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Anderson Cooper 360 Degrees

Senator Facing Scandal; Alabama Hostage Crisis

Aired February 01, 2013 - 22:00   ET

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

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Good evening, everyone. It's 10:00 here on the East Coast.

And there's so much happening tonight, some of it life and death, some of it, well, something else.

Later in the program: the man who says he pretended to be Manti Te'o's girlfriend. That's right, girlfriend, right down to her voice on the phone. He talked to Dr. Phil McGraw about why he did it and you will hear how he did it. And if the voice doesn't grab you, the rest of the story will.

Also tonight: breaking news, new information on that attack targeting Americans in Turkey, a suicide bomber hitting the U.S. Embassy. We have got late details about precisely what the terrorists were aiming at, who they are.

We begin, though, tonight with another breaking story, the growing turmoil playing out as we speak on the streets of America's shaky ally Egypt. This is Cairo tonight, the presidential palace under attack, protesters throwing rocks, Molotov cocktails, other Egyptian cities also seeing eruptions of violent, people in parts of the country living under a 30-day curfew, pressure apparently building on Egypt's government two years after demonstrations toppled the last one.

Ben Wedeman, as he was during that uprising, is in Cairo tonight. He joins us now from there.

So, Ben, Friday is usually a big day for protests in the Middle East because it's a day of prayers. People are in the mosques, and then they come out and protest. What are you seeing out there tonight?

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, actually, this week, it wasn't just Friday. It was all week long that we have had protests and clashes.

What we saw, we were outside of Ittihadiya Palace, basically the Egyptian White House, where initially it was a peaceful demonstration, a mixed crowd of Christians and Muslims, religious and secular, young and old, very peaceful, but when the sun went down, those Molotov cocktails started to be thrown over the wall. We saw young men firing fireworks over the wall as well.

And the Egyptian police eventually responding with tear gas and water cannons. I think one of the most disturbing images that's come out of there is these pictures broadcast live on Egyptian TV of security forces, riot police brutally beating a man who's naked on the ground. The Ministry of the Interior said they're going to investigate that incident, but as we have seen many times before, Anderson, the ministry isn't very good at investigating itself.

COOPER: Is there a sense, I mean, the situation is close to some sort of tipping point? Or how bad is it?

WEDEMAN: Well, this has gone on longer than expected. And what we're seeing is that on the one hand, the Brotherhood, of which Mohammed Morsi is a member, are being fairly restrained in reacting to this as a group. On the other hand, the opposition doesn't seem to have any real influence on what is going on in the street.

The street is beginning to lead this anti-government, anti-Morsi movement by itself, completely out of the control of the politicians. We shall see tomorrow. There probably will be renewed clashes outside the palace, and it could very well spread to other cities in Egypt.

COOPER: In the past, we have seen the military, the police just kind of standing around, letting these things play out. Is that what they're doing now, or are they just not able to stop it?

WEDEMAN: Well, you have to keep in mind that the Egyptian security forces are quite large, but the individual recruits are paid the equivalent of $44 a month.

And they really -- their heart is not in it. And one of the worries at the moment is that there's already rumblings within the Interior Ministry, within the police that they're not happy defending the Muslim Brotherhood-led government. You have to remember that in the days of Hosni Mubarak and even before, it was the Interior Ministry that's pursued and persecuted and tortured and jailed the Muslim Brotherhood.

Now they find they have to take orders from them. So even though at the moment they are trying to put down these demonstrations, these riots, these clashes, they're not succeeding, and we're hearing the soldiers, that recruits are getting increasingly exhausted, tired, demoralized, and their officers are unhappy doing the dirty work of the Muslim Brotherhood.

COOPER: Dangerous days. Ben Wedeman, thank you very much. Stay safe.

We will have more on the turmoil shortly as well as the attack on America's embassy in Turkey.

Now the hostage crisis though that is happening right now back home in Alabama going into day four. A little boy, 5 years old, we're told, held captive in a below-ground bunker, being held police say by this man, a 65-year-old Vietnam vet named Jimmy Lee Dykes.

