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24-Year-Old Driver Facing Murder Charge; Arraignment for Bergdahl Ends; Muslims Shield Christians from Attack. Aired 10:30-11a ET

Aired December 22, 2015 - 10:30   ET

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


[10:29:41] CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning. I'm Carol Costello. Thank you so much for joining me.

Any moment now a judge in Nevada will review police evidence against the driver in that deadly hit and run on the Las Vegas strip. 24-year-old Lakeisha Holloway is facing a murder charge. The judge expected to decide as early as today whether she'll face additional charges of child neglect and attempted murder for multiple injured victims.

Police say Holloway drove her car repeatedly on to a sidewalk Sunday night striking nearly 40 people and killing one woman.

And now we know more about this suspect in this case. She was actually living in her car with her three-year-old daughter. We know that. She had been in Las Vegas for about a week.

But in 2012, she was publicly honored by a program that helps disadvantaged youth. And in this video, you'll hear her talk about her past struggles.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LAKEISHA HOLLOWAY, HIT AND RUN DRIVER: Five years ago my biography sounded a lot different than it does today. Boy, have I come a long ways. Then I was a scared little girl who knew there was more to life outside of crime, drug addiction, lower income, alcoholism, being under educated, all of which were things I grew up being familiar with.

My mom always tried to do what was best for my sister and I. As a single parent with an eighth grade education it was all a struggle for her. And later down the line it became all too hard for her. She drank more and cared less.

I'll never hold any of those hits and misses against her, but as a result of things becoming too hard for her, I became homeless.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: That was shot in 2012. This young woman is 24 years old today. She's charged with these serious charges.

With me now to help us make sense of this is psychologist and assistant professor of behavioral medicine with Touro College, Dr. Jeffrey Gardere. Thanks for being here -- Dr. Jeff.

DR. JEFFREY GARDERE, PSYCHOLOGIST: Yes.

COSTELLO: So this young woman. She was the first in her family to graduate high school. She left high school with a 3.4 GPA. She went on to college. She had a great job with the federal government. And she has a three-year-old, we know that because the three-year-old was in the car that terrible night.

So what do you think happened?

GARDERE: Well, certainly from what we've heard from her directly is that her life has not been a bed of roses. She had to deal with homelessness in the past, under her mother who allegedly also had issues with alcohol and other problems, too.

So we see that as being part of her picture, and part of her keeping herself together; struggling to keep her mental health and to stay strong emotionally. But we also hear, allegedly, that there were some real issues as far as the father of the child where, perhaps, they did not have a very strong relationship and she was trying to, perhaps, find him, get some help with her daughter.

So, certainly we know that this is a young woman who was struggling. And when we look at -- again, allegedly, she was living in her car for several days with her daughter. It tells me this is a person who was so stressed that what we normally see in this kind of a profile is that downward drift into mental illness.

A person can become so depressed -- have a nervous breakdown, to the point of perhaps being psychotic. We don't know in her case; but also, perhaps, also disassociating. In other words, being in such emotional pain that they begin to withdraw from themselves. Their lives become a movie that they're watching their behavior but they can't control it, which may account for what may have happened on the Las Vegas strip.

COSTELLO: It's just -- now, I watched that whole video. And the way people described her was caring, they were impressed with her. I mean she was smart. She had help. I mean her mother did kick her out and her mother was an alcoholic and she was homeless for a time, but that organization helped her with money. She wasn't stressed in that way.

Yet she's in this car with her three-year-old in the backseat. She shows absolutely no emotion. Not one ounce of emotion as she's driving down the street, allegedly hitting person after -- one person broke the windshield of the car that she hit.

GARDERE: Yes. And certainly my prayers to the deceased and those who were injured and their families, of course. But it tells me, when you're looking at someone who has complete flat affect, absolutely no emotion -- this is where we talk about that dissociative state where they almost become a robot where they're not feeling anything at all. It's almost as if they're not there. And I think that was part of what was going on for her. And she

did get a lot of help in her life. Thank goodness for that and was doing very well. But it speaks to the struggle that people have for a very long time in their lives, especially in the very critical moments if they have been homeless or something very traumatic happened to them, it affects them for the rest of their lives. And therefore, even getting all sorts of support, it still is difficult.

So when something begins to fall apart, then the whole life begins to, now at this point, go under. It seems that's what happened with this individual.

COSTELLO: So why drag her child through this?

