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Jane Velez-Mitchell
Murder Mystery Puts Small Town on Edge; Child Killer on the Loose; Pilot Whales Need Our Help
Aired July 17, 2014 - 19:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL, CNN ANCHOR: Tonight a murder mystery and the hunt for a killer puts a small town on edge. Who would want a gorgeous and kind and
popular high school counselor dead?
Good evening. I`m Jane Velez-Mitchell. Thanks for joining me. 31-year- old Maggie Daniels was found murdered inside her North Carolina apartment nearly three weeks ago. Police had zeroed in on a neighbor Maggie had
reported complained was bothering her. But cops have now just announce they interview that neighbor and no longer consider him a person of
interest. So has the trail for her killer gone cold?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Investigators looking for a killer.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Found dead inside her apartment.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Police are not releasing her cause of death.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They still need the public`s health.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This photo of Daniels leaving the Wal-Mart in Canover (ph) with a friend.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: More evidence in the case was sent to the state crime lab in Raleigh.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I knew something was wrong. I knew something was wrong
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I want everybody out there to know that didn`t know Maggie that she was definitely an angel on earth.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: This is believed to be the last image of Maggie alive, shot by a Wal-Mart surveillance camera on the very day before her body was
discovered. Police will not say how she died, but they say it was definitely murder. They have repeatedly interviewed friends and neighbors,
collected evidence from the murder scene, but they still have zero suspects. Her apartment showed no sign of forced entry. Listen to the 911
call that came in Saturday morning June, 28th.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CALLER: One of my friends is in the apartment and she`s been -- I think she`s been in there for like a day. She has been laying down. I didn`t
want to touch her.
911 OPERATO: Is she alive or dead? Do we know that much?
CALLER: I`m not sure at all. They`re going to go in there. It shook me up when I seen her.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Police are now asking about a man Daniels dated, a man her best friend say they`ve never heard of. Could somebody from Maggie`s
recent past have wanted to hurt her? I want you to weigh in on this conversation on the phone and on Facebook. You can call me at 1877-JVM
SAYS, 1-877-586-7297 or go to my Facebook. Straight out to my exclusive guest. Judson Terrell, Maggie`s dear friend.
Justin, I want to thank you for being here. I know you and I have one thing in common. We want to solve this mystery and we want to give her
family peace and closure. Although those are just words. I don`t think they will ever have real closure. This is devastating. The FBI contacted
your wife just a couple of days ago. Tell us what they were asking her about and talking about?
JUDSON TERRELL, FRIEND OF NC TEACHER MAGGIE DANIELS: Well thanks for having me on. I really appreciate you first off for keeping this case hot
and keeping people informed. I think it`s very important, definitely at this stage with no answers right now. You know, I don`t have any answers
but, you know, I can tell people basically what`s going on. You know, the FBI, they are still doing their job. That is the reason why I want to talk
to people about this. They are working on this case. They contacted us, they asked us for further information. You know, they asked us when is the
last time we`d seen her, you know, if we knew about anybody she was possibly dating and we didn`t know. But I just want to tell people it is a
positive thing because they are reaching out to people as of yesterday. You know, and they are still keeping this thing going and, you know, we all
just want to pray that they get this thing resolved.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, let me ask you this. My understanding is that they asked about a possible boyfriend, a male. And this is a person that nobody
apparently knew about. Tell us about that.
TERRELL: You know, I`m -- the same answer. I didn`t know about anybody if there was somebody. You know, I know Maggie had a pretty serious
relationship for about five years. She went back to pursue school. A great guy. I actually miss hanging out with him. He`s also a teacher.
Really good guy. That is really all I knew. She went back and got her master`s degree.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Let me jump in there. Let me jump in there. She had a boyfriend for many years. And she moved from I believe Cleveland, Ohio to
North Carolina about five years ago. Did she leave that old relationship behind? I mean you know, generally when you are 31 you are dating. If you
are single you are going to go out. It was a Friday night into a Saturday morning during the time that she was tragically murdered. This mystery
person they asked you about, was this a possible dating relationship?
