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Crime and Justice With Ashleigh Banfield
Driver Shoots at Bystanders After Car Crash/Bigamist Charged With Murdering Wife/Girl Plots School Shooting. Aired 8-9p ET
Aired December 15, 2016 - 20:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ASHLEIGH BANFIELD, HOST (voice-over): A violent crash happens right before your eyes. What do you do? You run to help the victims of the crash.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And I heard shots fired.
BANFIELD: But you`d never expect them to start shooting at you. Good Samaritans are met with gunfire in Florida.
He allegedly wanted a green card so badly, he was willing to marry an American citizen and kill her. What`s worse, police say he was already
married to the woman who helped him do it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He had married Cecelia while also married to Rosalina.
BANFIELD: Caught and trapped in the act. A store owner gets the better of an armed robber by locking him inside the store.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He couldn`t break the window.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.
BANFIELD: How many school kids might have died right before Christmas if a 13-year-old got away with her plot?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I`m shocked and appalled by it.
BANFIELD: Police say the young teen had some very grownup plans for her classmates and is now in for some grownup trouble.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She was the co-conspirator in this.
BANFIELD: A teenage girl takes out the garbage and is never seen (sic) from again.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE)
BANFIELD: Did someone find her on line? And if so, did they steal her for the sex trade?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The trafficking is a possibility.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If I told you nine people died last night, how would that make you feel?
DYLANN ROOF, CHARGED IN CHURCH MASSACRE: I wouldn`t believe you.
BANFIELD: And a bone-chilling play-by-play from inside the scene of a massacre.
POLLY SHEPPARD, SURVIVOR: Please. Emanuel church. There`s plenty people shot down here. Please send somebody right away.
BANFIELD: A victim describes every moment as Dylann Roof slaughters nearly everyone in her prayer group.
911 OPERATOR: And there`s people shot?
SHEPPARD: Yes. He shot the pastor. He shot all the men in the church. Please come right away!
BANFIELD: Now the big question is, will jurors decide if he needs to die, too?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BANFIELD: Hello, everyone. I`m Ashleigh Banfield. This is PRIMETIME JUSTICE.
A gunman is on the run tonight, the suspect still likely armed and dangerous, firing gunshots at people who rushed to help him after his car
crashed into a tree. Lauderhill (ph), Florida, police say at least two shots were fired. And get this, a pregnant woman was abandoned in the
passenger seat when that gunman made a run for it. And police say the pregnant woman and the car owner are not saying anything.
It is terribly mysterious why this happened and what`s about to happen next. Karen Curtis joins me now. She`s a news anchor with WSTL radio, and
she joins me from Ft. Lauderdale.
Very strange circumstances, Karen. It is not often one would think you need to run to the aid of people who`ve just had a car crash only to be met
with gunfire.
KAREN CURTIS, WSTL RADIO: (INAUDIBLE) to be shot at is very bizarre story. It happened last night about 10:00 PM. This man is still on the run. We
have no idea who he is. There is a $3,000 reward, if you can help out the Lauderhill police to find this guy.
He was driving a car, and they`re saying that speed was involved. It`s a 2009 Buick. And if you look at the photo of the vehicle, is completely
destroyed, and the right side where the pregnant woman was sitting was caved in, as well. She suffered a gash to her forehead.
He sit the tree so hard, the palm tree, the city-owned palm tree, it snapped in half. And he was passed out when these good Samaritans came to
help him, when he woke up, he pulled out a gun and he fired at least two shots at them, and then ran and took off. And so they deployed K9s and a
helicopter with the BSO (ph), and were unable to find this guy. So we have no idea--
BANFIELD: The K9s--
(CROSSTALK)
BANFIELD: The K9s couldn`t find this guy? He had just fired off a couple of rounds and made a run for it, and K9s couldn`t track him?
CURTIS: No. It was unbelievable. And the woman, the pregnant woman who, you know, was injured, and she`s hospitalized tonight, would not say who
this person was. We don`t know if drugs or alcohol were involved. And then also--
BANFIELD: OK, well, that`s a really good question, Karen.
CURTIS: -- the owner of the vehicle would not say.
BANFIELD: That`s a really good question because what kind of passenger in a car accident is not going to say who was driving, especially after
gunshots were fired and she`s in the hospital with a baby due?
CURTIS: We`re talking about seriously felonious activity here because first of all, leaving the scene of an accident with injury -- that`s five
years, $5,000 fine. But now you`ve got shots fired at people that were trying to help him. So this is incredible. And if there was alcohol
involved, which, you know, that`s maybe why he ran, who knows?
