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Jane Velez-Mitchell
Single Mom, 31, Vanishes After Leaving Work; New Information that Colorado Massacre Suspect was Troubled
Aired August 30, 2012 - 19:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That show starts right now.
JIM MORET, HOST: I`m Jim Moret, in for my friend, Jane Velez- Mitchell.
A young mother walks out of work and seemingly into thin air. She`s been missing one week, and police have no leads. Was Crystal Morrison the victim of foul play? I`ll talk exclusively with her family tonight.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MORET (voice-over): Tonight, where is Crystal Prentice? The 31-year- old mother vanished without a trace after leaving work a week ago. Could calls she made right before leaving be the clue authorities need to find her? Cops are searching for any sign of the North Carolina woman as her family pleads for her safe return. And they join me live tonight.
And new information surfaces about movie theater shooting suspect James Holmes. New reports claim the 24-year-old was rejected from a grad school program, with the admissions board saying he should not be accepted under any circumstances. Was there something alarming in his paperwork?
Plus the victims` families speak out for the first time since the deadly shooting. Hear what they had to say tonight.
Then it`s like a story pulled right out of a Hollywood movie. A 17- year-old boy busted in a Florida hospital for practicing medicine without a license. Cops say the teen showed up in scrubs and talked his way into working with patients, going as far as performing CPR on someone. Tonight we`re going inside the trial for the accused fake teen doctor.
Plus Lindsay Lohan grabbing headlines again. Just when it seems like the starlet is getting back on her feet, more accusations surface. This time an alleged unpaid hotel bill that tops $40,000. Claims of stealing. And now a very famous and now very trashed movie trailer once used by Elizabeth Taylor. Was Lindsay caught in the wrong place at the wrong time? We`ll talk to the owner of that trailer tonight.
RICK MORRISON, MISSING WOMAN`S FATHER: It really never hits home until it happens to you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MORET: I`m Jim Moret from "Inside Edition," filling in for Jane Velez-Mitchell, my friend, here in Los Angeles.
A single mom vanishes without a trace, leaving her family desperate for answers. Where is 31-year-old Crystal Morrison? Her father and sister are my exclusive guests tonight.
Crystal was last seen one week ago today as she left her office near Charlotte, North Carolina. Her dad reported her missing the very next day after she missed an appointment. So far police have not found anything to indicate foul play. They told us they don`t have any leads to go on at all.
Crystal has an 8-year-old son. She has no history of mental illness or being suicidal. When she vanished, she had her purse and I.D. with her, but she does not have a cell phone nor a car. That could potentially make the search for her even more difficult.
Straight out now to my exclusive guest, Crystal`s dad, Rick Morrison, and sister, Michelle Carey. First, our hearts go out to both of you. Thank you both very much for joining us tonight. How are you doing?
MORRISON: We`re holding up. We`re thankful for everyone`s participation and prayers and well wishes. But, you know, under these circumstances, we`re doing the best we can.
MORET: How is Crystal`s son doing?
MICHELLE CAREY, SISTER: For our sister.
MORET: I`m sure...
MORRISON: He`s fine. He`s safe. He`s in an environment -- he`s in an environment that he`s quite safe and well taken care of. And he knows his mom`s missing or -- and that people are looking for her, but he doesn`t know the whole story and he doesn`t need to know at this age.
MORET: Mr. Morrison, her son is 8 years old. Was he at home at the time? Because I understand you reported her missing the next day. Was her son not at home?
MORRISON: Yes, the son actually was home with some friends of hers where she was staying. And the son actually got the phone call to take it out to the other friend. And the son gave that gentleman a -- the phone and basically it was Crystal calling and asking to come pick her up, that she was sick and she couldn`t get up with her boyfriend at the time.
MORET: And any -- any indication -- I know the police have said no indication of foul play. Michelle, what is your gut feeling? Is your gut feeling telling you that your sister would not simply wander off?
CAREY: Yes, that is absolutely our gut feeling. You know, the truth is that we are working very closely with the Concord, North Carolina, Police Department, and we want -- we absolutely want Crystal to come home. But, no, she`s never had a history of this, and she loves her son more than anything else.
