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Fashion Icon Oscar de la Renta Dies; Jesse Matthew Charged in Separate Case; Callista Gingrich Releases Fourth Children's Book

Aired October 21, 2014 - 08:30   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: The fashion world has lost an icon. Oscar de la Renta died at his house in Connecticut. The 82-year-old known for dressing celebrities and prominent women to the nines. De la Renta's wife telling "The New York Times" he had been battling cancer. Jason Carroll is here to look back on the life of a man who revolutionized fashion.

JASON CARROLL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, a lot of people in the fashion community hurting today. Oscar de la Renta actually started out his career sketching dresses for others. But over the course of decades, the Dominican-born designer became an American fashion icon.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CARROLL (voice-over): Dressing women from the red carpet to the White House for nearly 50 years, legendary fashion designer Oscar de la Renta has died. Cause currently unclear.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You are stunning in your Oscar de la Renta dress.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you so much.

CARROLL: De la Renta's style spanning generations. Hollywood's elite from Taylor Swift to Oprah Winfrey draping themselves in his haute couture. HBO's hit series "Sex in the City" even centered an entire episode around one of his stunning creations.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oscar de la Renta, sleeveless silk file (ph), now that is pure poetry.

CARROLL: The fashion icon's final masterpiece, Amal Clooney's gown for what was dubbed the celebrity wedding of the year.

ERIC WILSON, FASHION NEWS DIRECTOR, "INSTYLE" MAGAZINE: Oscar de la Renta was the ultimate diplomat for American fashion. He was among the generation of designers in post-war America who really came out from the back rooms and put their own names on the label.

CARROLL: Originally from the Dominican Republic, de la Renta moved to New York in 1965, launching his own label and stitching his way into America's history forever.

OSCAR DE LA RENTA, DESIGNER: I am an unbelievable, lucky man. I live in the best country that any human being can live.

CARROLL: Though he had a reputation of dressing New York socialites, de la Renta also dressed every first lady since Jacqueline Kennedy. Hillary Clinton wore one of his gowns to Bill Clinton's second inauguration. As did Laura Bush for George W. in 2005. Even the current first lady, Michelle Obama, could not escape the sultan of suave, donning her first de la Renta just this month.

DE LA RENTA: I see it as a compliment to woman in the United States we want to be proud of our first lady of how she looks.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CARROLL: Again, Oscar de la Renta was 82. He is survived by his wife, a son, and three stepchildren. Aside from his designs, those who knew him say he was always kind, always graceful, a true legend.

CAMEROTA: That's great. I love looking at those dresses. I could look at them all morning, they're beautiful.

CARROLL: Yes. I think a lot of women feel the same way. Absolutely.

CAMEROTA: Thanks so much. Thanks, Jason. Good to see you.

CARROLL: You bet.

CAMEROTA: Let's go over to Michaela.

MICHAELA PEREIRA, CNN ANCHOR: All right, here we go with the five things that you need to know for your new day. I almost forgot what day it was.

All right, at number one, we start with Oscar Pistorius, sentenced to five years in prison for killing his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp. But there is a chance he could only serve 10 months because the law he was punished under.

The CDC has new Ebola protocols. Trained monitors must now observe health care workers putting on and taking off protective gear that must now cover from head to toe with no skin exposed.

Jesse Matthew, the chief suspect in the disappearance of University of Virginia college student Hannah Graham is now facing three felony charges for the 2005 rape, abduction, and attempted murder of another woman in Fairfax, Virginia.

After two previous tries, representatives of Hong Kong's government are finally meeting with pro-democracy student leaders. There's little hope of a breakthrough since both sides have really dug in their heels over how to handle the 2017 vote.

Baseball's fall classic begins tonight in Kansas City. Should be a nice evening there with the National League champion San Francisco Giants meeting the American League champs, Kansas City Royals. That will be game one in the World Series. Tune in. Don't miss it.

We always update those five things to know, so be sure to visit newdaycnn.com for the very latest.

It's time to turn it over to Indra Petersons, who's taking a look at the forecast for us.

I understand a nor'easter potentially here?

INDRA PETERSONS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes, pretty much, Michaela. It's going to be anywhere from the Mid-Atlantic to the Northeast over the next several days. You're going to be talking about one thing, and that is rain and a lot of it. We have the set up. We have that cold air that's already made its way in. But we're also going to be watching a low that's going to be developing overnight tonight right along the eastern seaboard.

