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Passenger Wakes Up In Empty, Locked Plane; Nelson Mandela Honored In Day Of Prayer; Sheriff: I'm Not Lowering U.S. Flag For Mandela; Iran Uses Inspections To Try To Convince The World It Is Not After A Nuclear Bomb; Innocent Man Went To Prison For 25 Years

Aired December 08, 2013 - 14:00   ET

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

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: And he was the star of a movie that has generated over $2 billion ticket sales around the globe. Today, thousands of Paul Walker's fans gather for an unforgettable tribute.

Ice, snow and sleet moving east. Millions of people in this winter- like storm's path, this is Western Virginia. Take a look. An inch of snow and sleet could fall there throughout the day with more expected overnight. And this is the same system that dumped four to seven inches of ice and snow in and around Cincinnati. People there are digging out but more snow is coming.

And then check this out. Ice and snow continue to cause major problems near Dallas. This is i-35 in Fort Worth. Tractor trailers lines up, a fog down by icy sleet highways. What a mess.

We are covering the storm from all angles.

Erin McPike is checking on the airports delays and cancellations across the country. Tory Dunnan in keeping an eye on the road conditions and meteorologist Alexandra Steele will show us where the storm is and where it might be headed next.

So travelers are feeling the storm's bit at airport across the country. The wintery weather are causing delays and cancelations. Dallas airport is still operating on a limited schedule with hundreds of passengers stranded in terminals there.

CNN's Erin McPike is keeping an eye on the airports across the country. She is live for us right now at Reagan National where it looks pretty wet and nasty there.

ERIN MCPIKE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well Fred, we did have a ground stop here for about 30 minutes within the last hour or so. That was so they could pre-treat the run ways as the storm start to get worse. We haven't seen many delays here just yet. However, a spokes woman for the two airports in the D.C. area, including Dallas and Reagan here where I am, said that airlines are now beginning to cancel more of their flights for this afternoon and headed into this evening.

The problem up until now has been delayed of inbound flights. So, arrivals here at Reagan National, also at the three airports that service the New York area, including LaGuardia, JFK and Newark and also Philadelphia, and then Chicago's O'Hare airport which is an united hub.

In terms of outgoing flights, right now, Philadelphia is really getting hit the hardest. They are having a lot of snow and ice there. The average delay wait time in Philadelphia is 1:43 minutes. But as you said at the top of the show, Dallas has been the hardest hit so far. Of course, the storm hit there, sometimes Thursday night. And just yesterday, you know, as you know, Dallas is an American airlines (INAUDIBLE) half of those flights were cancelled out of Dallas. And they are experiencing a delay in terms of outgoing flight right now at about 48 minutes, Fred.

WHITFIELD: What a mess.

Erin, thanks so much.

If you are traveling by air, packed a lot of patience.

Let's check out how things are on the roadways particularly in the northeast at Atlantic state. So, let's check in with CNN's Tory Dunnan in Roanoke, Virginia. So, how does it look there?

TORY DUNNAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: So Fred, we are in the downtown really, the historic area of Roanoke, Virginia. And on the normal Sunday before Christmas week leading up to it, this area would be packed with people, but they are inside. And here is why, Fred.

The temperature is hovering around 30 degrees or so. But it feels a whole lot colder. Now, throughout the morning, what we really seen has been sleet and some rain. They are expecting some freezing raindrop today and that is one of the concerns because take a look at this.

This is a trash can here in town, but Imagine this on a roadway. That is what officials are concerned about because there is a potential that that layer of ice to this. So dangerous driving conditions possible later today. Also, of ice like this gets on power lines or trees, there could be power outage as well.

And I have talked with transportation officials and they are saying at this point, in this area, there is sort of a slight to moderate issue on some of the roadways that they got crews out here dealing with some problems. They have pretreated some of the major roadways through town.

So, so far, not horrible, but all eyes are going to be on this afternoon on this specially cold day, Fred.

WHITFIELD: OK. Certainly, people need to brace and pat attentions to those forecasts.

Thanks so much, Tory.

