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Anderson Cooper 360 Degrees

Laci Peterson's Mother Takes Stand; Hecklers Force White House to Scrap Visit to Canada's Parliament; Is It Time for Annan to Step Down?

Aired November 30, 2004 - 19:00   ET

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

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


ANDERSON COOPER, HOST: Good evening from New York. I'm Anderson Cooper.
Laci Peterson's mother takes the stand and lashes out at the murderer she once called son.

360 starts now.

Bush goes north, but hecklers force the White House to scrap a visit to Canada's parliament. What can thaw our chilly relations with our northern neighbors?

The U.N.'s multibillion-dollar scandal, corruption, payoffs, sweetheart deals. Is it time for Kofi Annan to go?

Scott Peterson fights for his life. The court's in session. The jury has convened. His life is now in their hands.

The killing of Martin Luther King, Jr. Was there just one gunman? Or was there a conspiracy?

The BTK killer, police are asking for your help. Dramatic new details about who he may be, and why he might have done such terrible things.

And is your stress killing you? For the first time, a study shows stress makes the body grow older faster. Tonight, the warning signs you can't ignore.

ANNOUNCER: Live from the CNN Broadcast Center in New York, this is ANDERSON COOPER 360.

COOPER: Good evening, thanks for joining us.

A short time ago, the mother of Laci Peterson stepped down from the witness stand on this, the first day of the penalty phase for Scott Peterson.

The courtroom, riveted, listened as Sharon Rocha's grief and anger poured out. Face to face with the man who murdered her daughter, her unborn grandson, she told the jury, "Every morning when I get up, I cry," and she said that she hoped her daughter didn't know what was happening at the time of her death.

She didn't only talk to the jury, however. She also spoke directly to Scott Peterson, asking him why.

CNN's Ted Rowlands has the latest on a very emotional day in the courtroom. Ted, what was it like?

TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Anderson, Sharon Rocha finished the prosecution's case late today. There were four witnesses from the family. But far and away, Sharon Rocha's testimony was the most emotional. And as you mentioned, at one point she looked directly at Scott Peterson. It was when she was talking about not knowing what was happening. She said, There was someone who knew all along, and screamed at Peterson.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ROWLANDS (voice-over): A number of jurors broke down as Laci Peterson's mother, Sharon Rocha, testified that the first Mother's Day after the murders, she lay on the floor and cried most of the day. In court, Rocha cried out in a loud voice, saying, quote, "She was taken from me. Divorce is always an option, not murder."

Sharon Rocha was one of four family members to testify. Laci Peterson's stepfather, Ron Grantski, said, quote, "Part of our hearts are gone. Nothing will ever be the same."

Her half-sister, Amy Rocha, broke down and sobbed, saying, quote, "I still can't imagine the rest of my life going on without her." Brent Rocha said of his sister, quote, "I've never heard her more excited than the day she called me to tell me she was pregnant. She was going to be a great mother."

In his opening statement, prosecutor Dave Harris told jurors they would learn what it was like for the family to wonder what happened to Laci, with husband Scott, the person who killed her, in their midst. Harris told jurors, quote, "The only appropriate and just penalty is death."

Peterson had no visual reaction during the testimony. His lawyer, Mark Geragos, told the court he'll make his opening statement when the defense case begins.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROWLANDS: And that defense case will begin tomorrow. There was a bit of a delay today. CNN has learned that a bartender in the area was subpoenaed and brought in to talk about potential juror misconduct. It is very unclear what, if any, impact it will have on the case, Anderson.

COOPER: Ted, thanks very much for that from Redwood.

Now, even if Scott Peterson does get the death penalty, he's unlikely to die anytime soon. For the moment, let's put the death penalty ruling in perspective.

No matter what politicians may tell you, California rarely executes prisoners on death row. Six hundred and twenty-eight inmates have been condemned to die in California since it reinstated the death penalty back in 1977. Of those, only 10 have actually been put to death. The last man executed in California, Steven Wayne Anderson, had been on death row for 20 years before he was killed in 2002.

Joining us now from outside the courthouse is Gloria Allred, the attorney for Scott Peterson's former girlfriend, Amber Frey.

Gloria, I know you were in the courtroom today. What was it like when Sharon Rocha was testifying?

GLORIA ALLRED, ATTORNEY FOR AMBER FREY: Oh, it was just so powerful, Anderson. And I -- she was sobbing. Friends and relatives of Laci were in the audience. They were sobbing. It just was riveting.

It -- we saw photos of Laci growing up. Sharon, Laci's mother, was identifying them. Laci, with that beautiful smile, as a cheerleader, at her high school graduation, her first day as a teacher, holding an apple.

And then, of course, we heard what happened. We heard that Laci was murdered, and we heard what effect it had had on Sharon. I mean, the sobs from Sharon were just coming from such a deep place within her. She was talking about how -- when Laci was found, that Laci -- she never thought about what condition Laci would be in. And she wanted the dental records to identify Laci, and then found out that Laci had no head.

And she was talking about how Laci couldn't even hold Conner in the casket, because Laci's body, when found, had no arms, so she couldn't even hold her own baby.

She said why, She didn't deserve to die, and I think that really sums up what Sharon Rocha had to say, what happened has devastated Sharon's entire family and her friends. They will never be the same. It's going to be a nightmare for them the rest of her life. Every Mother's Day, Sharon is going to know that Laci's not there, and Scott Peterson is the reason.

COOPER: You know, Gloria, there were, there are two quotes I saw, the -- of something she said. We're going to put them on the screen. One thing Sharon Rocha said, "There was someone who knew all along where she was. Instead, you just let us go through this every day." Obviously talking to Scott Peterson.

She then apparently yelled at him for leaving her daughter's body in the bay, saying, quote, "You knew she'd be there for all eternity, and you did that to her anyway."

Was it -- it was a mix, then, of both grief and anger directed right toward Scott Peterson.

ALLRED: And I think that probably the family and the members of any murder victim go through the same mix of grief and anger. And Scott just sat there, Anderson, showing no emotion. And actually I looked over to Jackie and Lee, his parents, and I didn't see any tears on their part either.

It, but, you know, this was so horrible. She went through that grief, she went through the anger. She talked about how she couldn't sleep. She was afraid of the nightmares. She was afraid that the phone might ring, and it might be Laci, and she could go to her and she could help her. But, of course, the phone call never came that would help her. Instead, it was the footsteps that came to the door to tell her that the bodies had been found. Very, very moving.

COOPER: All right, Gloria Allred, you've been in court all day. We appreciate you joining us tonight for the details.

ALLRED: Thank you, Anderson.

COOPER: Thanks very much.

Moving on now, President Bush visited our neighbor to the north today. And no doubt a couple of people on the White House staff must have muttered, "O Canada" under their breath at least a couple of times today.

President met with the Canadian prime minister, but a speech to the parliament was called off because of potential hecklers. And in the streets, there were plenty of actual hecklers.

CNN White House correspondent John King has details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN KING, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The demonstrators numbered in the thousands, voicing opposition to the president and to U.S. foreign policy they complained puts war ahead of diplomacy. Mr. Bush passed within a few feet at one point and was defiant when asked about his many critics.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We just had a poll in our country where people decided that the foreign policy of the Bush administration ought to be -- stay in place for four more years.

KING: This two-day visit is designed to put U.S.-Canada relations on a better track after disputes over Iraq and trade issues. So Mr. Bush humorously noted, he also passed some supporters.

BUSH: And I want to thank the Canadian people who came out to wave, with all five fingers, for...

(LAUGHTER)

KING: Mr. Bush briefed Prime Minister Paul Martin on a morning conversation with Poland's president, who is launching a new effort to end the stalemate over Ukraine's disputed election. The Bush administration will not recognize the declared winner because of what it calls widespread fraud. But the president also hopes to avoid a major rift with Moscow, so Mr. Bush was careful when asked about Russian Presidents Putin's call for Western governments to butt out. BUSH: It's very important that violence not break out there, and it's important that the will of the people be heard.

KING: Prime Minister Martin was more direct.

PAUL MARTIN, CANADIAN PRIME MINISTER: But elections within Ukraine have got to be free from outside influence, and that includes Russia.

KING: Mr. Bush also answered critics back home who say he has not leaned hard enough on fellow Republicans blocking passage of the major intelligence reforms recommended by the 9/11 commission.

BUSH: Well, I, I want a bill. Let's see if I can say it as plainly as I can. I am for the intelligence bill.

KING: The president promised to lobby GOP leaders directly when back in Washington later this week.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KING: The demonstrations here were yet another reminder of the very difficult challenge facing Mr. Bush. He heads into his second term looking to mend relationships bruised by the Iraq debate, but opposition to the war and opposition to this president himself still runs very deep in many places, including, Anderson, here, so close to home.

COOPER: And we certainly saw that today. John King, thanks very much, from Ottawa. Appreciate it.

Brief news note on yet another change in the Bush cabinet. Tom Ridge, one-time governor of Pennsylvania, then this country's first director of homeland security, today submitted his resignation to the president, as had been expected, really not a big surprise. Mr. Ridge will stay on in his post until February, or until a successor has been confirmed.

Well, controversy continues to swirl in the United Nations around Kofi Annan's role in the $64 billion Iraqi oil for food program. There's been no direct link of wrongdoing to the secretary general, but disclosures about his son have complicated matters, and some are now asking if it is time for Mr. Annan to go.

CNN senior U.N. correspondent Richard Roth reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RICHARD ROTH, CNN SENIOR U.N. CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's almost three years to the day that Kofi Annan and the United Nations won the Nobel Peace Prize, but the secretary general must now be wondering, why has everyone declared war on them?

Several American critics, no U.N.-lovers to begin with, have called for Kofi Annan to resign. The main reason, the corruption- ridden oil for food program the U.N. ran with Iraq. Many investigations have yet to be completed, but some members of the U.S. Congress feel Annan should be held responsible and are threatening to cut U.N. funding.

