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Jane Velez-Mitchell

Killer of Atlanta Braves Pitcher Released; Speaking out about Racial Profiling

Aired April 04, 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: Hi, I`m Jane Velez-Mitchell, coming to you live from New York City. A man who could have faced the death penalty for murdering an Atlanta Braves pitcher is instead walking free, tonight hanging out with his girlfriend. You`re going to hear how the killer managed to get out ten years early and what the victim`s outraged widow has to say about that. She joins us live next.

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VELEZ-MITCHELL (voice-over): Tonight, outrage as the man who murdered a former Atlanta Braves pitcher is let out of jail ten years early. This guy was convicted of gunning down a pro baseball player during a botched robbery. He was sentenced to 27 years. So why the get-out-of-jail early pass? I`ll talk exclusively to the victim`s wife tonight.

Plus, new developments in the case of an NFL cheerleader accused of having sex with a teenage boy while she was a high-school teacher. She denies it. The 16-year-old student denies it. His family doesn`t seem concerned. Some are claiming it`s no big deal. Is that because he`s a boy? And is this a lot more common than you think?

And tonight, an investigation is launched into movie star/producer Tyler Perry`s claims he was racially profiled. Keshia Knight Pulliam, one of the stars on his "House of Payne" sitcom, joins me to talk Tyler Perry and Trayvon Martin.

And she`s a tall, slim, blonde bombshell, or so she thinks. This woman is causing an uproar after she wrote an article saying women hate her because she`s so stunningly beautiful. Her high self-regard has sparked a social media frenzy. Is she really as gorgeous as she thinks, or is she delusional? We`ll take your calls.

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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Long-time criminal Neal Evans shot him to death during a botched robbery.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Atlanta Braves organization is offering a $5,000 reward for any information leading to the arrest and the conviction of the person or persons responsible for this horrible crime.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Twenty-seven years behind bars.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It`s a crime. And for 27 years should be held accountable and responsible to serve those 27 years.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Evans is a free man, released ten years early.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And there are people like Neal Evans being released every day. It`s wrong.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Tonight our twisted justice system serves up another big slam in the face to a murder victim`s family.

Forty-seven-year-old Neal Evans is a free man tonight just 17 years after he murdered an Atlanta Braves pitcher in West Palm Beach, Florida, Dave Shotkoski was walking from dinner to his team`s spring training hotel when he was gunned down during a botched robbery.

The killer, Neal Evans, was already at that time a career violent criminal. He could have faced the death penalty. But the jury at his first trial deadlocked because one holdout juror refused to vote for guilt.

Reluctantly, prosecutors, faced with going to trial again, offered Evans a plea deal: 27 years behind bars. He took it. But did he serve 27 years? Not even close. He was handsomely rewarded for, quote, "good behavior." So Evans strolled out of prison just yesterday, a whole ten years shy of his 27-year sentence.

The dead man`s widow and his daughter, who was an infant when her dad was gunned down, now have to live with knowing his killer is free, walking around, having a good time, hanging out with his girlfriend. They`re left to wonder why the criminal justice system failed them.

What`s your take on this case? Give me a call: 1-877-JVM-SAYS, 1-877- 586-7297.

Straight out to my exclusive guest, Felicia Shotkoski, Dave`s widow.

Felicia, first of all, my condolences because I know you never recover from something like this. But I want to ask you specifically: what did you think when you heard your husband`s killer was getting out of prison after serving only about 15 years of his 27-year sentence?

FELICIA SHOTKOSKI, WIDOW: First it was disbelief, and then it was anger that the government and the legal system and the justice system allows this to happen every day.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: I think part of the frustration that we all feel is that we never know how long a sentence is going to last. Twenty-seven years doesn`t mean 27 years. It`s almost as if it`s meaningless. In court when somebody says, "I now sentence you to 27 years," -- what are your frustrations with the system, Felicia?

SHOTKOSKI: Is that the laws aren`t enforced. There`s no repercussions to anybody`s actions anymore. These criminals, repeat offenders seem to know the system better than our justice system. Twenty- seven years to him, he probably knew 27 years wasn`t 27 years. He was in and out of jail for many years. So he probably knew before any of us knew.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Your daughter, the daughter you had with the Atlanta Braves pitcher, who was a budding star, by the way, she was too young, I would assume, to remember any of this. There she is. What is she going through now?

