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New Day Sunday

Remains Found in Search for Missing Student; Dallas Lab Worker on Cruise Ship Asymptomatic; North and South Korea Exchange Fire

Aired October 19, 2014 - 08:00   ET

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

CHRISTI PAUL, CNN ANCHOR: Some good stuff there.

All righty. Good morning to you. I'm Christi Paul. Glad to have you with us.

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Victor Blackwell. Eight o'clock here on the East Coast.

PAUL: Yes, we want to begin in Charlottesville, Virginia, this morning. Police are now calling off the search for missing UVA student Hannah Graham. Investigators say that they found human remains yesterday on an abandoned property just eight miles from where the 18-year-old disappeared.

BLACKWELL: Graham was last seen on surveillance cameras in downtown Charlottesville after leaving dinner with friends. Now, the body still needs to be identified, but investigators say they have notified Graham's parents.

CNN's Jean Casarez has more.

Jean, good morning.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEAN CASAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Christi and Victor. It was five weeks ago this weekend that University of Virginia sophomore Hannah Graham went missing from the downtown Charlottesville mall. It was after that the largest search in Virginia's history began.

That search has gone from a missing person's investigation to a death investigation. Police are saying that it was during a routine search on Saturday that a team of volunteers, along with law enforcement, began searching and abandoned property in the county outside of Charlottesville.

CHIEF TIMOTHY LONGO, CHARLOTTESVILLE POLICE: Countless of hours, thousands of hours have been spent by literally hundreds of law enforcement and civilian volunteers in an effort to find Hannah. And we think perhaps today proved their worth. A search team from the Chesterfield County Sheriff's Department was searching an abandoned property along old Lynchburg Road in Southern Albemarle County when they discovered what appears to be human remains.

CASAREZ: Shortly after that, the Charlottesville police called the parents of Hannah Graham. At this point, the remains have not been identified. That will be the job of the medical examiner who will perform an autopsy to try to determine the cause and manner of death. The cause of death may be difficult because of the length of time that has passed.

The University of Virginia sophomore was last seen on surveillance video in the early morning hours of September 13th, walking throughout parts of downtown Charlottesville. She had gone to dinner with friends that night but then appeared to be lost.

Video also shows a man police believe to be 32-year-old Jesse Matthew, Matthew appears to be walking behind Graham and then shortly before she vanishes, appears to have his arm around her. It took 40 hours before Hannah was reported missing but once that happened, an all-points bulletin went out to find her. Every single day in the last five weeks, volunteers, professional search and rescue personnel, along with law enforcement tried to find the college student but nothing. No sign of Graham.

Matthew walked into the local police department with his family a week after she disappeared, asked for a lawyer, got one, but then left without talking. He was found days later on a beach in Galveston, Texas.

Now back in Virginia, he is currently charged with the abduction of Hannah Graham with the intent to defile and sits in the county jail without bond. No word on how long it will take to identify the remains but if they are those of Hannah Graham, Jesse Matthew could be facing a murder charge -- Christi, Victor.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLACKWELL: Jean Casarez, thank you so much.

PAUL: I want to talk about this via phone with UVA professor and radio host Coy Barefoot. He is someone who really knows the Charlottesville community quite well. He's been following the case.

Coy, thank you for being with us. First of all, I just wanted to clarify, in Jean's piece, she says this was characterized as a routine search.

Is there any indication that Matthew provided any information that led them to this area?

COY BAREFOOT, UVA PROFESSOR & RADIO HOST (via telephone): At this point, there is not. We don't know for sure at this point if he said anything that may have tipped the search team to want to go back and look in that area again. I know that they have searched that area more than once.

And just so folks know, this is about eight to 10 miles directly south of downtown Charlottesville, out into a very rural, heavily wooded area, old Lynchburg Road is a two-lane country road that winds through the woods, up and down the hills, moving straight south out of town. That is actually the part of the county where Jesse Matthew grew up. They found the remains of what is believed to be Hannah Graham only five miles from where Morgan Harrington was found back in January of 2010.

