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Crime and Justice With Ashleigh Banfield

Missing Woman Before Harvey Hits Texas; Miraculous Birth of a Baby. Aired 8-9p ET

Aired August 31, 2017 - 20:00   ET

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


(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don`t understand why no one is doing anything!

ASHLEIGH BANFIELD, HOST (voice-over): Missing in the middle of a natural disaster.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I personally think that there is some wrongdoing in this.

BANFIELD: But Crystal McDowell disappeared before the storm moved in.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Obviously some foul play at this point.

BANFIELD: Last seen leaving her boyfriend`s home. Look closely at what she`s holding.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We`re looking at every aspect.

BANFIELD: It could just be the key to the case.

Eight months pregnant and murdered for her baby.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Her little smile.

BANFIELD: Tonight, the father on his tragic loss and the love of his life.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They got their first grandchild (INAUDIBLE). This is not the way we wanted it.

BANFIELD: And meeting his newborn for the very first time.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just looking at her, it`s like both of us wrapped up in a person.

BANFIELD: New evidence in the case against the couple upstairs. Just how was that baby born?

One by one, her babies kept dying.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No one could predict the behavior of this mother.

BANFIELD: First Niall...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Our son`s not breathing.

BANFIELD: ... then Gavin...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE) probably would by now.

BANFIELD: ... then Noah.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She has confessed to placing a blanket over the faces of all three of her children.

BANFIELD: But if you think that admission is a slam dunk case, think again. It may just get tossed out!

Capsized while on a honeymoon at sea. Where is Isabella Hellman? Her husband jumped ship with stolen gold coins, then asked to have her declared

dead. Was it too soon to start claiming insurance? Because that`s where the FBI caught him.

Crooks and lowlifes stealing from storm victims in Texas.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You can call it burglary or you can call it looting.

BANFIELD: Breaking into stores and homes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We need more real men out here to step up and protect where you live!

BANFIELD: One man fighting back.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He got a real, live shotgun in his hand!

BANFIELD: With a warning to the looters.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I`m not (INAUDIBLE) I`m (EXPLETIVE DELETED) SWAT (ph) deputy!

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BANFIELD: Good evening, everyone. I`m Ashleigh Banfield. This is PRIMETIME JUSTICE.

The rain may be slowing up in south Texas tonight, but a missing person`s case is ramping up. And it has nothing to do with the flood. In the words

of Texas lawmen, there is something very suspicious about the way Crystal McDowell disappeared because she vanished almost a week ago, that was well

before any rain began to fall.

But the lawmen are also coping with 27 trillion gallons of water that have deluged those parts. And for reference, that is enough water to fill San

Francisco Bay more than 10 times. Think about that.

So while finding that mother of two is a top priority, it is anything but business as usual for authorities in Houston and its surroundings.

Still, there are some very telling clues that have been surfacing as some of the floodwaters recede, like this security video showing Crystal leaving

her boyfriend`s house about 7:00 AM the day she vanished, last Friday. And look real close here to the yellow circle, what she`s holding. It appears

to be a small black duffel bag. And if it is, that could mean a lot to the case. More on this in just a moment.

But I want to take you back to Crystal`s last movements on Friday morning, at least as several of the text messages suggest. She left her boyfriend`s

house to pick up her kids, who were at her ex-husband`s house. And on the way, about 10 minutes into the trip, both her boyfriend and her uncle got a

text message with a photo of a billboard advertising Crystal and her business. But at 7:27 AM, that was the last anyone heard from Crystal.

Halfway between her boyfriend`s house and her ex-husband`s house, this is what they found, Crystal`s car at a Motel 6, in the parking lot, submerged

in the floodwaters. And that must have been at least part of the reason the sheriff said this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHERIFF BRIAN HAWTHORNE, CHAMBERS COUNTY: As the sheriff, I will tell you that I personally think that there is some wrongdoing in this. I think

there is some suspicious nature. I don`t think that she`s left on her own. I think that there is obviously some foul play at this point.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BANFIELD: Day six, no sign of Crystal, and worry has turned to panic. Paul Hargrave is the boyfriend of Crystal McDowell, and he joins me from

Bay Town, Texas.

Paul, thank you so much for taking the time. I can only imagine there is a great deal of anxiety amongst you and all of those who love Crystal. What

more do you know about this disappearance tonight that we didn`t know yesterday?

[20:05:12]PAUL HARGRAVE, CRYSTAL`S BOYFRIEND (via telephone): Well, firstly, I want to just say thank you very much for airing this again. It

means a lot to the family. It means a lot to me.

