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Jane Velez-Mitchell
Jeffs in Coma After Refusing to Eat; Casey`s Parents to Tell All?; Conrad Murray`s Team to Attack Michael Jackson
Aired August 29, 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, astonishing new claims.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Justice for Caylee! Justice for Caylee!
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Justice for Caylee! Justice for Caylee!
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Justice for Caylee! Justice for Caylee!
VELEZ-MITCHELL: With the world demanding answers, are Cindy and George ready to spill the beans to Dr. Phil about what really happened to little Caylee Anthony? We`ll get a sneak peek at their very first interview since the verdict.
Also, today would have been Michael Jackson`s 53rd birthday, but with Dr. Conrad Murray`s trial fast approaching, how will M.J. be remembered? As the King of Pop, or as Dr. Murray`s team claims, a suicidal drug addict.
Plus...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I didn`t do nothing because I didn`t want to get in trouble. I wanted to do something. I just did, but I couldn`t.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Stomach-churning allegations of child abuse. A 10- year-old boy dead. Cops say his dad and step-mom made him stand in a scorching hot room without water for five days as punishment. You`ll hear his twin brother describe the boy`s agonizing death. I`m taking your calls.
And playing God. Is there something you can do to prevent the next weather catastrophe? You can ask Dr. Bill Nye, The Science Guy.
ISSUES starts now.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Those stories in just a moment. But first, breaking news to bring you. Is convicted polygamist pedophile Warren Jeffs on his death bed as we speak?
Good evening, everyone. I`m Jane Velez Mitchell coming to you live from Atlanta. Yes, I`m in Atlanta tonight. I was in France on vacation. And, because of Hurricane Irene, all the airports in New York were closed. I couldn`t fly back to New York so here I am in Atlanta, bringing you the very latest.
Now, we`re talking about Warren Jeffs right now. Last night, Warren Jeffs was raced from a Texas prison to a hospital in critical condition. He is reportedly in a coma right now, following several days of refusing to eat or drink anything. He told prison officials, it`s not a hunger strike; it`s just a fast.
What would his death mean to his followers? Jeffs is only a few weeks into his life sentence. As we all know back on, well, August 4 it was, he was convicted of aggravated sexual assault on two girls, ages 12 and 15. He was expected to spend the rest of his life in prison, but again he is now hospitalized.
Straight out to "In Session" correspondent Jean Casarez.
Jean, my first thought is this is his attempt to control a situation where he has absolutely no control. The guy is absolutely about control.
JEAN CASAREZ, CORRESPONDENT, TRUTV`S "IN SESSION": You know, Jane, I think you just asked me about Warren Jeffs. Let`s tell everybody the latest.
He is in a coma. It is believed critical condition. Has not eaten for a couple of days. And it`s interesting, that a couple of days and you`re in a coma in critical condition? But the question is: is this the ultimate act of being a martyr?
You know, early on, it was believed that he was that martyr as the trial progressed. You saw how he represented himself, how he responded to the jury. Is this the ultimate act? And since he has no power any more, is this what he does in -- in relation to that lack of power?
VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right, thank you for that report from Jean Casarez. And now, we move to Casey Anthony.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CASEY ANTHONY, ACQUITTED OF MURDER: Can someone let me -- come on!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Have you ever sexually molested your daughter, Casey?
GEORGE ANTHONY, CASEY`S FATHER: No, sir.
CINDY ANTHONY, CASEY`S MOTHER: I will look in every nook and cranny until I find her.
DR. PHIL MCGRAW, TALK SHOW HOST: She was out partying. She was laughing. She was joking with people when, allegedly, her child`s body was in the trunk of her car.
G. ANTHONY: Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!
Casey was the last one that I saw with Caylee. One and one adds up to two, sir, in my mind.
CINDY ANTHONY: You call her a (EXPLETIVE DELETED) one more time.
I started looking at chlorophyll, and then that prompted me to look up chloroform.
CASEY ANTHONY: I just wanted everyone to know that I`m sorry for what I did. Sorry. Sorry.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Justice for Caylee! Justice for Caylee! Justice for Caylee!
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Justice for Caylee! Justice for Caylee! Justice for Caylee!
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Justice for Caylee! Justice for Caylee! Justice for Caylee!
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Cindy and George Anthony`s explosive first interview since the acquittal. Do they finally reveal what really happened to precious Caylee?
