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Manhunt on for Killer of Putin Critic; Students May be Headed to Join ISIS; Tyrone, Missouri, Reeling After Shooting Deaths; Scott Walker's Poll Numbers Surge; New Revelations By Ex-Police Chief; Stolen Race Car Found, Minus Truck, Trailer

Aired February 28, 2015 - 11:00   ET

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


FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: We've got a lot straight ahead.

It's the 11:00 Eastern hour on the East Coast. I'm Fredericka Whitfield. The NEWSROOM starts right now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANTHONY BOURDAIN, CNN HOST: Critics of the government, critics of Putin, bad things seem to happen to them.

BORIS NEMTSOV, RUSSIAN OPPOSITION LEADER: Yes, unfortunately existing power represent let us say Russia of 19th century.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Eerie words from outspoken Russian critic, Boris Nemtsov who was gunned down in the streets of Moscow. Authorities saying today his murder may be to destabilize the country.

Plus, an 11th hour reprieve to keep money flowing to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, but the funding fight is definitely not over.

And investigators say they may now know what triggered a door-to-door killing spree in Missouri.

You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.

We start this hour with a developing story in the shadow of the Kremlin. A manhunt is underway for the suspects who killed Boris Nemtsov, a Russian opposition leader and outspoken critic of President Vladimir Putin. Nemtsov was shot to death last night as he walked across a bridge with a friend barely 100 yards from the seat of Russian government.

Just minutes ago Russia state media released this video of a car they say could be the vehicle used in the shooting. Investigators believe Nemtsov's shooting was carefully planned; opposition leaders call it a direct message from the Kremlin.

Earlier this month in a chilling premonition of his death, Nemtsov said, quote, "I'm afraid Putin will kill me. I believe that he was the one who unleashed the war in Ukraine. I couldn't dislike him more," end quote.

Last year Nemtsov told CNN's Anthony Bourdain that he understood the risk of criticizing Russia's learned.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BOURDAIN: We were supposed to be dining at another restaurant this evening. And when they heard that you will be joining me we were uninvited. Should I be concerned about having dinner with you?

NEMTSOV: This is a country of corruption. And if you have business you are in a very unsafe situation. Everybody can press you on the story of business. That's it. This is a system.

BOURDAIN: Meet Boris Nemtsov, he was deputy prime minister under Yeltsin.

Critics of the government, critics of Putin -- bad things seemed to happen to them.

NEMTSOV: Yes. Unfortunately existing power represent let us say Russia of the 19th century, not of 21st.

BOURDAIN: This is a case -- the Didenko case, a known enemy of Putin stricken with a bout of radioactive plutonium, are you concerned?

NEMTSOV: Me? About myself?

BOURDAIN: Yes. You're a pain in the ass.

NEMTSOV: Tony I was born here 54 years ago. This is my country. Russian people are in a bit of trouble. The Russian court doesn't work, Russian education declining every year. And I believe that Russia has a chance to be free. There's a chance. It is difficult but we must do it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Well, today mourners held a vigil at the site of Nemtsov's death. This as President Obama called for an impartial investigation in the opposition leader's murder. And Vladimir Putin Nemtsov's mother her son's killer will be quote, "properly punished".

Joining me right now if Fred Pleitgen joining us from Moscow. So Fred, anything new on the search? I see a huge group of people, mourners, who have turned out, but what more on the investigation? And is it trusted that an investigation will be pursued?

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it certainly isn't by many people that the investigation is one that's going to be impartial. But right now it seems as though that's pretty much all people here have to grasp onto. If you see -- listen to politicians here in this country, even opposition politicians, they also call on the Kremlin to conduct this investigation in a very thorough way and make sure that it is one that's run professionally. One of the things that the Russian state has said is that Vladimir Putin himself will be overseeing the investigation and he, of course, has come forward and as you said, written that letter to the mother of Boris Nemtsov and said that the people who are behind this will indeed be found and that they will be punished adequately.

So certainly this investigation is going forward. The interesting thing, of course, about all of this, Fredericka, is the fact that this murder happened in a place where there is an abundance of surveillance. We are right next to the Kremlin, less than 100 yards away. There are surveillance cameras everywhere here. There's also plainclothes officers here who are walking around all the time.