MORET: Let`s give our viewers a little insight. Crystal has blond hair, blue eyes. She`s about 5`4", 100 pounds. She has two tattoos. Her son`s name, Kyson, is on the back of her neck. And there is a swirling design on her lower back. Crystal uses medication, an inhaler to treat asthma.
Mr. Morrison, how serious is her asthma? Did she have medication with her, and how long would that last?
MORRISON: The -- she -- her asthma is very serious. She does need her inhaler. She`s on a regimen of -- there`s secondary inhalers that help her maintain or prevent. And from what I understand, she did not have a lot left in her inhaler. So it wasn`t like she had...
MORET: So how many days -- how many days would you think she would have, sir? How many days of medication would she have?
MORRISON: I would be guessing -- I would say three days to seven days.
MORET: So what are you doing now? Are you -- are you in contact with the police?
MORRISON: Yes, sir. In fact, an hour before we came on the show tonight, the Concord Police Sergeant Sealy (ph) called and basically gave us the update: following clues, canvassing.
I`ve got to say, once the Concord police got started on this the way they should have, they have been on it heavy every day. Two detectives assigned to it.
You know, I guess their biggest challenge is building the time line of her not having a car, like you said, and the cell phone being dead. It`s made it very difficult.
But I will tell you they have followed up every lead, and they`ve helped us with Crimestoppers, the $1,000 reward and so on, so forth.
MORET: Mr. Morrison, I just want to be clear. We`d reported she did not have a cell phone. You just said her cell phone was dead. Did she have a phone?
MORRISON: She had a phone, but it had been turned off. That is correct, sir.
MORET: OK, good. Because I couldn`t really understand how a parent could not have a cell phone. This at least, in my understanding.
Michelle, based upon what you know, is there anything in Crystal`s life that you know of, Michelle, that gave you pause and when she went missing you thought this sounds -- this sounds bad to me?
CAREY: No. And you know, I know you talked earlier, Jim, about the phone call in particular. But I will tell you, you know, we`ve -- the police have listened to the phone call. They`ve talked to us about it. And she even sounds -- she sounds like she doesn`t feel well, but she`s not upset. She`s not those type of things.
And I`m going to kind of go back to another answer, what are we doing? I also want to thank -- we have an extensive realm of social media: the picture and tweets, et cetera, are pushing around 25,000 shares on different Web sites. And that`s what`s helped us get her name out there. It hasn`t led to any leads, but we know she`s out there and we know people know what`s going on. And we just want our sister and daughter home.
MORET: And let`s go very quickly, Jon Lieberman, HLN contributor. Jon, these cases are always so frustrating for investigators. This one in particular, there`s no cell phone ping to go on, and apparently not much more evidence.
JON LIEBERMAN, HLN CONTRIBUTOR: Well, you`re right, Jim. It is very frustrating. And police right now are looking for any surveillance video. They`re trying to put together a time line. They`re talking to anybody who knew Crystal. Crystal is not the type of person to just wander away.
Two things concern me. I looked at the area. There are a lot of registered sex offenders around the area where she went missing. And where she went missing, it`s right by I-85, which is a main thoroughfare that runs from south -- the South Carolina border to Virginia. So these are all things that police are looking into. And our thoughts and prayers are with this family.
It`s going to take a tip, Jim. It`s going to take somebody to pick up the phone and say they saw Crystal.
MORET: Rick Morrison, I want to give you the last word here in this segment before we go to break. I know that you want to speak out. You`re looking for your daughter. What do you want to say if she`s out there? What do you want people to know?
MORRISON: No matter where you are, what you need, get to some kind of a telephone, some communication, ask for help. We will come get you whatever it takes. We miss you, we love you, your son misses you and loves you.
Please somebody find her out there. This is absolutely the worst thing that a father can go through.
MORET: I can`t even imagine, sir. Rick Morrison and Michelle Carey, the father and sister to Crystal Morrison, we`re going to continue to follow this. Thank you both very much for joining us.