This is a strange, sad anniversary of sorts. It was exactly five weeks ago to the day when Hannah went missing and it was five years ago when Morgan Harrington went missing here in Charlottesville. She was abducted and brutally murdered. And both the remains of these young women were found in the exact same part of the county, out in a very rural area, south of town. The remains that were discovered, that are believed to be Hannah Graham, I can tell you the sources I've talked to who are on the scene, there is no one who was involved in the search who was down there who doesn't believe at this point that it's the remains of Hannah Graham.

But we are going to, of course, wait until that is confirmed by the medical examiner in Richmond. They've already begun the work. But I can tell you, the guys on the search team told me that they absolutely believe it was Hannah. The remains were discovered in a dry creek bed behind -- I've been told two to three empty buildings.

So, if you picture an old abandoned house, maybe an abandoned barn, perhaps an abandoned garage, two to three buildings, it was found back behind those buildings off of old Lynchburg Road, this country road, south of Charlottesville. The remains were found, again, in a dry creek bed and I don't want to get into too much detail here, but just please know that all that was found were bones and some clothing.

And, of course, this just leaves all of us here in Charlottesville. It's a strange feeling of relief and sadness but also anger that these young women were stolen from us and robbed from this community. And then whoever did this just left them there on the ground. It really is gut-wrenching.

PAUL: Coy Barefoot there for us -- thank you so much for giving us such detail this morning and certainly keeping both of these families in our thoughts today. Thank you, Coy.

BAREFOOT: Thank you so much.

BLACKWELL: Another story we're keeping close watch on, the Ebola scare on a Carnival cruise ship.

PAUL: Yes, the Carnival Magic, it did arrive in Galveston, Texas, a little bit earlier this morning and health officials say a passenger aboard who self-quarantined herself for days does not have Ebola symptoms. The passenger works as a lab worker and may have handled lab specimens of Thomas Eric Duncan.

BLACKWELL: You know, he died of Ebola earlier this month at a Dallas hospital. His mother and other relatives attended a memorial for the Liberian man, that was yesterday. His nephew says Duncan always helped others. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOSEPH WEEKS, DUNCAN'S NEPHEW: I would like him to be remembered as that kind of person, as compared to the person that brought, you know, this disease to America. He didn't know he was sick.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: The Texas hospital where Duncan died and where two nurses who treated him then got Ebola is publicly apologizing again.

CNN's Nick Valencia is in Dallas.

Nick, what is the hospital saying this time?

NICK VALENCIA, CNN NATIONAL REPORTER: Well, in summation, Victor, they're saying they're sorry and that they'll do better. This letter being published in two major newspapers, including "The Dallas Morning News". They're calling it "A Letter to the Community", published by the CEO of Texas Health Resources, which owns this hospital that we're at here.

I want to read part of this letter here. It says, "Based on what we already know, I can tell you that many of the theories and allegations being presented in the media do not align with the facts stated in the medical record and the accounts of caregivers who are present on the scene. We have remained committed to complying with CDC guidelines from the start. We believe our procedures complied with the CDC Ebola guidelines and our staff implemented them diligently."

Now, as you know, both Victor and Christi, there's been no shortage of criticism for Presbyterian Hospital, both inside and outside the hospital.

Earlier this week, Anderson Cooper spoke to one of the nurses inside Texas Presbyterian who was critical of how this hospital handled it. She said her own neck was exposed briefly to the Ebola virus. She said she wasn't given the appropriate personal protective equipment. And she says that this hospital was underprepared to handle this unprecedented virus at their door step -- Victor.

BLACKWELL: Also, Nick, we're hearing that the Dallas lab worker who was on that Carnival Magic, the ship that came into Galveston this morning does not have Ebola symptoms. Do we know if this worker has been allowed to disembark?