And it's interesting to note also that there are a lot of eyewitnesses that are also being questioned by the police. And that might be one of the reasons why they were able to zero in on this white vehicle so quickly.

It still is unclear whether or not that is actually the vehicle that was used in the killing. Certainly the authorities appear to believe that that's the case, but there is an abundance, as I said, of surveillance here, out here. And that's one of the things that people find so chilling that something like that could have happened in such a public place. And really in the heart of Moscow, in a place so important terms of security, Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right. Fred Pleitgen, thank you so much -- appreciate that from Moscow.

Let's talk more about this. Joining me right now CNN global affairs analyst and former Delta Force commander, retired Lieutenant Colonel James Reese. So Colonel, you heard from Fred there who said lots of surveillance cameras everywhere and even eyewitnesses, you have to wonder if eyewitness would feel intimidated and if they would really say everything that they think and feel there.

Do you trust -- should the general public trust that when Putin says that there will be a proper investigation that will indeed happen?

LT. COL. JAMES REESE, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: Fred, good morning. I mean it's difficult, especially in Russia. I mean with all the issues that have happened through the years and the destabilization that is ongoing.

You know, President Putin runs a pretty tight ship over there. And the bottom line is this was a contract hit. You know, like everyone has talked about, a lot of cameras there, a lot of police, a lot of people, so someone was tracking this. Someone knew how to do this, especially driving up behind a car, getting out six shots, four in the body. It's a contract hit.

WHITFIELD: Do you feel like in any way this further complicates, even the U.S. Commitment to try to get to the bottom of what is happening in Ukraine and Russia's role. And now there's this investigation and President Obama even saying that a thorough investigation needs to happen there in Russia. Do you see any real connections here to a real conflict in what the U.S. concerns would be about Russia?

REESE: Well, I'm not sure -- well, let me take that back. Yes, I do have concerns. My biggest concern right now is just the total destabilization going around the world, whether it's Middle East, with Russia, with Ukraine, even our own here in the United States. These aspects that are happening just really stops any type of watchdog or any type of opposition to the leadership of Russia where we are trying to say, hey, we disagree with what you're doing in the Ukraine.

And if you are just going to kill off all your opposition, you know, it's tough to have a democratic decision and discussion about what should be done and what shouldn't be done by the super powers.

WHITFIELD: And then -- I guess would you or should anyone believe that there could ever be a real thorough investigation? Because, you know, European allies of Russia certainly don't trust the government. The U.S. in many instances has conveyed it doesn't trust Vladimir Putin and his leadership. And then you underscore the destabilization in Ukraine. And then some accuse this murder as an effort to further destabilize.

So, what do you do with all that kind of information in terms of whether there will be a credible investigation in whether anyone can trust it will actually happen?

REESE: Well, I think that, you know, the bottom line is this. You know, everyone's going to have -- there's a lot of conspiracy theories going on out there right now. We'll watch this for the next couple of days, but the Russians have some great investigating people. Not even outside the police, in the special police there, they have people that really want to bring Russia to the next level.

So it will be interesting to watch it come out of to the federal and the governmental side. Then the watch room, the reporters and the other investigators are out there. And the watchdog groups, it really put a tough pressure on Putin and his presidency and the Russian oligarchs.

WHITFIELD: All right. Colonel James Reese, thanks so much, appreciate it.

REESE: Thanks Fred.

WHITFIELD: We'll check back with you.

All right. Meantime there's an international hunt on to find at least four teens who may have gone to join ISIS. Authorities are concerned the Canadian students are either on their way to the Middle East or are already there. It's believed they flew from Montreal to Turkey in mid-January. Authorities say they don't know where the teens are now.

Paula Newton has more on the story from Montreal.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) PAULA NEWTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Smart, kind and normal. That's how many are describing 18-year-old Shayma Senouci, a bright young student now missing in the Middle East and possibly on her way to join ISIS in Syria.

