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Suspects' Uncle: He was "Brainwashed"; Ricin Letter Suspect Released; Boylston Street Reopens to the Public; Tsarnaev to Face Federal Charges; FBI's Tsarnaev's Case Under Scrutiny

Aired April 24, 2013 - 09:00   ET

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


WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Thanks very much, Christine.

Before the sun rises, Boston tries to vanquish the nightmare. City workers scrub away blood stains and remove bricks, scarred by last week's bombing. Boylston Street reopens to pedestrians and inches toward a new sense of normalcy.

Good morning, I'm Wolf Blitzer, reporting live from here in Boston.

There have been several major developments coming out of Boston this morning. Let's get you caught up right now on all of them. This morning, Boylston Street, right behind me, reopens, the epicenter of the city's terror is now back in business reopening to pedestrians but not vehicles. At least not yet.

Insult to injury. The families of those wounded in the attacks are outraged. They are demanding that the terror suspect be moved from the same hospital where its alleged victims are now recovering.

And next stop in the investigation, Dagestan. U.S. officials arrive in the Russian republic to interview the parents of the accused killer.

Let's take a closer look right now at the reopening of Boylston Street right in the heart of Boston. Just a little while ago, crews worked to replace bricks and repair the damaged sidewalks at the locations where those bombs exploded.

CNN's Miguel Marquez is on the scene for us.

Miguel, does it seems like life finally in the Boylston Street area is getting back to normal?

MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well there's a huge sense of relief and they are repairing the bricks and the mortar, but I think the memories are going to be harder to repair. This is the memorial that -- you know, this stuff was all along Boylston Street, Wolf, and they brought it all here to Copley Square in order to have people -- have a place to basically gather.

I want to show you, this is the folks from the Starbucks, right down the way, they just brought an apron here, they had all of their colleagues sign it, you know, forgive, but never forget on this one. Also a lot of T-shirts along here as well. This one in particular, we pray, we love, literally people giving the shirts off their back.

And I want to show you this, this is one of the more touching things I saw today, this is -- shoes everywhere, "Boston strong" obviously everywhere here, really lovely sign with the shoes hanging off of it, and then hats. The number of hats that people left here as well is quite impressive.

There's one other thing that -- that a lot of dolls, a little stuffed animals and tons of flowers obviously. But this was actually quite sweet. There's volunteers here as well who've been managing all of this. But this baseball "In Memory of Martin." Martin Richard, obviously, from Brandon. "Love Brandon age 2." And below it, a little band that says "Believe in Boston." Just really sweet to see this sitting on the bench by itself.

I want to talk to two folks here who work on the street. It's Amanda and Mary. Did I get that right?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

MARQUEZ: What -- you worked down the street here. You have been off for the last week. What does it like -- one, what's it like to have Boylston Street back open again?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Right now it feels overwhelming mostly. I think it will be a while before anything really feels normal again. But it's definitely nice to have everything back open and back in business.

MARQUEZ: What's the last week been like for you?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's been a struggle, but I think we all came together and supported each other, our company has been fantastic. Our boss has been unbelievable in bringing us all together and getting us through it.

MARQUEZ: Well, what I didn't realize and appreciate is Boston -- Bostonians are tough people. I mean, people want to get back to normal here. Does it feel like normal yet?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Not yet. I think it's going to be a while before anything really feels normal again. But we're getting one step closer today by opening everything back up.

MARQUEZ: Yes. How big -- how big a deal is it to have Boylston reopen? And how major a piece of the city is this?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It means a lot. I mean, this is the bustling area of the city, it's the hub of everything, and it's important that it's opening up and that everyone can come here to see and to remember what happened.

MARQUEZ: OK. Thank you very much. Have a lovely day at work. Glad you're all back.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you. MARQUEZ: All right. And I want to show you one thing right over this way as well. And this, this wall, by the way, goes all the way along. You can see all the T-shirts along the barriers that they've set up here and this is -- it's funny, when I walk around this, everybody sort of scatters and runs away -- but this is quite lovely as well. All the tennis shoes that people have left. Literally the shoes off their feet for this. Pretty impressive to see all the way around, Wolf.

