map again, Les (ph). Let`s see the route we think they may be taking. We`re not sure, but we believe her route is from Russellville, Alabama, all the way up into Indianapolis. We see them going through Tennessee. We see them going through Kentucky. They`ll be crossing state lines.
We are taking your calls. It`s about a 445 mile trip from Alabama to Indianapolis. Out to the lines. Kimberly in California. Hi, Kimberly.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi, Nancy. I love your show so much!
GRACE: Thank you. And thank you for calling in, dear. What`s your question?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I just wanted to know how long did the mother of the children know the baby-sitter? How well did she know her?
GRACE: Right now, we`re just getting the information in. What we do know is that she is described as a trusted baby-sitter. That suggests to me that she knew her for a period of time.
Unleash the lawyers. Joining us tonight out of New York, Susan Moss, family law attorney, child advocate, Portland, Oregon, Anne Bremner, high- profile defense attorney, Kirby Clements, defense attorney, former prosecutor, Atlanta. Weigh in, Sue Moss.
SUSAN MOSS, FAMILY LAW ATTORNEY: This is no Mary Poppins taking these kids away on an umbrella! These kids are in serious risk, especially if they`re with that unknown fellow! You`ve got to take this very seriously! And even though the mother may be saying that this is a trusted baby- sitter, something has gone very, very wrong! And good thing that we`re putting all of the resources that we have with regard to the Amber Alert because we`ve got to find these kids, or else there`s going to be some serious problems.
GRACE: Anne, I`m just looking at this photo. Take a look at Teresa Lynn McGee. Let`s see that shot again. Teresa Lynn McGee. You`re seeing her shot. That is from the Alabama Department of Public Safety. I don`t know if this is a mugshot or if this is a driver`s license, but it`s not striking me as a driver`s license. Is it you, Marc Klaas?
KLAAS: Well, no, it`s not. And I`ll tell you something that could easily fix this problem. They describe her with brown hair. You know, you can take software and create different looks for different people. You can put the glasses on, take the glasses off, change out the color of the hairdo. These things are entirely possible and have been done by organizations like the "Ladies Home Journal" for years. I would think that law enforcement would want to catch up.
GRACE: Everyone, you are taking a look at the trusted baby-sitter who steals a 5 and 6-year-old child.
Back to the lawyers, Sue Moss, Anne Bremner, Kirby Clements. What about it, Anne? What`s she looking at now?
ANNE BREMNER, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: She`s looking at a lot of time. She`s looking at kidnapping. She could be looking at life. She`s looking at custodial interference. She`s looking at also unlawful imprisonment. And we just don`t know why she`s doing this.
GRACE: What about it, Kirby?
KIRBY CLEMENTS, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Oh, she`s going down, possibly even federal charges if she`s crossed over state lines with these children. So it`s a big problem for her.
GRACE: Oh, Kirby, she`s crossed state lines!
Take a look at these two little boys. Angel and Christian. What do you think this 5 and 6-year-old little boy are thinking tonight? They were left with a trusted baby-sitter. When Mommy gets home from work, they are gone.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE) desperately searching for two young boys allegedly kidnapped by their baby-sitter. Police are asking for the public`s help in finding the boys. Six-year-old Christian is just 3 feet tall and only 50 pounds, and his 5-year-old brother, Angel, is 4-foot, 60 pounds.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Authorities are Alabama are desperately searching for two young boys kidnapped by their baby-sitter. The police department has issued an arrest warrant for kidnapping by the 30-year-old baby-sitter, Teresa Lynn McGee. Investigations say McGee may be en route to Indianapolis, Indiana, in an unknown vehicle and possibly with a male friend. Police are asking for the public`s help in finding the boys. Six- year-old Christian is just 3 feet tall and only 50 pounds, and his 5-year- old brother, Angel, is 4-foot, 60 pounds. Police are working day and night, doing anything they can to bring these boys home safe.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRACE: Mom leaves for work. When she gets home, not only are her two boys, just ages 5 and 6, missing, but so is the baby-sitter.
We are taking your calls. Out to Jennifer in Colorado. Hi, Jennifer.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi, Nancy. Thank you for taking my call.