[10:35:04] GARDERE: Well, and again, I think the proof is in the pudding. This is allegedly, and I would think, a very loving mother. She didn't want what happened to her and her mother to happen to her and her child.

COSTELLO: But her little girl was in the backseat while she allegedly mowed down dozens of people on a busy sidewalk.

GARDERE: That's right.

COSTELLO: The little girl could have been terribly injured.

GARDERE: Absolutely. But I think it speaks to, perhaps -- again, I haven't examined this individual -- a person who really had a nervous breakdown and who just was not in their right mind. This is, to me, a very, very strong example of a mental illness that just was not being taken care of. And she was just compensating day after day after day and it led to this.

And allegedly she just walked away from the child after she confessed to this thing. So again, it speaks to she was just completely cut off from reality.

COSTELLO: It's a sad story. Dr. Jeff Gardere -- thanks so much.

GARDERE: Thank you -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Still to come in the NEWSROOM, a small cat baby with shining blue eyes -- that's how the Taliban described Army Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl. We'll talk about that next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: The arraignment for Army Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl ended just minutes ago. He did not enter a plea. As you know he's charged with desertion and misbehavior before the enemy.

Bergdahl's five years in captivity, Taliban captivity being retold in fascinating detail off a podcast. In the latest episode, we hear how the Taliban described their prisoner as a small cat baby with shining blue eyes. These insights were gathered by an Afghan journalist who interviewed some of the Taliban who captured Bergdahl. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[10:40:06] The Taliban describe Bowe as strong and aggressive. Other times he's meek and pathetic. The adjectives they apply to this mythic captive changing to suit the scene.

Halal told Sami that for them, for these Kuchis who maybe had never been up close with a Westerner before or maybe not even with an infidel, non-Muslim, Bowe was exotic. Halal said he was like an animal captured by kids. His pail skin was weird. The way he spoke was weird. His eyes were blue which Sami says is somewhat suspicious in Afghanistan. There's a saying that you should keep away from blue- eyed people.

In the Mosque Halal says people had gathered to discuss what to do with Bowe. I have Sami's notes from these interviews. In this one part Halal talks about how Bowe was sitting in a dark corner of the mosque and another Taliban fighter said to him, quote, "See. You look like a small cat baby with shining blue eyes."

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Fascinating -- right?

So let's talk about that and about the charges against Bergdahl and the process of a military court martial. I'm joined by former Air Force colonel and JAG attorney Larry Youngner and CNN military analyst Colonel Peter Mansoor.

Thanks to both of you for being with me today.

LARRY YOUNGNER, JAG ATTORNEY: Thank you -- Carol.

COSTELLO: I just want to -- I just want to touch on that podcast serial and how the Taliban --- some of the Taliban describe Bowe Bergdahl. Colonel Mansoor -- when you listen to that, what do you think?

COL. PETER MANSOOR, CNN MILITARY ANALYST: You know there are a lot of places in Afghanistan that are so remote that people have never seen a foreigner. Blond hair and blue eyes are exotic features and pale skin.

These are people who have lived a medieval existence all the way up to the present day and for some of these nomadic-like people, the Kuchis to capture a Westerner, you know, they're simply amazed by the differences. And they -- you know, they have no access to the Internet, so -- and no access to TV, so this is really unusual for them.

COSTELLO: Well, they sort of stumbled on Bowe Bergdahl in the desert and they couldn't believe who they captured. He turned out to be this American and also a soldier.

And Captain Youngner, they couldn't decide what to do with Bowe Bergdahl. They knew they needed to do something and they knew they need to get him out of Afghanistan to Pakistan. Why would that be?

YOUNGNER: Well, getting inside the mind of the enemy there would be to move him up their chain of command and to use this captive American soldier as a prize, as a bargaining chip, which in fact they did use him as such five years almost into his captivity.

COSTELLO: I think of the serial podcast, Sarah Koenig said the reason, Colonel Mansoor, that the Taliban thought they had to move him into Pakistan is because that would make it more difficult for the army to find him because you just can't go into Pakistan like you can go into Afghanistan.

MANSOOR: There was an enormous search put under way immediately after his duty status was "whereabouts unknown" or DUSTWUN as it was called. There were thousands and thousands of soldiers scouring the countryside in Paktika Province (ph) -- neighboring provinces for this one soldier.

So, if he was going to remain in Taliban custody, their only chance was to move him across the border because the United States simply does not conduct ground operations in Pakistan with very rare exceptions such as the raid to capture Osama bin Laden.