REP. JEFF FLAKE (R), ARIZONA: I don't know how you can have this level of mismanagement at the U.N., this big of a scandal, and not say to the man at the top that you had nothing to do with it.

ROTH: Of all things, Kofi Annan has been let down by his own son, Kojo. It turns out he was on the payroll of a Swiss company being examined in the oil for food saga for years longer than even Kofi Annan knew.

KOFI ANNAN, SECRETARY GENERAL, UNITED NATIONS: Naturally, I was very disappointed and surprised, yes.

ROTH: Annan understands there is a perception of a conflict of interest, but says his son is his own man.

FRED ECKHARD, U.N. SPOKESMAN: You can't blame the father for the sins of the son if there are sins of the son.

ROTH: But that's not the only problem for the U.N. chief. U.N. staff announced support for Annan, yet blasted unnamed senior U.N. management for personnel decisions.

Relations with the Bush administration chilled after Annan called the Iraq war illegal and warned against military offensives in Falluja.

(on camera): Kofi Annan spokesmen said, Don't be ridiculous, when asked about resignation talk. No country here has asked for it. Annan has two years left on his second term.

But the results of investigations by separate U.N. and U.S. groups may determine Annan's legacy.

Richard Roth, CNN, the United Nations.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Well, NAACP president Kweisi Mfume steps down. That tops our look at what's happening right now cross-country.

Baltimore, Maryland, after nine years as head of the nation's largest civil rights group, Mfume says he wants to spend more time with his family. He says his job has been done, in his words, and denies that his decision to resign had anything to do with an internal struggle in the group. He'll be replaced by the NAACP's chief lawyer until a successor is named.

Detroit, Michigan, now, a 7-year-old girl is shot to death while sitting on a couch. Police say a drive-by gunman is under arrest, and the shooting was linked to a dispute between two families.

Fort Lauderdale, Florida, now, 10 Cuban men make it to America on a homemade raft. The men said they rowed for days, and their hands were covered with blisters to prove it. Cubans who reach U.S. soil are usually allowed to stay, while most picked up at sea are sent home.

And Kent, Washington, now, a man killed by an exploding lava lamp. That's right. Police say for some reason, the man put his lamp on a hot stovetop, where it blew up, and then a shard of glass pierced his heart. The death was ruled an accident.

That's a look at cross-country tonight.

Note to self, do not put the lava lamp on the stove.

360 next, BTK, the serial killer still on the loose. New clues that may solve this decades-old mystery. And tonight, police are asking for your help, and they're giving out some very specific clues.

Plus, was the U.S. government involved in the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr.? Conspiracy theories floating all over the net. Tonight, we look at the facts. Covering all the angles. Part of our special series, Conspiracy Theories: Truth or Paranoia?

Also tonight, the insanity defense. A middle-school teacher accused of having sex with a 14-year-old student. It's happened again. Find out why her lawyer says she may have been crazy. We'll see.

First, let's take a look at your picks, right now, the most popular stories on CNN.com.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Well, to be found legally insane, a defendant can't know the difference between right and wrong. It is, to say the least, a very high threshold. Now, we've seen that repeatedly in cases around the country. But one some are willing to try this case, especially when the crime seems so outrageous, like this next story involving a teacher accused of having sex with a student.

CNN's Brian Todd reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): She didn't say a word in court, and the lead prosecutor wouldn't give us his gut reaction, but he did tell CNN he wasn't surprised by this statement from Debra LaFave's attorney.

JOHN FITZGIBBONS, DEBRA LAFAVE'S ATTORNEY: I anticipate that in the near future, I will be filing a notice of insanity defense.

TODD: LaFave is facing two counts of lewd and lascivious acts with a child for allegedly having sex with a boy last summer, when she was 23, and he was 14. She was arrested in June, police say, after the boy told his parents they had encounters.

At the time, LaFave was a remedial reading teacher at a middle school near Tampa. The boy attended the school, but was not her student.

Her attorney wouldn't comment when we called for an explanation of the insanity defense. Earlier, he'd told reporters he was gathering her medical records, and there's some work being done by doctors.

FITZGIBBONS: Debby has some profound emotional issues that are not her fault. I think once anyone reads what the doctors have to say, they will understand a lot more about what happened here.

TODD: Police and sheriff's offices in two Florida counties have an idea what happened. They tell CNN LaFave began approaching the boy at various school events earlier this year, and that they began a physical relationship in June.

Authorities say the boy then went on vacation at the home of his cousin north of Tampa in Ocala, Florida, and LaFave followed him. The sheriff's office there told CNN, on at least two occasions they had sex in the back of an SUV while the boy's 15-year-old cousin was driving.

(on camera): Debra LaFave now faces two trials in two Florida jurisdictions, Hillsboro and Marion Counties. If convicted just on the two counties in Hillsboro County, she could face up to 30 years in prison. That trial is scheduled to begin in April. LaFave is now suspended without pay from the Hillsboro County school system, where she had consistently received good evaluations.

Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Well, a new U.S. military offensive is in the works in Afghanistan. That tops our look what's happening around the world in the uplink.

In Kabul, a U.S. general says that thousands of American soldiers are ready to start a new operation against Taliban insurgents. Now, the offensive could begin in about a week, around the inauguration of Hamid Karzai, Afghanistan's first elected president, himself a target for rebel attacks, of course.

Havana, Cuba, now, a dissident writer released from prison. Raul Rivero was among 75 people rounded up in a massive crackdown in March of 2003. His release today comes as the communist country tries to improve its human rights record.

And in Tel Aviv, an Israeli ambassador wanted, and the fight is playing out on reality TV, believe it or not. Sort of like "The Apprentice," but in this case, 14 contenders are vying for a diplomatic assignment. The winner gets an all-expense-paid year working as an Israeli PR liaison in New York.

Tokyo, Japan, now, kimono-clad cops, that's right, women dressed in their finest silks, are on patrol on the streets, joining the fight against crime, accompanied by some gentlemen there. Let's see if that works.

North Island Beach, New Zealand, now, 20 whales rescued return to the sea after they got stranded on the sand. Unfortunately, almost 80 other pilot whales died.

That's a quick look what's happening around the world in the uplink tonight.

And coming up next on 360, a serial killer taunting police with some new tantalizing clues about who he may be. Can you help them track down the vicious murderer? They're looking for your help.

Also tonight, the assassination of Martin Luther King. Was James Earl Ray really the lone killer? We're covering all the angles, part of our special series, Conspiracy Theories: Truth or Paranoia?

And a little later, stressed out and aging faster. The daily grind may be doing more than wearing on your nerves. A medical report you won't want to miss.

Also, today's 360 challenge is coming up. How closely have you been following today's news? We'll put that to the test.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: There are more clues today about the killer wanted for eight murders, who's known only by the initials BTK, which stands for bind, torture, and kill. There are new batches of messages, and police are asking for your help tonight.

CNN's Eric Philips has details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ERIC PHILIPS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): After 25 years of silence, the Wichita serial killer known as BTK began leaking information about himself in letters to police and the news media earlier this year. He claims it's all accurate.

Wichita police are now releasing some of those details, hoping the public will help catch this elusive criminal.

Details like, BTK claims he was born in 1939, which would make his current age 64 or 65. His father died in World War II, and his mother raised him. His hobbies include outdoor activities like hunting, fishing, and camping. Around 1960, he went to military school, after that, he joined the military for active duty and was discharged in 1966. He worked repairing copiers and business equipment, and he had a female Hispanic acquaintance named Petra.

Also...

LT. KEN LANGWEHR, WICHITA POLICE: He admits to soliciting prostitutes, and he has had a lifetime fascination with railroads and trains. PHILIPS: Based on their investigation, authorities believe BTK frequented the Wichita State University campus in the 1970s, and they also believe he used fake IDs to gain access to people's homes.

LANGWEHR: We want to talk to any citizen who currently knows or recalls anything or anyone having a similar background to the one described above.

PHILIPS: Police are hoping someone can help them connect the dots and lead them to this mysterious murderer.

Eric Philips, CNN. Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Well, what I find fascinating about these details is that police have only learned them in the past year, in these new communications they've had with the BTK killer. So the question is, why now? If these clues are accurate, why is this sick killer revealing them?

Earlier, I talked to two men who have worked on the case, retired Wichita police chief Richard Lamunyon, and psychologist Howard Brodsky.

Dr. Brodsky, we learned so much new information today. Whether or not it's accurate information is not clear at this point. But what did you read today, what did you learn that he didn't know before and you think is most significant?

HOWARD BRODSKY, PSYCHOLOGIST: Well, there's a couple things that are real, real significant. But let's start with, this guy lost his father when he was very young, and that's a real significant piece of information. Dad must have died by the time he was about six years old if Father died during World War II, and this guy was born in 1939.

COOPER: So but, but...

BRODSKY: (UNINTELLIGIBLE)...

COOPER: ... what, what does that mean to you? I mean, plenty of people lose their dads at a young age.

BRODSKY: Well, it's one of the factors that we sometimes see in sex offenders and other offenders, that they don't have a good understanding of what it is to be a guy, because they don't have a stable role model. Without a stable role model, they grow up with some kind of excessive idea of what it is to be a guy.

COOPER: He also admits to soliciting prostitutes. What does this tell you about his interactions with women?

BRODSKY: We think that his relationships with women are real superficial, not healthy relationships, probably never was married. I don't think he ever raised children. So, you know, that may just be part of that kind of lifestyle. Also, for him to tell the police that, really, is kind of cavalier. And he's really taunting them.

COOPER: He also at one point wrote poetry, "O Death," "To Nancy," about one of the murders he's apparently committed. What does that tell you?

BRODSKY: Shows that he was probably trying to figure through something in his own emotions back at that time. I figure that he was probably more of a tender-minded kind of fellow, got hurt in a relationship, got rejected, and his dealing with this poetry was just kind of a way of dealing with it.

COOPER: Interesting.

Now, chief, you worked on this case for a very long time. Why do you think the police department released the information now?