GRACE: Thank you for calling in, dear. What`s your question?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, I first -- I know I`m supposed to be brief. I just want to say I watch your show because you are so genuine and you care so much. And I know you have to be exhausted. And you come in every night and you look for these people or these children, and it just is amazing to me.
GRACE: Thank you. Thank you very much. And calls like yours really keep all of us -- not just me, but all of us going. Thank you. What`s your question, dear?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I just want to -- I`m a little confused on if the -- if she has a companion and who, if anybody, saw them leave? Why do they think the baby-sitter took them? I mean, it`s not really all together for me.
GRACE: What do we know, Ellie Jostad?
ELLIE JOSTAD, NANCY GRACE PRODUCER: Nancy, the details are just coming in now, but the caller is right. They do believe she has a male friend with her. It`s a guy name Enrique Jimenez. It is described as, like I said, a friend of the baby-sitter`s, could be traveling with them. Still don`t have a vehicle description. We`re working on that right now.
GRACE: And I`m assuming, Marc Klaas, that they have deduced the baby- sitter took them because she`s missing from her home. She`s not answering her home and cell, and the boyfriend is missing. It`s a fairly accurate deduction.
KLAAS: Yes, I think it is a fairly accurate deduction. I think they must know more or they wouldn`t have put out this very widespread alert.
GRACE: Explain again the difference between missing child alert and Amber Alert?
KLAAS: Well, the vast majority of children don`t qualify for Amber Alerts. Polly wouldn`t have qualified for an Amber Alert. Adam Walsh wouldn`t. Elizabeth Smart wouldn`t. Shawn Hornbeck wouldn`t. Most of the kids wouldn`t. But they feel that the criteria should be met. It hasn`t been met. So they take this back-door approach and do a missing child alert and make sure that everybody gets the information anyway.
GRACE: We are taking your calls. Tonight, these little boys in extreme danger. We have gotten the case as quickly as possible and brought it to you. Angel and Christian, Russellville, Alabama. The kidnapper, the female baby-sitter, believed to be en route to Indianapolis. She`s got to travel through Kentucky and Tennessee to get there if she takes a straight route. We believe she`s traveling with her boyfriend.
Why does she take the children? We don`t know. Where are they headed? We`re not sure. But what we do know, these children in danger. The mom had no idea this was about to happen.
To Kirby Clements. Kirby, what can we do if she`s crossing state lines? I mean, there`s really not a lot we can do. We don`t have official state line crossing barriers. The best they can do, really, is use the cameras that are up and down the interstate on the sides of the roads.
CLEMENTS: Oh, absolutely, I mean, and also enforcing the traffic laws because if they think they`re being chased, they`re probably going to be speeding. And so if they have a good description of the vehicle, the troopers can be out looking for that. I would also add they should be checking, you know, 24-hour stores` parking lots, as well.
GRACE: You know, another thing that you just brought to mind, Kirby, is knowing that we`re looking for them, cops are looking for them, they could very well be taking off-interstate roadways.
Everyone, the tip line is 256-332-2230. We are taking your calls live in the search for 5 and 6-year-old Christian and Angel.
Tonight, as we go to break, the death toll rising into the thousands after a massive earthquake and tsunami devastates Japan, thousands still not recovered, bodies still not recovered, over 3,000 missing, nearly half a million in shelters, survivors, including Americans, reeling, terrified of the aftershocks, 44 (SIC) aftershocks already, radiation after damage to three nuclear power plants, temperatures below freezing.
Please help. In case you`re wondering, the United Methodists are already there and have been there from day one. Why don`t you see their advertisements? Because all of UMCOR`s money goes directly to relief. To donate, if you want to do more than watch it on TV, UMCOR.org. The Pacific Emergency Advance (ph) Number is 3021317.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Alabama police are searching for two children allegedly taken by their baby-sitter. Police say 6-year-old Angel and his brother, 5-year-old Christian, were taken. The baby-sitter may be on the way to Indianapolis in an unknown vehicle with a male friend. Angel is 4- foot, 60 pounds, with brown eyes and black hair. And Christian is 3 foot, 50 pounds, also with brown eyes and black hair. Police are asking for the public`s help in locating these two missing boys. Where are Angel and Christian?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GRACE: We are taking your calls. Out to Sue in Illinois. Hi, Sue.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi, Nancy. Thank you for taking my call. Your twins are beautiful!