COSTELLO: And then of course, we know what happened to Bowe Bergdahl after he was, I guess, traded to other Taliban forces. He was basically tortured for five years. How much will that play into this court-martial process, Colonel Youngner?

YOUNGNER: Well, I believe it should play quite a bit if we get to a sentencing phase. It's very important to caution all that right now Sergeant Bergdahl is presumed innocent. We have had the acquittal -- excuse me, the arraignment happened today.

And following that it will go to trial and there are two main phases in that military trial. A findings phase, and if convicted then a sentencing phase. Assuming a lot that we get to that sentencing phase, how he was treated while in captivity is a major factor for sentencing. As to findings, it may have an impact as well.

We will see what is being -- and here perhaps in his own words through the serial podcast, as to his intentions. So we have a long way to go to see how much the treatment, while in the hands of his captors, will impact this trial.

[10:44:54] I see it's certainly having an impact but at this point we have only had the arraignment and even then we still have to have some decisions as to how he will plead, what type of court martial or forum he will choose, judge alone or with members. And so there's a lot left to happen in this Bergdahl court martial.

COSTELLO: Yes. And he made none of those decisions in the hearing today.

YOUNGNER: Exactly.

COSTELLO: Colonel Mansoor, just a word about Bowe Bergdahl and the serial podcast. I'm listening to it. I don't know if you are. Are you? I'm just curious.

MANSOOR: Yes.

COSTELLO: You are. So when you hear Bowe Bergdahl talk, like several things go through my mind. One, he's just an idealistic young man who should have never been in the army.

Number two, he's completely crazy.

And number three, he's totally irresponsible and put his unit as risk and deserves all he's getting right now.

What do you take from his comments on that podcast?

MANSOOR: Well, I think you've nailed it, Carol. He's an idealistic young man who thought he could be Jason Bourne and on his own run from his combat outpost to another forward operating base miles away -- over a dozen miles away, to report misconduct in his chain of command to a general officer.

It's unbelievable. This kid has watched too many Hollywood movies. And he simply, as you said, was totally irresponsible.

And by the way, just one comment, the reason I think they went to a general court-martial and didn't just stick with a special court- martial is it brings into play the dishonorable discharge, otherwise a dishonorable discharge would not be part of the sentencing phase.

I think the army saw in what this young man did, something severe enough that they had to bring that punishment into play.

COSTELLO: All right. I Have to leave it there. Larry Youngner, Peter Mansoor -- thanks to both of you.

Still to come in the NEWSROOM -- you're welcome -- an act of heroism: Muslims acting as human shields to protect Christians. That story's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:50:14] COSTELLO: All right. This is new video just coming in to CNN. That is Bowe Bergdahl. You can see him on the right-hand side in his dress blues. He's leaving Fort Bragg in a court-martial hearing. He's facing charges of desertion and misbehavior before the enemy. Not much happened in the hearing. He did not enter a plea and he did not decide whether he wanted -- who exactly he wanted to hear his case.

Of course we'll keep you posted on all of that but we wanted to show you the new video of Bowe Bergdahl leaving the court-martial hearing at Fort Bragg.

A fight for territory in Afghanistan -- local forces are in a standoff with the Taliban in the Helmand Province. Police saying they're running out of weapons and supplies and will be killed if they're captured. In the meantime, on the other side of the country near Bagram

Airfield, the U.S. military is mourning the death of six American troops in a Taliban suicide attack. One of those killed, Staff Sergeant Joseph Lem, he's 15-year veteran of the NYPD. He's also a member of the Air National Guard.

He was deployed to the Middle East three times and he surprised his family two years ago in West Harrison, New York, when he came home after ten months away.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm shaking right now. I can't even believe that daddy's home and I have my family back and -- I'm speechless. I'm sorry. I'm just speechless.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Spending time with the family, of course. The little guy got a little bigger and a lot heavier -- can't wait for a pizza and nice burger. American burger -- can't go wrong with that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: We're still waiting to learn the identities of the other five Americans who were killed.

In Kenya an attack by Islamic militants does not go as planned. Muslim bus passengers end up shielding Christians from attack, telling al Shabaab terrorists, "kill us together or leave us alone".

CNN international correspondent David McKenzie reports from Nairobi.

DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Carol the aim is terror but Kenyans have stood up to al Shabaab militant group in an extraordinary act of defiance.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MCKENZIE: On Monday more than 100 passengers were crammed on this bus traveling to Mandera on the chronically insecure border with Somalia.

