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Anderson Cooper 360 Degrees

Cock-fighting is Brutal; More Information, More Searching in Aruba; Disney World Tragedy; Deserter Goes Home

Aired June 14, 2005 - 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 "ANDERSON COOPER 360": Dramatic developments in the search for an American teen, missing in Aruba. 360 starts now.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(voice-over): Police start a new search for Natalee based on an alleged jailhouse confession. Tonight, the latest developments in the case, and a former suspect, just released, speaks out about what really happened to Natalee.

While her family searches for Natalee, American teens keep partying hard on Aruba.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Sex on the beach?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I want to be on TV!

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And they make you want to have sex on the beach.

COOPER: A shocking look at what American kids really do at night on Aruba.

Death at Disney. A four-year-old boy dies after going on a popular ride at Disney. He met the height requirement, but was the ride simply too intense for this young little boy?

A deserter returns. Charles Jenkins ran away and helped the North Koreans wage a propaganda war against the U.S. Tonight, after 40 years, the deserter's bitter return.

A major cockfighting bust, 144 people rounded up. Tonight, we take you inside the secret world of cockfighting, a thriving, multi- million dollar business, a sport to some, animal cruelty to others.

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

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: Good evening.

We begin tonight with fast-moving developments on the island of Aruba. A search under way right now; it's been going to for several hours. You see it. That is a live picture there as dusk is falling on the island. It's in a beachfront area that had apparently not been looked at closely before in what was called an island-wide search for Natalee Holloway. It has been cordoned off by police today.

This is an area near the Marriott Hotel and we'll tell you why they're now zeroing in on this area in a moment. It relates to another dramatic development that we learned about today.

The first two men to be detained in the disappearance of Natalee Holloway have been released. They were security guards at a local hotel. We spoke with one of them earlier this evening. I'll have that conversation in just a moment, but first, let's focus this search happening now.

CNN's Karl Penhaul is standing by live on Aruba.

Karl, what's the latest?

KARL PENHAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Anderson, as you can see from that live picture we're putting up, the search area is about 500 yards long by about 150 yards wide at its widest point. It is sandwiched between the main highway that leads around the island and the beach and in between. And that's the area that's sandwiched. There are mangrove trees and other shrubs and also some drainage ditches and culverts.

What we've seen in the course of the day is police that have been walking though that by foot. We're told by law enforcement sources close to this investigation that there are also two FBI agents involved and also the police dog and its handler from Miami-Dade.

What we don't know for sure, Anderson, is what led police to this specific area close to the Marriott Hotel. It seems that it could also have been from a tip-off from somebody that has found something in that area, Anderson.

COOPER: Karl, does this have anything to do with what we have now learned from the security guard who was released yesterday who says that in prison he was told by one of these other three suspects that they, in fact, dropped her off in this area with the Dutch suspect?

PENHAUL: It could be linked to that, Anderson. It seems somewhat of a coincidence that that comes out and a short while later police are searching in specifically that area that that person was talking about. But also, down at the scene, I did talk to somebody who claimed that he had searched in the area and found some items and reported that to police and said that the police shortly after moved into that area, Anderson.

COOPER: Have they searched this area before? Because if they haven't, that would be incredibly surprising to me. I mean, this is right near the Marriott Hotel. You would think if this was an island- wide search, this area would have been heavily looked at, no?

PENHAUL: Absolutely. We talked to the police -- no, to the civilian search and rescue teams. They said they did not search in that area. But you'll appreciate, Anderson, there have been police, Dutch marines and also tourists and other volunteers out. So it could be that some people have trolled through this area, not clear, though how closely it's been searched, Anderson.

COOPER: Want to look into that a little bit more. We're going to talk to a spokesman from the government down there in Aruba a little bit later in the program. We're also going check in with you again.

Again this is a story moving very quickly this evening. They're zeroing in on a particular area near the Marriott Hotel. And as you are about to hear, that is significant because the man you're about to hear from says that essentially another suspect confessed to him that he'd lied to police and that they'd dropped Natalee Holloway off in this area.

The investigation, when it first got under way, you're going to remember, the first two people who were arrested were two security guards. Now, you may ask, why them?

They were fingered by three kids who admitted that they'd been with Natalee that night and they claim they saw Natalee approached by a security guard when they dropped her off at the hotel. Some 10 days now they've been in custody, these two security guards. They were released yesterday, finally. Mickey John and Abraham Jones are their names. They were released yesterday, cleared of any wrongdoing.

The three teens who told the story in the first place -- they are in custody. It's a pair of brothers and the son of a Dutch island judge. They are now under arrest. When Mickey John was in custody, he actually talked with one of these three teens and what he heard is simply stunning.

I talked with Mickey a short time ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: Mickey, what did this suspect in custody, Deepak Kalpoe, tell you about what really happened?

MICKEY JOHN, RELEASED SECURITY GUARD: He told me that -- I was talking to him Sunday -- and he told me that when they left Carlos 'N Charlie's, they went straight to the lighthouse. He -- Deepak was driving. His brother was sitting in the car next to him. The missing girl was in the backseat behind Deepak and the other guy was in the backseat behind his brother. And they drove down to the California lighthouse. He didn't tell me what took place at the lighthouse.

COOPER: Now, the lighthouse, that's obviously on the beach?

JOHN: The lighthouse is at the end of island. It's not close to Marriott. It's far from the Marriott, close to the (INAUDIBLE).

COOPER: OK, so he told you that they drove all of the way down toward the end of the island? Did he say...

JOHN: To the lighthouse.

COOPER: To the lighthouse. He didn't say what happened then?

JOHN: No, sir. He said -- what he told me on his way back up they stopped at a -- close to the Marriott and they dropped off the missing girl and the Dutch guy. And he and his friend -- and he and his brother -- went home. And he went online, and like, after an hour later, the Dutch guy sent him a message, a text message on his cell phone, saying that when he got home he'd also go online to chat with him.

COOPER: And did he say anything about the way the Dutch guy, Joran, was behaving with Natalee? Was there some talk that they had been intimate while driving?

JOHN: No, he said there was kissing in the backseat. She was very, very drunk. I could recall he said that.

COOPER: Did he say what he thought had happened?

JOHN: No. He didn't emphasize on that.

COOPER: Did he tell you why he lied to police?

JOHN: Yes, because he said that normally, like, when tourists, somebody, come here and they get lost, a few days after that, they're going to be recovered, you know, at some crack house or with some beach bums. So, they thought that this thing would've been possible (INAUDIBLE) police.

But push comes to shove, and nothing was coming out. He decided to tell the truth with his brother to the armed police.

COOPER: So, he told you -- sorry -- he told you that he lied to police because he thought she would show up a couple of days later in a crack house or somewhere else?

JOHN: Correct, sir.

COOPER: Had you ever met any of these three young men? These three suspects?

JOHN: No, sir. Never.

COOPER: Did he -- I mean, did he say anything? Did he apologize to you for -- because he originally implicated you and your colleague.

JOHN: Yes. He did apologize. He apologized and told me he's sorry that (INAUDIBLE) and that the day we'd been arrested, which was a Thursday, he thought I should be released, and my colleague, the following day which was a Friday, because he knew we were innocent from the start.

COOPER: Do you think this guy, Deepak, knows more than he told you? Do you think he really knows what happened to Holloway? To Natalee?

JOHN: I don't know what I think. He's holding back something. I know whether I think he knows exactly what happened to her, but he's holding back something, I think.

COOPER: What makes you think that?

JOHN: Because he didn't tell me what happened at the lighthouse. And according to the news, they are giving different stories.

COOPER: Well Mickey, again, we appreciate you taking the time to speak with us. I know it's been a horrible ordeal for you. We're glad you're out and glad you're free and wish you well in the future.

COOPER: Thank you very much, sir. You're welcome.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Well, much surprised to learn that even after Natalee Holloway has disappeared, even now when they are searching for her, the partying on Aruba goes on. American teens, drinking until dawn, partying even at the same club that Natalee was last seen at. It's a side of the island we haven't seen before, frankly. CNN's Karl Penhaul went along with one group of American girls out for a good time.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PENHAUL: Closing time, the homecoming queen seems a little worse for wear. What's she been drinking?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Sex on the beach. And they make you want to have sex on the beach.

PENHAUL: And, what about Mike, the high school soccer MVP.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We'll be back tomorrow. .

PENHAUL: Steve's been drinking yards of beer. He'll be the first to admit he's only just holding it together.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, amazing. It was awesome. Had a good time. A lot of girls, a lot of drinks. Carlos 'N Charlie's is the best bar ever.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Aruba at night, the partying continues. Karl Penhaul's report -- the full report -- a little bit later on 360.

Here in the U.S., in the 26 hours since Michael Jackson was acquitted, just about everyone has spoken out about the with the exception of course of one man, Michael Jackson. As with his trial, the singer continues to remain silent. The question is, for how long.

CNN's Ted Rowlands is outside the Neverland Ranch, joins us live. Ted, what's the scene there?

TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, dozen of Jackson supporters and dozens of members of the media have been camped out in the heat outside the gates of Neverland Ranch, hoping for a glimpse of Michael Jackson or a statement from Michael Jackson, but thus far that has not happened.