RICHARD LAMUNYON, FORMER WICHITA POLICE CHIEF: In my opinion, it's what this person is attempting to do now, is, to open up to us, which is clear, because what he has given to the authorities this past year is much more information, detailed information, specifically about him, than he has in the past 30 years.

It would lead you to believe, or at least to hope, that at this point that he is, in fact, wanting to tell his story, wanting us to know. I don't personally believe that he wants to go to his grave without people knowing who he is.

COOPER: Dr. Brodsky, does he want to get caught?

BRODSKY: You know, that's interesting. I really don't think so, but the outcome of him playing with the police, playing with the media the way he has been, may very well be that he's going to get caught. And it could be very, very quickly.

LAMUNYON: I disagree with the doctor, respectfully, and some of the others, in that I believe that he does want to tell his story. I believe that he does want us to know who he is. Why, all of a sudden, here in the 31st year after the first murder, is all this information coming out? To me, it indicates that he wants some kind of conclusion, some kind of a finality to it. I don't believe he wants to disappear into a vacuum.

COOPER: Dr. Brodsky and Chief Lamunyon, appreciate you joining us. Thank you.

BRODSKY: Thanks.

LAMUNYON: Thank you very much.

COOPER: Scott Peterson fights for his life. The court's in session, the jury has convened, his life is now in their hands.

The killing of Martin Luther King, Jr. Was there just one gunman? Or was there a conspiracy?

And is your stress killing you? For the first time, a study shows stress makes the body grow older faster. Tonight, the warning signs you can't ignore.

360 continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: 360 next, our special series, "Conspiracy Theories," who killed Martin Luther King? Find out why the family says this case is not closed.

First our top stories in "The Reset."

(UNINTELLIGIBLE) Bridges TV is on the air. It is the first American Muslim television network to broadcast in English. It aims to introduce Americans to their Muslim neighbors, and counter any negative perceptions Americans may have of them.

In Montrose, Colorado, coroners have positively identified the body of Teddy Ebersol. Ebersol died when the corporate jet he was in crashed during takeoff Sunday. His father, NBC Sports Chairman Dick Ebersol and brother, survived the crash.

In Lafayette, Louisiana, an explosion apparently burst open a small plane at the local airport. Witnesses say the blast sounded like a balloon popping and it shook the ground. There were no reports of serious injury.

And in Los Angeles, California, Elizabeth Taylor says her body is a, quote, "real mess." In an interview with "W" magazine, the 72- year-old actress says she's fighting both congestive heart failure and scoliosis, and adds that she's not afraid to die. Taylor's publicist says despite the ailments, she's in good spirits.

That's a quick look at the headlines in "The Reset."

All this week, we're taking a close look at conspiracy theories, stories that are not necessarily in the headlines, but ones that continue to be at the center of controversy.

Tonight, the murder of Martin Luther King Jr. You may not know this, but when his convicted assassin James Earl Ray died a prisoner six years ago, King's family called it "a tragedy for the entire nation." It may seem like an odd statement, considering Ray confessed to murdering King in 1968. He later recanted that confession, and even suggested the killing was part of a conspiracy. King's family believed Ray and worked on efforts to get him a trial. That never happened.

Tonight we look at the facts and talk to two people involved in the case who have very different viewpoints. First, CNN's Adaora Udoji with this installment of "Conspiracy Theories: Truth or Paranoia."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ADAORA UDOJI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Some say Martin Luther King Jr. had gotten too powerful, that he was taking his followers down an anti-Vietnam War, anti-poverty road the federal government couldn't tolerate.

WILLIAM PEPPER, AUTHOR, "AN ACT OF STATE": The decision to kill Martin King started at very senior levels of defense and intelligence structures in this country.

UDOJI: Attorney William Pepper, a friend of King's, says his two-decade investigation discovered a contract hit went out to the mob, that James Earl Ray, who pled guilty to King's 1968 murder was only a patsy, who wasn't even at the crime scene. FBI documents show the agency tried to discredit King, which conspiracy believers say bolsters their case.

The problem is, two federal and a Memphis police investigation concluded there was no evidence of a government conspiracy. Memphis prosecutor John Campbell says Ray may have had help, but he pulled the trigger.

JOHN CAMPBELL, ASSISTANT DISTRICT ATTORNEY GENERAL: I think they're trying to build a fantasy conspiracy out of bits and pieces, and basically trying to ignore what was really the proof in the case.

UDOJI: Campbell says authorities have never found the shady figure Raul whom Ray said hired him. They never found evidence to back up bar owner Lloyd Jowers' claim that he hired another man to kill King. But the King family believed Jowers and they met with Ray.

MARTIN LUTHER KING III: Did you kill my father?

JAMES EARL RAY: No, no, I didn't, no.

UDOJI: A jury agreed in a civil trial, where Pepper represented the family, deciding Jowers had something to do with King's death.

PEPPER: It took a jury 59 minutes after 30 days of trial and 70 witnesses to find for the King family.

UDOJI: The King family, back in 2000, hoped the case would trigger a non-governmental review. They are still waiting.

Adaora Udoji, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Well, as always on 360, we don't take sides, we like to look at all the angles. Joining me from Memphis, Tennessee is John Campbell, an assistant district attorney for Shelby County. He was the chief prosecutor when the Ray case was brought to criminal court in the 1990s.

And here in New York is William Pepper, who's been an attorney for both James Earl Ray and the King family. He's the author of "An Act of State: The Execution of Martin Luther King." We appreciate both of you joining us.

Mr. Pepper, let me start off with you. In 2000, the Justice Department released a finding after 18 months investigating they concluded and I quote, "there's no credible information to support allegations of any conspiracy." Why is that not good enough?

PEPPER: It's not good enough, because they didn't even take the time to interview or attempt to interview over 90 percent of the witnesses who gave evidence at the civil trial in 1999, and witnesses who had testified under oath and provided very hard, real evidence. They just did not interview those people, and to the extent that they did interview some, they discounted their evidence.

COOPER: Mr. Campbell, you contend there was no high-profile conspiracy, that James Earl Ray was not an innocent patsy.

CAMPBELL: Right.

COOPER: What makes you so sure? I mean, what about these witnesses who Mr. Pepper is saying weren't talked to?

CAMPBELL: Well, first of all, they were talked to. A number of them refused to talk to the Department of Justice. We did, however, talked to them. Some of these witnesses back in the early of the mid- 90s, when the first allegations of Mr. Ray and Mr. Pepper were made to Criminal Court Division 9, and at that point in time, Mr. Jowers was saying some person named Frank Holt was the gunman, and that he received money and paid Frank Holt to do the killing.

That theory went out the window when the witnesses began to backtrack on what they were saying, and Frank Holt was found and denied that he was involved. And that story then changed to, well, then we got some Memphis police officer who's doing the shooting.

COOPER: Mr. Pepper, there do seem to be a lot of shifting stories. I mean, James Earl Ray, you know, confessed and then recanted his confession a few days later, and over the years came up with all sorts of different -- sort of hinted at all sorts of different conspiracies. It's kind of hard to pin down what they are even saying happened.

PEPPER: Not really. James really didn't know what happened. He was a patsy. Mr. Campbell's disability is that he came on to the case very late, and in actual fact, he did no investigation. I put Mr. Campbell's investigator on the stand in the civil trial, Mr. Glankler (ph). I gave him 25 names of key witnesses who had given testimony under oath. He admitted that he tried to -- he tried to interview two of those people at the time. Forget about the 70 witnesses who testified. They did no investigation.

COOPER: Do you have physical evidence -- do you have physical evidence -- I mean, because there was a gun with James Earl Ray's fingerprints on it, I mean, found at the scene. James Earl Ray was seen leaving the scene.

PEPPER: That was not the murder weapon. They never could match -- never did match the death slug to that rifle. That was a rifle that James was instructed to buy, which he bought, and which was thrown down. Mr. Campbell's claim that Raul has never been identified is simply pure rubbish. Raul has been identified, and we know where he is at this point in time. COOPER: Mr. Campbell, do you believe that that was the murder weapon that James Earl Ray used?

CAMPBELL: Most definitely. I mean, the fact of the matter is, the murder weapon was recovered right the night of the crime in front of Knight's newsman (ph) company. It was tested. This particular weapon, whenever you fire it, the bullets -- the test bullets have never matched one to the other, so they've never been able to match them to the bullet recovered from Dr. King. It's been inconclusive.

COOPER: What do you think is going on here? I mean, you know, Mr. Pepper seems like a decent man. Do you think he's just mistaken? Lying? I mean, why is this story still alive?

CAMPBELL: I can't speak to Mr. Pepper -- I can't speak to what his thoughts are. All I can say is that when we've looked at this, and I beg to differ. We did look at a lot of these witnesses, the ones who would cooperate and talked to us, we talked to many, many witnesses. And you have this undercurrent of, if you help out in this project, you're liable to get some money from a movie deal. Several people talked about that.

COOPER: Is this about money for a movie deal?

PEPPER: It's not about money for a movie deal. And if Mr. Campbell and the district attorney general's office in Memphis wanted to get to the truth of this case, they would have allowed us to put this evidence before a Memphis grand jury. We tried to do that time and again.

CAMPBELL: The grand jury heard from you. The grand jury never heard your people...

(CROSSTALK)

PEPPER: The grand jury never heard -- the grand jury never heard from our people.

COOPER: You said you know who is Raul? Who is Raul?

PEPPER: Raul is a fellow who is a Portuguese immigrant. He lives not very far from here. He's well-protected by the government. The testimony at the trial established all of the details of Raul. And even to the point where his own daughter identified the photograph that James Earl Ray identified in 1978.

Mr. Campbell, final thought we've got to leave it there.

CAMPBELL: Well, first the Raul that they supposedly claim was the Raul was not in Memphis in 1968. We talked to people who could put him in New York in 19 -- in April 4, '68.

