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South Carolina Shooting Suspect in Court. Aired 3-3:30p ET

Aired June 19, 2015 - 15:00   ET

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

[15:00:01]

REV. CALVIN BUTTS, ABYSSINIAN BAPTIST CHURCH: And we have to press to eradicate that.

Plus, we have to work on gun violence. We have to do that. Remember, the last time we had a case, it wasn't necessarily in the South. It was in the North. And we had a congresswoman who was elected as a result of that case, when Colin Ferguson killed people on the Long Island Railroad.

We have got to do something about race in this nation, and we have got to do something about gun violence.

ANA CABRERA, CNN ANCHOR: And, Reverend Calvin Butts, thank you for your thoughts.

BUTTS: Thank you.

CABRERA: We really do appreciate it.

We have so much more to discuss as we roll into our 3:00 hour of CNN NEWSROOM.

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.

CABRERA: You are watching CNN's special coverage, breaking news coverage of the massacre in South Carolina that happened in Charleston two days ago. The suspect, Dylann Roof, just 21 years old, opened fired inside a Bible studying claiming the lives of nine innocent victims, ranging in age from 26 up to 87.

He just appeared in court via a video link and he went before a judge. His bond was set at $1 million on a weapons charge. He's also facing nine murder charges and is likely to ultimately face the death penalty in this case. There he is appearing before the judge, our first real look at him now almost two days since the shooting happened.

We also learned in just the past few hours that he confessed to the crime with investigators, admitting that he bought the gun, a .45- caliber gun and fired into each of those individuals. We are also learning more about the weapon. There's a lot to discuss in the next hour of NEWSROOM.

First, I want to take you back inside the courtroom, again, appearing just a few minutes ago, where we also heard from members of the victims' families. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I will go through this.

Susie Jackson. Is there a representative of the family of Susie Jackson? No.

Sharonda Singleton? Ms. Singleton? There are.

Would you please stand? You have a right, as the representative of the family, to make a statement before we set bond. Would you like to do so, ma'am?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, thank you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you very much.

Ethel Lance, would you like to make a statement in regards to this hearing considering Ethel Lance as a victim, ma'am?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CABRERA: All right. We will be hearing more from inside that courtroom as we continue to pull sound bites from that emotional hearing today.

I want to go back live now to Don Lemon, my colleague in Charleston, South Carolina, where emotions are still raw today -- Don.

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, Ana. It's really -- it's been an emotional hour here.

First, it was the anticipation for the first we were going to hear from the 21-year-old suspect. And we did, just a few words. We're going to talk about all of that.

Let's -- let me bring in Sunny Hostin, who is our legal analyst here on CNN and is also a former federal prosecutor.

You heard him, very short statements. How old are you? Twenty-one.

SUNNY HOSTIN, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Yes.

LEMON: Do you agree to this? Yes.

But he just didn't really say much. And then it's Mark Geragos, who is also a legal analyst here on CNN and a famed attorney, said, that's the reason you have a bond hearing, if you are going to invite the family in, is to have them face the person who is accused of doing a heinous act against their loved one.

HOSTIN: Of course.

And I said this yesterday. You want the victims of the families to at least have the opportunity to face-to-face express how his actions have hurt them. We do it all the time in the criminal justice system, and I can't begin to tell you how cathartic that is to many victims' families.

And so to take that away from them, to shield him...

LEMON: That's what I was going to ask you.

HOSTIN: ... very video link in inappropriate.

LEMON: You're stealing my next question. Do you think that it was completely taken away? Do you think they got at least something out of it, even though it was via video link? And he didn't -- he didn't flinch.

HOSTIN: He didn't flinch. But I can tell you, in my experience, nothing is the same as being in the same exact room with the perpetrator of a crime.

LEMON: Yes. Here's the solicitor. We have got to get to the solicitor now. There she is.

(JOINED IN PROGRESS)

SCARLETT WILSON, SOUTH CAROLINA SOLICITOR: ... everyone from across the nation.

I also want to thank the Mother Emanuel congregation for their grace and their strength throughout these dark hours. Just a few minutes ago, what all of you saw, what the rest of the nation saw was the spirit of Charleston, the true spirit of Charleston.

[15:05:05]

And while there may be nine victims, we are one family. Make no mistake about that. Obviously, it's been a long week here. A lot of people have done a lot of good work.

First of all, I want to thank my colleagues in North Carolina, the DA Mike Miller in Cleveland County, one of his assistants, Sally Kirby- Turner, who worked very hard yesterday.

I also want to introduce to you my team, my chief deputy, Bruce DuRant, Assistant Solicitor Chad Simpson, who will be working with me on this case.