TERRELL: You know, I honestly don`t know. I can tell you, if you want to go back and talk about previous exes, the timeline might be a little off
there, but the guy that I knew of, she started dating years ago. After she`d moved down here. He`s definitely not a suspect. He`s a really good
guy. I know him personally. He`s not even -- to talk about in this situation. The thing that is throwing everybody off right now is the fact
they`re asking was there some other guy. I`m like - I don`t even know Maggie would have time to date. You know, and again, the thing that`s
puzzling here, Maggie again was such a positive and beautiful person. I mean when she was around people she cared about you more than she did
herself and she wouldn`t talk about things like that.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, let me -- just let me ask you this. Look, she was 31. She`s a beautiful young woman. It certainly is not a crime to date.
I mean that`s what people, young people do. And people do.
TERRELL: Right. Right.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: If they are not in a committed relationship.
TERRELL: We don`t know that -- listen, we don`t know that there wasn`t some guy maybe she was just nice to and he took it the wrong way. I mean
we don`t know. You know you see that kind of stuff all the time.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: But did the FBI ask you about a particular individual?
TERRELL: They asked -- you know, if my wife knew of someone. And she said no. We had never heard of the person and that was it. I mean, you know,
that`s all I can say. I mean that`s all I have. You know, we just learned recently that the Twitter message, for example, you know, that is cold now.
You know, that turned out to be everything was OK on that. So I mean everybody is just ..
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Judson, let me ask you to stand by for a second. Let me ask you to stand by. We don`t want to lose you. Just stay right there,
because we want to bring our expert panel and get our viewers up to date. Friend say, you know, Maggie -- and this is the last known image of her
before she was tragically killed. She`s great shape. An avid runner, really in perfect physical condition and she often sat outside her
apartment door reading and sunning herself. She also, according to published reports, often left her door unlocked.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I knew something was wrong. I knew something was wrong. I walked in the bedroom and there she laid. She is so wonderful.
The kids love her. Who would come in and do that? Who? Who? Only god knows.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Now here`s what interesting. Cops initially didn`t even think Maggie was murdered. There was no sign of forced entry. There was
no ransacked apartment. There was only a broken mirror near her body. She was in the bedroom. There was no visible sign of injury. It was only
after the autopsy that cops decided this was a homicide. So, I want to bring in former police officer Marc Harrold. What do all those facts and
the fact that she was lying in her bedroom near this broken mirror tell you?
MARC HARROLD, ATTORNEY: Well, it doesn`t appear that there is forced entry. They did do an autopsy so there is some indication. They might
have suspected foul play. But the fact that there was no forced entry and the fact that they are looking into relationships means most likely they
are looking for some sort of romantic relationship. It doesn`t mean it was romantic on her part. Somebody who believes there was a romantic
relationship. But again, until we really know how she was killed it`s very difficult to know or to progress the investigation. The police may have a
lot more information, but the best I can tell, they are looking into the connections with her whether they be social media or romantic connections
the friends would know about to try to find the connection with this crime scene.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Levi Page, crime blogger out of Nashville Tennessee. "When I heard there were no signs of the visible injury. They thought it
was a natural death until they did the homicide. To me, that says likely strangulation. Let`s say hypothetically it is strangulation in her
bedroom. The only thing that`s broken is a mirror. No signs of forced entry, what does it tell you?
LEVI PAGE: It tells me that someone could have easily come in there, because she her door unlocked. She was an avid runner and someone could
have been stalking her and followed her home and then made their move on her, which is very unfortunate, because she seems like such a nice and
positive young woman. And Jane, I did some research and there are 51 sex offenders in this North Carolina town. And I hope that police are zeroing
in on them. And I wanted to comment in regards to a boyfriend. There was a janitor. The janitor told the media that she often left her door
unlocked and that same janitor also said and was quoted in media as saying that she had a boyfriend that visited once or twice a month and that
boyfriend resided in North -- in South Carolina, South Carolina, excuse me. So it is interesting that none of her friends knew about him. And I know
that on June 15th she tweeted -- and this is a quote from her Twitter. "Sometimes you have got to shed a few tears and keep it moving. That is
life." So I`m wondering if she was having problems with this mysterious boyfriend that resided in South Carolina.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right, well, let me go back to Judson Terrell, the friend of this murdered teacher. This is all happening in North Carolina.
There are published reports claiming she had a boyfriend in South Carolina who would come up a couple of times a month to visit. What do you know?
TERRELL: Well, first of, you know, when I -- if I see somebody a couple of times a month I don`t really want to label that person first off as a
boyfriend or girlfriend or whatever. But, you know, we obviously never met anybody. And again I`ll reiterate, Maggie when she was around people, when
she -- if you read through her Facebook, her Twitter, it`s all public right now. If you read through that. It`s all positive stuff. Most of it is
about her kids that she taught.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: No, no, this isn`t about positive or negative, Judson. This is just trying to establish did she have a romantic, any kind of
relationship that she saw -- dating, whatever, a couple of times a month?