GRACE: Thank you.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And I am the very proud mother of triplets.
GRACE: You know, God bless you because I have a hard enough time working and taking care of the twins all day. God bless you for having triplets. Can you imagine coming home and they`re gone?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No.
GRACE: I can`t imagine going home tonight and I go in there to look at John David and Lucy, hopefully, asleep in their crib, not jumping up and down yelling "Mommy, Mommy, Mommy," and they`re gone and the baby-sitter is gone, too?
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What -- has anybody done a background check on the baby-sitter and...
GRACE: Well, I`ve run her -- I`ve run her 10 times in my computer I`ve got sitting right here beside me, and I`m coming up with so many Teresa Easterdays, AKA Teresa Lynn McGees that I can`t determine which one is her. But if you take a look at this shot, that does not look like a driver`s license shot to me. That looks more like a mugshot.
What is your question, dear?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE)
GRACE: Oh. Did anybody do a background check? You know what? I`m guessing, Susan Moss -- I`m guessing they did not do a background check on her because -- unleash the lawyers, Sue Moss, Anne Bremner, Kirby Clements. Sue, if somebody tells you about a baby-sitter and you start using them, you think you know them, you don`t necessarily go do an NCIS report on them.
MOSS: Well, you should! And they`re doing a background check now and they`re learning that she` crazy! She`s so crazy, she`ll probably ask for overtime!
GRACE: Come on, Kirby Clements, you don`t always do an FBI background check on your baby-sitter.
CLEMENTS: Oh, not at all. You go on word of mouth and you trust the people that refer them.
GRACE: What about it Anne Bremner?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MATT ZARRELL, NANCY GRACE STAFFER, COVERING STORY: Authorities in Alabama are desperately searching for two young boys allegedly kidnapped by their babysitter. Russellville Police Department has issued an arrest warrant for kidnapping for 30-year-old Teresa Lynn McGee also known as Teresa Easterday for allegedly taking the two children.
Investigators say McGee may be en route to Indianapolis, Indiana in an unknown vehicle and possibly with a friend named Enrique Jimenez.
Police are asking for the public`s help in finding the boys, 6-year- old Christian is just three feet tall and only 50 pounds. And his 5-year- old brother Angel is four-foot, 60 pounds.
Police are working day and night doing anything they can to bring these boys home safe.
Alabama police are searching for two children allegedly taken by their babysitter. Police say 6-year-old Angel and his brother 5-year-old Christian were taken by their babysitter Teresa Lynn McGee. The babysitter may be on the way to Indianapolis in an unknown vehicle with male friend Enrique Jimenez.
McGee has an active arrest warrant out for her on kidnapping charges. Angel is four-foot 60 pounds with brown eyes and black hair. And Christian is three-foot, 50 pounds, also with brown eyes and black hair. Police are asking for the public`s help in locating these two boys.
Where are Angel and Christian?
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
NANCY GRACE, HOST: These two boys listed in extreme danger tonight. Mommy gets home from work to find not only her two boys missing but the babysitter she trusted gone as well.
I`m just getting the Alabama Department of Public Safety Community Information Center release. It has Teresa Lynn McGee. Teresa Lynn Easterday. White female. Blue eyes. This says brown hair. But you see her hair is bleached blonde. 5`5", 150 pounds, 30 years old. Last seen in Russellville, Alabama.
The boys, as you know, ages 5 and 3.
To Lillian Glass, psychologist and author.
Lillian, there`s -- this is not the first time that a babysitter has gone bad. Of course we have top mom Casey Anthony blaming Zenaida Gonzalez, the Zanny the nanny. That was false. But then who could forget Louise Woodward. Second-degree murder. Murdered 8-month-old Matthew Eappen while working as the nanny.
Then Judge Hiller Zobel releases her, let her walked, she`s back in England now. Says she wants to work with children.