BANFIELD: And then, of course, this is this very bizarre twist to all of this, Karen. That car that`s all mangled up, kind of wrapped partially
around that pole, didn`t even belong to either of the two people in the car. So you would think it was probably stolen, and that`s not the case.
What is the car owner--
CURTIS: No.
BANFIELD: Who is the car owner? And what is the car owner doing to help us sort of unravel this mystery and find this guy who`s just firing
gunshots like the wild, wild West?
[20:05:07]CURTIS: The car owner is doing absolutely nothing, does not want to get involved. So the police are at a standstill because they have no
idea who`s -- who this guy was and--
BANFIELD: What does that mean, doesn`t want to get -- what does it mean, doesn`t want to involved? The car owner is involved. That`s his car, or
her car. And it`s a disaster. And the insurance company is going to be calling saying, You know it`s going cost you here, sweetheart.
What does this mean, doesn`t want to get involved?
CURTIS: He is going to eventually have to get involved. I mean, obviously, there`s property damage. It`s a city tree. She`s injured.
She`s in the hospital. And shots we are fired. So this owner of the 2009 Buick that hit the tree is going to have to explain who was driving his
vehicle.
BANFIELD: You would think so. And then there`s what the police have up their sleeve. What kind of ammo do the cops have in trying to track down
this guy? Let`s not forget he shot at people who were coming to help, and he`s still out there somewhere.
Former prosecutor Randy Zelin is here. And also, defense attorney David Bruno, former homicide prosecutor, too. So I would think that if you have
that pretty pregnant lady who was being wheeled off on a stretcher and she`s getting attendants (ph) in the hospital, they could turn some screws.
I mean, they`ve got something to try to get her (INAUDIBLE)
RANDY ZELIN, FORMER PROSECUTOR: Well, there are a number of things with regard to this witness, you have this -- the power of the subpoena, the
power of putting her into a grand jury, giving her immunity, and of it--
BANFIELD: How about charging her with something?
ZELIN: Well, what do you -- being a bystander is not--
BANFIELD: Obstruction.
ZELIN: -- is not a crime. It`s not--
BANFIELD: Obstruction of justice.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It`s not necessarily obstruction if she does nothing.
BANFIELD: So counselor, I am no lawyer, and you are both way smarter than I am. But I do know that in Florida, you are guilty of obstruction of
justice if you neglect or refuse to aid the police. Isn`t that--
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.
BANFIELD: I mean, isn`t that neglecting to aid the police?
DAVID BRUNO, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: I agree. I agree with Randy. She has a constitutional right to remain silent.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The five (ph).
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK?
BANFIELD: Oh, no, no!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: 5th Amendment.
BANFIELD: You go ahead and you be silent, but I`m going to charge you!
(CROSSTALK)
BRUNO: It`s in violation of the Constitution.
ZELIN: So you offer her immunity. She gets an immunity order. Now at this point, she`s got no 5th Amendment issue. And at that point, if she
refuses to speak, you can do lots of things with her, correct?
BRUNO: Absolutely. Grand jury subpoena drags her into the grand jury. And it`s at that point, if she declares the 5th, then a judge has to make a
decision in camera as to whether or not she, in fact, has a constitutional right.
BANFIELD: (INAUDIBLE) fancy words. In camera meaning, you know, somewhere behind closed--
(CROSSTALK)
BRUNO: Exactly.
BANFIELD: So here`s -- why -- and so anyone who`s out there who`s wondering about a good Samaritan law, there is a good Samaritan law in
Florida, but it doesn`t -- it doesn`t preclude you from having -- because a lot of people say, I don`t want to help if I don`t want to help, and I`m
not compelled to help.
BRUNO: Correct.
BANFIELD: The good Samaritan law in Florida just protects you if you help- -
BRUNO: Right.
BANFIELD: -- something goes wrong, they`re not going to be able to turn around and sue you.
ZELIN: California is a state where if you actually don`t do something that you`re supposed to--
BANFIELD: You`re in trouble.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: -- you`re in trouble.
BANFIELD: Well, I don`t understand why you aren`t in trouble. Why do they even have a law called obstruction of justice where you`re guilty if you
neglected or refuse to aid the police. And that`s exactly what these two people are doing, it seems.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It`d be a different situation--
BANFIELD: Real quick.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: -- if she does talk and lies.
BANFIELD: OK.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If she leads them in a different direction, obstruction. If she just--
BANFIELD: OK, you`re talking full (ph) action--
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: -- doesn`t talk--
BANFIELD: -- as opposed to inaction.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: -- 5th Amendment.