In two weeks, Cindy and George tell all, we think, on the season premier of "Dr. Phil." Watch this intense sneak peek of what promises to be the interview of the year.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MCGRAW: I want you to answer my questions, tell the truth once and for all.
ANNOUNCER: Casey Anthony`s parents.
MCGRAW: America has never heard this explanation before. Why have you sat on this information?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Did I hear that right? Do they have new information about Caylee`s death?
But first, a major bombshell from a trial insider. Prosecutor Jeff Ashton has written a book, a tell-all. Get a load of this title: "Imperfect Justice: Prosecuting Casey Anthony." Now, this is just a mock- up by our terrific graphics team. Obviously, Jeff Ashton will be presenting the case against Casey, but what about his own mishaps, such as this unforgettable moment? You know what I`m talking about.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOSE BAEZ, CASEY ANTHONY`S LAWYER: He can get up here and lie all he wants and dance around the truth, but the truth is the truth. And depending on who`s asking the questions, whether it`s this laughing guy right here or whether it`s myself...
JEFF ASHTON, PROSECUTOR: Objection. .
BELVIN PERRY, JUDGE: Sustained.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Wow. What does Jeff Ashton have to say about that moment? The laughing guy moment. What do you want to find out in Ashton`s book? Call me: 1-877-JVM-SAYS, 1-877-586-7297. I want to hear what you want Dr. Phil to have asked Cindy and George, what you think should be in Jeff Ashton`s book.
OK, let`s get back for a second to George and Cindy on "Dr. Phil." Dylan Howard, senior editor, Radar Online. When did this interview happen, and what are the bombshells that we can expect from it?
DYLAN HOWARD, SENIOR EDITOR, RADAR ONLINE: Well, Jane, we don`t actually know whether or not there are going to be significant revelations from George or Cindy or, indeed, whether that was just creative editing on the behalf of Dr. Phil and his producers.
We believe this was taped last week, and as I understand it, George and Cindy Anthony passed on payment by the producers of this. Instead, a significant amount of money was handed over to what will be a new charity in honor of Caylee.
Now, this raises questions whether or not they have profiteered from getting this interview. It doesn`t seem to be the case. It seems, though, so much more good will be done if this charity is, indeed, established and the payment and proceeds of that interview go towards that foundation.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: If Cindy and George have new information about how little Caylee died, can they be charged by the state? Remember, they were both interviewed by detectives. So if this is new information, obviously, they didn`t give detectives that crucial information. Let`s recap and review. Remember this?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CINDY ANTHONY: I asked her, I said, "Who are you protecting? Are you protecting Caylee?"
"Yes."
"Are you protecting me?"
"Yes."
"Are you protecting your dad?"
"Yes."
"Are you protecting your brother?"
"Yes."
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Protecting from what?
CINDY ANTHONY: That`s what I specifically asked her.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: So I`ve got to bring in Lisa Bloom.
Lisa, is it possible that, if Cindy and George reveal something that they withheld from detectives, they could be prosecuted? Let me just say this: we remember, just the other day hot-sauce mom, as we now not-so- fondly remember her, Jessica Beagley. She made a video for the Dr. Phil show, where she forced hot sauce down her son`s throat. She was convicted of misdemeanor child abuse, and her conviction is actually -- she`s going to be sentenced today as we speak, somewhere in Alaska.
But could Cindy and George find themselves in hot water with the law if they withheld something?
LISA BLOOM, ATTORNEY: They can if they lied, Jane. It`s a crime to lie to law enforcement. It`s clearly a crime to lie in the court of law. That`s perjury.
If they simply withheld something, they didn`t volunteer it, and they were not asked about it by law enforcement, then they`re in the clear.
You know, Dr. Phil has the advantage of being a talk show host, not an attorney in the courtroom. I`ve been both, and it`s much easier to ask questions as a talk show host when you`re not hamstrung by the rules of evidence and a judge cutting off your question. So I`m really interested to watch the "Dr. Phil" program and see what his questions are and see what their answers are. And then we`ll have to match it up to what they asking in the courtroom or by the police and find out if they lied.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right. And we`ve got another clip of Dr. Phil`s season premier. In this clip, he appears to be going after none other than Cindy. Check it out.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MCGRAW: Cindy, there are millions of people that want to shake you awake.
ANNOUNCER: Are there questions you want asked?
MCGRAW: Do you buy that that was an accidental drowning? You know the truth, don`t you?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right. Is Cindy still in denial? Remember, there are those who believe she lied on the stand to protect Casey.
