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Jane Velez-Mitchell
Love Triangle Ends in Murder; Movie about Drew Peterson Sets Ratings Records
Aired January 26, 2012 - 19:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL, HOST: Good evening. Jane Velez-Mitchell coming to you live from New York tonight. A passionate love triangle ends in the death of a Navy officer. His wife is accused of his murder. The mistress testifies next.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
VELEZ-MITCHELL (voice-over): Tonight, did a love triangle turn deadly? The mistress of a Navy doctor takes the stand and spills the steamy secrets of their sexual affair, as the doc`s wife stands trial accused of stabbing her husband eight times. Did a jealous rage drive this woman to kill?
Plus, with the popular Lifetime movie about accused wife killer Drew Peterson setting ratings records, is Hollywood glorifying an alleged murderer.
Tonight a close friend of missing wife, Stacy Peterson, fights back for her voiceless friend.
And cops say this mom was drunk when she smashed into oncoming traffic with her toddler in the backseat. Cops say she admitted to chugging vodka and popping prescription pills that morning. I`ll talk live to a witness who dialed 911 after the horrific accident. What did he see?
Then, a twist in the case of Michelle Parker, who vanished after appearing on "The People`s Court" with her ex-fiance. Why are her kids still living with him, the prime suspect in her disappearance?
Plus, is this new surveillance video going to bust the case wide open? I`ll talk to Michelle`s family`s attorney.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Tonight, a trial riveting the nation. The mistress in a deadly love triangle testifies in jaw-dropping detail about her sexual affair with a married Navy doctor, who ends up violently murdered.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DANIELLE ROBINS, MISTRESS: He definitely said that there were issues. That he had been unhappy for a long time.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right. That`s the mistress. Now the prosecutors say that woman, the doctor`s wife, Jennifer, of 18 years they were married, became enraged when she discovered her husband`s secret affair with that much younger beautiful woman, and that she proceeded to stab her husband eight times in the back, two times in the chest. One of the times plunging the knife straight through his heart.
Prosecutors paint a picture of a woman obsessed with her husband`s mistress.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The evidence will show that she armed herself with a knife. That she attacked him with planned marksmanship.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: The defense admits the 43-year-old wife, Jennifer Trayers, stabbed her husband repeatedly. But they tell a very different version of the events. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He says, "Well, you really shouldn`t go side to side like that. Your artery runs down the long ways of your arm. That`s how you should do it." She took the knife as they were wrestling over it, and just started stabbing him. She just started stabbing him in the upper body area. And she will tell you that after the first stab or two, she doesn`t remember much after that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Wait a second. That`s the defense attorney. Sounds like the prosecutor. What`s going on? Ugly secrets spilling out about what looked like perfect lives in beautiful sunny, San Diego, California, where the naval station is based.
Was this an obsessed and jealous wife, or did she become scared and black out as she and her husband struggled over a knife after she threatened to kill herself because he was having an affair?
I want to hear from you on this one. Call me: 1-877-JVM-SAYS, 1-877- 586-7297.
Straight out to investigative reporter Jon Lieberman. This trial is just transfixing, certainly, the west coast. Why?
JON LIEBERMAN, INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER: Well, because it doesn`t get any more dramatic, Jane, than a mistress coming face to face, eye to eye, with the victim`s wife. I mean, you know, the man who she`s carrying on this long-time affair with, and the details that she revealed in front of that wife today.
For example, she said -- the mistress said she tried to break off the relationship with the victim because he said that his wife was pregnant. But the defense attorney says that was fabricated. That was a lie.
Then, the mistress testifies she holds up an eight-page e-mail that she received from the wife. It says, "You`re never going to have him. He`s always going to be my husband."
And all of this under the backdrop where nobody has actually been disputing the fact that Jennifer stabbed and killed her husband. Prosecutors say it was premeditated for 90 days prior from the moment she found out about the affair. It was a premeditated attack.
Defense attorneys say, "No, she was actually trying to kill herself, and it was a crime of passion when there was a struggle over the knife."
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes, so it should be voluntary manslaughter, not murder. But how could he say it was a crime of passion when she sent an eight-page e-mail to the mistress, basically saying, "You`re never going to have this guy"?
Navy doctor Danielle Robins, the mistress, took to the stand and described the start of her sexual affair with married naval lieutenant, Dr. Frederick Trayers, who is now dead.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You ended up kissing Dr. Trayers?