I don`t know if there`s much more I can tell you other than we`re just desperate to find her. I went up to the Chambers County Police Department

today (INAUDIBLE) I`m sure they were going to reach out to me at some point and time, but I wanted to streamline (ph) this information to get it

directly to investigators and detectives.

BANFIELD: So you interviewed with them? You interviewed with them today, Paul?

HARGRAVE: Yes, I did. I did. I wanted to -- I gave them my cell phone. I gave them access. They downloaded everything on my phone, pictures,

messages. I have camera footage at my home. I also have camera footage at my business.

I`m always under surveillance just because of the nature of my business. I am a target sometimes, and so I take security very highly. So I`ve given

them everything that I could possibly imagine. So I`m hoping that, you know, these will provide some clues to finding her.

BANFIELD: So Paul, the last clue we had was the photograph that she or at least her phone texted to you and to her uncle, Jeff, presumably as she was

en route to her ex-husband`s to pick up the -- the children sometime between 7:00 and 8:00 in the morning.

And it was that billboard of her. There it is. And that`s at your jewelry business, Robson`s (ph) jewelry. That`s you putting up her advertisement

for her. So presumably, that sort of sounds like, Isn`t this delightful, isn`t this kind that you`ve got this ad for me on your jewelry store.

I want to now shift that photo to what that sign shows now because the sign has changed and it is now missing. And it`s her photo and a $15,000

reward. Where is the reward money coming from?

BANFIELD: Jeff Walters, her uncle, is donating 15 -- I`m sorry, $10,000 and I`m adding $5,000 to it. You know, we use the LED sign for a lot of

purposes for our store, obviously. But right now, it`s -- I think it`s being put to good use to try to get some attention brought on this case,

and hopefully somebody will see something and say something.

BANFIELD: So obviously, when an investigation starts, it starts with everybody who knows her. And I`m sure that the detectives have questioned

you about everything that`s happened since she disappeared. I`m trying to get into her state of mind and where she might have wanted to go, what she

might have been thinking.

Take me back to the night before she disappeared. She was staying at your home. What was the evening like? What did you guys talk about? What sort

of mood were you both in? What mood was she in?

HARGRAVE: Kind of getting ready for the hurricane coming in. We knew that we were going to have some bad weather. I don`t think either of us kind of

anticipated the type of weather conditions we were going have. But we went to the Apple store at Bay Brook (ph) mall. She was having some issues with

her phone. I have an extra iPhone that was not working properly. So we went up to the Apple store, and we tried to get that fixed. And

unfortunately, they close at 9:00, so we missed that opportunity.

So we went over to Perry`s (ph) Steakhouse, which is just, you know, right down the street from Bay Brook mall. We had a great dinner. And we talked

about the weekend, and after that, we came home. So I mean, it was -- it was a great night. And we just headed home after that.

BANFIELD: Early to bed? Late to bed? I know it was early to rise. I think you were up sometime between 6:00 and 7:00 and she was already

getting ready to go and left sometime around 7:00?

HARGRAVE: Yes. We took one car to Bay Brook mall, so we swung around (INAUDIBLE) back to my store to pick up my car and we went back home after

going to bed. I think I woke up around 6:30. She did -- I think she woke up around the same time. She left, I was in the shower.

BANFIELD: So let me -- she left while you were in the shower? Because that`s a big -- that`s a big issue. I wanted to know if you saw her on her

way out. Let`s play those videos again of her leaving your apartment because that bag that`s on her shoulder, it`s hard to see it in the grainy

video from your home, but did you see it? Do you have a bead on what she had on her shoulder when she left your house?

HARGRAVE: Yes, it was her overnight bag. I -- you know, she -- I remember it was in the car. It was in the back seat of the car. It`s just kind of

an overnight bag she put her clothes in and whatnot.

[20:10:02]BANFIELD: What`s it made of?

HARGRAVE: She usually had that...

BANFIELD: Is it canvas, leather, fabric? What`s it made of?

HARGRAVE: I think it`s -- and please don`t quote me on this, but I think it`s a large coach bag, and I think it was leather that she put her clothes

in. But I can`t remember the exact brand of the -- of the bag (INAUDIBLE)

BANFIELD: So let me as you this. Is this the same bag that she often used for her real estate materials?

HARGRAVE: Unfortunately, I don`t know if it is or not. She had several bags. Her computer was malfunctioning, and so I let her use -- I had an

extra service computer pro, Surface Pro, and I -- I think she may have had that in there, as well. So she had a big bag because she carried a lot of

material to those closings, I believe.