And let me say this, as far as the whole issue of accidental death. George on the stand testified that there was no accidental death. He wasn`t there. He didn`t find his little granddaughter and hold the child in his arms. He completely denied on the stand, under oath, any of that.
Colton, Alabama, your question or thought, Colton.
CALLER: Yes, I wanted to know how the jury came to their unanimous decision, because I also heard that they were half and half on the death verdict. Do you think that Casey and George Anthony had any influence on the jury?
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, Jean Casarez, there were a lot of people who thought that their frequent and recurring appearances on the stand really certainly confused me at some points. I couldn`t even make hide nor hair of what the heck was going on without consulting my notes, and the jurors appeared to take few notes. And as often is the case in confusion, there is reasonable doubt. What do you say?
CASAREZ: You know, I think some of the jurors that stepped forward said that they didn`t believe George Anthony, who I think some of us thought was one of the most credible witnesses in the trial. Extremely credible.
I think putting the family on so many times, also, I think in my mind, led to the story unfolding as it occurred. So I think the family helped the prosecution`s case in many respects, but there were differing stories from their initial statements to law enforcement to sometimes what was said in trial.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right. We`re just getting started. We want to hear what you think Dr. Phil should have asked Cindy and George. Taking your calls: 1-877-JVM-SAYS, 1-877-586-7297.
And coming up a little bit later, just a horrific story. This woman and her husband accused of torturing their child. That`s the step-mom. This is the dad. And the boy died. And they deprived him, allegedly, of water for five days in the Texas heat? It`s a story that just made me -- well, just sometimes I wonder what is it with this human race.?
We`ll be back in a second with that and more on the Anthonys.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They made him stand in front of a window that they put an "X" on the floor and an "X" on the window .. The sun was coming straight through it. And there was no air conditioning there.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Caylee Anthony wasn`t with her grandmother, Cindy. So where`s Caylee?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Where is Caylee Marie Anthony? So on Friday, June 27 of 2008, where is Caylee Anthony?
BAEZ: Well, the answer is actually relatively simple. She never was missing. Caylee Anthony died on June 16, 2008, when she drowned in her family`s swimming pool.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: And Jose Baez undercut the prosecution`s theme of Casey Anthony being a liar, said, "Hey, the child drowned in the swimming pool. You don`t have to keep asking where is Caylee, because I answered that question in my opening statements." Was that one of the mistakes that the prosecution made?
It seems like they were intent on proving Casey Anthony is a liar. And she is a liar. And she was convicted of lying, but she wasn`t found guilty of murder, and many people feel that she is, in fact, responsible for killing her daughter.
Now, prosecutor Jeff Ashton writing this new book. It`s going to hit. It`s already hitting the best seller list. "Imperfect Justice: Prosecuting Casey Anthony."
I want to hear something new. A source that`s very close to this book told me on the phone today it`s all new and fresh. It`s revelatory. It`s behind-the-scenes stuff. It`s the inside story of the trial.
Lisa Bloom, do you think prosecutors will acknowledge that they made some blunders? Because they lost, and I just don`t want to hear, "Why, oh, it wasn`t fair." I want to hear what they would have done differently in hindsight.
BLOOM: I agree. And look, Jane, I`m a trial attorney. I`ve made mistakes. We all make mistakes in our job. And I think the prosecution has to acknowledge some of the mistakes they made.
They were handed a very tough case. The forensic evidence was simply not there. But they also made some errors themselves. They introduced what some people found to be junk science, for example. They probably didn`t need that, and that may have undercut a significant portion of their case.
So bottom line is, for this book to sell, for it to be credible, they`re going to need to do some introspective soul searching and fess up to some of the mistakes that they made.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right. Well, if the ink isn`t dry, there you have your assignment, Jeff Ashton. We want to know what you -- how you goofed up, what you did wrong. I know it`s embarrassing, but it`ll make it a really, really big best seller. I promise you that.
OK. Toolie, Tennessee, your question or thought, Toolie?
CALLER: Hi, how are you?
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Good. Fine, thank you.
CALLER: My thought is who is it that is profiting from Caylee Anthony`s death? And whose cash cow is Casey Anthony? It seems like she`s Jeff Ashton`s to me.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Wow.
CALLER: I find him very unprofessional.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Dylan Howard, do you think that -- you`re the master of controversy. Do you think there`s controversy about him writing a book? Everybody was so focused on Casey making money. Well, what about Jeff Ashton?
