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Jane Velez-Mitchell
Casey Anthony to Appeal Probation Ruling; Love Triangle Leads to Murder?; New Clues in Aruba Mystery; Fan Violence Erupts
Aired August 22, 2011 - 19:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CARLOS DIAZ, HOST (voice-over): Tonight, Casey Anthony brought back to reality. She`s in Florida awaiting her probation appeal. But is this going to be her home for the next year? And where is she hiding?
Plus, a love triangle that ended in murder. New Jersey cops say this woman was gunned down by her husband`s lover. And there`s more. That husband conned another man out of millions of dollars before the attack on his wife.
And unsportsman-like conduct. Cops are looking for answers in the shooting of two people and the beating of another during a preseason football game. We`ll have the wild video, and we`ll talk exclusively with the family of another sports fan who is still fighting to recover from an attack six months ago.
Plus, fast-breaking developments in the case of a missing woman in Aruba. A star witness says he never saw Robyn Gardner or Gary Giordano in the water, poking even more holes in his story. I`ll talk to Robyn`s distraught boyfriend tonight.
ISSUES starts right now.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Relatives we talked to said, "No, she`s not staying with us."
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My personal opinion is that she is guilty, and I don`t think it was an accident.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Justice for Caylee! Justice for Caylee!
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Justice for Caylee! Justice for Caylee!
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Justice for Caylee! Justice for Caylee!
BELVIN PERRY, JUDGE: I see what you`re talking about. This is a mess.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Without a shadow of a doubt, she did it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She has to be here, this facility here in downtown Orlando.
JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL, HLN ANCHOR: She has been ordered back to the city where she is public enemy.
PERRY: Anything could go wrong that went wrong here.
CASEY ANTHONY, ACQUITTED OF MURDER: I take complete and full responsibility for my actions.
PERRY: I`ll be frank and honest. I don`t know what I`m going to do.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
DIAZ: She`s back. Casey Anthony`s probation isn`t slated to start until Friday, but she`s already hiding out in Florida. How are you doing? I`m Carlos Diaz in for Jane Velez Mitchell tonight.
Casey Anthony is back where it all began. But how long can the most hated woman in America stay out of sight?
Ten days ago, Judge Belvin Perry ruled that Casey must serve a year of probation in Orange County. He gave her two weeks to get herself down to Florida, but apparently, she didn`t need that long.
Listen to her lawyer, Jose Baez, on "Geraldo at Large" last night.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOSE BAEZ, CASEY`S ATTORNEY: Yes, she is back in Florida. We brought her back in event that the appellate court rules sometime this week. And we`re going to follow the law, whatever the courts decide. We`re going to go along and follow the law. And I`m certain that she`ll do what`s asked of her, if necessary. And hopefully, it won`t come to that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DIAZ: Jose also confirmed that Casey was in Ohio a few weeks ago. But right now, her focus is on an appeal. Casey`s legal team says she served her probation while waiting for her murder trial, and they want the judge to throw out the ruling.
So, should Casey be forced to do more probation? Give me a call: 1- 877-JVM-SAYS. That`s 1-877-586-7297.
I want to go to our local expert, Debra Opri. We`re all waiting to hear whether the appeal will work. When is a decision expected, Debra? Wasn`t this supposed to already be happening? I mean, the clock is ticking.
DEBRA OPRI, FAMILY LAW ATTORNEY: Any day, any day. What we`re going to probably be surprised about is that this judge may, in fact, say, "I can`t make a ruling." Judge Strickland made a ruling, but he shouldn`t have made a ruling, because it was already double jeopardy. So I think Perry is going to come down and say, "She may be back here -- there may be an order which I can`t overturn. That`s for the appellate court," regarding her coming back to fulfill her probation, but I think Perry is going to say, "OK, she`s going to come back, but I may stay it pending the appeal." I just don`t see it happening.
DIAZ: Debra, I hear a lot of "mays" coming out of your mouth. This is basically a big mess, isn`t it?
OPRI: It`s a big mess. It`s ridiculous, a waste of the taxpayer money in Florida. But bottom line is this: she served her time on the check-cashing fraud. She did it. It was probationary period. She got out, the judge said there was a mistake. There was a written order; then there was an oral order. Or was it vice versa? "We can`t get it straight. So now I`m going to correct it and say, `This is my order`." But she already did the time. It`s double jeopardy. He has...
DIAZ: All right, Debra. I know better -- I know better than to argue with you, and I`m not going to argue for Casey Anthony.
OPRI: Come on, Carlos. Give it your best to me, come on.
DIAZ: OK. Hold on. How can you serve probation when you`re sitting in jail? Isn`t the whole point of probation to acclimate you to society? She was -- she can`t serve probation while she`s sitting in a jail cell. She can do no wrong.
OPRI: She did her time by being in that jail cell. She served her time. They then said there was a mistake. It wasn`t meant to be that way. And I`m being very layman-esque right now when I say this. But when she got out, any correction of that order should have been within the 30-day period. She satisfied her sentence.