VALENCIA: We don't know her status right now, Victor. We don't -- actually, we haven't seen those lab test results. The Galveston County health official saying that a preliminary public health assessment of this lab supervisor who may have come into contact with one of the specimens of Thomas Eric Duncan was asymptomatic for the Ebola virus. She's past the 21-day incubation period set by the CDC guidelines. We don't know exactly where she is right now.

But as you mention that Carnival cruise ship docked at the port of Galveston around 5:40 this morning. It turned into a really big political football. She was on the Carnival cruise ship. The U.S. State Department tried to extract her by air, asking for help by the Belize government. The Belize government declined that request by the U.S. State Department, closing its borders, so that cruise ship had to make its way back to the port rather than being airlifted out.

Those blood samples, there was a doctor on board that cruise ship. She was screened. Those blood samples were retrieved by the U.S. Coast Guard earlier. They extracted those by hoisting down a basket and picking those up.

So far, that public health assessment, according to Galveston Health County officials, asymptomatic for the lab supervisor -- Victor, Christi.

BLACKWELL: All right. We'll wait for the official results.

Nick Valencia, thank you so much.

VALENCIA: You bet.

BLACKWELL: We're hearing more details about the shooting death of an unarmed teenager with be Michael Brown. Why some residents of Ferguson say why a new account has been released to try to justify Brown's killing.

PAUL: And you might want to get ready to ditch your wallet. Apple is about to make purchasing the latest gadgets a whole lot easier.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PAUL: Fourteen minutes past the hour.

I want to make you aware of something we're just learning here, North and South Korea apparently exchanging gunfire this morning.

BLACKWELL: Apparently, it started after a group of North Korean soldiers approached the demarcation along the demilitarized zone there.

CNN's Paula Hancocks joins us by phone from Seoul, South Korea.

Paula, explain how this happened, because I understand there were two breaches or incursions overnight?

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (via telephone): Well, Christi and Victor, yes. This happened early Sunday morning local time. So, this is Saturday evening your time.

Ten North Korean soldiers approached the military demarcation line in this very heavily fortified border. There were warning broadcasts given by the South Koreans. Of course, we only have the South Korean defense ministry point of view. There were warning shots fire the by the South Koreans. And then a little later, they found some North Korean shells by one of their guard posts. They fired back once again.

And according to the South Koreans, there were no casualties, there was no damage. We don't know about the North Korean side. But this is just another indication of how quickly things can escalate on the peninsula.

Just nine days ago, there was quite a serious shooting and exchange of fire across the DMZ. A few days before that, there was an exchange of fire at sea between North and South Korean boats. So, certainly, there is a concern there could be a misstep somewhere along the way. But this has been happening for some time.

And then just to show how hot and cold both sides are blowing at this point, there have been military talks between North and South Korea. This was just Wednesday last week. Both sides actually sat down at the table opposite each other at a border village and discussed the military concerns that they had.

Now, no agreements were made at that meeting but just the fact that both sides are sitting down across the table shows that they are willing to talk, both north and South Korea. But of course on a more practical level, you do every so often have these skirmishes. And recently over the past couple of weeks, we've seen a number of these -- Christi, Victor.

PAUL: Paula, you know the intricacies so well. There was talk about how we hadn't seen North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in so long. Is there any connection with this of the re-appearance of the leader as of late?

HANCOCKS: Well, Christi, it's really difficult to say. It's interesting timing certainly. We've seen a flurry of activity just before Kim Jong-un reappeared. We had a very high level delegation, effectively the number two, three and four in the country, coming down to Seoul, which is basically enemy territory, to talk to the South Koreans. And that was right before Kim Jong-un re-appeared.

So, there are some that say maybe they were trying to take -- deflect attention from the fact that the leader was missing. But he's back now. We've seen many photos, undated, but many photos of him visiting different areas. And just today, we had photos of him visiting a military installation.

So, certainly, North Korea is trying to hammer home the point that they are very strong with that military. But it's very difficult to know whether or not there is a connection with that.

PAUL: All righty. Paula Hancocks, so appreciate the information this morning. Thank you.

BLACKWELL: Thank you, Paula.