ROBINS: Yes, sir.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And that was a long passionate kiss, right?
ROBINS: It was -- it was a normal kiss. Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let me ask you this way: it wasn`t a peck on the cheek, was it?
ROBINS: No, it was not.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And you knew he was married?
ROBINS: Yes, sir.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You knew he`d been married for 18 years, as well.
ROBINS: Yes, sir.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: OK. So she`s pretty. She`s young. And she knew from the start that he was a married man. She claims that they just kissed, and they weren`t going to have sex until he left his wife. I don`t know if I believe it. That`s what she claims.
Meantime, his wife began using a high-tech system to track her husband`s e-mails, discovering the affair and becoming angrier and angrier, certainly, probably assuming they were having sex.
Holly Hughes, you`re a criminal defense attorney. You`re a former prosecutor. This is the classic ultimate love triangle turned deadly.
HOLLY HUGHES, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Absolutely. You know, and I`m kind of smiling. But it`s not funny. There is a man dead. And that`s a horrible, serious crime. His wife is accused of it.
But, you know, when you send an eight-page e-mail and basically lay out your plans. And that`s what you`re doing when you reveal your state of mind. We know, Jane, that every crime requires two things. You have to have an act, and you have to have the intention to act. You have to have thought about it. And you don`t have to premeditate murder for any length of time.
Malice or premeditation could be formed in an instant. And it could be instantly regretted. Here, we have this woman, this wife who`s accused of this murder sending an eight-page e-mail saying, "Guess what? He is never going to be your husband. He`s always going to be mine."
And the state is now alleging, "Well, you took care of that. You made sure that`s the truth."
VELEZ-MITCHELL: And what`s sad is it`s almost out of central casting. There`s the wife with the gray hair. Here`s -- there she is, right? Gray hair pulled back in a bun, glasses, looking dour and matronly. And the mistress is a beautiful blond bombshell. I mean, honestly, this is like out of central casting.
I want to go to the phone lines. Jane, New Hampshire. Your question or thought, Jane? Jane?
CALLER: Yes.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Hi. Your question or thought, Jane?
CALLER: My question is, were there any, you know, my question I guess is basically were any of these women -- I mean, I think this 30-year-old bombshell had no right. But was she -- did she have any prior records? Was she on any medication? Did she have any -- basically, did she have any mental disorder to do this to another...
VELEZ-MITCHELL: I think I understand what you`re saying. Is the wife mentally disturbed in some way?
I will say this. Jon Lieberman, the mistress is an overachiever. She is now a doctor. And I want to tell you how they met. This is absolutely a love triangle with two women vying over a man. But Lieutenant Commander Frederick Trayers, the man they`re vying over, is a naval doctor before he`s murdered. He was married to Jennifer Trayers for nearly 20 years. He`s fooling around with Danielle Robins, a med student 13 youngers [SIC] - - 13 years younger than his wife.
Now, it would appear the lieutenant turned his U.S. Navy hospital ship into some kind of love boat, because he began his affair with this very pretty naval med student, who is now a doctor, on this boat. In fact, their first kiss was while they were both stationed in Guam.
I want to go to Steve Rogers, who is a former member of the FBI joint terrorism task force. And you were in the Navy. What`s it like on these ships where men and women go far away for a long period of time, leaving their families behind to wonder, and I would assume sometimes stew?
STEVE ROGERS, FORMER MEMBER, FBI JOINT TERRORISM TASK FORCE: Well, yes, Jane, close quarters 98 (ph) hours a day, 24 hours a day. What`s astonishing to me is that, when you`re on a naval vessel or any vessel, there are no secrets. There -- everyone seems to know everyone`s personal life. And, you know, the command staff of that ship and some of the people that worked with these doctors, this doctor in particular, I`m sure NCIS are going to really do a lot of grilling on this.
So close quarters, 98 (ph) hours a day, 24 hours a day. There are no secrets aboard a naval ship.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, this is certainly a cautionary tale. We`re going to get into that on the other side of the break.
Are you having an affair? Have you been the victim of an affair? A love triangle? We`re taking your calls: 1-877-JVM-SAYS, 1-877-586-7297.
Also ahead, a mom who caused a head-on crash with her son in the backseat told cops she was drunk and drugged out. You will not believe what she said when she got to the hospital.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All of a sudden, I was startled to see a Toyota four runner go shooting by me on the left. And I said, "I wonder what you have to be drinking to make a pass like that?"