The fact that she comes out and then they say, "Wait a minute. There was an additional order," and this is in a period of time when Judge Strickland, in my opinion, had lost jurisdiction, that he made an additional order, this is going to be for the court of appeals. The court of appeals will have to decide. Was it proper for this judge to do this? Was he biased? He went on "NANCY GRACE" and said, "I was shocked when I heard that verdict."
It`s a very bad mess. A judge should not have put his neck in the noose the way he did, in my humble legal opinion. But he did, and now the court of appeal will make its ruling. I think it will be favorable to Casey Anthony.
DIAZ: All right.
OPRI: Let her get on with her life.
DIAZ: All right, but you know, I always cherish your humble opinion.
OPRI: Always.
DIAZ: Florida is a big state, by the way, guys. So where is Casey Anthony hiding out? Listen to Jose Baez again last night on FOX News.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BAEZ: I certainly can`t talk about the comings and goings of my client, particularly because of the safety concerns, but what I can say is that she has been with close friends of ours that have -- some are her spiritual advisers. I mean, people who care and are trying to help her get on with her life.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DIAZ: All right. Here`s my question: should we even take Jose Baez at his word? I mean, if he was really concerned for Casey`s safety, the best thing he could say is that she`s in one place when, in reality, she`s someplace else.
Attorney Jeff Brown, you are in Florida. You practice law there. What are the odds that he was able to smuggle her back into Florida without anybody noticing?
JEFF BROWN, ATTORNEY: Well, I`m certain he probably didn`t take her on a plane and fly her in here. Because I`m sure people would recognize her. Interstate 75 runs from the Midwest right down to Tampa, Florida, right over to Orlando. So it would be pretty easy to drive her into Florida and not have many people see her.
DIAZ: OK. So you`re saying that he would have had to drive down from Ohio on 75, down through Atlanta and through Florida. I get that.
One of the bombshells Jose Baez dropped was about Casey`s relationship with her parents. Here`s Jose on FOX News. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DIAZ: She`s had limited contact with her parents, yes.
GERALDO RIVERA, FOX NEWS ANCHOR: Has she spoken with her parents?
DIAZ: Yes, absolutely. Whether a reconciliation is included in that aspect of her life, I don`t know. That`s certainly her decision to make.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DIAZ: All right, hold on, hold on, hold on. This is all kind of sudden. Two weeks ago at a memorial for Caylee`s 6th birthday, George Anthony said he had not had any contact with Casey. And George and Cindy`s attorney said last week that Casey definitely wouldn`t be going home to Mom and Dad.
But here`s the big question, Mike Brooks. Jose said Casey has had no contact with her brother Lee. Do you think he`s turned his back on his sister?
MIKE BROOKS, HLN LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: Well, you know, she tried to throw her father under the bus. She tried to throw Lee under the bus, or at least Mr. Baez did in his opening statements in trial.
But -- but she is back in Orlando, because if -- if there is no ruling by the court of appeal, she better show up on Friday, or else there`s going to be an arrest warrant.
But Jose Baez says that she also was in Ohio with those, what looked to be, Carlos, like staged photographs that were taken in Columbus, Ohio. So -- but she`s in that -- she`s in that Baez-Mason cocoon right now. And he`s acting as spokesperson. He`s acting as counsel, and her guardian right now, it looks like. Because who knows why?
DIAZ: All right, Mike. I want to get your opinion real quick, because Debra Opri indicated that she doesn`t think that -- that Casey should be serving her probation in Florida. What do you think of that?
BROOKS: What was the intent of Judge Strickland? The intent of Judge Strickland was for her to serve her probation after she was released. That was the intent. That`s what Judge Perry ruled in his decision. That`s why they`re appealing it now to the Fifth Court of Appeals.
But the whole thing was she didn`t serve her probation. Probation is supposed to be community based. She did it in jail. No, it was a mistake. She`s going to come back, and she`s going to serve a year of supervised probation.
DIAZ: Debra, what do you have to say about that?
OPRI: What do I have to say about that? Stay tuned. This is a girl who has slipped through the law before. And all I can tell you is, you know, Judge Strickland may have a bias argument against him. So we`ll see.
DIAZ: All right.
BROOKS: It was Judge Perry, Debra, who wrote the last decision. Not Judge Strickland.
DIAZ: Let`s go to another Deborah right now in New Jersey.
OPRI: That`s not -- that`s not the issue.
BROOKS: That`s not the issue.
OPRI: The issue was Judge Strickland. Stay tuned.
DIAZ: All right, guys. Ease up for a second.
Deborah in New Jersey on the phone. Deborah from New Jersey, what do you have to say?
CALLER: I think she should serve the probation. She has been treated like a princess and got away with everything. And I don`t think this makes our justice system look very good in the eye of the public.
DIAZ: Jeff Brown -- thank you so much, Deborah, by the way. Jeff Brown, do you think that people like Deborah from New Jersey, the public`s opinion is influencing Belvin Perry here to basically say, "OK, I`m going to bring her down here and make her serve her probation in Florida"? Is the public kind of influencing the judge in this case?
