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Jane Velez-Mitchell

Did Missing Teen Fall Prey to Sex Traffickers?; Lindsay Lohan`s Trouble with the Law; Latest Stand Your Ground Tragedy

Aired November 29, 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: Tonight, a very disturbing discovery as the parents of a missing 19-year-old search for their precious daughter. Kara Nichols was last seen October 9. Kara vanished without a trace, and now police say her face has suddenly popped up on an ad for escorts out of Las Vegas. Is she being held by sex traffickers? Or could this be a very, very sick hoax? We`re investigating.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

VELEZ-MITCHELL (voice-over): Tonight, startling new information in the search for this missing aspiring model. Nineteen-year-old Kara Nichols vanished month and a half ago without a trace. And now police are investigating the possibility that this is a sex trafficking crime. Did her innocent dream of modeling cause her to fall prey to a dangerous subculture? We`ll talk to a case insider. And we`re taking your calls.

And are the walls closing in on Lindsay Lohan? Early this morning the starlet was arrested in New York for allegedly slugging a woman at a club. And then, just hours ago, Lindsay was charged with three other crimes in California. Will this be the final straw that pushes a judge to revoke her probation and send her to prison?

And we`ve got new information tonight about the Florida man accused of gunning down a teenager in a confrontation over loud music. The lawyer for the alleged shooter, Michael Dunn, says her client left the scene of the shooting because he doesn`t trust police. Now we`re hearing he once flew his plane into restricted air space.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My daughter, Kara, as you can see in the picture, is just a lovely, lovely woman.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: The 19-year-old left her house without her purse and without any cash. But she did take her cell phone. Kara made her last phone call at 11:45 that night, October 9.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It`s not uncommon for law enforcement to not pay initially a lot of attention to adult missing persons cases.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She just could have been anything. She could have had the world at her feet. And to see that she`s missing now is just a crushing blow.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Tonight, a bizarre twist in the desperate search for a gorgeous aspiring model, who`s been missing nearly two months now.

Good evening. I`m Jane Velez-Mitchell, coming to you live.

Nineteen-year-old Kara Nichols vanished October 9 from her Colorado home and have not been seen since. Her parents are understandably frantic. Well now, we have just learned that Kara`s photo suddenly popped up Monday on a Las Vegas escort Web site. But cops say Kara did not put it there. So who did? Is this a cause for hope that she`s alive somewhere or some kind of sick hoax?

Cops have said that Kara`s eagerness to break into the modeling business may have caused her to fall prey to a dangerous subculture. Here`s Kara`s dad talking about the shock of his daughter going missing.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: People would think, you know, "Gosh, this sort of thing doesn`t happen to me." But the truth of the matter is that it can. It can.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Even though Kara`s photo showed up -- this Las Vegas escort Web site put it up there, somehow it got up there -- investigators say they don`t think Kara is in Nevada. So I`m wondering how can they be so sure of that? Nevada`s a big place. And who could the person who posted her photo be? Is that person keeping Kara against her will? Could she be the victim of sex trafficking?

Or was this posted by somebody who knows Kara`s missing and is playing a very, very sick joke? Who would do something like that?

Give me a call: 1-877-JVM-SAYS, 1-877-586-7297.

Straight out to Lieutenant Jeff Kramer of the El Paso County Sheriff`s office in Colorado.

Thank you for joining us, sir. Tell us everything you know about this photo. How did you discover it?

LT. JEFF KRAMER, EL PASO COUNTY SHERIFF`S OFFICE (via phone): We had gained tips a few days ago from folks calling in saying they had seen the ad come up and there was information that Kara might be in the Las Vegas area. After that we did our own research into that ad. And through the investigative efforts of our detectives, they were in fact able to determine that someone had simply used a photo of Kara and Kara was not, in fact, involved with the posting of that ad.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, when you say somebody used a photo, have you determined who that person is? And is that a sick prankster? I mean, the idea -- the mentality of a person who would toy with the emotions of desperate parents and post something like that, it turns my stomach. But there`s also the possibility that this person who posted it knows something about where she is, and maybe it gives us hope that she`s alive.

