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Unruly Passenger Forces Plane to Land; Robert Durst Charged with First-Degree Murder; Obama 'Embarrassed' for GOP Over Iran Letter; Huge Turnout Expected in Israeli Elections. Aired 7-7:30a ET

Aired March 17, 2015 - 07:00   ET

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

RENE MARSH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: All right. Well, this violent ordeal midair, it ended up grounding that flight overnight.

<07:00:11> But the airline says that they hope to get the passengers to their destination, Denver, this morning.

Back to you, Alisyn.

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: OK, Rene, thanks so much for that.

Now to a fascinating crime case and an update. Real estate heir, Robert Durst, facing criminals charges in two cities, including Los Angeles, where he faces first-degree murder for a cold case involving the death of his close friend, 15 years ago. But prosecutors in New Orleans saying not so fast.

CNN's Miguel Marquez following all the developments for us -- Miguel.

MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Not so fast indeed. He was found with a .38 revolver and marijuana in his hotel room so that he will be in custody in Louisiana, facing charges there. He may be in court later today to deal with those charges. This as we're still awaiting extradition. His lawyer says that he's not -- that he's not fighting extradition and wants to go to Los Angeles over what has become now the interview. That famous interview in the HBO series, "Jinx," where he apparently admits in the bathroom after being confronted with evidence over the 2000 death of Susan Berman, a long-time friend of his, where he appears to admit to not only that murder, but perhaps several murders.

The big question now for prosecutors is whether or not he could, whether that admission constitutes an admission and whether or not a jury will ever hear it -- Michaela.

MICHAELA PEREIRA, CNN ANCHOR: So many questions. All right, Miguel. Thank you for that.

With us now, Cathy Scott. She is an investigative journalist and author of two books about this case. The book is called "Murder in Beverly Hills" and "Murder of a Mafia Daughter: The Life and Tragic Death of Susan Berman."

Cathy, thanks so much for joining us so bright and early in San Diego, I know. First of all... CATHY SCOTT, AUTHOR: You're welcome. Thank you.

PEREIRA: ... I want to get your sense of this man. You've dug into this case and into this story. What's your sense of him?

SCOTT: I think he's crazy as a fox. I mean, he thinks, you know -- he thinks he's the smartest person in the room; and he thinks he can bamboozle everybody and get away with murder. I mean, it's amazing. He brags about lying. He's very good at lying. And he can't be trusted. You know, and I think he's a dangerous man; and I'm glad he's off the street.

PEREIRA: Yes, maybe the jig may be up now. I'm curious: We see that investigators have found marijuana, a gun, a whole lot of cash in his hotel room there in New Orleans. How close do you think he was to actually maybe getting away again?

SCOTT: Well, you know, the feds arrested him, and the word is that, you know, he was about to leave the country. He must have had a passport with him. That's his M.O. He goes on the lam. And then he just goes around and, you know, is a menace to somebody else's community.

But because you know, he has odd behavior. But he's, it's almost like he's a functioning sociopath. It's scary. But he gets, you know -- did you hear what he did in court yesterday when he appeared?

PEREIRA: No. Tell us.

SCOTT: He spoke to the judge and then he turned around and looked at the gallery, everybody in the courtroom; and he smiled at them all. He thinks he's crazy as a fox. He thinks he can get away with this, too, I guess.

PEREIRA: So the people around him, what have they said? I'm curious. Family, acquaintances, neighbors? What have they -- well, we know one neighbor ended up dead.

SCOTT: Yes.

PEREIRA: But what do people, what do they say about their interactions with this man?

SCOTT: Well, people -- people who were friends with Susan and knew Durst. And then I spoke to one of Susan's cousins on Sunday morning. And he knew Durst. You know, Durst gave her away at her wedding, and he went to the wedding. And Susan would invite the cousin to Christmas -- to Thanksgiving dinner; and Bobby would be there.

And he said he always gave him -- he was always aloof. He said there was something odd about him. He never felt good about him. And he talked to Susan about it. And she goes, "Oh no, that's just -- that's just Bobby. He's just eccentric."

You know, he would go and sit -- he told me on Sunday morning, he would go and sit, Bobby would, when everybody was around and wouldn't talk.

PEREIRA: Wow.

SCOTT: And it's because he thought he was smarter than everybody.