We`ll be back with more right after this. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There were reportedly warning signs Colorado massacre suspect James Holmes might turn violent. This happened before he allegedly went on the deadly rampage at the movie theater.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We`ve got rifles, gas masks. And I`ve got an open door going into the theater. Hold that position. Hold your suspect.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I got seven down in theater nine. Seven down.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The psychiatrist treating James Holmes, the accused Colorado gunman, told her colleagues that Holmes could be a danger to others. Something that he said to his psychiatrist caused her to contact the University of Colorado threat assessment team.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No reaction at all as the judge announced that he had been -- 142 criminal counts had been against him.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A hundred and forty-two counts, including first- degree murder.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What`s happening?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Somebody is shooting in the auditorium.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It is every child`s worst nightmare. Of being in the dark and you have the bad guy come out to get you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MORET: How much was known about accused Colorado massacre shooter James Holmes? Did more than one school consider him a threat, and if so, why was nothing done about it?
Holmes was in court today. Spectators said he seemed more alert than he did in his first court appearance.
Here`s the bombshell. Authorities say Holmes tried to reach out to his psychiatrist just nine minutes before the shooting. That`s incredible new information about this relationship with the university psychiatrist.
That psychiatrist, Dr. Lynne Fenton, testified today as she hinted that Holmes may have voluntarily wanted to stop treatment.
Holmes was getting his Ph.D. from the University of Colorado. We now know that he was rejected from the University of Iowa in the strongest possible terms. Quote, "Do not offer admission under any circumstances." That is what the official university document said, according to "The Denver Post."
And in an e-mail exchange between two admission officers, only Holmes was rejected as a potential student. That happened just last year. While last month, a gunman tore through a movie theater firing into a crowd leaving 12 dead, 58 injured. Listen to this eyewitness report.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It almost seemed like fun to him honestly. It just seemed like a game to him, like it was just some -- some big plot, and I`m pretty sure he planned the whole thing out. But honestly, it just seemed like one big scheme to him and he was just having fun, just killing innocent children and moms and dads.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MORET: Where were the warning signs? Call me at 1-877-JVM-SAYS; 1- 877-586-7297.
Straight out now to CNN correspondent Ted Rowlands, who is in Colorado. Ted, you were in court today. What happened when the psychiatrist testified?
TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Jim, the bombshell -- you just talked about it -- was when we understood that James Holmes made a phone call to a main university number that his psychiatrist had just testified would have been the way to get a hold of her after hours. He made that phone call nine minutes before he started shooting.
So nine minutes before he started to shoot those innocent people in that theater and change hundreds of lives forever, he was making a phone call to the main university number. And possibly -- we don`t know this for sure -- he was possibly trying to get a hold of his psychiatrist.
One only wonders what would have happened, had he been successful and if, indeed, that is what he was trying to do.
It was really a mind-blowing portion, like you said, in this hearing today. The hearing itself has been continued because there are more witnesses. At issue here is this notebook that Holmes sent the day before the shooting to his psychiatrist, who the psychiatrist found out about this notebook from the defense attorney. So Holmes must have told them right away.
They called the psychiatrist on the 22nd and said, "Hey, you`re going to get a package. We want you to go intercept it and give it back to us, give it back to James Holmes."
The prosecution desperately wants this package. The defense is hoping that they can`t get it using the doctor/client privilege and the judge has yet to rule on it. They`re going to have some more witnesses. The next hearing is September 20.
But, again, the bombshell, Jim, was the fact that he made this phone call to the university main number and possibly, we don`t know for sure, but possibly was trying to get a hold of the psychiatrist just nine minutes before he started to shoot.
MORET: And Ted, when you talk about the notebook sent to the psychiatrist, is that the same psychiatrist that he tried to call?
ROWLANDS: He may have tried to call, yes. This is Dr. Lynne Fenton. She was on the stand for quite a considerable time today. And one of the interesting things is that Holmes turned and looked at her when she first walked in and in the two hearings that I`ve covered and talking to other reporters who have been to all of them, this was the most engaged he seemed, watching her take the stand and listening.
There was a joke told in court. This was the first time he`s laughed. He seemed to really be with. Very lucid today in court. Maybe more so than other court appearances and certainly more so than that first court appearance that we saw that had video of him just sort of blinking his eyes and looking around like he didn`t know where he was.