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She was a 30-year-old med student. He was a married E.R. doctor, both in the Navy. The mistress, the woman at the center of this deadly love triangle, took the stand today, telling jurors she was very much in love. She sent Robins a chilling eight-page e-mail, telling her, "My husband is not going to be yours."
ROBINS: He definitely said there were issues. And he had been unhappy for a long time.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Prosecutors say when Jennifer learned about the affair, she snapped, stabbing her husband eight times in the back and right through the heart.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Accused murderess, wife Jennifer Trayers, admits she stabbed her husband ten times -- eight in the back, two in the chest, one wound going straight through her husband`s heart -- but she blames a pressure cooker of stress because of her husband`s illicit affair.
But she also stabbed herself a number of times. So when police burst in after he failed to show up for work, the wife is -- get this -- lying there in bed with her husband. She`s got superficial stab wounds all over her, but her husband is bloody and had been dead for two days. This woman you`re looking at right there never called 911, Jon Lieberman, investigative reporter.
LIEBERMAN: Not only did she not call 911, today police investigators testified that several of the stab wounds were actually after this man was already dead. So that shows the voracity of the crime.
One other thing, too, we should point out: Danielle Robins, the mistress here, she recounted in very specific detail today secret meetings that she`d had with this guy. Jogs on the beach, hikes, even bar hopping on this guy`s wife`s birthday. So you`re sitting in the courtroom, it`s amazingly tense when a mistress is recounting that sort of graphic testimony.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: And there`s a lot of nice places to go in San Diego. I`ve spent a lot of time there. It`s a beach community. You could see how the wife would become absolutely jealous. There it is. There`s the Pacific Ocean. It`s a beautiful place. It`s like living in a vacation resort.
The defense describes the stabbing in a very different way from the prosecution. The defense says the wife grabbed a butcher knife from the kitchen, and she announced to her husband, "I`m going to kill myself."
And her cheating husband said, "Well, you better get a better knife." And he pulled out his very sharp military knife.
And then she started poking her chest and became outraged over her husband`s indifference to her, well, intention to kill herself.
And then he allegedly made a very sarcastic comment about her suicide plans, reportedly saying, "Let me help you with that."
Then all hell broke loose, and she stabs him ten times, once through the heart.
Holly Hughes, former prosecutor, I hate to use that old cliche "hell hath no fury like a woman scorned." If that conversation actually did take place, does that take an edge at all off of her murderousness, that -- her admission that she killed him? His sarcasm, his sort of egging her on to kill herself?
HUGHES: Well, sure, if the jury believes it. The problem here is going to be that the forensic evidence doesn`t back her up. Just like our investigative reporter was just telling us, some of these wounds were inflicted after this man was dead.
And I don`t mean any disrespect, but she doesn`t look like she`s a bodybuilder. How could she possibly stab this man nine times without him getting the knife away from her? That just doesn`t make sense.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right.
(CROSSTALK)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: I heard what -- I hear what you`re saying. I get you.
Let`s go back to the phone lines. Carol in Indiana, your question or thought, Carol.
CALLER: I find it very distasteful that the mistress would even get into a relationship, and not only her. We all watch all these mistresses. If he was that unhappy, he would have left her. OK?
I wouldn`t put into detail about the anatomy on where the knife went in, because when she was outraged and out of her mind...
(CROSSTALK)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Carol...
CALLER: ... I`m going to stab him in the heart.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: I think one of the reason that this story has resonated is that so many people have been cheated on? Have you been cheated on? Have you had an affair on you?
CALLER: Yes. Yes, I have. And I`m telling you, I didn`t know I was in depression until I started watching TV. I did have psychopathic thoughts. I checked myself in Methodist Hospital at 3:30 in the morning to keep from killing him. I already knew how I was going to do it.
And I`m going to tell you: these women and these men that -- better be on watch. I feel sorry for her. And these attorney men need to get together.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: I mean, listen, ma`am, I -- my heart goes out to you, because it sounds like you were very, very, very distraught over being cheated on. And I think they have a lot of women -- if there`s a lot of women in this jury, might actually find that they are sympathetic.
Steve Rogers, you are a former police detective. And you`ve been involved in so many of these cases. There might be sympathy by women on the jury for the accused murderous wife.
ROGERS: Yes, there might be. But think about what we`re talking about. We`re looking at motive. Certainly, there seems to be motive here.