COOPER: I'm going to have to leave it there. William Pepper, John Campbell, we do appreciate you joining us. We could go on about this all night. A lot of different theories. Thank you very much for joining us. We're going to explore some other conspiracy theories all this week. On 360 tomorrow, the 1996 crash of TWA flight 800. Investigators say a fuel tank spark caused the plane to explode. Others believe it was shot down, some interesting information tomorrow night.

On Thursday, the origin of HIV, why some are saying the U.S. government is behind it. That's a conspiracy out there on the Internet. We'll look at the facts.

And Friday the conspiracy of the year was this month's presidential election, stolen. Some very serious issues there on that one.

360 next, emotions overflowing, the penalty phase of the Scott Peterson murder trial. Will tearful testimony be enough to sentence Peterson to death? That's next.

Also tonight, how all that stress and strain may speed up the aging process. That may stress you right there.

And later who's stealing Spongebob? The latest on the baffling square pants mystery.

Also, in a moment, the today's "360 Challenge." How closely have been following today's news? We will test it out. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Time now for the "360 Challenge." Be first to answer all the questions correctly we'll send you a 360 shirt.

No. 1 how many years has it been since a U.S. president has visited Canada?

No. 2, the Oil-For-Food controversy has turned into a family affair for which international leader?

No. 3, Wichita, Kansas police have released details from letter by which serial killer?

Take the challenge, log on to cnn.com/360, click on the answer link, answer first and we'll send you the shirt. And find out last night's challenge winner and tonight's answers coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: The penalty phase of the Scott Peterson murder trial began today with emotional testimony from people who always loved Laci Peterson. One by one, her family members spoke about a young woman filled with life. They said she had so much to give. Her mother, Sharon Rocha, said Laci will always be here for me. And, quote, "I wanted to know my grandson." A heartbreaking day indeed. Covering the trial for tonight in Court TV -- is Court TV anchor Lisa Bloom and from Miami, defense attorney Jayne Weintraub. I appreciate you both joining us. I want to put up on the screen, two things that Laci's family talked about today in court about her unborn child. Her brother said, I don't I think I've ever heard her be more excited then the day she called me up to tell me she was pregnant. She was going to be a great mother.

Her mother said this about their funeral. I knew she was in the casket with the baby, but she didn't have arms to hold him.

How important do you think it is for the prosecution to remind the jury about the way Laci Peterson died?

LISA BLOOM, COURT TV: I think it's important. It humanizes her. She's been just the victim. She's been bloody remains on photographs shown to the jury up until this point. Seeing her as a living, breathing person with human qualities, someone who smiled a lot, who had plans for a future, makes a big difference. And apparently the jury today Anderson, reacted with tears, they were very emotional. They were bonding with this testimony.

COOPER: Jayne, Sharon Rocha's testimony today very powerful, no doubt about it. As Lisa just said, it brought some jurors to tears. I mean, is that a defense attorney's worst nightmare? How do you deal with that?

JAYNE WEINTRAUB, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: It is the worst nightmare. But you know, it's a tragedy for both families. I mean, nobody could ever underestimate the emotions in that courtroom on both sides. Every murder case has both sides to the story. And although our hearts are, you know, outpoured for the Laci Peterson family, you have to think of the jury has the law to follow and an oath to follow, and it's time for them to follow their oath. They have to weigh the aggravating and mitigating circumstances under the law. They can't just go by their emotion. They obviously did that in their guilt phase. And the reality, Anderson, is that when you weight the aggravating and the mitigating, 23 hours a day in solitaire confinement a lot of people argue is worse than death.

COOPER: Do you agree with that, Lisa?

BLOOM: Well, first of all, to say that the guilt phase was based on emotion is absurd. Jayne, might be the last person in America who thinks that the jury came back with a resounding conviction, first degree and second degree. And they came back very quickly, which I think indicates they probably will reach a verdict on the guilt phase.

WEINTRAUB: I think they made a deal already.

BLOOM: Look, one the aggravating factors is all of the insinuating circumstances, I think the prosecutors made a great argument today in their opening by saying, 116 days, that's how long Scott Peterson made the Rocha family suffer in agony not knowing what happened to Laci Peterson.

WEINTRAUB: But Lisa -- Lisa -- Sharon Rocha is not the victim.

BLOOM: That suffering unnecessarily placed upon them.

WEINSTRAUB: No, Lisa. Lisa, you're wrong. That's not death penalty law. That might be mental games of a prosecutor, but that's not the law.

BLOOM: But the law in California there's a catch all provision, all insinuating circumstances can be taken into account.

(CROSSTALK)

WEINTRAUB: Let me finish one sentence. Victim impact is the victim's impact. That means the death of Laci and/or Conner. That's not Sharon Rocha's impact. That's the impact it has on her.

BLOOM: The judge disagreed because he let it in.

WEINTRAUB: It's languishing in death, that was 116 days for Sharon Rocha has a mom. What are you talking about when you talk about Scott's rest of his life.

COOPER: Jayne, let me try to ask you this question. In your experience, does a jury in the penalty phase, have they already made up their mind pretty much once they've reached a decision, whether of guilt or innocence? Have they already made up their mind or does it really matter what happens on the stand, what people say?

WEINTRAUB: I think it matters. I do think and I've done a lot of death penalty cases, over 30, and I do think they make deals in the jury room. I have heard rumblings of that from jurors before. And I'll tell you something that I read on Court TV's Web site, actually, from Lisa yesterday.

BLOOM: Excellent source.

WEINTRAUB: And that was, one of the jurors in a former capital case, said he voted for death because he didn't really believe life without parole is life without parole. In other words...

BLOOM: A lot of jurors feel that way. It's very surprising. They're tired of seeing people get out of clemency and parole. They want to make sure they're off the streets forever. They do impose death.

COOPER: Lisa Bloom, appreciate it. Jayne Weintraub, always good to talk to you, thanks.

360 next, living longer, living stronger, new findings about stress and how to prevent it from cutting your life short.

Also tonight, a enveloping story, Spongebob Squarepants is missing. That's right kids, details ahead.

And a little later, while others his age are retiring, Godzilla, he's still breathing fire, God love him. We'll take that to the "Nth Degree."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Every day it seems like there's an avalanche of new information about health -- what to eat, what not to eat, how to stay young, blah blah blah. We decided to start trying to separate the wheat from the chaff and bring you advice you might actually be able to use. Tonight in living longer, living stronger, a new report about stress and how it can actually make you older faster. CNN medical correspondent Christy Feig has details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRISTY FEIG, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Darlene Hong knows the typical stress of a working mother, but add to that the additional daily pressures of caring for her youngest son Terrence who has autism.

DARLENE HONG, STUDY PARTICIPANT: You never can let your guard done. You never can. You have to be spontaneous and quick.

FEIG: Researchers at the University of California at San Francisco wanted to know for sure what kind of effect that chronic stress might have on the body. So they took Hong and 38 other women like her who care for chronically ill children every day and compared them to 19 similar women with healthy children and asked them to rate how overwhelmed they felt by daily life. Then they took cells from the women, because at the end of chromosomes inside cells are something called telomeres which get shorter as cells divide and that's how scientists can judge the age of a cell.

ELISSA EPEL, UNIV. OF CALIF., SAN FRANCISCO: For the women under the highest stress their cells did appear to be prematurely aged, around a decade older.

FEIG: But it's not the stress itself that matters most. It's how stressful you think it really is.

EPEL: Many of our caregivers had low levels of perceived stress, and low levels of cell aging so how we perceive stress is a very important factor in protecting our health.

FEIG: Like all new medical findings, the results must still be confirmed, but experts say what's important here is finding buffers to stress like family and friends, meditation, exercise or even medicine. Christy Feig, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: This just in now. Kids, you may want to leave the room. SpongeBob SquarePants is missing. I repeat, someone has stolen SpongeBob. In fact, there were several SpongeBobs taken. The inflatable character was snatched from rooftops on Burger Kings across six states. Here in Wisconsin, you can see the desperate plea for the safe return. SpongeBobs are being used by Burger King as a movie promotion, but tonight the SpongeBobs are gone, police are left searching for answers. SpongeBob, where is he, they ask. So far there has been little to go on except for a cryptic ransom note in Minnesota, believe it or not, saying, quote, "we have SpongeBob, give us ten crabby patties, fries and milkshakes." We don't know if Burger King is willing to negotiate. We suspect they are happy for all the free publicity, and if you can hear me, stay strong, SpongeBob SquarePants, stay strong and wet. That would be good.

360 next, another popular creature, this one mean and green, with a reason to celebrate. Take that to the Nth Degree.

Tomorrow night, Ken Jennings, "Jeopardy" champ. We have him booked. Those of you on the west coast, we can't tell you why, exactly. 360 challenge, here's another look at tonight's questions. You know the news. Log on to CNN.com/360, click on the answer link to play. Be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Time now for the answers to today's 360 challenge. How many years has it been since a U.S. president has made a state visit to Canada? Nine. Oil for Food controversy has turned into a family affair for which international leader? Kofi Annan. And Wichita, Kansas police have released details from letters by which serial killer? BTK.

First person to answer all three questions correctly, we'll send you a 360 shirt. Tune in tomorrow to find out if you're the winner. Last night's winner, Laura Clarke from Toronto. Congratulations.

Tonight, taking an international star to the Nth Degree. Ladies and gentlemen, he's tall, he's ticked off, he's green and he's old, but he's still a star. Happy birthday to Godzilla. 50 years ago he made his screen debut, we think. Lizard birth certificates are hard to come by. For the occasion we're told there's a new film being released, Godzilla's 28th. That's more B-movies than even Michael Caine has been in. To mark the occasion the big G will be getting a star of his own on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

We say, well-deserved, Godzilla, you have come a long way, baby. You crushed more cars, made more people run in terror, and battled more battling (UNINTELLIGIBLE) monsters than Liza Minnelli. She's battled some pretty big ones.