The group has been out here all day long. You see some sheriff's deputies out here as well, keeping the peace. For the most part, there hasn't been much action. At one point, Michael Jackson's father, Joe Jackson, left the property, rolled down his window, and talked a little bit with fans, and then he sped off. Michael Jackson's mother also left the property without saying a word.

Most of these fans are hoping that the pop star will come out and say something, or possibly even invite them into the ranch. At this point, though, that has not happened, and according to an employee, there are no plans for that to happen.

Anderson.

COOPER: Ted Rowlands, thanks very much for the report.

Coming up next on 360, tragedy at Disney World. A young boy dies after going on a ride. Questions tonight about the attraction, how safe is it, and what parents need to know about their kids getting on a ride like it.

Plus, it has been 40 years since this man deserted the Army. He is now coming home. A bittersweet homecoming. We will follow his journey.

And parties, lots of drinking and wild nights out. As we just showed you, what U.S. students are still doing on the island of Aruba. We'll show you what could have been going on the night Natalee Holloway disappeared.

All that ahead. First, your picks, though, the most popular stories on CNN.com right now.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Tonight, a Pennsylvania family mourns the loss of a young life, a four-year-old boy named Daudi Bamuwamye, who seemed perfectly healthy and was just yesterday having fun at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida.

Daudi, his sister and his mother went on this ride, a very popular attraction at Epcot Center, called Mission: Space. It's a mix of visual effects and G forces designed to simulate space travel.

Young Daudi passed out on the ride. He died later. Today, preliminary autopsy results show no signs of trauma and further testing is likely -- will take weeks. Disney has expressed sympathy, called the incident "highly unusual." And while we don't know the cause of Daudi's death, it has raised some questions about the type of ride he was on.

CNN's Catherine Callaway goes behind the headlines tonight with a close look at Mission: Space.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Recreating the feeling of a rocket launch into space was the goal of Disney Imagineering.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're going to blast off into outer space.

CALLAWAY: We rode along with a family of five as they experienced Mission: Space.

After reading the caution signs...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Are you sure you all want to go?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

CALLAWAY: ... and meeting requirements...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's good.

CALLAWAY: ... the family steps into the capsule that will mimic the G force of a rocket launch.

The father loved it. But it was too much for other members of this family.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I just feel shaky right now. It was all right. It was just the liftoff that got me.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I feel like my stomach just dropped.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I told him not to get on.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, it was great. It was wonderful, for real. I didn't think he was going to ever stop screaming.

CALLAWAY: There are clear warnings that this ride is not for everyone. NASA advisers, astronauts and scientists worked with Disney on the centrifuge, basing the ride on a training tool NASA uses to prepare astronauts for the intense pressure of G forces.

SEAN O'KEEFE, FORMER NASA ADMINISTRATOR: This is a pretty intensive five-minute experience. It's one that's very, very close to giving you a sense of the reality of what the training and the simulation environment really is in the astronaut corps. Pretty impressive.

CALLAWAY: Disney wouldn't say the exact G force of the ride, but did say it's less than a shuttle launch.

There is a minimum height requirement of 44 inches, but no age restriction.

Dr. Ronald Tusa, an Emory neurologist who's ridden Mission: Space says the warning should be taken seriously. DR. RONALD TUSA, EMORY UNIV. HOSPITAL: I would advise certain people not to go on them, because they can be -- they can cause too much sickness for the individual, but they're not going to cause death.

CALLAWAY: Disney reports that since the ride opened in 2003, at least half a dozen people have been hospitalized after experiencing Mission: Space. However, it's worth noting that during that time, more than 8.6 million people have safely taken the ride.

Catherine Callaway, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Man, a lot of screaming.

Erica Hill from HEADLINE NEWS following several other stories right now. Hi, Erica.

ERICA HILL, CNN HEADLINE NEWS ANCHOR: Hey, Anderson.

We start off with news about Vice President Dick Cheney, speaking out on the debate over the U.S. prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Mr. Cheney says he doesn't believe revelations about the treatment of prisoners at the facility have become an image problem for the U.S. Vice president also says the U.S. policy at Gitmo is the correct one, and that the prison should not be shut down. "Time" magazine reports this week on the treatment of a prisoner who was forced to bark like a dog and urinate on himself.

In New York City, a helicopter slams into the East River. The hard landing happened just minutes after takeoff. You can see, the chopper flipped over into the water after its flotation device was put into use. Six international tourists and a pilot were onboard. All survived. We are told one person is in critical condition. No word, though, on what led to the hard landing.

In northern Chile, at least 11 people were killed by yesterday's 7.9 magnitude earthquake. There was widespread damage also in several villages.

And in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, how about this for lady luck? Two times a millionaire. A woman who won $1 million on a Pennsylvania lottery scratch-off ticket earlier this year, did it again.

COOPER: Wow!

HILL: Yeah. I have no luck; she's got it all. The lottery number crunchers say the odds of winning just one time, 1.44 million to one, although my odds have increased because my sister's convinced she's going to win sometime, and she's got a list of who gets the money. I figure very high on the list.

COOPER: Oh, yeah, that's what she says now. You know, Erica, I feel like I win the lottery every time I get to work with you. Thank you. Thank you very much. I'll be here all week, try the veal. See you again in about 30 minutes.

Coming up next tonight, the first time in decades a former Army deserter used by North Korea for propaganda sets foot on American soil. There he is, Charles Jenkins, the strange story of this man ahead.

Also tonight, inside the underground world of cockfighting. Police go after the thriving business, busting 400 people this weekend, and it keeps on going. A report you won't see anywhere else, a little bit later.

Also...

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My mom doesn't know I'm here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: Tonight, mom and everyone else watching will learn what goes on in Aruba and what you may be -- what you may see, well, it might shock you.

We're going to take you inside the wild times. A look at what may have happened the night Natalee Holloway disappeared and what is continuing to happen every night on Aruba.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: It's been a long time coming, but Charles Jenkins is finally home. Four decades ago, Jenkins deserted. He fled to North Korea to avoid the Vietnam War. He's come home to visit his mother for the first time in some 40 years.

CNN's Tom Forman reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TOM FORMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For the first time in 40 years, Charles Robert Jenkins is back in the country he abandoned, flying in with his Japanese family to visit his aging mother.

CHARLES ROBERT JENKINS, ARMY DEFECTOR: After 40 years, I'm very happy to go to visit my mother and my family in America. But only one week, and I'm going back to Sado, Japan, to live with my dear wife and family.

FORMAN: Jenkins said little on arrival, but in the rural community where he grew up, veterans are saying plenty.

RICHARD KOHL, FORMER MARINE: He let down his family. He let down his friends. He let down his best buddies.

BILL TERRY, NAVY VETERAN: It's appalling. It's unthinkable.

FORMAN (on camera): Some people would portray Jenkins as a tragic character. But what do you see him as?

TERRY: I see him as a traitor.

GEORGE WILLIS, NAVY VETERAN: Where I came from, you don't come back home as a coward. You go somewhere and hang your head in shame.

FORMAN (voice-over): Vietnam was raging in 1965, when Jenkins was 24, an Army sergeant and afraid of being sent to war. So while stationed in South Korea, he defected to the north, where he says he was held and forced to become part of the anti-American propaganda machine; teaching English and explaining American ways to the enemy.

But in his hometown, that explanation falls flat. Great soldiers are revered here. Jenkins picture is a fading embarrassment in a local museum. And even old friends, like Michael Cook, know he's not welcome.

MICHAEL COOK, FORMER FRIEND: There's not going to be any parades for Robert coming home. He's not going to be honored as a hero.

FORMAN: People here know Jenkins turned himself in when North Korea released him last year, and that he was subsequently dishonorably discharged from the Army and spent a month in jail.

Many say he owes his mother a visit.

JUNIOR BAIRD, FORMER MARINE: He tortured his mother for 40 years. You can't make up for that.

FORMAN: But once that is done, they want Charles Robert Jenkins to do as he has promised, to once again say good-bye to America and get out.

Tom Foreman, CNN, Rich Square, North Carolina.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER (voice-over): While her family searches for Natalee, American teens keep partying hard, on Aruba.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Sex on the beach. And they make you want to have sex on the beach.

COOPER: A shocking look at what American kids really do at night on Aruba.

A major cockfighting bust: 144 people rounded up. Tonight, we take you inside the secret world of cock-fighting, a thriving, multi- million dollar business. A sport to some, animal cruelty to others.

360 continues.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Some dramatic developments today in the case of Natalee Holloway, the 18-year-old teen from Alabama who's been missing on the island of Aruba since May 30.

Right now, a new search is under way. Darkness is falling. It's hard to see people still searching, but it's at a beach-front area near the Marriott Hotel. It's close to where Natalee was staying.

This area, we now think, has been mentioned in jailhouse statements made by at least one of the three men still in custody in the case.

We're joined for the latest, by a spokesperson for the government of Aruba, Mr. Ruben Trapenberg. We appreciate you enjoining us.

What can you tell us about the search that is going to right now?

RUBEN TRAPENBERG, ARUBA GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN: Well, I should say that it's part of the ongoing search, but then the authorities have the obligation to investigate any new leads that are coming in. So this may be part of that. Exactly which lead, which tip they're acting upon, only they know at this point.