SHOTKOSKI: She -- she`s an amazing, wonderful young lady. And very bright. She -- she`s aware of the justice system. And that`s what angers her the most. She unfortunately never knew her dad. She`s a realist. She knows that whatever happens to him isn`t going to bring her dad back, but what we need to do is to stop people like him to doing this again and again to potential victims who can be you, your family. Anybody out there is a potential victim this man again and people like him.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Before killing Dave Shotkoski, Neal Evans had been released from prison early four other times. We`re talking about a rap sheet as long as my arm. Possession of a firearm by a felon, burglary, cocaine possession, obstruction of a criminal investigation, kidnapping, robbery with a deadly weapon, a rap sheet stemming way back to 1988.

You know, Wendy Murphy, former prosecutor, I`m all against sending people to prison for long terms for nonviolent drug offenses. I`m not all about just lock `em up, no matter what.

But when you`re dealing with somebody who`s clearly violent, who has been convicted over and over for violent acts, if the past is predictor of future behavior, what are they thinking letting him out so soon?

WENDY MURPHY, FORMER PROSECUTOR: Yes, you know, Jane, I wish that we could put that pointed question to the people responsible for this fraud on the public! This is not just a couple of bites at the apple. This guy had, like, five huge bite on a watermelon if you know what I`m saying because five times not only was he convicted of serious crimes, he was getting discounts every time.

I mean, it`s one thing to give a guy early release for good behavior when it`s his first offense. This guy was bad, bad, bad. And this case was as gruesome a murder as it gets. When you`re trying to steal somebody`s money and they have the audacity to protect themselves or try to protect their money and you execute them, that should be life without parole.

The fraud on the public is this, Jane -- and it`s in almost every state. We don`t ever, ever know the truth when our legislatures pass laws saying we`re getting tough on crime, and they know that what they`re doing is absolutely giving prosecutors, judges the power to engage these plea bargain, deep discounts, and we never find out until monsters like it walk out of jail ten years early. And then what do we do?

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, I -- I`ve always been a big fan of Franz Kafka novels, and these are Kafka-esque. They don`t make any sense. And this crazy bureaucracy, that`s what this case reminds me of.

We asked the Florida Department of Corrections to explain Evans` release to us. A spokesperson told us, quote, "Neal Evans was not released early. He was released at the expiration of his sentence, according to the statutes that were in effect at the time," end quote.

Now, according to real world, back here on planet earth, if a guy is sentenced to 27 years and serves considerably less than 27 years, he got out early.

But in the parallel universe known as the prison system, here`s the fuzzy math, OK, of early release. Evans earned 20 days off his sentence for every month he didn`t get into trouble. And he also got two years credit for time served. Ten years off for good behavior.

Now I want to go to Joe Episcopo, criminal defense attorney out of Tampa, Florida. To me this says that our prison sentences are essentially meaningless.

And again, I`m all for letting people out. I talk about it all the time. Nonviolent drug offenses, you know, there are much better programs. But when somebody`s violent, they need to be locked up for a reason.

JOE EPISCOPO, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Do you want me to explain this to you?

VELEZ-MITCHELL: I said Joe Episcopo.

EPISCOPO: Let me explain this to you, OK? I could tell every single client of mine back in the mid-`90s, if they were going to prison, that they only were going to have to serve half of their sentence. That was the scheme.

In the `80s, we could tell our clients they were only going to serve 1/3 of their sentence. Why was that? Prison overcrowding and a huge spike in crime. Florida had a massive prison rebuilding and building in the `90s, but even today, if my client gets sentenced to prison, he`ll only serve 85 percent.

Now they have to have at least 15 percent leeway to control the prison. You have hundreds of prisoners per guard. Watch some of these prison shows. The only way you can control people is to promise them "if you behave you`ll get out earlier."

Now, they`ve closed the...

VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right. Now, Joe, I think you made your point. I can`t do war and peace on the whole prison system, but I agree with you. However, I will say this -- this is one of the reasons I`m so against locking up nonviolent drug offenders when the majority of people abusing drugs are middle-class professionals popping pills given to them by doctors. And we`re locking up entire generations of people for nonviolent drug offenses.

But then we have no space for the really violent criminals who need to be behind bars quickly.

To our phone lines. Tommy, Georgia, your question or thought, Tommy?