BROWN: No, I don`t think the public is influencing the judge in this case. And right now, the situation is in the court of appeals. It`s the Fifth District that`s going to decide this issue.
You know, Mike is right, she was never placed on probation. When I say that, it`s a term of art. Meaning, she never met with a probation officer who set forth the conditions of the probation and began to monitor her, as ridiculous as that sounds, to monitor somebody in jail. That never happened.
What happened was, at the end of the time, when she got out, they wanted to give her credit for something she never served.
DIAZ: All right. I love the heated argument we`ve got going on here. I want to bring this right back to this in a matter of seconds. Just stay with us. Plenty more to talk about in the Casey Anthony case.
And later, a wife and a mother gunned down on a quiet street. This is an amazing story. Cops say it was all planned by her husband and his mistress.
And as we said, Casey awaits her probation fate in Florida. Is she in danger? We`re taking your calls. Call us. Get in on this conversation right now: 1-877-JVM-SAYS. That`s 1-877-586-7297. Call us now.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Caylee! Caylee! Caylee! Caylee! Caylee! Caylee! Caylee! Caylee!
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Caylee! Caylee! Caylee! Caylee! Caylee! Caylee! Caylee! Caylee!
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Caylee! Caylee! Caylee! Caylee! Caylee! Caylee! Caylee! Caylee!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PERRY: What do I do when you have an atmosphere when you have people who want to filet people, pour salt on them, and feed their leg to the piranhas? What do I do?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DIAZ: That was Judge Perry talking about the threats leveled against the jurors. One juror even left Florida because of the threats. She fled for her life. Now, if this is going on with the jurors, is Casey`s life in danger? Also, Debra Opri, if something happens to Casey because she is forced back to Orlando, could she face legal action from the Anthony family?
OPRI: Absolutely. What we have to be concerned about is this: in the judicial system, judges don`t question each other. They leave that for the court of appeals. In the system, once she has been acquitted and she`s on her way, she comes back and they put the notice to the courts and the system, "Hey, look, she`s in danger of her life. Are you going to give her security?" Oh, no, we can`t, or yes, we can.
These are all elements -- these are all elements of what the system has to be concerned about. So if she does come back and she`s serving her probation, I can assure you, there`s going to be extra money, millions of dollars spent keeping everything secure for her.
DIAZ: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) Mike, Jeff, you guys want to jump into the battle?
BROOKS: No, I think -- you`re always concerned about probation officers. Her, you know, they can care less about her, because she`s out. We heard the sheriff. Hey, they`re not paying. Orange County, the citizens, they`re not putting foot -- footing any bill for her security. If she wants private security, then Jose Baez and Cheney Mason, they can pay for it. The only time that the state or the county`s responsible is when she is with -- when she`s in custody or if she`s in the probation office. Other than that...
OPRI: Mike -- Mike...
DIAZ: One at a time. Debra, go ahead.
OPRI: ... I disagree with you, because if she -- if she -- I disagree with you, Mike, because if she is reporting back to probation -- and they have already put them on notice -- this is very, very risky for her safety. And you`ve got to provide security for her. And they don`t and something happens to her, you`re going to have a wrongful death case by the family.
BROOKS: No, you`re not. What do you do, have a cop...
(CROSSTALK)
OPRI: No, no, no, no, no, no, no.
DIAZ: If Casey is -- let`s move on. If Casey`s appeal gets dismissed, where is she going to stay for a whole year? Even Jose Baez...
OPRI: Not dismissed, just refused.
DIAZ: She doesn`t have that many options. We know about this. Here -- here is Jose Baez last night on FOX. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BAEZ: The thing that did surprise me about her case is that she had very few friends. In fact -- in fact, none. In my situation, I`m her attorney first and foremost, and there are other people associated with the defense who have grown to care about her.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DIAZ: OK. There you have it. Casey`s only friends are her defense team. Jeff Brown, we haven`t heard much from you. How -- how -- are they going to have to shelter Casey until her probation is finished, Jeff?
BROWN: Well, she`s going to have to find a place to live, period. Part of the condition of probation will be that she has a residence and she lives somewhere. It can be anywhere in the state of Florida, and the judge has indicated that they can keep that confidential.
(CROSSTALK)
BROWN: Debra, ease up. She`s going to have to live somewhere.
DIAZ: Hearing from Debra and Mike is basically the differing opinions of America right now, because Mike, your response to that was, "Oh, well." I mean, you know, hey, she has no one likes her. She has no place to live. "Oh, well," that`s your response, correct?
BROOKS: She`s Citizen -- she`s now Citizen Casey. She was acquitted. But you know, there is a possibility she could serve her probation, if approved by the court, in another state. But it also has to be approved by the probation office of another state. .