BANFIELD: So you think -- you think your computer that you leant her was in this bag as she`s leaving your apartment on Friday morning.

HARGRAVE: I believe it was. I`m not sure.

BANFIELD: But do you also know about a -- and I know you guys had only been dating I think, what, six weeks, almost two months? Is that correct?

HARGRAVE: Yes, a few months, yes.

BANFIELD: So it`s hard to have a bead on someone`s regular habits, but you know, there is word that she had a regular bag, black bag filled with her

real estate materials that she would typically leave in the back of her car. Do you remember seeing that bag?

HARGRAVE: On occasion, I do remember seeing her come in with bags, with a large bag. You know, I met Crystal -- she came into the store for a custom

design and I was looking for that footage, as well, because I think she has a large bag with her then. So you are correct that she did carry this bag

with her at a lot of different places. So -- and I think this is the same bag.

BANFIELD: And I don`t mean to beat a dead horse here, but I really do want to try to drill down on this bag. Do you think the bag she left your

apartment with, that large black, as you say, possibly coach leather duffel bag that had her overnight stuff in it, could be the same bag that she

would often keep in her car with her real estate materials?

HARGRAVE: I believe so.

BANFIELD: You believe it`s the same bag. OK, so that is critical, and I want to make sure that we, you know, stick with that. I`ve got further

questions I`m going to ask about that a little later in the program.

But back to her movements. When she left your apartment, were you still in the shower? Did you have a chance to say good-bye? Do you remember the

exact time that she left?

HARGRAVE: No. I do (INAUDIBLE) text message records based on when she sent me the texts. I can approximate, you know, 6:45, 7:00 AM, I believe.

BANFIELD: OK.

HARGRAVE: But I was in the shower. She kind of came in and said, Hey, I`m taking off. And you know, I said OK, so...

BANFIELD: So if it`s around 6:45, 7:00 AM in south Texas, when she took that photo of her billboard at your store, it would have been sometime

around 7:00 or 7:15 in the morning, correct?

HARGRAVE: I believe so, yes.

BANFIELD: So I want to ask our control room to pop that up right there. It seems very, very dark. Does that look like the same time -- if you were

to be driving that route, Paul, would that be the sky that you would see at that time of the morning at this time of the summer?

HARGRAVE: It is. I mean, it gets pretty dark. And you have to understand these are cameras with low light. And it is pretty dark in the morning

times. So it -- I`m not sure. I`d have to go back and look at camera footage again at that exact time.

BANFIELD: And again, I`m just getting a rough guess because, look, in my neighborhood, it`s bright. It`s bright sunshine at that time for the

morning, 6:45, 7:00 AM in late August, it would not look like that. That looks like deep dusk or almost before dawn. So I`m just trying to draw

down on whether that looks like a familiar sky to you for that time of the morning right now. Does it?

HARGRAVE: During normal conditions, no, it probably would be brighter. Due to the fact that we had a huge hurricane, you know, setting upon us, I

think that changed the kind of forecast. There is a timestamp on the text message when she sent it to me.

And in your previous segment, we do actually have a timestamp on the footage that was taken when Crystal left the master bedroom and went to the

living room, went through the kitchen. You didn`t show it on your segment because I -- unfortunately, we didn`t have it on that particular

photograph, but we do have timestamps of when she`s walking by.

BANFIELD: There are -- now, do the police know that? Did you talk to them about that today?

[20:15:00]HARGRAVE: Yes. Yes, I provided them with all that information. They have all the timestamps.

BANFIELD: And what did those timestamps read, roughly?

HARGRAVE: I could read them verbatim to you. They`re on my phone. I`m on the phone, but I believe they`re, you know, somewhere in the

neighborhood of 6:45 to 7:00. But I would -- I mean, again, I`d have to look at my phone when I`m...

BANFIELD: OK. So let me ask you something else. And again, I understand that she was staying with you. She was also alternately staying at her ex-

husband`s home in a different part of the home because her home was under renovation. So I get it, There isn`t a full line of communication at all

times.

But did she seem like anything was bothering her? Anything?

HARGRAVE: We were really excited. We were going on a cruise (INAUDIBLE) that was going take off on Friday, this Friday, tomorrow. So I mean, we

were excited. You know, we were excited to -- that we had an instant connection and we just were both, you know, just on cloud 9.

We had a great week. We had a wonderful past weekend in Galveston. And so things were going really well for us. And you know, I was taking her to

Europe with me. We were going to Antwerp in October. So you know, we were very happy.