HOWARD: Well, that`s a great interesting point about this entire debate as people try and, if you like, cash in. Yes, he`s going to make money off this. But he invested two years of his time to prosecute that case, albeit unsuccessfully. I think he has a right to speak. I think he has a right to put down his lasting impression about this case, given what it endured for his life.
But we`ve heard from Jeff Ashton. He`s done the media circuit. He was the one that came out from the prosecutor`s office and spoke.
The great interesting point of all of this, though, is that everyone was talking about the one deal, the one interview that was going to take place, and that was Casey Anthony. And right here, right now, still no deal, and there won`t be a deal for Casey Anthony.
So has Jeff Ashton profiteered from this? Yes. But is that wrong? I don`t think so.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes, I don`t think so. I think he has a right to write a book, and I`m going to be first in line to get it and read it.
OK. You`ve got to check this out. Casey Anthony on probation, somewhere in hiding. We don`t know where. But you`ve got to see this. This is priceless. This is Casey`s high-school yearbook photo. Look at that fresh face.
Well, now reports are claiming that she has enrolled in college online as part of wherever she`s doing her probation in hiding. But remember that her mom, Cindy, said Casey was a high-school dropout. She is about half a credit short. So then there`s Casey herself, who lied and told detectives she had already attended college. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You said you went to Colonial High School. Did you go to college afterwards?
CASEY ANTHONY: Valencia.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How many years at Valencia?
CASEY ANTHONY: About a year and a half. I got my planning certificate.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right. Jean Casarez, last 20 seconds. Where is Casey? And can she really go to college when she doesn`t have a GED? Or did she get one?
CASAREZ: Well, that`s a lie. She didn`t go to Valencia. And I don`t think without a high-school degree or GED degree you can enter into college. So courses she may be taking. Where she`s starting, we don`t know.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: And what is she studying? I would say study something about truthfulness, about the importance of honesty and transparency.
Up next, Michael Jackson`s birthday today.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(MUSIC)
PARIS JACKSON, MICHAEL JACKSON`S DAUGHTER: We`ve adjusted over the past -- past years. And I think that coming here and seeing our dad`s old house and all the fans coming out, I think it`s really sweet of them to do that.
JOE JACKSON, MICHAEL JACKSON`S FATHER: I`m happy for this type of thing. Not only going on here; it`s going on all over the world.
PRINCE MICHAEL "BLANKET" JACKSON II, MICHAEL JACKSON`S SON: It`s fun because dad grew up here, and it`s good to see it, the place where Dad -- where our dad grew up.
MICHAEL JACKSON, POP STAR: I love you, I really do.
PARIS JACKSON: My dad is one of the greatest and nicest guys ever.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Those Jackson kids are turning out to be so beautiful and so articulate and well-balanced. And they`ve been through so much already.
Michael Jackson`s three children made a very, very rare public appearance to honor what would have been their dad`s 53rd birthday today. This is, I think, one of the first times you ever heard little Blanket talk about his father.
But as the celebrations occur in Gary, Indiana, the town where the singer grew up, controversy erupting in an L.A. courtroom. Now it looks like the man who is charged with killing Michael Jackson is going to try to put the star himself on trial.
Dr. Conrad Murray`s lawyers wanted a detective from Jackson`s molestation case and some former doctors to take the stand. They argued, the prosecution did, that 26 defense witnesses should not be allowed to testify.
OK, we want to go straight out to Jim Moret, chief correspondent, "Inside Edition." What happened in court today? Who got in? Who will testify today? Who won`t and what does it all mean?
JIM MORET, CHIEF CORRESPONDENT, "INSIDE EDITION": Boy, that`s a big question. Hi, Jane.
Basically, as you said, Conrad Murray wants to put Michael Jackson on trial. He wants to bring in other doctors who he said Michael Jackson used to shop for prescriptions. And the judge basically said, "No, we`re not going to muddle this case. This case is about what and who killed Michael Jackson." We know from the coroner`s office that it was acute Propofol addiction. That limits it in the judge`s view to Propofol. Are you hearing me?
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes, I`m hearing you. Go ahead.
MORET: OK, good. And -- and basically, there were two doctors who previously prescribed Propofol for Michael Jackson during medical treatments and also one nurse, who I believe, we focused on a lot at the time, Cherilyn Lee, who said that Michael Jackson asked her two months before he died if she could get him Propofol.
