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U.S. Hostage Killed; Violence in Ukraine; Murder Charge in Hannah Graham Case

Aired February 10, 2015 - 15:00   ET

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

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: All right, top of the hour here. You're watching CNN. I'm Brooke Baldwin.

I want to begin with news no one wanted to hear. Kayla Mueller, the young American aid worker abducted by ISIS, is dead, the family of the 26-year-old from Arizona learning of her death in the most hideous way, an e-mail privately sent from ISIS with a chilling attachment, apparently photos showing her body., the body of the young woman who dedicated her life to helping others.

How she ended up in Syria explained in this YouTube video.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KAYLA MUELLER, ISIS HOSTAGE: I am in solidarity with the Syrian people.

I reject the brutality and killing that the Syrian authorities are committing against the Syrian people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: What we still don't know is how Kayla died. ISIS claimed she was killed last week in that Jordanian airstrike on this specific building. It's a claim Jordan vehemently denies, calling it pure propaganda.

Now, the White House didn't say exactly what these photos show, but they do say one thing is clear. ISIS responsible for her death.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOSH EARNEST, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: There's no evidence of civilians in the target area prior to the coalition strike taking place. And that certainly would call into question the claims that are made by ISIL.

What is not possible to call into question is that ISIL, regardless of her cause of death, is responsible for it. This, after all, was the organization that was holding her against her will.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: CNN's Ana Cabrera is in Prescott, Arizona. This is Kayla's hometown, where her parents are.

We know this memorial, Ana, has been erected there. How are people? Our hearts and thoughts obviously with this community. How are people reacting to today's news?

ANA CABRERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Brooke, people are praying for Kayla's family and her friends in this community, obviously a devastating day for their family.

And yet they are steadfastly determined to make sure Kayla's legacy lives on, even though she is dead physically. And they're working to bring her body home, so that she can have a final resting place. This is a 26-year-old woman who accomplished so much, really lived an ambitious life, and eventually gave her life because she wanted to help others.

And this is something that she did throughout her life, from protesting genocide in Darfur when she was in high school, to becoming a president of a college organization that was committed to ending mass atrocities around the world.

And then we also know she went on after college to help humanitarian organizations in India, in Israel, and then lastly in Turkey and Syria, where she felt very connected to the Syrian refugees who were fleeing the bloodshed and the civil war that was happening in Syria, finding a connection in people's suffering and finding her place in the world, was to help those who were most vulnerable fight for peace and for justice.

And that is the legacy and the way her family wants her to be remembered. And we're hearing from people in this community, many who did not know Kayla personally, who are just in disbelief that there's an organization, a group of people who could be so callous as to hurt and murder such a beautiful human being.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIP WELIKY, ARIZONA RESIDENT: We lost this beautiful young woman that had her whole future in front of her, trying to give her best to other people in other countries and that sort of thing happens to her. My heart goes out to the entire family. And you don't know what to say in situation like that, other than I hope they have the strength to carry them through.

I'm hoping that this will galvanize everybody to try to stop what's going on over there.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CABRERA: Just as Kayla really represented the best of the world, this world is now rallying around her cause and those who have come before her, who have lost their lives.

We know that the United Arab Emirates did a series of airstrikes just this morning. Jordan has been relentless since the death of their pilot, the U.S.-led coalition conducting more than 2,000 airstrikes since the campaign began over the summer, Brooke.

And we also know that the president reached out to Kayla's family and pledged to relentlessly pursue those terrorists who held Kayla captive and eventually took her life.

BALDWIN: That's right, placed that phone call last night. Ana Cabrera in Prescott, Ana, thank you.

CNN has now also obtained this letter. It was written by Kayla, written to her family in the spring of last year during her captivity. And let me just read part of that now.

She wrote: "Please know that I am in a safe location, completely unharmed and healthy." In parentheses she writes: "Put on weight, in fact. I have been treated with the utmost respect and kindness," keeping in mind we don't know if she was under duress at the time. Obviously, she was a hostage, so, yes, she was.

But it raises some questions about the treatment of hostages in ISIS captivity.

Joining me now, "New York Times" correspondent Rukmini Callimachi. He's been on multiple times.

I know you have been following so much of this so closely, I appreciate your reporting, Rukmini.