All right, you know how football crazy Texas is, right? Well, check this out. The central Florida-SMU game, the weather is so bad that the stadium was practically empty. This is strange, isn't it? Just a few hundred people were there to watch it live. Let's get a check on where the storm is headed and how it might be impacting everybody it seems, Alexandra.

ALEXANDRA STEELE, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Fred, talk about football, look at this game, currently going on. It started 1:00 -- Washington, Baltimore and Philadelphia. Temperatures in the upper 20s and snow is on the ground. You can see all those games and it is pretty cool to watch all of the snow that are coming down.

Philadelphia really may get hit the hardest with this in terms of the snow that is coming down and total accumulations.

So, here is the current radar picture. Baltimore, Washington, you can see where the snow is. the pinkish showing you in the purple where the ice is and the blue of course is all the rain and the green is the rain as well holding on.

So, as we head toward tonight, you can see Washington makes it over from snow to sleet. And it is overnight, we are going to mix to rain. And that is pretty much the scenario for everyone because the temperature is not warming up.

So, everyone who wants snow now, mix this to sleet and then mix it to freezing rain, and then overnight, it becomes all rain game. So, the good news with this is Monday across the eastern seaboard. All right, these temperatures will be on the 40s. So, we are in the going to see that ice stay like we have seen in Dallas and Memphis with the last sight storm.

So, in D.C., winter weather advisory for you. Right now, snow, changing over to sleet. Overnight tonight will be freezing rain of rain, maybe a tenth of an inch of ice is expected there.

Philadelphia, the only one with the winter storm warning, snow now changing over to sleet over night changing the rain. Total accumulation for them between about three and six inches of snow and sleet. And then, Monday, it is a rain game and all that rain moves out.

For New York city, will like that snow come in Sunday night. Tonight, half of inch of snow potentially. And then, overnight again, changing the sleet and freezing rain, Fred, and that also rain on Monday as well.

WHITFIELD: And let's hope there is warm temperature as you say re- lead to kind of thought every --

STEELE: Forty will never feel so good, right?

WHITFIELD: I know.

Isn't that funny? We are going to celebrating that.

All right, thanks a lot, Alexandra. Appreciate that.

All right, a heartfelt goodbye to actor Paul Walker. Those who adorned him and his talents are gathering for tribute today. We'll take you there.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Police say a Pennsylvania couple confessed plotted and killed a man just for the thrill. According to investigators 18-year- old Miranda Barbour confessed, they say, she and her 22-year-old husband plot and he killed the man just because they wanted to. The couple is facing several charges including homicide.

Alexandra Field is joining us live now from Sunbury, Pennsylvania looking into this case.

So, is there any kind of explanation beyond, this is for the thrill of it? Do they know the couple? Was there any other motive?

ALEXANDRA FIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well Fred, police tell us that, the newlywed couple posted an ad on Craig list offering pay companionship services in order to lure a 42-year-old married man, Try LaFerrara. According to investigators, Miranda Barbour now says that on the evening of November 11th, she picked LaFerrara up from a local mall. They started to drive when he started to touch her. She said she pulled a knife from between the seats and stab him repeatedly. At the same time, police tell us that her husband. Elytte Barbour, her husband of just three weeks was hiding in the back seat of the car and that he held a rope around LaFerrara's neck in order to keep his head back.

Miranda Barbour was arrested and charged last week. Her husband was arrested and charged with criminal homicide as well, just three days later. And here is what police are telling us the couple is saying now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHIEF STEPHEN MAZZEO, SUNBURY, PENNSYLVANIA POLICE: He tells us that they intended to kill somebody together. They had tried to kill other individuals and failed and this happened to be one that actually worked.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE REPORTER: What did she tell you?

MAZZEO: She told us that her husband was not involved. She told us that she did this alone and she blacked out during part of the process and she doesn't remember all.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FIELD: LaFerrara was left in a yard here in Sunbury, Pennsylvania. Residents found him face down outside on the morning of November 12th. Police say he had 20 stab wounds. He didn't have any identification on him. But Fred, police say they were able to use his cell phone to connect him to the Barbours.