Local authorities released that photo late today. It's the first time we have gotten a look at him. He's said to be a survivalist with anti-government views. The immediate crisis began when authorities say he shot and killed a school bus driver and took the boy hostage.

Victor Blackwell is in Midland City, Alabama, with late details.

Victor, you learned today that the suspect may have met the bus driver before. What do you know about that?

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Anderson.

We know that this could come down to the road and the bus. We know, as you said, that Jimmy Lee Dykes, this 65-year-old man we see, is described as being 6' tall, about 170 pounds, a man who was not well liked in this community. We're told by neighbors he has a history of shouting at anyone who or anything that crosses onto his property line, even the animals.

Actually, he was supposed to be in court on Wednesday for allegedly shooting at a neighbor. The neighbor says that somehow he damaged Dykes' road, and Dykes fired shots at him. That was supposed to be on Wednesday, but we know that, by Wednesday, Dykes and this kindergartner had already been in this bunker for some time.

Actually, I want to show you the bunker, the lay of the land. This is animation based on a description from a neighbor. You see this white trailer. That's where that Jimmy Lee Dykes lives. Next to it, a red container used for storage. And up in the corner here, this is the bunker. We're told it's about 15-by-15, 10 to 12 feet high with cinder block steps along the side and bricks lining the walls.

There's no mortar because this thick, red Alabama clay keeps everything together, and because he was a survivalist, we do not know how long he can stay in this bunker, but we're told, the good news here, there's no reason to believe that this boy has been harmed.

Now, you asked about the relationship between Dykes and this victim, Charles Poland. We're told that, again, it comes down to the road and the bus. And the bus ended its route every day at the end of the road that leads up to Jimmy Lee Dykes' property. Listen to a friend, Robert Smith.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERT SMITH, FRIEND OF MURDER VICTIM: I think he was anti- government. You know, mentality was, he just considered a school bus or anything dealing with the government a threat. They were infringing on his rights, his property. If a tire got over on that land, that was his.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: What kind of guy was Charles Poland, the bus driver?

BLACKWELL: Well, Smith has known him for 20 years. He says when you saw him, he always had a warm cap and a warm smile. He says he was first in service to his family and to God, but also, he didn't want anyone to be angry with him, and he didn't hold a grudge either.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SMITH: I understood he took him some eggs and homemade jelly. And Chuck was the type of guy -- tell you right now, if Chuck were alive, he was the type of guy, he would be praying for that guy and being over there trying to help him. He didn't hold nothing against anybody. He was that kind of a guy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: Again, this was, as we're told by his friend, Charles Poland's effort to try to end this feud with the owner of that road, Jimmy Lee Dykes. We know that his funeral will be on Sunday, and we're told so many people are expected, it could not be held in a church here in town, that it actually has to be held in a civics center a few miles away -- Anderson.

COOPER: Sounds like a very sweet guy.

Victor, there's been communication between authorities and this guy, Dykes. How are they communicating?

BLACKWELL: Yes, it's a really bizarre setup.

We're told there's a PVC pipe that is more than 30 feet long that goes from the road all the way down into the bunker and that they speak through this pipe. Again, we have been told there's no reason to believe the boy has been harmed, but there have not been many more details beyond that.

Local law enforcement has been keeping all of the details very close to the vest, but we know that there is that pipe through which they're communicating.

COOPER: Victory Blackwell, I appreciate the update. Thanks.

We're of course going to check back in if the situation changes.

Joining me now is Joshua Tucker, who lives nearby, and former FBI negotiator Byron Sage.

Josh, your grandmother lives right across the street from Jimmy Lee Dykes. What kind of a guy is he? Can you explain what he's like?

JOSHUA TUCKER, NEIGHBOR: He's not the type of typical human being you would see normal. He would always come out late nights shooting his gun at random hours, walking on his bunker at random hours of the night also.

COOPER: Shooting his gun at random hours?

TUCKER: Yes, sir, just random hours, odd hours of the night.

(CROSSTALK)

COOPER: I understand he actually threatened to kill your dog at one point. TUCKER: Yes, sir, he did.

My grandmother lives right in front of him. He had threatened my nana because my dog went in his yard. It was my dog we gave to my grandmother, and he threatened to kill our dog.

