Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Black Friday Brings out Millions; Amish Girl in Hiding; Sisters Held Captive; Bride Loses Groom in Honeymoon Accident

Aired November 29, 2013 - 14:00   ET

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

ASHLEIGH BANFIELD, CNN ANCHOR:

ASHLEIGH BANFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Ashleigh Banfield, in for Brooke Baldwin. Thanks for joining me, everyone, today. And happy holidays to you.

Of course, we're well into Black Friday today. And while there are certainly some sweet deals to be had, it's also getting kind of ugly out there. We'll cover all the angles over the next couple hours.

First, I'm going to start with the ugly. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(SHOUTING)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BANFIELD: So I guess that's proof positive that the TVs are the hot items this year because this fight broke out over a stack of them at a Walmart in Elton, North Carolina. And I've got to be honest, we're not entirely sure where this next skirmish happened, but it proves that women are not afraid to mix it up for a cheap TV. Yikes. Proud to be an American.

Hey, as a careful reminder as well today, when you leave with your bargains, beware, because as a man left this Las Vegas Target store with a big screen TV, another man came up and fired a warning shot. The customer dropped the TV, the crook took off with it. And here's where I'm going to suggest that you don't do this at home. The victim turned around and went after the robber, tried to get this TV back. Big mistake because listen to what happened next.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The gentleman let off about two rounds, shooting the guy in his leg. And he just hopped in the car and took off. He didn't even get the TV. If you could see, it's still sitting over there.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BANFIELD: Yes, it is. It's just still sitting there, right there on the ground. And as scary as all of that sounds, we're happy to report that the shopper is not going to die from his wounds. So much for the steals.

Now, let's look towards the deals. Yes, that's nicer, isn't it? Makes you a little bit happier. A lot of happy shoppers at least in Miami on Black Friday. Our Margaret Conley is outside Macy's flagship store right here in New York City where, you know, this was a nice big surprise for the first time they opened yesterday. What's the mood there today, Margaret?

MARGARET CONLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Ashleigh, there were fights and arrests and stabbings at Walmarts. But here it's been calm, and that what we've been hearing from mall managers across the country. It's festive outside. You can see the Macy's window display behind me, but inside, and remember, this shop here, this mall, is as long as a city block. It's extremely crowded because not everybody bought into the early store opening hours.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHEREE BOWEN, SHOPPER: I would never shop on Thanksgiving. No. You have - you're with family. You eat on Thanksgiving and then you shop.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CONLEY: Now, not everybody bought into those shopping hours. These new hours have caused people to come up with different kinds of shopping strategies. Do you bring your family with you to shop on Thanksgiving? Do you wait till Friday morning when a lot of people thought that some of the deals might have already been gone. So, Ashleigh, a lot of options for consumers.

BANFIELD: And for the first time, Macy's opening up on Thanksgiving Day. I know they got a little bit of flack here and there for it, but how is Macy's responding to all of that?

CONLEY: We spoke with the CEO and he said that decision has been really, really popular to open up with those earlier hours.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TERRY LUNDGREN, MACY'S CEO: In our case, you know, we just want to do what our customers want and what our associates want and so we're being responsive in that way.

I think the fact that 15,000 people versus 11,000 who were here at last year at midnight is an indication that people want to be here when we opened our doors.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CONLEY: Now, we're hearing that the numbers this year, they're not going to be record-breaking, but they are up. And we did ask a couple CEOs about next year, and they say that these hours are going to be the new normal.

BANFIELD: The new normal. All right, Margaret Conley, thanks for that.

And it looks like it's not too terribly cold out there, too, so not a bad assignment if you've got to be working today.

By the way, speaking of today, it's a half day for the market. The stock market closed already. It's been on such a tear this month. And even so, it finished the last trading of November a little bit flat. In fact, there are the numbers for you. It fell just under 11 points today. S&P 500 down a wee bit. A little over one point. The Nasdaq, the day's bright spot, though, gaining 15 points. The Dow and S&P are ending the month, however, record highs. And I like saying that, because that means your 401(k) is doing well.