And if we could come actually -- let's go all the way over here, right into the center of the memorial. Because this is sort of a -- the centerpiece of it. Three crosses with those who have died. Krystle Campbell, Lingzu, and Martin Richard. And this is where a lot of the flowers and a lot of the attention, and a lot of people come to this memorial to reflect to remember and hopefully try to get beyond that terrible day nine days ago -- Wolf.

BLITZER: And the folks that you're talking to, and I know you're speaking to a lot of them, Miguel, they are just relieved that finally all these days later Boylston Street, which is such a powerful symbolic part of this city, it's finally coming back to normal?

MARQUEZ: There is a lot of relief. The relief here is nearly palpable and it's nice to see traffic going up and down Boylston. It's nice to see cross traffic. You know, with Boylston shut, you can't get across the city. It really makes it a nightmare, but beyond that, it just -- the city doesn't feel normal and now the buses, the sirens, it just feels like a normal city again. So it's starting to come back.

BLITZER: I'm really pleased to hear that. All right. Miguel, we'll check back with you. Thank you.

We're also learning more about the possible charges against the suspected Boston marathon bomber, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, including, including the lack of state murder charges. Ashleigh Banfield is joining us right now. She's been doing some serious reporting on all the legal aspects of what's going on.

Ashleigh, you spoke with the Middlesex County District Attorney. What did he tell you about pending charges?

ASHLEIGH BANFIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, he certainly told me that while many were wondering whether there'd be a state prosecution alongside of the federal prosecution, we already know that some of the charges that had been outlined against the man who is recovering behind me in this hospital, there will not be a state-level prosecution with regard to the bombings.

Now that doesn't necessarily apply to the MIT officer, Sean Collier, who's going to be remembered today by his colleagues, because that's another county over the river, in fact. Middlesex County prosecutors may, in fact, go after crimes again Dzhokhar Tsarnaev in their own right because there is a murder there. And there is a number of crimes to prosecute potentially. The assaults on the officers, the explosive devices, the possession of those explosive devices. So there -- according to the D.A. here in this county, in Suffolk County, they are considering that. But at this point, this county will not go after those three murders that happened here and the explosive devices, but the feds they say are well equipped to handle that.

In fact here's what the D.A. told us exclusively on camera yesterday about the decision to make that plan and to go ahead and assist the feds in their prosecutor. This is the D.A. Dan Conley.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAN CONLEY, SUFFOLK COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY: For the Boston marathon bombings, I would say almost certainly not because those murder charges will more than likely, almost certainly be subsumed in the federal indictments that would -- I expect be forthcoming in the months to come.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BANFIELD: And the district attorney went on to say, they reserve the right to re-invigorate essentially and they say if other investigative bits of information lead to additional charges that could be actually charged at the state level. And that's a bit arcane, but essentially, Wolf, it means that if there are perhaps co-conspirators who come to light or different kinds of weapons charges that could be charged well and prosecuted well, and then sentenced well in the state level, they could enter into the game at that point. But for now they're leaving this to the feds.

One other thing that was extraordinarily interesting that the D.A. told us exclusively here at CNN was Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, as he continues to improve, his condition has been fair actually for quite some time believe it or not. But there is the problem. Because there are other victim family members who are not the least bit happy that he is being treated at the same facility that their loved ones, essentially the alleged victims of him are also being treated.

And there is this consternation, according to the D.A. So this is the thought in terms of the idea perhaps in the next few days getting him out of here, potentially moving him to another hospital. Have a listen to what the D.A. Dan Conley told me about that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CONLEY: I don't have any direction communication with the United States attorney on this, but I have been told that there is some concern that this defendant is being treated at the same hospital where victims are at, so that's, you know, natural. You can see how victims and victims' families would be upset about that. So there is a possibility that before releasing the defendant to federal custody in the prison system, perhaps they'll release them to another hospitals where victims and victims' families are not presently located.

BANFIELD: He could be moved to another hospital in this area before he ends up incarcerated awaiting trial?

CONLEY: We have a lot of good hospitals in this area. You know, and I don't believe every single one of them is treating victims, so that's a possibility I would think.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BANFIELD: District Attorney Conley also told me, Wolf, that the decision as to the timing of the movement of this now defendant is going to be solely up to the doctors. They're going to have to determine if he's well enough to be transported. There is a possibility he could leap frog another medical facility, not go to a medical facility, and just be taken straight to an incarceration facility.