COOPER: We talked earlier in the day to the security guard who was released -- who had been in custody; was one of the early suspects, but has been released, cleared of all charges.

Why did it take so long for him to be cleared?

He said he gave his information, you know, the day he was arrested. All that information was checked the next day and that, for the last week, no one talked to him, no one asked him any questions or anything.

TRAPENBERG: It all depends on the amount of information that they had at the beginning. If it was a lot, it would take more than one day to check out. And then you have the legal process that works after two days. So, they have to be mindful of that.

What I heard from prosecutors is that once they have checked out all the information; once it checks out --the alibis that they may have, what they did -- and once all that checks out, at that point they can release the suspects.

COOPER: The area that's being searched right now, which I guess is owned by the Marriott Hotel, was this searched before? I mean, have people gone over this area already?

TRAPENBERG: People have gone over the area, but not as intensely as this time. So, again, we don't know the exact reason why they would do an intense search at this point, but it does seem more intense than the first time.

Of course, every part of the island is being checked and that's important. What we also hear is that the authorities are really doing their best to finalize this case and have Natalee found.

COOPER: We're seeing a video from earlier today of this area being searched with a dog, a canine unit. Has a dog been used in previous searches before?

TRAPENBERG: No. We didn't have specialized dogs for searches. That was requested. I'm not sure if it's from the FBI, but we knew a dog was being flown in. Also extra technical help has come in from Holland and more from the U.S. as is needed.

COOPER: I'm told this dog comes from the Miami P.D. Do you know, is this the first day that the dog has been used?

TRAPENBERG: This is the first day that it has been seen. I haven't been able to confirm that it arrived any earlier than that. It is possible, of course, but this is the first day we've seen the dog.

COOPER: Do you feel now that you have enough people searching, that you have enough support? There are some who are going to hear that this is the first time a dog has been involved in the search and think, heck, why did it take so long to get a dog? It seems like one of the things you'd go for right away.

TRAPENBERG: Right. It was asked for right away. But every city around the world has their own law authorities and they have their own dogs to do their own searches locally.

On the local level, we don't have searchers. People don't go missing that easily that we would have search dogs on hand to do that. So in that case it was asked for by different police stations that they have contact with. And once one was available, that's when we got it.

COOPER: Ruben, I appreciate you joining us. Ruben Trapenberg, a spokesman for the Aruban government -- thanks very much, Ruben. Appreciate it.

What is it like on the lovely Caribbean island for those young men and women lucky enough to celebrate their high school graduations there, as Natalee Holloway was doing when she went missing two weeks ago?

Well as CNN's Karl Penhaul reports now with the "World of '360,'" the kids keep on arriving and keep on partying.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PENHAUL (voice-over): School's out for Stoneham High's class of 2005. It's time for cocktails, a splash of sun, sea and something exotic.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's going to be a great time.

PENHAUL: They paid $1,500 each for this all-inclusive graduation trip from Boston. They're at the same hotel where Natalee Holloway stayed. Meet the homecoming queen, Allie (ph).

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Are we going to go Iguana Joe's or Mambo Jambo or Carlos 'N Charlie's?

PENHAUL: Time to get ready. Toni's (ph) in demand.

(on camera): You're on holiday. You're here to have fun. And I'm sure you're here to blow off some steam. You've been working hard all year. Is that about the short and tall of it?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're here to have fun and start our last summer really all together.

PENHAUL: What did you start to think when you saw the case about Natalee? Did any of you have second thoughts?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: After what happened with Natalee, I think we're trying to stay away from people outside of our group.

PENHAUL (voice-over): The gang's planning on hitting Carlos 'N Charlie's, where Natalee Holloway was last seen.

Haven't parents banned them from there?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My mom doesn't know we're here.

PENHAUL: Unlike Natalee Holloway's group, there's no chaperones here, but they've set up their own buddy system.

On the bus and the party's already kicking off. It's going to be a wild one. Toni (ph) shares her photos with us. It's a booze and boogie wonderland.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Six nights a week, baby.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When any guy came near one of us, all of the guys were around ready to stop them.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're here and the party's right here.

PENHAUL: Closing time, the homecoming queen seems a little worse for wear. What's she been drinking?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Sex on the beach, and they make you want to have sex on the beach.

PENHAUL: What about Mike, the high school soccer MVP?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We'll be back tomorrow.

PENHAUL: Steve's been drinking yards of beer. He'd be the first to admit he's only just holding it together.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, amazing. It was awesome. We had a good time -- a lot of girls, a lot of drinks. Carlos 'N Charlie's is the best bar ever -- best bar.

The taxi's waiting for us. We gotta go. You're my boy, you're my boy.

PENHAUL: The buddy system seems to be in chaos.

Lindsey (ph) thinks the numbers add up.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're the army. We never leave a man behind.

PENHAUL: Allie (ph) seems less sure.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The buddy system works beautifully, but my buddy's not with me. I got a new buddy.

PENHAUL: At this moment it's almost two weeks to the minute since Natalee Holloway was last seen.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(on camera): Switching gears, Anderson, going back to that search, we've heard in the last few moments that the search close to the Marriott Hotel we were talking about just a short while ago has now ended.

Five FBI agents who were in the area helping the search along with the Miami-Dade police dog have also left the area, according to a law enforcement source close this investigation. That same source has also confirmed to us that today's search had been planned for a while. It had been in the works for a while and was based on some of that jailhouse talk and also some of the information that the three young suspects had been giving to police during investigations, Anderson.

COOPER: Karl, I want to go back to what we just saw, those young kids on the island, the American girls and the young boys.

How many American teens are still coming? Is this every night on Aruba? Is this the scene at that bar?

PENHAUL: Pretty much so. There are a number of bars, as those girls and guys there were mentioning. They were talking about Carlos 'N Charlie's, Mambo Jambo, Iguana Joe's. There's a number of bars that they'll typically gravitate to and a number of parties.

Young people graduating from high school at this time of year -- there is a group of guys in this hotel as well that are here. They've come with chaperones, but all of the time there are these groups each night in the bars. That's the scene, Anderson.

COOPER: No chaperones, at least with the group you saw.

Karl Penhaul, thanks very much. Appreciate it. Fascinating report.

Coming up next on 360, after the verdict, what is next for Michael Jackson? We'll talk to a man who has known him for decades, Dick Gregory.

Also ahead tonight, cockfighting. Is it bloody? Well, it is bloody. It is deadly. Question is, should it be legal? A big bust this past weekend in Tennessee. We'll take you inside that secretive world.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: For Michael Jackson, the verdict is in but the troubles may be far from over. Yes, he was acquitted, but at least one of the jurors who found him innocent is convinced he did in fact molest children in the past.

For now, Jackson's home at his Neverland Ranch where his family wants him to rest and rebuild his life. That may not be so easy. Financially, his empire has been crumbling and then there's his health which, as we've all seen, does not look all that great. One man who's part of Jackson's inner circle is civil rights activist Dick Gregory. He's known Jackson for 20 years now. He's prayed with him, and went with Jackson to the hospital during the trial.

Dick Gregory joined me earlier from Washington.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

Dick, you spoke with Joe Jackson after the verdict. How's he doing? How's Michael doing?

DICK GREGORY, JACKSON FAMILY FRIEND: Michael was in the bed and I thought that was kind of unusual because it was so early which means he must be going through more back pain.

When I was with him I could not talk to him like I wanted to because he was going through too much with the trial. Right now, I told Joe I'd call him today and talk to Michael and talk about how, in a couple of days they need to go into a hospital and have a serious examination to find out what damage has done to the body from the dehydration, from lack of drinking water, from lack of not having appetite.

COOPER: Dick, I want to play you something that one of the jurors said earlier today on CNN. It's juror number one. Let's play that tape.

RAYMOND HULTON, JACKSON JUROR #1: I don't have a problem with the decision that I made in this particular case. I have a problem with Michael Jackson's behavior. And all I can say at this point is that I hope that he recognizes that this is a serious problem.

COOPER: Do you think he will change his behavior? Do you think he can change his behavior? Because, clearly, sharing his bed with young boys fills some need. I don't know what it is, but clearly, it has some meaning to him in his life. Can he stop doing that?

GREGORY: Let me say this. If I was a bank robber, I would not get on your show and say I think it's OK to rob banks. If Michael was doing it, he wouldn't say it. He ain't that stupid. But yes, he's going to have to change a whole lot of the perception. My grandmother, if she was alive, would believe he did it because when you're looking at the stuff that comes up -- we don't know no 44-year-old children that's billionaires, and that's what we got introduced to, the whole world. Here is a childlike person in kindness.

You know, the Bible say, until you become like a child, you will never enter in here. Well, he's like a child.

COOPER: Jackson's attorney was also on CNN this morning. I want to play you some of what he had to say and we'll talk about that.

GREGORY: OK.

TOM MESEREAU, MICHAEL JACKSON'S ATTORNEY: Well, Michael Jackson has not molested anyone. He's been too nice to a lot of people that took advantage of him and he didn't just let boys in his room. He let families come in and out of his room. He let them play and stay over. And basically, he was just too open and too nice to too many people and that will change.

COOPER: Do you think that's -- I mean, in your opinion, is it -- is he just guilty of being too nice?

