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Jane Velez-Mitchell

Who Killed County Commissioner?

Aired December 13, 2012 - 19:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Jane Velez-Mitchell tonight will be talking about new details in the disappearance of a county commissioner. Was it foul play? JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL up right now.

JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL, HOST: And tonight, we`ve got brand-new information just in and deadly secrets exposed on an exclusive island where a popular politician is found murdered, floating in the water at a boat club. He spent the evening playing poker with friends. And then he vanished, instead of going home to his wife. Who wanted him dead?

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

VELEZ-MITCHELL (voice-over): Tonight, mystery mounts as cops investigate the baffling murder of a popular Georgia politician and family man. His body discovered floating in the water at a boating club in the exclusive beach community of St. Simon`s Islands, Georgia. Who wanted Commissioner Tom Sublett dead and why? We`re investigating.

Plus, cops arrest two men in a sick plot to kidnap, torture and murder teen heartthrob Justin Bieber as he performed at Madison Square Garden. Why would anyone want to kill the young superstar? We`ll tell you why cops say the plot was hatched by an obsessed fan from behind bars.

And we`re taking your calls.

Then, a beautiful young actress accused of playing a leading role in the cover-up of a vicious double murder. Cops say Rachel Buffett helped her now ex-fiance hide the brutal killings of a U.S. soldier and a fellow classmate in a bizarre money-making plot.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Detectives returned to the dock where Sublett`s body was found floating.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How do you react to that? It`s amazing. I can`t grasp it.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: His body was found early Tuesday morning, floating in the water at St. Simon`s Island Boating and Fishing Club. His car just yards away in the county park.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Such a sad, sad day for our community.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: His wife reported him missing at 2:30 in the morning.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just a great, wonderful, wonderful person. And somebody that you wouldn`t think had any enemies in the world.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: And tonight, we`ve got new information and breaking news, brand-new details about a secret murder mystery in this exclusive resort community of St. Simon`s Island, Georgia. And the victim is a popular politician, husband and father of four.

Good evening. Jane Velez-Mitchell coming to you live.

This is like an episode out of "Law & Order," well-liked, respected Glynn County Commissioner Tom Sublett had played poker with friends Monday night. He left around 10:30 in the evening. He drove a friend to their car. And he was thought to be driving home to his wife in St. Simon`s Island, Georgia. But he never showed up.

His wife called friends, who retraced his steps and found his car at a park near the St. Simon`s Marina. Then about two hours later, they found his body floating in the water between an unoccupied boat and the dock at a boat club. Friends are stunned to learn that cops believe this was a homicide.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He told me that Tom Sublett was dead. You could have knocked me over with a feather. I couldn`t believe that. How do you react to that? It`s just amazing. I couldn`t grasp it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Sublett`s wallet was found but police say some of the victim`s items are missing. They don`t say, however, what they`re looking for, just that they`re searching for some physical evidence. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right now, we`re focused on what we have, what we know. We know what happened and we`re backtracking to figure out, you know, where he was at, who he was with.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: By the way, this is a beautiful, exclusive tourist community with very little crime. What kind of enemies could this county commissioner have had that somebody would want to kill him? Call me: 1- 877-JVM-SAYS, 1-877-586-7297.

And straight out to our very own producer Josie Cruz. Josie, you just got off the phone with the coroner moments ago. What did he tell you?

JOSIE CRUZ, PRODUCER: Right, Jane, I got off the phone with him about an hour ago. He gave some really, really gruesome details. He gave it to our show and our show only.

He says that Thomas was actually bound in the front with some kind of rope or some kind of apparatus, that he was bound, he was shot in the side of the head, and that he was shot on the deck of the marina and then fell straight into the water.

Now, police have actually been out there with lots of dive teams, boating -- boating crews, deputies. They still have not actually recovered a gun. But he does tell me a 9 millimeter gun was involved. And police have not recovered it.

And again, the manner of death, he was shot in the side of the head while bound in the front, and police aren`t actually giving any great details on what happened. But the coroner says that he believes this is a homicide.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right. Got to go to Jon Lieberman. Because this is just information that is stunning and new, the idea that this bullet entry to the left ear, shot, immediately fell into the water. There is blood spatter, we`re also learning, on the deck of the marina and a 9 millimeter gun was used. What do you know?