KRAMER: You know, at this point there`s some uncertainty as to whether or not this was an intentional act to kind of play this trick or hoax, as you mentioned, or if it was some kind of coincidence and it would be her photo rather than someone else that was used for this ad.

It was interesting when we spoke with some officials from the Las Vegas area, some authorities there. They mentioned that it`s not uncommon at all for these escort-type services to simply kind of fish around the Internet, if you will, look for photos such as these to use for their advertisement, hoping to gain calls into their services.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: OK. Well, hours before Kara disappeared she was supposedly with some women. When we spoke to Kara`s parents about a week ago, police were looking for two mystery women who had been with Kara. Let`s listen to Kara`s dad when he appeared on our show.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She spent the day with one of these mystery brunettes. And she was in her room and just hanging out with a friend. And she left later on that evening. And she told her roommate -- one of her roommates that she was going up to Denver.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: OK. And here`s a photo of one of those women that she`d been with. Lieutenant Kramer, did you ever find these women? And what did they say about their last meeting with Kara right before she seemingly vanished into thin air?

KRAMER: We have been able to identify one of those women. And the other remains unidentified. The one that we had a photograph of that I think you have there we were able to positively identify her. She is local to the Colorado Springs area. Our investigators had a chance to speak with her a few days ago.

And it was helpful at least in being able to establish some of the timeline, if you will, that this young lady had spent with Kara a few days prior to her disappearance.

The second brunette female that we did not have a picture of who we believe spent several hours with Kara on the date of her disappearance on October 9, again remains unidentified. We`re still looking to the public for help to identify who that young lady might be. We would love an opportunity to speak with her.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, I know you`re doing everything you can. If you could stand by, Lieutenant Kramer, we want to get some experts -- other people who will offer insight into this mystery development. But we might have other questions for you.

The Denver channel reports the escort classified ad was posted early Monday morning featuring Kara. It showed photos of Kara in provocative poses. And the ad reads, "Hey, I`m Star. I`m the one you`ve been looking for. I love to cater to upscale gentleman who are looking to be treated like a man should be."

The ad had an e-mail link for 702-HOT-GIRL, which is the area code for Las Vegas.

So I want to bring in Tom Shamshak. You`re a private investigator. You`re a former police chief.

We`ve discussed the possibility with police that this could be some very kind of sick joke by some demented individual who knows she`s missing and thinks this is -- playing a hoax. Or this could be somebody who knows her and she may have been lured into the sex trafficking because she aspired to be a model. What are they supposed to do? What should cops do with this ad to track down the truth?

TOM SHAMSHAK, PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR: Jane, the law enforcement authorities should do two things. One, they should confirm the identity of the person who put that ad out there and interview them in great length to find out if there is a relationship with -- with the missing girl.

Secondly, law enforcement should also be scouring the pictures out there trying to link this other woman, identify her, and see what information she may have about Kara`s disappearance -- Jane.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: I want to go to the phone lines. Roger, Ohio, your thought, Roger.

CALLER: Yes, Jane. Great to talk to you. I watch you almost every night.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Wonderful.

CALLER: I called the tip line on this Kara Nichols thing when they showed the woman that was -- they were looking for that was in the picture, I think I recognized her immediately. I believe she`s an adult film star.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Oh, wow.

CALLER: I`ve seen several movies.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right. Well, you never know. And we don`t know whether that`s a hoax.

You know, when you`re dealing with the world of escort services and the adjacent world of pornography, which unfortunately, you have to discuss because we have an innocent missing girl who wanted to be a model, and police believe she may have been lured into this very sick subculture. You don`t know what`s real. You don`t know what`s fake.