Yes, sir, actors come and go, but bad movie monsters just get better with age. Read my lips. Happy birthday, you big green lug. I'm Anderson Cooper. Thanks for watching. "PAULA ZAHN NOW" is next.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com


Aired November 30, 2004 - 19:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANDERSON COOPER, HOST: Good evening from New York. I'm Anderson Cooper.
Laci Peterson's mother takes the stand and lashes out at the murderer she once called son.

360 starts now.

Bush goes north, but hecklers force the White House to scrap a visit to Canada's parliament. What can thaw our chilly relations with our northern neighbors?

The U.N.'s multibillion-dollar scandal, corruption, payoffs, sweetheart deals. Is it time for Kofi Annan to go?

Scott Peterson fights for his life. The court's in session. The jury has convened. His life is now in their hands.

The killing of Martin Luther King, Jr. Was there just one gunman? Or was there a conspiracy?

The BTK killer, police are asking for your help. Dramatic new details about who he may be, and why he might have done such terrible things.

And is your stress killing you? For the first time, a study shows stress makes the body grow older faster. Tonight, the warning signs you can't ignore.

ANNOUNCER: Live from the CNN Broadcast Center in New York, this is ANDERSON COOPER 360.

COOPER: Good evening, thanks for joining us.

A short time ago, the mother of Laci Peterson stepped down from the witness stand on this, the first day of the penalty phase for Scott Peterson.

The courtroom, riveted, listened as Sharon Rocha's grief and anger poured out. Face to face with the man who murdered her daughter, her unborn grandson, she told the jury, "Every morning when I get up, I cry," and she said that she hoped her daughter didn't know what was happening at the time of her death.

She didn't only talk to the jury, however. She also spoke directly to Scott Peterson, asking him why.

CNN's Ted Rowlands has the latest on a very emotional day in the courtroom. Ted, what was it like?

TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Anderson, Sharon Rocha finished the prosecution's case late today. There were four witnesses from the family. But far and away, Sharon Rocha's testimony was the most emotional. And as you mentioned, at one point she looked directly at Scott Peterson. It was when she was talking about not knowing what was happening. She said, There was someone who knew all along, and screamed at Peterson.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ROWLANDS (voice-over): A number of jurors broke down as Laci Peterson's mother, Sharon Rocha, testified that the first Mother's Day after the murders, she lay on the floor and cried most of the day. In court, Rocha cried out in a loud voice, saying, quote, "She was taken from me. Divorce is always an option, not murder."

Sharon Rocha was one of four family members to testify. Laci Peterson's stepfather, Ron Grantski, said, quote, "Part of our hearts are gone. Nothing will ever be the same."

Her half-sister, Amy Rocha, broke down and sobbed, saying, quote, "I still can't imagine the rest of my life going on without her." Brent Rocha said of his sister, quote, "I've never heard her more excited than the day she called me to tell me she was pregnant. She was going to be a great mother."

In his opening statement, prosecutor Dave Harris told jurors they would learn what it was like for the family to wonder what happened to Laci, with husband Scott, the person who killed her, in their midst. Harris told jurors, quote, "The only appropriate and just penalty is death."

Peterson had no visual reaction during the testimony. His lawyer, Mark Geragos, told the court he'll make his opening statement when the defense case begins.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROWLANDS: And that defense case will begin tomorrow. There was a bit of a delay today. CNN has learned that a bartender in the area was subpoenaed and brought in to talk about potential juror misconduct. It is very unclear what, if any, impact it will have on the case, Anderson.

COOPER: Ted, thanks very much for that from Redwood.

Now, even if Scott Peterson does get the death penalty, he's unlikely to die anytime soon. For the moment, let's put the death penalty ruling in perspective.

No matter what politicians may tell you, California rarely executes prisoners on death row. Six hundred and twenty-eight inmates have been condemned to die in California since it reinstated the death penalty back in 1977. Of those, only 10 have actually been put to death. The last man executed in California, Steven Wayne Anderson, had been on death row for 20 years before he was killed in 2002.

Joining us now from outside the courthouse is Gloria Allred, the attorney for Scott Peterson's former girlfriend, Amber Frey.

Gloria, I know you were in the courtroom today. What was it like when Sharon Rocha was testifying?

GLORIA ALLRED, ATTORNEY FOR AMBER FREY: Oh, it was just so powerful, Anderson. And I -- she was sobbing. Friends and relatives of Laci were in the audience. They were sobbing. It just was riveting.

It -- we saw photos of Laci growing up. Sharon, Laci's mother, was identifying them. Laci, with that beautiful smile, as a cheerleader, at her high school graduation, her first day as a teacher, holding an apple.

And then, of course, we heard what happened. We heard that Laci was murdered, and we heard what effect it had had on Sharon. I mean, the sobs from Sharon were just coming from such a deep place within her. She was talking about how -- when Laci was found, that Laci -- she never thought about what condition Laci would be in. And she wanted the dental records to identify Laci, and then found out that Laci had no head.

And she was talking about how Laci couldn't even hold Conner in the casket, because Laci's body, when found, had no arms, so she couldn't even hold her own baby.

She said why, She didn't deserve to die, and I think that really sums up what Sharon Rocha had to say, what happened has devastated Sharon's entire family and her friends. They will never be the same. It's going to be a nightmare for them the rest of her life. Every Mother's Day, Sharon is going to know that Laci's not there, and Scott Peterson is the reason.

COOPER: You know, Gloria, there were, there are two quotes I saw, the -- of something she said. We're going to put them on the screen. One thing Sharon Rocha said, "There was someone who knew all along where she was. Instead, you just let us go through this every day." Obviously talking to Scott Peterson.

She then apparently yelled at him for leaving her daughter's body in the bay, saying, quote, "You knew she'd be there for all eternity, and you did that to her anyway."

Was it -- it was a mix, then, of both grief and anger directed right toward Scott Peterson.

ALLRED: And I think that probably the family and the members of any murder victim go through the same mix of grief and anger. And Scott just sat there, Anderson, showing no emotion. And actually I looked over to Jackie and Lee, his parents, and I didn't see any tears on their part either.

It, but, you know, this was so horrible. She went through that grief, she went through the anger. She talked about how she couldn't sleep. She was afraid of the nightmares. She was afraid that the phone might ring, and it might be Laci, and she could go to her and she could help her. But, of course, the phone call never came that would help her. Instead, it was the footsteps that came to the door to tell her that the bodies had been found. Very, very moving.

COOPER: All right, Gloria Allred, you've been in court all day. We appreciate you joining us tonight for the details.

ALLRED: Thank you, Anderson.

COOPER: Thanks very much.

Moving on now, President Bush visited our neighbor to the north today. And no doubt a couple of people on the White House staff must have muttered, "O Canada" under their breath at least a couple of times today.

President met with the Canadian prime minister, but a speech to the parliament was called off because of potential hecklers. And in the streets, there were plenty of actual hecklers.

CNN White House correspondent John King has details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN KING, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The demonstrators numbered in the thousands, voicing opposition to the president and to U.S. foreign policy they complained puts war ahead of diplomacy. Mr. Bush passed within a few feet at one point and was defiant when asked about his many critics.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We just had a poll in our country where people decided that the foreign policy of the Bush administration ought to be -- stay in place for four more years.

KING: This two-day visit is designed to put U.S.-Canada relations on a better track after disputes over Iraq and trade issues. So Mr. Bush humorously noted, he also passed some supporters.

BUSH: And I want to thank the Canadian people who came out to wave, with all five fingers, for...

(LAUGHTER)

KING: Mr. Bush briefed Prime Minister Paul Martin on a morning conversation with Poland's president, who is launching a new effort to end the stalemate over Ukraine's disputed election. The Bush administration will not recognize the declared winner because of what it calls widespread fraud. But the president also hopes to avoid a major rift with Moscow, so Mr. Bush was careful when asked about Russian Presidents Putin's call for Western governments to butt out. BUSH: It's very important that violence not break out there, and it's important that the will of the people be heard.

KING: Prime Minister Martin was more direct.

PAUL MARTIN, CANADIAN PRIME MINISTER: But elections within Ukraine have got to be free from outside influence, and that includes Russia.

KING: Mr. Bush also answered critics back home who say he has not leaned hard enough on fellow Republicans blocking passage of the major intelligence reforms recommended by the 9/11 commission.

BUSH: Well, I, I want a bill. Let's see if I can say it as plainly as I can. I am for the intelligence bill.

KING: The president promised to lobby GOP leaders directly when back in Washington later this week.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KING: The demonstrations here were yet another reminder of the very difficult challenge facing Mr. Bush. He heads into his second term looking to mend relationships bruised by the Iraq debate, but opposition to the war and opposition to this president himself still runs very deep in many places, including, Anderson, here, so close to home.

COOPER: And we certainly saw that today. John King, thanks very much, from Ottawa. Appreciate it.

Brief news note on yet another change in the Bush cabinet. Tom Ridge, one-time governor of Pennsylvania, then this country's first director of homeland security, today submitted his resignation to the president, as had been expected, really not a big surprise. Mr. Ridge will stay on in his post until February, or until a successor has been confirmed.

Well, controversy continues to swirl in the United Nations around Kofi Annan's role in the $64 billion Iraqi oil for food program. There's been no direct link of wrongdoing to the secretary general, but disclosures about his son have complicated matters, and some are now asking if it is time for Mr. Annan to go.

CNN senior U.N. correspondent Richard Roth reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RICHARD ROTH, CNN SENIOR U.N. CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's almost three years to the day that Kofi Annan and the United Nations won the Nobel Peace Prize, but the secretary general must now be wondering, why has everyone declared war on them?

Several American critics, no U.N.-lovers to begin with, have called for Kofi Annan to resign. The main reason, the corruption- ridden oil for food program the U.N. ran with Iraq. Many investigations have yet to be completed, but some members of the U.S. Congress feel Annan should be held responsible and are threatening to cut U.N. funding.

REP. JEFF FLAKE (R), ARIZONA: I don't know how you can have this level of mismanagement at the U.N., this big of a scandal, and not say to the man at the top that you had nothing to do with it.