JON LIEBERMAN, HLN CONTRIBUTOR: Jane, we`ve just learned, too, through sources that they say this was clearly an execution-style murder. It was a point-blank-range gunshot right to the left ear. Like I said, close range.

And we should point out, the murder scene is just a half a mile from Mr. Sublett`s house. So he had almost made it home, apparently.

At this point, police have not found anyone who saw the victim alive in those final seven hours. Meaning from the time he left the place where he was hanging out and playing poker, to the time when his body was found, nobody has come forward to say that they -- that they saw him alive.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Oh, my gosh.

LIEBERMAN: So that`s one thing police are trying to find are some witnesses.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: This is a stunning mystery, and it doesn`t appear to be a mugging, because his wallet was found. His wallet was not taken.

I want to go out to Kristin Sell. You`re a reporter with Action News at St. Simon`s Island, Georgia. What do you know? Because you`re there on the ground in the very community where it happened.

KRISTEN SELL, REPORTER, ACTION NEWS: That`s right. Right now, we`re at the St. Simon`s Boat and Fishing ramp here. There is the boathouse behind me here. But if you walk over this way, it`s a little tough to see, because it`s dark out here. You can see several boats in the distance. Just beyond that to the right is another boat ramp and dock. And it`s that ramp where they found Sublett`s body floating in the water between the boat dock and between a boat.

That is where investigators have been spending all of their time out here the last three days. They even put boats in the water today. I`m told from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation that they`re searching the water. They would not specify what they`re searching for.

I`ve talked to a lot of members of this community out here in the last couple of days. And as you can imagine, everyone is completely rattled, and a lot of them are pretty scared. I`ve talked to some since the autopsy results have come back in. A lot of them say that`s the speculation they have been hearing all this time. So they`re not surprised.

Still looking for a lot of answers, though. Talked to a business owner today who tells me that he`s a great council -- community member, commissioner in this town. A lot of people know him and respect him. She didn`t know who he was before he took that position as a commissioner.

And she says she has just been so pleased with the job he is doing. He is impartial. He will listen to anyone. You can call him at any time, and he will hear you out on any concerns that you have out here...

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, Kristin, let me jump in and ask you a question, because I was a local news reporter in Ft. Myers, Florida, many years ago, and I covered the county commission.

And I can tell you that, in my experience, county commissioners deal with a lot of controversial subjects. They handle a lot of money, even in a small county. They determine who gets the contract for landfills, for road repair, where the garbage dumps are going to go, all sorts of things that are very controversial, often involving a lot of backroom dealing.

Was he involved in any controversial decisions where he was, let`s say, the deciding vote on something that was controversial?

SELL: Actually, yes, Jane, I was talking to that same business owner. She says there`s been an ongoing dispute over a rezoning issue, trying to take a plot of land that is now residential and make it commercial. Apparently, Sublett has been very against that and has been very vocal about that. She tells me the last commission meeting actually got pretty heated over that subject. She even called him wanting to voice her concerns over the matter, and he has stood very firm, saying that he`s opposed to that.

So she wondered if that had something to do with it. A lot of people were wondering, did he make some decision as a commissioner here in Glynn County that maybe made someone angry?

And I can tell you this. I spoke with other commissioners. They told me that they actually received an e-mail yesterday from Glynn County P.D., stressing to them not to take this lightly. So they are kind of on edge, as well, wondering, a lot of community members said, was this a sign to the commission to watch your backs? And that`s been a big talker here in this community, actually, ever since Sublett`s investigation began three days ago.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Oh, my gosh. I just want to make sure I heard you right. You`re saying that the law enforcement sent notes, an e-mail to the county commissioners saying, don`t take this lightly, like watch your back?

SELL: They didn`t say watch your back. But it did say, we`re investigating this, he was a county commissioner in this area, we want you to be aware of that and to not take this investigation lightly.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Whoa, whoa, whoa. Well, that`s excellent information. Thank you for that excellent report, Kristin.