GREGORY: You see, Michael is beyond love. He's lovable and we're not used to that. I love you, baby, and if I can't have you, ain't nobody going to have you. That's love. Michael has become lovable and when you become lovable, we don't have rules to judge you by.

COOPER: But you're not saying he shouldn't be judged by -- I mean, he should be held to the same standard as anyone else.

GREGORY: He's held to the only standard that everybody else knows. The interesting thing in the black community, we're saying, when O.J. got sent free, we heard everybody say, the black jury, oh, it's a racist thing.

These white folks let him go and everybody said, the system works right. What a wonderful country. You got two people, two juries found the same thing, one is judged one way and the other is judged another.

COOPER: It's interesting you bring up race. The CNN/"USA Today"/Gallup poll shows a real racial divide in the way people view this acquittal: 28 percent of white Americans compared to 56 percent of non-white Americans. What do you make of that?

GREGORY: No, well, that's in every walk of life. We could feel this 24 hours a day. That's why black folks were suspicious of this trial in the first place.

COOPER: Dick Gregory, it's good to talk to you.

GREGORY: Always.

COOPER: It's an interesting perspective and we enjoy having you on. Thanks very much.

GREGORY: Thank you, brother. Peace to you.

COOPER: Peace to you, too. Appreciate it.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: And, that was Dick Gregory.

Erica Hill from HEADLINE NEWS joins us with the latest at a quarter to the hour.

HILL: Hello again, Anderson.

There's some pressure in Congress to get voting on John Bolton's nomination as ambassador to the U.N. The Senate majority leader, Bill Frist, and Senator John McCain say the position is too important to be left empty. They've painted Democrats as obstructionists. Democratic leaders have vowed, though, to hold off on the vote until they receive certain documents the White House has refused to give them. Bolton's controversial nomination passed the Senate Foreign Relations Committee without a recommendation. Both Frist and McCain say they have enough votes in the full Senate to confirm him.

From Rome, where Saddam Hussein's attorney says the investigation into the former Iraqi dictator has taken too long. The lawyer told CNN Saddam should have been charged by now and he doesn't feel the trial will actually begin by fall as some Iraqi leaders have predicted.

North of Albany, New York, a mudslide -- look at that -- closes to a 60-mile well-traveled stretch of an interstate highway linking New York and Montreal, Quebec. A storm had quickly dumped six inches of rain in the area and that was enough to cause the mudslide. It injured three people. We're told it could be days or even weeks before that highway reopens.

And take a look at this. And they're off. You are watching the world's fastest man in the 100 meters. Asafa Powell of Jamaica clocked a new world record in Athens this afternoon -- look at him go -- completing the race at 9.77 seconds. That's just a hundredth of a second off the previous record. Good enough for the new one, though.

COOPER: Man, almost as fast as me. Erica, thanks very much.

Coming up next, on 360 -- call it Jackson withdrawal. Many in the media feeling it. What do we do now?

Also tonight, a cockfighting bust in Tennessee. That's right, cockfighting. Lethal, illegal in most states. Should the bloodsport be legal? We'll take a closer look.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Somewhere in the country tonight gamblers are betting on and watching a fight to the death; a cockfight. Over the weekend, there was a bust of -- in Tennessee, police raided what's being called the largest illegal cockfighting operation in the nation. At least 144 people arrested, $40,000 seized, 300 roosters euthanized.

Now, it's a crime in 48 states, but it has its defenders -- cockfighting does. And they say it's a tradition that outsiders simply do not understand.

CNN's Rick Sanchez investigates.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GEORGE O'BRIEN, COCKFIGHTER: It's impossible to force an animal to fight. Impossible.

RICK SANCHEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's a candid conversation that provides a rare glimpse into a world that has increasingly become a secret society.

SANCHEZ (on camera): Do you love animals? You love animals?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. Love animals.

SANCHEZ: Then why do you let them fight to the death?

JERRY WALLACE, COCKFIGHTER: It's their heritage.

SANCHEZ: Their what?

WALLACE: Their heritage. That's all they know to do.

SANCHEZ (voice-over): In fact, these men are so convinced what they do is natural -- God's way, as they like to say -- they willingly demonstrate what they call the animals' combative nature.

O'BRIEN: Well, what we're going to do now is just turn them loose and show everybody that you don't make them fight. We only let them fight. So, I'll show you what they'll do. We just show them each other, and this will continue until one is dead.

SANCHEZ: Is it natural? Are the men right to say they're just watching something that would happen anyway?

We asked the game fowl industry's most prominent critic, animal rights activist Wayne Pacelle.

WAYNE PACELLE, HUMAN SOCIETY: Yes. They're fighting on their own at some level, but they've been placed in a circumstance and a situation, and they've been bred for specific aggression.

SANCHEZ (on camera): People would say you're engaging them to kill themselves, or to kill each other.

Is that what they'd say?

DALE, CHICKEN BREEDER: They'd say a lot worse than that. They call me a bloodthirsty, drug-dealing -- you know, we've been called all kind of names.

SANCHEZ: How does it make you feel?

DALE: Not good, because it's a lie.

SANCHEZ: Dale, who prefers we don't use his last name, says his birds are actually pampered.

DALE: He's got a little bit of applesauce on his mouth here.

SANCHEZ: You feed them applesauce?

DALE: Yes. I grind apples for them. They get -- you know, we don't -- I...

SANCHEZ: That's it right there? What we're looking at?

DALE: This is the applesauce. This is just part of the apple.

SANCHEZ: That's like what a baby eats. And you individually feed each one.

DALE: Yes. Yes.

SANCHEZ: That seems crazy. I mean --

DALE: Well, it's just -- you know, it's a manner of keeping them really healthy. You know, the animal rights people say we use drugs. I'm not saying there aren't people that don't -- you know, it's just like in horse racing and anything else, there's bad people. I never give my chickens drugs.

SANCHEZ: What makes Dale unique is he's raised both game fowl for fighting and poultry for restaurants. He says there's no comparison as to which bird he'd rather be.

DALE: I want to live for 42 days in a crowded house where, if anything goes wrong -- a spot of blood -- you know, those chickens are cannibalized in those houses. There's all kinds of things that go on in chicken houses that don't go on in game fowl ranches.

SANCHEZ: We checked with USDA and Agriculture officials and found his statement to be accurate. Chickens raised for fast food consumption are often slaughtered after just six weeks. And their short lives are lived in conditions so cramped, many actually cannibalize each other.

SANCHEZ (on camera): How big is this? How big is this?

DALE: It's four by 12 by --

SANCHEZ: It's four by 12?

DALE: It's four by 12 by eight foot high.

SANCHEZ: That's pretty big. DALE: Yes.

SANCHEZ: I mean that's a pretty good size living space for one tiny little animal, isn't it?

DALE: Right. Especially when you consider that commercial poultry are given less than one square foot per bird. Less than one square foot.

SANCHEZ: It's a comparison that has not gone unnoticed by animal rights activists, who say they've set their sights on commercial breeders as well.

With Hollywood stars like Pamela Anderson and Rue McClanahan, fighting to end cockfighting in New Mexico, Louisiana may soon become the battleground state.

BUTCH LAWSON, PIT MANAGER: Tens of thousands, to a hundred thousand people in the game fowl industry.

SANCHEZ: Butch Lawson, who manages the pit considered the Kentucky Derby of cockfighting, says it's an honest business.

SANCHEZ: How does it work? People pay to get in?

LAWSON: Yes.

SANCHEZ: So you've got to pay for admission.

LAWSON: You pay for your seat admission. And the contestants, they put up pot money that they participate for. The pit has nothing to do with anything other than the seat concession.

SANCHEZ: And as for the people who'd like to put him out of business?

(on camera): They love animals.

LAWSON: They do.

SANCHEZ: And they don't want to see animals get hurt.

LAWSON: And so do I.

SANCHEZ: For this determined -- some might argue, stubborn -- lot of game fowl enthusiasts who trace the origin of their sport back to ancient rulers and U.S. presidents, wars and conquests, the last battle is about to be waged. And this time, the odds are not on their side.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Reporting all of the angles, that was Rick Sanchez.

Next on 360, post-Michael Jackson trial depression. How to fill that yawning, empty space that used to be occupied by umbrellas, strange clothing, lurid stories and car-top dancing.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Tonight, cold turkey to "The Nth Degree."

And now, heaven help us all, comes the awful letdown, the crash, withdrawal. Yes, we're talking about PMJTD: Post-Michael Jackson Trial Depression.

Tens-of-thousands of shaking hands will find themselves clutching the remote control, or reaching toward the TV set itself over, and over, and over, again.

All day and all night, clicking through the channels, faster and faster and faster, more and more desperately jonesing for any sign at all, even a fleeting glimpse of a certain ghostly figure under an umbrella. A specter, wearing a turn of the century undertaker's outfit or the get-up of a traveling medicine show barker. A pale apparition festooned with metals, dripping with brocade -- a man more upholstered than dressed. And surrounded, on all sides, by a bunch of gras entourage.

Just a peek, any glance at all.

A sliver of a second.

Something.

Anything.

Can we just taper off?

Does anyone make a Michael Jackson patch?

Thanks for watching 360.