ROTH: Of all things, Kofi Annan has been let down by his own son, Kojo. It turns out he was on the payroll of a Swiss company being examined in the oil for food saga for years longer than even Kofi Annan knew.

KOFI ANNAN, SECRETARY GENERAL, UNITED NATIONS: Naturally, I was very disappointed and surprised, yes.

ROTH: Annan understands there is a perception of a conflict of interest, but says his son is his own man.

FRED ECKHARD, U.N. SPOKESMAN: You can't blame the father for the sins of the son if there are sins of the son.

ROTH: But that's not the only problem for the U.N. chief. U.N. staff announced support for Annan, yet blasted unnamed senior U.N. management for personnel decisions.

Relations with the Bush administration chilled after Annan called the Iraq war illegal and warned against military offensives in Falluja.

(on camera): Kofi Annan spokesmen said, Don't be ridiculous, when asked about resignation talk. No country here has asked for it. Annan has two years left on his second term.

But the results of investigations by separate U.N. and U.S. groups may determine Annan's legacy.

Richard Roth, CNN, the United Nations.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Well, NAACP president Kweisi Mfume steps down. That tops our look at what's happening right now cross-country.

Baltimore, Maryland, after nine years as head of the nation's largest civil rights group, Mfume says he wants to spend more time with his family. He says his job has been done, in his words, and denies that his decision to resign had anything to do with an internal struggle in the group. He'll be replaced by the NAACP's chief lawyer until a successor is named.

Detroit, Michigan, now, a 7-year-old girl is shot to death while sitting on a couch. Police say a drive-by gunman is under arrest, and the shooting was linked to a dispute between two families.

Fort Lauderdale, Florida, now, 10 Cuban men make it to America on a homemade raft. The men said they rowed for days, and their hands were covered with blisters to prove it. Cubans who reach U.S. soil are usually allowed to stay, while most picked up at sea are sent home.

And Kent, Washington, now, a man killed by an exploding lava lamp. That's right. Police say for some reason, the man put his lamp on a hot stovetop, where it blew up, and then a shard of glass pierced his heart. The death was ruled an accident.

That's a look at cross-country tonight.

Note to self, do not put the lava lamp on the stove.

360 next, BTK, the serial killer still on the loose. New clues that may solve this decades-old mystery. And tonight, police are asking for your help, and they're giving out some very specific clues.

Plus, was the U.S. government involved in the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr.? Conspiracy theories floating all over the net. Tonight, we look at the facts. Covering all the angles. Part of our special series, Conspiracy Theories: Truth or Paranoia?

Also tonight, the insanity defense. A middle-school teacher accused of having sex with a 14-year-old student. It's happened again. Find out why her lawyer says she may have been crazy. We'll see.

First, let's take a look at your picks, right now, the most popular stories on CNN.com.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Well, to be found legally insane, a defendant can't know the difference between right and wrong. It is, to say the least, a very high threshold. Now, we've seen that repeatedly in cases around the country. But one some are willing to try this case, especially when the crime seems so outrageous, like this next story involving a teacher accused of having sex with a student.

CNN's Brian Todd reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): She didn't say a word in court, and the lead prosecutor wouldn't give us his gut reaction, but he did tell CNN he wasn't surprised by this statement from Debra LaFave's attorney.

JOHN FITZGIBBONS, DEBRA LAFAVE'S ATTORNEY: I anticipate that in the near future, I will be filing a notice of insanity defense.

TODD: LaFave is facing two counts of lewd and lascivious acts with a child for allegedly having sex with a boy last summer, when she was 23, and he was 14. She was arrested in June, police say, after the boy told his parents they had encounters.

At the time, LaFave was a remedial reading teacher at a middle school near Tampa. The boy attended the school, but was not her student.

Her attorney wouldn't comment when we called for an explanation of the insanity defense. Earlier, he'd told reporters he was gathering her medical records, and there's some work being done by doctors.

FITZGIBBONS: Debby has some profound emotional issues that are not her fault. I think once anyone reads what the doctors have to say, they will understand a lot more about what happened here.

TODD: Police and sheriff's offices in two Florida counties have an idea what happened. They tell CNN LaFave began approaching the boy at various school events earlier this year, and that they began a physical relationship in June.

Authorities say the boy then went on vacation at the home of his cousin north of Tampa in Ocala, Florida, and LaFave followed him. The sheriff's office there told CNN, on at least two occasions they had sex in the back of an SUV while the boy's 15-year-old cousin was driving.

(on camera): Debra LaFave now faces two trials in two Florida jurisdictions, Hillsboro and Marion Counties. If convicted just on the two counties in Hillsboro County, she could face up to 30 years in prison. That trial is scheduled to begin in April. LaFave is now suspended without pay from the Hillsboro County school system, where she had consistently received good evaluations.

Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Well, a new U.S. military offensive is in the works in Afghanistan. That tops our look what's happening around the world in the uplink.

In Kabul, a U.S. general says that thousands of American soldiers are ready to start a new operation against Taliban insurgents. Now, the offensive could begin in about a week, around the inauguration of Hamid Karzai, Afghanistan's first elected president, himself a target for rebel attacks, of course.

Havana, Cuba, now, a dissident writer released from prison. Raul Rivero was among 75 people rounded up in a massive crackdown in March of 2003. His release today comes as the communist country tries to improve its human rights record.

And in Tel Aviv, an Israeli ambassador wanted, and the fight is playing out on reality TV, believe it or not. Sort of like "The Apprentice," but in this case, 14 contenders are vying for a diplomatic assignment. The winner gets an all-expense-paid year working as an Israeli PR liaison in New York.

Tokyo, Japan, now, kimono-clad cops, that's right, women dressed in their finest silks, are on patrol on the streets, joining the fight against crime, accompanied by some gentlemen there. Let's see if that works.

North Island Beach, New Zealand, now, 20 whales rescued return to the sea after they got stranded on the sand. Unfortunately, almost 80 other pilot whales died.

That's a quick look what's happening around the world in the uplink tonight.

And coming up next on 360, a serial killer taunting police with some new tantalizing clues about who he may be. Can you help them track down the vicious murderer? They're looking for your help.

Also tonight, the assassination of Martin Luther King. Was James Earl Ray really the lone killer? We're covering all the angles, part of our special series, Conspiracy Theories: Truth or Paranoia?

And a little later, stressed out and aging faster. The daily grind may be doing more than wearing on your nerves. A medical report you won't want to miss.

Also, today's 360 challenge is coming up. How closely have you been following today's news? We'll put that to the test.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: There are more clues today about the killer wanted for eight murders, who's known only by the initials BTK, which stands for bind, torture, and kill. There are new batches of messages, and police are asking for your help tonight.

CNN's Eric Philips has details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ERIC PHILIPS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): After 25 years of silence, the Wichita serial killer known as BTK began leaking information about himself in letters to police and the news media earlier this year. He claims it's all accurate.

Wichita police are now releasing some of those details, hoping the public will help catch this elusive criminal.

Details like, BTK claims he was born in 1939, which would make his current age 64 or 65. His father died in World War II, and his mother raised him. His hobbies include outdoor activities like hunting, fishing, and camping. Around 1960, he went to military school, after that, he joined the military for active duty and was discharged in 1966. He worked repairing copiers and business equipment, and he had a female Hispanic acquaintance named Petra.

Also...

LT. KEN LANGWEHR, WICHITA POLICE: He admits to soliciting prostitutes, and he has had a lifetime fascination with railroads and trains. PHILIPS: Based on their investigation, authorities believe BTK frequented the Wichita State University campus in the 1970s, and they also believe he used fake IDs to gain access to people's homes.

LANGWEHR: We want to talk to any citizen who currently knows or recalls anything or anyone having a similar background to the one described above.

PHILIPS: Police are hoping someone can help them connect the dots and lead them to this mysterious murderer.

Eric Philips, CNN. Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Well, what I find fascinating about these details is that police have only learned them in the past year, in these new communications they've had with the BTK killer. So the question is, why now? If these clues are accurate, why is this sick killer revealing them?

Earlier, I talked to two men who have worked on the case, retired Wichita police chief Richard Lamunyon, and psychologist Howard Brodsky.

Dr. Brodsky, we learned so much new information today. Whether or not it's accurate information is not clear at this point. But what did you read today, what did you learn that he didn't know before and you think is most significant?

HOWARD BRODSKY, PSYCHOLOGIST: Well, there's a couple things that are real, real significant. But let's start with, this guy lost his father when he was very young, and that's a real significant piece of information. Dad must have died by the time he was about six years old if Father died during World War II, and this guy was born in 1939.

COOPER: So but, but...

BRODSKY: (UNINTELLIGIBLE)...

COOPER: ... what, what does that mean to you? I mean, plenty of people lose their dads at a young age.

BRODSKY: Well, it's one of the factors that we sometimes see in sex offenders and other offenders, that they don't have a good understanding of what it is to be a guy, because they don't have a stable role model. Without a stable role model, they grow up with some kind of excessive idea of what it is to be a guy.

COOPER: He also admits to soliciting prostitutes. What does this tell you about his interactions with women?

BRODSKY: We think that his relationships with women are real superficial, not healthy relationships, probably never was married. I don't think he ever raised children. So, you know, that may just be part of that kind of lifestyle. Also, for him to tell the police that, really, is kind of cavalier. And he's really taunting them.

COOPER: He also at one point wrote poetry, "O Death," "To Nancy," about one of the murders he's apparently committed. What does that tell you?

BRODSKY: Shows that he was probably trying to figure through something in his own emotions back at that time. I figure that he was probably more of a tender-minded kind of fellow, got hurt in a relationship, got rejected, and his dealing with this poetry was just kind of a way of dealing with it.

COOPER: Interesting.

Now, chief, you worked on this case for a very long time. Why do you think the police department released the information now?