DIAZ: All right. One thing Casey no longer has disposal -- at her disposal is her white Pontiac Sunbird. Unbelievable stuff. This was the car that became the centerpiece of the prosecution`s case after Cindy Anthony made her infamous 911 call. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CINDY ANTHONY, MOTHER OF CASEY (via phone): I found out that my granddaughter has been taken. She has been missing for a month. My daughter finally admitted that she has been missing, that she`s been trying to find her herself.
There`s something wrong. I found my daughter`s car today, and it smells like there`s been a dead body in the damn car.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BAEZ: So what happened to the car? Reports say George Anthony took it to a junkyard and had it crushed for scrap metal. Unbelievable stuff there. Jeff Brown, why would he do that? Why scrap it for metal?
BROWN: I can only think he wants to be done with this. I think he wants to get past all this and move on. So he wants to get rid of this car, which is why I don`t understand why Baez is out here talking about all this. Because I would think they all want to move past this and not bring it up. So I`m confused here by Baez`s mixed statements.
But I think he, being the father, just wants to move on.
DIAZ: And Debra, I want to -- people have applauded Jose Baez for not being...
BROOKS: For what?
DIAZ: For not being right in the media`s face, you know. He could be out there shopping. I think the guy is shopping deals. Just no one is biting on it. Do you agree, Debra Opri?
OPRI: Carlos, you and I have gone down this road with other high- profile cases that I`ve been involved in. Let me tell you, and this is major for people. If there was a deal for Baez, he would have jumped on it for his client. The bottom line is there`s no deal and now they`re basically fledgling, would-be media people. And she`s going to fade away, and Mr. Baez will move on to his next case like we all do.
DIAZ: Imagine that, imagine that. The media actually not biting on a story that they might have to pay millions of dollars for. Congratulations to the media on that one.
Debra, Mike, Jeff, spirited. I love you guys. You guys were great. Mike, stick around for...
OPRI: Bye, Carlos.
DIAZ: All right, Debra. Thanks so much.
An unsuspecting mother in New Jersey is shot and killed on a quiet street. New details are emerging as we learn her husband and his mistress were allegedly behind the murder plot.
And Robyn Gardner still missing in Aruba. Now a new witness calls chief -- calls the chief suspect Gary Giordano`s story into question. Shocking new details coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The woman was laying on her back and a gunshot wound to her chest area, I would think over the heart. I knew as soon as I saw her, she was already dead.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It is a sad story. I mean, what can you do about it?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The kid was outside when it happened.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She`s too young, 27-year-old. You know? She`s happy. She visited (ph) us.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DIAZ: Tonight, an alleged love triangle and multimillion-dollar scam that ended in a young mom`s murder. Cops say that this man, Kashif Parvaiz, hired his mistress to gun down his wife, Nazish Noorani, as the couple was leaving her sister`s house.
Now, originally, the husband told police the couple was attacked by three men as part of a hate crime, but cops say he caved and confessed during questioning. Investigators say they have text messages between Parvaiz and his mistress, Antoinette Stephen, documenting their sinister plot to murder his wife.
Now, according to police, the two suspects even did a dry run of the crime to see how long it would take cops to arrive. One text said, quote, "I`m driving to the nearest precinct to judge their driving distance."
Both the husband and the alleged mistress have been charged with murder. But hold on. This sick plan gets even more twisted. New reports coming out just hours before the murder, Parvaiz cut a $2 million real- estate deal by allegedly duped an elderly benefactor into signing over his shares of a lucrative apartment building. Was this a devious plan to rob and kill so the two lovers could be together?
Out to Mike Brooks, HLN law enforcement analyst. What do you know about the relationship between Parvaiz and the wealthy heir, Martin Ragusa?
BROOKS: Well, apparently, Parvaiz and Martin Ragusa, Carlos, met about 12 years ago when Parvaiz was about 14 years old. Now, he apparently used to do some maintenance work around Ragusa`s apartment on East 57th Street and befriended him. And as -- when he got ill, you know, that kind of thing, he would come over and sleep in the same bed with him. And hold him.
DIAZ: The word was cuddle, I believe, correct?
BROOKS: Yes, cuddle. Yes. And he just took a liking to him. I mean, the guy is not only a murderer, but the bottom line is, he`s a con man. He`s a con man.
DIAZ: Right, exactly.
Now, police say that the text messages between the husband and the alleged mistress outline the time line leading up to the murder. Quote, "You hang in there. Freedom is just around the corner." That`s what Antoinette Stephen sent to Parvaiz.
"Well, I need you to speak -- I need to speak to you to explain how to approach the situation. I`ll be depositing money tomorrow morning, and I`ll see you tomorrow evening. I`m driving to the nearest precinct to judge their driving distance. Call me when you can. Delete all messages from phone. I won`t message from here on."
So Mike, these texts, I mean, this is the smoke -- because Parvaiz, I mean, he`s -- he`s allegedly a scam artist, but he`s not that smart, because you`ve got to -- if you don`t delete the text messages, boom, there`s your smoking gun.