MORET: And Ted, when you talk about this bombshell, what was the mood in and around the courthouse when this news broke?
TODD: Well, it was a hearing. It was a packed courtroom. And, you know, I think everybody -- nobody interrupted or said anything because no one was going to break up the decorum in the courtroom. But it was clearly, you know, something that made people think just to think that he was making a phone call.
And we have heard through witness testimony that some people said they saw him appearing to make a phone call before the shooting started. But to think that he could have possibly been trying to call his psychiatrist, you know, it makes you think what would have happened if he was trying to do that and if he could have gotten a hold of her, would anything have changed. Who knows.
MORET: That`s a dramatic development. That`s Ted Rowlands, CNN correspondent reporting live from Colorado. We`ll pick up more on this topic on the other side of the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Soon at the movie started, somebody came in, all black, gas mask, armor, and threw a gas can into the audience. And it went off and then there was gunshots that took place.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MORET: Welcome back to JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL. I`m Jim Moret from "Inside Edition," filling in today for Jane.
We`re following the James Holmes trial. This is the alleged Colorado shooter at the movie theater.
Let`s go to Michelle Suskauer, criminal defense attorney, joining us from our Miami studio.
Michelle, when you hear this bombshell delivered in court in this hearing that he may have tried, just nine minutes before this shooting, to reach out to a university psychiatrist, what are you thinking as a defense attorney?
MICHELLE SUSKAUER, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Well, I think that that significantly, significantly helps the defense here. Because they are utilizing what is clearly the insanity defense, and in Colorado, it`s very unusual. The state actually has to prove that he`s sane. And right before these shootings, he was trying to call his psychiatrist.
There`s also a fight back and forth about the notebook that he sent with some very detailed information as to who was going to get their hands on that. So it`s really going to be a battle of the experts here.
So it`s very, very important and I think it`s very helpful to the defense that he was trying to call his psychiatrist right before he committed these terrible crimes. So I think it`s very helpful.
MORET: OK, I just want to point out, we believe that he was trying to reach out to his psychiatrist. We don`t know this for sure. I`m sure that more information will come forward as the hearings progress.
Jon Lieberman, HLN contributor in New York. Look, I`m an attorney, but as a reporter, I`m also a cynic. And I`m thinking to myself if the state is alleging that this man planned this -- this shooting, then what better scenario than to allegedly try to call my psychiatrist thinking, "Wait a minute, I`m studying the mind here. I can use this later as a defense"?
LIEBERMAN: Absolutely, Jim. I mean, and that`s what the prosecution is going to say. You hit the nail on the head.
The other interesting thing that came out today and also in the documents is Dr. Fenton says that June 11 was the last meeting she had with James Holmes. And then right after the meeting, she claims she went to campus police to kind of raise a red flag about something having to do with James Holmes.
And then the next day, June 12, Holmes is denied access to the school after he made threats to a professor, and then right after that, he subsequently decides to pull out of school. So we`re starting it to see to see this time line of who knew what when, and it`s extremely interesting and important to the case.
MORET: Michelle Suskauer in Miami, if in fact James Holmes sent a notebook to the psychiatrist, how critical is that going to be in this case? In about 25 seconds or less.
SUSKAUER: I think it`s very critical. The judge is going to have to decide whether this is a psychotherapist patient privilege and the defense is going to get it. But there`s some very -- there could be some very explosive things in that notebook. So very crucial.
MORET: And clearly we`re at the beginning stages of this, what is probably going to be a very long case. We will, of course, continue to follow it on this show and other shows on HLN and CNN.
Thank you to both of my guests. I`m Jim Moret, filling in for Jane. We`ll be back with more right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Police say that this teenager pretended to be a physician`s assistant for a week and worked on patients in Kissimmee, Florida. And one year later, Matthew Scheidt goes on trial.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This time he allegedly posed as a cop here on Miami Beach. It`s not the first time this kid`s been charged with posing as something he`s not.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Matthew, did you treat patients at the hospital?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Police say the completely untrained Scheidt even gave physical exams to patients before being found out.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MORET: Tonight how did a teenaged boy deceive an entire hospital and treat patients as a physician`s assistant for more than a week? I`m Jim Moret filling in for my friend, Jane Velez-Mitchell, all week.