In addition to that, we have an individual who stabbed themselves, this being the wife. So -- so, you know, you might have sympathy, but the fact of the matter is, is that a man is dead. It appears that, through jealousy and rage or whatever, this was premeditated. And unfortunately, this wife may be in very, very serious trouble as a result of a crime that was committed.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes. I think, Jon Lieberman, there`s something we can learn from these cases about how to handle yourself when you`re married or you`re in a committed relationship. We can fall in love with somebody else. It does happen. But how you handle it is absolutely crucial, because it could come back to bite you. And the main thing is to be honest and not keep secrets.
LIEBERMAN: Right. And I think the caller hit on a good point. And in fact, the defense will have Jennifer Trayers take the stand in her own defense to evoke sympathy. That`s going to be a bombshell in the next couple days.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right. We`re going to stay on top of it, and we will bring you the wife`s testimony, the defendant.
Back in one minute with your viral video of the day.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE JOHNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Drew Peterson appeared to savor the attention, even if the subject matter was so disturbing. The former police sergeant has been married four times, but it`s the mystery over the last two Mrs. Petersons that have put him in the spotlight.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This movie bears no resemblance to the reality of the situation. It`s merely a Hollywood entertainment. He just was laughing at its inaccuracies.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Story fascinating. It`s been now made into a TV movie. And in the starring role, actor Rob Lowe.
ROB LOWE, ACTOR: If they knew the facts about me, they would know that there`s no way that I could be involved in any crime.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Six million people tuned in to watch "Untouchable." Now the wildly popular Lifetime movie about accused wife-killer Drew Peterson is set to re-air this coming weekend.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Stacy Peterson, the young Illinois mother, vanished last October.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The results of the autopsy came back. The cause of death being accidental drowning.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Her husband, Drew Peterson, is now considered a suspect.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He needs to be arrested.
LOWE: Any time you`re under a microscope, people only want to see the negative. If they knew the facts about me, they would know that there`s no way that I could be involved in any crime.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: This is just a preview of what`s to come in real life. Drew`s trial right around the corner, and it could be televised to millions.
Drew Peterson himself called the Lifetime movie starring Rob Lowe as Drew Peterson hilarious. And those close to his former wives say it`s the Hollywood version of the story. So why does Drew`s lawyer fear it may cause problems in jury selection?
Joining me by phone is missing wife No. 4, Stacy Peterson`s close friend, Pam Bosco.
Pam, thank you so much for joining us. What is your gripe with this movie?
PAM BOSCO, STACY PETERSON`S CLOSE FRIEND: I think they missed out on a lot of the details that were very important in the news. And I think also, there`s a sense of not how terrible it really was to the family. There wasn`t a lot of emotion played out to how it really happened and how the family is feeling today.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, you`re right. It`s a tragedy. And Stacy, Drew`s fourth wife, has been missing since 2007. Police searched for a famous blue bin that Peterson`s brother-in-law believes held Stacy`s dead body. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DREW PETERSON, STACY`S HUSBAND: I have no idea what he was talking about like that.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Warm to the touch.
PETERSON: No.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He says he believed that he helped you dispose of your wife`s body. Can you at least respond to that?
PETERSON: No.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Not at all?
PETERSON: No response. Talk to my lawyer.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No truth to it whatsoever?
PETERSON: None. Nobody helped me with anything.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: On October 28, where were you? This gentleman says he helped you carry a container out of your home.
PETERSON: You`re going to have to talk to my attorney.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: And cops never found that bin that was warm to the touch. What is happening with the search for Stacy? Because no body, no case.
BOSCO: I think that we still have other (ph) cases. The Illinois state police are still investigating. They`re still doing the investigation. I think the movie has brought in some more leads. So we`re always hopeful that there will be something that`s discovered that (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Do you think this upcoming trial is going to be a circus, Pam?
BOSCO: You know, it`s hard to -- it`s hard to tell. I know the public is very involved in it. I just heard right now they voted on allowing TVs in the courtroom. So that obviously adds to some of the, you know, chaos to it, for sure.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, Pam, I just want to say, I hope you come back as this trial gets under way. Stacey Peterson deserves dignity and respect. She is missing. She`s never been found. And this is not a joke. It`s not a circus. And let`s hope that Drew Peterson is brought to justice.