BROOKS: Game, set and match for Parvaiz. I`ll tell you, he must not watch ISSUES at all, Carlos, or HLN, because he would know that most people get caught because you can follow their trail from their cell phone, from their computers, but oh yes, you know, "Make sure you delete this." Sorry, it`s not deleted.
DIAZ: I`ll tell you, it is a sick story.
BROOKS: It really is.
DIAZ: I wish we had time to talk about it. A new search ignited for a missing woman in Aruba. Could an eyewitness break the case wide open? New details coming up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We want to give you a time reference and show you the terrain here of the critical last hours. We`re approaching here the Rum Reef Bar and Grill. This is the last known place in public that Gary Giordano and Robyn Gardner were seen.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They`re organizing a new search either tomorrow or the day after. They`re organizing a new search; it`s going to be a land search.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Aruban authorities are investigating a $1.5 million insurance policy that Gary Giordano, the prime suspect in the disappearance of Robyn Gardner, had purchased.
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Gary Giordano told them about the existence of the insurance. This was not something that they had to find. Once they heard it from Giordano, they went to the FBI.
RICHARD FORESTER, BOYFRIEND OF ROBYN GARDNER: I think he`s the only connection to the case if he was the last one with her. I think that makes him a direct connection to the case. I think that he`s the key to it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CARLOS DIAZ, HLN GUEST HOST: I tell you, the search in Aruba intensifies, but now a new witness may be breaking the case of missing American tourist Robyn Gardner.
Hi everybody. I`m Carlos Diaz in for Jane Velez-Mitchell tonight.
It`s been three weeks since Robyn was last seen after jetting off for a weekend trip with Gary Giordano. Now she`s gone and he`s in custody after saying that Robyn disappeared after the two went snorkeling together.
New police documents (INAUDIBLE) he told them, quote, "I only looked back when I hit a rock. Before that, I did not look back. I was only busy saving my life."
But now reports from a fisherman say he saw the couple and they did not go in the water. Police won`t say whether they`re following this lead, but today over 45 searchers combed the area for over seven hours. They were looking for clues or even a body. They found neither.
All this as authorities confirm that Gary Giordano took out a huge accidental death travel policy on himself and Robyn. Listen to this from the "Today" show.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TACO STEIN, ARUBA SOLICITOR GENERAL: We are now in a position to say that indeed he insured loss for $1.5 million, which is quite a large amount. So it is still one topic we will be pursuing further in the investigation.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DIAZ: A $1.5 million insurance policy sounds pretty suspicious but Giordano admitted to that right away to cops.
Straight out to CNN`s Martin Savidge; Martin, you`re in Aruba. You know the local authorities. How long can the police hold Gary Giordano without more evidence?
SAVIDGE: Well, they`ve got until the 31st of the month of August. After that point he`ll go before another judge here. There will be another hearing and this time they better have more evidence than just an insurance policy if they want to go to the next step. That next step, by that way, would be detaining him for 60 days -- 6-0 -- that would be a significant amount of time for them to try to continue to build the case against him.
But there are many who say look, if all they`ve got is that insurance document and no other hard evidence, they`re going to have a real problem before the judge.
DIAZ: But Martin, while he`s in custody, they can question him basically, sun up to sun down, correct?
SAVIDGE: They do. Right. And in fact, that`s what they want to do because they want to try and force the discrepancies in his story. So far they have found some.
Number one, he said the weather was rough, the waves were rough and that currents were strong. They went back and checked the weather conditions on that day and said that they were not in the way that Gary Giordano described.
Then you have the witnesses that have come forward. They said yes, they saw Robyn and Gary on the beach at the time they said they were back there. But no one saw them in the water snorkeling, which is exactly the scenario that Gary Giordano says they were doing, which is where he says that Robyn slipped away in the water.
But now you have no witnesses other than Gary telling that story. And that`s why authorities have a hard time with it.
And then as you mentioned, combine that with the $1.5 million insurance policy that Gary Giordano took out on Robyn Gardner just days before they come down here. They think they have a great motive.
DIAZ: Great work there Martin, I really appreciate it.
One of the creepier things that came out here last week was how photos of missing Robyn Gardner were found on Giordano`s camera and these photos have been described as, quote, "beyond pornographic."
Listen to Aruba solicitor general Taco Stein on the "Today" show.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STEIN: I can admit a camera has been confiscated and it`s looked at presently by the police to see what`s on it and whether or not it has bearing on our investigation. You`ll understand that I`m not in a position to command upon what`s on the camera -- what kind of pictures those are. What I`ve heard about it is that there`s no indication that there`s talk of duress in the pictures, but I cannot dwell upon what`s in the camera, what kind of pictures they are.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DIAZ: Now, there were also reports of a bloody hand print, but Taco Stein is backing off from that claim now.
Martin Savidge, I want to go back to you very, very quickly. What about that bloody hand print? Is it rumor or real?