Stephanie Merrill caught on nanny cam holding a 7-month-old boy upside down. Robin Mayberry caught on nanny cam stomping 17-month-old in the face. Amanda Skogen accused of murdering a 3-year-old boy she was babysitting.
And of course we`ve got rims of videos where babysitters were caught on nanny cam mistreating their children that they were taking care of. To you, take a look at this video.
As we watch this, Lillian Glass, what was going through Easterday`s mind?
LILLIAN GLASS, PSYCHOLOGIST, BODY LANGUAGE EXPERT, AUTHOR OF "TOXIC PEOPLE": Well, you know, when you look at something like this, you really have to, as every parent has to be aware, you must, you must do a background check. You must put little cameras in your house.
You must not trust anybody because this is the horrible thing that can happen. You have to be vigilant. You have to be aware. And you just cannot take this for granted. You cannot take someone`s word for granted. You must check it out.
You must see if there`s something suspicious that you feel. Do something about it. Get rid of them. But this is something that you must, must be aware of because this is an epidemic.
GRACE: And tonight, they are on the run, Marc Klaas. You have dealt with this scenario so many times. Do you believe that these two -- we think she`s with her boyfriend. We`re talking about Teresa McGee, the babysitter, the trusted babysitter.
Do you think they`re off the interstate? Do you think they`re going the back roads so they won`t be caught? Or do you think there`s a chance they`ll kill the little boys rather than have them as witnesses?
MARC KLAAS, PRESIDENT AND FOUNDER, KLAASKIDS FOUNDATION: Well, law enforcement is obviously holding an awful lot back on this. They know a lot more about what`s going on than we do. They think it`s a critical case. They think the boys are in danger. And I think we have to follow their lead.
I think they`re on the interstate. I think when you -- when you take these kids, you want to get away as quickly as you possibly can. You go on the interstates. You go to their destination wherever that might be in Indianapolis. And you do what it is you`re going to do and I have no idea what they would do.
GRACE: Out to the lines, Lakisha, Indiana, hi, Lakisha.
LAKISHA, CALLER FROM INDIANA: Hi, Nancy. How are you doing tonight?
GRACE: I`m good, dear. What`s your question?
LAKISHA: Yes, I`ve got four questions.
GRACE: OK.
LAKISHA: First of all, I was wanting to know why she was heading to Indianapolis, India where I live. Does she got family here? And second of all, she looked like she got mental problems. Does she have any mental problems? And then third of all, does she has any children of their own? And then they said the kids were last seen on March 11th, 2011.
Was the mother -- was the mom the last one to see them or a family or a friend? And then do this idiot got any family members that`s coming for the (INAUDIBLE) where this coming can be with at tonight these kids so she won`t hurt them or kill them?
And thank you for taking my call. And may God bless you and your family, Nancy.
GRACE: You know what, Lakisha? Thank you.
With me right now to answer some of these questions, CNN affiliate WAFF Eric Sollman is with us. Her questions. Why Indianapolis? Did the babysitter have mental problems? Did the babysitter have children of her own? Does she have family and was the mom the last to see her?
To Jean Casarez. It`s my understanding she`s 30 years old and does not have children of her own, which could lead to a motive? What about it, Jean?
JEAN CASAREZ, LEGAL CORRESPONDENT, "IN SESSION": Right. But it also shows that law enforcement knows a lot more than what they`re saying because they have not even said the state of Indiana. They believe she is headed to Indianapolis. So they can target that precisely.
As far as mental problems, it appears as though it was an intentional act knowing right from wrong because she took the children to another state where she was not supposed to take them.
GRACE: Jean, do you know why Indianapolis?
CASAREZ: I think -- I think people are talking. And I think law enforcement got that. They believed it was credible because it is the -- it is the basis for issues this missing child alert.
GRACE: Right.
CASAREZ: But, the thing, Nancy, we can`t stress enough that they believe there is a risk of serious bodily harm to these children or they would not have issued -- could not have issued that missing child alert.
GRACE: Joining me right no from WAFF, Eric Sollman.
Eric, thank you for being with us. Eric, one caller has just called in with several questions. Why do you think they are headed to Indianapolis?