Law enforcement is still investigating, but we are moving in to the prosecution phase of this. We have many great leaders in this state who have been there for us and have been here for you. We are so grateful for Mayor Riley, Governor Haley, Senator Scott. They have been great leaders through this dark time.

As a chief prosecutor, I'm not here to pontificate or to predict. There are many who and will do that for you, I'm sure. As for me and my staff, we will serve. We will serve justice. My mission is to bring justice for this community and especially for the victims in this case. And we will do it efficiently and effectively, and we will do it

behind the scenes, so that we can be successful. We will work with our partners at the Department of Justice. They were with us all day yesterday. They have been here for us at the start.

I had another meeting this morning with the Department of Justice. Make no mistake, we are standing shoulder to shoulder, side by side, and we will work together through this prosecution.

I know it's frustrating for you all because you want so much information. But, as we move through this prosecution, the rules are different than when they -- than when we have an investigation and we have an emergency situation.

The rules limit what I can say, what I should say and I intend to abide by those rules. And I want to tell you a little bit about a phone call I received about four or five weeks ago. I knew the caller, but I didn't know him well, and he said to me, he said, I'm sorry I hadn't reached out before now. But I want you to know we're with you. And I want you to know that we appreciate how you're doing this. I want you to know that we are behind your team all the way.

That call was from Senator Pinckney. And he wasn't asking for a favor. He wasn't asking for inside information. He just made a call to someone that he barely knew, but that who he appreciated, and he had a deep understanding for our need to work behind the scenes quietly for a successful prosecution.

And those words are extremely inspiring to me now and inspiring to my staff as we move forward with this prosecution. I know, again, that you have many questions about what's going to happen and we will keep you informed, as the rules allow.

But my first obligation, my primary obligation is to these victims' families. They deserve to know the facts first. They deserve to be involved in any conversations regarding the death penalty. But now is not the time to have those conversations with them.

They need the time and the space to mourn and to grieve and we're going to give them that. Again, we certainly will keep you informed as milestones are reached in this case, as decisions are made. But our work is going to be done in the courtroom. We really appreciate you being here. I'm not going to take questions today.

I believe Chief Mullen would like to address you briefly.

GREG MULLEN, CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA, POLICE CHIEF: Thank you, Solicitor.

As the solicitor said, we moved into a different phase of this investigation at this point. We appreciate all of your assistance yesterday and the night before. We were getting a lot of information out as a result of your efforts. We will continue to be as open and transparent as we can with you, understanding that now, when we finish up investigative leads that are outstanding at this point, we are not only working with the solicitor and, as she said, the Department of Justice, so we're not going to be able to give out information as quickly and as freely as we were yesterday, because now what our goal is, since we have now captured and have the individual in custody that was responsible for this very terrible tragedy, our role now and our primary focus now is a successful prosecution.

[15:10:17]

And we're not going to jeopardize that by releasing information prematurely, nor are we going to jeopardize that by not following up and finishing every lead possible before that information is released, if it can be. So I appreciate your cooperation and your patience. I will tell you that in advance, because I know that some of you have been asking for things today and our PIO is working hard to try to get as much information as we can, understanding that at this particular point, there are still a lot of investigative leads that are happening here in the area.

It's also happening in other parts of the state, so we will continue to work with you and do the best we can to get you information to help you inform the public and at the same time make sure that we do not jeopardize this prosecution, which at this time is our primary goal. Thank you.

WILSON: Thank you.

(CROSSTALK)

LEMON: All right, the chief solicitor here and also Chief Gregory Mullen, Chief Solicitor Scarlett Wilson holding a press conference talking about how they're going to deal with this case. As they said, everything will be dealt with in the courtroom. They will not litigate this case in the media or outside of the courtroom. Their work will be done in the courtroom.

And just as we -- we were speaking -- as they were speaking, I just want to show you the parking lot behind me, the FBI, which is the church's parking lot, some of the cars belonging to the victims still in the parking lot here. The FBI was doing a sweep of this parking lot, combing, going back and forth, looking at the ground, looking for things.

I don't know if it's because they are about to open the church back up or what is going on here, but clear there they are, some of -- the FBI -- has evidence technicians on the back of their shirts and the FBI insignia on the front of their shirts.

And they also have gloves. Not sure what they are looking for, but probably any type of evidence.

Sunny Hostin is here with me to talk about the justice in this case, and also Danny Cevallos is joining us as well to bring us his perspective.

So, as they are combing, Danny, the parking lot behind us here, as you hear the chief solicitor here and also, what's his name, Chief Gregory Mullen as well, saying that they are going to do this, the investigation is taking all over South Carolina and -- but their work is going to be done in the courtroom. Where do they start?