SAVIDGE: No, it appears at this point it is not real. Authorities really are playing that down. They say it never existed. Unfortunately, if it had existed, that could have been a key piece of evidence. Of course, one, it could have indicated that you really had a strong sense of foul play. Also if you could check it with DNA you could have perhaps learned a lot.
But they say no; that was not the case. Same with what was described as an unused condom. That also has not been found.
There is a lot of misinformation you will find on this island which is why the reporting has to be very careful. There were reports that Giordano would wear different toupees to try to confuse the security cameras that maybe watching him at any different time. Authorities have laughed that off and said that`s just not the case. He has one toupee and he wasn`t doing anything like that.
So the reporting on this, you have to be so careful. There`s just so much out there obviously.
DIAZ: I`m so thankful we have you down there.
Now, I want you to watch something. This is one of Robyn Gardner`s friends on "NANCY GRACE" where she gives some troubling history between Robyn and Gary Giordano. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NANCY GRACE, HLN HOST, "NANCY GRACE": Why did she back out of the cruise last February?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I`m not exactly sure why she backed out, but I know that he did send her these text messages and it was really mean.
GRACE: What were they?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don`t know exactly the content of them, but they were very, very mean. Enough to disturb Christina and have her put up her radar about him going on this trip.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DIAZ: So you`ve got text messages, pornographic pictures on his camera, a huge insurance policy taken out on his girlfriend. How shady is this guy?
I want to bring in Richard Forester; you are Robyn`s boyfriend. You have been following this case. Are authorities convinced that Giordano is the main suspect?
FORESTER: I mean that`s all we know about, right? That`s all we`ve heard. I don`t know if they`re convinced or not. I don`t get -- the only information I get is directly from the media.
DIAZ: Richard, what does your gut feeling tell you about this case?
FORESTER: My gut feeling, you know, obviously, this is awful. This is my girlfriend who I love very much. And she`s got a family and friends. So my gut feeling is, you know, it`s terrible. I`ve got to keep hope, though. I`ve got to keep optimistic and I`ve got to be her voice right now.
DIAZ: Let`s talk real here. I mean --
FORESTER: Yes, I am.
DIAZ: No, I`m not saying you`re not. But I mean it`s like -- when you look at this it looks as if you have a guy inviting a girl down for a photo shoot and things went horribly wrong. Is that what you`re getting?
FORESTER: I don`t know how they got there. I don`t know if it was for a photo shoot or not. I never heard of him being a photographer.
DIAZ: But there are pictures -- there are pictures that are, quote, "beyond pornographic" of your girlfriend on his camera.
FORESTER: Yes, but you know what; that doesn`t even matter here. That`s so secondary. It`s gossip generated by, you know -- it`s gossip. So it doesn`t matter. The point is to try to find her, ok?
None of the pictures, none of that matters. You know, there`s a lost American woman there who I love very much and we need to find her. That`s the only thing that matters.
DIAZ: And Richard, I`m very sensitive to that. And I really -- I mean I can`t even put myself in your shoes right now and I thank you for coming on. Do you in your heart of hearts think that she`s still alive?
FORESTER: Yes.
DIAZ: What are you doing -- what are you doing as a boyfriend to help find her?
FORESTER: Well, I`ve been really involved with the Natalee Holloway Resource Center, which is incredible. They`ve set up a tip line that -- it`s an anonymous tip line; 407-237-2295.
DIAZ: We`re showing that at the bottom of the screen. Go ahead.
FORESTER: Great, great. I`m in the media. I`m her voice, letting people that know she`s out there. I`m not going to let this go until we find her. People ask me do you want to go down there. Well, you know sure, emotionally I do, but I don`t know what good I`m going to do down there.
I think it would take away from what I can do here. And I can, you know, get millions of eyes and ears on this. Maybe it will touch the right person who knows somebody who knows somebody who saw something. I don`t know. I`m going to do everything I can.
DIAZ: What`s your life been like over the last several weeks?
FORESTER: Oh, I mean you can only imagine. I guess you couldn`t imagine. It`s certainly the most devastating thing I`ve ever gone through. It`s been chaotic, it`s been terribly sad, and, you know, that`s about it.
DIAZ: If you could say something to Gary Giordano, if you would to go down there and -- what would you say to the guy?
FORESTER: I don`t know if I can really say that on camera.
DIAZ: I mean is it anger or is it sadness?
FORESTER: You know, both. Both; I`m angry, I`m sad. I`ve got -- you know, a whole array of emotions that I feel. You know? I love this woman and I want to bring her back. And that`s the bottom line.
If I could say anything to him, I don`t know. I haven`t really thought about what in particular I would say. But I tell you, there would be some anger there. There would be some sadness as well and confusion.
DIAZ: Richard, I can`t thank you enough for coming on and, you know, my prayers are with you big guy. And I really hope that this has a positive outcome, ok.
FORESTER: I really appreciate it. Thank you for having me.
DIAZ: All right. Thank you so much.
Martin Savidge, thank you so much.
Mike Brooks thanks for holding on. We`re going to use you for the next two breaks. All right.