Vinny Parco, private investigator, woo! This is fascinating that we`re getting all this information as we`re talking. And along with being a county commissioner, Tom Sublett also sold real estate. He`d been playing poker with his boss and some of his friends the night he died. Let`s listen to this and get your reaction.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He was his regular self, full of life, cutting up, telling jokes. I hope the authorities find out and I hope whoever it is, is suitably punished.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: We just heard about another man murdered in New York City who worked for his mother`s mortgage company. And now we`re hearing Sublett also sold real estate. So Vinny Parco, we`ve got he`s a county commissioner, there`s a controversy over zoning, and he also sold real estate. What do you make of it?

VINNY PARCO, PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR: Well, you know, I contacted my sources in the county, my police sources. And they said the same thing everybody else said. The guy was a nice guy, pillar of the community, deacon in the church, the whole bit. But who knows what happened in his private life? You know, we don`t know what he did. We can only speculate at this time.

I think we have to come back maybe in a few days when the police do their job and find out what`s going on. This rezoning thing -- I can`t see anybody being killed for rezoning. But who knows what financial impact that might have on the community and certain people in business.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes. I remember when I covered the county commission. I actually did. It was one of my first little stories as a reporter; I was a cub. And I did this story sort of showing the backroom operations, because one of the county commissioners was kind of upset with the others, and she called me and said, "Honey, I`m going to show you how it`s done."

And she laid out how all the big decisions were made without, really, much public discussion. They would have all sorts of other discussions about things. But then, when some of the big decisions were made, they were almost talking in code. And she kind of explained to me how to understand it.

And it was pretty fascinating because I realized -- and I`m talking about a completely different community. I`m talking about a small town in Florida, and it was a county commission there in Florida back in the `70s, so we`re talking ages ago.

But she explained to me that there`s a lot of money, a lot of power and decisions that can make -- that can affect millions and millions and millions of dollars even in a tiny county just with one yay or nay. More on the other side.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He was incredible. I couldn`t believe it just a great, wonderful, wonderful person. And somebody that you wouldn`t think had any enemies in the world.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Beloved county commissioner Tom Sublett dead and stunning information coming out. We are now learning that he was killed with a 9 millimeter handgun. We`re going to show you a handgun. This is the type of gun, the very make and model -- or the model -- the make anyway, the type of gun that he was killed with. The bullet was to the left ear. He was shot and immediately fell into the water. There is blood spatter on the deck of the marina. The gun has not been recovered.

Let`s take a look at this gentleman`s actions on the night that he was killed. He was playing poker with friends in Sterling, Georgia, Monday night, about 26 miles from where his body was found.

He left about 10:30 at night. Drove another player to their car, and dropped them off. And then was supposedly headed home. And he gets about half a mile from his house, and his car is found abandoned and then he is found bobbing up and down in the water at a boat club nearby.

Want to go out to the phone lines. Lisa, Illinois, your question or thought, Lisa?

CALLER: Hi, Jane.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Hi.

CALLER: Thank you for taking my call. I have a question. You had briefly touched on this, that Sublett was a very well-respected, reputable man in the community. And he is actually quite attractive. I wonder if there was another woman or a mistress, perhaps, in his life?

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, you raise an interesting point. I have no idea. He`s married. He has four children. And we certainly don`t want to speculate on that. He`s a victim here and his wife, by extension, is a victim.

Jayne Weintraub, criminal defense attorney, what I don`t understand is, he`s headed home, he`s in a vehicle. So there`s got to be some kind of inciting incident that stops him and makes him get out of his car -- either he really wasn`t headed home, he was headed somewhere else. His car is found at a park. And then he`s found bobbing up and down in the water at a boat club.

JAYNE WEINTRAUB, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Interesting that you say that, Jayne. My thought exactly. You know, there are tragic random acts of violence, obviously. But I don`t think this is one either.