PEREIRA: OK, so...

SCOTT: It's almost like an entitlement. You know.

PEREIRA: He thought he was smarter than everybody. Yet now as we watch these pieces sort of fall into place. For example, the letter, the handwriting sample. So there's this letter that he wrote to Susan Berman, and then the letter that was sent to the LAPD, leading them to Susan Berman's body. The word "Beverly" misspelled, spelled in the same handwriting.

So there are points here where he's giving himself away, seemingly. Of course, we don't know how much of this will factor into the case. But you are not surprised by the fact that he's now tripping himself up?

<07:05:15> SCOTT: No, not at all. I mean, he thumbs his nose at everybody. You know, that's basically what he's doing.

And -- and I think he just -- who knows why he -- why he mailed that letter. It actually mailed it to the Beverly Hills police, and he spelled "Beverly" wrong. And he thought she was in Beverly Hills. She was actually in the LAPD's jurisdiction. And of course, it was mailed before she -- her body was discovered. So the kill her to mail it.

But he -- he just sort of thumbs -- thumbs his nose at everybody, because he -- I think some of it, he gets a kick out of it. You know, he's almost become a caricature of himself, don't you think?

PEREIRA: Seemingly so. No, we look back...

SCOTT: He's a billionaire.

PEREIRA: He's a billionaire. He has funds that he can -- somehow manage to help him escape and evade and move around quickly.

1982 until now. That's a long time. They've gotten awfully close. He has faced charges. But many people have been left wondering why this has taken so long. And I know you're among them. Why has it?

SCOTT: Well, yes, I think -- I think people are afraid of him. They're afraid of the power. I mean, when you -- when you've got a district attorney facing trial, and police who are going to, they've investigated it. And they're taking it to trial. And you've got, you know, the dream team of, you know, with a billionaire who can hire the best in the business to represent him. You might not win that case.

And so, they have to weigh that, you know, is it worth it for to us put all of this money into a trial when he's got these top attorneys, the top defense attorneys in the country? And Dick DeGuerin who's representing him, too, is one of them. He got him off in Galveston Bay, you know, for the murder there, on self-defense. He's representing him in this one.

They -- should they go to trial? And that's what they weigh, so sometimes they don't prosecute. You have three jurisdictions, three different cases, and none of them -- none of them indicted him.

PEREIRA: Cathy Scott...

SCOTT: So now they got him because he tripped up himself.

PEREIRA: He tripped himself up. Fascinating case. So great to have your perspective. Thank you so much for sharing your information with us.

Coming up next hour, we're actually going to speak with Ellen Strauss. She is a friend of Robert Durst's first wife, Kathie, that woman who disappeared back in 1982.

What do you think? Should evidence from the documentary, "The Jinx," be admissible in court? Tweet us, @NewDay. Go to Facebook.com/NewDay -- Alisyn.

CAMEROTA: All right. President Obama lashing out at the Senate Republicans who sent that warning letter to Iran. According to a new CNN poll, a majority of Americans think the letter went too far and support the direct negotiations with Iran that are underway in Switzerland.

Our coverage begins with CNN White House correspondent Michelle Kosinski.

What's the latest there, Michelle?

MICHELLE KOSINSKI, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes. And we're seeing a big number of Americans, 68 percent, saying yes, the U.S. should be negotiating with Iran over its nuclear program.

And as for that letter that keeps on giving, signed by 47 Senate Republicans, telling Iran that Congress plays a bigger role than Iran might expect, more Americans, about 49 percent, felt that it went too far.

Listen to what President Obama just said about those who signed it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I'm embarrassed for them, because it's not how America does business. They were effectively making common cause with the hardliners in Iran, who also don't want any kind of diplomatic resolution because they're invested in getting a nuclear weapon.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOSINSKI: This poll also asked who do you have more confidence in, in foreign policy and big issues facing America, the president or Republicans in Congress? And more Americans chose -- the president. About 47 percent. Overall, though, men chose Congress, and about one in ten of those who responded chose the ever-popular -- "neither" -- John.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, neither. I don't know if that's actually a viable option in this case, but Michelle Kosinski, thanks so much.

European officials say nuclear talks with Iran are now in a critical phase, with broad disagreements remaining on several key issues. CNN senior international correspondent Nic Robertson tracking the developments for us.