At the Montreal high school she once attended, students say she was liked and social. Andy Xaio knew Shayma. She was his tutor a couple years ago.

What was your impression of her when she was tutoring you?

ANDY XIAO, STUDENT OF ONE OF MISSING TEENS: I just knew she was really smart. She's a normal girl.

NEWTON: And did you get the impression then that she was very religious?

XIAO: No, not really. It was just like normal talk.

NEWTON: Normal talk -- that's how it seemed to those who knew Shayma until she went missing earlier this year. One of at least four possibly more young people from Montreal whose families fear they have been lured into joining ISIS.

Three of the missing teens attended this community college across town. And at least one attended classes taught by Adil Shaqawi (ph), a Muslim preacher who has been accused by the college of spreading hate speech in the classrooms he used for teaching Arabic and the Koran.

Shaqawi is known to security officials. In 2003 police alleged he was an al Qaeda sleeper agent who received training in Afghanistan. He spent six years being watched by Canadian authorities. But in 2009 the courts determined he was not a security threat. Shaqawi says he only met one of the missing students on a couple of occasions and he says he is just trying to integrate young Muslims, not radicalize them.

Still Shaqawi he and his classes have been suspended from campus while police try to determine what could have led the teens to possibly join ISIS.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NEWTON: It's been a baffling case here in terms of when you look at the profiles of these young people -- nothing to really indicate that they would actually leave their families in this way.

Again, Fred, Canadian authorities trying to work with Turkish authorities to determine if these young people are in Syria right now -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right. This is going to be one heck of a search. All right, thank you so much, Paula Newton in Montreal.

Still ahead, U.S. Homeland Security will continue to get money, but only for another week. And now another big fight is brewing. Mandy wondering if House Speaker John Boehner's job is now on the line. CNN's Erin McPike is at the White House for us.

ERIN MCPIKE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Fred, if he does not fight President Obama on immigration right now, conservative congressmen say they could try to oust him from the speakership.

More on that after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right. Call it a Hail Mary for the Department of Homeland Security. Minutes before the midnight deadline, President Barack Obama signed a bill to extend funding to DHS for another just seven days.

Erin McPike is at the White House for us. We're hearing that the funding showdown is also having very serious consequences for House Speaker John Boehner. And people talking about whether he needs to keep his job or not.

MCPIKE: Well, Fred that's right. And look, by and large, pressure is building on the House to pass a clean funding bill that would fund the Department of Homeland Security for the rest of the year. We're hearing from moderate Republicans and people really all over the country who are saying, just get this done and tackle President Obama's executive action on immigration another way.

I want to play for you what Bernard Kerik, who was of course the former New York City police commissioner said earlier on CNN. Listen here.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BERNARD KERIK, FORMER NYPD COMMISSIONER: If you have a problem with the immigration issue. Take it to court. Do whatever you have to do, but do not hold up funding for the Department of Homeland Security. It's just not -- it's outrageous, it's dangerous. And it puts us in jeopardy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MCPIKE: And Fred, earlier I spoke with the first DHS secretary, Tom Ridge, who was a Republican. He's the former governor of Pennsylvania. And he believes cooler heads will prevail. He says that Republicans have made their point, they really ought to just pass this. But there is a small group of conservative Republicans in the House who were trying to hold speaker Boehner's feet to the fire. And it's putting him in a really tough position.

And I want to read to you a comment made by Steve Womack, he's a Republican congressman from Arkansas. Here's what he said to CNN yesterday. "It's a hell of a position to be in. I just can't imagine the frustration the Speaker must have now."

And Fred, as you know, Speaker Boehner has been threatened multiple times by some of these really conservative congressmen. There are conservative Republican senators who have tried to do the same thing to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. But ultimately the senate passed the clean funding bill yesterday. And the House hasn't been able to do that. And Speaker Boehner is under a lot of pressure from these conservative congressmen.

WHITFIELD: I guess what is different now, Erin, is as of that decision or that vote last night and the President signing it just before midnight, that now you do have Republican leadership, which you're using this latest example as another way in which to push the discussion about the ouster of Boehner. Is that being taken very seriously in the rank and file?