DANNY CEVALLOS, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Well, they start with completing their investigation, however long that takes.

Unlike many cases -- and I think what they meant is many cases begin, conversely, with an investigation and then a suspect identified. But everything happened so quickly in this case, that we have already moved along from a manhunt to now an initial hearing, a bond hearing, which is really just a formality, because he's charged with a crime for which he is not bailable. He cannot be let out.

So as much as it is important for us to get a first look at this defendant, procedurally, the initial hearing in this case is little more than a formality. He will remain in custody.

LEMON: Yes. So, Danny, as Mark Geragos said -- to him -- these are his words -- this is Kabuki theater. So, if it's Kabuki theater and it's just pro forma here, why not have him inside the courtroom?

I know they said that it is standard procedure to have it via video link, but sometimes suspects, many times they do appear in the courtroom.

CEVALLOS: They do.

But video link appearances are becoming more and more a very common thing. And they can be very helpful when you're holding a defendant in a secure facility and you don't want to move them. Now, for you and I to get into a car, Don, and drive from A to B is no big deal. But anybody in the sheriff's department, any federal marshal will tell you that transporting criminals is a high-risk activity and something that can and should be avoided, especially in a case like this.

Where you can keep him in a secure facility and have him appear and satisfy whatever constitutional burden of having him appear, even if that's by video link, I think any federal marshal, any sheriff's deputy will tell you that you err on the side of caution and avoid moving prisoners when it can be avoided, especially in a high-profile case like this.

LEMON: I think Sunny is going to disagree on this one.

HOSTIN: Of course I disagree.

The bottom line is, we're talking about the best of the best, when you're talking about the FBI, the U.S. Marshals, sheriff's department. This is what they do. This is what they are trained to do. Moving a prisoner is not that difficult. You can move a prisoner very, very early in the morning. You can move the prisoner very late in the evening.

You can use back channels. Many courtrooms and courthouses have tunnels underneath for that very purpose. I think, on balance, when you weigh the victims' families' rights to confront the defendant who has taken away, murdered their loved ones, and you sort of balance that with an inability or difficulty of moving a prisoner, I think the answer is very clear.

[15:15:15]

LEMON: OK. Sunny, this is what you do. You're a former federal prosecutor.

HOSTIN: That's right.

LEMON: You have been involved in a case like this as a former federal prosecutor?

HOSTIN: Certainly not as high-profile a case.

LEMON: Yes. So, then how what would you handle it if you were Scarlett Wilson? What happens next?

(CROSSTALK)

HOSTIN: I think you certainly keep this kind of case close to the vest, because it's being investigated and there are dual investigations.

We're talking about the federal government with all of its resources, as well as the state working together. And so you don't want a lot of leaks in a case like this. It's not a whodunit. We know that. But it's a high-stakes case because it's likely to be a death penalty case. And so you do want to make sure that your forensics are airtight.

You do want to make sure that you have really interviewed the victims that -- the survivors of this, because that is, I think, going to be the most important part of this investigation. You want to make sure that you treat them very, very carefully and sensitively, make sure you get their stories.

LEMON: Even a little bit of this Snapchat video that we got basically -- that we got video -- we got yesterday that shows him at least on the location, does that help as well?

HOSTIN: Yes. I think that's very helpful because it shows the premeditation. It shows amount of time perhaps that he spent with these people.

LEMON: OK. It gives you a timeline.

HOSTIN: And it gives you a bit of a timeline. And it always goes towards his demeanor, because I suspect there may be an insanity defense here.

So, if you're the prosecutor, you have to take it very slowly. Now, I think that is what we heard her say. We know everyone wants this OK information, they are demanding this kind of information, but in this type of case, you want to keep it a little bit closer to the vest.

LEMON: All right, Sunny. And, Danny, I will get your thoughts in a moment, but I want to check in with CNN's Athena Jones, because of course we want to keep -- we keep talking about the suspect, the defendant, as Danny has been referring to him. But we want to keep the victims in mind and their family members.

And Athena Jones is at a vigil right now for one of the family members.

What's going on, Athena?

ATHENA JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Don.

I was unable to hear what you were saying just as you came to me, but I want to point out to you this growing memorial behind me, this makeshift memorial at Emanuel AME. It's more than quadrupled in size in less than 24 hours. There have been periodic gatherings, prayers, songs, a steady flow of people coming through, laying down flowers, setting up wreaths that say things like "Charleston United."

Just a few minutes ago, there was a young woman who had a sign that said, "Never again is now."