She didn`t seem concerned about much. She was very much excited to see her kids, to spend the day with her kids. So we were both pretty happy.

BANFIELD: About that cruise -- were the kids going to come on the cruise? Because I think I found information somewhere that Uncle Jeff -- which for

any viewer who didn`t see the program last night, Crystal`s Uncle Jeff is like her father. Crystal lost her parents when she was 11 and Uncle Jeff

raised her. So for all intents, Uncle Jeff is, like, her dad.

He was going with you. So was this is family cruise, kids, uncle and you and Crystal?

HARGRAVE: Yes. That`s correct.

BANFIELD: And you had not yet met the children, right?

HARGRAVE: Well, we were talking about possibly, you know, meeting somewhere and kind of her introducing me. So it`s not just at the cruise

ship, but we were talking about that and what would be appropriate. So we just never made, you know, plans. We just made tentative plans to do

something.

BANFIELD: Let me ask you the tough question because I don`t think you`re any stranger to this, given the circumstance you`re in. When anybody goes

missing, it is standard operating procedure to start looking real hard at the people closest to the missing person.

HARGRAVE: Of course.

BANFIELD: And that would be you and her ex-husband and maybe even her uncle because those are the concentric circles that you begin with.

HARGRAVE: Sure.

BANFIELD: So what has the relationship been like between you and the police? How did that conversation go? What kind of questions did they ask

you? And do you feel like you are a suspect?

HARGRAVE: That`s a great question. And I was very forthcoming. I went willingly to the police department today just to give them my statement, to

give them any information I had.

I don`t think I`m a suspect at all. That`s the least of my concerns right now. My main concern is getting information to those detectives so they

can do their job. And it`s been difficult for them with all this going on. And their department is stretched thin. We all know that. But I feel like

a microscope has been put on the case now, and I`m hoping, I`m praying that more detectives will get involved and more people get involved, and maybe

somebody somewhere will say something.

As far as my -- my (INAUDIBLE) yes, my family probably watching this right now is probably flabbergasted as to why I don`t have an attorney. But I

don`t need an attorney. I don`t feel like -- if I had an attorney, and you probably know this better than anyone, it`s going to legalize the process

of streamlining communication to get to those detectives. And I don`t want to -- I don`t want to stop that form of communication. I don`t want to

hinder that form of communication.

So I`m giving them everything I could. I spent three hours there today. They downloaded everything on my phone. I`ve given them all my footage at

the house, at the store.

So I just -- I want her found. I want her found quickly.

BANFIELD: Paul, it`s another tough question, and you know, it`s hard for me to ask it, too. Did they ask you to take a polygraph?

HARGRAVE: They did not. However, I willingly told them I would be happy to take a polygraph. There`s no search warrant needed. I`ll be happy to

take a polygraph. I told them they are welcome to come search my home, the store, anything they want. I have no issue with that whatsoever. There`s

no need for a warrant or a judgment or anything like that. But at this time, they didn`t express interest in doing so.

[20:20:14]BANFIELD: Paul, I really appreciate you joining us and being so candid and giving us all of these details. Our hearts go out to you and

all of Crystal`s friends and family as you struggle in this greater natural disaster, coping with a massive disaster of your own. Paul Hargrave, thank

you, sir. I appreciate it.

Coming up in just a moment, the sheriff in the case, Brian Hawthorne, is going to join us. We`re going to ask him, has anything changed between

yesterday and today and about that black bag. Did you find it anywhere?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[20:25:00]BANFIELD: Crystal McDowell went missing in south Texas, and she`s probably one of thousands of people that someone is trying to find

right now. The only difference is Crystal`s case has nothing to do with the flood because the last time anyone heard from Crystal happened a long

time before one raindrop fell, which tells you this is not a flood story, this is a mystery.

And joining me now is Sheriff Brian Hawthorne from the Chambers County sheriff`s office. Sheriff, thank you so much for joining us for the second

day. And again, I have to put -- you know, put props where they`re due because I know you are deluged with the crisis down there. So for you to

help us to try to help you, we really appreciate this.

Is there anything that you can tell me tonight that is new to the case that we didn`t hear last night?

SHERIFF BRIAN HAWTHORNE, CHAMBERS COUNTY (via telephone): Nothing that`s really particularly new, Ashleigh. I will tell you that Paul, the

boyfriend, did come in and visit with some of my detectives today. And he provided some information, and I think they discussed some things in

regards to his telephone and some of those text messages.