You know, people across the country are worried about the Ebola virus, of course. So, is Washington doing enough to prevent the virus and panic from spreading?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLACKWELL: There is serious concern about the Ebola virus across the United States. So, what is Washington doing to help contain the virus? And what may be just as important to avoid panic in the country?

PAUL: It is of course time for our "Political Gut Check" with CNN chief political correspondent Candy Crowley.

Candy, good to see you. So, what do you think, has Ebola rattled -- the Ebola scare rattled the public's trust in the government?

CANDY CROWLEY, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's rattled the public. I mean, it's almost two different questions. There was a "Washington Post" poll out four or five days ago that said, 43 percent of Americans thought that either they or a family member might catch Ebola or might get the Ebola virus.

But then when you ask, do you trust the government? Do you think they can handle this? Sixty-two percent of Americans in this same poll said, yes, we've got a lot of or some confidence in the federal government to handle this. It really differed whether you're a Republican or Democrat. Democrats much more likely to say, hey, we're in, we're confident they can handle it.

It's also a different question to ask, how do you think the president is handled it? There's not been a lot of polling on that so far. And that question may be more relevant to the upcoming midterms than the overall government, the question, how do you think the president is doing?

BLACKWELL: So, let's talk about the selection of Ron Klain as the colloquially named Ebola czar. Will he really help to alleviate some of these concerns do you think? Or is he just an excuse to further politicize this?

CROWLEY: Well, both -- it might be both. I mean, the truth is, the White House says, look, this is a guy that can organizationally put things together so that everyone seems to be talking with one voice. We know what the CDC is doing, and NIH can connect with local hospitals and sort of spearhead what's going on.

So, organizationally, he may just help but that in turn, if that shows up in the headlines, for instance, that's going to help people feel more confident. But it is also, of course, already entered the political realm.

Senator Ted Cruz, my guest in the next hour, is among the many Republicans who are looking at 2016 and who took out after the Ron Klain appointment saying this is a political hack. This is a non- serious appointment designed to help the president with messaging, not designed to help the problem.

BLACKWELL: All right. Ted Cruz coming up, the exclusive this weekend. Always leaving headlines after these interviews.

Candy Crowley, thank you so much.

PAUL: Thanks, Candy.

CROWLEY: Thanks.

BLACKWELL: State here for "STATE OF THE UNION WITH CANDY CROWLEY", starts at the top of the hour, 9:00 a.m. Eastern, right here on CNN.

PAUL: And this morning, witness accounts of the Michael brown shooting are being called into question after this "New York Times" report reveals new details about what happened that night. Why some say it's just an attempt to justify the unarmed teen's killing.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PAUL: Welcome back to NEW DAY.

I want to get you caught up on the "Morning Read".

BLACKWELL: All right. Let's go to Ferguson, Missouri, where residents there say they are very suspicious of new details emerging regarding the shooting death of unarmed teenager Michael Brown. It's all over a "New York Times" report that gives Officer Darren Wilson's version of what happened when he encountered the teen in August. Critics say Wilson's account contradicts witness reports and is only being released because a St. Louis County grand jury is now leaning toward not indicting the officer.

PAUL: Investigators say a woman in eastern Pennsylvania may have spotted this accused cop killer, Eric Frein. She may have done so near his former high school. She couldn't make a positive ID, though, because the man's face was covered in mud and he was also said to be carrying a rifle. Frein is known, remember, as a survivalist who's been on the run for weeks at this point.

BLACKWELL: In business, tomorrow is the day. That's when Apple rolls out Apple Pay for iPhone 6 users. More than 220,000 retail locations are ready to accept the mobile payment system. So, you can leave your credit cards and your cash at home. Apple's promising security will be top of the line.

PAUL: They use fingerprints. You know, it could work, right?

BLACKWELL: Let's hope it works.

PAUL: Let's be hopeful, yes.

Go make some great memories today.

BLACKWELL: "INSIDE POLITICS WITH JOHN KING" starts right now.