Just hours ago, a jury convicted then-17-year-old Matthew Scheidt of posing as a physician`s assistant, wearing surgical scrubs, even treating patients.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did you treat patients at the hospital?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MORET: He faced five felony counts of impersonating a physician`s assistant and then practicing medicine without a license. All of that could put him behind bars until he is 43. Remember he`s how just 18.
Scheidt`s defense says that the mix-up happened when the hospital gave him the wrong credentials on his I.D. badge. The hospital, meanwhile, is pointing the finger at Scheidt so that they don`t get in trouble.
Did the jury make the right call? What do you think? Call me at 1- 877-JVM-SAYS; 1-877-586-7297.
Straight out to Alexei Millado. She is the trials editor for "In Session." You were in court today. Tell us. This is obviously very dramatic case, and there was drama in the courtroom today, as well.
ALEXEI MILLADO, TRIALS EDITOR, "IN SESSION": Yes, Jim, good evening. Yes,, absolutely. We`re here in Kissimmee just outside of Orlando which is, you know, the home to Disney World. And it`s almost fitting that we are in the world of fantasy, because that`s exactly what prosecutors claim that Matthew Scheidt was: in a fantasy world for about a week or more than a week at this E.R. at Osceola Regional Medical Center here.
And he was charged with actually getting this badge from the hospital from Human Resources and then the hospital will admit that they messed up and gave him this wrong badge identifying Matthew as a PA. And he proceeded for the next several days working the night shift in the ER alongside real nurses, posing himself as a PA or a PA student -- physician`s assistant student -- and treating patients. He even -- he even did CPR on a patient having cardiac arrest. So he was --
MORET: Wow. Aletsi -- Aletsi, were you able to see his reaction? Was he or were his defense lawyers shocked by this jury verdict?
MILLADO: I have to tell Jim, actually, they were. I had been talking to the family. They were hoping for the best, but their reaction to that verdict was very, very emotional -- crying, wailing, sobbing, hugs. And Matthew himself was very despondent -- tears streaming down his face, red face. I think he started to understand the seriousness of what he is facing now as sentencing comes up here in November in just a few months.
MORET: Jon Leiberman, when you hear this story, you know, it`s hard to believe -- this kid is obviously quite intelligent to be able to pull this off. And you can only imagine, he`s now 18 -- he was 17 when this occurred. But looking at spending most of his best years behind bars is just a stunning, stunning development.
JON LEIBERMAN, HLN CONTRIBUTOR: Oh, yes. I mean on the four counts, he could get 20 years behind bars and he had an answer it for everything. He even carried around, according to testimony, medical books and he downloaded apps on his phone so that he could talk in appropriate medical technology -- medical terminology, rather, when patients would want to speak to him. So that`s how far this guy went and again, he had an answer for everything.
At first I believe he said that he was a fully licensed PA. But then some people around there didn`t believe that, so he said, "Well, I`m studying to be it, I`m actually a PA student," so he had an answer for everything. He walked around with his stethoscope and his lab coat on. And one other thing Jim, quickly, the prosecution called two dozen witnesses, his defense called one witness. So the writing was kind of on the wall there.
MORET: Now, listen to this, cops say Scheidt has been scamming people since he was 13 years old. He allegedly lied about his age to volunteer at a different hospital. He was discovered when a staff allegedly caught him carrying a stethoscope and introducing himself as a nurse to patients.
And then months after he was arrested for pretending to be a physician`s assistant -- listen to this -- he was picked up by police for allegedly pretending to be an undercover cop. Now, all of this sounds like rather dangerous behavior.
Michelle Suskauer, criminal defense attorney in Miami -- as I say, he sounds like a very intelligent kid, clearly misguided and we can`t overlook the fact that if you`re pretending to be a physician`s assistant and treating patients, this could have been potentially deadly as well.