CALLER: Hi, Jane. Thanks for taking my call. My question is: how does this legal system really work? Because I`ve been following the Trayvon Martin case, and they`re not deciding to do any charges or put him in jail. And now a murderer is being freed ten years early.

My question is: how does this legal system work? And exactly what is the government planning on doing in the future?

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, I think that you make a good point by relating it to the Trayvon Martin case. All this is happening in Georgia. We all know that George Zimmerman has not been charged with anything even though he gunned down Trayvon Martin. And people are wondering why. And now you have somebody who is clearly a will have criminal with a long rap sheet being released early. It`s an upside down world. It`s like through the looking glass. And the problem is that taxpayers are paying for all of this messed up criminal justice system.

On the other side of the break, we`re going to talk to a man who was shot in the head by somebody who is walking free, thanks to a pardon from a governor.

We`re taking your calls, as well: 1-877-JVM-SAYS, 1-877-586-7297.

FYI, Tyler Perry, entertainment mogul, spoke out about Trayvon. Now his claims of being racially profiled himself are under investigation. I`m going to talk to one of the stars of his "House of Payne" sitcom.

And the killer of this pro baseball pitcher walking around a free man. His wife, the dead man`s wife, is with us speaking exclusively. More with the widow in a moment.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The witnesses that we did have were largely street people who were difficult to locate, keep tabs on. The certainty of the 27 years was what everybody wanted.

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VELEZ-MITCHELL: That was the prosecutor talking back in 1997, saying everybody wanted this plea deal because the first trial had ended in a hung jury because of one holdout juror. And they didn`t want to go through the trouble of another trial.

Felicia, you are the widow of the murder victim here, the Atlanta Braves pitcher, Dave Shotkoski. Did you want a plea deal or would you have been willing to risk going to trial again for the chance of a much more severe sentence?

SHOTKOSKI: At the beginning, I wanted to go through with the trial. And if he was found not guilty, then that was a problem of the people of West Palm Beach and the just system. But then after thinking it, what he did to my family at that point, he couldn`t have done anything else more worse than that.

So my -- my reason for agreeing to the plea deal was to keep him off the streets as long as it was possible so that he doesn`t do this to another family or have another victim have to go through this again.

VELEZ-MITCHEL: Briefly, did they warn you that he was getting out? Did the criminal justice system warn you that he was getting out?

SHOTKOSKI: You mean recently?

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes.

SHOTKOSKI: They were kind enough to send me a preprinted letter in the mail 90 days ago to let me know that he was going to get out within the next 90 days. After that, there was an 800 number that I could dial and sign up to get an automated voice message to me.

So in the past couple months and weeks, I`ve been getting voice messages on my phone letting me know that his new release date is this. And the last one I got office Sunday morning letting me know he was going to be out on Tuesday.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Wow. That must have a punch in the stomach. How surrealistically creepy it must be to get these automated messages.

I want to introduce a guest, Randy Walker, who survived being shot in the head by another murderer, David Gatlin. Gatlin was convicted of killing his estranged wife and wounding her friend. And Gatlin was sentenced to life, but this year, he was one of four killers abruptly pardoned by outgoing Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour.

Randy, I want to go to you and ask you what`s your reaction to this guy in another state being released early?

RANDY WALKER, SHOT BY RELEASED MURDERER (via phone): Well, I can`t believe that our just system continue to allow travesties of justice like this. I mean, look at this guy`s history. He 13 prior arrests before this -- before this murder. And as you all have pounded home, he`s been released early five times. He was not deserving of an early release. By his own record it`s shows that he can`t be rehabilitated. He is unrehabilitatable.

You know, until we get together as citizens and march on the capital for these -- Florida, in this instance and make these people, you know, they`re going to work the system that`s there. We need to change the system. And that`s what we`re working for in Mississippi. I`m an advocate for changing the laws in Mississippi.

I would say to Felicia to not take this laying down, to continue to fight, keep it in the media as long as you can. This guy`s on conditional release. That means he could be revoked at any time for any reason. Make the people listen to you. Get a march together. Do something to get it -- get some outcry from the state on this.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Felicia, ten seconds.

SHOTKOSKI: Also in the state of Florida -- also in the state of Florida, if he goes back to prison and his parole is revoked, he still is allowed to take this 20 days game time a month off of that sentence also. So maybe the justice and the government, if they believe he`s reformed, maybe they should...