I want to bring in Holly Hughes, former prosecutor, criminal defense attorney. How do we separate fact from fiction in this case when this woman`s been missing a month and a half, and suddenly her photo pops up connected to a Las Vegas escort service, which is in turn linked to ads for pornographic film stars?

HOLLY HUGHES, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Jane, you do exactly what the police are doing. You trace every single lead. You leave no stone unturned.

And I`ve heard a couple of things that I just -- from her dad and from the other people talking and what I`m hearing is "It just doesn`t happen to people like us. We just never thought this would happen."

This case is a cautionary tale, Jane. And the most important thing we can do, besides get Kara`s picture out there, is warn every other young girl who is out there on the Internet, who thinks these things are legitimate, do not go anywhere by yourself. Do not take anybody`s word for it. If you are leaving your house to meet somebody, take a buddy. Write down where you`re going. Leave information.

This beautiful young girl walks out of her house, thinking she`s going to a job interview, and she disappears. And, Jane, it happens all the time. I don`t care how reputable you think this site is. Write down where you`re going, who you`re meeting with. Make it a public place. I cannot say this strongly enough. I prosecuted so many cases where people said we never thought it would happen to us. This is heartbreaking.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: More on the other side.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I didn`t get the feeling from talking to Kara that she was hanging out with bad people. But who knows? You know? She`s a teenager. And we all have been teenagers before, right?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Nineteen-year-old Kara Nichols has been missing for a month and a half. She calls Colorado Springs, Colorado, home. She reportedly said she`s going to Denver for a possible job. She aspires to be a model. The drive is about 68 miles, but Kara doesn`t have a car or even a driver`s license. So who picked her up? She also left her home without her purse, which is odd to go 68 miles.

Here`s Kara`s mother.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She typically would drive around with friends. She was very extroverted and had a huge network of people she associated with. And she would go on different either social events or modeling gigs with these friends. So that`s all we know, basically.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: And then in a bizarre twist, on Monday an ad pops up, with a Las Vegas number attached to it, that has her face on it for escorts out of Las Vegas.

Joe Gomez, investigative reporter, what have you learned about this ad?

JOE GOMEZ, INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER: Well, this ad is very disturbing, Jane. On the ad it says, "Hey, I`m Star. I`m the one you`ve been looking for" and also goes onto describe that the individual listed in the ad is looking to service upscale gentlemen.

Now, this ad also features very provocative photographs of Kara. And then it also lists services for the amount of $200 per hour. This is very disturbing, Jane.

What I can`t reconcile in my own head is that there are thousands and thousands of pictures of beautiful women on the Internet. Why did this person, why did this individual choose Kara Nichols` picture? If this was a hoax, why did he pick Kara instead of countless other women that could be out there on the Net?

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes. I find it too bizarre to be a coincidence that somebody just accidentally picks to misrepresent a young woman who happens to be missing, who happens to be an aspiring model. I believe -- and this is just my gut feeling, that there has to be a connection between her and somehow this ad.

Contrary to some misconceptions, sex trafficking is not just an international problem. It happens in the United States. Girls and women are abducted and forced into prostitution.

Check this out.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GRAPHIC: Do you know who I am?

I`ve been forced or coerced into prostitution.

Or other types of labor.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: I want to go to Michelle Bart, president and co- founder for the National Women`s Coalition Against Violence and Exploitation.

Do you believe that Kara might be taken by a sex trafficker? And if so, how might that have happened?

MICHELLE BART, PRESIDENT/CO-FOUNDER, NATIONAL WOMEN`S COALITION AGAINST VIOLENCE AND EXPLOITATION (via phone): Well, Jane, the family -- I`m speaking on behalf of them. Being that Kara left her home with someone else, and there is no evidence of a crime behind at the home, no 19-year- old just leaves and vanishes with no communication with family, friends, employers or social media, let alone try to access her cell phone.