Good morning, Nic.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, good morning, John.

Well, the foreign minister of Iran, Zarif, sat down with Secretary of State John Kerry this morning, so there was a chance they were going to begin to try to bridge some of those differences. Again, it was a two-hour meeting. They had five hours yesterday.

And after that meeting yesterday, State Department officials said, "Look, now is the time for Iran to take tough and necessary choices." The deadline is looming, the 31st of March. And they're not sure, frankly, that the ground can be covered, that those gaps and differences can be made up.

<07:10:04> ROBERTSON: Zarif, the Iranian foreign minister, for his part, came out of the meeting really seeming positive, indicating that he thought, you know, they had made some gains on the Iranian side. But then he went to Europe, met with the French, German and British foreign ministers.

But a European diplomat talking with Reuters news agency said afterwards, "Yes, we had a long meeting with the Iranians. But those gaps are still big." Significant differences that need to be narrowed that are not being narrowed. The Iranians seem to be trying to put things back on the table that everyone had thought had been taken off, like -- like a uranium processing enrichment facility and a heavy water reactor plant. They seem to be back on the table.

But the State Department saying very clearly, you know, this is like getting a Rubik's Cube solved. You move one piece, and another one moves, and it's not done until it's all done. And that may be a big stretch right now, Michaela.

PEREIRA: Slow, meticulous and important work. All right, Nic, thank you.

Meanwhile in Israel, a huge turnout is expected as people head to the polls to decide Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's political future. Netanyahu now taking a hardline stance on Palestinian statehood as he falls behind in lead-up polls. CNN's Oren Liebermann is live in Jerusalem at a polling station with

the very latest. Busy there?

OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It has been a busy morning here, Michaela. We've seen a lot of people, and we've gotten reports from Israeli election officials that it's been a busy morning across all of Israel.

Voter turn-out running roughly what it was two years ago here, which would be 70 percent. A pretty substantial number, indicative of how important it is.

Netanyahu yesterday playing to right-wing voters, trying to energize the right wing here to makes sure he gets his support, when he said that under his premiership, if he were prime minister again, there would be no Palestinian state. He insists that would allow attacks from that state onto Israel. So he says that simply won't happen.

This morning right after he voted, he also said there's no chance for a unity government. And if you want a right-wing government, you have to vote Likud. So he's trying to energize that right-wing base.

Meanwhile, Isaac Herzog, his main challenger, the leader of the Zionist Union Party, voted about 30 minutes later, and he said, "Look, if you're OK with what's happening now, if you're OK with the economy and the cost of living, then OK, vote Netanyahu. But if you want change, if you want different leadership, if you're looking for a different direction, vote Isaac Herzog."

This is a very close race, Alisyn. Everybody knows how close this race is, all of the politicians and the public. Voter turnout will be huge. And of course, we'll get our first idea of results at 4 p.m. your time.

CAMEROTA: OK. We will be looking forward to those. Oren, thanks so much for that.

Well, President Vladimir Putin flexing his muscles as he emerges from more than a week out of the public eye. Putin ordering his northern fleet to full alert for military drills, putting nearly 40,000 troops in combat readiness mode. His order comes as the U.S. and several NATO countries conduct their own military exercises near Russia's border.

BERMAN: Doctors treating an American healthcare worker infected with Ebola say the patient is now in critical condition. The worker tested positive for the deadly virus while working in Sierra Leone. He's been evacuated to the National Institutes of Health in Maryland.

Ten clinicians who came to the worker's aid were also flown to the U.S. for monitoring. One has developed symptoms but so far has not tested positive for Ebola.

PEREIRA: All right. A life-or-death rescue, caught on a rookie's officer's -- a rookie officer's body camera. Deputy James Collins, who I need to point out, has been on the job for two weeks -- two weeks -- he was the first to arrive at a house fire in Holiday, Florida.

A woman tells him that her daughter was trapped inside the burning home. The deputy, a former Marine and as I mentioned, on the job two weeks, crawls inside, finds the victim in the bedroom. I was really hoping we'd have the video to show you.

CAMEROTA: You're doing such a great job...

PEREIRA: Thank you.

CAMEROTA: ... of telling the story.