BANFIELD: All right. Well, I really hope that someone is able to get to the bottom of this. And by the way, can`t imagine what those insurance
premiums are going to be like. Oh, yes! Insurance company, if you`re listening, there were shots fired at that accident, whomever was driving
that care -- bing, bing!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Someone`s interested (ph).
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You can say "EUO," examination under oath, if you want to get paid on your claim?
BANFIELD: Oh! Look at you! You`re so smart!
All right, I`m going to switch gears for a minute here. We`re going from that kind of a crime to a very different kind of a crime. In Charleston
today the jury took two hours, just two, to find this guy, Dylann Roof, guilty of all 33 federal charges against him in last year`s massacre at the
Mother Emanuel AME church. Nine people were killed when he opened fire at a Bible study class, one that he had actually sat in on.
There was one survivor in that horrifying attack. Her name was Polly Sheppard. And she testified Roof told her he would let her live so that
she could tell the story of what happened.
And then there was Sheppard`s 911 call. If you haven`t heard this chilling account of what Polly told the 911 operator as Roof was killing those
people, you need to listen to this.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
911 OPERATOR: 911. What`s the address of your emergency?
POLLY SHEPPARD, SURVIVOR: Please. Emanuel church. There`s plenty people shot down here. Please send somebody right away.
911 OPERATOR: Emanuel church?
SHEPPARD: Emanuel AME, 110 Calhoun.
911 OPERATOR: And there`s people shot?
SHEPPARD: Yes. He shot the pastor. He shot all the men in the church. Please come right away!
911 OPERATOR: OK. My partner`s going to be getting some help on the way while I get a little bit more information from you, OK? Stay on the line
with me. Are you saying--
(CROSSTALK)
[20:10:00]SHEPPARD: He`s still in here. I`m afraid (INAUDIBLE) he`s still in here.
911 OPERATOR: Where are you?
SHEPPARD: I`m in Emanuel AME church on 110 Calhoun--
911 OPERATOR: Yes, ma`am. But where are you inside the church?
SHEPPARD: In the lower level.
911 OPERATOR: You`re in the lower level? Where is the shooter?
SHEPPARD: He`s in the -- in the office. Please send somebody right away, please (INAUDIBLE)
911 OPERATOR: Yes, ma`am. I`ve got officers en route to you. Don`t hang up with me. I want you to stay on the line with me. You stay as quiet as
possible. Do you hear me?
SHEPPARD: Yes. I`m under the table.
911 OPERATOR: What is -- what is your name, ma`am?
SHEPPARD: Polly Sheppard.
911 OPERATOR: All right, Ms. Polly. Like I said, my partner`s getting some help on the way while I get this information from you, OK? You stay
on the line with me.
SHEPPARD: He`s coming! He`s coming! He`s coming! Please!
911 OPERATOR: OK. Did you see him at all?
SHEPPARD: Yes. He`s a young 21-year-old white dude.
911 OPERATOR: OK.
SHEPPARD: I mean, we got some people very hurt. Please.
911 OPERATOR: Yes, ma`am. And you said that -- were you able to see the gun? Do you know what kind of gun it was?
SHEPPARD: No, I don`t know. I don`t know anything about guns.
911 OPERATOR: OK. That`s OK. And where are the weapons now?
SHEPPARD: He`s got them in his hand. He`s reloading.
911 OPERATOR: How many shots has he fired?
SHEPPARD: I don`t know. There are so many, three different rounds (INAUDIBLE) Oh, God, please!
911 OPERATOR: OK.
(CROSSTALK)
SHEPPARD: Send us someone, please! (INAUDIBLE) Lord Jesus (INAUDIBLE) There are so many people dead, I think. Oh, my God!
911 OPERATOR: You said there are so many people dead?
SHEPPARD: I think they`re dead, yes.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
BANFIELD: Make no mistake, the jury heard all of that. In January, Dylann Roof will either be sentenced to death or to spend the rest of his very
long life in prison.
A twisted green card marriage scam turns into a really weird case, one that involved bigamy. Yes, he was already married when he married for his green
card. And then along came a murder. And now authorities are looking everywhere for clues, including this lovely casino where the victim, the
bride, was last seen.
And then there`s this. Wow! That`s a bro hug if I ever saw one. But you know what happened before that bro hug? At a Trump rally, that old man
decked that other guy, and everybody cheered. So guess what happened in court today? Everybody cheered when they hugged. You`re going to hear it
next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[20:16:30]BANFIELD: A man from Nevalia (ph), California, is accused of murdering a woman, a young mother whom he married so that he could get a
green card. Now, if that doesn`t make you mad, and it should because it is really nasty when people do that -- on top of that, that suspect, Francisco
Valdivia, who is from Mexico, already had a wife. He already had a wife, but he married Cecilia Cabrera anyway, and now Ms. Cabrera is missing.