When I asked where will they be holding him until he stands trial for this, which could be by the way, according to the D.A., somewhere between 12 and 18 months from now, he suggested that the high likelihood is that the MCI clinic, that's Massachusetts Correctional Institute in Plymouth, which is about 40 miles south of here, they don't have an acute care facility to look after a patient in this kind of condition but they certainly can look after him once he's deemed OK to go. But there is that possibility that there'd be this interim medical facility as well.

One more thing to tell you, Wolf. And that is when I asked the D.A. if he had this case, if he was prosecuting this case, given the amount of evidence and the quality of the evidence, that he knows of just this far, how strong a case is it? He thought it was incredibly strong and it would absolutely lead to a conviction.

BLITZER: Good stuff, Ashleigh. Thanks very much, Ashleigh Banfield reporting for us. We appreciate it.

The Massachusetts boat owner who discovered Dzhokhar Tsarnaev in his backyard is now finally telling his story. David Henneberry told our affiliate WCVB's Ed Harding everything happened when he went outside to fix something on his boat.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID HENNEBERRY, BOAT OWNER: No indication of anything. I know people say there was blood on the boat, saw blood and went in? Not --

ED HARDING, WCVB: Not true?

HENNEBERRY: Not true.

HARDING: Now the word is you saw the boat. You pulled back the wrapping. You saw a body. It moved and you called 911.

HENNEBERRY: Oh no, no.

HARDING: No?

HENNEBERRY: No, no, no. HARDING: So he went to the garage and grabbed a stepladder.

HENNEBERRY: I got I think three steps up the ladder. And I was -- I rolled it up. And I can see through now the shrink wrap. I didn't expect to see anything. And I looked in the boat over here, on the floor, and I see blood. And --

HARDING: A lot of blood?

HENNEBERRY: A good amount of blood.

HARDING: Yes.

HENNEBERRY: And my eyes went to the other side of the engine box. The engine box is in the middle. There was a body.

HARDING: And at that moment what did you do? What were you thinking at that moment?

HENNEBERRY: Oh my god.

HARDING: He couldn't see suspect number two's face. He was glad he couldn't see his face.

HENNEBERRY: Well, I know I took three steps up the ladder. I don't remember stepping down off the ladder. I think I just --

HARDING: And then you ran in the house.

HENNEBERRY: Yes.

HARDING: And immediately called 911. People are calling you a national hero, you know that.

HENNEBERRY: Incidental hero. I -- I wasn't out on the prowl, I was out to see my boat, and I stumbled across this.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Henneberry also says he's just glad to bring closure, closure to the victims' families. According to comments from this unsung hero, at least until now.

Meanwhile, the United States wants to question the bombing suspect's parents at their home in southern Russia. A delegation from the U.S. embassy in Moscow arrived in Dagestan earlier this morning.

The suspect's mother has said she believes her sons were framed. A U.S. official says the Russian government is cooperating in the investigation.

Some U.S. senators are defending the FBI, saying they don't believe the agency dropped the ball on its investigation on Tamerlan Tsarnaev, the older brother. Remember agents questioned him back in 2011 at Russia's request and they say they didn't find anything.

CNN's crime and justice correspondent Joe Johns joins us now from Washington. He's working the story for us.

Joe, a lot of people are wondering if the FBI, in fact, did miss something.

JOE JOHNS, CNN CRIME AND JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: That's true, Wolf. And you know the U.S. government gets thousands of tips from foreign governments to check people out. But in the case of Tamerlan Tsarnaev, the question being asked now is whether the feds had enough information to do more than they did in the two years before the Boston bombing.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHNS (voice-over): Tamerlan Tsarnaev first hit the FBI's radar in 2011 when the Russian government told the agency they should check him out.

SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R), SOUTH CAROLINA: The Russian FSBs sent a letter to the FBI and other agencies that we think this guy has become radical, you need to watch him.

JOHNS: An FBI statement said the request from Russia was based on information that he was a follower of radical Islam and a strong believer that he had changed drastically since 2010 as he prepared to leave the United States for travel to the country's region to join unspecified underground groups.