MICHELLE SUSKAUER, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: It could have been, but it wasn`t. He was also 17 when it happened. And even though he was convicted as an adult, down here in Florida, he could still be sentenced as a juvenile. So I think that`s very significant. No one was hurt. I`m not saying that a crime was not committed and a jury found that crimes were committed here. But thank God no one was injured.
So the question is how can you best protect society? Not by sending him to prison. This wasn`t a violent offense. But by treating him as a juvenile and getting him obviously some help that he needs and making sure that, you know, he can have a life and hopefully not be a convicted felon as a result of this. Because no one was --
MORET: So, Michelle, if you`re his attorney and you say, ok, fine, he`s convicted as an adult, sentence him as a juvenile, what do you think is an appropriate sentence in this case?
SUSKAUER: Well, I think certainly probation. This is someone who should have some hoops that he has to jump through. So he should obviously have a psychiatric evaluation, follow recommendations for treatment. That I think is the main factor. And if you really feel that he`s a danger to society, put him on house arrest so he has to stay at home. Let him go to school, let him actually get a degree and don`t convict him. This is someone who is intelligent who shouldn`t be thrown away and should have a life.
So that`s how I would -- if I were the court.
(CROSSTALK)
MORET: Now, Jon Leiberman, you`re not an attorney, but you`ve been following this story. You`ve been following other bizarre cases -- I can`t think of anything more strange than this one.
LEIBERMAN: Yes.
MORET: Let`s face it, this kid for four and a half years has been pulling off scam after scam, putting himself -- he`s not saying he`s an auto mechanic, he`s saying he`s a doctor or a physician`s assistant treating patients. I respect what Michelle is saying, but I would argue -- take the flip side for me.
LEIBERMAN: Well, here`s the flip side, Jim. And I respect her argument, too. But this is a guy who`s posting on Facebook "Loving the ER." He is flaunting the fact that he is now pulling a fast one over on everybody else. And here`s the flip side Jim, the flip side is luckily nobody got hurt. Luckily when he did CPR on the person having a heart attack, you know, that person didn`t die. Luckily when he`s accused of posing as a police officer, you know, there wasn`t a gun involved. No shots were fired.
But what happens when things go wrong and somebody does get hurt. So I believe a message has to be sent to this young. I don`t think anybody is saying lock him away for 20 year, but I think a message has to be sent that, A, you just can`t do this, people believe when they go to a hospital that they are getting treatment, that they`re getting help. People believe when they ask a cop for help that they`re getting help. People don`t think they`re going to get hoodwinked.
MORET: And if you think this sounds familiar, it is very similar to the movie "Catch Me If You Can", starring Leonardo di Caprio. His character even impersonates a doctor. Watch this from YouTube.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LEONARDO DI CAPRIO, ACTOR: Gentlemen, what seems to be the problem?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Bicycle accident. Fractured tibia about five inches below (inaudible).
DI CAPRIO: Dr. Harris, do you concur?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Concur with what, sir?
DI CAPRIO: With what Dr. Ashland just said. Do you concur?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MORET: Ok. The problem is this wasn`t a movie, this was real life.
Patty who`s calling from Milwaukee, what`s your comment or question?
PATTY, MILWAUKEE (via telephone): That was just my comment before you brought this up. I bet you this kid got this from this movie. And my comment is this -- it`s that the laws are not strong enough. A lot of people that are sentenced in court for serious things like murder maybe for 25 years or more, they get out early for good behavior.
And the police, you know, most of the time the police are not firm enough and really pushing the issue. I have a son who drives illegally with no license and all they do is keep giving him the same ticket. That makes no sense.
(CROSSTALK)
MORET: Patty, thank you so much -- thank you so much for your call. We appreciate your comment. And thank you to our guests.
Time now for the "Shocking Video" of the day courtesy of my show, "Inside Edition"; let`s see what it is. Here are early images of the aftermath of Hurricane Isaac. Flooding has ravaged parts of the Gulf Coast as rescue crews continue to help those trapped in these flooded areas. Thousands more are dealing with the loss of power as they try now to pick up the pieces.
Stay with HLN for all of the latest on this recovery. It will clearly be weeks in the making.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MORET: And here is your "Viral Video of the Day".