TERRELL: Not really anybody knew of it. I know I didn`t. I know my wife didn`t (INAUDIBLE) anything of it. And, you know, Maggie was so busy I
would have been surprised if she would even have time to date, to be honest with you.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, Kent Zimmerman, former trial attorney and Judson is obviously a very good friend who is trying to protect this woman. There`s
nothing to be protected from. She`s the victim here. She`s the innocent. She was the teacher of the year in 2011. She`s popular. Beloved. But it`s
not a crime to have a date. OK? We`d all be under suspicion if that were true. My question is the FBI or cops go to this friend, Judson`s wife and
say do you know this person, right? And they say, no. Now we`re hearing that there was somebody who came up to visit and now we`re also finding out
on the Facebook she`s essentially saying something about got to move on. What does that tell you?
KENT ZIMMERMAN: I think you have got to look very closely at everybody she knows. Particularly people who she`s having a romantic relationship with.
An avenue that I think is very important for investigators to explore is all these kids who she was counseling. She is a high school counselor. By
definition she counsels troubled kids. We need to make sure that every single one of those kids past and present is ruled out. We need to make
sure none of them have anything do with this disappearance.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: On Facebook -- Dale says I think it was some guy who wanted her (INAUDIBLE). Jack says, why are cops keeping her cause of death
a secret? Good question. Stephanie, "I wonder about other neighbors in that complex." We`re just getting started. I want to hear from you. Do
you have something to say? Join the conversation on my Facebook page. And why are you there? Like us and spread the word about our page. We`re just
getting started on this. Join the conversation.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CALLER: One of my friends in that apartment and she`s been, I think she`s been in there for like a day. She`s been in there laying down. I didn`t
even want to touch her.
911 OPERATOR: She alive or dead. Do we know that much?
CALLER: I don`t know. I`m not sure at all. They are going to go in there. It shook me up when I seen her.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She is so wonderful. The kids love her. Who would come here and do that? Who? Who? Only god knows.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Police want to take a very close look. And they want the public to do it as well at this surveillance image of Maggie Daniels from
the day before her body was found. This was captured by a Wal-Mart surveillance camera. She and a friend went to the store, which is about
four miles from her apartment. Police interviewed the friend and determined that person had nothing do with Maggie`s death. Now, less than
24 hours after this image was taken, sometimes between late Friday afternoon and early Saturday morning, Maggie was murdered. I want to go
out to Simone Bienne, behavior expert. Detectives are hoping somebody might have recognized oh yeah I saw this lady casually dressed arguing with
somebody in a parking lot. Something like that that might provide them the clue as to why somebody felt the need, the desire to murder her?
SIMONE BIENNE, BEHAVIOR EXPERT: I think somebody could have felt the desire to murder her because she is just such a lovely gorgeous woman,
clearly inside and out. That is what we`re hearing and there can be people who put their negativity, their anger, their rage on to her and want to
destroy her life. And I thought that marry (ph) was really interesting, Jane, because -- they have this magical quality about her. They`ve taken
magic out of their life. They have killed her. So, I don`t think there is any one specific trigger. But it could be just because she is this
beautiful warm person.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, and it can go, sister, real of Miami, it`s really sad, but if you are a beautiful young woman, you are a target. You are a
chant, and we have covered this. Because I`ve had people say to me, oh, why do you say everybody`s beautiful? So many woman who are beautiful are
murdered because men become obsessed with them and then when they say no want nothing to do with you that sparks rage.
ANA QUINCOCES, ATTORNEY: Absolutely. I mean I think that`s part of it. But I think the fact that she was first of all the cryptic text tweet, I
think, could apply to her breaking up with a boyfriend or to one of her students. But by virtue of her profession she was dealing with troubled
teenagers. There is nothing more dangerous than a troubled teenager that sometimes is starved for attention. At home from another girlfriend. "The
fact that she was so nice, I think, is a real trigger. The beauty combined with the fact that she was such a kind-hearted person could have made
somebody think that she, you know, meant something more than at face value trying to help people. And I think that if this janitor, you know, should
give -- I don`t know if they have talked to police but this South Carolina person needs to be investigated further. We need a description .