So with that we have to, in the 21st century, consider that human trafficking is always a possibility. And in Kara`s case, especially posting the things that she had on different modeling sites, unfortunately, she`s exactly the kind of person that these predators are looking for.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes. And I would just say if there is a predator, a sex trafficker who has Kara, let her go now. Let her go. Release her. Just leave her somewhere -- convenience store, a hospital. If you want to drive off, drive off. But let this woman go. You`re putting her parents through hell. And the longer you keep her, the bigger trouble you are in.

Want to go to the phone lines.

Candy, Indiana, your questions or thought? Candy, Indiana.

CALLER: Yes, Jane. Thank you for talking to me.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Sure.

CALLER: I wondered, OK, in this picture that they had in the magazine of Kara, is her hair different? Oh, maybe, you know, like a mole painted on, you know, or whatever? Because if it was -- if this was a real picture, she would look like a normal, you know, like she does now. OK, like she did when she left. And she wouldn`t be all, you know, duded (ph) up to take those kind of pictures as a model. She`s pretty enough. She doesn`t need to, you know, put on fake moles or anything like that.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Oh, yes, she`s very beautiful.

CALLER: But I was wondering, was her hair and stuff the same?

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Excellent question. Michelle Bart -- and for our director, please show some of the distinguishing tattoos and other markings that she had. Particularly, she had an ear that she has sort of a piercing -- it`s a large piercing, I believe, on her ear that`s very distinguishing. Michelle -- there it is. That is something that she`s had for a while. And that`s very distinctive, Michelle. Her tattoos and that -- especially that ear ornament.

BART: She`s had piercings in her naval. I believe the piercing on her ear is considered a gauge ear. And those are vital information, because not all beautiful 19-year-old girls walking the streets have all of these characteristics, such as the small tattoo of the spaceman or a leaf on her left ankle. These are characteristics of this individual that maybe somebody`s noticed, especially the gauged ears, because not too many 19- year-olds in this particular situation would be walking around with her ears that way.

So, yes, by all means those are important factors when trying to find Kara.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: And there she is with her beautiful little pet. A very compassionate, loving young woman who just wanted to be a model.

More on the other side.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She had told a roommate that she was running out. It was later in the evening. And that she was headed to the Denver area. We have not been able to substantiate that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Kara Nichols disappeared a month and a half ago. Her parents are frantic. She doesn`t have a car. She doesn`t have a driver`s license.

It was October 9. She said she was going from Colorado Springs, Colorado, to Denver, possibly for a job. She vanished into thin air. But she left her purse behind with cash. She only took her cell phone, which to me says she didn`t plan to be gone a long time.

Now we`re learning that her face just popped up this past Monday on a Web site ad advertising escorts based out of Las Vegas.

Tom Shamshak, you`re a former police chief, private investigator. I personally feel hopeful that this may mean that she`s still alive. What do you think?

SHAMSHAK: I share your observation. But there`s no evidence of a crime scene there in her apartment. In all likelihood because of her vulnerability, people that are aspiring actresses unfortunately are the target of predators. And she very well could be alive.

And this creepiness with this recent photo suggests that there might be something to this. They may be out there -- she may be out there in Las Vegas, and it has to be explored -- Jane.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: I mean, I don`t understand, Holly Hughes, how authorities can say, "Well, we don`t think she`s in Las Vegas." It`s a huge place. Nevada`s even bigger. How can they -- there`s no way they can know that.

HUGHES: Well, they can`t know it definitively, but I`m sure what they did was track it back to that escort service and search around.

But I think that you`ve hit the nail on the head, Jane. If something terrible had happened to this young woman and she was dead, there wouldn`t be a need for someone to throw you off the track. So this may be a situation where she`s being held somewhere, maybe not Las Vegas, and this is to throw you of the track so that you`ll go out. You`ll look in Las Vegas. You won`t be looking in another part of the country. You won`t be looking internationally for her.