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Lindsey Lohan now setting the record straight, possibly trashing a 50-year-old piece of memorabilia connected to Elizabeth Taylor.
LINDSAY LOHAN, ACTRESS: As far as I knew, I was being in compliance with my program.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Her lifestyle may be getting close to being out of control.
LOHAN: That`s how it comes together for me and it`s great.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Arrested on suspicion of DUI.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Preliminary investigation are it`s illegal narcotics.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She`s a big star. She`s trying to get back on track, but with a troubled past like that, what can she expect from those around her?
LOHAN: I wasn`t expecting any special treatment. And I wasn`t, you know, I wasn`t missing the classes. I wouldn`t do anything like that. I was working.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The sad part is given Lindsay`s history, as you say Jim, we`ve come to expect this type of drama from her.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MORET: Another day, another legal battle for Lindsay Lohan. Did she trash the one-time home of her idol, Elizabeth Taylor? Lilo, say it isn`t so. Look at this. These are the remains of Liz Taylor`s famous love nest trailer. This is where she stayed while filming the movie "Cleopatra". That love nest is now owned by a private collector and I will speak to her in just a moment.
So who had access to the trailer? Lindsay is currently starring as Elizabeth Taylor in the Lifetime movie, "Liz and Dick". The trailer was being rented out to the movie for one week. And during that week, people who worked on the movie had access to it including Lindsay Lohan.
The damage to the trailer is estimated -- get this -- at least $100,000. Antique dishes, mirrors shattered. At least one item, a priceless rocking chair used by Elizabeth Taylor disappeared completely. Could it have been Lindsay who tore this place apart? We do know that she can act wild and crazy. Watch this scene from "Mean Girls".
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LOHAN: Regina was dangling Erin in front of me on purpose. I knew how this would be settled in the animal world.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MORET: Now, in fairness, that is just a movie. Ok. But what do you think? Give me a call, 1-877-JVM-SAYS, 1-877-586-7297.
I`m joined now by the owner of that love nest Angel Alger, who you bought this and it was on the condition that it was already leased out or rented to this movie company.
ANGEL ALGER, OWNER OF TRAILER: To the movie company.
MORET: And you were expecting to get it back in pristine condition.
ALGER: That`s what I was told. I was told it would come back in better shape than when I gave it to them. I was told they needed color swatches so that they could get the paint right and they wanted it to be in original condition for the movie.
MORET: And we call it a love nest. This was the trailer that 20th Century Fox built for Elizabeth Taylor during the movie "Cleopatra". They had a lot riding on this movie. Elizabeth Taylor was not remembering her lines because she was involved with Richard Burton, right?
ALGER: Exactly. She was falling madly it in love and that`s why they call it the love nest.
MORET: Our director asked me a question before we started, why would you buy this trailer with your, as I understand, your life savings, right?
ALGER: Right. It`s a great question. I mean, I found out about this. I was trying to save money for a down payment for a house, but I found out about this and I thought this is the most unique thing, it would be such an honor and privilege to own something by Elizabeth Taylor who I idolized. She`s a legend and a humanitarian. I love what she stands for.
MORET: You didn`t get to enjoy it long though.
ALGER: I only had a few hours -- I had a few hours to -- her hairbrush was sitting there. The rocker was sitting there. I sat in the pink vanity chair. And I only had it a few hours because then -- well, the next day, they took it to the studios.
MORET: And very briefly, because we`re going to have to take a break but we`re going to come back for more. How shocked were you when you walked into that trailer for the first time when it came back?
ALGER: I was shocked. I was -- I couldn`t believe this would happen, that somebody would destroy a piece of history, a treasure of Hollywood. I was horrified.
MORET: And was it destroyed?
ALGER: It was badly damaged. Things were missing. There was trash on the floor. The curtains were torn down. It was just tragic. It`s tragic that such a treasure and this museum piece could be, you know --
MORET: Lost forever.
ALGER: So mistreated. Lost forever.
MORET: Ok. We`re going to go over some of the alleged damage done to this trailer by Lindsay Lohan or her friends.