BANFIELD: Any inconsistencies -- I`m sorry to jump in, but while you`re on that vein, any inconsistencies with your interview today and the 20 or so

minutes that I just spoke with him on national television?

HAWTHORNE: Nothing that I particularly would know, Ashleigh, do I don`t -- I don`t see there is anything that would be new. Obviously, at this point,

my detectives -- two of the four that are working on this case got serious flood issues with their own families, so Donny Walters, that you talked to

last night, his house went under last night.

BANFIELD: I think we have a picture of that.

(CROSSTALK)

BANFIELD: Can I show the photograph of your...

HAWTHORNE: I don`t mind at all.

BANFIELD: OK. Well, I just -- I`m sorry, it was up before you even had a chance to answer. But this is -- this is, as the sheriff just said, one of

his main detectives, Donny Walters was our guest on the program. He`s the lead detective on the case. This is his family`s home. So that everyone

is aware, this is a really tough case for so many reasons that are off the charts.

And I think my next question dovetails perfectly from this, Sheriff. Standard operating procedure, as I mentioned before, is to talk to

everybody close, you know, to Crystal. The second phase is often to go collect every piece of video on that route between Crystal`s boyfriend`s

house and Crystal`s ex-husband`s house, which was her intended path, the Motel 6 where her car was found under water, any kinds of points of

interest along the way that might have recorded her movements. Have you had a chance to do that, given the enormous restrictions you`re facing

because of the flood?

HAWTHORNE: Well, they`re getting started on some of that because the water in Bay Town, unless it`s a very specific bayou that separates Harris County

and Chambers County, the water`s receding. So detectives are working on some of that right now. And they`ve done the -- they`ve done some search

warrants. They`ve done a search warrant through her phone provider on her cell phone records.

So we`re -- we`re putting some pieces together that I think will answer a lot of questions. At this time, we don`t have any suspects. It`s truly --

- have a couple persons of interest and -- but at this point, everybody is a person of interest, so I don`t want anybody to think that...

BANFIELD: Sure. No, I understand that. I understand that. That`s typically the way it goes. Let me ask you this. Do you have a reason to

suspect that the text messages that Crystal McDowell was purportedly sending between 7:00 AM and about, I think, 7:27, which was the last anyone

heard of her, actually came from her own hands?

HAWTHORNE: We have no reason to believe that it didn`t.

BANFIELD: OK. Did you find her phone?

HAWTHORNE: No, we have not found her phone.

BANFIELD: Now, I want to get back to this mysterious black bag. And I`m going to ask our control room, if we can, to pop up the picture of Crystal

leaving Paul Hargrave`s apartment, her boyfriend, at 7:00 in the morning. They`re grainy, but you can sure make out a large black bag on her

shoulder.

Sheriff, Paul told us that this was likely a coach bag, if he could remember. He wasn`t clear. He didn`t want to be quoted on that, but it

was an overnight bag.

There is also this notion that Crystal kept a black bag in the back of her car filled with her real estate materials. And then there is this report

that comes from both her boyfriend and her uncle that a black bag was found at her ex-husband`s home, next to the computer. Is there any truth to

that?

HAWTHORNE: Yes, there is truth, that there was a black bag next to the computer at her ex-husband`s house. That is correct.

BANFIELD: Can you tell us what was in that bag?

HAWTHORNE: It had some real estate documents in folders, work-related items, not clothing. It was an actual black briefcase. It was a business

briefcase like a lot of realtors would carry. It was not like a coach clothing bag. It`s not something that a woman would use as an overnight

bag.

ASHLEIGH BANFIELD, CNN HOST: So you don`t suspect or I`m not going to put words in your mouth. What are your thoughts about the possibility that the

picture that we are showing on our air of Crystal leaving her boyfriend`s house with that black bag on her shoulder is the same black bag that later

turned up at her ex-husband`s house. Do you think they are the same bag?

HAWTHORNE: No, they are not. This black bag that was found at the ex- husband`s house is a briefcase, a handled, leather handled briefcase.

BANFIELD: Shoulder strap?

HAWTHORNE: Not an overnight bag. An actual briefcase style.

BANFIELD: And not a shoulder strap.

HAWTHORNE: That is correct.

BANFIELD: So, that`s a bit of a dead end for you. Is there anything else, like, say the computer that you were able to retrieve? And I`m not 100

percent clear where you got the computer from. but we are told there is a computer in this case that was wiped clean, that was done to a factory

reset, but that possibly you have been able to retrieve files. Can you give me the narrative on that computer? Where did it come from, was it hers? Was

it white? And what was it found?