ERIC SOLLMAN, REPORTER, CNN AFFILIATE WAFF: That`s one thing we`re trying to find out right now. Obviously this is a very developing story. We are outside the Russellville Police Department. It`s about an hour west of Huntsville, Alabama, or so.
But right now I just talked to several officers. The police chief is meeting with FBI authorities right now. That is -- that is the very latest information here. But obviously this woman Teresa McGee, she has two boys, 5 and 6 years old. They believe that she is heading up to Indianapolis.
A bigger question perhaps is, you know, where are parents? We do not know anything about the parents who doesn`t list on that Amber alert. Actually there`s a lot of the information we have to go by right now exactly where they`re from in this area. Who the parents are and why this was -- they were reported, I guess, missing apparently on Friday and the Amber alert issued a few hours ago.
So, Nancy, still a lot of questions here.
GRACE: This woman -- Eric Sollman, this woman, Teresa Easterling, also known as Teresa Lynn McGee, is aged 30. Do we know is she with her boyfriend and if so do we know what kind of vehicle he`s driving?
SOLLMAN: I don`t have the vehicle description just yet. But they do believe that she is with her -- with her boyfriend at this time as well, and no word on -- we don`t know a lot about this guy in particular either. But that`s certainly what we`re trying to find out. And obviously they`re meeting with FBI authorities right now. So we could at any minute --
GRACE: I mean, come on. You know, Eric Sollman, the possibilities are endless of what this adult male boyfriend could be doing with these little children. All right?
SOLLMAN: Yes.
GRACE: They have taken the children from the mother. These children known to be in extreme danger. Take a look at this 5 and 6-year-old little boy. Please help us.
Back to Eric Sollman from WAFF. Do we know anything else about this woman Teresa McGee. Is she from the area?
SOLLMAN: They haven`t listed her as being from the area either. Of course there`s -- there are a whole lot of questions to ask. They had another name and I can get that to you guys as soon as I get it. She`s believed to have -- go by another last name as well.
So when we find that out and find out what these warrants that the Russellville Police Department exactly have out on her, previous warrants, then we also will pass that along, too. But that`s what we`ve heard. We`ve talked to some people here in the community. Obviously, they are very concerned you know, anytime this happens, especially here in the small town, people are talking. And they have just as many questions as we do right now.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ZARRELL: Authorities in Alabama are desperately searching for two young boys allegedly kidnapped by their babysitter. Police are asking for the public`s help in finding the boys, 6-year-old Christian is just three feet tall and only 50 pounds. And his 5-year-old brother Angel is four- foot, 60 pounds.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Authorities in Alabama are desperately searching for two young boys kidnapped by their babysitter. The police department has issued an arrest warrant for kidnapping by the 30-year-old babysitter Teresa Lynn McGee.
Investigators say McGee may be en route to Indianapolis, Indiana, in an unknown vehicle and possibly with a male friend. Police are asking for the public`s help in finding the boys, 6-year-old Christian is just three feet tall and only 50 pounds and his 5-year-old brother Angel is four-foot, 60 pounds.
Police are working day and night doing anything they can to bring these boys home safe.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
GRACE: We are taking your calls. Out to Nellie. Hi, Nellie in Tennessee.
NELLIE, CALLER FROM TENNESSEE: Yes, where is the father of the boys?
GRACE: That we don`t know. As in so many of us cases, Nellie. And also Nellie, that`s a very astute question because very typically when a child goes missing or is abused or harmed in some way, the first person you look at is the father, the boyfriend, the live-in, the male in the situation.
Why is that, Marc Klaas?
KLAAS: Well, it`s the non-custodial parent in the vast majority of the cases. Something like 280,000 parental abductions in the United States every year. They`re not all fathers but the majority of them are.
GRACE: Weigh in. Steve Kardian, joining us out of New York. What do you think?
STEVE KARDIAN, FMR. POLICE DETECTIVE, SELF-DEFENSE EXPERT, LEAD INSTRUCTOR AT DEFEND UNIVERSITY: Well, we -- Nancy, what they`re doing here is law enforcement is going to do an extensive search. They`ve entered them into NCIC, the National Crime Information Center. And they`re going to be checking everything and anything. They had to stop short of --
GRACE: Hold on. Kardian. You see this phone right here? I`ve been calling that tip line in every commercial break, 10 or 12 times. It`s busy. Every time. If I had a tip, I couldn`t get through to them. What`s with that?