PEREIRA: Breaks the window and then safely hands off the woman to a colleague that was outside. And the victim is OK.

BERMAN: It's a dramatic radio story. Even better on TV.

PEREIRA: Thank you. I have a good radio voice.

CAMEROTA: I think next hour we'll show you that story.

PEREIRA: It's for radio.

CAMEROTA: Meanwhile, Iran raising concerns over the letter sent by 47 Republican senators, as President Obama slams the GOP for it. So we are about to speak to someone actively trying to change minds on Capitol Hill about the Iran deal.

PEREIRA: All of that frenzy over Hillary Clinton's emails, well, it's impacting how voters feel about her, according to a new CNN poll. What could that mean for a likely White House bid? John King will sort it all out, "Inside Politics."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OBAMA: Because it's not how America does business. They were effectively making common cause with the hardliners in Iran, who also don't want any kind of diplomatic resolution. Because they're invested in getting a nuclear weapon.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CAMEROTA: That was President Obama, telling Vice News that America with not afford the GOP efforts to undermine nuclear deals with Iran. New polls show a majority of Americans support the ongoing talks.

Let's bring in retired U.S. Army Colonel Lawrence Wilkerson. He's a professor of government and public policy at William and Mary, and the former chief of staff to Secretary of State Colin Powell.

Good morning, Colonel.

COL. LAWRENCE WILKERSON (RET.), PROFESSOR, WILLIAM AND MARY: Good morning, Alisyn. CAMEROTA: Thanks so much for being on NEW DAY.

I understand that something has shifted in your perception over the past 48 hours. Two days ago you did not think a deal would get done, but today you do. So what's changed?

WILKERSON: I think what I'm hearing from both sides, the Iranian side and the permanent five plus one side, Germany and the other members of the permanent five and the U.S., what I'm hearing, the messages I'm getting is that they're very close. They may not be able to forge a final agreement, as it were, but they will be able to put a political chapeau over an agreement and then work out the details in May, June and July. And I think we -- we are closer -- I'd give it a 60/40 now, whereas I was probably the other way before.

CAMEROTA: And what are you hearing, exactly? What do you like about what's in this deal?

WILKERSON: I think what I'm hearing mostly that makes me comfortable is that it is a win-win solution, which I've always thought was the essence of diplomacy. You're never going to get one side absolutely triumphant and the other side absolutely defeated. What you're going to get is a compromise, which is very American, if you think about it.

And that compromise is going to be a deal, if you will, that both sides can take back to their people, to their Majles, their parliament, to our Congress and say, "This is a deal we can all live with and it's better than war." That's a win-win solution, and both sides should feel good about that if it is achieved.

<07:20:15> WILKERSON: Now I hastily add, if it is achieved. Because there's still a lot of obstacles.

CAMEROTA: But at this hour, you like the looks and the sound of this deal. Are you sharing your opinion with your fellow Republicans on Capitol Hill?

WILKERSON: I'm trying to. I'm trying to, as swiftly and as ardently and aggressively as I can. Because the 47 who signed that letter, that you spoke of earlier, or the program spoke of earlier, indicated to me that there is a significant content of my party that is not interested in the deal for what it might offer both sides, our side or whatever. It's interested in killing the deal. That is, murdering the baby in the crib before it's even born.

I hope the Democrats have calculated that themselves. People like Angus King, the independent, for example; Bob Menendez and other Democrats, Tim Kaine, from my own state of Virginia, who's got a really good head on this. I hope they realize that now and that they don't join in any -- in co-sponsoring any congressional legislation that might kill the deal. Because there's a significant number in my party who are after that. There's also a small group, I'm sad to say, that are after war with Iran, period.

CAMEROTA: Have you spoken to any of those 47 Republicans? WILKERSON: I have not in the last few days, anyway. I would like

very much to get in to see Senator Corker of Tennessee, who did not sign the letter, along with six other, in my opinion, moderate Republicans, at least in the sense that they refrained from this very unwise act. And I'd like to talk to them about what killing a deal before it's even born means. I don't think some of them understand the details here.

CAMEROTA: Colonel, I'm curious. You were chief of staff to Colin Powell when he was secretary of state. What would he have done about a letter like this to an adversary?

WILKERSON: I don't think it would have ever happened. That's a very good question.