But what Dr. Conrad Murray can`t do is he can`t bring in any of the molestation accusations, can`t bring in any of the drugs found at Michael Jackson`s property in 2003 when police raided it, because the judge said, "Look, that was 2003, different type of medication. It`s not relevant. I don`t want to confuse the jury. And in addition, you can`t bring in Dr. Arnie Klein, who was Michael Jackson`s dermatologist, who allegedly gave Michael Jackson 51 or so shots of Demerol in the weeks leading up to his death, because Demerol didn`t kill him." The judge didn`t want this be jury to be confused.
So it was a big blow basically to the defense. And the prosecution said, "Good job, because we don`t want to muddle this case up. It`s a streamlined case. We want to go in and say, "Did Conrad Murray do this? Was he responsible for the death? Simple as that."
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes, but they still got a couple of doctors in there that will be able to, my understanding is, talk about his desire for Propofol, what he called his milk of amnesia. And so they`re not going to be able to sort of paint him as this deviant/drug addict in general, but they will be able to show hey, this guy had a thing for Propofol. And the defense, of course, trying to argue that he administered it himself. .
Jim Moret, great to see you. Oh, we`re all over this trial.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It should have never happened.
JOSEPH JAMES, TWIN BROTHER DIED OF DEHYDRATION: I didn`t do nothing because I would get in trouble. I wanted to do something.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This occurred over the course of five days.
JAMES: They made him stand in front of window.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was during this time as a form of punishment that the child was denied water.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Punishing him, Joseph remembers, because they thought he took guitar parts from their stepbrother.
JAMES: There was no air conditioning there.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Resulting in the dehydration.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No liquids, police say, until finally the 10-year- old collapsed and died. Thursday, Dallas Police arrested Jonathan`s father Michael James and his stepmother Tina Alberson.
JAMES: The peanut butter got stuck in his throat and they still wouldn`t let him have water.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Tonight, it just almost defies description when I read about these stories. I came back from vacation, I hadn`t been thinking about these kinds of stories and then I read this.
And I`m so deflated and reminded of what human beings are capable of. It`s beyond comprehension.
A slow torturous death that did not have to happen; police say a 10- year-old boy died of dehydration after five days of extreme punishment. Jonathan James` dad, his own dad and this woman, his stepmom, are accused of denying him water and subjecting him to intense heat. The Dallas temperatures were in the triple digits. The family`s home doesn`t have central air.
Now, Jonathan`s stepmom claimed the boy was complaining of being too hot so she put him in a cool bath. That, it turns out according to cops was a total lie. The grieving parents became suspects very quickly when the autopsy showed Jonathan died from being denied water.
His twin brother had to watch the whole thing. His twin brother says Jonathan was punished for snagging guitar parts from his stepbrother. This little boy had to watch helplessly during those awful five days, fearing what would happen if he tried to help his twin brother.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOSEPH JAMES, TWIN BROTHER OF JONATHAN: The day that he died, they made him eat a PB&J peanut butter and jelly sandwich. They made him eat which he didn`t want to but they made him. And the peanut butter got stuck in his throat and they still wouldn`t let him have water.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: And that little articulate young man is the twin of the boy who cops say was tortured to death. Imagine how little it would have taken for this story not to have this horrific tragic ending. How many chances did his dad and the stepmom have to maybe come to their senses and realize what they were doing, according to cops anyway, was torture.
Straight out to Joe Gomez, reporter for KTRH News Radio in Dallas; Joe, who are these people, Mike James and Tina Alberson?
JOE GOMEZ, KTRH NEWS RADIO: That`s a good question to ask Jane. I mean these monstrous actions -- hardly any words can describe how disgusting this case truly is. I mean this 10-year-old adorable little boy to be locked in a room in 100-degree weather without air conditioning, made to stand in front of a window with the sun beating down on him and deprived of water for five days, five grueling days in that hot chamber, Jane. And then on the fifth day, he finally died.
And as though that wasn`t bad enough, his twin brother was forced to watch this appalling torture go on, afraid. Afraid to give his twin any water, because he thought he would be next.
Well, the parents of this little angel have finally been arrested and they`re in jail and they`ve both been charged with bodily injury to a child. Let`s hope this horror will never happen again.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, why not murder? Apparently they can get 99 years in prison for the bodily injury to a child charge, but I think they should be charged with murder personally.