So you can actually see that cold pool of air. Look at places like Chicago, another 10 degrees cooler today. Highs there just into the 50s. So that's just one side of the equation. The other side of it, again, is this low that's going to start developing. Notice all of the systems, even the rain and the wind that's already kind of bringing a lot of showers in through the area. Well, once you have that low develop, you're going to be looking at the potential for even some stronger wind out there. So, of course, that's going to enhance the rainfall that we're going to be looking at, especially right along that coastline.

So, here we go. Three to five inches of rain. That's what we're going to be talking about. Further down to the south, maybe around the Mid- Atlantic, you'd only be talking about one to two inches of rain. It doesn't sound like much when we talk about day after day of rain, may not be wanting it.

Now, take a look. Here we go. Each day separately. Today, just some light showers. It's overnight tonight that you see that low develop. So that's where you see the enhanced amount of wind there. Of course, an enhanced amount of rainfall by tomorrow. You're still going to be talking about it. Winds, by the way, they could be gusting up to even about 50 miles per hour. So what you see today, just that light rain, not the story quite yet. And tomorrow you'll feel the difference.

CAMEROTA: That's unpleasant, thank you.

PETERSONS: Yes, you're welcome.

CAMEROTA: Thanks for that, Indra.

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: It's good. Bad today, worse tomorrow, thanks.

CAMEROTA: Perfect. Great to see you.

Well, the suspect in the disappearance of the University of Virginia student Hannah Graham just indicted for allegedly attempting to murder a woman nearly a decade ago. We'll tell you those details and if police think Jesse Matthew is involved in even more crimes.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) CUOMO: So we have new charges against Jesse Matthew. He is the man suspected in the disappearance of University of Virginia student Hannah Graham. Matthew has now been charged with the 2005 attempted murder, abduction, and rape of a 26-year-old woman.

We also now know that that case has a DNA link to a third case, the disappearance of another college student, Morgan Harrington. Officials say forensic evidence connects Matthew to Harrington's case, but no charges related to her killing yet.

We're going discuss that now and other perspective on this with Coy Barefoot. He is the host and executive producer of "Inside Charlottesville," as well as an investigative journalist closely following these cases. He's joining us this morning from Virginia.

Coy, thank you for joining us.

Understanding the community the way you do, proximity plays a role here. Give us a map diagram of where each of these cases and disappearances and discoveries have been made, and what it means to you.

COY BAREFOOT, HOST & EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, "INSIDE CHARLOTTESVILLE": Sure. Well let's begin with the night that Hannah Graham went missing. That was in the early morning hours of Saturday, September 13th. I spoke with an eyewitness who was the last person to remember seeing Hannah, and that was on Charlottesville's downtown mall in the heart of the city. Police believe that they discovered Hannah's remains exactly five weeks to the day after she went missing, 11 and a half miles south of town in a very rural, heavily wooded area in Albemarle County.

Hannah's remains are believed to have been found five miles from where Morgan Harrington's remains were found. Morgan went missing five years ago this past weekend. She was last seen here in Charlottesville, October 17, 2009. A 20-year-old Virginia Tech student who had come to Charlottesville to see a Metallica concert. She was found in late January of 2010.

Police have confirmed that Jesse Matthew is linked to both of these cases. And Morgan's case is also linked by DNA to the case in Fairfax. That is September 24, 2005. A woman was brutally raped and nearly beaten to death and police announced yesterday in Fairfax that Mr. Matthew has been charged with the abduction, the rape, and attempted capital murder in that case.

Capital murder is heightened murder. That is murder that is committed and the act of actually committing another felony, in this case, rape. Police believe than Mr. Matthew is linked to all three of these cases.

CUOMO: Now, we have not heard about charges, even though there's a DNA link. That will be confusing to people because usually we see DNA as the home run of forensics. But there's a little bit of a game afoot here with police with Matthew, right? They're trying to get information. So what do you think that suggests that no charges yet? BAREFOOT: Well, take a moment and think like a lawyer. I'm not one,

but let's do that just for a moment. The attorneys in this case, the Commonwealth of Virginia, believes that the Fairfax case is a much stronger case. The DNA of the perpetrator that was retrieved at the scene was found on the victim. The DNA that was retrieved in Morgan's case four years later was found on her shirt. The shirt that she was wearing that night, which was found not far from where she disappeared, but the shirt was found about eight miles from where her remains were recovered. So they do not have any DNA on Morgan's remains. They found it on her shirt. That does not mean that that is not the DNA of the perpetrator, it just means that the DNA that was discovered in the Fairfax case in 2005 makes that a much stronger case, and so that's what the charges were announced yesterday.