WHITFIELD: This is shocking and absolutely horrible. So, what is next in this investigation? FIELD: OK. So, right now, as the court case moves forward, we could see another part of this investigation. The couple had just moved up here from North Carolina. They have only been married for a few weeks. But we do know that Miranda Barbour has a 1-year-old child. The father of that child is deceased. And policed say that death will now be part of the investigation. The investigation though could be to other states, Fred.

WHITFIELD: That's tremendous.

OK, Alexandra Field, thank you so much.

In just a few hours, a tribute begins in California for "Fast and Furious" star, Paul Walker and his friend, Roger Rodas. Organizers are using social media to promote the tribute that is taking place at the scene where Walker and Rodas died in that car crash last week.

Let's go now to CNN's Paul Vercammen in Santa Clarita which tribute will be held.

So Paul, this isn't a so-called memorial service, rather a tribute that Walker's fans wanted him to do it for him at that very place, right?

PAUL VERCAMMEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Fred. They are honoring him in a mere of different ways. I mean, if you look at the wide shot here, you have got about 500 people up and down the street where the crash occurred. And many of them are driving by in some rather nice cars, some sports cars and street racers. And then other are walking right up to memorial here and participated in their various ways. They have dropped even more flowers and they dropped even more candles and some special notes. And some of the love and the detail that have gone into the memorial. And here are just amazing,

Look at this ornate frame. It is sort of a sign post, if you will, of Paul Walker's life. It shows the cars, Paul Walker, very interest in the outdoor and he called himself an adrenalin junky. And also, he had said to us on CNN that he thought that if he wasn't in these movies, being an actor, he probably be a marine biologist. That's why you see the octopus, and dolphins and what not.

The people here come from farm and wide and from all of southern California. We heard someone came from as far away as Texas. And it is sort of a family affair here today because we are seeing a lot of mothers and sons. And you know, over here, we are going to show you a father and daughter who made the "Fast and Furious" movies a part of their life. This is Didi and this is Al. They are from nearby San Fernando.

Tell us, how did you first get acquainted with Paul Walker?

DIDI, PAUL WALKER'S FAN: Well, I saw the first movie, the "Fast and the Furious," I was 9 years old. I'm 21 so I've grown up watching all the movies. And I have seen every single one with my dad. So, it kind of bonded us throughout the years. And it is special because, you know, I love my dad. So, you know, it is special. It is. The movies are really special to us.

VERCAMMEN: And you are a marine. What does Paul Walker mean to you?

AL, PAUL WALKER'S FAN: Well, you know, Paul Walker to me, he was not just a good actor, but he was really a genuinely good human being. And I really think that people like that deserve things like this.

VERCAMMEN: Are you surprised about how many people are out here? What has it been like for you to interact with the crowd?

DIDI: I'm not surprised because, you know what? More and more have come out just really shows what a good person he was and all the good things that he did. And it is nice to see everyone just come out and support him. And even, Roger Rodas too, you know? It is so unfortunate that it happened to him and his poor kid.

So, you know, it is nice to see the support out here. And everyone seems to be doing as good as he can.

VERCAMMEN: Great. I thank both you so much for taking time out.

We should note it has been a very respectful and reverential crowd people giving each other space, taking pictures and saying whatever they want to. Remember Paul Walker, later on we understand at a pastor at a nearby church may have a couple of words. But, you know, for something that would just went viral on the Internet, it has come together in sort of an organized way, Fred.

WHITFIELD: And Paul, is there anything more as to pertains to the investigation that officials are willing to say about why that car impacts that pole, why that crash happened?

VERCAMMEN: There hasn't been anything that is been earth shattering. But once again, you go back to speed. It was on this very street, not far from here, where that car hit that pole. And you know, by all accounts, and what everyone has told us all week long, that Porsche GT is an extremely difficult car to drive. Imagine this, it is 10 cylinder and some 600 horsepower, Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right, Paul Vercammen, thanks so much from Santa Clarita, California.