After police recovered her torched car in an orchard, she is now presumed dead.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Clearly, this is a circumstantial case. But we`re both comfortable and confident in our belief that Cecilia Barber (ph) Cabrera
was murdered.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BANFIELD: You could probably hear people crying in the background. That`s what family members do when they lose their loved ones.
Dominic McAndrew is a morning reporter for KMJ newsradio. He joins me from Fresno in California. Dominic, what happened? When was the last time that
we saw the victim in this case? What do we know about her last movements?
DOMINIC MCANDREW, KMJ: Well, the last time that the victim themselves was seen, Cecilia Barber Cabrera -- last time she was seen was early June
outside a casino in Lamore (ph), California. Nothing seemed to be out of the (INAUDIBLE) She was seen on CCTV footage. Nothing seemed to be
unusual. She left. She left in her car, a gray sedan. And then as you said earlier, the sedan was found burned out and Cabrera herself hasn`t
been found since.
BANFIELD: So when I read more into this story, it got stranger and stranger because I thought this poor, unsuspecting victim had been taken
right from the get-go with that sham marriage. He was already married to someone else. He just wanted her for the green card, and now she is
presumed to be dead.
And then I learned that this marriage was sort of a business arrangement of sorts, that she may have actually known that he had another wife. What`s
the story behind that?
MCANDREW: Well, the story in regards to the wife, or wives in this instance -- what Tulare County sheriff`s department -- Tulare County
sheriff`s office are saying on that front is that the victims themselves were married prior to 2007. So Francisco Valdivia and Rosalina Lopez were
married prior to 2007.
And then Cecelia Barber Cabrera, her -- she came into the mix later on. They were married 2007 or so, and that`s how this all shapes up, that the
two suspects are alleged to have been married prior. And then he comes into the country, marries her, and then that`s how this all started.
That`s how it all began.
BANFIELD: So as you see on the bottom of the screen, Mom vanishes, husband and secret wife arrested. So husband is facing murder and arson. And
secret wife is facing accessory after the fact.
Joining me again, Randy Zelin, David Bruno. Here`s what I don`t get. If you don`t have a body, I know it`s not impossible to mount a case, but it
sure is an uphill battle.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Very difficult, absolutely. We actually saw in the Casey Anthony case how important the manner is in proving it. And here we
have no body whatsoever. So they better have a strong case.
BANFIELD: Because they used the little girl`s body and the position of the tape on her mouth and the stickers and everything to mitigate the fact that
the mom would never have left the bode of--
[20:20:08]UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They couldn`t prove how she died.
BANFIELD: -- little Caylee Anthony that way.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They could not prove how she died.
BANFIELD: Right.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And that ultimately was the problem in that case.
BANFIELD: So the body made the -- made the difference.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So here, they better have strong evidence. And right now, they`re tight-lipped and they should be because they`re the
prosecutor`s office and the sheriff`s--
BANFIELD: What do you mean?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: -- are saying we can`t release--
BANFIELD: You mean double the case and you double the case if you don`t have a body?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, I mean, look, first of all, the Casey Anthony case is not a good example because there, that case was overcharged. Had
they charged what they could prove, which was a manslaughter, whether it`s a heat of passion or her acting recklessly, doing something insanely
stupid--
BANFIELD: OK.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: -- it`s different story because here--
BANFIELD: Well, what about this? What about this?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Here in this case -- look, in these -- in this day and age, jurors are OK with no body, no weapon, no confession. First of all,
you have a motive. And as you`ve said, they`re tight-lipped, which means they`ve got evidence.
Now, what is circumstantial evidence? Well, if you don`t have the smoking gun, you have a person here, you have a crime over here. You`ve got a
link. Each link gets you from point A to point B. So they must have them together. They already have the motive, which is she probably was
threatening to blow the whistle, and they have one critical piece of evidence.
BANFIELD: Well--
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They`ve got the secret wife.
MCANDREW: It just -- it actually--
(CROSSTALK)
MCANDREW: Sorry to interrupt--
(CROSSTALK)
MCANDREW: It actually just so happens, I was speaking to the sheriff of Tulare County only yesterday on this very subject, on how difficult it
would to put together a case without a body. And he was very confident -- Sheriff Mike Boudreau was very confident that this can be done. He said
that it`s only happened a handful of times in the state of California where someone has -- where a case has been brought forward -- a murder case like
this had been brought forward without a body. But he is very confident and--
BANFIELD: I`ve seen it before. I`ve seen it before.
MCANDREW: There was a lot of circumstantial evidence that has been referenced but not actually specifically divulged.