To me, there`s a contact wound. A contact wound killing are very rare. A contact wound means the gun is right up on his ear. And to me, looking and being involved in a lot of murder cases, that says that he knew the person that was perpetrating the crime. I think that he made a stop near his house to meet somebody, and it went bad. That`s what I say.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: It`s very interesting to note, Vinny Parco, that he was elected four years ago as a county commissioner, but his term was ending on New Year`s Eve, and he had decided not to seek reelection.

And now we hear he had a position on this very controversial rezoning. We`re going to talk about how expensive the real estate is around here in a second. But your thoughts?

PARCO: Well, one of my contacts in the police department, they told me that he was under a lot of pressure. He was not going to be reelected. He was going to resign at the end of the year. And he was under a lot of pressure. For what, I don`t know. But that could be one of the reasons why he was killed. Maybe he was under pressure for something that was going on, and he had no control. And someone took care of him the wrong way.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Now, this murder has the people who live on St. Simon`s Island baffled. I mean, these island communities like St. Simon`s and nearby Sea Island, Georgia, are historic and old-money enclaves that usually deal with important visitors like U.S. presidents who come to the resort area for the golf, not the murder.

I want to go to Kristin Sell, reporter, Action News, St. Simon`s Island. I remember I visited Sea Island, Georgia, and the famous hotel, the Cloisters, many years ago. This is an area where, if you`re talking about, let`s say, for example, a real-estate dispute, the real estate involved is very valuable real estate -- Kristen.

SELL: Oh, absolutely. I mean, the entire community is gorgeous. There are new developments seemingly popping up all over the place, because you want to take advantage of the gorgeous views around St. Simon`s Island.

And, you know, even folks that were here visiting from slightly out of town knew about the developments here with the rezoning issues. They had read about that. They knew that Tom Sublett had a very firm position on not wanting to rezone a particular part of town from residential to commercial, even they knew, and they`re not even locals, that this was an ongoing issue here in town. It was a big talker today on the streets downtown, even in the shops where most of the people in there are visitors, not locals.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: And Kristen, briefly, do you have any idea why he decided not to seek reelection?

SELL: That, I haven`t heard. And a lot of people were very, very happy with the job he`s been doing, because he was so impartial, they say. And he was so easy to access. He would answer phone calls at any time from anyone with questions or concerns. So a lot of people said he`s one of the best commissioners this community has ever had.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: It`s a tragedy. We`ve got more on the other side. Taking your calls. It`s a tragedy and a total mystery.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He told me that Tom Sublett was dead. And you could have knocked me over with a feather. I couldn`t -- couldn`t believe that. How do you react to that? It`s just amazing. Just I couldn`t -- I couldn`t grasp it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: That`s one county commissioner saying he is absolutely shocked that this other county commissioner has been found bobbing in the water.

And we`ve just gotten some new information from the coroner that a 9 millimeter handgun was used, that this victim`s hands were bound in front of him. Bound in front of him. And the bullet entry was to the left ear. He was shot and immediately fell into the water. There was blood spatter on the deck of the marina. The gun has not been recovered. But it was not a mugging, per se. They said that his wallet was recovered.

Jon Lieberman, investigative reporter, now we`re hearing from a local reporter that he had made a decision that was somewhat controversial involving -- he took a controversial stance on this zoning dispute about residential zoning, that people wanted to go commercial. Your thoughts on this?

LIEBERMAN: Well, obviously there`s a lot of money involved.

I wanted to tell you also, Jane, that he was involved in another huge dispute down there about building a new jail. And his support for building a new jail, that caused a lot of criticism of him. And it was a huge issue down there.

So one thing police are looking at are all of the major decisions he`s been a part of and trying to trace back what enemies did he make and, in turn, who would have a motive to kill him?

To me, in my experience, and I`ve seen thousands of murder cases, this, to me, almost looks like a professional hit was done on this commissioner. Single point-blank bullet right to the ear. I mean, he was targeted. There`s no doubt about it. This was not a random killing.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right. Let`s go out to the phone lines. Susan, South Carolina, your question or thought? Susan, South Carolina.

CALLER: Hello. I`m just remembering a story of a couple that are -- were murdered in Hilton Head a few years ago on our local news in Charleston, South Carolina, that still, I believe, are unsolved.