But the only reason you`re going to go to all that trouble is because she is still alive, and you don`t want them coming after you. So let`s distract them by putting this out there.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes. And let`s go to the ad again. Joe Gomez, what`s fascinating is that the ad says, "I`m the one you`re looking for." Almost like a play on words, Joe Gomez.

GOMEZ: That`s really, almost as though the person who created this ad is sort of taunting police, right, Jane? It sounds like something out of a script to a movie.

I mean, the bottom line is that human trafficking is alive and well in many other states in this country. Colorado, Texas, to New Mexico. I mean, Mexico itself isn`t that far away. Who knows? Kara could be out there. I mean, truly, we have to look everywhere for this young lady. And I hope police don`t stop until they find her.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: I hope so too. And I hope that -- my heart goes out to her parents. And I hope that this gives them some hope.

We will continue to follow this story. We`re not giving up. And that`s for Mr. and Mrs. Nichols.

On "NANCY GRACE" tonight, a $31 million Lotto winner is found murdered. Cops say a woman who claims she was writing a book on him is the one who pulled the trigger. Don`t miss Nancy tonight, 8 p.m. on HLN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Lindsay.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Please step aside.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Lindsay.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Step aside.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The latest trouble for Lindsay Lohan.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: After being arrested at about 4:00 this morning for allegedly punching a woman in the face, we just found out that she`s being charged for a traffic accident.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She`s in the nightclub middle of the night.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The actress punched the woman in the face several times -- reckless driving, giving false information to a police officer and resisting arrest.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You`ve got two things. You`ve got probation going on, violation of probation issues and then you`ve got brand new potential charges here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Tonight, Lindsay Lohan in perhaps the biggest trouble of her turbulent life. Earlier this morning Lindsay was arrested on the East Coast and then hours later charged with three -- count them -- three other crimes on the West Coast. Are the walls closing in on Lilo?

At 4:00 this morning the troubled starlet was handcuffed outside a fashionable Manhattan lounge and put in the back of a cop car accused of punching another woman at that lounge. TMZ cameras caught up with the actress as she blurted out to police "Are you kidding me," as they hauled her off to jail. Watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LINDSAY LOHAN, ACTRESS: Are you kidding me? Oh my God.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: There she goes off to jail. This is Lindsay hiding under a coat as she was released hours later today. After dealing with all this we`ve just gotten word that Lilo was also being charged with reckless driving, giving false information to a police officer and resisting arrest on the West Coast. Charges stemming from a June car wreck in Los Angeles where she reportedly claimed she wasn`t driving. But others claim, yes, she was behind the wheel.

Now, back in New York City Lindsay is facing assault charges. Cops have not said whether she was under the influence of substances, but tonight her father, Michael, is telling the insider he believes Lindsay is currently using alcohol, cocaine and prescription drugs to fall asleep. And Michael says that`s what is to blame for last night`s drama. He tells them, quote, "I don`t want a Heath Ledger. I don`t want a Michael Jackson on my hands. I want to save your life," end quote.

Lindsay`s lawyers tell us once again Lindsay is the victim of someone trying to capture their 15 minutes of fame.

Straight out to TMZ news manager Mike Walters; you`re all over this story. What the heck happened at that Manhattan lounge?

MIKE WALTERS, TMZ NEWS MANAGER: Well, Jane, just minutes ago I spoke with the alleged victim, Tiffany Mitchell is her name. And here`s how it all started according to her. She is a psychic in New York and walked up to Lindsay because she felt some sort of premonition and wanted to give a reading to Lindsay Lohan. She claims that when she approached Lindsay, Lindsay basically said "Give me my space." And she said, "Ok, fine. Take my card. And that will be it." Well, allegedly she says Lindsay hurled a racial slur at her calling her a "gypsy". They do not take kindly to that word. They call themselves travelers, this group of people. It`s a religious part of the community, got really upset, and the people that were with this woman started yelling at Lindsay Lohan calling her a very bad name which I won`t say on the air and telling her how bad her "Liz & Dick" movie was.