MCPIKE: It certainly is. If it weren't being taken seriously, they -- Speaker Boehner probably would have brought this bigger bill to the floor. He has to cater to these conservative congressmen. And he has been doing that.

Now, the question remains, can these conservatives chorale together enough votes to actually oust Speaker Boehner? That remains to be seen, but he does always take these threats very seriously.

WHITFIELD: All right. Erin McPike, thanks so much, at the White House. Appreciate it.

Still ahead, investigators in Missouri now have one possible motive for what triggered a deadly shooting spree.

CNN's Will Ripley is in Cabool, Missouri.

WILL RIPLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Fred police here want to know if mother's death triggered her son t go an unspeakable rampage that caused one small a fifth of its population.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right. Checking your top stories now.

In Iraq the prime minister responded today to the destruction of ancient artifacts at the hands of ISIS. He called the vandals barbarians and vowed to hunt them down. The prime minister made those comments today while reopening Iraq's national museum was ransacked during the fall of Baghdad back in 2003.

And tomorrow space walk is a go despite a small amount of water found in the helmet of American astronaut Terry Byrd (ph). The suit has a history of creating a small amount of water when it is re-pressurized after a space walk -- causing water to be pushed into the helmet. NASA says it has a high degree of confidence now in the suit.

And in a new development, a U.S. appeals court has ruled the Boston Marathon bombing trial will stay in Boston. Jury selection in the death penalty trial of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev is now set to begin next week. Three people were killed and another 250 injured in April 2013 bombing near the marathon's finish line. Investigators now think they know what may have triggered a door-to-

door killing spree in the tiny southern Missouri town of Tyrone. Seven people were shot dead. One injured. The victims were found in four homes. The gunman, the alleged gunman, was found dead in a pickup truck 15 miles away after apparently shooting himself.

CNN's Will Ripley joins us now live city of Cabool, Missouri. What is the latest?

RIPLEY: Well, Fred, we know that gunman's name is Joseph Aldridge and his mother, Alice did die, police believe of natural causes sometime before the shooting rampage. It is speculation on the part of police at this point, but since they really have -- obviously cannot talk to the gunman and most of the members of the Aldridge family that live here were killed in this rampage, they can only look at every possibility. And that's why they keep looking at the death of this mother.

We know that Joseph Aldridge lived with his mother. And there was no suicide note. And so they are going to be talking with the one sole surviving member of the Aldridge family to see if she can reveal more. If he said something at the time when he went on rampage Thursday night, killing, again, four members of his family -- Gerald, Julie, Harold and Janelle Aldridge all in their late 40s to 50s. He spared a 15-year-old girl who was in the house, heard gunfire, ran to a neighbor's house and called for help.

And Fred, we also talked with a member of another family that has not been named yet by police. He found two of his dead cousins after getting a call to go to their house. Listen to him describe what he saw.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN SHRIVER, FAMILY MEMBER OF VICTIMS: I didn't see her at first. She was kind of laying doubled over like a bunch of clothes or something. Just kind of like she had bent over forward and her head was down on the floor.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

RIPLEY: Even more terrifying, Fred, that couple had a 13-year-old son who was in the house when this happened in another bedroom alive unhurt, but as you can imagine, terrified.

WHITFIELD: Gosh, terribly sad. All right. Will Ripley, thanks so much. .

All right. Still ahead -- CPAC, the conservative political action conference, making his choice today for its pick for president. Who is up, who's down with this wing the Republican party? We'll give some hints right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right. Hello again, everyone. Thanks so much for joining me. I'm Fredericka Whitfield.

All right. If you're going to run for president as a Republican, one of the groups you need to impress is the CPAC, the Conservative Political Action Conference. Well today in a straw poll top conservative opinion leaders and money raisers of the Republican Party get together and decide who's up and whose down among the potential contenders in the race for presidency.

Scott walker is one of those who has been surging in the polls. He got a strong reception when he addressed the CPAC audience.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. SCOTT WALKER (R), WISCONSIN: What makes us exceptional, what makes us arguably the greatest country in the history of the world, is that in moments of crisis be it economic or fiscal, be it military or spiritual there have been men and women throughout our history who have stood up and made decisions that think more about the future of their children and their grandchildren than they did about their own political futures.