But they were both community leaders, same as this man. And I just am feeling like there may be some parallel or some connection between the two types of people that were murdered, and if maybe there`s somebody in the communities in that area, Hilton Head is not too far away...

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Very interesting. And ma`am, thank you for your comments.

Vinny Parco, private investigator. Clearly, police have a lot of work to do. The gun was not recovered. We don`t know if it maybe fell in the water or if the killer walked away with it.

PARCO: Probably walked away.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: This is kind of a remote area. We really don`t know if there`s surveillance video around. We don`t know where his cell phone is. Maybe that fell into the water. Maybe somebody took it. I know they`re looking for items. What items might they be looking for that are missing from the man?

PARCO: Well, he might have had some documents from his job. He might have had some proposals. He might have had -- again, the cell phone is important, maybe the cell phone. I understand his wallet was intact.

And I would say this would be a professional hit, because they`re not going to find the gun. Whoever was -- whoever did it is probably professional, took it with them.

Could be a lot of things. You know, you look at forensics, you look at a lot of different things that might help solve a crime. And a murder investigation, you look for everything. You look for any clue, anything around the ground, the area, his car. You don`t know. You look at his odometer to see how far he drove. Maybe he drove a different direction. Maybe there`s a GPS in the car that might tell you something. There`s a lot of things they could be looking for.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: It is truly a stunning mystery, and our hearts go out to Tom Sublett`s family, his children, his wife. We will stay on top of this story.

Nancy Grace has the story of a New York City nanny accused of brutally murdering a 6-year-old girl and her 2-year-old brother. This is a horrific story. A mother`s worst nightmare comes true. Nancy comes at the top of the hour, 8 Eastern on HLN.

On the other side, we`re going to talk...

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Justin Bieber apparently the target of a murder plot? A convicted killer -- a guy by the name of Dana Martin --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It turns out Martin is obsessed with Bieber. And we`ve learned, he`s even got a tattoo of the superstar on his leg.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Death threat -- like a mega plot?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: -- was arrested in Vermont on outstanding warrants before carrying out any of the killings. But his nephew was let go.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Fans, you can breathe easy, he is ok. But what gives?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Cops recorded phone calls (inaudible) "We made it to New York," tells Martin. "He`s disappointed he couldn`t carry out the murders."

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Tonight, a secret murder plot targeting teen superstar Justin Bieber foiled. This is a serious, serious story here. It`s incomprehensible when you read the details. Cops say they arrested two would-be hit men who planned and plotted to kidnap, strangle and even castrate the teenage mega star. Here is "Baby" from YouTube.

(MUSIC)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Cops say the mastermind behind the plot against 18- year-old Justin was this convicted murder, Dana Martin. Now, he`s the guy holding that card up there. He`s serving two life sentences for raping and killing a 15-year-old girl a dozen years ago.

Court documents say Martin had become infatuated with Justin Bieber and even had a tattoo of the singer put on his leg. He allegedly orchestrated this sickening scheme with a former fellow inmate, another guy behind bars, Mark Stake. And then that con recruited this guy, his nephew, Tanner.

Cops say Martin, the mastermind, if you could call him that, persuaded the pair to strangle first two enemies, witnesses to the murder he committed a dozen years ago. And then after that, they were supposed to go to New York City and kill the teen sensation, Justin Bieber, and his bodyguard while Justin was performing at Madison Square Garden.

What do you think of this? This is so sick, so strange. 1-877-JVM- SAYS. Give me a call.

Straight out to Alexis Tereszcuk, entertainment editor, RadarOnline; what do you know about this plot? Because as I was reading it, I said, this is like if you took some horrific movie and had it written by people who were sort of in the process of losing their minds, that`s what this plot would look like.

ALEXIS TERESZCUK, ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR, RADARONLINE: You`re absolutely right. This is absolutely disgusting. These men conspired to - - what they were going to do, they were going to kidnap Justin Bieber and his bodyguard. They even were plotting to use a specific tie, a paisley tie, which was the trademark of Martin who`s in jail for raping and murdering a 15-year-old girl. That`s what he used back then was the paisley tie. They were going to use it on both of them and then after they strangled them, they were going to castrate them. And he even had promised them $2,500 for each body part that they cut off.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: It`s beyond comprehension. You don`t want to be too gross but the facts of the case are that when they arrested the young one, the nephew, they found shrub cutters. You can do the math. It`s unbelievable, Alexis.