Next, an out-of-control drunk mom.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: 1:00 in the afternoon is not when you expect to see a drunken driver on the road.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The driver of the SUV, 34-year-old Ashley Shields slammed into two vehicles heading the opposite direction. Her young son was in the back seat.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She got out of her Toyota 4Runner and seemed daze.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She`d been drinking vodka and taking pills that morning before getting behind the wheel with her son.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Didn`t see any blood in that scene there at all.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Good evening, everyone. Jane Velez-Mitchell back with you live in New York City. A drunk mom speeds on the side of the road with a young son in the back of the car. They collide into oncoming traffic. She turns belligerent, fighting with cops, exposing herself to hospital nurses, allegedly.
Where is her son now? Has he been taken away from this drunken mom?
And just as that news breaks, we have other breaking news. Footage just released of dash-cam video of former Major League pitcher Curt Leskanic who had his 5-year-old daughter in his truck when he allegedly drove drunk in Florida and passed out. Listen to his angry rant after being put in the back of a police car.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What`s your cell phone number, sir?
CURT LESKANIC, FORMER MAJOR LEAGUE PITCHER: (EXPLETIVE DELETED) you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What`s a number to reach you at?
LESKANIC: (EXPLETIVE DELETED) you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sir, I need a number to reach you.
LESKANIC: (EXPLETIVE DELETED) you. The taxes I pay. You (EXPLETIVE DELETED) suck.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Uh-oh. Leskanic had a blood alcohol level four times the legal limit. And I can say this as a recovering alcoholic, alcohol creates belligerence. That might explain his behavior and the behavior of this woman, Ashley Shields, she`s the one who crashed head-on into oncoming traffic with her son in the car. They were both taken to the hospital and that`s where Ashley turned violent.
She admitted to cops she had consumed four small bottles of vodka and a bunch of prescription pills. This is the morning, people. Police say it was medication for depression. If she was on anti-depressants, why is she drinking? Why would she take her son with her when she`s on such a dangerous ride?
There`s the little boy. We can`t show his face. He`s a minor. Sources say he`s not with the mom anymore.
Call me if you`re upset about the story. I sure am. 1-877-JVM-SAYS.
Straight to Donald Peterson; this is the gentleman who witnessed the entire accident involving the woman who was driving with her son.
Mr. Peterson, thank you so much for being here. Describe what you saw. Paint a picture, sir. And if you could look up at the camera as you speak, that would be wonderful. Thank you, sir.
DONALD PETERSON, WITNESS: I was heading south on old Alabama at about the speed limit, which is 35 miles an hour. It`s a four-lane and I was on the left side, of my side of the road because I was going to be turning left at the bottom of the hill.
And all the sudden, the very first thing I knew, I was being passed on the left by a Toyota 4Runner going, I estimate, 15 miles an hour faster than I was. I measured that because I said is this passing me at walking speed or bicycle speed, and it certainly wasn`t walking speed. It was more like a kid riding by on a bike. So I would guess they were going 50 miles an hour.
And the road was a bit wet. It had been raining; wasn`t raining at the moment. But I said, I wonder how they`re going to make that curve up ahead. And about three or four or five seconds later, we all met, two cars coming uphill towards us. And the Toyota 4Runner tried to cross back over the two yellow lanes to get into the right hand side of the road and went sideways. When it went sideways, it hit an Altima and the Altima crashed into the left rear wheel on the Toyota. And then the Jeep that was coming along right behind the Altima took a glancing glow and went off into the trees and hit a tree.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: And let me ask you this; first of all, you could be a reporter. That was the most detailed description of a car accident I have ever heard, and well done, sir. Very briefly, because we have limited time; I understand they had to pull this little boy out using jaws of life -- what was that like?
PETERSON: Now, I didn`t see that happen. I know she was saying we got to get my kid out of there -- my son out of there. But I didn`t realize that there was a problem getting him out. I did not --
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Did she seem drunk to you?
PETERSON: She was very difficult to understand. I didn`t know if it was because she got a head injury and was dazed or what. I could barely understand what she was saying.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Let me jump in and say that the police say, and I`ve got the police report right here. It`s absolutely astounding. According to this police report, Ashley had a strong odor of alcohol on her. She had slurred speech, as this gentleman mentioned, glassy eyes and constantly cursing when she got to the hospital at the hospital staff and had pulled out her IV. Now, she`s out on $16,500 bail.
I have to say to everybody, we`ve gotten calls and Facebook comments wanting to know what`s happened to this youngster, her son. Now, I could tell you that she`s welcome to come on and tell her side of the story. But we got the little boy`s grandmother. The grandmother of this boy because people thought this boy was missing. Nobody knew what happened. "The baby is fantastic," according to the grandma. "He`s fine. And he`s with people who love him."