Ladies and gentlemen, here tonight, this one of those moments in American history.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: A new poll from Quinnipiac shows Walker up by a wide margin in Iowa getting almost double the support of his closest competitor, Rand Paul.

In Texas, Walker has surged to second just one percentage point behind Texas Senator Ted Cruz and well ahead of former Texas Governor Rick Perry. Joining me right now from CPAC is CNN's senior digital correspondent, Chris Moody. Good to see you, Chris.

CHRIS MOODY, CNN SENIOR DIGITAL CORRESPONDENT: Good to be here.

WHITFIELD: All right, so despite, you know, Walker's recent non- committal statements on Giuliani, the president doesn't love America's comment, and criticism that came with Walker's silence, what is behind Walker's surge in popularity?

MOODY: Well, I spent the last couple of days at this conference with a couple thousand conservatives and a couple things I have learned, and one of them is that this thing is wide open.

And that, number two, people are really excited about Scott Walker because they see him as a fighter, somebody who will defend their values, and someone who has not only paid lip service to that, but has done it in the arena.

And not only competed, but he's also won several times, won several battles for conservatives. And I watched Scott Walker's speech this week. He looked like he was in full campaign mode.

He had his sleeves rolled up and was talking to the crowd without any notes or anything like that and he did get a wide reception. Remember, we have a year before the first caucus or primaries really kickoff.

And the stuff that you mentioned, the words he said about President Obama and about evolution, you know, a lot of the Republican voters don't necessarily care about that.

They want to know if he's going to fight for their values if he reaches the White House, and they've seen him do that in the capital in Wisconsin.

WHITFIELD: Right. You referred to President Obama, it was Walker remaining silent on whether the president was Christian or not. So who is likely to do well? What is the prediction in today's straw poll? And what kind of impact does it really have on the whole potential race?

MOODY: Well, not much impact. I think we should unplay that, but I always enjoy watching it as a bit of a gut check on the movement although there are a lot of factors here. It's a matter of who wants to play in the straw poll.

You have to organize your people, make sure you get them to vote, and that doesn't always tell you where the conservative movement is feeling. Rand Paul wins quite often, Mitt Romney won when he was going to go be the nominee.

And then Ron Paul won quite often before that. So it's really a matter of organization, but I think what you really see from CPAC when you get to talk to the activists is to find out where they are standing on a lot of issues and on the presidential race.

And right now, again, I really think that they are giving a lot of these candidates or potential candidates an opportunity to be heard out, and they are listening. That's what I saw a lot over the past couple days, people sitting and listening.

And these people are all going to have a chance to make their case. The people are going to be up, folks are going to be down, but it's a long road ahead. And I think everyone is going to get a real shot to see if they can pull this off.

WHITFIELD: Yes, it's always quite the roller-coaster ride, isn't it?

MOODY: It always is and it's a long ride that --

WHITFIELD: A very long ride. It's a marathon ride. All right, Chris Moody, thanks so much. Appreciate it.

MOODY: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: All right, still to come, the police chief who led the investigation into the JonBenet Ramsey 1996 murder posted shocking insights into the still unsolved case, and he did it online. You'll hear new revelations, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: It's hard to believe, JonBenet Ramsey would be 25 years old if she were alive today, but the little girl never saw another birthday after her murder in December of 1996.

The mystery is still unsolved after nearly two decades now, but now we're learning new details about the crime that may shed new light on this case. CNN's Ana Cabrera reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANA CABRERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Who killed JonBenet Ramsey?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There's a killer on the loose.

CABRERA: The 6-year-old beauty queen was found dead in the basement of her family's Boulder home the day after Christmas in 1996.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I tell my friends to keep your baby's close to you. There's someone out there.

CABRERA: While the killer has never been caught, new details about the case just revealed by a lead investigator, former Boulder Police Chief Mark Beckner.

In a recent "Ask Me Anything" session with Reddit, which has now been deleted, Beckner shared new information about how JonBenet died saying she was hit in the head, knocked unconscious, 45 minutes to two hours prior to being strangled.