Let me just begin with, you know, when you're piecing together what it's been like for some of these captives we have covered, including James Foley and Steven Sotloff, what strikes me as different this time, it seems to me this is the first time that ISIS has privately and directly reached out to a family offering proof of death in the form of a photo.

RUKMINI CALLIMACHI, "THE NEW YORK TIMES": If I could just comment on the treatment of Kayla Mueller, we know that at the height of the hostage crisis, ISIS had at least 23 foreign hostages, almost all of them Western; 19 of those 23 were men. And we know that several of the men were severely beaten and some of them were also water-boarded.

The same hostages who spoke to us and confirmed the details of their torture always told me that the women were relatively well-treated. Of course, they're captives and they're hostages, but the women were not tortured, as far as we know. So Kayla Mueller's letter to me confirms what we already knew about the treatment of women in ISIS captivity.

BALDWIN: But the notion that -- Rukmini, let me follow up with you -- that ISIS privately sent a photo, a proof of death to this family, have you heard of this before?

CALLIMACHI: The proof of death, as far as a photo to the family, I have not heard of before. But, of course, the details of Kayla's death remain complex.

They claim that she died in an airstrike. And there's been a lot of questions over whether that's really, really the case. In all of the other hostages, there was a video, which became the proof of how they were executed, and it showed them in the moments before their beheading.

So it seems that perhaps ISIS wants to make sure that the family knows that she really is dead, especially after the mother and the father came out this weekend in a statement to reporters saying that they didn't believe their daughter -- that their daughter had died.

BALDWIN: To the time that she was held captive, she references in this letter other cell mates. And I'm wondering, do you know how much communication she would have with other hostages and the notion that she would have perhaps handed this letter to one of them? How risky is that?

CALLIMACHI: What we know is that the men and the women were kept in separate cells. But in several locations where they were held, their cells were adjoining.

And I was told that in one location, they were able to communicate. I don't understand -- I'm not totally sure if it was through a gap in the wall or some sort of opening. But several of the European hostages have indicated that they saw Kayla. And one in particular told me that when -- on the day of his release last year, he was able to speak to her and ask her, you know, is there any message that you want me to pass on to your family?

So it seems that there were moments of connection between them. And we also know that hostages that were released were also able to bring out letters on behalf of James Foley and several of the others. So this practice of bringing out letters is not new.

BALDWIN: Rukmini, let me, if I may, just pause and let's go to the Pentagon, the daily briefing, the spokesperson. Rear Admiral John Kirby is speaking. We want to listen.

(JOINED IN PROGRESS)

QUESTION: Is there anything that the U.S. has seen as a result of the proof that the Islamic State allegedly provided to the family that indicates when or how she died and whether or not there's any relation to the Jordanian strike? And then I have another question.

REAR ADM. JOHN KIRBY, PENTAGON PRESS SECRETARY: The short answer is no.

And I wouldn't get into the specifics of evidence itself, but we know that she's dead. ISIL is responsible for that death. But we're not in a position to confirm the circumstances specifically, either to timing or to cause of death.

QUESTION: And on Abdul Rauf, what is the understanding or -- at this point of the military of the strength, the size, the activity of the Islamic State in Afghanistan? Can you just assess how broad that may be and how dangerous?

KIRBY: Sure.

I would -- so let's put this in perspective. And we have talked about this in the past, that this is a group that does want to grow and expand its influence. And you have heard from General Rodriguez, you have heard from General Campbell that they certainly are looking very sharply to see if they're expanding in other areas outside Iraq and Syria.

And we know they have those designs. The way I would describe ISIL in Afghanistan is nascent at best. In fact, I would say more aspirational than anything else at this point.

This guy Kadeem (ph), we assessed that he decided to swear allegiance to ISIL probably no more than a couple weeks ago. And he didn't have a whole lot of depth to any network, resources or manpower when he did it. I'm not diminishing or trying to dismiss at all the threat that ISIL poses and wants to pose.

What I'm telling you is here, in this case, it's nascent and aspirational, and that would be an aggressive characterization right now. So, does that help?

QUESTION: (OFF-MIKE)

KIRBY: He and his associates were targeted because we had information that they were planning operations against U.S. and Afghan personnel there in Afghanistan. So yes, he was.

QUESTION: (OFF-MIKE)

KIRBY: No, I didn't say that. But I said he and his associates were targeted because we knew they were planning attacks.