Bullets ripped through the side of the bus in an ambush.

SYED SEBDOW, SURVIVOR: They were in two groups. One group (inaudible). So I see peopling running to the road to stop us and they tell us to get those who are Muslims to come out. Go back to the bus.

MCKENZIE: A man on the bus told CNN there were 12 Christians on board. The gunmen wanted to identify them and execute them. He says Muslim passengers helped hide some of them on the bus and they gave the Christian women head scarves before the gunmen made them line up on the road.

They stood strong said the witness, telling the gunmen, quote "If you want to kill us, then kill us. There are no Christians here." Al Shabaab then fled.

JOSEPGH NKAISSERY, KENYAN INTERIOR CABINET SECRETARY: We are all Kenyans. We are not separated by religion. Everybody can profess their religion, but we still we are one country, we are one people as a nation. That is a very good message.

MCKENZIE: Civilians have suffered through countless al Shabaab attacks in the border regions of Kenya. Earlier this year al Shabaab Garissa University (ph) killing 147 innocent students. Again, they singled out Christians.

More than 20 were killed in a shocking bus ambush last year.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MCKENZIE: A man who tried to flee and a passerby were tragically killed but it could have been so much worse if it wasn't for the bravery of these Muslim Kenyans -- Carol.

COSTELLO: David McKenzie reporting from Nairobi, Kenya. Thank you.

Still to come in the NEWSROOM, the Giants Odell Beckham Jr. suspended after slamming head-on into another player. New reports as to how a baseball bat may have set him off.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:57:22] COSTELLO: The NFL has issued a one-game suspension for wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. This, after the Giants player was flagged for a series of personal fouls during Sunday's game the worst of which saw Beckham slamming helmet-to-helmet -- oh my God, that's just crazy.

While many argue there's no justification for these on-field antics, some of Beckham's teammates are actually defending him.

CNN's Andy Scholes joins me now to tell us what that defense could possibly be.

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS: Yes. Well, Carol, you know, according to multiple reports, a couple of things got Beckham really upset before the game. One of them was that a Panthers practice squad player brought a baseball bat out on the field pregame. He was pointing it at Beckham and making threats.

The Panthers say that they always bring this bat out before the game. They do it all the time. They do it as a symbol to remember to play hard and they do it as a symbol for one of their players that's right now injured and he can't play in the game.

Now, the other thing that reportedly got Beckham really upset before this game was Panthers players directing gay slurs at Beckham and, apparently, he got really mad at that, going into the game. And that's why he was, you know, he had three unsportsmanlike penalties during the game and was constantly going at it with Nosh Norman. Now regardless of what happened before the game, there is really

no excuse for what Beckham did Josh Norman. This play right here is what got Beckham suspended. He ran full speed and dove right into Norman's head. Beckham is really lucky that Norman was not seriously injured on this play.

Now according to reports Beckham will appeal his one-game suspension. The Giants they have a big game Sunday against the Vikings. Really a must win for the Giants if they hope to make the playoffs.

Carol, you know, most people -- I'll turn to something more light-hearted right now -- most people have Santa Claus on their mind. But not Hawks point guard Dennis Schroder. He's waiting on the tooth fairy this morning and I'll tell you why -- Carol.

COSTELLO: That is a lighter story. Some guy having --

SCHOLES: Well, yes, Ford (inaudible) collided with Miles Leonard and he gets one of his teeth knocked out. You can actually see the tooth fall of his mouth right here. We encircled it for you.

Guess what he did -- Carol. He picked it up, he put it in his sock, he then went home put it right under his pillow and I bet he's waking up this morning with a crisp $5 bill. I made that part up.

COSTELLO: That's hardcore man.

SCHOLES: I'm hoping --

COSTELLO: I hope he gets a bigger bill than a $5 bill, Andy, because he deserves it.

SCHOLES: What did you get when you were a kid? What was the going rate for a tooth in your house?

COSTELLO: Nothing. I got 50 cents. It was big back in the day. What did you get?

SCHOLES: I think I got $10 for a front tooth because those are big.

COSTELLO: Your parents were very generous. I've got to talk to my mom. I'll go home on Christmas. I'm mad.

Thanks, Andy -- always a pleasure.

Thanks for joining me today.

I'm Carol Costello.

"AT THIS HOUR" with Berman and Bolduan starts now.