RICHARD LAMUNYON, FORMER WICHITA POLICE CHIEF: In my opinion, it's what this person is attempting to do now, is, to open up to us, which is clear, because what he has given to the authorities this past year is much more information, detailed information, specifically about him, than he has in the past 30 years.

It would lead you to believe, or at least to hope, that at this point that he is, in fact, wanting to tell his story, wanting us to know. I don't personally believe that he wants to go to his grave without people knowing who he is.

COOPER: Dr. Brodsky, does he want to get caught?

BRODSKY: You know, that's interesting. I really don't think so, but the outcome of him playing with the police, playing with the media the way he has been, may very well be that he's going to get caught. And it could be very, very quickly.

LAMUNYON: I disagree with the doctor, respectfully, and some of the others, in that I believe that he does want to tell his story. I believe that he does want us to know who he is. Why, all of a sudden, here in the 31st year after the first murder, is all this information coming out? To me, it indicates that he wants some kind of conclusion, some kind of a finality to it. I don't believe he wants to disappear into a vacuum.

COOPER: Dr. Brodsky and Chief Lamunyon, appreciate you joining us. Thank you.

BRODSKY: Thanks.

LAMUNYON: Thank you very much.

COOPER: Scott Peterson fights for his life. The court's in session, the jury has convened, his life is now in their hands.

The killing of Martin Luther King, Jr. Was there just one gunman? Or was there a conspiracy?

And is your stress killing you? For the first time, a study shows stress makes the body grow older faster. Tonight, the warning signs you can't ignore.

360 continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: 360 next, our special series, "Conspiracy Theories," who killed Martin Luther King? Find out why the family says this case is not closed.

First our top stories in "The Reset."

(UNINTELLIGIBLE) Bridges TV is on the air. It is the first American Muslim television network to broadcast in English. It aims to introduce Americans to their Muslim neighbors, and counter any negative perceptions Americans may have of them.

In Montrose, Colorado, coroners have positively identified the body of Teddy Ebersol. Ebersol died when the corporate jet he was in crashed during takeoff Sunday. His father, NBC Sports Chairman Dick Ebersol and brother, survived the crash.

In Lafayette, Louisiana, an explosion apparently burst open a small plane at the local airport. Witnesses say the blast sounded like a balloon popping and it shook the ground. There were no reports of serious injury.

And in Los Angeles, California, Elizabeth Taylor says her body is a, quote, "real mess." In an interview with "W" magazine, the 72- year-old actress says she's fighting both congestive heart failure and scoliosis, and adds that she's not afraid to die. Taylor's publicist says despite the ailments, she's in good spirits.

That's a quick look at the headlines in "The Reset."

All this week, we're taking a close look at conspiracy theories, stories that are not necessarily in the headlines, but ones that continue to be at the center of controversy.

Tonight, the murder of Martin Luther King Jr. You may not know this, but when his convicted assassin James Earl Ray died a prisoner six years ago, King's family called it "a tragedy for the entire nation." It may seem like an odd statement, considering Ray confessed to murdering King in 1968. He later recanted that confession, and even suggested the killing was part of a conspiracy. King's family believed Ray and worked on efforts to get him a trial. That never happened.

Tonight we look at the facts and talk to two people involved in the case who have very different viewpoints. First, CNN's Adaora Udoji with this installment of "Conspiracy Theories: Truth or Paranoia."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ADAORA UDOJI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Some say Martin Luther King Jr. had gotten too powerful, that he was taking his followers down an anti-Vietnam War, anti-poverty road the federal government couldn't tolerate.

WILLIAM PEPPER, AUTHOR, "AN ACT OF STATE": The decision to kill Martin King started at very senior levels of defense and intelligence structures in this country.

UDOJI: Attorney William Pepper, a friend of King's, says his two-decade investigation discovered a contract hit went out to the mob, that James Earl Ray, who pled guilty to King's 1968 murder was only a patsy, who wasn't even at the crime scene. FBI documents show the agency tried to discredit King, which conspiracy believers say bolsters their case.

The problem is, two federal and a Memphis police investigation concluded there was no evidence of a government conspiracy. Memphis prosecutor John Campbell says Ray may have had help, but he pulled the trigger.

JOHN CAMPBELL, ASSISTANT DISTRICT ATTORNEY GENERAL: I think they're trying to build a fantasy conspiracy out of bits and pieces, and basically trying to ignore what was really the proof in the case.

UDOJI: Campbell says authorities have never found the shady figure Raul whom Ray said hired him. They never found evidence to back up bar owner Lloyd Jowers' claim that he hired another man to kill King. But the King family believed Jowers and they met with Ray.

MARTIN LUTHER KING III: Did you kill my father?

JAMES EARL RAY: No, no, I didn't, no.

UDOJI: A jury agreed in a civil trial, where Pepper represented the family, deciding Jowers had something to do with King's death.

PEPPER: It took a jury 59 minutes after 30 days of trial and 70 witnesses to find for the King family.

UDOJI: The King family, back in 2000, hoped the case would trigger a non-governmental review. They are still waiting.

Adaora Udoji, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Well, as always on 360, we don't take sides, we like to look at all the angles. Joining me from Memphis, Tennessee is John Campbell, an assistant district attorney for Shelby County. He was the chief prosecutor when the Ray case was brought to criminal court in the 1990s.

And here in New York is William Pepper, who's been an attorney for both James Earl Ray and the King family. He's the author of "An Act of State: The Execution of Martin Luther King." We appreciate both of you joining us.

Mr. Pepper, let me start off with you. In 2000, the Justice Department released a finding after 18 months investigating they concluded and I quote, "there's no credible information to support allegations of any conspiracy." Why is that not good enough?

PEPPER: It's not good enough, because they didn't even take the time to interview or attempt to interview over 90 percent of the witnesses who gave evidence at the civil trial in 1999, and witnesses who had testified under oath and provided very hard, real evidence. They just did not interview those people, and to the extent that they did interview some, they discounted their evidence.

COOPER: Mr. Campbell, you contend there was no high-profile conspiracy, that James Earl Ray was not an innocent patsy.

CAMPBELL: Right.

COOPER: What makes you so sure? I mean, what about these witnesses who Mr. Pepper is saying weren't talked to?

CAMPBELL: Well, first of all, they were talked to. A number of them refused to talk to the Department of Justice. We did, however, talked to them. Some of these witnesses back in the early of the mid- 90s, when the first allegations of Mr. Ray and Mr. Pepper were made to Criminal Court Division 9, and at that point in time, Mr. Jowers was saying some person named Frank Holt was the gunman, and that he received money and paid Frank Holt to do the killing.

That theory went out the window when the witnesses began to backtrack on what they were saying, and Frank Holt was found and denied that he was involved. And that story then changed to, well, then we got some Memphis police officer who's doing the shooting.

COOPER: Mr. Pepper, there do seem to be a lot of shifting stories. I mean, James Earl Ray, you know, confessed and then recanted his confession a few days later, and over the years came up with all sorts of different -- sort of hinted at all sorts of different conspiracies. It's kind of hard to pin down what they are even saying happened.

PEPPER: Not really. James really didn't know what happened. He was a patsy. Mr. Campbell's disability is that he came on to the case very late, and in actual fact, he did no investigation. I put Mr. Campbell's investigator on the stand in the civil trial, Mr. Glankler (ph). I gave him 25 names of key witnesses who had given testimony under oath. He admitted that he tried to -- he tried to interview two of those people at the time. Forget about the 70 witnesses who testified. They did no investigation.

COOPER: Do you have physical evidence -- do you have physical evidence -- I mean, because there was a gun with James Earl Ray's fingerprints on it, I mean, found at the scene. James Earl Ray was seen leaving the scene.

PEPPER: That was not the murder weapon. They never could match -- never did match the death slug to that rifle. That was a rifle that James was instructed to buy, which he bought, and which was thrown down. Mr. Campbell's claim that Raul has never been identified is simply pure rubbish. Raul has been identified, and we know where he is at this point in time. COOPER: Mr. Campbell, do you believe that that was the murder weapon that James Earl Ray used?

CAMPBELL: Most definitely. I mean, the fact of the matter is, the murder weapon was recovered right the night of the crime in front of Knight's newsman (ph) company. It was tested. This particular weapon, whenever you fire it, the bullets -- the test bullets have never matched one to the other, so they've never been able to match them to the bullet recovered from Dr. King. It's been inconclusive.

COOPER: What do you think is going on here? I mean, you know, Mr. Pepper seems like a decent man. Do you think he's just mistaken? Lying? I mean, why is this story still alive?

CAMPBELL: I can't speak to Mr. Pepper -- I can't speak to what his thoughts are. All I can say is that when we've looked at this, and I beg to differ. We did look at a lot of these witnesses, the ones who would cooperate and talked to us, we talked to many, many witnesses. And you have this undercurrent of, if you help out in this project, you're liable to get some money from a movie deal. Several people talked about that.

COOPER: Is this about money for a movie deal?

PEPPER: It's not about money for a movie deal. And if Mr. Campbell and the district attorney general's office in Memphis wanted to get to the truth of this case, they would have allowed us to put this evidence before a Memphis grand jury. We tried to do that time and again.

CAMPBELL: The grand jury heard from you. The grand jury never heard your people...

(CROSSTALK)

PEPPER: The grand jury never heard -- the grand jury never heard from our people.

COOPER: You said you know who is Raul? Who is Raul?

PEPPER: Raul is a fellow who is a Portuguese immigrant. He lives not very far from here. He's well-protected by the government. The testimony at the trial established all of the details of Raul. And even to the point where his own daughter identified the photograph that James Earl Ray identified in 1978.

Mr. Campbell, final thought we've got to leave it there.

CAMPBELL: Well, first the Raul that they supposedly claim was the Raul was not in Memphis in 1968. We talked to people who could put him in New York in 19 -- in April 4, '68.