BANFIELD: Dominic, I--
MCANDREW: (INAUDIBLE) keeping things very close to their chest.
BANFIELD: I`ve seen full-on convictions without a body before. It just all depends on what kind of a jury you get. But there is the story.
That`s the heart of the story you`re looking at on your screen right now. She`s missing. We will see where it goes from here.
Stunning discovery, 13-year-old girl accused of plotting a mass shooting at a school -- 13! And get this. It was on the anniversary of the Sandy Hook
massacre.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PAT HARRIS, PARENT: I just wish everybody could understand our kids. I don`t know what we need to do to be able to help them.
MELISSA FRUITS, PARENT: I`m shocked. I`m appalled by it. But sometimes, it takes something really serious and really big to bring a situation to
light.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[20:26:50]BANFIELD: A 13-year-old girl tonight accused of plotting a mass shooting at a school. After searching the girl`s home in Tonkawa,
Oklahoma, the police turned up a veritable cache of handguns and rifles and ammunition and a lot of other things, too, that that teenager had allegedly
planned to use in the school shooting. The authorities allegedly found this girl`s journal. They say that she had a hit list, specifics, and that
she had researched serial killers. But get this. She didn`t even go to the school. She was home schooled.
And all of this comes on the anniversary of that devastating Sandy Hook school massacre in Newtown, Connecticut. And so many other school
shootings are still within our memories.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Sandy Hook school. I think there`s somebody who`s shooting in here.
911 OPERATOR: Keep everybody calm. Keep everybody down. Get everybody away from the windows.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Twenty parents that were just told that their children are dead.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Indescribable feeling of helplessness.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was awful.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE) shots with him. He`s in a classroom.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I heard one gunshot.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: People were running away from the building.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Five people are supposedly dead.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My friend fall down with blood all over his arm.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There was so many gunshots and people screaming and - - it was hell, what hell would be like.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I saw three kids just fall from the table. And I saw he was trying to reload his gun.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Unfortunately, we`ve seen these shootings across the country.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BANFIELD: Boy, I`ll say. Have we ever. I was just looking at that, and I actually had to try to remember some of the details, because there have
been so many, I can`t keep them all straight anymore. And it never used to be like that.
In the Oklahoma case, it was proactive policing and parents who were involved that actually stopped this threat from happening. So guess what?
Christmas is still on for those families, thank God.
Joining me now is Chief John Whitham of the Tonkawa, Oklahoma, Police Department. Chief, thanks so much for being with me tonight. How did the
police come to learn of this plot?
CHIEF JOHN WHITHAM, TONKAWA POLICE DEPARTMENT: One of our officers got a tip from a local citizen. He then followed up that lead and interviewed a
person or persons, determined it was a very credible threat, then brought in members of the eighth district attorney`s (ph) major crimes unit. They
secured a search warrant, entered the house and found--
BANFIELD: Chief, before I get to what you found -- because I really do want to get that list -- as I understand it, there was a kid who was
mentioning something to a parent, and it was the parent whose ears perked up and said, Wait, what? And then brought that tip to you. Is that the
correct chain?
WHITHAM: Yes, I believe so.
BANFIELD: So then when you executed the search warrant on this 13-year-old girl`s home -- apparently, she lives with her parents and her grandparents,
as well -- give me the list. What did you find?
WHITHAM: Several handguns, rifles, ammunition, some writings. There was a hit list and some personal effects that they took as evidence, as well.
BANFIELD: How many kids were on that hit list?
WHITHAM: Around half a dozen, I think. Some of that is still being guarded very closely.
BANFIELD: Understand, understand. Is there anything that you were able to glean -- and I know it`s still early, so I understand if you can`t answer
this, but was there anything you could glean from the journal and also from the targets about her motive? About why? Why those kids? If she didn`t go
to that school, why did she choose those kids? Why did she want to do this?
WHITHAM: Well, she used to go to that school a while back. I`m sure they`re looking over that journal now, the major crimes unit. But she`s in custody
at juvenile detention. And `m sure they`re trying to figure out how this troubled young girl chose the wrong path or what after.
BANFIELD: But you don`t -- you don`t have a whiff of say bullying or love affair gone wrong? I mean, look, kids are 13, tiny things in their life are
massive to them. I`m wondering if that`s something like that that you`ve got wind of?
WHITHAM: Not yet. It`s still fairly early. I`m sure they`re interviewing her intensively. And that will all come out before too long. But it`s hard
to say what made her so angry.
BANFIELD: How did the phone calls go when you called the parents of those kids who were on the hit list?