All right, we have seen it before and the brace yourself, the federal government could shut down again. That is if Congress doesn't come up with the new budget deal by Friday. The clock is ticking and our political panel will be weighing in.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: This week as the president prepared to head to the state funeral of Nelson Mandela, members of Congress, back at home, will be at work trying to avoid another government shutdown. The deadline is this Friday for panel of House and Senate lawmakers to reach a bipartisan budget deal. If they don't the government could shut down again come January 15th when funding runs out for many federal programs. Republican strategist, Terry Holt is former spokesman for House speaker John Boehner and Kiki McLean is a Democrat strategist who as the senior advisor to the Hillary Clinton presidential campaign.

Good to see both of you.

KIKI MCLEAN, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Hi, Fred. Thank you.

WHITFIELD: So, the funeral and memorials for Nelson Mandela are up staging just about everything, it would seem, this week. Does this sort of relief Congress of the pressure, you know, to get that budget deal done? You are nodding no.

MCLEAN: No, it doesn't. Just because our leader has been called away to a real world event, the passing of a great global icon like Nelson Mandela, it doesn't mean Congress doesn't have a job to do and it doesn't mean they don't have responsibilities that they have to fulfill.

I think what is interesting is that the American public seems uninterested in the drama of it and wants the deal done. It is not unlike after you watched your child to a temperature eight times, you quit feeding into it and you tell them to go and clean up their room. And I think there is a little bit act going on.

WHITFIELD: So Terry, are you seeing lessons learned, you know, since that last government shut down that perhaps the behavior or the process might be a little different this week on Capitol Hill?

TERRY HOLT, FORMER SPOKESPERSON OF REP. JOHN BOEHNER: Well, they are trying to do something different than they were during the government shutdown a couple of months ago.

But Kiki has made a great point. The American people have reacted to the government shut down story and both parties have really suffered from the public sort of angst and distrust of Washington. It is calm and beautiful snowy day here in Washington. The president is leaving the country, but the cogs of government are still grinding here. And they have to arrive with the big budget number so that next year, they can fight some of these other battles. You know there might be a couple of things happening this week that causes us to feel like something will happen.

But both parties are really, at this point, not on the point where they want to be in a confrontational mode, but to get a big number arrived at so that they can all go home for Christmas and avoid a big controversy. But trust me, in January, we are still going to be back here trying to solve problems of health care cuts and the farm bill.

WHITFIELD: Does that worry you?

HOLT: Well, it has become the status quo here in D.C. We have all this incremental battles and no big policies except for the Affordable Care Act. And so, it bothers me a little bit. But we are getting a little used to it, aren't we?

WHITFIELD: Sadly.

Well, you know Kiki, you know, the negotiators have said there are no major meeting, at least not being scheduled as we know. And House speaker John Boehner has given House members a hard deadline, however, saying that the House will adjourned on Friday before holiday recess. But does that necessarily mean the House will adjourn with a deal or he was just saying no one is going to be over time passed Friday?

MCLEAN: I don't think you can predict that because I think as much as the speaker's word is what folks would like to believe, he just doesn't really have control of this caucus with what may or may not happen.

But here is what I think. I think the members of Congress have recognized the American people have said, we are done with telling you that we are angry with you. Do what you will, but there will be consequences for it.

The other thing that I think --

WHITFIELD: Come 2014, you are talking?

MCLEAN: Well, yes. But the other thing I think that has happened, Fredricka, is you know, a lot of what drove all the drama earlier in the fall were threats around the affordable care act. And the fact of the matter is, the Web site is working now. People are getting enrolled now. We have some bumps along the road --

(CROSSTALK)

MCLEAN: But that political torch that I think some ideologs wanted to use is no longer the torch that they can use in a fight. So, Terry's earlier point, the recognition that they got to get a little something done, it won't solve a lot of the big problems. But it does take a lot of the drama out of this winter.

WHITFIELD: All right, Terry, you got a last word on that?

HOLT: Well, the shut down controversy was all about the Affordable Care Act. It is the president was willing to shut the government down to prevent changes --

WHITFIELD: That can't be the excuse in time if --

(CROSSTALK)

MCLEAN: Let me make my point. Everything that has happened since the government shut down has been to alter the way Obamacare or the ACA is supposed to unfold. So, what we are going to be talking about next year is how the ACA, a.k.a. Obamacare is going to affect the 2014 elections to make it very, very interesting.