VELEZ-MITCHELL: We have to leave it there. But our hearts go out to.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Lots more stories in a second. But first, here`s your "Viral Video of the Day."

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(HAPPY SHRIEKING)

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Look...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Look...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Suspicious...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Suspicious...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Because I`m black...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Because I`m black...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Because I`m Latino...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Because I`m Latino...

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VELEZ-MITCHELL: Tonight on the heels of the Trayvon Martin shooting, a new racial profiling complaint, this time by "Forbes`" highest paid entertainer, the one and only Tyler Perry.

Actor, producer, director, all-around mogul, Tyler Perry said that he was recently pulled over by two white Atlanta cops, treated disrespectfully and, he says, racially profiled and that it only ended when a black officer arrived on the scene and recognized him.

On his Facebook page, Tyler Perry writes, "We are still being racially profiled" and referencing Trayvon Martin`s death, "I`m not sure how a murder in Florida can be protected by a `stand your ground` law."

I`m honored to have with me tonight the act the actress Keshia Knight Pulliam, who knows Tyler Perry personally, as she works on his show, "Houses of Payne." And here`s a clip.

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KESHIA KNIGHT PULLIAM, ACTRESS: I`m sorry, C.J., these are my parents, Jeffrey and Sandra Lucas. This is C.J., Calvin`s cousin.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh. Nice to meet you.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Nice to meet you, as well.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Keshia, of course, well recognized for her role, as well on Rudy on "The Cosby Show."

Keshia, thanks so much for being here.

Tyler Perry says he believes racial profiling happened to him and it should be a hate crime investigated by the FBI. What say you and how does all that relate to the Trayvon Martin case?

PULLIAM: You know, honestly it`s really a shame. First, thank you for having me. But it`s really a shame that this day and age that we`re still having these same issues.

And you know, in terms of Trayvon Martin, at the end of the day, we all know, it`s very clear, that a grave injustice has happened. That, you know, there have been mistakes in the way that they`ve dealt with the situation.

So, you know, as an American, the only way to deal with it is fairly in the U.S. justice system. That is what our country`s built on.

So at the end of the day, if Zimmerman didn`t do anything wrong, then you know he has nothing to fear. He should be judged by a jury of his peers. And that`s the way we handle things here in America.

So you know, absent of race, it`s right is right and wrong is wrong. And it`s about you having to be accountable for your actions, no matter what color your skin is.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: And what`s fascinating to me about the Tyler Perry story is that he is one of the most powerful men in America: one of the richest entertainers, one of the most successful producers, directors, actors. And he`s saying the same thing happened to him, because he wasn`t recognized.

Let me give you some fast facts on the incident that involved Tyler Perry. Atlanta police say he did not get a ticket for an illegal turn, and he didn`t file a complaint. They`re still investigating, and they say they want to find out if any departmental policies or procedures were violated. The cops in question are still on the street.

But I guess the bottom line here is that certainly nobody, particularly the people who wear uniforms, law enforcement, carry a gun, should judge people based on the color of their skin, and if what Tyler Perry says happened did happen to him, that would show...

PULLIAM: Exactly.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: The fact that they backed off when they found out who he was.

PULLIAM: You know, absolutely. Part of, you know, what we are given in a role to be so recognizable is that we are the people who have to bring light to these kind of situations. That it`s unfortunate that it happened, but luckily Tyler Perry has a platform where he can reach millions of people through his Facebook page. You know, through sending out a tweet. Through simply letting people know what happened to him and that it`s real.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: And Keshia, have to leave it right there but come back soon.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sarah Jones, former captain of the Cincinnati Bengals cheerleading squad, pled not guilty to charges of sex abuse. Jones is a former high school English teacher who is accused of having sex with a 16-year-old student.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Gorgeous NFL cheerleader, high school teacher, apparently teaching a lot more than reading, writing, and arithmetic.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My statement which was why are all teachers freaks in the sack, which is my broad opinion.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It`s just surprising. It`s sad.

I had sex with him in the classroom at my school.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL, HLN HOST: A high school teacher turned NFL cheerleader`s secret sex scandal rocks a Kentucky town and the nation. 26- year-old Sarah Jones accused of sleeping with her 16-year-old English student. The Cincinnati Bengals cheerleading captain pled not guilty this week to charges of sexual assault -- her mom, a principal in another school is also on the chopping block charged with tampering with physical evidence in her daughter`s case.