WHITHAM: Well, again, I believe that was the original officer on the case, I believe he made some personal calls and some in person. Of course, they
were shocked and, you know, flabbergasted as to how and why something like that would happen in such a small community.
BANFIELD: And I can only imagine, I`m trying to put myself in their shoes, I can barely do it, but there was an immense amount of relief as well.
Thank God that was the visit they were getting from the officer instead of a visit that so many other parents have gotten before. Chief, thanks so
much for being with us and good luck.
WHITHAM: Yes, ma`am. Thank you.
BANFIELD: Thanks. A mother is desperately trying to find her teenage missing daughter. Beautiful girl. And here`s the weird part. She just took
the trash out one night, that was it. We all do it, right? You know, your kid taking your trash out. But she did not come back in.
(START VIDEO CLIP)
VICKIE METCALF, MOTHER OF ALISSIA FREEMAN: We keep sharing a poster, keep reaching out to organizations and different states, and keep praying. I
believe she`ll come home safely, I just don`t know when.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[20:35:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BANFIELD: It has been a very, very long year since anyone last saw a missing Highland Home Alabama girl named Alissia Freeman. Her family has
been trying desperately to locate her.
On the night of December 13, 2015, she was cleaning up her room as all good teenage girls do, and then she actually did something even better as great
teenagers do. She offered to throw out the garbage, and she did it. She went out, did it. And she never walk back into that house.
(START VIDEO CLIP)
METCALF: That night, I actually felt that they will just, you know, go up the road or wherever and she would be there. And then they would bring her
back home. I never thought it would be like this.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BANFIELD: Was Alissia lured online by a predator? Was she forced into the sex trade by traffickers because these are theories that are aligning to
her case. Joining me now is syndicated talk show host Dave Mack from Gadsden, Alabama.
Dave, why is there any thought that a young teenager who goes out the backdoor to take the garbage out and doesn`t come back is somehow all of a
sudden possibly a victim of sex trafficking?
DAVE MACK, SYNDICATED TALK SHOW HOST: The reality, Ashleigh, is the numbers don`t lie. 14,500 people to 17,500 people every year get trafficked. Human
trafficking is the third largest illegal thing happening. Drugs, guns, people. So human trafficking comes into play.
Her hard drive was wiped clean, her computer was cleared out. Her Facebook page was shut down. She did clean her room and damped her thrash before she
took off. She told her family, I love you. She made a point to say that. Not uncommon in their house apparently but still, she was making a go of it
to leave.
BANFIELD: So, you`re saying that all of these things were done before she left. The wiping of hard drive, the cleaning up, not physically but, you
know, digitally cleaning up, all happened before she disappeared.
MACK: Yes, ma`am. And you know, they of course trying to work (ph) her computer over to the authorities and they couldn`t find anything. And
that`s the easiest thing in the world to do. There were some instructions. There is also that she was given -- she was in a number of chat rooms and
was communicating with a number of different people.
But we don`t know who. We don`t know when. And the family has been searching to find anything they can. It is just difficult because it really
is a parent`s worst nightmare. Your child walks out the house. You think you know who they are, you know, they`re talking to and you found you might
not.
BANFIELD: Chris Metcalf is Alissia Freeman`s stepfather. He joins me live now on the phone from Highland Home, Alabama. Chris, before I ask you any
question, I want to play something that Vickie -- you know, Vickie is Alissia`s mom -- what she said about that very notion about the sex
trafficking and what her perspective is on it. Here`s Vickie Metcalf.
(START VIDEO CLIP)
METCALF: We`re still not 100 percent sure on what the situation is. But trafficking is a possibility. We don`t know where she went. They`re still
looking. They check out every tip that they get that comes in.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BANFIELD: So Chris, what do you make of this notion about sex trafficking? Why do you think that`s a possibility?
CHRIS METCALF: Well, for one, she`s been seen in
[20:40:00] different states, different towns, and you know, that goes along with sex trafficking stuff. They just move the girls around.
BANFIELD: But do you know for sure she has been seen? Because there are always these false leads as well, people who have resemblances that don`t
pan out.
METCALF: That`s right. No, we don`t know that it is her. It`s a possibility it could be, and it`s a possibility that it`s not.
BANFIELD: We`re seeing these photographs of Alissia, what I can only presume are, you know, pictures that were taken at home life. It looks like
she lived a pretty fun loving life, a good family life. There is -- I mean, really sweet photographs of her interacting with all of you it seems.
And she sure doesn`t look like a troubled girl at all. But there`s this notion that these two telephones that she had that her mom knew nothing
about. And those two phones are gone with her.
METCALF: Yes, ma`am.
BANFIELD: What`s the story behind those phones?