CUOMO: And also, obviously, if you have a murder charge, that may give you more leverage with Matthew in terms of what you can get him to cop to because, as I understand it, and please fill in the blanks for us, Coy, there's a concern about how many cases could be involved here, right? There are plenty of open cases of missing and potential homicides.

BAREFOOT: There absolutely is. And my law enforcement sources are telling me that this case and the story of Jesse Matthew could get a lot bigger. And for those who are outside of the area, understand that Virginia has independent cities, separate from counties, which makes for all different judicial systems here. So we have a city court system and a county court system which means he could be seen in ultimately up to three different court municipalities here in Virginia. And in many ways this is just a prolog to a long story.

CUOMO: Any early word on the confidence that the forensisists (ph) have with the remains they found that may be Hannah Graham?

BAREFOOT: So these remains, of course, were announced on Saturday, just a few days ago. The sources that I'm talking to, the guys who were out there at the scene, there is no one who was there that doesn't believe that they have found the remains of Hannah Graham. And certainly Police Chief Tim Longo with the city of Charlottesville made that very clear at his press conference on Saturday that they believe they do have found finally where Hannah Graham -- where her remains were left. The remains have been taken to the medical examiner's office in Richmond where a full autopsy will be done and a confirmed identification we're expecting any time now.

CUOMO: Right, they have DNA analysis and what's called a forensic anthropologist working on it to get the best ID and any suggestion of evidence that they can.

We also understand that the preliminary hearing, or one of them, for Mr. Matthew, has been pushed back. We'll have to figure out what that's about. Please stay with us, Coy

Barefoot, going forward on this. Let us know, your information is good as anybody's, so we look forward to talking to you again.

BAREFOOT: Thank you so much.

CUOMO: Alisyn.

CAMEROTA: Alright, Chris. Here's a question for you. Is Mitt Romney running for president again? Newt and Callista Gingrich give us their thoughts on a possible Romney re-do and their new project.

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CAMEROTA: Welcome back to NEW DAY. A tiny elephant named Ellis has been exploring important events in American history, and in his latest adventure, he gets to go with Lewis and Clark on a journey of discovery. The book is called "From Sea to Shining Sea," it's written by Callista Gingrich, and Newt and Callista Gingrich join us now. Great to see you guys.

CALLISTA GINGRICH, AUTHOR: Nice to see you.

CAMEROTA: So, this is your fourth book, Callista, what is Ellis up to in this one?

C. GINGRICH: Well, in my fourth book, "From Sea to Shining Sea," Ellis the elephant discovers a growing nation and the great expedition of Lewis and Clark. And I write these books because I love America, and I believe America is truly an exceptional nation, and I think it's more important now than ever that our children understand what makes this country so special.

CAMEROTA: And so, do you think that there is something inadequate happening with American history in schools that you need to supplement?

C. GINGRICH: I do, unfortunately many of our students today are failing to learn American history, including our founding principles and values and instead learning revisionist or politically correct history. So, we really need to give our kids the tools they need at an early age so they can begin to appreciate the greatness of this nation.

CAMEROTA: Newt, why do you think that is? Why do you that think kids are not learning American history as much as - -?

NEWT GINGRICH, POLITICIAN: I think we went through a long period where a lot of academics didn't appreciate America and they didn't typically want to teach things. The numbers are, Callista knows it better than I do, but the numbers are stunning. You go out and ask whether fourth graders, eighth graders, twelfth graders, basic things about America, they just don't know. They don't know with why George Washington matters, they don't know why the constitution matters, and it's worrisome because it becomes almost like amnesia for a whole country.

CAMEROTA: And American history is particularly important, it's always important, but it's particularly important now with the fight against ISIS and what's going on in the Middle East. I find myself having to explain to my second grader and fourth graders, what ISIS stands for and how that's different than what America stands for, and what America was founded on. It keeps coming up because the news sort of forces it to come up, but this is a much more accessible way to have your talk about it with kids.

C. GINGRICH: Right, well, you know, a lot of people ask me why an elephant. But, when you have children, they need a unique character to capture their attention, and that's why we have chosen a main character Ellis the elephant.

CAMEROTA: Have you ever considered sending a donkey on a trip?

C. GINGRICH:

(LAUGHTER)

C. GINGRICH: But these books are really about patriotism and our nation's humble beginnings. They're not been meant to be Republican books or conservative books, but pro-American books, and I really hope many families will see them as a celebration of our patriotism and of our nation.