VELEZ-MITCHELL: But here`s the thing. J. Wyndal Gordon. Yes, it is, they have interviewed a hundred people. Now, obviously the cops are aware of
all the people we`ve mentioned. They have interviewed everybody. And so .
QUINCOCES: But not the students. The students need to be evaluated. And the .
ZIMMERMAN: Completely agree.
J. WYNDAL GORDON, ATTORNEY: I would agree with that. The students do need to be evaluated. But this, you know, this case, there`s so little
information has been given to the public. It is hard to even speculate reasonably. I think from what I know now it is just a crime of
opportunity. Maybe someone knew or had information that this door was unlocked and maybe it got too hot in there. And I don`t know. I`m just
going to be honest. I don`t know.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, it was in the bedroom. It was in the bedroom, and it was also no ransacking of the apartment. There was only.
GORDON: How about the bed?
VELEZ-MITCHELL: There was only a broken mirror in the bedroom and she`s lying there. That is what we know.
GORDON: But the bed was -- was the bed out of whack.
QUINCOCES: I find that troubling that the police will not give more information.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, they don`t want to compromise their investigation.
QUINCOCES: I find it troubling that the police ..
BIENNE: I wonder where that .
(CROSSTALK)
BIENNE: That somebody would. You see I wonder whether they are holding back information so that somebody will drop their guard. I`m not saying it
is the neighbor but somebody who has been questioned. I know they have been saying they have been questioned two or three times. But there is
somebody -- they are expecting, they are excited in that final piece of evidence so that they can find out who the killer is.
GORDON: Right. Do we have a mechanism of death yet? Do we have .
VELEZ-MITCHELL: They are not giving us the cause of death but they didn`t know she was murdered until the autopsy. That says to me strangulation.
There was no marks on her body.
GORDON: Or suffocation.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Or suffocation. Strangulation or suffocation.
ZIMMERMAN: Everything points to this being somebody she knew.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yeah, because otherwise if it was a robber they would have taken something.
(INAUDIBLE)
ZIMMERMAN: Exactly, Jane. You are nailing it right there. It`s somebody she knew.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Let`s go to .
QUINCOCES: Somebody she knew that knew that the door was open. I mean this is something that even your viewers .
ZIMMERMAN: All those students knew that the door was open.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right. Hold on a second. Lakisha and Diana, you`ve been waiting a long time. What do you have to say, Lakeisha?
LAKISHA: Thank you, Jane for accepting my call. I have a comment and a question.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Sure.
LAKISHA: My comment is the war on women and children need to stop. And the comment I have- the police looked into the sex offenders that`s living
in a 200 mile radius around her home?
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, Marc Harrold, former police officer, any time a crime like this occurs, police officers immediately go to those sex
offenders and rule them out. That is one of the first things they do.
HARROLD: Yeah, I don`t have specific information, but it`s hard to believe they wouldn`t do that -- they look for patterns, any kind of emo in those
sex offenders past crimes, especially patterns. And many times sexual offenders will develop patterns over time. But my guess is they have
definitely looked at those people and in this kind of case where you don`t have any suspect or they say they don`t, you`re basically looking at
connections with her and excluding people to try to identify someone.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Aaron says the FBI is involved because it is someone in another state who might be the suspect. Very good point Aaron. Weigh in
on Facebook. Give us a call. We have got more on the other side.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Touching and sweet to hear everything said about her.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I could feel it in the room how much love they were giving to her.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This former student had a tough time holding back tears, but said the service helped.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I know she`s in a better place, but it`s really sad that she`s gone.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CALLER: One of my friends in that apartment and she`s been, I think, she has been laying there for like a day. Just laying down. I didn`t even
want to touch it.
911 OPERATOR: Is she alive or dead? Do we know that much?
CALLER: I`m not sure at all. They are going to go in there. It shook me up when I seen her.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Maggie Daniels last seen by the apartment complex. Janitor and a former student visiting his girlfriend in the same complex.
They both said, everything seemed fine. She was taking out the trash at 11:00 a.m. Maggie was seen with a friend at Wal-Mart about four miles from
her home later that afternoon. The friend`s been cleared. Later that night Maggie`s friend said they had plans to hang out together, but Maggie
never showed up and didn`t pick up the phone. So, she was probably killed at some point that night. Then the next morning, 9:07, cops respond to a
report of damage to property inside that apartment complex. 10:37 neighbors race up to the cop and tell them there is an unresponsive female
in the apartment. Her friend had come by to check on her and walked right in, but what`s interesting, Marc Harrold, former police officer, is that
while they are racing up to the cops on the scene this guy is calling 911.