METCALF: I don`t know. We just didn`t know she had them.
BANFIELD: Did those phones and the sudden knowledge that she had these secret phones lead you to believe something?
METCALF: Well, yes, that she had secrets, but we didn`t know what at the time. And we still really don`t know nothing hardly.
BANFIELD: Sergeant Dalton Francis is the lead investigator on Alissia Freeman`s case. He is at Crenshaw County Sheriff`s office. He joins me now
as well. So sergeant, what have you been able to find in this last year, almost to the day, since she just vanished after taking the trash out?
DALTON FRANCIS, INVESTIGATOR AT CRENSHAW COUNTY SHERIFF`S OFFICE: The case itself has been a struggle due to the fact that she made a concerted effort
to leave without leaving a trace. What I have discovered is a preponderance of sex trafficking and the use of internet and anonymous apps and phones
that actually do not have service but you can use them on wi-fi systems to make phone calls.
BANFIELD: So you think she went willingly?
FRANCIS: I can`t answer that question, but she did leave the house willingly on her own. I have witnesses that put her leaving the
neighborhood on her own, and she`s not been seen since. So by definition, she did leave on her own. Now, did she find herself involved in something
that she could not get out of? Was she conned into something? Possibly.
BANFIELD: Well, Sergeant Francis, I wish you all the luck in the world in trying to track her down. Another Christmas for this family without her is
excruciating, no matter what the circumstances. She`s just a teenager. I hope you have luck in doing your job and that you guys are able to find
something. Thanks for being with us.
Last week, we told you a story about a knife wielding high school student, and that student scared a lot of kids, and ultimately that student was shot
by one of the officers at the school in Reno, Nevada. The high school, that child refused to drop the knife and so this happened.
(START VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Put the knife down!
BANFIELD: Obviously we don`t know the part where that boy is shot. But he was shot in the shoulder. And you can see the aftermath.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He just shot the kid!
BANFIELD: Kids and chaos. The boy`s father said that his son had been bullied and spoke to NBC, The Today Show, about this incident.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You got to remember that he just got hit two or three times in the face by a kid that`s three years older than him and quite a
bit bigger. He just doesn`t want to be attacked anymore. That`s what happened. Do I think that the officer -- I think the officer could have
evaluated that if he had just paid attention a little bit.
BANFIELD: A couple things that you should know, that boy did survive, taken to the hospital and was able to survive being shot. And something you can`t
see because we had to blur the video of his face. He`s a minor. We always blur the video of a minor. But when you look at the video without the blur,
his face is bloody. His mouth is bloody.
It is obvious he has been in a fight prior to this, and he did not fair well in that fight, at least the visuals suggest that. The police said that
they were stopping the threat, and the school superintendent defended the actions of the officer.
An alleged robber gets his. There he is, doing his thing, taking stuff, and then, guess what happens? The owner walks out himself and does this.
[20:45:00] shuts the doors, locking the robber inside. What do you suppose that was like for this guy when he realized wait, what? Wait, I`m stuck in
here? Are you kidding me? Wait till you see what happens next.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BANFIELD: Permit me, if you will. I want to take you to San Bernardino, California, specifically into a store where this fellow is -- looked like
he was shopping for clothes but not. Instead, the store owner is in a black sweatshirt and the crisscross shirted guy shows him a knife.
It is hard to see. So this is the store owner. He leaves his own store, takes a look around and says, you know what? I got a better idea. Later,
guy. Have fun in there.
(LAUGHTER)
BANFIELD: Because I got the key. I got the key. And you have no way to get out.
[20:50:00] And the guy is like, what? Wait a minute. Hang on. I have a knife, but I don`t think a knife is going to help me get out of this store.
And now he`s like mad. And what you do when you`re mad? You grab something heavy and you throw it at a window.
And you knock your own bike over. And you yell at the guy saying really? Then you go to the back of the store and you start kicking at the door in
the back, thinking maybe I can get out this way. No, it`s locked too. I`m gonna kick it harder.
No, I`ll try it again. Maybe that will help unlatch. Gave it another shot. Maybe I`ll get out this way. No. Oh, daylight! Sweet! I`m out. Okay. And
that would be it. Like all this would be a memory.
(LAUGHTER)
BANFIELD: Guys, he came back for the bike.
(LAUGHTER)
BANFIELD: He came back for the bike.
(LAUGHTER)
ZELIN: I think I`m out, they pulled me back in.
(LAUGHTER)
BANFIELD: He came back for the bike. And then there is this guy, the security guard, who is there when he comes back to the bike. And here`s
what the security guard said about catching him and pinning him down. Have a listen.