However, this isn`t the first sex scandal for this stunning cheerleader. Just a few years ago, a Web site posted photos of her and accused her of sleeping with several football players, including on school property, and even having two STDs.

Now, listen to Sarah talk about those accusations on "20/20".

SARAH JONES, NFL CHEERLEADER: I think that I hit rock bottom when I had a student say that she would never learn from a slut like me again.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Nick says, hey, she`s out there wearing no clothes, half-naked pictures. She`s supposed to be a teacher.

JONES: But I`ve never posed with less clothes than a bathing suit on.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: She sued. And we`ll tell you about the outcome of that suit in a second. But are these new accusations just a giant misunderstanding, as well? Her trial in this case set for June, but in a very odd twist of events, the alleged victim and his family, they don`t want to take the stand. They aren`t pressing charges. In fact, they showed up to Monday`s arraignment to support her and her mom.

What on earth is going on here? Call me -- 1-877-JVM-SAYS, 1-877-586- 7297.

Straight out to attorney, Lisa Wells; Lisa, you broke this case. I have to ask if the boy and his family aren`t pressing charge, then how did cops find out about this alleged sexual affair?

LISA WELLS, ATTORNEY: You know, it`s ironic how they found out about it. Kids cannot keep their mouth shut. And I think pretty much everybody knows that. So if there`s something scandalous going on in a high school, someone`s going to talk about it. Someone`s going to eventually say something.

And that`s what happened in this case. Friends of friends reported that Sarah was involved in this relationship and they kind of took it from there. And the grand jury started to do their own investigation.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Even though -- let me get this straight -- the boy doesn`t want to press charges. And his parents are like nothing to see here, it`s no big deal, and they`re even friends with the accused?

WELLS: Yes. Actually, if you look at the indictment the way it`s indicted is that you don`t actually need a victim. When you look at Kentucky law, the one --

VELEZ-MITCHELL: No, no. I got it. I got it. You don`t need a victim.

WELLS: Yes.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: But I`m just trying to figure out the dynamics here.

WELLS: Any time there`s a special relationship between a teacher and a student, it`s protected by statute. There cannot be a sexual relationship between a teacher and a student. So the commonwealth has an interest in prosecuting that because you don`t want that. And all states are like that. Ohio is the same way.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: No, no. I completely understand that. I`m trying to find out if the victim and his family are friends with the cheerleader who`s accused of having sex -- yes?

WELL: They are. Yes, they are. In fact, they appeared at her arraignment. That`s correct. The information that you have is correct; that they appeared and wanted to speak on her behalf at the arraignment.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right. That`s the weird twist.

Now, another weird twist for you: in 2009, Sarah was involved in a first scandal when the Web site thedirty.com posted photos of her and accused her of sleeping with several members of the team and having two STDs. She went on ABC`s "20/20" to clear her name.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JONES: I could not face my students, my faculty members, the school board. I was completely embarrassed because it`s devastating to read those things about yourself. I think I sent 20 to 30 emails. The damage was already done. I just wanted the pictures down.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right. Now Sarah was awarded $11 million in a settlement regarding that suit. But thedirty.com is appealing. And by the way, Sarah or her attorney invited on the show any time. Thedirty -- everybody, they`re all invited. We want to be fair about all this.

But one thing I`ve noticed is that Sarah`s been involved now in two huge scandals in the past few years, and they both involved one thing. What is that one thing? Sex.

Is that just a bizarre coincidence, or could this be a symptom of a bigger problem?

To address that question I`m going to Wendy Murphy. Now you know her as a former prosecutor, a law professor, an accomplished author. But she is also a former cheerleader. We`re going to put up her former cheerleading picture.

Oh, my God. I heard about this. And now I`m seeing it for the first time.

WENDY MURPHY, FORMER PROSECUTOR: Look at that hairdo. Wow.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: You were a former NFL cheerleader, Wendy?

MURPHY: I was. I`m sorry. I was. I was. Look at that hairdo. We also wore -- clearly wore more clothes, can I just say. Wow.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Oh boy, I`m never going to be able to look at you the same way. I`m sorry, but now. Proceed. Is it --

MURPHY: You know, I`d like to say that I was doing some kind of social experiment in the name of feminism, but you would never believe me, would you?