HAWTHORNE: Absolutely. But before we move on, let`s talk about the video little more. One of our concerns is he was very forthcoming with the

detectives today and he was going to send us this information because obviously last night, you remember you had this information before he

turned it over to detectives.

My concern is, we need the whole video. We don`t need the pictures that he`s produced to you or now to us. We want the whole video. So, in the

morning, we will get with him. You know, he doesn`t seem to mind and he was very forthcoming with us. So we just need to get the server from his video

system or go to the provider or we can get it from the provider.

BANFIELD: And he just said, I don`t need a lawyer, at this point. At least I don`t feel like I do and I don`t need a warrant and I don`t need

judgment. I will turn over what`s needed. This is what Paul Hargrave told us on the air. "Anything you need, this is in the interest of finding

Crystal."

So, I would love for you, sheriff, to report back to us, you know, what you discover if when you receive that full video.

I have another question for you, I posed this question to Paul, right before you as well, sheriff. And it`s about the photo that was taken

purportedly by Crystal as she is on her way from her boyfriend to her ex- husband`s house and snapping the photo of her own advertisement, her own billboard. It`s a picture of her advertising her, her business, her real

estate business and her boyfriend, Paul Hargrave, put it up on his building where Robson`s jewelries. That`s his store.

So he put her name up in lights there. And presumably she is snapping this as, isn`t that sweet message, thanks for doing this message. But I noticed

the sky. If she was leaving at 6.45, 7.15, somewhere in that vicinity of time in south Texas in late August, is the sky that dark? Did you notice

that clue?

HAWTHORNE: Well, I`m going to sit back, and I don`t think that`s in my best interest to discuss that right now, Ashleigh. Let`s go back to the

computer that was in question that you spoke about briefly.

BANFIELD: I want to go back, I do want to go back to the computer. And I get it. I know that there`s lots of things you have to keep close to the

vest. But I`m going to try one more time and that is this. The photo have me thinking, is it possible somebody took that picture another time and

then sent it out as though it was that moment. Is that plausible or a possibility?

HAWTHORNE: Well, we know those kinds of things can be easily done. So, obviously, those are things, those are definitely things that we are taking

into consider -- consideration, Ashleigh.

BANFIELD: And then I`m going to ask you after the break -- Sheriff, can you stay with us just for a couple more minutes?

HAWTHORNE: Absolutely.

BANFIELD: OK. I`m going to ask you after the break about the computer, and about the files, and about factory reset. Because whenever I hear factory

reset, when there`s a crime, my spine senses tingles.

So, sheriff, if you could stay with us, Brian Hawthorne is going to be on the other side of the break. And then also, after the break, I`m going to

speak with Brad Bozeman. Brad Bozeman, is a good friend of Crystal McDowell. And he was texting with her pretty regularly about the new

relationship she was in and what that meant for her old relationship, for her ex-husband. He`s going to join me and share those text messages and you

will get a peek inside this young woman`s mind right before she disappeared.

Back in a moment.

[20:35:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BANFIELD: Last time anyone saw or heard from Crystal McDowell in south Texas, there was no issue of rain or flooding, she just vanished on her way

from one house to another. And somehow, no one seems to knows where she is. But a lot of people think it has nothing to do with water.

Joining me now, Sheriff Brian Hawthorne. Back with me from the Chambers County Sheriff`s Office. Sheriff, we left off on the break talking about a

computer. We know from the beginning of this program, when we spoke to her boyfriend, Paul Hargrave that she, according to him, her computer wasn`t

working and he lent her a computer, he believe it was in that black bag that she was carrying as she left his home on video that morning last

Friday sometime around 7 a.m.

[20:40:01] We also heard there may have been a computer that was seized or at least is part of the evidence that may have come from her ex-boyfriend`s

home or excuse me, from her ex-husband`s home. I don`t know that to be true. I do know there`s a computer that had a reset, a factory reset and

that files are being recovered. Can you tell me the narrative of the computer issue?

HAWTHORNE: Well, there is a computer in question. So, the ex-husband, Stephen, who is like Paul, has been very forthcoming. I truly believe that

both men truly have a concern for where Crystal is or what has happened to crystal as with Jeff. So, when the detectives...

BANFIELD: That`s her uncle Jeff, for those who might just be joining us. Her father figure, Uncle Jeff.

HAWTHORNE: That is correct.

BANFIELD: OK.