Now, little Joseph wanted desperately to help his twin, Jonathan, but he was too terrified of his father and his stepmom. Check this out. This boy is very, very articulate -- unbelievable courage that he`s showing in the face of this. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAMES: I didn`t do nothing because I would get in trouble. I wanted to do something and I couldn`t do nothing about it. Because if I said something I would end up getting in trouble, too.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Now, eventually the little boy`s body just couldn`t take it anymore. He was deprived of water for five days in the Dallas heat. His brother was right there when the child collapsed.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAMES: We picked him up and we leaned him over the kitchen chair. He was shaking and moaning.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Dr. Dale Archer, we need a psychiatrist for this one because it`s just so depressing. It makes you want to -- I can`t even say.
Ok, a couple of questions: one, the kids didn`t want to live with this dad. This was a court-ordered visitation for the summer. And secondly, why would they torture one twin and the other remain completely unscathed, what`s that about?
DR. DALE ARCHER, CLINICAL PSYCHIATRIST: Well, you know, that`s always hard to predict, Jane, but very often when you have an anger or hatred towards a child, it`s because you see something in him that reminds you of yourself. And if you look at the picture of the father and if you look at the picture of the twins, one of them looked exactly like the father whereas Joseph really didn`t look like the father. So was there something that he didn`t like about the way the boy looked? We don`t know.
But clearly this is -- you know, I`ve been practicing psychiatry for over 20 years and I`ve seen a lot of horrific cases. This is the worst. This is as bad as it gets. I have never seen anything this cruel or horrific in terms of treating a child.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Now, the stepmom, according to cops, told this ridiculous story about "Oh, he was hot, we put him in the tub." Well, police immediately suspected no, there was something fishy here; that his death was heat-related. The home had no central air. There was an autopsy. It turns out immediately they determined from the autopsy that the child had no water in his system. His system had completely collapsed.
Again, here`s his twin brother, not identical twin, but his twin brother. Both of them aged 10. Listen to this child.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAMES: They made him stand in front of a window that they put an x on the floor and an x on the window. The sun was coming straight through it. There was no air conditioning there.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Unbelievable. And why -- and another question I don`t have the answer, too -- is why sadistic parents fight for custody. I mean if they`re so filled with this sadism, why are they fighting to be a part of -- have this child in their lives? The children didn`t want to spend the summer with these two, which you could totally understand why.
We`re taking one look at their mug shots.
Virginia, California, your question or thought, ma`am?
VIRGINIA, CALIFORNIA (via telephone): Well, I just want to say that if I thought Casey Anthony was the most hated, I think this couple should be -- I`m so hurt, I can`t believe this story. It just makes me sad.
And that`s what my comment is. I just can`t understand why people just don`t give their kids up for adoption if they can`t handle it, why do they have to take their lives? And that`s just my comment.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, you just hit it right on, absolutely, my feelings precisely. This man fought to have this child and his brother with them for the summer. The biological mother of these two boys didn`t want her children anywhere near this guy. She knew that something was off and wrong.
I mean look at their faces and clearly they were not depriving themselves of food and drink while they tortured allegedly this child to death.
Lisa Bloom, why are they not charged with murder?
LISA BLOOM, ATTORNEY: I would ask everyone in the state of Texas to ask that question of the local prosecutors. If this story makes you sick, it should also make you angry. Bodily injury, are you kidding many me? Is there a person on this planet who doesn`t know that withholding water leads to death, especially in extreme heat?
This child was tortured. They should be charged with that. The other twin was psychologically tortured, they should be charged with that. And they should absolutely be charged with murder.
Let`s rise up, let`s contact local authorities and let`s make that happen because this child died a horrific, excruciating death. And these people have to pay. Look at the meanness in their faces. You can see it in their faces.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: You can absolutely see it in their faces. I mean it`s something out of a horror movie.
Dr. Dale Archer, here`s what I don`t understand. These punishments that they exacted were called a "time-out". Apparently this occurred over five days. At a certain point, the child was allowed to go outside. You`ve got to wonder, didn`t somebody in the neighborhood see something?
ARCHER: Yes, you would have to wonder about that. And obviously a time-out is designed to be a type of punishment where you put the child by themselves and have them think about what they did wrong. Lasting anywhere from 15 minutes to maybe an hour, ok? Five days is ludicrous.