VELEZ-MITCHELL: You and Gloria Steinem. Gloria Steinem, I believe. But proceed. Do you think it`s odd that she`s had these two scandals both involving sex? Listen, she deserves the presumption of innocence here. She did settle for $11 million in a lawsuit and she says she`s not guilty in this case. What`s the chances?

MURPHY: That she`s not guilty? Look, the prosecution says it has evidence obtained from her computer and her phone. Enough to bring charges that they in good faith have to believe they can prove beyond a reasonable doubt or it would be unethical to file them because they know they don`t have the victim on board. So let`s just say I`m thinking they have pictures or videos, maybe texts confirming how delightful it was.

They don`t -- you know, this sounds like a solid case even though we don`t know exactly what that evidence is because no prosecutor would bring a case like this that they couldn`t win on some kind of video or, you know, photographic evidence.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes. Well, I never say never because people -- cases do get messed up, and kids love to talk and a lot of times, I know when I was a kid in school, I would say things that weren`t necessarily true because they sounded exciting or something.

But I have to wonder as a recovering alcoholic, I wonder could there be an addiction element here? Could there perhaps be a sex addiction? I don`t know. But I`m just throwing it out as a possibility.

Now, here`s another question for -- that`s very good for psycho- babbling. Why aren`t the alleged victim and his parents pressing charges? The ladies on "The View" talked all about this. And here`s what they had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARBARA WALTERS, CO-HOST, "THE VIEW": If he didn`t mind and the family doesn`t mind, then --

ELISABETH HASSELBECK, CO-HOST, "THE VIEW": Hang on -- what it --

JOY BEHAR, CO-HOST, "THE VIEW": Imagine it was the reverse. Is that what you were going to say?

HASSELBECK: Exactly.

BEHAR: Go ahead.

HASSELBECK: Would we feel this way if it was a 16-year-old girl and a male football player/teacher? Would we say, well, she didn`t mind? Would we then think that in that case? Well, how does a 16-year-old girl know what she minds when she`s being tempted, say, perchance, by a 26-year-old - -

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Ok, Dr. Jeff Gardere, clinical psychologist. The age of consent in Kentucky is 16; the boy was 16, she was 26. However, there are huge psychological impacts to a boy in this situation. This is a woman in a position of power. She was a teacher.

JEFF GARDERE, CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST: That`s right. And allegedly what she did was she abused the power that she had which would cause all sorts of issues of trust in this young person.

What we know in these kinds of cases where the teachers who happen to be female, maybe physically accosting or sexually abusing these underage boys, at first the boys, the typical pattern is maybe they feel that they hit lotto, they`re really lucky, they`re the talk of the school. They scored with this beautiful, older woman.

But eventually what we see is that these boys become emotionally damaged, they begin to lose their friends. They become a center of attention that they don`t need, and then they start confusing love with abuse. And that is not healthy for them. And they do suffer, believe me, they do.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: And we`ve covered so many of these stories. A teacher accused of abusing her power and allegedly preying on male students. Here are a couple of examples. Teacher Katherine Murray allegedly caught in bed with her student by his little brother. That`s her.

What about the infamous Debra Lefevre, accused of having sex with a 14-year-old student, in one instance in the back seat of a car while another person drove? Listen to that victim`s mom talk about Debra`s sentence.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don`t think they took my son into consideration at all through this plea agreement. On one hand he says he is appalled about the teacher and the child and the molestation because of the person in trust. And then on the other hand in his statement, hey, he`s 16 years old. He was 14 when this happened. It`s not like he`s under 12 years old.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Lisa quickly because this involves a boy, are people in that community taking it less seriously?

WELLS: They are. There`s definitely a double standard that people are associating with this case. I`ve never heard before where there would be a female student and male teacher and people would saying, why are we bothering prosecuting this?

I mean the fact of the matter is, because she`s a hot NFL cheerleader, a lot of people think that she shouldn`t be prosecuted despite the fact that she broke the law.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, I have to say, having interviewed people who have -- boys who have had sex with their teachers, I can tell you that they have told me that it totally messed with their lives. That nothing was ever as exciting, that it set a bar in terms of their interpersonal relationships that could never be reached again. And that caused them to deviate into all sorts of other behaviors. So it does have an impact.

All right. Fascinating story.

And coming up, a woman who says she is just so beautiful that she can`t function in life. And it`s affecting her --

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: A lot of people say to me it`s boring just to eat your veggies. Au contraire. Take a look at this. I`m in a food co-op. These are beets, and you`ve got snow peas, brussel sprouts. Ooh, you got green butter lettuce. Ooh! Take a look at this, black kale. And how about this one -- this is purple kale.