He also says JonBenet most likely was not sexually assaulted at the time of her killing despite a 1999 grand jury report that indicated there was reason to believe otherwise. Beckner suggests instead that was all staged.

CHIEF MARK BECKNER, BOULDER POLICE: My last count we had investigated over 140 people as possible suspects in this case.

CABRERA: In 2009, Beckner spoke regretfully that not one suspect had been identified, the mystery unsolved. Now, Beckner admits mistakes were made by police in the initial days after the crime.

In retrospect, he says JonBenet's parents should have been separated and their statements taken immediately. He called it a perfect storm type scenario.

It was the Christmas holiday and we were short staffed, he writes, and there was confusion at the scene as people were arriving before we had enough personnel on the scene. As a result, some evidence was compromised. The redeeming value of Beckner's candid confession of sorts --

MEL ROBBINS, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: All of these details converge and it will create renewed interest. It will create renewed scrutiny and it might trigger somebody to remember something. CABRERA: Ana Cabrera, CNN, Denver.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Incredible questions now, right, about that unsolved murder. These new revelations about this case raising so many questions.

Joining me right now is Criminal Defense Attorney Richard Herman, usually we are so used to seeing you along with Avery. We have a pleasure of having you solo. You are going to be with Avery later on today.

He is still going to join us via satellite from Cleveland, but we're glad to have you here to talk about this because, you know, this is one of those cases, it is mysterious.

Of course, it is the one that has provoked so many different theories about whatever happened, too. How could this police chief reveal this kind of information now in this kind of forum?

Did he realize that it was something that the public would be able to read, embrace, learn from or did he think this was a private conversation?

RICHARD HERMAN, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Yes, Fred, I don't think he knew this was going to go viral the way it did. But I think it gives us insight, right, it gives us insight in what is burning him up. And it's been 14 years that we have been doing legal on weekends.

WHITFIELD: I know, it's hard to believe.

HERMAN: And we have covered cases where district attorneys have kind of corrupted the investigation and the prosecution like (inaudible) and in the Duke Lacrosse case.

Well, here, this district attorney took over the investigative stage and took the power away from the police and incredibly he shielded the Ramseys.

In this type of case, they were not interviewed individually until some five months after the murder of JonBenet. That's outrageous.

WHITFIELD: So these discoveries that Beckner talks about in terms of the blow to the head, these are things I don't think most people have ever heard before. The blow to the head that JonBenet may have suffered and that the strangulation came nearly -- between 45 and two hours later.

Is this information that Boulder police were able to discover, substantiate, and you talk about the district attorney, then prosecutors took over that information was suppressed or is it a matter of this is information that now Beckner is allowed to talk about so many years after the fact?

HERMAN: Yes. They knew about this. They had all these information. WHITFIELD: Everyone knew, but the public did not.

HERMAN: Everyone knew it was blunt force trauma to the head which ultimately would have caused her death, but apparently about an hour and a half after that blunt force trauma someone strangled her.

And then there was this ransom note that was apparently written on the mother's stationary in perhaps similar or her own handwriting, some two-and-a-half pages, and it was written at the time of the murder, which is preposterous, it really -- and no sign of break-in in the house and no viable DNA evidence at the scene there.

WHITFIELD: There was a lot of finger-pointing at the parents and there was a brother, and -- the public was led to believe that all of them were cleared.

With this kind of information, that it appears now she was not sexually assaulted, she was assaulted but not -- with some artificial means that came after her death according to what Beckner is saying.

Does that invite furthering the investigation, returning to people who had been questioned, whether they were -- the case is not closed. Can it be reopened in a very fervent kind of way?

HERMAN: Yes. Any murder does not have a statute of limitations so they could open it. Of course, Mrs. Ramsey is dead and she may have been one of the prime targets had they done this properly.

WHITFIELD: She died of cancer.

HERMAN: She died of cancer. And I think, Fred, what happened on the sexual molestation portion of this is that there was evidence that she had been molested, but prior to the murder.