CNN's primetime coverage continues with Paula Zahn. Hey, Paula.

END

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 June 14, 2005 - 19:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANDERSON COOPER, HOST "ANDERSON COOPER 360": Dramatic developments in the search for an American teen, missing in Aruba. 360 starts now.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(voice-over): Police start a new search for Natalee based on an alleged jailhouse confession. Tonight, the latest developments in the case, and a former suspect, just released, speaks out about what really happened to Natalee.

While her family searches for Natalee, American teens keep partying hard on Aruba.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Sex on the beach?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I want to be on TV!

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And they make you want to have sex on the beach.

COOPER: A shocking look at what American kids really do at night on Aruba.

Death at Disney. A four-year-old boy dies after going on a popular ride at Disney. He met the height requirement, but was the ride simply too intense for this young little boy?

A deserter returns. Charles Jenkins ran away and helped the North Koreans wage a propaganda war against the U.S. Tonight, after 40 years, the deserter's bitter return.

A major cockfighting bust, 144 people rounded up. Tonight, we take you inside the secret world of cockfighting, a thriving, multi- million dollar business, a sport to some, animal cruelty to others.

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

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: Good evening.

We begin tonight with fast-moving developments on the island of Aruba. A search under way right now; it's been going to for several hours. You see it. That is a live picture there as dusk is falling on the island. It's in a beachfront area that had apparently not been looked at closely before in what was called an island-wide search for Natalee Holloway. It has been cordoned off by police today.

This is an area near the Marriott Hotel and we'll tell you why they're now zeroing in on this area in a moment. It relates to another dramatic development that we learned about today.

The first two men to be detained in the disappearance of Natalee Holloway have been released. They were security guards at a local hotel. We spoke with one of them earlier this evening. I'll have that conversation in just a moment, but first, let's focus this search happening now.

CNN's Karl Penhaul is standing by live on Aruba.

Karl, what's the latest?

KARL PENHAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Anderson, as you can see from that live picture we're putting up, the search area is about 500 yards long by about 150 yards wide at its widest point. It is sandwiched between the main highway that leads around the island and the beach and in between. And that's the area that's sandwiched. There are mangrove trees and other shrubs and also some drainage ditches and culverts.

What we've seen in the course of the day is police that have been walking though that by foot. We're told by law enforcement sources close to this investigation that there are also two FBI agents involved and also the police dog and its handler from Miami-Dade.

What we don't know for sure, Anderson, is what led police to this specific area close to the Marriott Hotel. It seems that it could also have been from a tip-off from somebody that has found something in that area, Anderson.

COOPER: Karl, does this have anything to do with what we have now learned from the security guard who was released yesterday who says that in prison he was told by one of these other three suspects that they, in fact, dropped her off in this area with the Dutch suspect?

PENHAUL: It could be linked to that, Anderson. It seems somewhat of a coincidence that that comes out and a short while later police are searching in specifically that area that that person was talking about. But also, down at the scene, I did talk to somebody who claimed that he had searched in the area and found some items and reported that to police and said that the police shortly after moved into that area, Anderson.

COOPER: Have they searched this area before? Because if they haven't, that would be incredibly surprising to me. I mean, this is right near the Marriott Hotel. You would think if this was an island- wide search, this area would have been heavily looked at, no?

PENHAUL: Absolutely. We talked to the police -- no, to the civilian search and rescue teams. They said they did not search in that area. But you'll appreciate, Anderson, there have been police, Dutch marines and also tourists and other volunteers out. So it could be that some people have trolled through this area, not clear, though how closely it's been searched, Anderson.

COOPER: Want to look into that a little bit more. We're going to talk to a spokesman from the government down there in Aruba a little bit later in the program. We're also going check in with you again.

Again this is a story moving very quickly this evening. They're zeroing in on a particular area near the Marriott Hotel. And as you are about to hear, that is significant because the man you're about to hear from says that essentially another suspect confessed to him that he'd lied to police and that they'd dropped Natalee Holloway off in this area.

The investigation, when it first got under way, you're going to remember, the first two people who were arrested were two security guards. Now, you may ask, why them?

They were fingered by three kids who admitted that they'd been with Natalee that night and they claim they saw Natalee approached by a security guard when they dropped her off at the hotel. Some 10 days now they've been in custody, these two security guards. They were released yesterday, finally. Mickey John and Abraham Jones are their names. They were released yesterday, cleared of any wrongdoing.

The three teens who told the story in the first place -- they are in custody. It's a pair of brothers and the son of a Dutch island judge. They are now under arrest. When Mickey John was in custody, he actually talked with one of these three teens and what he heard is simply stunning.

I talked with Mickey a short time ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: Mickey, what did this suspect in custody, Deepak Kalpoe, tell you about what really happened?

MICKEY JOHN, RELEASED SECURITY GUARD: He told me that -- I was talking to him Sunday -- and he told me that when they left Carlos 'N Charlie's, they went straight to the lighthouse. He -- Deepak was driving. His brother was sitting in the car next to him. The missing girl was in the backseat behind Deepak and the other guy was in the backseat behind his brother. And they drove down to the California lighthouse. He didn't tell me what took place at the lighthouse.

COOPER: Now, the lighthouse, that's obviously on the beach?

JOHN: The lighthouse is at the end of island. It's not close to Marriott. It's far from the Marriott, close to the (INAUDIBLE).

COOPER: OK, so he told you that they drove all of the way down toward the end of the island? Did he say...

JOHN: To the lighthouse.

COOPER: To the lighthouse. He didn't say what happened then?

JOHN: No, sir. He said -- what he told me on his way back up they stopped at a -- close to the Marriott and they dropped off the missing girl and the Dutch guy. And he and his friend -- and he and his brother -- went home. And he went online, and like, after an hour later, the Dutch guy sent him a message, a text message on his cell phone, saying that when he got home he'd also go online to chat with him.

COOPER: And did he say anything about the way the Dutch guy, Joran, was behaving with Natalee? Was there some talk that they had been intimate while driving?

JOHN: No, he said there was kissing in the backseat. She was very, very drunk. I could recall he said that.

COOPER: Did he say what he thought had happened?

JOHN: No. He didn't emphasize on that.

COOPER: Did he tell you why he lied to police?

JOHN: Yes, because he said that normally, like, when tourists, somebody, come here and they get lost, a few days after that, they're going to be recovered, you know, at some crack house or with some beach bums. So, they thought that this thing would've been possible (INAUDIBLE) police.

But push comes to shove, and nothing was coming out. He decided to tell the truth with his brother to the armed police.

COOPER: So, he told you -- sorry -- he told you that he lied to police because he thought she would show up a couple of days later in a crack house or somewhere else?

JOHN: Correct, sir.

COOPER: Had you ever met any of these three young men? These three suspects?

JOHN: No, sir. Never.

COOPER: Did he -- I mean, did he say anything? Did he apologize to you for -- because he originally implicated you and your colleague.

JOHN: Yes. He did apologize. He apologized and told me he's sorry that (INAUDIBLE) and that the day we'd been arrested, which was a Thursday, he thought I should be released, and my colleague, the following day which was a Friday, because he knew we were innocent from the start.

COOPER: Do you think this guy, Deepak, knows more than he told you? Do you think he really knows what happened to Holloway? To Natalee?

JOHN: I don't know what I think. He's holding back something. I know whether I think he knows exactly what happened to her, but he's holding back something, I think.

COOPER: What makes you think that?

JOHN: Because he didn't tell me what happened at the lighthouse. And according to the news, they are giving different stories.

COOPER: Well Mickey, again, we appreciate you taking the time to speak with us. I know it's been a horrible ordeal for you. We're glad you're out and glad you're free and wish you well in the future.

COOPER: Thank you very much, sir. You're welcome.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Well, much surprised to learn that even after Natalee Holloway has disappeared, even now when they are searching for her, the partying on Aruba goes on. American teens, drinking until dawn, partying even at the same club that Natalee was last seen at. It's a side of the island we haven't seen before, frankly. CNN's Karl Penhaul went along with one group of American girls out for a good time.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PENHAUL: Closing time, the homecoming queen seems a little worse for wear. What's she been drinking?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Sex on the beach. And they make you want to have sex on the beach.

PENHAUL: And, what about Mike, the high school soccer MVP.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We'll be back tomorrow. .

PENHAUL: Steve's been drinking yards of beer. He'll be the first to admit he's only just holding it together.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, amazing. It was awesome. Had a good time. A lot of girls, a lot of drinks. Carlos 'N Charlie's is the best bar ever.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Aruba at night, the partying continues. Karl Penhaul's report -- the full report -- a little bit later on 360.

Here in the U.S., in the 26 hours since Michael Jackson was acquitted, just about everyone has spoken out about the with the exception of course of one man, Michael Jackson. As with his trial, the singer continues to remain silent. The question is, for how long.

CNN's Ted Rowlands is outside the Neverland Ranch, joins us live. Ted, what's the scene there?

TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, dozen of Jackson supporters and dozens of members of the media have been camped out in the heat outside the gates of Neverland Ranch, hoping for a glimpse of Michael Jackson or a statement from Michael Jackson, but thus far that has not happened.