The FBI says it checked U.S. government data bases, telephone communications, online activity, and also actually interviewed Tamerlan Tsarnaev and family members. But the FBI says it did not find any terrorism activity so it gave that information to Russia and asked for but did not receive more specific or additional info. Case closed.

TOM FUENTES, FORMER FBI ASSISTANT DIRECTOR: Because additional information didn't come in, then the FBI says for our purposes under our system and with all the records and investigation we're allowed to do here, it hasn't risen to the level to warrant further investigation or full-time surveillance.

JOHNS: A federal law enforcement official agreed and said Tamerlan was not on a terror watch list or any no-fly list. Because the U.S. never deemed him a threat. So there were no alarm bells when Tsarnaev came back to the U.S. six months later.

JANET NAPOLITANO, HOMELAND DEFENSE SECRETARY: By the time, he returned, all investigations had been -- the matter had been closed.

JOHNS: But even so, it's not clear if the Department of Homeland Security, which was charged with monitoring travel, even knew that Tsarnaev was on the FBI's radar. Feds failing to talk to each other was supposed to be a lesson learned from 9/11.

SEN. SAXBY CHAMBLISS (R-GA), VICE CHAIR, SENATE INTELLIGENCE GROUP: We're trying to make sure that all of that information that was available was shared. If it wasn't, then there might be somebody who dropped the ball.

JOHNS: A U.S. official says, even when there's a hit in the system, it doesn't prompt anyone in law enforcement to take action. It's just monitoring for suspicious travel.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

JOHNS: And that's the takeaway. Much of the concern right now in Washington is about 9/11, and if the national security system has to relearn those lessons, Wolf.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: And the lessons are going to be studies and studied and studied to make sure they aren't repeated.

Joe Johns in Washington, thank you.

The suspect's uncle says that Tamerlan Tsarnaev was brainwashed by a friend at Cambridge. So, what does that mean for the investigation? More of our special coverage, that's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back. I'm Wolf Blitzer in Boston.

The uncle of the Boston bombing suspects says Tamerlan Tsarnaev, the older brother, was brainwashed by a friend at Cambridge. The man was Armenian, and influenced Tamerlan's behavior starting in 2009. This is a serious man was a convert to Islam.

The uncle would not name the man. But other reports have identified him only as Misha.

With us now, Fran Townsend, national security analyst, former homeland security adviser under George W. Bush.

Fran, will investigators be looking for this man, supposedly named Misha. How does he fit into all of this?

FRAN TOWNSEND, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: You know, look, Wolf, they have an extraordinary amount of information. But this is the sort of lead, tip information that will go to the very top. Why? Because, of course, they want to know all of the connections of the suspects, and they want to know, were there other conspirators.

As part of that inquiry, they're going to want to identify Misha, interview Misha and understand how he fit into the brother's lives, hid he inspire, did he direct them, what role if any, did Misha play in terms of how the brothers became radicalized and began to think, and did he -- does Misha have any connection to Islamist and radicals overseas?

BLITZER: That's a key point if, in fact there, was a Misha. Was he acting alone or was he connected to some groups? Those are excellent questions for investigators to be looking at.

They have also been taking a look at some of the comments, some of statements, some of the indications coming from the younger brother old Dzhokhar Tsarnaev over the hospital. And apparently, according to U.S. officials, he said he never had any contact with terrorist groups and that both of the brothers were radicalized over the Internet.

Here is the question: are federal investigators skeptical of anything this guy says?

TOWNSEND: They will be skeptical of everything they say. This is out of jihadist playbook, if you will. You know, these alleged grievances, whether it's defending belief in Islam, objection to U.S. troop presence in Iraq and Afghanistan.

You know, you recall, Wolf, there was a time when bin Laden objected to Western troop presence in the Arabian Peninsula, and in particular in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia. U.S. troops were removed in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and they continued -- al Qaeda and bin Laden to launch acts against U.S. interest.

And so, some of this is just, sort of, propaganda. It's what you usually hear from captured suspects.