And I do want to also address why parents go after custody even though they abuse the kids like this. They do it to get back at the spouse. They`re punishing the spouse by going after that custody. So, you know, he`s basically saying yes, I`m going to get them and when I get them, they`re not going to like it, they`re not going to be happy and I`m getting you back. That`s how I`m getting you.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Joe Gomez, we are going to provide on our Facebook -- on my Facebook page information on how to complain to authorities. But just tell us what town this is all happening in so we can figure out where to do this.
GOMEZ: It`s horrifying. Absolutely Jane, I mean get the word out. People ought to know, this sort of horror should not be tolerated anywhere.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Is this Dallas proper? Is this Dallas?
GOMEZ: Yes, yes. Yes, it is, Jane.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Is it the sheriff`s department or local police? Are we going to --
(CROSSTALK)
GOMEZ: Local police. Local police. Yes.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: And then contact the court system. I mean the prosecutors. That`s who we should contact, Dallas prosecutors.
GOMEZ: Get the word out.
BLOOM: Right. The prosecutor decides about the charging, yes.
GOMEZ: Absolutely. Think about that little boy -- that poor little boy locked in that hot room for five days without any water, Jane. It`s unbelievable.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: This gets to me. This stuff gets to me. I mean I think it gets to our viewers.
BLOOM: It gets to all of us.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: It gets to all of us. It hits me hard because for a week I wasn`t thinking about any of this. And now I`m back and it`s just - - you develop kind of a little wall after a while, but my wall is down. Unbelievable.
BLOOM: Let`s fight for justice for him.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: The weather, next.
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(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is the start of Hurricane Irene.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Wow.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was a very interesting site to just watch that Hudson River come right over the banks. It was quite fascinating and a little scary (INAUDIBLE) as well.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, my gosh, this is horrible.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There`s no way to come in or come out. No one could help us and we`re stuck here.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: -- those army trucks.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don`t think anybody really has words for what this looks like. We`re just hoping that everybody`s families made it out ok.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Total destruction in the wake of Hurricane Irene. But could we as a society do something, anything, to stop these storms, which are expected to come boom, boom, boom, in increasing frequency and severity? Are we just victims? Or might we be participants? Might we not be as helpless as we think we are?
Right now, millions of people from North Carolina to Maine are reeling from Hurricane Irene. My heart goes out to them. I feel compassion for what they`re going through. And that`s why we`re doing this segment.
At least 25 people are dead; six of them in North Carolina. Millions of people are without electricity and we speak. And then there`s the $10 billion in damage. Entire neighborhoods swept away. And the now the Federal Disaster Relieve Fund running out of money to help this people.
Am I the only one who thinks these storms are getting more and more severe? Am I the only one who looks up at the TV everyday and says what, another catastrophe? Courtesy of Mother Nature?
But is it an act, as they say, God? Or is that we may be contributing to? Give me a call, 1-877-JVM-SAYS.
Straight out to Dr. Bill Nye, "The Science Guy", we`re delighted to have you here as so many people know you, have grown up with you, watching you.
What do you make of it? A growing number of scientists are saying that storms like these are not just an act of God. They are the result of human behavior and they`re going to get worse and they`re going to happen more frequently. What say you, Bill Nye?
BILL NYE, "THE SCIENCE GUY": Well, that`s what all the client models -- and when we say model in this case, we`re talking about a computer program; a very, very complicated mathematical analysis of the temperature at the sea surface, the speed of the winds, the thickness of the clouds, the amount of energy taken from the clouds to the sea by precipitation; how much heat is released when it changes from a vapor to a liquid and so on. This is very complicated business and that`s what people refer to in models. And all the models indicate that the world is not only getting warmer but you would expect stronger, more severe storms.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes. And the whole reason I`m doing this is that I have compassion for everyone who are suffering. And I know some of them. People on our staff: one of our bookers lost a car, our executive producer`s home is flooded.
But that`s not the worst of it, obviously. I mean there are people who have lost their lives. And if we, as human beings, can do something to prevent another catastrophe like this, wouldn`t it be more in our self- interest to do something to behave -- change our behavior. Change our behavior might cost us a little more to change some of the things we`re doing, but we would avoid the billions of dollars in damage and also the loss of life.
Now, let`s recap and review. Let`s take a look at the Joplin tornado. Ok, that was back in May. It killed at least 117 people. It flattened the city. Ok, FEMA funds have now been diverted from Joplin to Hurricane Irene. Let`s talk about the money of all of these things: Hurricane Katrina, $81 billion it cost; Hurricane Irene, $10 billion; the Joplin tornado, $3 billion.