(CROSSTALK)

TERESZCUK: You`re absolutely right. He had a specific pair of gardening shears in there. This is what they planned to do. This isn`t a teenage girl who really, really, really wants to meet Justin Bieber and sends him too many tweets. These are convicted felons who had a serious plan to murder Justin and his bodyguard and two other men. These guys are definitely, they belong behind bars for a really long time for this.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: It`s a classic case of too much time on your hands behind bars to get obsessed. And get this, cops say this convicted killer, this tough guy, Dana Martin, is obsessed with Justin Bieber and was upset because he had written Justin Bieber a couple of letters and Justin never wrote him back, so he felt snubbed.

The affidavit actually says, "Martin`s perception of being a nobody in prison led him to begin plotting the kidnap and murder of Victim number 3," which is Justin Bieber. He tipped off the cops when apparently he had a change of heart, had second thoughts. So they ended up foiling all of this before anything could happen to Justin Bieber, thank God.

But my gosh, Jayne Weintraub, criminal defense attorney, the idea that he was obsessed with Justin Bieber. He`s murdered before, raped and murdered a girl, ok, a young girl. He`s doing two life terms behind bars. And then he suddenly becomes obsessed with this young boy, 18-year-old boyish superstar, tattoos Justin Bieber`s image on his leg and then because Justin doesn`t write him back, he manipulates two people into trying to kill him?

JAYNE WEINTRAUB, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Well, you know, we`ve seen this before. We`ve seen it with Mark Chapman when he killed John Lennon. We`ve seen it when Jodi Foster was stalked. I mean these people want to get their names in the history books.

They want to get the infamy. They want to be known for something. And it`s a power play. It`s a jealous, sick obsession to a point where I think it`s a mental illness of these people because what was it all for? The power? To castrate Justin Bieber, a kid?

It doesn`t make sense other than sick.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Honestly, I mean it`s just beyond comprehension -- strange, weird, sick, whatever -- whatever you want to say I think we all agree that this is -- and you know, this is the latest example of why stars feel they need a whole lot of protection.

Remember Miley Cyrus` alleged stalker. Video surveillance showed a 40-year-old man caught on tape climbing her fence. There he is. And he was arrested, carrying a pair of scissors. And he was out of his mind. He claimed to be her friend. He was convicted of trespassing and she was granted a restraining order against him.

So Vinnie Parco, private investigator, you know, a lot of people think these stars are so self-important. They have all these entourages, they have bodyguards, they ride around in a caravan that you would expect the Vice President of the United States to be riding around. But when you hear about these numbskull sickos, you realize that yes, they need to protect themselves against lunatics out there.

VINNIE PARCO, PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR: We have a lot of clients that have that problem. There`s a lot of stalkers out there. Most of them are punks and most of them are cowards and this is the way they want to get to know these people. Unfortunately it`s a bad way to do it.

But let me tell you something, the guy in jail, Martin, this guy stalker that was in jail with him is a punk. He`s one of those guys, they call him walking the yard. And he probably is very manipulative. He was manipulated to do things for him.

I think the core of this case is that he wanted those two people killed that were witnesses against him and the Bieber thing was just like an afterthought. Again, he is obsessed with Bieber but I don`t think he wanted him killed. He told this to these people so they would work for him after they kill these two other people, I think that`s all he really wanted.

A guy with a tattoo of Bieber on his leg is probably in love with him. Don`t forget, he`s a pedophile. He killed and raped a 15-year-old girl. And Bieber even though he`s old -- I think he`s 18 now. But he`s still a young -- he`s something that a pedophile would like.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Baby face. Yes.

PARCO: I think that`s what the whole thing is about. But they`re all sick people. The other two guys are losers and he knew he could manipulate them to do things for him and that`s what he did.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: And of course the question is, why would they agree? What`s in it for them? And we`re going to tell you on the other side of the break what cops believe was their motive in fulfilling this con`s fantasy -- trying to. Thank God they were foiled.