But this self-radicalized part, it will be interesting. We know investigators are looking at what sorts of things on the Internet? Was it the "Inspire" put out by al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, did he listen to the lectures and sermons of Anwar al-Awlaki, the now dead Yemeni cleric, who spoke idiomatic English and his lectures are well- published and well-distributed and were listened to someone like Nidal Hasan, the Ft. Hood shooter?

And so, those are the sorts of things the investigators will look at, and tells you a lot about how these guys thought and who their other contacts were, which remains very important.

BLITZER: Tsarnaev also apparently told investigators in the hospital room that the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan were the motivators behind these attacks at the Boston marathon, what does that say to the investigators?

TOWNSEND: You know, Wolf, I'm not sure it says much. I mean, in the end, there is nothing that Dzhokhar can say to justify the horrific attacks that he and his brother perpetrated. And nobody will much care, even if what he's saying is true.

But as we have said, investigators are going to be very skeptical of any excuse he gives or proffers. The investigators frankly are much more interested in what the facts are.

What did he look at? What actually influenced his thinking, and who did he deal with? Where did he obtain explosives?

You know, it's very, very fact-oriented for investigators. Remember, Wolf, prosecutors don't have to prove a motive. So, whether or not Dzhokhar says his motive was the actions -- the military actions in Iraq and Afghanistan, whatever motive doesn't matter. The fact is they used a weapon of mass destruction to kill Americans and proving that is really what the investigators will remain focused on. BLITZER: Fran Townsend, our national security analyst, thanks very much for that analysis.

Still ahead here, authorities clear an Elvis impersonator of sending letters laced with ricin to President Obama. You're going to hear what Paul Kevin Curtis is saying about his arrest.

That and a lot more news from Boston and the world, when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: The search is on for whomever sent letters laced with poison to President Obama and two other officials. That after the initial suspects in the ricin letters case to Mississippi man named Paul Kevin Curtis was cleared.

Victor Blackwell is joining us now from Tupelo, Mississippi.

Victor, I understand FBI agents have searched another house in Mississippi. What's the latest?

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Right, Wolf. We went to that house and there were federal agents there in hazmat suit searching the house. However, the FBI has not said publicly what that house or the owner of the house has to do with this investigation if anything. We're still waiting for confirmation of that, Wolf.

BLITZER: What about the man that was released? What can you tell us?

BLACKWELL: Well, he was released yesterday initially on a $25,000 bond and then, by early evening, the charges were dropped altogether, and Paul Kevin Curtis says it feels like a train has been lifted off his shoulders.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLACKWELL (voice-over): When authorities released Paul Kevin Curtis, he was eager to set the record straight.

PAUL KEVIN CURTIS, FORMER RICIN SUSPECT: I respect President Obama, I love my country and would never do anything to post a threat to him or any other U.S. official.

BLACKWELL: Curtis was accused of sending ricin laced letters to President Obama, Mississippi Senator Roger Wicker in Washington and a county judge in Mississippi. Charges were dropped.

U.S. Attorney Felicia Adams says new information became available. And in a bizarre turn, Curtis says he's a victim of a plot by a man holding a grudge against him. He told CNN's Piers Morgan, they have been feuding for years.

CURTIS: He's been showing up on my radar, people coming in town, do you know this guy hates you? He's got it out for you. And I never knew why.

BLACKWELL: Curtis' attorney says information on social media was used to frame her client.

CHRISTI MCCOY, ATTORNEY FOR KEVIN CURTIS: The government was able to basically find another suspect who we believe is the true perpetrator of this heinous crime.

BLACKWELL: Curtis crimes how he felt as he waited to learn his fate.

CURTIS: Just being on the state of overwhelmed is the best way I can describe it. When you've been charged with something, and you just, you never heard of ricin or whatever. I thought they said rice. So, I said, I don't even eat rice.

BLACKWELL: Curtis is a father, political activist and Elvis impersonator and he's ready to move on.

CURTIS: This past week has been a nightmare for myself and my family. My mother has suffered as well as my children. I would like to get back to normal, which for me means being the best father I can be to my children, supporting my favorite charity, Save a Life Foundation and entertaining through my music.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLACKWELL: Now, we know those letters that were mailed to the president, to Senator Wicker of Mississippi that were mailed to Washington, they never reached those two men.