And as I have said before up here that we got into this whole rhetorical debate about the Taliban and whether or not we're going to continue to go after them, given that we're in a new mission. And I told you then and this is proof of it today. If they're going to threaten our interests, our allies, our partners in Afghanistan, they're fair game. And they're fair game.

Joe.

QUESTION: He was a former Guantanamo detainee, correct?

KIRBY: He was.

QUESTION: And when he was released, he was released on -- based on what?

(CROSSTALK)

KIRBY: I don't have -- Joe, I don't have the records on this guy from Guantanamo Bay. Yes, he was a detainee. He was released in 2007. He was released to Kabul.

The other thing that we have said -- and this is another great example, because we had a long discussion not too long ago about the recidivism, and particularly the issue of this one individual who reengaged there in Qatar. And we said that they return to the battlefield to fight at their own peril. Mr. Kadeem (ph) is proof of that.

QUESTION: After seeing such example like former Guantanamo detainee who was released and went back to work with Taliban, is the Pentagon still convinced that Guantanamo should be closed?

KIRBY: Yes, the Pentagon's position is that the detainee facility should be closed. Secretary Hagel has made that clear on any number of occasions. There's no change to that.

QUESTION: White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said...

BALDWIN: Rear Admiral John Kirby addressing a number of questions we have been asking.

Rukmini Callimachi with "The New York Times" is with me.

One of the questions he addressed, of course, the questions of how the circumstances, the timing of Kayla Mueller's death. And, again, he was underscoring basically what you did, that they cannot confirm those circumstances, other than this confirmation that Kayla Mueller is dead.

We were talking Rukmini about some of the -- this one particular letter, this handwritten letter that Kayla Mueller's family has now shared with members of the media. And I guess my follow-up question to that would be, you know, you were saying it wasn't a rare practice for someone to hand a letter away to a hostage who is freed.

Do we know who she may have given this letter to, to get to her family back in Arizona?

CALLIMACHI: No, I don't.

BALDWIN: What about this news now -- I was talking to Pamela Brown, one of our justice correspondents. And she was saying now, because ISIS is running out of hostages, if you will, that there are now fears that they may send people into neighboring countries like Lebanon, like Jordan, and there are a lot of those refugee camps and Westerners volunteering at those refugee camps. What do you know about that?

CALLIMACHI: I think it's true that ISIS is very low on hostages now. We know that they still have John Cantlie, the British hostage. But, as we have seen, he's been doing propaganda videos for them, so perhaps he's being used for a different purpose now.

They also have one other female aid worker whose name and whose nationality we're not revealing for her sake. But we know she's not American. So they're down to two. When I was in Southern Turkey in November of last year and in December, there were a lot of warnings from fellow journalists and also from the U.S. Embassy that ISIS may be looking for people in border towns and specifically reporters to grab. So I think those threats are real, and I think that people that are

working there need to take them seriously.

BALDWIN: Extraordinary caution. Rukmini Callimachi, thank you so much with "The New York Times."

Just getting news as I'm just losing you here that we will be hearing from Kayla Mueller's family. They will be speaking soon, is what I'm told.

Quick break. We will be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: You're watching CNN. I'm Brooke Baldwin.

The man suspected in the death of University of Virginia student Hannah Graham has officially been charged. He is Jesse Matthew. And he's been indicted on first-degree murder and abduction charges.

Hannah Graham disappeared in Charlottesville in the Downtown Mall area last September 13. Then her remains were found in October a couple miles outside of town. Police identified Jesse Matthew as the prime suspect based upon surveillance video and multiple witness accounts. He was taken into custody in Texas 11 days after Graham disappeared.

Brian Todd is in Charlottesville today.

And, Brian, we know the prosecutor is not pursuing the death penalty there in Virginia. Is that a surprise?

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It was certainly a surprise to all of us in the room, Brooke, when the prosecutor announced that she would not be pursuing the death penalty, at least not for now.

This was a horrible crime, as you know. Hannah Graham went missing on September 13. Her body was found more than a month later along a creek bed in an abandoned property. All that was left of her body was her skull and some bones. Jesse Matthew also -- these extenuating circumstances in this case -- he is linked to the 2009 disappearance and later the death of Virginia Tech student Morgan Harrington. She went missing in the fall of 2009. Her body was found a few months later.