And what's been remarkable about this outpouring of both grief and also sympathy and words of comfort and unity for the victims, for the families and for this entire community is how diverse it's been. It's been a mixed group, very multiracial. We saw several young white boys, 4 or 5 years old, who came up to lay flowers as part of that memorial. We saw an older white man kneeling to pray.

And last night, when I attended a prayer service at the Presbyterian church just behind at Mother Emanuel, it was a group of several Presbyterian churches, white and black. A sea of people packed that church, all of them joining together, rubbing each other's backs, holding hands, doing prayer circles to try to comfort each other and to heal.

You may have mentioned or heard earlier the mayor of Charleston, Joe Riley, talking about this city being a city that wants to come together in prayer and unity. And so that is what this makeshift memorial shows and proves. The street here is blocked off now in preparation for the prayer vigil being held tonight by the city of Charleston at an arena just a short distance from here. That's at 6:00 p.m. -- Don.

LEMON: Yes, a prayer vigil tonight. There are other events planned as well. CNN will take you to as many of them as possible. Our Athena Jones standing out in front of the makeshift memorial right now.

CNN has got you covered. We are going to cover this story from top to bottom. And we will be here as long as we have to in order to show you the emotion and also to keep you abreast of the investigation here as well.

We're live from South Carolina. And we will be back in just a moment. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:23:45]

CABRERA: Twenty-one-year-old Dylann Roof, who has confessed to gunning down nine innocent people, has just made his first court appearance, a bond hearing.

And it was, in a word, incredible, appearing via this video link. The camera was trained right on his face as the relatives of the people he slaughtered cried as they told this to their killer about the pain, the suffering that he has caused them.

Now, Roof remains behind bars until he faces court once again on October 23 on those nine murder charges, as well as a firearm offense. And all nine victims were slaughtered inside a Charleston church basement after the gunman worshipped with them for nearly an hour, and he did it all because he apparently wanted to start a race war.

We want to play you some of the sound from that emotional hearing. Again, we heard from several of the victims' family members. They talked about how much they were hurting having lost people that they loved and the lives that really mattered that were taken. They talked about forgiveness. And they talked also about judgment day coming and may God bless the suspect.

I want you to listen in to this powerful sound from that court appearance.

[15:25:02]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You are representing the family of Ethel Lance. Is that correct?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And you are whom, ma'am?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Her daughter.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Her daughter.

I'm listening. And you can talk to me.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I just want everybody know, to you, I forgive you.

You took something very precious away from me. I will never talk to her ever again. I will never be able to hold her again. But I forgive you and have mercy on your soul.

You have hurt me. You have hurt a lot of people. But God forgives you, and I forgive you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you, ma'am. And I appreciate you being here.

Representative of the family of Myra Thompson.

Sir, would you like to make a statement before this court? Please come forward.

Your name, sir?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Anthony Thompson.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. Thompson.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I would just like him to know that...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Speak up for me.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Saying the same thing that was just said.

You know, I forgive you and my family forgives you. But we would like you to take this opportunity to repent. Repent. Confess. Give your life to the one who matters the most, Christ, so that he can change it, can change your ways, no matter what happened to you, and you will be OK. Do that, and you will be better off than what you are right now.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you, sir.

Tywanza Sanders?

Your name, ma'am?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Felicia (ph) Sanders.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you, Ms. Sanders, for being here.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We welcomed you Wednesday night in our Bible study with open arms.

You have killed some of the most beautiful people that I know. Every fiber in my body hurts. And -- and I will never be the same. Tywanza Sanders is my son, but Tywanza was my hero. Tywanza was my hero. But, as we said in the Bible study, we enjoyed you, but may God have mercy on you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you, ma'am.

A representative of Daniel Simmons?

Your name, ma'am?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Alana (ph) Simmons.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you, Ms. Simmons, for being here. Your statement, please?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Although my grandfather and the other victims died at the hands of hate, this is proof, everyone's plea for your soul is proof that they -- they lived in love, and their legacies will live in love.

So, hate won't win. And I just want to thank the courts for making sure that hate doesn't win.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you, ma'am, for being here.

Cynthia Hurd, a representative of the family of Cynthia Hurd?

Thank you very much. And thank you for being here today, sir.

The Reverend Depayne Middleton-Doctor.

Your name please, ma'am?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (OFF-MIKE) Middleton-Brown (ph).

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you for being here.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE) was my sister.

And I would just thank you on behalf of my family for not allowing hate to win. For me, I'm a work in progress. And I acknowledge that I am very angry.

But one thing Depayne has always joined in, in our family with is that she taught me that we are the families that love built. We have no room for hate. So, we have to forgive.