HAWTHORNE: So when they went to Stephen, when Stephen went to the house to ask Stephen if they would allow, be allowed to look around. He said

absolutely, let detectives look at anything they wanted to, including the computer. And as you well know, just because we take the computer back to

the factory reset, it doesn`t change the hard drive.

So, we have got all that being taking place and it`s all in the forensics on the computer is being done currently.

BANFIELD: So far, is it a good lead or is it just standard op?

HAWTHORNE: At this point in time, a forensic download on a hard drive, depending on what you are pulling off as it can be lengthy and trying to go

through the information can be pretty lengthy. So at this point in time, nothing that is alarming enough for me to bring forward with you all or

anything that the detectives have brought forward to me.

BANFIELD: Sheriff, do you think she made it to her ex-husband`s house that morning?

HAWTHORNE: Well, we really don`t know. I mean, that`s part of -- that`s part of this investigation, Ashleigh. We hope to have some of those answers

pretty quick. Obviously, like I told Jeff Walters, the uncle, I`ve made this a priority case. We have put a lot of cases on hold because of this

flood.

My lead detective, Don Walters, he probably wants to find Crystal just as bad as the three men that we think, obviously, do care for her.

BANFIELD: yes, we see that.

HAWTHORNE: Every resource that we don`t have dedicated to the flood is dedicated to this case and this case alone.

BANFIELD: Sheriff, I can`t thank you enough for taking the time and caring enough about this one case to dedicate your detectives to it. You know,

detective Walters thank you for his work and his family as well what they`re sacrificing obviously with their home under water.

We hope to continue our conversation with you, sir. And as you are able to unravel these bizarre questions, hopefully we can be right there along with

you. Thank you, Sheriff Hawthorne.

HAWTHORNE: Thank you.

BANFIELD: I want to now bring Brad Bozeman into the conversation. He is a colleague and a friend of Crystal McDowell and he joins me from Birmingham,

Alabama.

Just for way of introduction, Brad, you are a friend of Crystal`s in of absentia, you`ve never physically met face-to-face, but you have a business

relationship, you write all the time and you know a lot about each other`s lives. And maybe you are the best person to ask about what Crystal`s state

of mind was just two days before she disappeared because you have a series of text conversations. And I`d like to get you to sort of characterize what

you thought was going through her head at that time.

BRAD BOZEMAN, CRYSTAL MCDOWELL`S FRIEND: Yes. Me and Crystal did speak a lot via text and via phone. We worked together. We were colleagues. She was

a realtor, I have a credit repair company and, you know, we have met basically sometime in February of this year. You know, she`s just the

person that`s so easy to talk to. You know, just a giving person.

BANFIELD: Can I, Brad, I want to just put some of these text messages that you shared with Crystal, just again, two days before she disappeared.

BOZEMAN: Yes.

BANFIELD: You reached out to her saying, you`re happy and she said yes. You asked why? In love? And she said yes, with a happy face and hearts for

eyes. And you say he`s a lucky guy. She says, thank you, and sends a photo of Paul Hargrave, her new boyfriend and says he`s so dreamy. You say, Lord,

what is dreamy. And she says my boyfriend.

And you say, well, you deserve the best, no doubt. What did, you know, your ex-husband say? She says to you, yikes! I haven`t said anything to -- and

we are redacting his name, even though the sheriff used it.

[20:45:04] I haven`t said anything to my husband. I guess I should. And you say he`s not going to be happy. I`m sure he can figure it out by seeing

Facebook. And she answers no, I blocked him. Should I tell him? You answered, probably, if kids are involved with the new guy. She answers,

true, they haven`t met him yet.

We are going on a cruise on the 31st, which her boyfriend Paul mentioned should have left tomorrow. You say I would be depressed if I was your

husband, too. She says, well, you wouldn`t be a jerk to me like he has been. You say, no, I wouldn`t. She says he takes advantage of me and always

has.

You say, I`m sorry, well, you`ll be fine. She says, yes, I`m so happy to move on.

Did you get the impression, and let`s be clear, her ex-husband is not charged with anything. The sheriff has said he doesn`t believe that he has

anything other than the interest of finding his ex-wife. Did you get the sense there was something wrong between her ex-husband and Crystal?

BOZEMAN: Yes, I did. She, I mean, she is (Inaudible) about the divorce and about, you know, how they just weren`t happy. I mean, you see it, you see

in the text messages, how she said that he takes advantage of me and (Inaudible).

BANFIELD: I think we are losing your connection, Brad. I`m sorry, I`m sort of losing your connection.