My point is that if climate change is caused by human behavior, wouldn`t it be in our ultimate self-interest to change our behavior, change what we drive, change a little bit what we eat and change a lit bit some of the junk we produce, Bill?
NYE: Well, those are all sort of spiritual or progressive issues, but I encourage everybody -- you know, what we have to do is find common ground -- and I encourage everybody just, as you were saying, to evaluate these things just -- the loss of life is horrible. I mean I`m right there with you. That`s miserable.
But evaluate these things just economically. Is it cheaper to repair things after the storm or is it cheaper prepare for the storms. The storms -- let`s say they`re going to be the same as they`ve been the last 30 years, which I don`t think is actually likely, but let`s say they were. It still might be easy to show economically, it would be cheaper to make our infrastructure more secure than it is, especially electricity. We have very robust conduit system. We could probably save more.
(CROSSTALK)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: If climate change caused by us, we need do something about it.
Next --
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: During Hurricane Floyd, I had to be -- my family had to be taken out by the National Guard and they told me that I couldn`t take my dog. And I told them they would have to leave me there and take my children. And they eventually did let me take my dog.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: People demanding to be able to go with their companion animals when they are evacuated from a location. We talked to Christie Lalonde on Friday when she was preparing to ride out the hurricane in order to stay with her brood of rescue animals. She`s on the phone again from Eddington (ph), North Carolina.
Christie, I understand that you also rescued another dog that was in bad shape as a result of the catastrophe. Tell us about it.
CHRISTIE LALONDE (via telephone): Well, she`s actually my brother`s dog and he suffered pretty substantial damage. We went -- he stayed as well. We went to help him with that -- with his yard work today and get his trees up out of his yard and this dog, who is overweight anyway so she really has a hard time breathing, but she`s been without -- they`ve been without power and no ac and she was -- she was just really, really struggling. We brought her home with us.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, the point is that you didn`t want to leave your animals behind and so you stuck with them.
I want to bring in Lisa Lange, senior vice president for PETA, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. There`s a huge human crisis here when people are forced to evacuate and they`re told by authorities you must leave your companion animal behind and often they don`t want to go. Have we learned anything from Katrina when this was a huge crisis?
LISA LANGE, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, PETA: Well, PETA continues to pressure the government to allow people to take their animals with them because a dog, a cat in the family is a family member. In the meantime, what we are urging people to do is to make plans now. We`re still in the midst of hurricane season and if the earthquake back East were any proof, you never know what`s coming.
And so we`re telling people, the best time to make a plan for a disaster is before it strikes. Very simple things you can do; know where you`re going to go in advance of disaster striking. Make sure that you have current medication, water, food, a litter box if you have a cat. Make sure that all of your contact information on your dogs and cats is up to date, should they get out. And never, ever under any circumstance leave your animals to fend for themselves; especially never leave them chained outside or crated outside where they can`t escape.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes. And this happens all the time. By the way, a 6-year-old girl found eight newborn kittens in a box that was floating in a flooded parking lot in Northampton, Massachusetts. Two of the kittens didn`t make it but the others did. We just have to show you some of the pictures of those little kittens.
This is a human crisis as well. People sometimes say, don`t you care about the people? Of course I care about the people. I especially care about people who have children, who have old people, who have animals, any living creature that can`t fend for themselves.
Now, one of the things we learned from Katrina is that people don`t want to leave their homes when you say you have to leave your animals behind. So the government really has to learn something from these crises and learn to consider the companion animals, part of the family. More right on the other side.
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VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yesterday was six years from Katrina, the disaster, since Katrina. And of course, during that catastrophe 250,000 pets were stranded, many died. People were forced to leave their pets behind. Some people refused to leave their pets behind. There were allegations that police shot abandoned dogs. We`re hoping that local law enforcement learned something from that crisis and handled it differently this time around.
Lisa Lange from PETA, did they learn anything?
LANGE: Yes, we found -- our case workers were out in the field in North Carolina all weekend long, day and night, responding to calls and also finding animals, who were kept chained outside. One dog was tied by a shoestring to a grill, left to fend for herself. Other people were inside their homes and left their dogs outside to have to stand up to the 70-mile- an-hour winds.
Law enforcement was good. The one thing to remember is --
(CROSSTALK)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Got to leave it right there. Thank you Lisa.
LANGE: Ok.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: "NANCY GRACE" up next.
END