On the case now. An Amish family is in hiding today to keep their sick child out of the hands of a court-appointed caregiver. Eleven-year-old Sarah Hershberger has leukemia, lymphoma, in fact. Doctors at Akron Children's Hospital say she needs to finish receiving her chemotherapy, or they say she'll die within the year, almost to a certitude. But Hershberger's family says that the treatment made Sarah so sick that they've chosen to use natural remedies instead. Last month her father spoke by phone to our affiliate WEWS.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANDY HERSHBERGER, FATHER (voice-over): Our belief is the natural stuff will do just as much as what that does, if it's God's will. If we do chemotherapy and she would happen to die, she would probably suffer more than if we would do it this way and she would happen to die.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BANFIELD: In October, a court appointed guardian was sent to oversee Sarah's medical care. And according to the "Akron Beacon Journal," when Sarah was supposed to be picked up, the family was nowhere to be found. So that's it, they're on the lam. And with me now is attorney Heather Hansen, and CNN's Nick Valencia.

So, Nick, first I want to start with you. Sarah's grandfather, he's saying that Sarah is actually doing well, but he's not saying where she is, am I correct?

NICK VALENCIA, CNN NATIONAL REPORTER: That's exactly right, Ashleigh. And we tried repeatedly to get in touch with the family. We were unsuccessful. They live among the Amish in rural Ohio, making it extremely difficult. In fact, the grandfather doesn't have a phone, but he did speak to a local newspaper there, "The Akron Beacon Journal," and he said that Sarah is cancer-free. He told them in part that blood and imaging tests have shown Sarah is continuing treatments with natural products and is cancer-free.

Now, there's no way for us to confirm that, Ashleigh, because, as you mentioned, the family is still in hiding. According to that local newspaper, the grandfather said that the little girl was taken down to central America and received holistic medicine there at a clinic. The doctors at Akron's Children Hospital, now they're at the center of this controversy with the family. They spoke to CNN's "New Day" earlier this summer and explained to us how they got into this situation. Take a listen to that sound.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. ROBERT MCGREGOR, CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER, AKRON CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL: And the child did have some side effects, which would be certainly expected. And then the decision initially was they wanted to have additional complementary medicine, which is something that we would certainly be supportive of. And then the decision shifted that it would be only using the alternative medicine or the herbal medicine.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VALENCIA: Now doctors say there is no proven track record of alternative medicine working in cancer cases. But her last chemotherapy, Ashleigh, was in June, so about five months ago, and doctors say that if she's not treated soon, there's a good chance that she will die.

Ashleigh.

BANFIELD: All right, Nick Valencia reporting for us. Thank you.

I want to bring in now Heather Hansen with the legal side of this.

Heather, I think anybody watching right now would probably have two questions. Number one, can't a parent make a decision about what to do with their children? And number two, can't society protect children from parents who make bad decisions?

HEATHER HANSEN, TRIAL ATTORNEY: Well, and, Ashleigh, that's the question, you know, and that's why judges get paid the big bucks because they're having to step in and make these decisions as to what's in the best interest of the child. And should the parents be allowed to decide that or should the state? Here, the judge, the first judge, said that the parents were allowed to decide and that Sarah did not have to have chemotherapy. And it was an appellate court who changed that decision. And now it's being appealed again. So this is going to go through some steps before it's finally decided.

BANFIELD: So the doctors say apparently she's got, I think, an 85 percent chance of surviving if she received full chemotherapy. Is there law effectively on the books, look, every state's different, but effectively across the country that says if there is a proven medical treatment, we are bound by that. We can't just say, I don't like that, I want something natural for my kids.

HANSEN: No. And that's the point. There is no law. There's no legislation. This is state by state, case by case, weighing the risks and benefits for each parent and each child. Oftentimes, Ashleigh, if the parents could get a physician to say that these alternative treatments are working, the judges will weigh that and perhaps rule in favor of the parents. But each case is different, and so that's why the judges have to weigh each case and each case makes the next case lean different ways.