All right. First, time for our must-see video, 10-month-old twins making a splash on YouTube; and this video from ABC`s "Good Morning America." These babies are not just playing around in the bath. They can actually swim the length of the pool. Mom may be the only person who is not surprised. She is a former competitive swimmer herself. These little guys, there they are, swimming the length of the pool. Look at that. They`re loving it.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Your "Viral Video of the Day", take a look at this brawl that broke out in Ukraine`s parliament. I have to tell you maybe this is how they should solve the whole fiscal cliff problem here in the United States. We`re going to get some tight shots now of -- it gets worse. Believe me. This is just the start of it. People are pushing and shoving and jumping up and down, a little too much TMI there on the waistband.

Uh-oh. Oh, no you don`t.

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KIM SERAFIN, SENIOR EDITOR, "IN TOUCH WEEKLY": We hear often about celebrities and death threats against them and even involving Justin Bieber. Selena Gomez received several death threats throughout her time with Justin Bieber. Kim Kardashian received death threats when Justin joked that Kim was his girlfriend. Those were serious, but these, you know, these are real details from a convicted killer.

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VELEZ-MITCHELL: A plot to kill Justin Bieber foiled, thank God. Justin`s reps gave us this statement about the alleged murder plot: "We take every precaution to protect and ensure the safety of Justin and his fans." We got a glimpse of just how big Justin`s fan base is in his movie "Never Say Never" from Paramount Pictures.

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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He came from like such a small town. It gives us hope.

JUSTIN BIEBER, SINGER: I think to myself, I was once chilling in my room just in a regular place. Now I`m in this big world. It`s crazy how it all came about.

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VELEZ-MITCHELL: Let`s take a look at some of the tweets that the fans sent out after hearing about this plot. Can we see those tweets? Here we go. "I would do anything to protect you @JustinBieber."

These people, these young kids, especially the girls, love Justin Bieber. Jon Leiberman, investigative reporter, he`s what I understand. I just went to Madison Square Garden to see Madonna. I was one of at least 20,000 other people. How these knucklehead numbskulls thought they were going to somehow go to Madison Square Garden and kidnap Justin Bieber is beyond me.

JON LEIBERMAN, HLN CONTRIBUTOR: Yes, the whole plot was so ill- conceived. And Jane, they were promised by Martin, they were promised a boatload of money, they were promised a multimillion-dollar hideout. And Martin also told them that he had ties to Chinese gangs in New York who would protect them after they carried out these four gruesome murders.

I mean the whole plot is just crazy and ridiculous. And I remember Martin because I used to be, many years ago, a local news reporter in New Mexico. And Martin was known as just the gruesome pedophile murderer. He was like public enemy number one. It`s just the whole thing -- and not to mention Martin is the one now who foiled his own plot. He called police and told them all of the details.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes. The whole thing is beyond comprehension.

Tiffany, Ohio, your question or thought Tiffany?

TIFFANY, OHIO (via telephone): yes, I just think that Martin had no intentions on following through with this. I think it was just a way to become a somebody, you know, have his name all over the media because Justin didn`t write him back. So he felt like a nobody.

So now he figures if he foils his own plan and tells them they`ll think he was going to do something, now he becomes a somebody on the media because everybody`s talking about it.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Tiffany, I love your analysis. I`m going to give Alexis the final word on that one.

TERESZCUK: I think unfortunately she`s probably very right. If you can`t get a celebrity to pay attention to you, this is a great way to get attention. It is not a good thing. But it`s unfortunately something -- look, we`re all talking about him. We`re writing about him. And now he`s famous and Justin Bieber, hopefully his people didn`t even tell him what this guy`s name is because he doesn`t need to know about this creep.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Listen, I`ve seen Justin Bieber perform live right in front of me because I went to "Dancing with the Stars" for Nancy Grace and he performed. This kid is incredible. He`s focused. We never know what these stars are dealing with behind the scenes. They have to go out there and perform and hit their marks and sing and not miss a beat. And yet we don`t know what they`re dealing with behind the scenes; gives me a whole new respect for this guy.