WHITFIELD: All right, Terry Holt and Kiki McLean, thanks so much to both of you.

Thank you so much and enjoy the snowy weather. All right, a man took a nap on a plane during his lay over. But then, guess what, he woke up all alone to a travel nightmare.

And South Africans are honoring Nelson Mandela with a day of prayer. Many said it is a reminder of how he saved their country from oppression and revenge.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right, here we go again. A big football win turns to street rioting? This time, it slams in Michigan. Students set bonfires and overturned cars after Michigan state beat Ohio state in last night's big ten championship game. Police in riot there say the crowd grew to several thousand. They made multiple arrests but denied social media reports that they used tear gas.

A man who fell asleep on a plane during the layover in Houston got a rather big surprise. He woke up in complete darkness with no one else onboard.

(INAUDIBLE) of affiliate KTRK has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TOM WAGNER, LOCKED INSIDE THE PLANE: That is not good that you can be stuck on a plane.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE REPORTER: Trapped onboard a United Express jet at the nation's fifth largest airport.

WAGNER: I woke up and just lights were out and I said what is going on?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE REPORTER: Tom Wagner was frantic. He spoke exclusively to eye witness student and said the last he remembered, he took off his hat after boarding the flight in (INAUDIBLE), goes off in his window seat near the back of the airplane

WAGNER: Everybody fall asleep on a plane.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE REPORTER: Once in Houston, no one bothered to wake Wagner up, not a passenger, not a flight attendant or pilot. No one, Mr. Wagner, slept.

WAGNER: And it sweep the plane. I mean, who shut the door?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE REPORTER: He said he woke up to a cold, pitch black cabin, thought he was dreaming. He made a frantic call to his girlfriend. She thought he was joking. About a half hour later, workers boarded the aircraft and were stunned to a lone passenger.

WAGNER: (INAUDIBLE) the blame on me. I said I didn't the one wrong here. And then here I go, you know try to (INAUDIBLE) to keep me quiet.

UNIDENTIFIED CORRESPONDENT: Express Jet issued this statement saying quote, "Express Jet is investigating to determine how this occurred. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience this caused for the passenger," end quote.

JAMES CONWAY, GLOBAL INTEL STRATEGIES, INC.: Let this be a lesson. It was innocent enough. It was a fall paw.

UNIDENTIFIED CORRESPONDENT: James Conway is a former FBI agent and counterterrorism expert. He said the incident is alarming.

CONWAY: If an individual was going to be missed, what about a package or a backpack or a piece of luggage that could pose a threat to the aircraft on the next flight?

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: South Africans honored Nelson Mandela in a day of prayer today. Many say it is a reminder of how far race relations have come in that country and also how Mandela saved the country from oppression and revenge. We get more now from CNN's Arwa Damon.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ARWA DAMON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The 64- year-old, Jule Skosana has been coming here to the Regina Monde Church in Soweto her entire life.

JULE SKOSANA, ATTENDED SPECIAL SERVICE: Today was a special mass for Matiba, very, very special. He was a peace loving man. The time he came up from the Robben Island he said peace. So that where he is he will be very pleased.

DAMON: Soweto was at the heart of the uprising against apartheid.

(on camera): Older members of the congregation that we've been talking to were describing how they were being flooded with memories. During the struggle against apartheid people used to run to this church when they were trying to flee and hide from authorities.

(voice-over): There are still bullet holes in the windows.

TOMMY ZWANE, ATTENDED SPECIAL SERVICE: I remember very well things were difficult for black people in this country. We used to run and come to this church to pray to God so that He can come and assist us because we were in trouble in that time. There was no understanding between us and the (inaudible) South Africa.

DAMON: Life for his 4-year-old grandson starkly different, saved from oppression. In the suburb in Pretoria, once the seat of the apartheid government, thanking the Lord for the man who saved them from revenge. Crewe Brown remembers the day he led grace at Mandela's inaugural lunch.

CREWE BROWN, ATTENDED SPECIAL SERVICE: I think his reconciling people. It just changed the whole atmosphere of people. I think people really learned to love him. WILHELM JORDAAN, ATTENDED SPECIAL SERVICE: His presence in our lives meant so much for the African people allow them get rid of their guilt feelings.