Colin Powell was constantly in conversation with the Congress, whether it was Dick Luger or Joe Biden at foreign relations, Ted Stevens at appropriations or a host of other people on the Congress -- in the Congress.

Plus, we had an excellent assistant secretary for legislative affairs at the State Department. So this would never have happened. Because we would have been on top of it. We'd have known what was coming, and Powell would have killed it. It's that simple.

CAMEROTA: But I'm curious: is this letter a tempest in a teapot or has it really been an impediment to these negotiations?

WILKERSON: I actually think it's been a help. I do. I think the president treated it rightly. Even though I won't applaud the president for his personality disorders, if you will. I don't think he's capable of working with the Congress, his protestations to the contrary. I don't think he likes working with the Congress at all. So some of this can be laid at his feet.

That said, I do think that Congress has been unwise in the way it's acted. And I think, as I said before, that if people had led the fight to cut that off, and explain to some of the more conscientious Republicans who for some reason signed up to this letter -- and I know a lot of them are regretting it right now -- I think it would have been cut off at the ankles. I don't think it would have ever made it.

CAMEROTA: Interesting. Larry Wilkerson, thanks so much for coming on, and we will look to see if your predictions hold true throughout the day.

WILKERSON: Thank you.

CAMEROTA: Great to see you.

WILKERSON: Thank you for having me, Alisyn.

CAMEROTA: Over to Michaela.

PEREIRA: All right, Alisyn. All eyes on the Israeli election today, especially true at the White House. How will the results affect the future of U.S./Israeli relations? John King breaks it all down, "Inside Politics."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PEREIRA: Happening overnight, a United flight forced to turn back around because of a disruptive passenger who took a run at the cockpit. That plane was headed to Denver. It was forced back to Dulles. The passenger was subdued by other flyers and taken to a hospital for evaluation once that flight landed. The other 38 passengers and crew will head to Denver this morning.

CAMEROTA: Robert Durst formally charged with first-degree murder. The real estate heir accused in the execution-style killing of his close friend, Susan Berman, in 2000. If convicted, he could get the death penalty. Durst, now in custody in New Orleans, may have to face drug and weapons charges there first.

BERMAN: Twenty medical workers in Libya kidnapped by ISIS. A group of more than 30 gunmen attacked a hospital Monday while a bus was waiting to take the workers to the capitol city of Tripoli. CNN has learned that most of the victims are from the Philippines, Ukraine, India and Serbia. Officials believe the terrorists need that staff since they are the only medical team left in that city.

PEREIRA: Hey, remember when I was trying to tells that amazing rescue story a little earlier this morning without any video?

CAMEROTA: Yes.

PEREIRA: Let's try it again.

A life-or-death rescue caught on a rookie officer's body camera. Deputy James Collins had been on the job two weeks, was the first to arrive at a house flyer in Holiday, Florida. An elderly woman tells him her daughter was trapped inside the burning home.

This guy is a former Marine. Again, only on the job two weeks. He crawls inside, is able to locate the victim in a bedroom, breaks a window, and is then able to safely hand her off to his colleague who's waiting outside. The victim thankfully is OK. So you can see why I really wanted the video. It tells the story, as much as I'd like to, you know...

BERMAN: It's very dramatic to see it from the perspective of that cop.

PEREIRA: It really is.

CAMEROTA: I know.

PEREIRA: The body cameras give you a different point of view.

CAMEROTA: Only on the job two weeks? Gosh, I want him to work in my town.

BERMAN: Yes.

PEREIRA: Absolutely.

BERMAN: All right. A lot going on in the world of politics today, today, but today the big election not in this country; in Israel, even though they had big implications here, as well. John King goes "Inside Politics" on NEW DAY -- John.

JOHN KING, CNN CORRESPONDENT/ANCHOR: Mr. Berman, good morning to you.

Alisyn, Michaela, good morning, as well.

Let's go "Inside Politics." With me to share their reporting and their insights this morning, Julie Pace of the Associated Press; Tamara Keith of NPR. It is odd to start "Inside Politics" here in Washington with the Israeli election, but it's very important anyway. Any Israeli election is incredibly important to the United States because of the strategic alliance, because it is a democracy in the messiest neighborhood in the world.

<07:30:03> But this one is personal for President Obama. That's what is fascinating.