I`m happy about that, but Holly Hughes, former prosecutor, should this little boy be taken away from his mother?
HOLLY HUGHES, FORMER PROSECUTOR: At this point, yes. She clearly has a problem. And Jane, any time you drink and drive there is a world of potential victims out there. But at least the driver of the other car has a chance to get out of your way. This baby is strapped in the back of a moving deadly weapon. It`s a missile with what your car is when you are drunk and drive and this little 18-month-old is strapped in the back. He can`t take evasive action. He can`t get away.
So, yes, they absolutely need to remove this child until they do a full evaluation on her. She needs to be evaluated for substance abuse and that baby needs to be in somebody else`s custody.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: I`m a recovering alcoholic and hopefully in April I`ll make it to 17 years sober. But I could say if you are an alcoholic -- and I`m not saying this woman is, she drank to excess this particular day - - the only solution is to get into a program. Ok. So she`s facing a whole bunch of charges. But her real solution is to get into some kind of a rehab or some kind of 12-step program where she can help herself, Jon Leiberman.
JON LEIBERMAN, INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER: Well, absolutely. I mean you hit the nail in the head. And don`t forget this too, when she was discharged from the hospital the police report claims that she was cursing at the police, hitting them, fighting them off, trying to get the handcuffs off of her. So not only is she accused of having this outburst in the hospital. When the police tried to put her in the police vehicle leaving the hospital, she was extremely belligerent.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, belligerence is a hallmark of being out of control on drugs or booze.
Now, I want to get back to that picture of who used to be with the Red Sox who took police on that wild chase with his daughter -- 5-year-old daughter in the backseat. Listen to the frantic 911 call that came in from somebody who was very concerned about that child.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They`re in the car with him, right?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No. I`m behind him in a different car. I`ve been looking for him.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What kind of car is he in?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He`s in a big black Ford F350 or 250 or I don`t know. I called about him earlier. And somebody needs to come stop him. He`s going to kill somebody.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: And take a look at this. Here is this former Major Leaguer, Curt Leskanic, trying to walk a straight line, and he can`t. But he completely denied that he was drinking. They had to do a test on him and they found that he had a blood alcohol level four times the legal limit.
He was picking up his 5-year-old daughter from some kind of cheerleading event, and people at the cheerleading event became distraught saying, "Oh my gosh, you`re going to take this 5-year-old daughter in the car? You appear to be very drunk."
It`s a scary situation. And it`s one that I think every American, we`ve seen evidence of this, and it`s one of the reasons why I`m afraid to drive on the roads. Especially, I was always say on a Saturday night I`m terrified because there`s an increased probability of drunks out there.
Tamika, Georgia, you`re question or thought Tamika. Tamika?
TAMIKA, GEORGIA (via telephone): Hello. Yes ma`am.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Hi there, Tamika. What`s your question or thought?
TAMIKA: I was just wondering what the heck was she thinking doing something like this that? I had a sister in (INAUDIBLE) Georgia; she did the same thing and she`s facing six year and her child was taken away. But me being a mother, I could never drive intoxicated. I just want to know what the mom was thinking.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, I can tell you this. She`s charged with DUI, child endangerment, reckless driving, passing in a "no passing zone", obstruction of an officer, disorderly conduct. She`s got a lot of problems. But I`ve got to say, John Leiberman, this reminds me a lot of the Baby Lisa case when you have alcohol and parenting going hand in hand, it`s a prescription for disaster. Remember Baby Lisa`s mom had five glasses of wine from a wine box.
LEIBERMAN: Yes, and I mean look, the saving grace in these two cases is that nobody was killed. But every day dozens of people are killed in drunk-driving accidents, including children. So it is an epidemic.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: You know an adult can say I don`t want to take that ride. A little kid can`t say that. They are helpless. They are voiceless. And it`s up to us to speak out for them and we really need to crack down. And I know there are various proposals making it a more serious crime to drive drunk with a child in the car. I absolutely think that needs to become a national law all across the nation.