All right. On the other side, an actress accused of the unthinkable. She`s beautiful, she`s young. And cops say, she played a leading role in a murder cover-up.

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VELEZ-MITCHELL: Time for our "Pet of the Day". And our first pet is Lancelot. And we love Lance because his mom is one of our wonderful makeup artists. Pudbo -- you`ve got that Obi Wan Kenobi stare there. My friend. And Maggie, she`s just glamorous and elegant and making the scene. And Duchess, look at that beautiful, majestic horse in the snow. Leave America`s horses alone in the wild.

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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This man Dan Wozniak is accused of scheming an elaborate double murder for profit and scattering one of his victim`s dismembered body at the El Dorado Regional Park.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Rachel Buffett is charged with being an accessory in a 2010 double murder.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What Wozniak did and anybody else is (inaudible). As a father of your daughter or anybody here, you just want to see justice done.

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VELEZ-MITCHELL: Tonight, a grizzly double murder leads cops to an actor and his Disneyland princess ex-fiance. Police say Daniel Wozniak he murdered and then dismembered his friend, war veteran, Sam Herr. Investigators say Wozniak then tried to cover up the murder by texting the victim`s classmate Julie Kabushi (ph) pretending to be the war hero and asked her to come on over.

Wozniak allegedly lured her into the apartment and then shot her execution style in the back of the head trying to make it look like the war hero Sam Herr went and killed her and then went on the run. Cops say Wozniak killed the soldier to steal his ATM card so he could raid his bank account. The former actor is facing two felony counts of special circumstances murder.

Now this is where the things get even stranger. Cops have arrested the accused killer`s former fiancee, this young lady, actress Rachel Buffett as an accessory to murder after the fact. The victim`s family is demanding justice.

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STEVE HERR, VICTIM`S FATHER: Death penalty for Wozniak and anybody else involved with the murder that either planned or carried this out.

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VELEZ-MITCHELL: Now, the young actress Rachel, presumably behind that coat, says she was duped. The only thing she`s guilty of is falling for the wrong guy.

Straight out to investigative reporter Jon Leiberman. This young lady actually played a princess at Disneyland, I believe. She`s saying she`s totally unaware of her ex-fiance`s alleged crimes, is that true.

LEIBERMAN: Well, law enforcement says she`s anything but a princess. In fact, the main reason why she was charged according to cops is because they believe she has lied to police on several different occasions hindering the investigation. They believe she lied not only about her role after the fact in helping her alleged accomplice keep this quiet, but also they believe she has lied in numerous interviews about other facets of this case, as well.

And that is why -- as you see there -- now she`s out on a million dollars bail. But police believe they have the goods against her. She says the only thing she`s guilty of is having bad taste in men. But you see, police say also that she would benefit from the financial gain, as well, because allegedly this was all about money to pay for a wedding for these two and also a lavish honeymoon, as well.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes, and all of that allegedly over a few thousand dollars for a honeymoon -- a honeymoon that is never going to happen and now two people in very serious trouble. One charged with murder.

More on the other side.

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HERR: They`ve had two and a half years to check this out. So I`m guessing they have some good evidence against her or else they wouldn`t have arrested her.

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VELEZ-MITCHELL: And here is petite blonde 25-year-old Rachel Buffett who is accused now of trying to help her ex-fiance cover up two gruesome murders.

Jayne Weintraub, what do you make of this young woman?

WEINTRAUB: Well, I really make of it that she`s not an accessory, not an accomplice, she didn`t know anything. Yes, she maybe lied to the police about, you know, something that she might have seen or heard. This is a squeeze play by the police to get her to turn on the fiance or the ex- fiance or the boyfriend and give them information. That`s all this is.

You don`t get arrested for being an accessory to murder for trying to protect your boyfriend or just giving them wrong information that she doesn`t know anything about. Squeeze play, that`s my take.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: It`s two years later that they come up with this. So that`s also fascinating. But you never know. These were actors in community theater doing the musical "Nine" unlikely suspects. But police believe they`ve got the right people.

Nancy next.

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