HARROLD: Yeah, the chronology of that was a development that came out fairly early on. And yeah, it`s sort of inexplicable. It looks like the
cops are already on the scene, the call is being made and other people have already contacted the cop on the scene. So, it`s not a 100 percent clear
the time frame there, but I think that chronology is something police are looking at, and looking at that phone call.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Let`s go off to the lines. Margaret, Florida, what do you have to say? Margaret?
MARGARET: Hi, Jane.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Hi.
MARGARET: I was thinking this young lady. The mirror, why would a person have it. Yes, hey, Jane.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yeah, hi. What were you saying about the mirror?
MARGARET: Well, the mirror, it`s what kind of -- you know, seems a little strange and the reason to me -- the only reason a person would have a
mirror is to try to look, you know, maybe at something they couldn`t see, you know, like on their back or something. And I was wondering could she
have an allergy to bees or a wasp being stung. And going -- I think it`s called anaphylactic shock.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, Margaret. Levi Page, I want to address. They are saying she was murdered. They are not saying -- it looked maybe, it first
like maybe it was an allergic reaction or a natural death, but when the autopsy came back it was murder.
PAGE: Yes the medical examiner has classified this as a homicide. Foul play is suspected. So nothing medical is related to this case. But I just
want to make a comment, people were saying that it was someone she knew and they may very well be correct in that estimation. However it doesn`t have
to be someone she knew. She was an avid runner. Someone could have seen her running and they got on -- she got on their radar and they followed her
and stalked her. They found out .
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes.
PAGE: That she left doors unlocked and they went in and took an opportunity to strike. I also wanted to point out there is a construction
site near the apartment complex that she lived in. And there was a trail leading there. And cops are focusing near this apartment. That is where
the investigation is, near the apartment.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right. Thank you for that. Judson Terrell the friend of this beautiful murdered teacher. I want to give you the final word.
What would you like to weigh in on?
TERRELL: Well, it`s number one, I appreciate your expert panel. I just love all the thought that`s going into this. But, you know, listening to
all you guys there are a few things that come to mind. The mirror was one big thing. I know Maggie. You, guys don`t know Maggie. I know Maggie
very well. Very thin really, you know. She wouldn`t be able to defend herself to anybody. I mean period. So what I thought was somebody
surprised her. She grabbed the first thing she could get to, was a mirror, maybe laying on the dresser. Plenty of women get ready in the morning by a
dresser or something. That was my thought. She grabbed that mirror, she needed to defend herself. She probably took the swing with it. That`s how
it broke, and the rest we don`t know. But the thing is details will jog people`s memories and the one thing is different in this case, we`re not
getting any details, period.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, Judson, I want to say .
(CROSSTALK)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Thank you. We are out of time for this subject. But we`re going to stay on top of it. We want to solve this case. It is
hideous. It is awful.
On the other side, the killer next door. A beautiful seven-year-old Summer Thompson kidnapped, raped and murdered by a former neighbor. The cops
ignore the red flags. He courageous mom, Diena Thompson, talks to me about her precious daughter and the killer she refers to simply as a monster.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I want you to know that I will not sleep until this person is found. I hope they get you. And I hope they make you pay for a
long, long time.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There is a child killer on the loose.
DIENA THOMPSON, MOTHER OF SOMER THOMPSON (CRYING): I just want you to come home.
D. THOMPSON: There`s a monster among us and he needs to be brought to justice.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A body has been found.
SAMUEL THOMPSON, BROTHER OF SOMER THOMPSON: She trusted you.
D. THOMPSON: With trickery and malice in your soul.
Girl: Your name is not Jarred Harrell, it`s monster.
S. THOMPSON: And now you you`re going to jail!
D. THOMPSON: I hope they get you and I hope they make you pay.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Tonight, on "The Killer Next Door" -- an adorable seven- year-old girl walks less than a mile home from school in a quaint suburban Florida neighborhood as she`s done many times before, and then she
vanishes. Her family frantically searches for her, but after two agonizing days their worst fears are realized when Somer Thompson`s lifeless body is
found in a landfill. In the wake of this unbelievably horrific news, her heart-broken mother musters up the courage to deliver this chilling message
to the child killer on the loose.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DIENA THOMPSON, SOMER THOMPSON`S MOTHER: I want you to know that I will not sleep until this person is found. I hope they get you and I hope they
make you pay for a long, long time.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: And they do get him. Coming up, we`re going to reveal the toxic secrets cops uncovered in a shocking interrogation. But first,
bringing in now my very special guest -- one of my heroes -- Diena Thompson`s mother -- who created a Somer Thompson Foundation to prevent
similar horrors from befalling another family. Diena, thanks for joining us.