And when you start treating vegetables as an adventure and exploring all the many different kinds of vegetables that there are you`ll realize that, hey, it`s not just potatoes.

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(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Why hate me for being beautiful? Those are the words of Samantha Brick.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That set up a blizzard of e-mail and Twitter comments that quickly turned ugly.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I`m tall. I`m slim, blonde. I`m often told a good-looking woman. Other women hate me for no other reason than my lovely looks.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: This is so funny. Tonight: a global uproar over a woman who wrote an article complaining about how tough her life is because she`s just so drop-dead gorgeous. Or is she just drop-dead vain? A headline that has millions, and I mean millions tweeting to shreds quote, "There are downsides to being pretty. Why women hate me for being beautiful."

That column for the "Daily Mail" ignited a worldwide firestorm. Now, here`s the author, journalist Samantha Brick. Take a good look at her. All right. What do you think? Ok, right, ok?

Listen to how she describes herself, quote, "I`m tall, slim, blonde, and so often I`m told a good-looking woman. Women hate me for no other reason than my lovely looks," end quote. Well, when you say that, you are asking for big trouble. And boy, did she get it -- thousands of emails, millions of angry tweet.

But she didn`t back down. Listen to her in her own words firing back to the "Birmingham Mail".

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

SAMANTHA BRICK, JOURNALIST: Women are prejudiced against women who do look good. And that has personally been my experience. I have been attacked for daring to suggest that I might be, you know, halfway attractive."

(END AUDIO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Is Samantha Brick really breathtakingly beautiful or is she breathtakingly in need of attention? Call me, 1-877-JVM-SAYS.

With me, two of the snarkiest -- and I say that in a complimentary way -- columnists that we know here in New York. We begin with Michael Musto, "Village Voice" and blogger of DailyMusto.com. Take it away. I just want to let you go with it.

MICHAEL MUSTO, VILLAGE VOICE: Jane, I have been plagued with the same problem. It`s tortured me everywhere I go. People are jealous. I go off into a room and they`re running out. They can`t deal with my beauty. And I don`t know who to talk to -- no, I`m kidding.

Jane before we get vicious on this one, first of all, let me say I appreciate the fact that I think she`s being honest about her feelings. Whether or not we think she`s beautiful, she`s reacting to the way she sees people react to her.

I read Marilyn Monroe`s memoirs -- not that this woman is Marilyn Monroe.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: She`s not Marilyn Monroe --

(CROSSTALK)

MUSTO: She`s not even Cindy Crawford.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: -- by any means.

MUSTO: But she -- she had the same problem where women are wondering what`s she up to and trying to keep her away from their men. I would say get a better man maybe.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: You know what this reminds me? I do have a friend and I love her, but she`s always kind of going like this -- you`ll have to show me for a second. She`s always going like it, like -- look at this. Look at this. And everybody`s always kind of like, really? Like, he turned down this. And I`m like, ok, whatever. Ok, here`s --

MUSTO: And that`s trivializing the rest of her.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Exactly. Exactly. You turn down this? Here`s more of what Samantha wrote in her original column about how stunning she is. Quote, "I`ve been dropped by countless friends who felt threatened if I was merely in the presence of their other halves." Plus she also writes that, "Insecure female bosses have also barred me from promotions at work."

But listen to some of these angry responses on Twitter. Quote, I`ve heard of beer goggles. Samantha Brick would appear to possess a beer mirror."

And then there`s this one, "Oh, Samantha Brick, shall I compare thee to a summer`s day? Or would you like to do it yourself?"

And finally, quote, "I glanced at the Samantha Brick piece and know it`s about a very beautiful woman. But who is the woman in the photograph accompanying it?"

All right. Take it away, Rob Shuter, "Naughty but Nice".

ROB SHUTER, "NAUGHTY BUT NICE" COLUMNIST: In Samantha`s defense, we do not know what she looks like in person. Maybe she just doesn`t take a very good picture. She could be absolutely beautiful in person. The camera might let her down.

MUSTO: Like Anne Ramsey.

SHUTER: Yes.

MUSTO: She was a beaut in person.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Maybe it`s like pheromones. Maybe she`s wear some kind perfume that -- you have to sniff to really know how attractive she is.