Up next, a sick new twist in the disappearance of "People`s Court" star, Michelle Parker. Her ex, who was the only suspect in the case is allowed to keep their kids, and she`s missing. We`re also taking your calls on this one, 1-877-JVM-SAYS.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Michelle Parker is her name. She disappeared right after an episode of "People`s Court" aired that featured her and her ex-fiance Dale Smith Jr. He`s now the prime suspect.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Michelle Parker is her name. She disappeared right after an episode of "People`s Court" aired that featured her and her ex-fiance Dale Smith Jr. He is now the prime suspect.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you have any idea where she is? Where`s Michelle? Did you --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: 33-year-old mother of three.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Family needs to have Michelle home.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What clues it may reveal.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We`re being relentless in this investigation.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is killing me.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The question remains, where could Michelle be?
BRAD PARKER, FATHER OF MICHELLE PARKER: From day one, I thought it was Dale. Day one I thought he did it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The children`s father was the last person to see her.
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VELEZ-MITCHELL: Tonight breaking news in the disappearance of a woman who vanished right after battling it out on the "People`s Court" with her ex.
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MICHELLE PARKER, MISSING WOMAN: I was talking to a friend and I was like well, maybe I should just move out. You know this isn`t going to work. But she (INAUDIBLE) keep doing this. It`s clearly not going to work.
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VELEZ-MITCHELL: That woman, mother of three, Michelle Parker has been missing for two long months, and tonight we`re learning her 3-year-old twins are living with her ex, even though Child Welfare determined the kids were exposed to violence by their father. Did I mention that cops say their father, Dale Smith Jr., seen here in some kind of hot body contest, yes, he`s a former hot body contestant is also the prime suspect in Michelle Parker`s disappearance? And he has a long rap sheet and a short temper as witnessed in this ABC News footage.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. Smith, do you have anything to say about this?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: On the way in to Wednesday`s emergency custody hearing, Smith shoved our photographer.
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VELEZ-MITCHELL: Uh-oh, take a look at this. Police have released never before seen footage of Michelle Parker, the missing woman, picking up food at a drive-thru, just hours before she was last seen. What does it mean? We`re taking your calls. 1-877-JVM-SAYS; 1-877-586-7297.
Straight out to Matt Morgan, the attorney for Michelle Smith`s (SIC) family; the attorney for the missing woman`s family. I`ve got to say -- Michelle Parker`s family, of course -- I don`t get it. Why would the courts allow Dale Smith to have custody of these two little kids if A, they know he`s violent, and B, police are calling him the prime suspect in Michelle`s disappearance?
MATT MORGAN, ATTORNEY FOR MICHELLE PARKER`S FAMILY: Well, Jane, ultimately what the court has to decide is whether or not the children are in any imminent danger. And so the court in this case decided that even though there was a history of domestic violence between Michelle and Dale in the past, in front of the children, there was never any kind of danger to the children. The children were never harmed in any way while in his care. So they ultimately ruled as a primary caretaker, he should be able to have them as their biological father and essentially said at this time that they`re in no immediate danger.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, here`s what I don`t get. In their report Child Welfare investigators wrote, quote, "These children should have their mother. We look forward to her coming home safely." Well, hello. She`s been missing for two months. Foul play is suspected. Her ex is the prime suspect according to authorities although he hasn`t been charged and he`s invited on our show any time.
She`s not on vacation somewhere, investigative reporter, Jon Leiberman. I mean are they in dream land?
LEIBERMAN: They`re in la-la land. I mean issuing a statement like that, I know they meant well. They meant to say we hope this all ends happily. But, yes, they`re living in a dream world.
Look, the only good thing about the kids being in Dale Smith`s, you know, custody is that police are watching him like a hawk. So, nothing is going to happen to those kids hopefully while they`re in his custody.
He is the prime suspect. Police are watching him like a hawk. And keep in mind -- I mean the search for Michelle Parker goes on. But with every day that moves forward, thinks look more and more grim.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes. And again, this guy has a rap sheet: burglary, drug possession, aggravated battery, DUI, domestic battery.
And, of course, Matt Morgan, the family that you represent, the family of the missing woman, because the kids are there with him, that puts them in an odd position. I mean the mother of the missing woman is hugging him at the court and being very friendly, which I understand, she`s really concerned about her grand kids.
MORGAN: Exactly. And, you know, ultimately she wants to hold out hope that he had nothing to do with this. But this is a situation that no family in America can ever imagine putting themselves into. The family has remained strong throughout.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: And I want to jump in here and take a look very quickly at some new surveillance video that just came in. It shows her at the KFC getting some food just before she disappears. And when her car is found, some decals that were there are missing. Ten seconds. What does that say to you?