ELIZNA BRUTTEN, ATTENDED SPECIAL SERVICE: I think everybody loves Mandela and think he did his part. But true reconciliation, I'm not sure if it is really, I don't see it every day.

DAMON: But today Mandela's death has reminded people of what he stood for, and the nation they still need to work to create. Kathy and Stewart Allen don't usually come to church here in Soweto.

(on camera): Why did you feel it was so important to be here at this particular church on this day?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, we believe that this church has got - embodies all the history and everything that he stood for.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I believe that once again Mr. Mandela has brought the whole country back together.

DAMON: Arwa Damon, CNN, Soweto, South Africa.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: And President Obama asked that flags in this country be lowered at government buildings around the country in honor of the late Nelson Mandela. But guess what, one sheriff says he is not going to do it.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: A sheriff in South Carolina refuses to lower the U.S. flag in honor of Nelson Mandela. Can he do that? Nick Valencia joining me now. So Nick, Sheriff Rick Clark has a reason behind this.

NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: He said it should be reserved for American citizens. He told us it's not so much that he has anything against Nelson Mandela or a grudge against Nelson Mandela. It's that he believes that this honor should be reserved for American citizens. He laid his case as well to our local affiliate, WHNS. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHERIFF RICK CLARK, PICKENS COUNTY, SOUTH CAROLINA: To show a sign of respect for what Nelson Mandela has done, I have no problem with lowering it in South Africa, in their country. But for our country it should be the people, in my opinion, who has sacrificed for our country.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VALENCIA: He went on to say that it should be lowered at the U.S. Embassy in South Africa, but not here at home and he is receiving overwhelming support from his constituents. Take a look at these Facebook comments that he got after he posted that he wasn't going to lower the flag.

This one from John Hayes, "I agree with you. The American flag at half staff should be reserved for American heroes. Mandela will be missed. The way we can honor him is to build up our community to service our community."

And Elaine Stewart Burgess weighed in as well saying, "You are a very good man and I'm proud of you for moving on. There are other more serious issues that need our attention, but I have to say you don't back down from that. I'm proud to call you friend." So people there supporting him -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: OK, so the president came out and made the order that everyone should lower the flag, but it wasn't necessarily an order where there was a penalty behind it if you don't respect that order.

VALENCIA: No, he is not facing any legal ramifications. He is not going to be reprimanded. It is more of a guideline as you said than it is a mandate from the president's office. Just to give a little context to our viewers. This goes back to the 1960s, Lyndon Johnson did it for then Prime Minister Winston Churchill. You know, Bill Clinton did it for the assassinated prime minister of Israel, and George W. Bush did it for John Paul II. But Sheriff Rick Clark in Pickens County, he is saying he is not going to budge. He doesn't believe that this should be an honor given to Nelson Mandela.

WHITFIELD: All right, Nick Valencia, thanks so much for bringing that to us. Appreciate it.

All right, overseas nuclear inspectors are in Iran today. It's their first visit since last month's interim nuclear deal between Iran and the west. Iran is denying it is trying to build a nuclear weapon. CNN's Reza Sayah has more.

REZA SAYAH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Fredricka, this one day inspection of this heavy water reactor in Iran is over. Details of the inspection not available at this hour. They may not be available for some time. This is a facility that still under construction, but over the past year, it became a major concern for Iran hawks and the U.S. Congress.

They want it shutdown. Iran says it's not going to shut it down and it's not part of the secret weapons program and inspectors are welcome to see for themselves.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SAYAH (voice-over): In his four months in office, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has pledged more transparency with Iran's nuclear program as part of a campaign to convince Western powers that Iran is not after nuclear weapons. Iran's invitation for the IAEA to visit its heavy water reactor near the town of Iraq is part of that campaign.

This is the nuclear watchdog's third visit to the reactor, which is still under construction. The site remains a key concern for Western powers because in theory it could be a source for plutonium, one of two possible elements along with highly enriched uranium that could be used as fuel for a nuclear bomb.