SHUTER: I come from the same place as Samantha, Birmingham, and I can say Birmingham ladies, she`s one of the best I`ve seen.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Don`t go anywhere.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: More of that stunningly, breathtakingly beautiful Samantha Brick in a moment. But first, here is something else to laugh about.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(BABY LAUGHING)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRICK: A lot of women have taken umbrage (inaudible) I might have been given flowers just like that. But that doesn`t happen every week. It might happen once a year.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: That is Samantha Brick, her interview with the "Birmingham Mail" and she wrote a follow up column after the firestorm of criticism where she told her detractors, "Well, they`ve simply prove my point. Their level of anger only underlines that no one in this world is more reviled than a pretty woman."

She cannot stop herself. I mean, maybe there`s like a pretty woman anonymous she can go to. Wendy Murphy, we know you as a former prosecutor, a law professor, and starting today a former NFL cheerleader -- and I think we`re going to throw your photo up in a second again, any excuse to put that picture of you as a former cheerleader.

MURPHY: Cool.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: There you are. Oh, my gosh. What do you make of this woman? Is she just cuckoo for cocoa puffs or what?

MURPHY: You know, I think there probably is something that`s a little loose. But for being so honest to not even consider the possibility that maybe people don`t like her because she`s, I don`t know, vain. How does she not have any insight about that? I don`t get her. I don`t get this whole storyline.

Although I do think super beautiful women probably do experience some of the things she wrote about. I`ll give her that.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right. If you want to see really a beauty, ok, how about Marilyn Monroe? Ok. Watch this from United Artists and YouTube.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(MARILYN MONROE SINGING)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Ok, are there`s an example from "Some Like It Hot" real beauty. And now, here is Angelina Jolie. Even though she is stunning, I think we can all agree, when she did this "I`m so beautiful" move, Michael, the world just attacked her, too.

MUSTO: Well, this is part of a trend, you`re right. Actually it started in the `80s with that Kelly LeBrock commercial, "don`t hate me because I`m beautiful". And the whole world hated for saying that. I despised her.

But yes, you`re right. Angelina is doing that "look at me world, I`m fabulous" thing. I disagree that she`s stunning. That leg weighs about ten pounds. And I think the Olsen twins took a bite of it. It was the real hunger games.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Oh, my gosh.

SHUTER: What`s interesting, though, about these two beauties, Marilyn and even Angelina have both said they doubt their looks and both have terrible insecurities about how good they really look. So maybe the most beautiful women are the ones that don`t actually know they`re that gorgeous.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Wow, listen, insecurity, I can relate to that.

MUSTO: But insecurity is sexy.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Really? No. I think vulnerability is sexy. Don`t you think like Marilyn Monroe projected that vulnerability?

MUSTO: If that were true, I wouldn`t be so alone. By the way that sound of Marilyn just made me straight.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: I can`t say the same thing.

MUSTO: And I`m hungry, too, where`s Angelina?

VELEZ-MITCHELL: When you think of a pretty woman, you think of Julia Roberts, right, and the whole thing was based on "Pretty Woman". Why are we so obsessed with women`s looks? You don`t see men walking around going, "I`m pretty, I`m beautiful", even when they`re handsome. They often try to play down their looks by walking around with stubble the way you do, Rob Shuter.

SHUTER: I think though things are changing. "People" magazine imagine their sexiest man alive, so maybe us men are in for it too?

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, what do you think, are you going for sexiest man? I think these guys are very sexy because nothing is sexier to me than funny and they`re funny. More on the other side.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(EXCERPT FROM "WEST SIDE STORY")

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right. The classic "West Side Story". Back to our writer, Samantha Brick, who I`m now calling Samantha Brick house, do we feel sorry for her at all, Michael?

MUSTO: A little bit. And I`ll give her something for her honesty because I hate when supermodels are interviewed, how does it feel to be beautiful? I`m not beautiful. Yes, you are. Yes, you are. Shut up.

(CROSSTALK)

MUSTO: But she`s saying that she radiates something that people do react to.

SHUTER: No sympathy from me, I`m afraid. I think this woman is so silly. I want to hang out with her. I want to be best friends with her. She makes me laugh out loud.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: I can`t hang out with her because she threatens me so deeply. I really feel a lot of anger towards her because her beauty is just overwhelming me to the point where I can`t even think.

Nancy Grace is next.

END