WHITFIELD: That was a new discovery. She may have been sexually assaulted repeatedly days, weeks, prior to this. Not prior as in just moments before she was killed.

HERMAN: The incredible scenarios, the parents who were in the house at the time, were not interviewed by law enforcement, were not allowed to be interviewed because a district attorney said to lay off them, stay away from them. They were high society people. They were very wealthy.

He runs for election. He said stay away from them. Don't interview them. Five months were wasted when they couldn't get them separately in rooms to pin down their versions. It is really upsetting and it's not the perfect storm. It's a corrupted investigation, that's what it is.

WHITFIELD: All right, thanks so much for your input on this. We are going to see you again next hour with Avery. Of course, we'll talk about a few other cases.

This one, which has received a whole lot of attention, don't you remember these two young girls who said they were inspired by "Slenderman" in which to try to attempt murder on their good friend. We'll talk about that coming up.

Also ahead, good news for Travis Kvapil, here his car, 44, was stolen in a trailer. Guess what? Now it's been found and I am going to talk to that driver although he's really upset that he's not racing this weekend. But I can't wait to hear his side of the story in all this, right after this.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RICHARD QUEST, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Over the years, we have all increased the amount of technology in our homes and that's meant increased demands on the electric grid. So we turn to solar and wind power as renewables became all the rage.

(on camera): Being energy efficient is just the start. Imagine if your home provided all its own energy. For instance, the heat from your television powers your coffee maker.

(voice-over): This house can do just that. On the outside, it looks like any other home in suburban Washington, D.C. On the inside, it's a laboratory.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We take over 500 readings of data every minute.

QUEST: The National Institute of Standards and Technology built this house to prove that net zero is possible.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So net zero energy home is a home that over the course of a year produces as much energy as it consumed. We have a virtual family that lives here and they perform all the same functions you would with your own family.

So we have the vices, for example, that emulate a toaster, blender, a mixer, and all these operate a precise time according to a schedule so that the home is occupied as a home normally would be.

QUEST: In the first year, the house went way beyond net zero. It actually produced a surplus. Enough energy was leftover to drive an electric vehicle 1400 miles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Found, police have located the NASCAR Sprint Cup car that was stolen from a hotel parking lot near Atlanta. Number 44 was found along the side of the road. This is a tweet from Team Extreme after it was found.

The race car was stolen yesterday along with the pickup truck and the trailer that was hauling it, just hours before, Travis Kvapil was to run his qualifying race for this weekend's Sprint Cup race at the Atlanta Motor Speedway.

The driver of that car, Travis Kvapil, is actually on the phone with us right now. So first, Travis, congratulations, that the trailer, the car, all the equipment, everything was there and intact.

But so sorry that you missed your qualifying so, you know, how happy or relieved or also disappointed are you?

TRAVIS KVAPIL, NASCAR DRIVER (via telephone): Well, mixed feelings for sure. It's a big plus that we found the race car, and I think some of the equipment and actually the truck and trailer is still missing, I believe. But the biggest thing is we found the race car.

You know, it's a small team, and this is a big setback for us if that was missing. So it was enough of a setback as it was, not being able to qualify and run the race Atlanta Motor Speedway this weekend.

But, you know, we can -- with this race car, we can move forward, and we can go to Las Vegas next week and just really thankful and happy for all the guys that worked so hard on this car. We've put a lot of hours into it, and it would have been a real shame if it was just gone.

WHITFIELD: So do you think this -- you know, alleged thief knew what he or she was taking because the white trailer isn't necessarily marked. It doesn't say your name, number 44, that it's a race car. But do you think they knew what they were doing, what they grabbed?

KVAPIL: I'm sure they had no idea. You know, we have an 18-wheeler, big semi transporter. But we sent that down a couple days -- or a day earlier, because there was a big snowstorm in the Charlotte area. We wanted to get the semi down the road, but we didn't quite have the race car done and wasn't ready to go to the racetrack yet.

The guys had to continue to do some more work on it at the shop. So they stayed back with the car and sent it down a day later with a truck and smaller trailer and parked it in the hotel parking lot. And woke up the next morning and it was gone. So like you said, there are no markings. There is, you know, sponsors or anything on it.