(on camera): Iranian officials have long dismissed Western concerns over Iraq insisting the reactor is for the production of medical isotopes only. Tehran also argues it doesn't have the reprocessing plant necessary to transform Iraq's nuclear waste into weapons grade plutonium.

(voice-over): Even so in their interim agreement with Iran signed last month in Geneva, world powers insisted on including a clause requiring Iran not to activate the Iraq reactor.

JEN PSAKI, STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESWOMAN: There are specific requirements and agreements made regarding Iraq, I'm happy to outline them if it's helpful, that certainly we have the expectation they will abide by and if they don't, they would be violating the agreement.

SAYAH: For now Tehran has agreed not to commission the reactor, a key concession that led to the signing of the accord, but the stage is set for the world powers in Iran to clash over Iraq as negotiations for a permanent agreement continue in the coming months. That's because Western powers may want Iran to dismantle Iraq. Tehran has responded by saying that is something they will never agree to.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SAYAH: There is no question that this heavy water reactor is going to be the topic of intense discussions during the next round of negotiation between Iran and the world powers in resolving differences over this reactor is going to be key if there is going to be a permanent agreement on Iran's nuclear program -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Reza Sayah, thanks so much.

An innocent man lost 25 years of his life. We'll tell you how Michael Morton was convicted of killing his wife despite evidence proving that he wasn't even there.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANNOUNCER: The story of Serena Williams' 2013 season is best told by the numbers and her by opponents, 11 tournament wins.

VICTORIA AZARENKA, WORLD NUMBER TWO: To play against Serena is always definitely the biggest challenge there is.

ANNOUNCER: Two grand slam trophies.

AGA RADWANSKA, WORLD NUMBER FIVE: If she is having a good day, you can just try but it is very tough.

ANNOUNCER: World number one.

SERENA WILLIAMS, WORLD NUMBER ONE: This year becoming number one I really took it upon myself to do the best that I really could. ANNOUNCER: So how do you top a season like that? You chase history. Chris Everette and Martina Navratilova each have 18 grand slam singles titles. Serena has 17.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The way she is going she could break the records.

WILLIAMS: I have four next year to try to catch up at least with Martina and Chris. That will be really, really exciting and hopefully I can do it.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Michael Morton served 25 years in prison for the brutal murder of his wife except he didn't do it and the evidence proved it. So how did an innocent man end up behind bars serving a life sentence? Here is a clip from the CNN film, "An Unreal Dream."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MICHAEL MORTON, WRONGLY CONVICTED OF KILLING HIS WIFE: When I first got to Texas Penitentiary, they strip you naked and search you. As I was standing in line to get my boots, I noticed the guy in front of me. I counted 13 stab wounds in his back.

ANDREW CUOMO, ANCHOR, CNN'S "NEW DAY" (voice-over): At just 32 years old, life as Michael Morton knew it was over. His wife gone, his family gone, his dreams gone. He was now a murderer and his reality was prison, his new life goal to survive.

MORTON: I am probably the personification of that old axiom you remember from school about you can't prove a negative. How do you prove you didn't do something?

CUOMO: Morton was trying to prove he didn't beat his wife, Christine, to death on August 13th, 1986. There was no evidence placing him at the crime scene and no murder weapon. His 3-year-old son who witnessed the murder even told police daddy didn't do it. But that statement and other details excluding Morton didn't come out until years later while he remained locked up.

(on camera): How rough was it inside?

MORTON: I never liked it, but I got used to it.

CUOMO: How long did it take you?

MORTON: Probably 14 or 15 years.

CUOMO: Fourteen or 15 years.

MORTON: Until I got used to it.

CUOMO: Are the first years the hardest? MORTON: The first years are hard just because it is a shock and it is new and it is constant adjustment, constant recalibrations.

CUOMO (voice-over): Morton says life behind bars began to take away his sense of self. What he missed most was his son, Eric, who was growing up without him.

(on camera): What did your son mean to you? He had to represent things to you, ideas over the course of this journey.

MORTON: My son for me he ended up being more than just my child. As I began losing pieces of myself, my reputation, my assets, most of my friends as those things diminished, my son's importance rose there is nothing else supply and demand.