D. THOMPSON: Thank you for having me.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Your precious, precious child was abducted and, I hate to say it, raped and murdered by this monster almost five years ago. I know
this is difficult, but please take us back to the very day that she disappeared. What exactly happened?
D. THOMPSON: She was walking home with her twin brother and her older sister and 100 + other children and adults, and she got into a little fight
with another little girl from school and ran ahead. And apparently in running ahead, she sat down in the monster`s yard and he came out and asked
her did she want to meet his dog, and unfortunately she went inside to do that.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: And it happened that quick? It happened in a second on the street that she took over and over with her siblings?
D. THOMPSON: Absolutely, in 84-degree weather, beautiful sunshine, 50 feet from a crossing guard as a matter of fact.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Unbelievable. Now you (AUDIO GAP) at first and the neighborhood did not know was that 24-year-old neighbor Jarred Harrell was
a pedophile, a pedophile lurking in this beautiful, very average American suburb.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I`ve really never stopped and talked to them. They`re not a family you notice.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, I don`t know him but I know that they left mighty quickly.
Female Questioner: After this happened?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: After this happened.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Neighbors weren`t aware but cops were very aware that Harrell was a sick pervert because two months before he raped and murdered
little Somer, his former roommates had gone to cops complaining that they had found graphic child pornography on his computer. They handed cops the
computer, the evidence. The police were still processing Harrell`s computer at the time he murdered Somer and a lot of people were outraged,
saying had cops acted faster, he`d have been in jail. He would have been unable to attack this child.
The cops said they had to prove Harrell was the one who downloaded the files. And, Diena, I know that you are very, very diplomatic and know that
you want to talk about how -- how great cops have been in doing a lot of hard, hard work to prosecute -- to capture and prosecute -- this man. But
the fact is that had they acted on the evidence they had in their hands -- if he was making child porn, he could`ve likely been in jail and been
unable to murder your daughter.
D. THOMPSON: Absolutely, Jane. However, shoulda, coulda, woulda -- and we`ve got to quit blaming -- you know, I`ve said this before -- we`ve got
to quit blaming the victims, the victims` families and law enforcement and start blaming the people who commit these terrible crimes against our
children.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: I agree with you 100 percent. I just feel like in today`s technological world, that we can learn from these tragedies -- again, as
you do -- your work with the Somer Thompson Foundation to try to look at these situations to prevent those kinds of dynamics from happening again,
because I know that`s part of the wotl of your foundation in your daughter`s name.
D. THOMPSON: Yes, ma`am. I mean, you`re right. I mean, I could sit here and be upset about the facts at hand, and it is what is -- that they had a
computer with a lot of images on it, but I can`t change what`s happened so the only thing that we can do from here is just learn from our mistakes and
hope that that never gets made in a case like this one.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well what about the fact that this guy was a neighbor? That he was living in your midst, that the killer was literally almost next
door. Does that compound the sense of betrayal and just horror and surreal -- the surrealism of this -- this monstrosity?
D. THOMPSON: Absolutely, I mean, you know, statistically (AUDIO GAP) percent of the time, this is someone the child knows, loves and trusts. I
had never seen this monster, this piece of trash in my entire life, and he comes in an snatches my kid off the street in broad daylight in front of
other people. I don`t know how that`s possible.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Oh, your family`s bravery never ceases to amaze me. Somer`s twin brother spoke at this monster`s sentencing. Let`s watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
S. THOMPSON: Jarred, --
Female talking softly: (Inaudible).
S. THOMPSON: We know you did this, we have evidence. She trusted you, but you had to do what you did. And look where it got you. Now you`re going
to jail!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: You must have been so proud of your son, Diena.
D. THOMPSON: Oh, my gosh. Proud doesn`t even begin to describe it. You know, actually when that day started, he did not want to get up and say
anything. He had written his little speech down and asked me if I could get up and read it for him, and of course I would do anything for them.