WHITFIELD: Yes.

KVAPIL: So I'm sure they had no idea what was inside that trailer.

WHITFIELD: And so in the end, it was just abandoned, right? It was just left as opposed to anyone spotted it and was able to call police.

KVAPIL: Yes, I guess it was out in rural Atlanta and just on some back road somewhere and they just -- just sitting in the side of the road. So happy to have it recovered. That's the car we plan to take to Las Vegas.

WHITFIELD: Wow.

KVAPIL: Nice to have it back in our hands.

WHITFIELD: Well, Travis, safe travels to Las Vegas. Something tells me you are going to have some kind of special wheel locks or something on that truck and trailer so that it never happens again. Good luck to you. We'll be watching and looking out for you in Las Vegas. KVAPIL: Absolutely will. Thank you. We appreciate being with you.

WHITFIELD: All right, fantastic, Travis Kvapil, number 44. We'll be right back in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right, tomorrow night, CNN will take you on an amazing journey around the world, "THE WONDER LIST WITH BILL WEIR." Explore some of the most beautiful and unique locations that may soon disappear from our planet. His first stop is the South Pacific island nation of Vanuatu, a tiny island off the Australian coast.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BILL WEIR, CNN HOST, "THE WONDER LIST" (voice-over): Instead of packing for this camping trip, they brought bows and arrows for the shallows, and spears made of bicycle spokes for the reef. But the most stunning example of the bounty of these waters comes when they grab a net. And once it is in place, the catch is over in about 90 seconds.

(on camera): That's not fishing. That's not fair. When I fish, I have to sit and drink beer for eight hours before I get one bite. Look at this. I guess we have dinner.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Wow. It's Vanuatu. So joining me right now, let's hear from CNN's Bill Weir, because he was there. You got to know the people and place intimately. Pretty extraordinary pictures, and just to see the way of life there, how many so many Americans would think that is so much work and for them, they're like this is what we do, and we do it with ease. So what struck you the most on this journey?

WEIR: Well, Fred, it was -- I started with a question here. That's kind of what the whole series is about, questions about what kind of world -- my little girl is going to turn my age in 2050 and I wonder will there still be Hawaii's without hotels, Balis without burger joints.

And we found this place, Vanuatu, it's an amazing story because it's right on the edge of discovery. Some tribes can't wait until the big hotels come because they think that's a ticket to a better life.

We've got other tribes who think they are living in heaven, they have been to our big cities and they don't want any part of it. And so I just wanted to see what happens when I see an example which actually happened here.

An investor from California shows up and says I want to buy this island and I want all of you to work in my hotel. Give up fishing, tend bar, and wait tables for me.

WHITFIELD: No, I'm not buying people like that. They don't like that idea. WEIR: Well, no, the guy said -- he said, name your price. Give me a price. This local man said -- threw out the biggest number he could think of, $5,000.

WEIR: The man tried to write him a check, and that's when he freaked out because he had never seen a checkbook before. There were so many surprising things and we went to another island that seemed so primitive.

The cell phone service was better than my apartment. The guy -- the guy in the loin cloth I had seen in this amazing picture wants to be an actor.

So it's a great sort of journey, not only to help you forget the winter blues for an hour tomorrow night, but also make you think about what we have, what they have, and whose grass is really greener.

WHITFIELD: Yes, and you paint a great picture. You're an adventurist and a water boy because I saw the promo. What did you learn there that you think will stick with you that maybe will even apply again, how eye-opening was it for you personally from a lesson taught by them to you?

WEIR: Well, you know, each one of these destinations, and we went everywhere, from the Middle East to the top of the Alps to the South Pacific there. And what strikes me every time is we are much more similar than we are different around the world.

You know, we brought a photographer on this trip who had taken these amazing portraits of indigenous folks around the world, he went back to show them his book of work, they were in that book.

And it was the funniest thing, you see these guys giggling at the naked foreigners. Just like kids looking at "National Geographic."

So we are so similar, and I don't we realize that all of our lives are connected in ways that you would really imagine.