How dangerous is it to cheer for your favorite sports team these days. Violence breaks out, you`ve got to see this video; unbelievable video from a preseason football game. Oh, you`re not going to believe what one dad was doing while all that was going on. And I`ll talk exclusively with the family of another sports fan who is still fighting to recover from an attack six months ago.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANN STOW, SON BEATEN AT BASEBALL GAME: I`m not sure at what point -- at what point they thought that somebody needed to step in and pull this guy away from my son. I guess Brian was standing back and his friends have gotten ahead of him when he was hit from behind. It was just a brutal attack.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was pretty scary. We`d actually left a little bit earlier, me and my friends, because of the fact we didn`t want to get caught in the parking lot.
DIAZ: The 49ers are calling the video that you`re about to see from a local affiliate disgusting.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It has been an ugly weekend for Bay Area football fans. A fight broke out between fans and the Oakland Raiders-San Francisco 49ers, pre-season game.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DIAZ: Sports fan violence hits a new low this weekend. Two people were shot and one nearly beaten to death at the 49ers-Raiders game in San Fran over the week. But it doesn`t stop there. Cameras captured brutal violence in the stands during the game.
Watch this, football fans pummelling each other. It`s bad enough, so many people were in danger with the fists flying, but there were kids in the stands right there. For what? Which team is better? A bad call? It`s pre-season, guys. The game doesn`t even count in the standings. Come on, people, grow up. Get with it.
Just five months ago, after San Francisco Giants fan Brian Stow was beaten into a coma in the parking lot of Dodgers Stadium. Brian`s mother spoke with Jane Velez-Mitchell back in May about how badly Brian was hurt.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STOW: It was just a brutal attack because whatever -- whatever that guy hit my son with, Brian was unconscious before he hit the ground. So he had no way to protect his head. His forehead just hit the concrete.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DIAZ: And Brian is still in the hospital recovering from his injuries and it`s been a very slow process.
Tonight in an ISSUES exclusive, the family of Brian Stow, his father Dave and sister, Erin; guys, I can`t thank you enough for being here. I have to say I`ve been following this story from day one and I just want to thank you guys for having the courage to come in here. I really wanted to know how Brian is doing.
But I want to get your take, Dave on this shocking display of extreme fan violence right in your backyard in San Francisco this past weekend. What are your thoughts about that?
DAVID STOW, FATHER OF BRIAN STOW: You know the violence -- the violence taking place in sports is -- you know, it boggles your mind. You wonder why people go to a sporting event and do things like that, especially when they`re taking a gun right in there with them.
(CROSSTALK)
DIAZ: And that`s the thing too, I mean the shootings that were going on in the parking lot. But, you know, if you look, David, if you look at the footage there. It`s not about fans because you have a Raiders fan and a 49ers fan beating on another Raiders fan and a 49ers fan. So it`s not like two Raiders fans talking on a 49ers fan or you know, it`s just a mix of fans there.
And you have family members right there. Erin, when you saw this video this weekend, did it just drum up bad memories for you?
ERIN COLLINS, SISTER OF BRIAN STOW: Actually, I couldn`t watch the video. I think it would have been too hard and make me think of just what happened to Brian. But it sounds brutal and like you said, it`s disgusting. And for it to be a pre-season game, it`s unbelievable.
DIAZ: Well, the video of the people fighting in the stands during the Raiders-49ers game is truly shocking. These two team only met once a year in the pre-season and now that`s been cancelled by the way. There`s reports today, that`s never going to happen again the pre-season. And last year`s game went off without a hitch.
What shocks me is no one is doing anything about this. Watch these people who were watching the fight. None of them are getting on their cell phone to call for help. They`re getting on their cell phone to take video.
Check out the dad with his little boy. He`s right there. He`s not backing up because he wants to, like, keep his boy out of harm`s way. He`s backing up to get a better angle of the fight. I can`t believe this.
You know, David Stow, your family has been through so much, you know, trying to help Brian, trying to get awareness out there. Is this an example of the awareness truly isn`t there yet?
David stow: It definitely is not. These people who do things like that. Why even go to a game? It`s not a game for them. I don`t know what it is. Just bring out the -- just to be mean? Just to beat on somebody or to shoot them is even worse.
My god, I don`t understand that situation, you know? To get involved like that.
DIAZ: Let`s talk about the shootings. Three men were injured on Sunday. The shooting victims were each found in different parts of the parking lot. Cops say a 24-year-old wearing an anti-49er shirt was shot several times in the stomach. He managed to stumble to the stadium security for help.
And a 20-year-old man was treated for less serious gunshot wounds. Both are listed in fair condition.
And there`s a 26-year-old man who was found beaten and unconscious in an upper level men`s room during the game. He apparently suffered a traumatic brain injury which is similar to what happened to Brian Stow.
I want to get to Erin. Erin, one of the most touching stories, I`ve heard all year is when Brian was able to pucker his lips to give you a kiss. How is Brian Stow doing right now?