The group has been out here all day long. You see some sheriff's deputies out here as well, keeping the peace. For the most part, there hasn't been much action. At one point, Michael Jackson's father, Joe Jackson, left the property, rolled down his window, and talked a little bit with fans, and then he sped off. Michael Jackson's mother also left the property without saying a word.

Most of these fans are hoping that the pop star will come out and say something, or possibly even invite them into the ranch. At this point, though, that has not happened, and according to an employee, there are no plans for that to happen.

Anderson.

COOPER: Ted Rowlands, thanks very much for the report.

Coming up next on 360, tragedy at Disney World. A young boy dies after going on a ride. Questions tonight about the attraction, how safe is it, and what parents need to know about their kids getting on a ride like it.

Plus, it has been 40 years since this man deserted the Army. He is now coming home. A bittersweet homecoming. We will follow his journey.

And parties, lots of drinking and wild nights out. As we just showed you, what U.S. students are still doing on the island of Aruba. We'll show you what could have been going on the night Natalee Holloway disappeared.

All that ahead. First, your picks, though, the most popular stories on CNN.com right now.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Tonight, a Pennsylvania family mourns the loss of a young life, a four-year-old boy named Daudi Bamuwamye, who seemed perfectly healthy and was just yesterday having fun at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida.

Daudi, his sister and his mother went on this ride, a very popular attraction at Epcot Center, called Mission: Space. It's a mix of visual effects and G forces designed to simulate space travel.

Young Daudi passed out on the ride. He died later. Today, preliminary autopsy results show no signs of trauma and further testing is likely -- will take weeks. Disney has expressed sympathy, called the incident "highly unusual." And while we don't know the cause of Daudi's death, it has raised some questions about the type of ride he was on.

CNN's Catherine Callaway goes behind the headlines tonight with a close look at Mission: Space.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Recreating the feeling of a rocket launch into space was the goal of Disney Imagineering.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're going to blast off into outer space.

CALLAWAY: We rode along with a family of five as they experienced Mission: Space.

After reading the caution signs...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Are you sure you all want to go?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

CALLAWAY: ... and meeting requirements...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's good.

CALLAWAY: ... the family steps into the capsule that will mimic the G force of a rocket launch.

The father loved it. But it was too much for other members of this family.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I just feel shaky right now. It was all right. It was just the liftoff that got me.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I feel like my stomach just dropped.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I told him not to get on.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, it was great. It was wonderful, for real. I didn't think he was going to ever stop screaming.

CALLAWAY: There are clear warnings that this ride is not for everyone. NASA advisers, astronauts and scientists worked with Disney on the centrifuge, basing the ride on a training tool NASA uses to prepare astronauts for the intense pressure of G forces.

SEAN O'KEEFE, FORMER NASA ADMINISTRATOR: This is a pretty intensive five-minute experience. It's one that's very, very close to giving you a sense of the reality of what the training and the simulation environment really is in the astronaut corps. Pretty impressive.

CALLAWAY: Disney wouldn't say the exact G force of the ride, but did say it's less than a shuttle launch.

There is a minimum height requirement of 44 inches, but no age restriction.

Dr. Ronald Tusa, an Emory neurologist who's ridden Mission: Space says the warning should be taken seriously. DR. RONALD TUSA, EMORY UNIV. HOSPITAL: I would advise certain people not to go on them, because they can be -- they can cause too much sickness for the individual, but they're not going to cause death.

CALLAWAY: Disney reports that since the ride opened in 2003, at least half a dozen people have been hospitalized after experiencing Mission: Space. However, it's worth noting that during that time, more than 8.6 million people have safely taken the ride.

Catherine Callaway, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Man, a lot of screaming.

Erica Hill from HEADLINE NEWS following several other stories right now. Hi, Erica.

ERICA HILL, CNN HEADLINE NEWS ANCHOR: Hey, Anderson.

We start off with news about Vice President Dick Cheney, speaking out on the debate over the U.S. prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Mr. Cheney says he doesn't believe revelations about the treatment of prisoners at the facility have become an image problem for the U.S. Vice president also says the U.S. policy at Gitmo is the correct one, and that the prison should not be shut down. "Time" magazine reports this week on the treatment of a prisoner who was forced to bark like a dog and urinate on himself.

In New York City, a helicopter slams into the East River. The hard landing happened just minutes after takeoff. You can see, the chopper flipped over into the water after its flotation device was put into use. Six international tourists and a pilot were onboard. All survived. We are told one person is in critical condition. No word, though, on what led to the hard landing.

In northern Chile, at least 11 people were killed by yesterday's 7.9 magnitude earthquake. There was widespread damage also in several villages.

And in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, how about this for lady luck? Two times a millionaire. A woman who won $1 million on a Pennsylvania lottery scratch-off ticket earlier this year, did it again.

COOPER: Wow!

HILL: Yeah. I have no luck; she's got it all. The lottery number crunchers say the odds of winning just one time, 1.44 million to one, although my odds have increased because my sister's convinced she's going to win sometime, and she's got a list of who gets the money. I figure very high on the list.

COOPER: Oh, yeah, that's what she says now. You know, Erica, I feel like I win the lottery every time I get to work with you. Thank you. Thank you very much. I'll be here all week, try the veal. See you again in about 30 minutes.

Coming up next tonight, the first time in decades a former Army deserter used by North Korea for propaganda sets foot on American soil. There he is, Charles Jenkins, the strange story of this man ahead.

Also tonight, inside the underground world of cockfighting. Police go after the thriving business, busting 400 people this weekend, and it keeps on going. A report you won't see anywhere else, a little bit later.

Also...

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My mom doesn't know I'm here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: Tonight, mom and everyone else watching will learn what goes on in Aruba and what you may be -- what you may see, well, it might shock you.

We're going to take you inside the wild times. A look at what may have happened the night Natalee Holloway disappeared and what is continuing to happen every night on Aruba.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: It's been a long time coming, but Charles Jenkins is finally home. Four decades ago, Jenkins deserted. He fled to North Korea to avoid the Vietnam War. He's come home to visit his mother for the first time in some 40 years.

CNN's Tom Forman reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TOM FORMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For the first time in 40 years, Charles Robert Jenkins is back in the country he abandoned, flying in with his Japanese family to visit his aging mother.

CHARLES ROBERT JENKINS, ARMY DEFECTOR: After 40 years, I'm very happy to go to visit my mother and my family in America. But only one week, and I'm going back to Sado, Japan, to live with my dear wife and family.

FORMAN: Jenkins said little on arrival, but in the rural community where he grew up, veterans are saying plenty.

RICHARD KOHL, FORMER MARINE: He let down his family. He let down his friends. He let down his best buddies.

BILL TERRY, NAVY VETERAN: It's appalling. It's unthinkable.

FORMAN (on camera): Some people would portray Jenkins as a tragic character. But what do you see him as?

TERRY: I see him as a traitor.

GEORGE WILLIS, NAVY VETERAN: Where I came from, you don't come back home as a coward. You go somewhere and hang your head in shame.

FORMAN (voice-over): Vietnam was raging in 1965, when Jenkins was 24, an Army sergeant and afraid of being sent to war. So while stationed in South Korea, he defected to the north, where he says he was held and forced to become part of the anti-American propaganda machine; teaching English and explaining American ways to the enemy.

But in his hometown, that explanation falls flat. Great soldiers are revered here. Jenkins picture is a fading embarrassment in a local museum. And even old friends, like Michael Cook, know he's not welcome.

MICHAEL COOK, FORMER FRIEND: There's not going to be any parades for Robert coming home. He's not going to be honored as a hero.

FORMAN: People here know Jenkins turned himself in when North Korea released him last year, and that he was subsequently dishonorably discharged from the Army and spent a month in jail.

Many say he owes his mother a visit.

JUNIOR BAIRD, FORMER MARINE: He tortured his mother for 40 years. You can't make up for that.

FORMAN: But once that is done, they want Charles Robert Jenkins to do as he has promised, to once again say good-bye to America and get out.

Tom Foreman, CNN, Rich Square, North Carolina.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER (voice-over): While her family searches for Natalee, American teens keep partying hard, on Aruba.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Sex on the beach. And they make you want to have sex on the beach.

COOPER: A shocking look at what American kids really do at night on Aruba.

A major cockfighting bust: 144 people rounded up. Tonight, we take you inside the secret world of cock-fighting, a thriving, multi- million dollar business. A sport to some, animal cruelty to others.

360 continues.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Some dramatic developments today in the case of Natalee Holloway, the 18-year-old teen from Alabama who's been missing on the island of Aruba since May 30.

Right now, a new search is under way. Darkness is falling. It's hard to see people still searching, but it's at a beach-front area near the Marriott Hotel. It's close to where Natalee was staying.

This area, we now think, has been mentioned in jailhouse statements made by at least one of the three men still in custody in the case.

We're joined for the latest, by a spokesperson for the government of Aruba, Mr. Ruben Trapenberg. We appreciate you enjoining us.

What can you tell us about the search that is going to right now?

RUBEN TRAPENBERG, ARUBA GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN: Well, I should say that it's part of the ongoing search, but then the authorities have the obligation to investigate any new leads that are coming in. So this may be part of that. Exactly which lead, which tip they're acting upon, only they know at this point.