BANFIELD: And always the standard that we repeat so often is the best interest of the child. Heather, thank you. I'm going to tap your acumen a little bit later on, so don't go too far, if you would, please, on this working day for you.

HANSEN: Thanks, Ashleigh.

BANFIELD: Coming up, a picture of Enrique Iglesias. That's what a teenager used to get through up to two years of captivity inside her own home. We've got some brand new details that are emerging on this story about what she and her sisters went through in captivity. Strangely enough, including how loud music played a role.

And also, a UFC fighter is right now on life support. He's just 30 years old. We're going to tell you what happened and how his family is going to have to make a very tough decision very, very soon. Back in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BANFIELD: Three young sisters imprisoned in their own home, living in their own filth, and tortured with music. That's not even the worst of what happened to these girls as they allegedly suffered while being held captive by their own mother and stepfather in their own Arizona home. Police say the girls were age 12, 13, and 17 and had been held in separate locked rooms, possibly for up to two full years. Their every move monitored by video cameras aimed at their beds.

But on Tuesday, the two younger sisters told police they managed to escape after the stepfather kicked in their door and tried to attack them, allegedly with a knife. They ran to a neighbor's home who alerted authorities. And police say the full extent of the psychological damage wasn't even apparent until officers found the eldest sister locked in her bedroom.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHIEF ROBERTO VILLASENOR, TUCSON POLICE: When we entered into the room of the oldest girl, she was surprised that we were even there. The music was so loud, and she had no idea what was going on around her, that when the officers started banging on the door and opened the door to go in, she was totally surprised to see police there. Had no idea that we were even there.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BANFIELD: The girls' mother, 32-year-old Sophia Richter (ph), and the stepfather on the left, 34-year-old Fernando Richter (ph), are charged with child abuse and kidnapping. The stepfather is also charged with one count of sexual abuse of a child under 15. And here's a shocker. More charges are expected. HLN's Lynn Berry joining me now live.

Lynn, every time I come across a story like this, and I see these details, I think, it can't be.

LYNN BERRY, HLN ANCHOR: I know. BANFIELD: There must be something to explain all of this. Are police being sort of tight lipped on this, or are the details just too graphic?

BERRY: The details are coming out. And what they've told us, what we know, are extremely graphic already. They're learning more from these girls that are talking to police and giving their account of these two very long years.

And, Ashleigh, the conditions here were unimaginable. The girls say that they were malnourished because they only ate once a day. They were completely filthy. They hadn't bathed in four to six months. And that's just the physical toll. The environment was just as bad, if not worse.

OK, so they were locked in these room. They have this alarm system and surveillance cameras, as you said, pointing towards the bed. And they had to listen to a constant barrage of this blaring music 24/7.

And here's what's so sick. If they appeared to actually like the music or had any reaction that seemed positive, it would change to just white noise, just static. And these cameras, they actually had to make hand signals to the cameras if they wanted to use the bathroom. Sometimes they let them out. Sometimes they wouldn't. If they didn't let them out, they'd use their closets as a bathroom and they would live in those conditions.

All of this that I'm telling you was apparently documented, according to police, by this 17-year-old in a journal. Police found that picture of Enrique Iglesias, which you had mentioned. That was her most prized possession. She said it's what got her through the really difficult times. Police say that they actually returned that journal to her, and just how happy she was. A journal.

BANFIELD: Oh, it's just so hard to - it's hard to imagine. I just - there's no way to know this right now, I'm assuming, with affidavits and, you know, the search warrants, et cetera, that the journal will become a very key piece of evidence in this. But where are the girls right now and what do we know about their, you know, rehabilitation, their rescue? Where are they?