CAMEROTA: Absolutely, they're really charming. I did get a chance to read it to my kids, it is totally accessible, there's not an agenda, say, it's just sort of the facts about the founding of America and the Lewis and Clark expedition.

But let's talk about politics for one second. So, we've been talking about Mitt Romney. He seems to be involved still, some people are clambering for him to get more involved in 2016. Do you think he's going to run again?

N. GINGRICH: I think that's entirely up to him. He clearly has a national base and a national (inaudible). It's very good for the Republicans that Mitt has been this involved. He has helped raise money, he's gone out for campaigns, he didn't have to. And so I think in that sense, in terms of what happens election day, Mitt Romney's making a positive contribution.

CAMEROTA: But his wife is not interested.

C. GINGRICH: That's what we hear.

CAMEROTA: I mean, she seems to be pretty declarative and definitive, I should say, about that. She has said we're done, done, done. And, of course, it has to be a family decision.

C. GINGRICH: That's right. Campaigns are long and hard, they've done it twice, they've made their contributions, and I'm sure they feel they want to move forward.

CAMEROTA: Jeb Bush? Do you think - -?

N. GINGRICH: Look, Jeb is a possibility. I try to tell people, there are many runners and no front runners. You're going to get, I think, potentially Governor Christie, Governor Kasich of Ohio, Governor Walker of Wisconsin, Governor Perry of Texas, Governor Bush of Florida, Governor Jindal from Louisiana.

You have a couple of senators who could run in - - People like Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz, Rand Paul. We're going to have a huge field at the beginning, maybe the most open Republican nomination since 1940. Jeb certainly would be formidable, as would Mitt, if they decide to run, but there will be a lot of players. Paul Ryan could decide to run. There'll be a lot of players out there this year, more than we have normally.

CAMEROTA: And what do you think is going to happen in the midterms?

N. GINGRICH: Do you want to go for it?

C. GINGRICH: I think in the House, we'll keep it, we'll likely gain six to 12 seats. I think in the Senate, it looks like we may gain the majority with an increase of six to eight, but it's not over until it's over and an election cycle is long and hard. Two weeks out is an eternity in an election cycle, so everybody has to keep working very hard, and it's not over until it's over.

CAMEROTA: You're so right. Callista and Newt, great to see you guys. The book again, "From Sea to Shining Sea." Thanks so much for sharing it with us. Great to talk to you guys. Let's go back to Chris.

CUOMO: Alright, I better get a copy of that book, it's always one of the perks of being on the show. So, we do have some new information for you, chilling details about a possible serial killer in Indiana. So far, seven victims found, and the question is, could there be even more? Stay with us.

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CAMEROTA: Hello.

CUOMO: It's actually hello baby, right? Time for the Good Stuff. Today, it is the good, good, Good Stuff because our NEW DAY family just keeps getting bigger. Listen to this, over the weekend, three NEW DAY babies were born. Senior producer Paulina Gigante and her husband Rich had a little girl on Friday. The name Dominika, Nika we're calling her, Luciana Gigante. A nice Irish name. Came in at seven pounds, 13 ounces. Mom and Nika doing great.

PEREIRA: Yay, Paulina.

CUOMO: Of course we love them. All the best to them.

We also have twins.

PEREIRA: Yipee.

CUOMO: My senior producer, my man, John Griffin and his wife Ally had two boys on Saturday, Jack and Bobby. Not named after the Kennedy's, but after his grandfathers. Though, he is Irish so maybe he did go a little bit that way. Jack, six pounds 12 ounces. Bobby, six pounds, five ounces. Came a little early, because team Cuomo is always early. So, they're in the NICU, but they and mom are doing just fine. Congrats to them. Booze is on the way to both households.

PETERSONS: We're so thrilled for all of you. PEREIRA: So cute. Congrats.

CUOMO: No better blessing than a healthy baby, so great, great news for all the families involved, especially the NEW DAY family.

Also, a reminder for you. Speaking of good news, you get to see some more Michaela. Our CNN "ROOTS" special tonight at 9:00 Eastern. Michaela and a man known as Anderson Cooper will he hosting it. Alright, so we have that tonight.

Right now a lot of news for you to be updated on, so let's get you right to the "NEWSROOM" and Ms. Carol Costello.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Thanks a lot, and congrats to everyone, and I'm not drinking the water anywhere near your set.

CAMEROTA: Be careful, Carol.

COSTELLO: I know. Have a great day.