COOPER: We talked earlier in the day to the security guard who was released -- who had been in custody; was one of the early suspects, but has been released, cleared of all charges.

Why did it take so long for him to be cleared?

He said he gave his information, you know, the day he was arrested. All that information was checked the next day and that, for the last week, no one talked to him, no one asked him any questions or anything.

TRAPENBERG: It all depends on the amount of information that they had at the beginning. If it was a lot, it would take more than one day to check out. And then you have the legal process that works after two days. So, they have to be mindful of that.

What I heard from prosecutors is that once they have checked out all the information; once it checks out --the alibis that they may have, what they did -- and once all that checks out, at that point they can release the suspects.

COOPER: The area that's being searched right now, which I guess is owned by the Marriott Hotel, was this searched before? I mean, have people gone over this area already?

TRAPENBERG: People have gone over the area, but not as intensely as this time. So, again, we don't know the exact reason why they would do an intense search at this point, but it does seem more intense than the first time.

Of course, every part of the island is being checked and that's important. What we also hear is that the authorities are really doing their best to finalize this case and have Natalee found.

COOPER: We're seeing a video from earlier today of this area being searched with a dog, a canine unit. Has a dog been used in previous searches before?

TRAPENBERG: No. We didn't have specialized dogs for searches. That was requested. I'm not sure if it's from the FBI, but we knew a dog was being flown in. Also extra technical help has come in from Holland and more from the U.S. as is needed.

COOPER: I'm told this dog comes from the Miami P.D. Do you know, is this the first day that the dog has been used?

TRAPENBERG: This is the first day that it has been seen. I haven't been able to confirm that it arrived any earlier than that. It is possible, of course, but this is the first day we've seen the dog.

COOPER: Do you feel now that you have enough people searching, that you have enough support? There are some who are going to hear that this is the first time a dog has been involved in the search and think, heck, why did it take so long to get a dog? It seems like one of the things you'd go for right away.

TRAPENBERG: Right. It was asked for right away. But every city around the world has their own law authorities and they have their own dogs to do their own searches locally.

On the local level, we don't have searchers. People don't go missing that easily that we would have search dogs on hand to do that. So in that case it was asked for by different police stations that they have contact with. And once one was available, that's when we got it.

COOPER: Ruben, I appreciate you joining us. Ruben Trapenberg, a spokesman for the Aruban government -- thanks very much, Ruben. Appreciate it.

What is it like on the lovely Caribbean island for those young men and women lucky enough to celebrate their high school graduations there, as Natalee Holloway was doing when she went missing two weeks ago?

Well as CNN's Karl Penhaul reports now with the "World of '360,'" the kids keep on arriving and keep on partying.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PENHAUL (voice-over): School's out for Stoneham High's class of 2005. It's time for cocktails, a splash of sun, sea and something exotic.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's going to be a great time.

PENHAUL: They paid $1,500 each for this all-inclusive graduation trip from Boston. They're at the same hotel where Natalee Holloway stayed. Meet the homecoming queen, Allie (ph).

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Are we going to go Iguana Joe's or Mambo Jambo or Carlos 'N Charlie's?

PENHAUL: Time to get ready. Toni's (ph) in demand.

(on camera): You're on holiday. You're here to have fun. And I'm sure you're here to blow off some steam. You've been working hard all year. Is that about the short and tall of it?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're here to have fun and start our last summer really all together.

PENHAUL: What did you start to think when you saw the case about Natalee? Did any of you have second thoughts?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: After what happened with Natalee, I think we're trying to stay away from people outside of our group.

PENHAUL (voice-over): The gang's planning on hitting Carlos 'N Charlie's, where Natalee Holloway was last seen.

Haven't parents banned them from there?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My mom doesn't know we're here.

PENHAUL: Unlike Natalee Holloway's group, there's no chaperones here, but they've set up their own buddy system.

On the bus and the party's already kicking off. It's going to be a wild one. Toni (ph) shares her photos with us. It's a booze and boogie wonderland.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Six nights a week, baby.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When any guy came near one of us, all of the guys were around ready to stop them.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're here and the party's right here.

PENHAUL: Closing time, the homecoming queen seems a little worse for wear. What's she been drinking?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Sex on the beach, and they make you want to have sex on the beach.

PENHAUL: What about Mike, the high school soccer MVP?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We'll be back tomorrow.

PENHAUL: Steve's been drinking yards of beer. He'd be the first to admit he's only just holding it together.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, amazing. It was awesome. We had a good time -- a lot of girls, a lot of drinks. Carlos 'N Charlie's is the best bar ever -- best bar.

The taxi's waiting for us. We gotta go. You're my boy, you're my boy.

PENHAUL: The buddy system seems to be in chaos.

Lindsey (ph) thinks the numbers add up.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're the army. We never leave a man behind.

PENHAUL: Allie (ph) seems less sure.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The buddy system works beautifully, but my buddy's not with me. I got a new buddy.

PENHAUL: At this moment it's almost two weeks to the minute since Natalee Holloway was last seen.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(on camera): Switching gears, Anderson, going back to that search, we've heard in the last few moments that the search close to the Marriott Hotel we were talking about just a short while ago has now ended.

Five FBI agents who were in the area helping the search along with the Miami-Dade police dog have also left the area, according to a law enforcement source close this investigation. That same source has also confirmed to us that today's search had been planned for a while. It had been in the works for a while and was based on some of that jailhouse talk and also some of the information that the three young suspects had been giving to police during investigations, Anderson.

COOPER: Karl, I want to go back to what we just saw, those young kids on the island, the American girls and the young boys.

How many American teens are still coming? Is this every night on Aruba? Is this the scene at that bar?

PENHAUL: Pretty much so. There are a number of bars, as those girls and guys there were mentioning. They were talking about Carlos 'N Charlie's, Mambo Jambo, Iguana Joe's. There's a number of bars that they'll typically gravitate to and a number of parties.

Young people graduating from high school at this time of year -- there is a group of guys in this hotel as well that are here. They've come with chaperones, but all of the time there are these groups each night in the bars. That's the scene, Anderson.

COOPER: No chaperones, at least with the group you saw.

Karl Penhaul, thanks very much. Appreciate it. Fascinating report.

Coming up next on 360, after the verdict, what is next for Michael Jackson? We'll talk to a man who has known him for decades, Dick Gregory.

Also ahead tonight, cockfighting. Is it bloody? Well, it is bloody. It is deadly. Question is, should it be legal? A big bust this past weekend in Tennessee. We'll take you inside that secretive world.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: For Michael Jackson, the verdict is in but the troubles may be far from over. Yes, he was acquitted, but at least one of the jurors who found him innocent is convinced he did in fact molest children in the past.

For now, Jackson's home at his Neverland Ranch where his family wants him to rest and rebuild his life. That may not be so easy. Financially, his empire has been crumbling and then there's his health which, as we've all seen, does not look all that great. One man who's part of Jackson's inner circle is civil rights activist Dick Gregory. He's known Jackson for 20 years now. He's prayed with him, and went with Jackson to the hospital during the trial.

Dick Gregory joined me earlier from Washington.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

Dick, you spoke with Joe Jackson after the verdict. How's he doing? How's Michael doing?

DICK GREGORY, JACKSON FAMILY FRIEND: Michael was in the bed and I thought that was kind of unusual because it was so early which means he must be going through more back pain.

When I was with him I could not talk to him like I wanted to because he was going through too much with the trial. Right now, I told Joe I'd call him today and talk to Michael and talk about how, in a couple of days they need to go into a hospital and have a serious examination to find out what damage has done to the body from the dehydration, from lack of drinking water, from lack of not having appetite.

COOPER: Dick, I want to play you something that one of the jurors said earlier today on CNN. It's juror number one. Let's play that tape.

RAYMOND HULTON, JACKSON JUROR #1: I don't have a problem with the decision that I made in this particular case. I have a problem with Michael Jackson's behavior. And all I can say at this point is that I hope that he recognizes that this is a serious problem.

COOPER: Do you think he will change his behavior? Do you think he can change his behavior? Because, clearly, sharing his bed with young boys fills some need. I don't know what it is, but clearly, it has some meaning to him in his life. Can he stop doing that?

GREGORY: Let me say this. If I was a bank robber, I would not get on your show and say I think it's OK to rob banks. If Michael was doing it, he wouldn't say it. He ain't that stupid. But yes, he's going to have to change a whole lot of the perception. My grandmother, if she was alive, would believe he did it because when you're looking at the stuff that comes up -- we don't know no 44-year-old children that's billionaires, and that's what we got introduced to, the whole world. Here is a childlike person in kindness.

You know, the Bible say, until you become like a child, you will never enter in here. Well, he's like a child.

COOPER: Jackson's attorney was also on CNN this morning. I want to play you some of what he had to say and we'll talk about that.

GREGORY: OK.

TOM MESEREAU, MICHAEL JACKSON'S ATTORNEY: Well, Michael Jackson has not molested anyone. He's been too nice to a lot of people that took advantage of him and he didn't just let boys in his room. He let families come in and out of his room. He let them play and stay over. And basically, he was just too open and too nice to too many people and that will change.

COOPER: Do you think that's -- I mean, in your opinion, is it -- is he just guilty of being too nice?