CUOMO (on camera): How were those visits?

MORTON: To me, it was this I'm a starving man looking at food on the other side and I'm eating it up. And I've since found out, he is looking at me as a guy who doesn't exist in this life, somebody he just sees once in a while.

CUOMO: As he started to grow up and wanted distance, how did you deal with that and what ultimately this lead to?

MORTON: He suspended the visits and when I found out that he had changed his name legally and been adopted. Few things are as powerful to a parent as the rejection of their child.

CUOMO (voice-over): Morton always maintained his innocence and on the outside, his attorneys hadn't given up on his case.

BILL ALLISON, MICHAEL MORTON'S TRIAL ATTORNEY: I don't keep the files of all the cases that I have tried. I kept Michael's file. Michael's case was different on almost every level particularly on emotional level with me.

JOHN RALEY, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: I cross examine people for a living. I have a pretty good sense of when somebody is lying to me. Not always but most of the time, there was nothing about this man that didn't speak to actual innocence.

CUOMO: Finally in 2004, progress, attorneys for the "Innocence Project" began working with Morton and they thought they had a chance.

(on camera): You say I always thought that I would get out. What fuelled the hope?

MORTON: It is difficult for me to say whether it was just faith that I knew I was right and I wasn't guilty that this would work out or I didn't know how deep I was in.

CUOMO (voice-over): Then came the breakthrough, a request for DNA testing on a piece of evidence that would eventually unravel the case against Morton.

(on camera): The existence on the bandana. What could be on the bandana? What the bandana meant? What was that in your life?

MORTON: That bandana, in hindsight was huge. Everything turned on that. It is only a big deal when you can look at the big picture and say, my God, there it is.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: You can watch "An Unreal Dream, The Michael Morton Story" tonight at 9:00 Eastern Time right here on CNN.

The Kennedy Center Honors are tonight with the big emphasis on music. We'll show you who is getting the big honor in Washington.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right, you are watching a storm system delivering ice, rain and snow through so much of the country from Texas all the way to Delaware. You see some of the images there of Dallas, Wilmington and even Washington, D.C. We have reporters in all of those places and we'll get updates later on.

In the meantime, tonight in snowy Washington, D.C., the Kennedy Center will honor five performing artists. CNN's Tory Dunnan got a little sneak preview.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TORY DUNNAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Music, a common theme at this year's Kennedy Center honors, celebrating those who distinguish themselves in the arts. There are no winners and losers, just honorees, five of them.

(on camera): So five musical tributes then, that's a huge undertaking?

MICHAEL STEVENS, CO-PRODUCER, KENNEDY CENTER HONORS: The arrangers have been very busy for the past two weeks in terms of all the music that's being arranged for the show.

DUNNAN (voice-over): This year's honorees have a combined 30 Grammy awards plus a host of other awards and now this year, they'll be honored with the president and first lady in attendance, here at the Kennedy Center's Opera House.

They are Carlos Santana whose blazing heart guitar has made him one of the bestselling musicians of all time, hard to beat a top ten album in every decade since the 1960s. And Billy Joe, the piano man himself, a six-time Grammy Award winner known for his seemingly countless hit songs and benefit concerts.

And Herbie Hancock, whose early use of synthesizers and electric keyboards forever changed the world of jazz.

HERBIE HANCOCK: It is partly what drives my interest of science and technology. DUNNAN: Also being honored tonight actress, Shirley Maclaine, the Oscar winner whose Broadway start led to a decade long Hollywood career. Just last year, Maclaine joined the cast of the popular British show "Downton Abbey."

And rounding out the list, legendary soprano, Martina Arroyo. The Harlem-born singer has performed in opera houses worldwide, but who will perform tonight is top secret.

(on camera): Any surprises or you probably can't tell me?

STEVENS: It wouldn't be a surprise if I did.

DUNNAN: Tory Dunnan, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: We will all have to just wait patiently, but congrats to the honorees and among them Shirley Maclaine. In an hour, you will be hearing from her. She will be weighing in on getting this big honor and the experience of writing her latest book.