But then he decided at the last minute that he wanted to get up there, and I tell you, proud, again, doesn`t even begin to describe it.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: SomerThompsonFoundation.com. Please go there and get involved. Diena, you are one of our heroes for the work you do -- turning
your pain into a cause for good and peace. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. On the other side, this monster spoke in interrogation video we
will play for you and analyze. Stay right there.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There is a child killer on the loose and that`s why we`re going to catch this person and bring him to justice. I fear -- I
fear for our community until we bring this person in.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
D. THOMPSON: I fear for not only my safety, my children`s safety, but everyone else`s in my community`s children`s safety. There`s a monster
among us and he needs to be brought to justice.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: That`s Diena Thompson on the CBS Early Show. Now, here is the confession of the killer of her daughter, Jarred Harrell from
Jacksonville.com. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JARRED HARRELL, CONVICTED KILLER OF SOMER THOMPSON: -- drove to Fleming Island behind the MV (ph) and I put the box in the dumpster. At that point
I had already started closing myself off to it. I was just -- I was just, you know, spending time with my mom. It wasn`t -- I mean, as bad as it
sounds, it wasn`t in my head and was sort of just --
Male Detective: Trying to block it out?
HARRELL: Yes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Simone Bienne, behavior expert, the detachment, the coldness -- oh, I put her in a box, I put her in a dumpster.
BIENNE: It is absolutely chilling to watch. It is so sick. It`s like he`s talking about getting a cup of coffee or -- oh, there was bad traffic.
But if you look at the body language, Jane, what`s really interesting is he`s telling us he`s dishonest. He`s got his hands clinched, he`s rubbing
the back of his neck, and the sickest thing -- we have to see this is -- when he walks out of the interview and he says, `Are you going to see
Somer`s mother? Just tell her that I`m sorry.` He smiles -- that glee on his face. And what he`s saying is, `I am going to be part of your life
forever. You are never going to forget me.` He knows he hasn`t just destroyed one life, he has destroyed a family. But luckily she`s such a
strong woman and she`s fighting back.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: They`re even.
BIENNE: So sick, Jane.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Even though Jarred Harrell confessed to killing Somer -- you just heard it -- he still resisted taking responsibility during his
interrogation. Here`s another clip from Jacksonville.com.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MALE POLICE INTERROGATOR: It kind of sounds like that sometimes your sexual interests or your sexual desires make you make a decision that you
regret -- a bad decision. Do you think maybe sometimes they drive you and you don`t even realize it?
HARRELL: I mean, I`d like to think it didn`t have that much control over me. I mean, as far as that situation is concerned with Somer, it was by
chance, you know. I didn`t -- I didn`t provoke it.
MALE POLICE INTERROGATOR: No --
HARRELL: I mean, I didn`t want it to happen. I would give anything for it not to happen. I didn`t want it to happen. You know, I didn`t actively go
out and try and find somebody and say, `Hey, come here, you want to see my dog?` You know?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: J. Wyndal Gordon, attorney, the justification, the rationalization, the minimizing of the horror that he committed. As if --
if he just says that, somehow it becomes true.
GORDON: Yes, I think he`s a person who actually wanted to get caught. He is a monster, he knows he has some issues in his life, and I think he`s
just t this point -- at that point in time -- he was just ready to get it all out, off of his chest -- and accept what comes next. I don`t think --
he may have some remorse for getting caught or -- but I don`t think that -- I just think that he was ready to give it all up at that time.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Marc Harrold, former police officer, we see this over and over again. In all the cases I`ve covered, somehow these horrific
criminals -- the more horrifying their crime, the more they see themselves as the victims somehow. `Oh, you know, it was my childhood` or `oh, I
didn`t have this.` It`s a constant theme that they have self-pity.