COOPER: I'm going to have to leave it there. William Pepper, John Campbell, we do appreciate you joining us. We could go on about this all night. A lot of different theories. Thank you very much for joining us. We're going to explore some other conspiracy theories all this week. On 360 tomorrow, the 1996 crash of TWA flight 800. Investigators say a fuel tank spark caused the plane to explode. Others believe it was shot down, some interesting information tomorrow night.

On Thursday, the origin of HIV, why some are saying the U.S. government is behind it. That's a conspiracy out there on the Internet. We'll look at the facts.

And Friday the conspiracy of the year was this month's presidential election, stolen. Some very serious issues there on that one.

360 next, emotions overflowing, the penalty phase of the Scott Peterson murder trial. Will tearful testimony be enough to sentence Peterson to death? That's next.

Also tonight, how all that stress and strain may speed up the aging process. That may stress you right there.

And later who's stealing Spongebob? The latest on the baffling square pants mystery.

Also, in a moment, the today's "360 Challenge." How closely have been following today's news? We will test it out. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Time now for the "360 Challenge." Be first to answer all the questions correctly we'll send you a 360 shirt.

No. 1 how many years has it been since a U.S. president has visited Canada?

No. 2, the Oil-For-Food controversy has turned into a family affair for which international leader?

No. 3, Wichita, Kansas police have released details from letter by which serial killer?

Take the challenge, log on to cnn.com/360, click on the answer link, answer first and we'll send you the shirt. And find out last night's challenge winner and tonight's answers coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: The penalty phase of the Scott Peterson murder trial began today with emotional testimony from people who always loved Laci Peterson. One by one, her family members spoke about a young woman filled with life. They said she had so much to give. Her mother, Sharon Rocha, said Laci will always be here for me. And, quote, "I wanted to know my grandson." A heartbreaking day indeed. Covering the trial for tonight in Court TV -- is Court TV anchor Lisa Bloom and from Miami, defense attorney Jayne Weintraub. I appreciate you both joining us. I want to put up on the screen, two things that Laci's family talked about today in court about her unborn child. Her brother said, I don't I think I've ever heard her be more excited then the day she called me up to tell me she was pregnant. She was going to be a great mother.

Her mother said this about their funeral. I knew she was in the casket with the baby, but she didn't have arms to hold him.

How important do you think it is for the prosecution to remind the jury about the way Laci Peterson died?

LISA BLOOM, COURT TV: I think it's important. It humanizes her. She's been just the victim. She's been bloody remains on photographs shown to the jury up until this point. Seeing her as a living, breathing person with human qualities, someone who smiled a lot, who had plans for a future, makes a big difference. And apparently the jury today Anderson, reacted with tears, they were very emotional. They were bonding with this testimony.

COOPER: Jayne, Sharon Rocha's testimony today very powerful, no doubt about it. As Lisa just said, it brought some jurors to tears. I mean, is that a defense attorney's worst nightmare? How do you deal with that?

JAYNE WEINTRAUB, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: It is the worst nightmare. But you know, it's a tragedy for both families. I mean, nobody could ever underestimate the emotions in that courtroom on both sides. Every murder case has both sides to the story. And although our hearts are, you know, outpoured for the Laci Peterson family, you have to think of the jury has the law to follow and an oath to follow, and it's time for them to follow their oath. They have to weigh the aggravating and mitigating circumstances under the law. They can't just go by their emotion. They obviously did that in their guilt phase. And the reality, Anderson, is that when you weight the aggravating and the mitigating, 23 hours a day in solitaire confinement a lot of people argue is worse than death.

COOPER: Do you agree with that, Lisa?

BLOOM: Well, first of all, to say that the guilt phase was based on emotion is absurd. Jayne, might be the last person in America who thinks that the jury came back with a resounding conviction, first degree and second degree. And they came back very quickly, which I think indicates they probably will reach a verdict on the guilt phase.

WEINTRAUB: I think they made a deal already.

BLOOM: Look, one the aggravating factors is all of the insinuating circumstances, I think the prosecutors made a great argument today in their opening by saying, 116 days, that's how long Scott Peterson made the Rocha family suffer in agony not knowing what happened to Laci Peterson.

WEINTRAUB: But Lisa -- Lisa -- Sharon Rocha is not the victim.

BLOOM: That suffering unnecessarily placed upon them.

WEINSTRAUB: No, Lisa. Lisa, you're wrong. That's not death penalty law. That might be mental games of a prosecutor, but that's not the law.

BLOOM: But the law in California there's a catch all provision, all insinuating circumstances can be taken into account.

(CROSSTALK)

WEINTRAUB: Let me finish one sentence. Victim impact is the victim's impact. That means the death of Laci and/or Conner. That's not Sharon Rocha's impact. That's the impact it has on her.

BLOOM: The judge disagreed because he let it in.

WEINTRAUB: It's languishing in death, that was 116 days for Sharon Rocha has a mom. What are you talking about when you talk about Scott's rest of his life.

COOPER: Jayne, let me try to ask you this question. In your experience, does a jury in the penalty phase, have they already made up their mind pretty much once they've reached a decision, whether of guilt or innocence? Have they already made up their mind or does it really matter what happens on the stand, what people say?

WEINTRAUB: I think it matters. I do think and I've done a lot of death penalty cases, over 30, and I do think they make deals in the jury room. I have heard rumblings of that from jurors before. And I'll tell you something that I read on Court TV's Web site, actually, from Lisa yesterday.

BLOOM: Excellent source.

WEINTRAUB: And that was, one of the jurors in a former capital case, said he voted for death because he didn't really believe life without parole is life without parole. In other words...

BLOOM: A lot of jurors feel that way. It's very surprising. They're tired of seeing people get out of clemency and parole. They want to make sure they're off the streets forever. They do impose death.

COOPER: Lisa Bloom, appreciate it. Jayne Weintraub, always good to talk to you, thanks.

360 next, living longer, living stronger, new findings about stress and how to prevent it from cutting your life short.

Also tonight, a enveloping story, Spongebob Squarepants is missing. That's right kids, details ahead.

And a little later, while others his age are retiring, Godzilla, he's still breathing fire, God love him. We'll take that to the "Nth Degree."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Every day it seems like there's an avalanche of new information about health -- what to eat, what not to eat, how to stay young, blah blah blah. We decided to start trying to separate the wheat from the chaff and bring you advice you might actually be able to use. Tonight in living longer, living stronger, a new report about stress and how it can actually make you older faster. CNN medical correspondent Christy Feig has details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRISTY FEIG, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Darlene Hong knows the typical stress of a working mother, but add to that the additional daily pressures of caring for her youngest son Terrence who has autism.

DARLENE HONG, STUDY PARTICIPANT: You never can let your guard done. You never can. You have to be spontaneous and quick.

FEIG: Researchers at the University of California at San Francisco wanted to know for sure what kind of effect that chronic stress might have on the body. So they took Hong and 38 other women like her who care for chronically ill children every day and compared them to 19 similar women with healthy children and asked them to rate how overwhelmed they felt by daily life. Then they took cells from the women, because at the end of chromosomes inside cells are something called telomeres which get shorter as cells divide and that's how scientists can judge the age of a cell.

ELISSA EPEL, UNIV. OF CALIF., SAN FRANCISCO: For the women under the highest stress their cells did appear to be prematurely aged, around a decade older.

FEIG: But it's not the stress itself that matters most. It's how stressful you think it really is.

EPEL: Many of our caregivers had low levels of perceived stress, and low levels of cell aging so how we perceive stress is a very important factor in protecting our health.

FEIG: Like all new medical findings, the results must still be confirmed, but experts say what's important here is finding buffers to stress like family and friends, meditation, exercise or even medicine. Christy Feig, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: This just in now. Kids, you may want to leave the room. SpongeBob SquarePants is missing. I repeat, someone has stolen SpongeBob. In fact, there were several SpongeBobs taken. The inflatable character was snatched from rooftops on Burger Kings across six states. Here in Wisconsin, you can see the desperate plea for the safe return. SpongeBobs are being used by Burger King as a movie promotion, but tonight the SpongeBobs are gone, police are left searching for answers. SpongeBob, where is he, they ask. So far there has been little to go on except for a cryptic ransom note in Minnesota, believe it or not, saying, quote, "we have SpongeBob, give us ten crabby patties, fries and milkshakes." We don't know if Burger King is willing to negotiate. We suspect they are happy for all the free publicity, and if you can hear me, stay strong, SpongeBob SquarePants, stay strong and wet. That would be good.

360 next, another popular creature, this one mean and green, with a reason to celebrate. Take that to the Nth Degree.

Tomorrow night, Ken Jennings, "Jeopardy" champ. We have him booked. Those of you on the west coast, we can't tell you why, exactly. 360 challenge, here's another look at tonight's questions. You know the news. Log on to CNN.com/360, click on the answer link to play. Be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Time now for the answers to today's 360 challenge. How many years has it been since a U.S. president has made a state visit to Canada? Nine. Oil for Food controversy has turned into a family affair for which international leader? Kofi Annan. And Wichita, Kansas police have released details from letters by which serial killer? BTK.

First person to answer all three questions correctly, we'll send you a 360 shirt. Tune in tomorrow to find out if you're the winner. Last night's winner, Laura Clarke from Toronto. Congratulations.

Tonight, taking an international star to the Nth Degree. Ladies and gentlemen, he's tall, he's ticked off, he's green and he's old, but he's still a star. Happy birthday to Godzilla. 50 years ago he made his screen debut, we think. Lizard birth certificates are hard to come by. For the occasion we're told there's a new film being released, Godzilla's 28th. That's more B-movies than even Michael Caine has been in. To mark the occasion the big G will be getting a star of his own on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

We say, well-deserved, Godzilla, you have come a long way, baby. You crushed more cars, made more people run in terror, and battled more battling (UNINTELLIGIBLE) monsters than Liza Minnelli. She's battled some pretty big ones.

Yes, sir, actors come and go, but bad movie monsters just get better with age. Read my lips. Happy birthday, you big green lug. I'm Anderson Cooper. Thanks for watching. "PAULA ZAHN NOW" is next.

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