KARDIAN: Well, if there are that many tips coming into the tip line, that`s a good thing, Nancy.
GRACE: I don`t know if it`s tips. It may be people asking questions because that`s what I wanted to do.
KARDIAN: There`s a lot of questions that are going unanswered. Where --
GRACE: But come on. Please. At least give me more than one dedicated phone line for Pete`s sake.
KARDIAN: Well, it`s a small police agency. They brought in the FBI on this case right now, Nancy.
GRACE: True.
KARDIAN: And that`s going to enhance it. They`re a federal agency. They have offices all across the country. And they have a lot of -- a lot of things at their fingertips that they could do that local law enforcement can`t.
GRACE: You know what, Kardian? You`re right. Steve Kardian, joining us out of New York.
Because, Marc Klaas, so many times you see the local police they don`t want the feds to come in to bigfoot them and hamper the investigation. And in small jurisdictions, (INAUDIBLE) from one, they don`t have as much experience in, for instance, missing children, homicides than a lot of jurisdictions do. And these people have wisely called in the feds.
KLAAS: Well, as soon as they say that they`ve crossed state lines, that gives an excuse for the feds to come in. That`s what -- that`s what federal jurisdiction then becomes.
There is very little training in the field on missing children in the United States. Very few agencies have had it. It`s always good to bring in the big boys. The state agencies and the federal agencies.
GRACE: Out to the lines, Debbie in Wyoming. Hi, Debbie.
DEBBIE, CALLER FROM WYOMING: Hi, how are you?
GRACE: I`m good, dear. What`s your question?
DEBBIE: Well, I have a question and a comment.
GRACE: OK.
DEBBIE: I did daycare for 20 years.
GRACE: Yes.
DEBBIE: In my own home. And it was a necessity here in Wyoming to have a background check. So I don`t understand how people like this can get away with stuff that they do?
GRACE: Well, because how many kids did you have? How many children in your home?
DEBBIE: Different times anywhere from seven to 10.
GRACE: Right. So if you`re are becoming a quasi-daycare provider, you have to be licensed in every state to my understanding in the country.
DEBBIE: Yes.
GRACE: But to hire a babysitter, they don`t have to be licensed. It`s my understanding.
What about it, Sue Moss?
SUSAN MOSS, FAMILY LAW ATTORNEY & CHILD ADVOCATE: Absolutely. And it varies from state-to-state. But it always a good idea whenever you`re going to bring somebody into your home to care for your children, do the background check. It doesn`t take that much. It`s not that expensive.
GRACE: We are switching gears. I want to tell you about a story. A moviemaker has now been arrested for keeping a female`s dead body in his home for nearly two years. Why?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ZARRELL: 68-year-old mother Jill Fattig hadn`t cashed any of her Social Security checks for about a year. Authorities asked police to conduct a welfare check in her home. Police knocked on the door but no answer. They drive to her son`s home who allegedly tells police his mom is in the hospital.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Authorities forced their way into the families` Tombstone home and found the skeletal remains of 68-year-old Jill Fattig inside.
TIM FATTIG, FILMMAKER: He was a convict. He was a lawman. He was all things to all people.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And the woman died like a year ago and he`s just kept the body in his house this entire time.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: The reason why is anyone`s guess.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It`s just disgusting. That`s a sick-minded individual.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: 34-year-old Tim Fattig arrested in connected with his mother`s death.
FATTIG: To find what we think happened might as well agree there`s nothing to talk about and there`s nothing to debate. Anyone I`m writing about has a darker side. Another one is worth researching if you can`t find (INAUDIBLE) of their character.
He certainly had quite a few. He was more successful than a lot of his peers and (INAUDIBLE). So he wasn`t able to come out. But we`ve been digging it up bits and pieces at the time for the last 50 years now.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
GRACE: You`re seeing YouTube of Tim Fattig in an interview with HauntedSaloon.com. A dead body? A female`s dead body in the home for over a year? Police got suspicious when they showed up just for a security check. Some people had called asking about his mom. They showed up and Fattig acted nervous and uneasy.