(START VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He actually came back to get his bike. At that time, he had a knife in his hand. I got rid of the knife. We had a little bit of a
struggle. I didn`t get any help from a lot of people, but people were taking pictures and video.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BANFIELD: People were taking pictures.
GARY CASIMIR, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: That`s right. You have to give it to the security guard for being so brave. Being able to do his job and handle it.
But the quick thinking owner there, locking him in the store, that is amazing. You thought he`s running away looking for help.
BANFIELD: Yes, he did.
CASIMIR: He actually came back and locked it.
BANFIELD: I love it. So anybody know what the holy day of Immaculate Concepcion of Mary is? It`s the day you go to church. If you`re this one
really sweet 78-year-old lady to go at 8:30 in the morning, and then while you`re in church, you go up for communion. That`s what she did.
But these two people in the spotlight, when she was going up for communion, they helped themselves to her purse. She left it behind in the pew. You
know what? That church has surveillance video. So they have pictures of them.
And then these dum-dums went shopping at a dollar general store and they dumped $1,000. And this is their car. So that happened. So close to the
holidays at church, 8:30 in the morning, those guys did that. Not a whole lot you can say about this other than ick!
BRUNO: Yes, I mean, first of all, what in the world did they guy for $1,000 at the dollar store?
BANFIELD: A thousand things.
BRUNO: That`s number one. And that`s gonna get them clocked because there`s video, it`s clear, and hopefully somebody sees it and these people are
gonna be arrested.
BANFIELD: By the way, there`s video everywhere. Don`t be a dum-dum. Don`t go stealing and then buying especially with a credit card. I have a better
story for you because we all lived through this moment. It was back in March at a Trump rally where this older guy decked out one of the
protesters who was leaving the arena.
Everybody went wild and the guy got hit in the face really bad and then the cops actually tackled the guy who was hit. So the guy who did the hitting
went to court. And guess what the scene in the courtroom was?
(START VIDEO CLIP)
(APPLAUSE)
BANFIELD: We`re all going to be okay, folks, we`re all going to be okay.
(APPLAUSE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BANFIELD: In the season of giving, we want to show you how you can help our 2016 top ten CNN heroes continue their amazing work.
(START VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN NEWS ANCHOR: I`m Anderson Cooper. Each of this year`s top ten CNN heroes proves that one person really can make a difference. And
again this year, we`re making it easy for you to support their great work. Just go to cnnheroes.com and click donate beneath any 2016
[20:55:00] top ten CNN hero to make a direct contribution to that hero`s fund-raiser. You`ll receive an e-mail confirming your donation, which is
tax deductible in the United States. No matter how small, it can make a big difference in helping the person who inspires you to continue their life
changing work. CNN is proud to celebrate all these everyday people changing the world.
And through December 31st to offer you this simple way to support their causes. Right now, your donation will be matched dollar for dollar up to
$50,000 for each of this year`s honorees. You can donate from your laptop, your tablet or your phone. Just go to cnnheroes.com. Your donation in any
amount will help them help others. Thanks.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BANFIELD: Do you remember that Trump rally where one of the protesters was walking out and just got decked? Watch this guy as he`s walking out. That`s
Rakeem Jones (ph). Boom, that`s Jon Franklin McGraw (ph), 79 years old, decking him. And then this weird thing happened after. The guy who got hit
is the who actually got tackled by the deputies. And like thrown on the ground. Let`s not forget he got hurt here.
My panel is back with me here. David Bruno, Randy Zelin, Gary Casimir. So, what happened after this was that Jon McGraw (ph) was charged with assault
and battery and disorderly conduct and he ended up in court today because of hitting Mr. Jones. And this is what happened.
(APPLAUSE)
BANFIELD: This show is called Primetime Justice. Is this justice?
ZELIN: Absolutely. It`s called restorative justice. The community is restored. The victim has a say in what happens. The defendant has a say in
what happens. The community has a say in what happens. And everybody gets (inaudible).
BANFIELD: One year on supervised probation. Is that fair?
BRUNO: Yes, probably as he doesn`t have a criminal history, I`m sure. And it`s nice to see because you typically don`t see this interactions between
the victim and defendant.
CASIMIR: For the holiday season, that picture at the end, after all that we`ve seen during this last two years of the campaign, that`s the way to
start to end this.
BANFIELD: You are just my favorite (inaudible).
(LAUGHTER)
BANFIELD: Gary Casimir, everybody, merry, merry Christmas. Thanks to all three of you. I really appreciate it. Thank you as well for watching. I`m
Ashleigh Banfield. It`s been lovely to have you here. See you back here Primetime Justice on Monday at 8:00. Forensic Files starts right now.
END