GREGORY: You see, Michael is beyond love. He's lovable and we're not used to that. I love you, baby, and if I can't have you, ain't nobody going to have you. That's love. Michael has become lovable and when you become lovable, we don't have rules to judge you by.

COOPER: But you're not saying he shouldn't be judged by -- I mean, he should be held to the same standard as anyone else.

GREGORY: He's held to the only standard that everybody else knows. The interesting thing in the black community, we're saying, when O.J. got sent free, we heard everybody say, the black jury, oh, it's a racist thing.

These white folks let him go and everybody said, the system works right. What a wonderful country. You got two people, two juries found the same thing, one is judged one way and the other is judged another.

COOPER: It's interesting you bring up race. The CNN/"USA Today"/Gallup poll shows a real racial divide in the way people view this acquittal: 28 percent of white Americans compared to 56 percent of non-white Americans. What do you make of that?

GREGORY: No, well, that's in every walk of life. We could feel this 24 hours a day. That's why black folks were suspicious of this trial in the first place.

COOPER: Dick Gregory, it's good to talk to you.

GREGORY: Always.

COOPER: It's an interesting perspective and we enjoy having you on. Thanks very much.

GREGORY: Thank you, brother. Peace to you.

COOPER: Peace to you, too. Appreciate it.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: And, that was Dick Gregory.

Erica Hill from HEADLINE NEWS joins us with the latest at a quarter to the hour.

HILL: Hello again, Anderson.

There's some pressure in Congress to get voting on John Bolton's nomination as ambassador to the U.N. The Senate majority leader, Bill Frist, and Senator John McCain say the position is too important to be left empty. They've painted Democrats as obstructionists. Democratic leaders have vowed, though, to hold off on the vote until they receive certain documents the White House has refused to give them. Bolton's controversial nomination passed the Senate Foreign Relations Committee without a recommendation. Both Frist and McCain say they have enough votes in the full Senate to confirm him.

From Rome, where Saddam Hussein's attorney says the investigation into the former Iraqi dictator has taken too long. The lawyer told CNN Saddam should have been charged by now and he doesn't feel the trial will actually begin by fall as some Iraqi leaders have predicted.

North of Albany, New York, a mudslide -- look at that -- closes to a 60-mile well-traveled stretch of an interstate highway linking New York and Montreal, Quebec. A storm had quickly dumped six inches of rain in the area and that was enough to cause the mudslide. It injured three people. We're told it could be days or even weeks before that highway reopens.

And take a look at this. And they're off. You are watching the world's fastest man in the 100 meters. Asafa Powell of Jamaica clocked a new world record in Athens this afternoon -- look at him go -- completing the race at 9.77 seconds. That's just a hundredth of a second off the previous record. Good enough for the new one, though.

COOPER: Man, almost as fast as me. Erica, thanks very much.

Coming up next, on 360 -- call it Jackson withdrawal. Many in the media feeling it. What do we do now?

Also tonight, a cockfighting bust in Tennessee. That's right, cockfighting. Lethal, illegal in most states. Should the bloodsport be legal? We'll take a closer look.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Somewhere in the country tonight gamblers are betting on and watching a fight to the death; a cockfight. Over the weekend, there was a bust of -- in Tennessee, police raided what's being called the largest illegal cockfighting operation in the nation. At least 144 people arrested, $40,000 seized, 300 roosters euthanized.

Now, it's a crime in 48 states, but it has its defenders -- cockfighting does. And they say it's a tradition that outsiders simply do not understand.

CNN's Rick Sanchez investigates.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GEORGE O'BRIEN, COCKFIGHTER: It's impossible to force an animal to fight. Impossible.

RICK SANCHEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's a candid conversation that provides a rare glimpse into a world that has increasingly become a secret society.

SANCHEZ (on camera): Do you love animals? You love animals?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. Love animals.

SANCHEZ: Then why do you let them fight to the death?

JERRY WALLACE, COCKFIGHTER: It's their heritage.

SANCHEZ: Their what?

WALLACE: Their heritage. That's all they know to do.

SANCHEZ (voice-over): In fact, these men are so convinced what they do is natural -- God's way, as they like to say -- they willingly demonstrate what they call the animals' combative nature.

O'BRIEN: Well, what we're going to do now is just turn them loose and show everybody that you don't make them fight. We only let them fight. So, I'll show you what they'll do. We just show them each other, and this will continue until one is dead.

SANCHEZ: Is it natural? Are the men right to say they're just watching something that would happen anyway?

We asked the game fowl industry's most prominent critic, animal rights activist Wayne Pacelle.

WAYNE PACELLE, HUMAN SOCIETY: Yes. They're fighting on their own at some level, but they've been placed in a circumstance and a situation, and they've been bred for specific aggression.

SANCHEZ (on camera): People would say you're engaging them to kill themselves, or to kill each other.

Is that what they'd say?

DALE, CHICKEN BREEDER: They'd say a lot worse than that. They call me a bloodthirsty, drug-dealing -- you know, we've been called all kind of names.

SANCHEZ: How does it make you feel?

DALE: Not good, because it's a lie.

SANCHEZ: Dale, who prefers we don't use his last name, says his birds are actually pampered.

DALE: He's got a little bit of applesauce on his mouth here.

SANCHEZ: You feed them applesauce?

DALE: Yes. I grind apples for them. They get -- you know, we don't -- I...

SANCHEZ: That's it right there? What we're looking at?

DALE: This is the applesauce. This is just part of the apple.

SANCHEZ: That's like what a baby eats. And you individually feed each one.

DALE: Yes. Yes.

SANCHEZ: That seems crazy. I mean --

DALE: Well, it's just -- you know, it's a manner of keeping them really healthy. You know, the animal rights people say we use drugs. I'm not saying there aren't people that don't -- you know, it's just like in horse racing and anything else, there's bad people. I never give my chickens drugs.

SANCHEZ: What makes Dale unique is he's raised both game fowl for fighting and poultry for restaurants. He says there's no comparison as to which bird he'd rather be.

DALE: I want to live for 42 days in a crowded house where, if anything goes wrong -- a spot of blood -- you know, those chickens are cannibalized in those houses. There's all kinds of things that go on in chicken houses that don't go on in game fowl ranches.

SANCHEZ: We checked with USDA and Agriculture officials and found his statement to be accurate. Chickens raised for fast food consumption are often slaughtered after just six weeks. And their short lives are lived in conditions so cramped, many actually cannibalize each other.

SANCHEZ (on camera): How big is this? How big is this?

DALE: It's four by 12 by --

SANCHEZ: It's four by 12?

DALE: It's four by 12 by eight foot high.

SANCHEZ: That's pretty big. DALE: Yes.

SANCHEZ: I mean that's a pretty good size living space for one tiny little animal, isn't it?

DALE: Right. Especially when you consider that commercial poultry are given less than one square foot per bird. Less than one square foot.

SANCHEZ: It's a comparison that has not gone unnoticed by animal rights activists, who say they've set their sights on commercial breeders as well.

With Hollywood stars like Pamela Anderson and Rue McClanahan, fighting to end cockfighting in New Mexico, Louisiana may soon become the battleground state.

BUTCH LAWSON, PIT MANAGER: Tens of thousands, to a hundred thousand people in the game fowl industry.

SANCHEZ: Butch Lawson, who manages the pit considered the Kentucky Derby of cockfighting, says it's an honest business.

SANCHEZ: How does it work? People pay to get in?

LAWSON: Yes.

SANCHEZ: So you've got to pay for admission.

LAWSON: You pay for your seat admission. And the contestants, they put up pot money that they participate for. The pit has nothing to do with anything other than the seat concession.

SANCHEZ: And as for the people who'd like to put him out of business?

(on camera): They love animals.

LAWSON: They do.

SANCHEZ: And they don't want to see animals get hurt.

LAWSON: And so do I.

SANCHEZ: For this determined -- some might argue, stubborn -- lot of game fowl enthusiasts who trace the origin of their sport back to ancient rulers and U.S. presidents, wars and conquests, the last battle is about to be waged. And this time, the odds are not on their side.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Reporting all of the angles, that was Rick Sanchez.

Next on 360, post-Michael Jackson trial depression. How to fill that yawning, empty space that used to be occupied by umbrellas, strange clothing, lurid stories and car-top dancing.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Tonight, cold turkey to "The Nth Degree."

And now, heaven help us all, comes the awful letdown, the crash, withdrawal. Yes, we're talking about PMJTD: Post-Michael Jackson Trial Depression.

Tens-of-thousands of shaking hands will find themselves clutching the remote control, or reaching toward the TV set itself over, and over, and over, again.

All day and all night, clicking through the channels, faster and faster and faster, more and more desperately jonesing for any sign at all, even a fleeting glimpse of a certain ghostly figure under an umbrella. A specter, wearing a turn of the century undertaker's outfit or the get-up of a traveling medicine show barker. A pale apparition festooned with metals, dripping with brocade -- a man more upholstered than dressed. And surrounded, on all sides, by a bunch of gras entourage.

Just a peek, any glance at all.

A sliver of a second.

Something.

Anything.

Can we just taper off?

Does anyone make a Michael Jackson patch?

Thanks for watching 360.

CNN's primetime coverage continues with Paula Zahn. Hey, Paula.

END

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