HARROLD: Yes, he does seem to see himself as a victim here. He`s sort of detached and he`s a victim of the urges that he -- you know the detective
kind of loads the question, but he almost says, `Look, I`m a victim to these urges.` And then he almost tries to show, `Well, it really wasn`t my
fault -- it`s just that she came to me, I didn`t go to her, and then I had these urges.` He`s a monster.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: On the other side of the break, a killing of a totally different kind, but very bloody, very gruesome and you can do something
from ever letting it happen again.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: (Inaudible) little refill. Tonight hundreds of pilot whales all across the ocean need our help. Every year about 800 pilot
whales are brutally slaughtered in the Faroe Islands. The Faroe Islands are in the north Atlantic between Iceland and Norway. They are part of the
kingdom of Denmark -- Denmark. I warn you, this video from a documentary "Pity the Pilot Whales" is very disturbing and upsetting. But these
killings are so gruesome, we can`t show you anywhere near the worst of it. Yes, the water`s just a wash in blood. It`s beyond comprehension. The
people living on these islands claim slaughtering hundreds of these beautiful creatures is a tradition. That`s how they justify it. They say
well the whale meat and the blubber is part of our diet. But critics say this is a bad tradition that needs to end right now. They claim studies
show whale meat -- whales are at the top of the food chain -- is often contaminated with toxic chemicals. Check this out -- from the amazing
documentary "Pity the Pilot Whales."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHRISTOPHER J. GERVAIS, FOUNDER/CEO WILDLIFE CONSERVATION FILM FESTIVAL: Pilot whale hunt is the world`s largest whale kill anywhere today. It is
an absolutely barbaric activity, and that`s the only term I can use having watched it repeatedly over the last eight years.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Here as my special guest -- Christopher Gervais, CEO of the Wildlife Conservation Film Festival, this is what you call the
forgotten massacre. Everybody has heard of the brutal dolphin slaughter in Taiji, Japan, but these killings on the remote Faroe Islands, they`re being
overlooked. Why on earth is this gruesome tradition still allowed to occur?
GERVAIS: Yes, Jane, it`s -- they claim it`s part of their culture which I think is absolutely ridiculous. The whale meat is not necessary for their
diet. There is enough agricultural, there`s enough import of food coming into the islands that it is not necessary for them to have this annual
slaughter which is called a `grind` for them to be sustainable.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: This is blood in the water. What we`re looking at -- all that red -- that`s blood.
GERVAIS: Yes.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: And these children -- in other words, it`s sort of like a family affair. They teach the kids how to kill, and so it gets passed down
from generation to generation, and you see little kids in the water there. What does that do to them psychologically?
GERVAIS: The kids think it`s a nice family fun-filled day out. I mean, it`s disgusting that you see these little children sitting on top of the
pilot whale with a machete with a big smile on their face, the parents proud that their son or daughter is taking part of the mass killings. And
there`s just no words to describe what you see -- it`s horrific.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: People on the Faroe Islands say that the hunt is, again, culture. Look at another clip of the documentary "Pity the Pilot Whales."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A quite large part of our cultural tradition would suddenly be rubbed out, that`s for sure. People had to import industrial
food from the common market probably to substitute for the part of whale meat.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: We`ve reached out to the Faroe Island government and the Danish government. We did not hear back by our deadline -- a
representative invited on either time -- any of them. We want -- I have questions I want to ask them, and on the other side of the break, let me
tell you, I`m going to tell you how you can get involved, how you can be a force for change. These whales, highly intelligent, highly social
creatures, cannot speak for themselves. This slaughter`s got to stop. Together we can do something to stop it. Stay right there on the other
side, we`re going to show you how.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GERVAIS: The pilot whale hunt is the world`s largest whale kill anywhere today. It is an absolutely barbaric activity. And that`s the only term I
can use, having watched it repeatedly over the last eight years.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: (Inaudible) hundreds of pilot whales killed for meat, but the experts say this meat is contaminated because whales are at the top of
the food chain, and that means that they get the bulk of the contaminants. And so they`ve done studies that show that whale meat is not healthy to eat
for the people on the Faroe (AUDIO GAP). Now, do you want to get involved and save these whales? Go to seashepherd.org/grindstop to see what you can
do to help. Or check out any of these sites. There are numerous petitions to stop the killing of the pilot whales on the Faroe Islands, or just
contact the embassy of the Faroe Islands or the embassy of Denmark. You know, Christopher, these animals are highly social, highly intelligent.
Tell us about it.
GERVAIS: Yes, I mean, they live in family groups called pods, they have vocal communication, they`re able to communicate with each other, they show
emotion whenever a member of the pod becomes ill or sick. When they`re hunted, the members of the pod will stay and try to help one of the whales
that is being attacked by hunters or even a predator. When they beach themselves, other members of the pod will come to the rescue. Clearly,
it`s a highly intelligent animal that has deep emotions, vocal capability and --
VELEZ-MITCHELL: They say kill for meat -- get rid of that because that`s not really what it`s about. What it`s about is killing. It`s about
killing and teaching your children to be killers, and that`s wrong. Teach your children peace (ph).
"NANCY GRACE" is next.
END