COLLINS: Sorry.
DIAZ: It`s ok. It`s emotional for all of us.
COLLINS: So that was like, a week and a half ago. And he was able to kiss his children. And so we honestly thought that, you know, he was on the mend and things were looking good. You know, his doctor has always said, you know, with Brian, there`s always a couple steps forward and maybe steps back.
So he had, you know, a couple steps back the past few days. He`s had an infection. And so we`re just trying to be there for him as his doctors try to treat the infection and the fevers. And so the past few days have been hard.
DIAZ: All right. Well, I want to hear more about that coming up after this break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was pretty scary. We had actually left a little bit earlier, me and my friends because of the fact that we didn`t want to get caught in the parking lot.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DIAZ: Violence breaks out at a Raiders-49ers pre-season game. Two people were shot in the parking lot, another man beaten in a bathroom. Some people say the crowd was so rough it was difficult to even get to a restroom. It seems to me if that`s the case, the stadium security wasn`t doing a very good job.
I want to bring in Mike Brooks here. Mike, you have worked stadium -- you`ve worked associations with stadium security before.
MIKE BROOKS, HLN LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: Yes.
DIAZ: What is your take on what can be done better to make stadiums safer for fans?
BROOKS: First of all, my thoughts and prayers for Brian and his courageous family. But I tell you what, it seems to be getting worse. This is not new. We`re seeing more of it now because, you know, because everybody has a camera and everybody wants to videotape it instead of doing something about it.
But the teams, they have to work, both the NFL, Major League Baseball, they have to work with local law enforcement to be proactive instead of reactive when it comes to this. You actually see cops there all the time; you go through, you get patted down when you go into the games.
But once you`re inside, you don`t see that many law enforcement. They need to make more -- they need to have more law enforcement at the games instead of just the private security. People, they respect law enforcement more than someone just wearing a nylon jacket or t-shirt that says security on it.
DIAZ: Yes.
BROOKS: They need to be more proactive instead of reactive and do something about tailgating before the game.
DIAZ: I got news for you. $9 billion in annual revenue is what the NFL pulls in. You can`t tell me that you can`t afford more security.
I want to -- let`s show the Baltimore Ravens video recently from a Ravens-Kansas City Chiefs game. A similar thing happened where there was video taken of a fight that broke out right here this is the Baltimore Ravens against the Kansas City Chiefs.
I mean look at this, this is in the concourse. Fans -- family walking by, a woman yelling out, "stop, stop, stop" and then basically just -- this all-out barbaric brawl. Finally somebody breaks in and breaks up the fight. Ravens security staff is there. They help the situation.
Mike, how do you police thousands of people? Do you black list them from games? Or does the NFL say, you know what, we need to double security.
BROOKS: Well, see, the problem is during the pre-season, you get a lot people who aren`t season ticket holders who get tickets who come to the games.
DIAZ: Yes. Good point.
BROOKS: Now, during the season, if you screw up there, either you or whoever has those season tickets, you know what, I`m sorry, you`re done, you`re banned. This is private property. You`re not allowed back in here ever, ever again. They can make sure that happens.
But I tell you, it is really tough, yes, these are isolated incidents. I tell you, my aunt, she has season tickets to the Washington Redskins at FedEx Field. She won`t go there because last time we were talking, she said, you know, I`m tired of all the cursing and everything else at the game and people are more out of control than they used to be.
DIAZ: Yes. All right. We got about 30 seconds. And I want to spend the next 30 seconds talking to Erin and David, the family of Brian Stow. We talked during the break.
Guys I just want to say, first off, thanks for coming on. And what happened to your son, what happened to your brother is something horrific. And if he can become the face of fan safety in ballparks across the country, and if what happened to your loving son and your loving brother could help save the lives of a dozen or two dozen people, I believe it is all well worth it. And Erin, once again, David, I can`t thank you guys enough for coming on.
COLLINS: Thank you.
DIAZ: David, thank you so much.
DAVID STOW: Thank you. Thank you very much. What people -- what fans have to do is have respect for each other. Go in and enjoy the game and not do this violence.
DIAZ: All right, guys. Thank you.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: To the charge of the offence of involuntary manslaughter, a felony, Dr. Murray, how do you plead?
CONRAD MURRAY, DOCTOR OF MICHAEL JACKSON: Your honor, I am an innocent man. I therefore plead not guilty.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DIAZ: Will it be the most publicized trial in history? That`s what the lawyers for Michael Jackson`s doctor, Conrad Murray are predicting in a new court filing. The defense is asking for a sequestered jury in the upcoming manslaughter trial because they believe public interest is going to reach a fevered pitch. Even saying viewership could surpass the Casey Anthony trial because of the superstar singer`s worldwide fame.
The trial is set to begin next month and you can see it all right here on HLN live from Los Angeles.
I`m Carlos Diaz in for Jane Velez-Mitchell.
"NANCY GRACE" is up next. You don`t want to miss her show. Thank you.
END