BOZEMAN: God.

BANFIELD: I just want to remind our viewers, though, that he is not a suspect in this case as of yet. Everybody is being looked at equally, maybe

even me. I mean, that`s the way investigations begin. So I wanted to be clear about that. I just thought Brad`s conversation was telling and

interesting about her state of mind.

We are going to continue to follow the story as they look for Crystal McDowell in Texas. Back after this.

[20:50:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BANFIELD: There is little good news that ever comes from a murder. Joy is something family and friends often struggle with the rest of their lives.

That if you have been following the tragic story of Savanna Greywind, her healthy baby girl rescued from the upstairs apartment.

Well, there is something, however tiny, that is uplifting tonight. That is that baby Hasely (Ph) Joe met her daddy, and her grandma and her grandpa,

finally. It happened as police say the couple that killed her mommy are still locked up and unable to make the $2 million bail that they complained

so loudly about. Even though, Ashton Matheny met his newborn daughter and said he immediately saw the resemblance.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ASHTON MATHENY, SAVANNA GREYWIND`S BOYFRIEND: Just looking at her. It`s like both of us wrapped up in a person. You know, she looks just like both

of us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BANFIELD: So, that formal DNA identification is actually not going to happen until next week. But for Ashton, just seeing that little tiny smile

has at least, for a moment, taken some of the sting out of losing the love of his life.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MATHENY: It`s the only joy, like her little smile. It`s like that feeling over and over again, like from the first time I saw her. Every time I see

her, it`s like the first time. Hopefully I see her again soon.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BANFIELD: We`re going to stay on top of this story and we`re going to bring you the updates as we get them.

In the meantime, CNN and HLN legal analyst, Joey Jackson is with me now. There is still one part of this mystery.

JOEY JACKSON, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Yes.

BANFIELD: How was that baby born? How did she arrive in this world healthy when Savannah ended up in a river wrapped in plastic.

JACKSON: Yes. I mean, that`s an issue, but I think the fact that she was wrapped in that plastic and it was, you know, there was recovery, you have

the DNA gives a treasure throve of information. And I do hold out hope that you know what they do on this case.

We`ve talked about it many times, they turn one against the other, who killed who? How did it happen? Who plotted? When did the plotting begin?

And you tell me exactly how it occurred. And so I do have hope and believed that they`ll get to the bottom of this. Even if they flip the woman against

the man, the girlfriend against the boyfriend or vice versa.

BANFIELD: Do you think it matters when you have conspiracy?

JACKSON: I think ultimately the way that you resolve this is what prosecutors do. I`ll go lighter on you in the event you give me

information.

So, I think one of them, if they don`t have the goods that is the prosecution will get a lighter sentence than the other to the extent that

they are forthcoming and give information.

BANFIELD: Stay tuned to this case because we are still working on this and the details are still coming in.

JACKSON: Yes.

BANFIELD: Back after this.

[20:55:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BANFIELD: When a combat veteran returns home, the transition is rarely easy and it`s really different for every vet, too. Andrew Manzi is a marine

serving in Iraq. He did serve in Iraq and it really took him some time, but eventually, he found a way to help himself. And now he`s decided to help

his fellow vets. So that of course is why he is this week`s CNN hero.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANDREW MANZI, IRAQ WAR VETERAN: When I got home, I really didn`t have any reason to be around any veteran. I pushed myself to far away from it. Then

I started surfing and teaching how to surf.

We are going to arch our back. You want to try to be center on your board.

I started meeting veterans in the water. Out there, it`s different because we`re also focusing on the present and the future.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BANFIELD: You can watch Andrew and the fellow vets conquer the waves at CNNheroes.com. And while you`re there, reminder, this is your last weekend

to nominate a 2017 CNN hero.

I want to thank you all for watching tonight. I`m Ashleigh Banfield with Joey Jackson. We`re back on Monday at 8 o`clock but not before I say 20

years ago today, do you remember the news?

JACKSON: I remember the news.

BANFIELD: Diana.

JACKSON: Princess Di. And you know, Ash, I was in Pennsylvania with my family and I heard it on the radio.

BANFIELD: On the radio.

JACKSON: And we were all like, what? What? Really? Just devastation, shock and disbelief.

BANFIELD: So many people remember where they were the night that Princess Diana died. Her children have given interviews.

JACKSON: They do.

BANFIELD: It`s been really a remarkable story since. And so after this program immediately following, please stay tuned, Diana, chasing a

fairytale with Clarissa Ward is coming up next.

[21:00:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

END