And Jesse Matthew has been charged with attempted capital murder and rape in a 2005 case in Fairfax, Virginia. He's pleaded not guilty to that. But there are these other cases that he is linked to. And many people did expect this to be a capital murder case in Albemarle County, but the prosecutor said that they are not seeking it for now.

She did kind of give a hint as to why. We pressed her on why. She said that they had discussions with the Graham family as well as some others involved here, and one local analyst told me that they believe that he believes that maybe the Graham family might have implored the prosecutor not to seek the death penalty in this case. I asked the prosecutor if some deal was made with Jesse Matthew to

avoid the death penalty, and she said they have had no discussions with him -- Brooke.

BALDWIN: So no death penalty on the table here. What about -- I think you alluded to this a second ago. He's connected to that sex assault case that's going to trial next month. That was from 2005.

And then, you know, this same part of Virginia has seen multiple unsolved cases of young women being assaulted and abducted. Has he been tied to any of those?

TODD: Well, he has been tied to them only very loosely, in that they are investigating possible links, Brooke. The only one he's been tied to forensically, according to authorities, is that Morgan Harrington case.

Again, she's a Virginia Tech student who went missing in the fall of 2009. Her body was found just after New Year's in 2010. He has been rumored and possibly linked to some other disappearances. And, as you have mentioned, there have been a lot of other disappearances and possible deaths of other young people in this kind of I-29 corridor between Charlottesville and the Washington, D.C., area over the past several years.

He's been investigated in connection with those, but no definitive link has been made with those cases, Brooke.

BALDWIN: All right. Brian Todd, we will look for more of your reporting on THE SITUATION ROOM. Thank you, sir, in Charlottesville.

Coming up next, in the fight to destroy, dismantle ISIS, is Syria getting information on what the U.S. is doing, even though the two don't actually work together? The Syrian president now saying yes. We have those details ahead.

Also, the violence escalates in the standoff between Ukraine and Russia. In fact, we're just getting word President Obama and Vladimir Putin have just spoken. Hear what President Obama told him as he weighs sending lethal arms to Ukrainian soldiers. Stay here.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: To the crisis in Ukraine.

As you know, violence has been escalating there, 5,000 people killed, so many others, so many forced to flee their homes in the wake of what's happened here in this country. We know President Obama has been weighing this potential to have the United States arm Ukrainian soldiers. His administration has been supportive of this notion, President Obama, flanked by Angela Merkel, chancellor of Germany, just yesterday in the White House, saying he has yet to make up his mind.

And now the new development we have just learned, President Obama has spoken with Russia's President Vladimir Putin today.

Let's go to the White House to Jim Acosta.

And, Jim, what was said on the call?

JIM ACOSTA, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Brooke, this sounds very much like a diplomatic warning from President Obama, from this White House to Russian President Vladimir Putin, because you know there are these talks that are going to be taking place tomorrow in Belarus between President Putin, Chancellor Angela Merkel from Germany, French President Francois Hollande, as well as the Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko.

And on the line obviously is what's happening in Eastern Ukraine, much of the world blaming Russia for that violence that is unfolding there. And so far, at least in the minds of this administration and several other European allies, Russia has not backed down.

And so, yes, you do have this threat, this implicit threat coming from the White House that the president is weighing this option of sending arms to Ukraine to fight those pro-Russian separatists. And, basically, what the White House is saying about this phone call between the president and Vladimir Putin, which took place earlier today, is that if Vladimir Putin does not take that off-ramp, it says, "If Russia continues its aggressive actions in Ukraine" -- we can put this up on screen -- "including by sending troops, weapons, and financing to support the terrorists, the costs for Russia will rise."

So that's as close as you get to a real warning in this statement. The costs for Russia will rise.

Brooke, obviously that could mean further sanctions. The White House believes that the sanctions are having an effect on the Russian economy, that they're not having an effect, though, quite frankly on Putin's behavior, and what is happening in Eastern Ukraine.

And so those costs may also mean obviously that those arms could go to Ukraine. Despite the fact that Chancellor Merkel, as we talked yesterday, is against that idea, the president may move forward with that step.

BALDWIN: Big meeting tomorrow, as you mentioned. We will watch for it then.

Jim Acosta at the White House with this phone call update, appreciate that.