And allegedly right then Lindsay Lohan turned and it got violent. She punched this young lady in the face. And everything just went crazy from that point forward, Jane. And what I`m told is by her after it was all over they reported it to cops. And when they said Lindsay left out the back door, that`s where our video starts. And you see Lindsay in a car leaving the nightclub and the cops stopped her, pulled her out and arrested her for aggravated battery.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Now, we know Lindsay Lohan has been to rehab five times, Mike Walters. My question, did this woman indicate that Lindsay seemed under the influence, drinking, drunk, et cetera?

WALTERS: Absolutely. You know, it`s funny. People who don`t know Lindsay`s life back and forth like some of us, don`t see the issues. She said, of course, she was drunk -- very, very drunk. So were the rest of us. Her entire party was drinking. They did indicate that at the time they felt when she punched her thought she was punching the other woman -- so drunk that didn`t even realize, made a mistake and punched the wrong person. Like you said, Jane, she`s been to rehab many times. We`ll see how it goes this time.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, Mike, I have another question for you. You had originally claimed that Lindsay was punched over a guy -- or Lindsay punched this woman over a guy. There are reports that she was at a Justin Bieber concert last night before this alleged fight. And that she had been eyeing a guy who was in the opening act, Max from the boy band "The Wanted". You know him as the lead singer of a hit song "Glad You Came".

(MUSIC)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: We reach today Max`s rep about whether he was with Lindsay. He didn`t get back to us. But, Mike Walters, did this start over a fight over that boy? Or did it start with the psychic reading offer?

WALTERS: Well, yes, Jane. I did confirm from Tiffany that Max was there. They did speak. And it seemed that that is what elevated kind of the groups being upset at each other. That the actual physical violence she claims was over a few racial slurs hurled by Lindsay. But the aura around all these people -- to use my word -- aura around everybody was bad because of the fact that Max who I guess Lindsay`s trying to hook up with, that`s some allegations, but apparently he started talking to this woman who was at the booth next to them. And that upset Lindsay. That`s why when Lindsay walked away from her she said some really choice words.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Oh, wow. And you need a score card.

WALTERS: I know. It`s a lot.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Thank you so much, Mike Walters.

Now, this 911 call you`re about to hear from five years ago shows when Lindsay crossed the line to what I would have to say is really dangerous behavior. Check this out.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Now we`re being followed by a GMC. The gentleman jumped out of the car.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And what did he do?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, my God, sir. They`re following us. We need help.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: They turned out to be Lindsay Lohan behind the wheel chasing a woman in another car. She pleaded guilty to misdemeanor, cocaine use and DUI. It was her second DUI. What followed -- a slew of court hearings, rehab stays, dust-ups like her fight with a staffer in rehab; then in 2011 Lohan is accused of shoplifting a necklace. She pleads no contest.

Now David Caplan, celebrity journalist, founder of gossipdavid.com. She is currently on probation for the shoplifting conviction. So could she have the probation revoked and go to jail?

DAVID CAPLAN, CELEBRITY JOURNALIST: Yes absolutely. She definitely will have her probation revoked. She actually could serve jail up to about -- I think it`s about 250 days or so. However, there is buzz right now that instead of serving all that jail time and as we know with these celebrities, of course, for years we`ve covered this that 25 percent of the time often is what she`ll actually serve.

But she does not want to go to jail. I know this. I`ve spoken to family members of hers and friends. She doesn`t want to go to jail. So there`s a possibility that maybe she`d go to rehab instead for a shorter period of time. But that of course would require her to acknowledge that she is using, that there`s issues with her alcohol and drug use. But absolutely we`re definitely talking about 250 days possible jail time.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: And we`ll talk about the addiction issue on the other side.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right. Those two winning power ball tickets for more than half a billion dollars were sold in Missouri and Arizona. We`re going to show you the magic numbers in case you want to check it just for sentimentality.