BERRY: You know, that's the only bright spot in this story, if you can find one. They're all together, which police really made note that that's significant because they -- when they saw each other, you could tell it was for the first time in a very long time. And when they interviewed them separately, they became anxious, needing to be together. And so they put them in a home with child protective services, in a group home, and they will insure that these three girls remain together. And that is really the only bright spot we can find in this. This is their own mother that it was at the hands of.

BANFIELD: This is it, Lynn.

BERRY: Yes.

BANFIELD: This is why - I mean, look, we just came through this ordeal with Ariel Castro and what he did with his three captives and how horrifying it was. But he effectively didn't know them. And he was tangentially connected. But, you know, he didn't know them. And then you hear about a mother, and a mother with a stepfather. It just seems like the torment was --

BERRY: At the hands of the people that are supposed to protect them.

BANFIELD: Yes. And it seemed like this was part of a joy, not a reaction or an inability to parent or a frustration. It was just an enjoyment. It defies logic. I think we'll see a lot more charges there, Lynn.

BERRY: Yes.

BANFIELD: This is usually the way things. Thank you for your work.

BERRY: Thanks, Ashleigh.

BANFIELD: Do appreciate looking into that for us. Lynn Berry reporting live for us now.

And still ahead, some big legal trouble for a celebrity chef. Some allegations that were not supposed to come out in public, have come out in public. Cocaine use and cover-ups all surfacing.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NIGELLA LAWSON, CELEBRITY CHEF: There is - I mean there's no bad way to eat bread.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BANFIELD: That's Nigella Lawson in better times.

Also, there is brand new information just out of $100,000 lavish spending sprees. We are on the case on this one. Trying to sort through what happened.

Also, a tragic story out of Tennessee. After being married for just a few days, a newlywed couple has a terrible car accident. The bride is now a widow. And she joins me next on how her faith is getting her through this difficult time.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BANFIELD: Mixed martial artist Shane del Rosario is on life support after he suffered a sudden cardiac arrest on Tuesday. According to "Bleacher Report," the 30-year-old ultimate fighter has not shown brain activity after a procedure was done on Wednesday. Yesterday, false reports on social media began circulating that Rosario had died. His family is hoping for the best, but plans to make a final decision today on whether to take him off life support or not. It's a very difficult decision, especially during these holidays.

Now, everybody's been clicking on quite a remarkable story that we're running right now on cnn.com. A new bride, had a beautiful wedding, a beautiful marriage, in fact. Look at that picture. Just an image of joy. And there's the truck, "we just got hitched." Sadly, the wedding and the marriage lasted only seven days because tragedy struck on the eighth day. Buck and Tasha Storey were driving back from their honeymoon to Gatlinburg, Tennessee. Tasha got sleepy and snuggled up in a blanket in the passenger's seat. The heater wasn't working in the car, so she tried to stay warm. But the next thing she knew, she was being airlifted to a hospital. Her groom and her soul mate, who had been in the driver's seat, was gone. Tasha's leg had to be amputated.

And I now want to bring in cnn.com writer/producer Daphne Sashin, who wrote this very emotional piece on cnn.com. And Tasha's going to join us in just a moment to talk about what she's gone through.

First, Daphne, the story is, first of all, just a remarkable read. Total strangers stopped when they saw this accident and they all immediately got right down to business. Can you take it from there?

DAPHNE SASHIN, WRITER/PRODUCER, CNN.COM: Yes. Four people stopped to help Tasha. They all saw the car flip in front of them. And it was two women and two gentlemen. They pulled over. They went to the car. They heard Tasha crying for help. One gentleman was able to get her out of the car. The others put blankets on her to keep her from going into shock. They stayed, they held her hand, and prayed with her and comforted her in the moments before the emergency personnel arrived.

And then the two women found Tasha and Buck's cell phones and were calling everyone they could until they reached Tasha's mom. And then they also were walking along the highway, picking up all of the belongings that were strewn along the road. Souvenir photos from their honeymoon, a wedding guest book, and they all knew that this couple had just been married. And I think that made it so heartbreaking for everybody involved.