LEIBERMAN: That something changed in the three hours when she was at this drive-thru from the time that she goes missing.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: So that glow is missing. Somebody did that. Don`t go anywhere. More in a minute.
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VELEZ-MITCHELL: The latest on Demi Moore in a moment. But first, enjoy a laugh break.
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VELEZ-MITCHELL: Demi Moore has been rushed to the hospital.
DEMI MOORE, ACTRESS: It`s a harsh look at a reality that has affected us all.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Demi Moore is apparently getting treated for health issues, her rep said it`s related to stress.
MOORE: I am looking forward to an evening of good stories and good laughs.
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VELEZ-MITCHELL: Breaking news tonight. New reports: Demi Moore is out of the hospital. But is she headed for home or rehab. We`ve heard a gamut of possible reasons behind Demi being hospitalized from anorexia to substance abuse to seizures.
Last night TMZ offered another outrageous possible reason to add to the mess.
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MIKE WALTERS, NEWS MANAGER, TMZ: We finally found out what substance Demi Moore was using when hospitalized on Monday night and that is nitrous oxide. And believe me, I couldn`t make this up if I tried. We are told that Demi Moore, the friend that was in her house who called 911, told EMT workers she had been doing whip-its. And Jane a whip-it is a street name for nitrous oxide inhalers, that people crack open and inhale to get high.
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VELEZ-MITCHELL: We haven`t been able to confirm any of that and her rep has stuck to their original statement, quote, " Because of the stresses in her life right now, Demi has chosen to seek professional assistance to treat her exhaustion and improve her overall health," end quote.
What is the secret behind this emergency trip to the hospital? Demi getting out in time for ex Ashton`s return to the United States from Brazil. Coincidence?
Straight to my good friend Gillian Sheldon, from celeb buzz; Gillian, what have you heard, for example, about the release of the 911 call made from Demi`s house on the night she was hospitalized?
GILLIAN SHELDON, CELEBBUZ.COM: Well, that`s very interesting. You know, Jane, covering these cases as you have, there`s a lot of things that they can release, and then things that they can`t for medical and privacy reasons. So they`re going to redact anything that indicates what she may have been taking when they called 911.
So as far as reports of nitrous oxide, when you hear the 911 call, you`re not going to hear the person on the other end of the phone describe exactly what`s happening because -- for medical privacy reasons. And I think that that`s really telling that there is something on that tape that indicates what exactly is wrong.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: And we will never know, apparently. Now Demi, clearly, what it says on that tape, she`s in crisis. Is it just over her breakup with Ashton, over his alleged cheating and slandering? Could it be about something else?
Here she is in GI Jane from YouTube and Caravan Pictures.
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VELEZ-MITCHELL: Wow. Movie after movie, Demi looks amazingly fit and young. But as she approaches 50, she can`t look 20 forever. Is Demi in denial about the inevitability of aging?
And as you talk, we`re going to show you some of the things she said to "Harper`s Bazaar".
"I have a love/hate relationship with my body. I feel betrayed."
Gillian, what`s going on here?
SHELDON: Well, I think, if you think about Hollywood, she went away. She knew the pressures of Hollywood, so she and then husband Bruce Willis moved to Idaho for ten years. When she came back, there was this whole big hullabaloo about how great she looked in "Charlie`s Angels 2". And her body, subsequently, you know "Striptease", she looks amazing.
And I think you`re absolutely right. That pressure. She`s married to a younger guy. She has been known for her figure and her body. And as you get closer to 50, and things start falling apart and shifting, the stress of that can get to you. I think that that`s really telling in what possibly is happening right now.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: As we go to break "Striptease" from Castlerock.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Erin Brant is desperate and desperate times calls for desperate measures.
MOORE: I`m in a pretty bad custody fight. I can`t still be working here when I go to court.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, yes you are. I`ve got a job.
MOORE: I`m working at the Eager Beaver.
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VELEZ-MITCHELL: And apparently her Twitter Feed is riddled with photographs of her standing in front of the mirror that she takes of herself. Now, you have to wonder, Gillian Sheldon, is she addicted to attention?
SHELDON: Who knows? I mean I think any celebrity could be diagnosed as being addicted to attention. I think when you`re approaching 50 and you look like that you want to show it off. And I think what`s happening now is that facade around her, her husband has left her, essentially.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes, let me tell you something, that`s a high class problem, Demi Moore. Get well soon.
Nancy next.
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