But I can tell you that the Missouri winner is going to come forward tomorrow. We`re going to learn the identity of that person. We`ll bring it to you here.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LOHAN: Are you kidding me? Oh, my God.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: That is Lindsay Lohan being arrested in the Chelsea district of Manhattan outside a fashionable lounge at about 4:00 this morning. And Lindsay`s father is now saying to "The Insider" he believes that his daughter is currently using alcohol, cocaine and prescription drugs to fall asleep, which he believes contributed to her unruly behavior.

Howard Samuels, founder of The Hills Treatment Center, we know that she`s been to rehab five times. What do you make of this latest drama?

HOWARD SAMUELS, FOUNDER, THE HILLS TREATMENT CENTER: Well, Jane, first of all, I work with a lot of hard core addicts, alcoholics just like Lindsay Lohan. And she is in her process of recovery. Now, the process of recovery looks just like this -- a lot of rehabs, a lot of arrests, a lot of outrageous behavior.

Now, one of my clients, who`s just like Lindsay, is just OD`d on Oxycontin and is in ICU in a hospital on life support. If Lindsay doesn`t get her act together and hopefully hit a bottom, she`s going to be just like this client of mine in the hospital.

(CROSSTALK)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: So when you`re saying it`s facetious -- you`re being facetious, when you say she`s in her process of recovery. You`re saying that she`s not going to --

SAMUELS: No, I`m not. No, actually, I`m not. I`m not being facetious. Because you know, she`s already started the rehab process. She started it a number of years ago. And a lot of hard-core addicts --

VELEZ-MITCHELL: She`s been to rehab five times. It apparently didn`t take, if you believe her dad.

SAMUELS: No. She hasn`t hit an emotional bottom. The only thing that creates the psychic shift is an intense amount of emotional pain, which she has not had yet. She`s had little glimpses of it, but not where she`s had the psychic shift that is needed to totally turn one`s life around.

I had my psychic shift at 32. I`m a convicted felon. I`ve been arrested numerous times. I`ve spent three years of my life locked up in treatment centers. I had to go through all that hell in order to be here today 28 years clean and sober.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: So she`s done rehab five times. Selin Darkalstanian, we only have a couple of seconds, should the judge when both of these things are considered -- all of these things are considered -- send her to the slammer or to another rehab?

SELIN DARKALSTANIAN, HLN PRODUCER: Well, Lindsay herself says that -- in a recent interview said that she really agreed with what the judge did last time which was send her to the morgue and she did service every single day and she said that that kept her on a routine schedule. She feels like that really helped her.

She felt like she had a purpose when she woke up in the morning. She reported to the morgue every day and she completed her probation. I think she needs to go back in front of that same judge and let him make the next decision in what he feels like she needs to do because I feel like that judge is the only one that`s gotten through to her so far.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: I think that she needs to have her probation revoked if there`s truth to these. She deserves her day in court. And then she needs to do some hard time. Because maybe she`s behind bars with a lot of time to think, that will be her emotional bottom. That could save her life. We want to save her life.

More on the other side.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Time for pet of the day. Send us your pet pics to hlntv.com/Jane. Clawdius. Bugsy, so cute; ready for Christmas and all the other holidays. And Gloria -- Gloria you are glorious. And I want to sing your praises. Buddy and Remi, that`s love.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The last words that were said was, this "f" is going down now.

ROBIN LEMONIDIS, MICHAEL DUNN`S DEFENSE ATTORNEY: He was threatened. He was threatened.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She said one of the teenagers told Dunn "he was dead".

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Another 17-year-old African-American teen gunned down in Florida by a man claiming he felt threatened. Tonight we`re learning new information about the accused shooter, Michael Dunn -- you see him there. The FAA confirms that about five years ago Dunn flew a private plane into restricted air space over the Kennedy Space Center. The FAA investigated but Dunn was never arrested. He did not lose his pilot`s license.