And they've stayed all in touch with Tasha and her family. I think they all really felt that there was something that brought them there to help her that day. Some greater purpose.

BANFIELD: It's hard seeing those photographs of this SUV with the writing on it, "just hitched," and then seeing the wreck of the same SUV. And if you look, you can still see some of that writing on the window of the SUV.

Daphne, thank you for that. I appreciate your reporting. And like I said, on cnn.com, that is a remarkable read and a lot of people are clicking on this right now.

I want to bring in now Tasha Storey, who's joining us live by telephone right now.

Tasha, thank you very much for being a part of our Thanksgiving holiday program. First and foremost, I know you spent the better part of a month in the hospital. How are you doing?

TASHA STOREY (via telephone): I'm doing really good now. I'm here at (INAUDIBLE), back home in Panama City, and I'm doing well. And went to therapy today, and rocked that and I'm just feeling a lot better being back home and being around my family, friends, and church friends as well.

BANFIELD: And I know that in addition to the loss of your leg, you also had some serious internal injuries as well. Are you recovering from that?

STOREY: Actually, I am. It's actually healing very well. The bottom is still not where they want it to be. They're still looking at the fascia. But the top is just shrinking dramatically small, and it's looking very good. And it's a good pink color and red color that they want. So my mom and grandmother and family, we're excited, you know, for the healing of that.

BANFIELD: I'm looking at your pictures from your wedding night. Bride, groom. You just look so incredibly happy. And it's hard to believe you can even talk today. This is all so raw and so recent. You must have a remarkable support system.

STOREY: I do. I have, you know, not just my faith and, you know, God being a big part of my life, but my mom and my grandmother being there when times got tough and I needed to cry. And my mom just holding my face and saying, it's going to be OK, baby, you're going to do fine and it's OK to cry. And I have two amazing pastors. You know, Robert and Stacey Gay (ph), who had been a tremendous part of my life and telling me, you know, it's OK to be sad and it's OK to grieve because, you know, even Jesus grieved. And I'm just forever grateful for them and just the people, even at the accident, supporting me and cheering me on, and making me feel like a little cheerleader, so I'm thankful for them as well.

BANFIELD: Well, you're a beacon for all of us. I just want to ask you about your forward recovery and perhaps being fitted for a prosthetic leg. Do you have any plans right now or is it all too early?

STOREY: Well, I actually talked to my doctor from here, Dr. Henigan (ph), and there is going to be a gentleman coming in. He's going to talk to me about what they call a shrinker (ph). And that will go over my leg. And what that does, Ashleigh, is it will shrink my stump down. And we named him Jack. So it will shrink Jack down smaller than my left leg. And that's going to fit me for a prosthesis. And the way my doctor was thinking (ph), it might not be a year. It might be sooner than a year. So hearing him say that and getting the positive, you know, vibes and feedback from him made me feel really good.

BANFIELD: You're making me feel really good. Your positive vibe is just astounding. Given what you've gone through, Tasha, you are amazing. Thank you, and God bless you.

STOREY: Oh, thank you so much, Ashleigh, and God bless you as well.

BANFIELD: I wish you every ounce of the recovery you deserve. And from everybody here at CNN as well, happy Thanksgiving holiday. I know this is a terrible time, but you are a remarkable woman. Tasha Storey, thank you for being with us.

STOREY: Thank you so much, Ashleigh. And it was my pleasure. BANFIELD: Tasha coming to us live about her recovery and about her so much to be thankful for at this time for all of us as well. And, in fact, you can read a lot more about Tasha and Buck's incredible love story and the tragic accident that ended his life and changed hers forever. A remarkable read on cnn.com. I encourage you to have a look.

We are following a number of stories for you today on this holiday. Thanksgiving Friday. Just hours away now from the deadline for the Obamacare website to be up and running almost entirely. And more reports of glitches and outages. Up next, what this means for the president if the site is not working by deadline.