We`re going to be back with more right after this. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MORET: Time for our "Pets of the day". Send us your pictures, hlntv.com/jane. That`s a weird one.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Actress Lindsay Lohan, she`s in trouble again.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I have to wonder, though, is she taking her sobriety seriously?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Lindsay. Lindsay.
JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL, HLN HOST: Reality check -- she is hitting the party circuit.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MORET: So, is Lindsay Lohan responsible in any way for trashing a trailer once used by Elizabeth Taylor, and used on the production of her film, "Liz & Dick"? We went to Lindsay for comment. This is what her publicist told us. "Lindsay has the utmost respect and administration for Elizabeth Taylor, and any insinuation that she had anything to do with the damage to the trailer is preposterous." He also added, "Lindsay is a student of Liz Taylor`s life."
Alan Duke, CNN wire entertainment editor, you`ve been following -- you broke this story.
ALAN DUKE, CNN WIRE ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR: Right.
MORET: And you`ve been following Lindsay Lohan`s exploits, as have I, and we know that she`s in trouble potentially with the police for issuing a false statement on her most recent car accident and with the hotel for possibly not paying a bill, and on and on and on. This is just the latest.
So when you hear these denials, and then you hear the denial with regard to possibly stealing jewelry, what do you think?
DUKE: I feel sorry for Steve Hoenig (ph), her publicist, who has to deal with calls from us on an almost daily basis. You and I had been in court with Lindsay dozens of times and we`ve seen her around in various things and we`re waiting. When is she going to stop being in these situations? Whether it`s her fault or not, she continually gets herself into situations where her judgment is called into doubt. And this is just another remarkable example.
MORET: Angel Alger, who owns this trailer, now this trashed trailer, has Lindsay or anyone on her staff reached out to you in any way to apologize?
ALGER: No, not at all. The production company hasn`t called me back, you know. I just want to set the record straight. I don`t know for a fact that Lindsay did this.
MORET: And we`re not claiming that Lindsay did it. We`re simply issuing the question --
ALGER: Yes -- the production company has not called me back. They haven`t -- I want to get this resolved.
MORET: Ok. We`re going to talk to you more on the other side of the break and we`re going to go over some of the damage. Stay with us.
More on JVM right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MORET: So will Lindsay Lohan get into trouble for allegedly trashing a trailer that was once used by Elizabeth Taylor, when she was making the movie, "Liz & Dick? You have to remember that Lindsay is still on probation. The trailer`s owner, Angel Alger, was kind enough to join us here on set.
Angel, I`ve been using the word "trashed" and there was property that was stolen, missing, whatever, damaged, but the integrity of the trailer is intact?
ALTER: Yes, that`s -- I need you to understand that, because one reason I bought it was to expand my business. I have a retail business at the Queen Mary, the sunglasses and hats for the tourists. And the tourists want to see a little bit of Hollywood.
MORET: There you go.
ALGER: And this is another reason I bought it. So I -- when I got it back from the studios, I was thinking, oh, great, I can put it right into the venue and let people come and see and they can --
(CROSSTALK)
MORET: And then you saw --
Alger: -- feel this warm, beautiful feeling that I felt when I walked into it, you know, and share it with the world, because it`s been private for 40 years. So now it`s just beginning to be public.
So now it`s going to be restored. It can be restored. There`s beautiful oil pictures, murals, painted, hand-painted from ceiling to floor. And their dressing table is there. You know, it is intact. It`s an ornate --
MORET: I hope that it`s all taken care of. I gave you 40 seconds, you took 50.
Before we go, we want to say a big thank you to Yacov Friedman (ph) a producer and a special member of the JVM team. He is moving on to morning express with Robin Meade. Yacov, it`s not too late, change your mind. Don`t do it. This is a big mistake. Oh, I`m sorry. That wasn`t me talking, that was Jane and all of her staff, because Yacov, they love you. They love you. I don`t know why, but they love you.
And also to Alan Duke, I just want to say, locks of love, my friend, locks of love.
I`m Jim Moret, thank you so much for joining us. And Jane, thank you for letting me fill in. Nancy grace is coming up next. We hope you stay tuned right here to HLN.
Thanks for watching.
END