Tonight Dunn sits behind bars accused of shooting 17-year-old Jordan Davis to death as he sat in a parked car in a Florida gas station. In an exclusive interview last night, Dunn`s attorney told us her client is innocent and only reached for his gun when he felt his life was in danger.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LEMONIDIS: The last words that were said was, "This f is going down now," with emphasis. And at that moment, the shotgun had already been brandished and he heard the door pop and saw the door actually open. And at that point, his training just kicked in.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Natalie Jackson, the family attorney for the family of the teen who was also gunned down in another controversial case involving George Zimmerman, how can a man who is not here anymore defend himself against accusations that he verbally threatened this man who is now charged with shooting him to death?

NATALIE JACKSON, ATTORNEY FOR TRAYVON MARTIN`S FAMILY: They can`t. And that`s what these people who claim stand your ground they rely on. In this case what we`re going to see next, unfortunately we`ve seen it from Trayvon Martin`s case, we`re going to see a character assassination of the victim. You`re going to see requests for school records, social media profiles, and there is going to be a total hunt for anything negative to portray this teenage boy who was shot and killed by this man as some sort of horrible thug, which we all know he isn`t. This man should go to jail and go to prison for a very, very long time.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, Michelle Suskauer, criminal defense attorney out of Florida, the attorney for Michael Dunn is also contending even though police say the teens were not armed. They found no weapons in that red SUV. She is contending, oh, yes, there was a gun. They just managed to hide it.

MICHELLE SUSKAUER, CRIMINAL DEFENSE: And who knows really depending on how quickly law enforcement came. Unlike what Natalie Jackson said, there is character assassination on both sides. And so that`s the name of the game. And it is all going to be about credibility. But these cases are about case by case basis as to what the individual thought and whether they reasonably felt that they were in danger and that`s why they had to use deadly force. But these cases are different.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: But what about the alternatives? What about just driving away if you feel threatened? What about taking some other action as opposed to firing eight or nine bullets into a car and killing a 17- year-old teenager? Natalie Jackson.

JACKSON: What about just responsibility? If you`re going to talk about responsible gun ownership here; and I would really like the NRA to speak up on this because if you`re going to talk about responsible gun ownership, that is not what we`ve seen in this case. And they should be condemning this type of action. It does not help the cause when you have teenagers being shot and killed because their music is too loud.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: We`re going to have more on the other side.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LUCIA MCBATH, MOTHER OF JORDAN DAVIS: They said Jordan is dead. I just lost it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: That is the mother of this deceased now teen, Jordan Davis. Now, the suspect, Michael Dunn, a software designer said he is sitting in his car at a gas station in Florida. His girlfriend is inside buying some wine and the teens, four of them in an adjacent vehicle were playing very loud music. He asked them to turn it down. Words were exchanged. The next thing you know, he has allegedly fired eight at least shots into that car and Jordan Davis dies.

Michelle Suskauer, should he be able to use the controversial stand your ground law in Florida?

SUSKAUER: Absolutely. That doesn`t mean that it`s going to would work but he should absolutely be able to use it. It is a defense not only to criminal but also any civil liability. If he feels that force was necessary to reasonably protect his life; if it was justified in this case.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Natalie?

JACKSON: Stand your ground is a solution in search of a problem. This is a law that allows hot-headed, angry people to go out and shoot and kill. It is a license to kill. And this man needs to go to prison. That`s it. There is no doubt about it.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Michelle?

SUSKAUER: You know, then we should just do away with trials. There was just a task force that went around the state of Florida by Governor Rick Scott to review this law, to see if this law should still be in effect. If there should be any changes. And the task force came up with the fact that it should stay in effect.

This is the law in Florida. This is the defense. Like it or not. And now --

(CROSSTALK)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: We`re out of time. We can say the victim`s father is on "Evening Express" tomorrow.

Nancy Grace is next.

END