I guess so. Her body was dead nearly two years.
Out to Paul Birmingham, news director, 790 KNST. What do you know, Paul?
PAUL BIRMINGHAM, NEWS DIRECTOR, 790 KNST: It is a very, very bizarre case, Nancy, to say the least. Straight out of a horror film of some sort. As you mentioned there the body of this woman, her skeletal remains found inside her home for more than a year.
As you talked about earlier, her own son, 34-year-old Timothy Fattig taken into custody, initially charged with negligent homicide. Detectives still working this case. It remains a very active investigation at this point.
GRACE: To David Lohr, crime reporter AOLnews.com.
OK, David, you`ve seen just as many crimes from A to Z as I have, but this is a new one. This guy makes horror flicks. What do you know, David?
DAVID LOHR, CRIME REPORTER, AOLNEWS.COM: Well, it`s certainly a bizarre case, Nancy. Not only does he make horror flicks, he also is a writer. He`s written a book about Wyatt Earp. And you know the thing is he had moved to Tombstone with his parents. He was very close to both of them. He lost his father. And then according to his friends, when his mother died, he just couldn`t handle it.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GRACE: Up and coming moviemaker keeps a female`s dead body in his home for over a year. We discover it`s his mother. Autopsy ongoing right now.
Paul Birmingham, do they have any clue as to the cause of death?
BIRMINGHAM: Right now, Nancy, there is still no word as to the exact cause of death.
GRACE: OK.
BIRMINGHAM: That is going to be pending. They`re also still working on a positive I.D. at this point. They`re working to get --
GRACE: So it may not even be the mother. OK. Good to know.
BIRMINGHAM: Exactly.
GRACE: Dr. Howard Oliver, former deputy medical examiner, forensic pathologist joining us out of L.A.
Dr. Oliver, how can you date a body?
HOWARD OLIVER, FMR. DEPUTY MEDICAL EXAMINER, FORENSIC PATHOLOGIST: Well, in this person`s case, there`s -- there would be no way to date that body.
GRACE: You can`t tell how long she`s been dead?
OLIVER: No.
GRACE: OK. Doctor, you can`t look at the degree of decomposition? I mean, if it`s been totally skeletonized versus a lot of soft tissue, you can`t tell anything from that? You can`t date it a year, six months, two years, 10 years?
OLIVER: You can`t date it that close. If she`s completely skeletonized, you become skeletonized according to the conditions under which the body decayed.
GRACE: Right.
OLIVER: For instance, if she was laying out in a warm place then she would have insects and bacteria --
GRACE: OK. I understand.
OLIVER: -- and so forth.
GRACE: OK, Anne Bremner, give me your defense. I got to hear this.
ANNE BREMNER, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: A boy is his best friend`s mother. I mean he -- what`s he in jail for? He has a dead body in the basement he said he was so upset when she died that he just couldn`t bear to part with her.
GRACE: You know, Anne Bremner.
BREMNER: Remember that`s cycle. I mean it`s a horror movie. Yes, Nancy?
GRACE: Somehow when you say things like that you actually suck people in and they actually believe it could be true. Now I know why you win all those jury trials.
OK, thank you, Anne Bremner, for that.
BREMNER: Thank you.
GRACE: For comparing your client to Norman Bates.
Let`s stop and remember Army Specialist Dane Carver, 23, Fort Michigan, killed Iraq. Awarded Bronze Star, Purple Heart, Army Commendation. Never met a stranger. Heart of gold. Lost his life before he could move into his new home with his fiancee.
Leaves behind parents Donnie and Candy, sisters Kirsten and Ingrid, served the Air Force. Fiancee, Karla.
Dane Carver. American hero.
Thanks to our guests but especially to you for being with us. And a special good night from Georgia and Alabama friends, Roger, Cindy, Chris and birthday girl, Jenny.
Now, aren`t they a beautiful group?
Everyone, I`ll see you tomorrow night, 8:00 sharp Eastern. And remember that tip line for Christian and Angel, 256-332-2230.
Everyone, I`ll see you tomorrow night, 8:00 sharp Eastern. And until then, good night, friend.
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