COOPER: Were you scared of this guy?

TUCKER: After that, yes, because it kind of frightened me because he threatened to kill. And then we went over there to talk to him about it, and he just got ill about it, and just not normal human being.

COOPER: You have been up to the house. And I know your aunt knew him, was at his home when you went to get her. What could you see? What was it like inside, could you tell?

TUCKER: Like, it was all junked up. It was not like a normal human being's house. It was very odd, very cluttered up, and just not even livable for a human consumption.

COOPER: Did you know that he had this bunker? Was that kind of commonly known?

TUCKER: We did not know at the time, but we kept hearing him at odd hours of the night working on this bunker.

COOPER: Wow.

Byron, you're a former hostage negotiator. Hearing all of what Josh just said, what do you do as a negotiator? Because it's not like -- I imagine trying to get into the bunker is a difficult thing, so your options are limited. I know before when we talked a couple days ago, you said it's all about patience and you hope time is on the day of the negotiators, but what do you make of what is going on? It's now day four here.

BYRON SAGE, FORMER FBI HOSTAGE NEGOTIATOR: It's difficult without having direct insight into the nature of the dialogue between the negotiation team and Mr. Dykes, but I'm quite confident from what I understand that -- the team itself is a joint team.

It's not just FBI. It's also made up of local, county, and state officers, negotiators that will have -- be able to provide insight into the type of personality and individual they're dealing with.

COOPER: I would imagine that's particularly important with a guy who, you know, supposedly, he has so-called anti-government views, whatever that may mean. I assume if you're from the federal government, he's going to be hostile or suspicious, so local authorities would probably be better to kind of have that dialogue.

SAGE: That's true. You wouldn't want to stress the fact that you're dealing -- you know, when they introduce themselves, I'm sure they introduce themselves by name, instead of by agency. If he asks, you don't lie to the individual, because that could come back and just totally undercut your credibility, but the fact of the matter is, I'm absolutely confident what they have done is that they have identified a cadre of negotiators that have such a span of experience and possibly fellow vets that can establish a rapport or have a level of understanding that they can start to build on.

This is now day four. I am quite certain that they have made significant inroads in trying to establish common areas that they can build upon, and, at the same time, identify issues that are what we call hot-button issues, such as encroachment on his property and other things that he's obviously quite sensitive to.

COOPER: And, Byron, what happens to -- I mean, you have a situation where you have this little boy who has been in this basically room with this guy now for days.

In past instances that you have been with, what happens between the hostage taker and the hostage? We have heard about Stockholm syndrome, things like that. Do you have any insight of what goes on between two people in this kind of a case?

SAGE: This is -- this is actually a very positive thing. There's no indication whatsoever there's been any injury to the child. By this time, the 5-year-old is -- has established a bond with this individual.

Whether intentional or unintentional, there's -- you can't live, two human beings in that proximity to one another, without beginning to recognize and appreciate characteristics in one another. And that's huge. It's called transference. It's not something you intentionally do. It's something that just humans do when they're in that close proximity to one another for an extended period of time.

COOPER: And another reason why they say time is on the side of the negotiators. The longer, I guess, the better without any kind of violence.

Byron Sage, I appreciate your expertise, and, Joshua Tucker, thank you so much. Sorry you have had these experiences, but thanks for talking about it.

TUCKER: No problem.

COOPER: Thank you, Joshua.

Let us know what you think. Follow me on Twitter right now @AndersonCooper. I will be tweeting about this.

A lot more happening tonight as well, including breaking news on the terrorist attack against Americans overseas. We have late details from our own Fran Townsend. She has got exclusive insight about how the bombing may have been planned, and we will also talk to former CIA officer Bob Baer about the group believed to be behind it.

Later, it went from disaster area to national disgrace to the site of this weekend's Super Bowl, and the rebuilt Superdome doesn't tell half the story of New Orleans' rebirth. We will introduce you to one woman who had plenty of reasons to stay away forever. Instead, she's back, she's home, and you will want to see why. We will be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: We're continuing to follow breaking news out of Cairo, clashes outside the presidential palace.

As we told you, they followed a peaceful sit-in. Then Molotov cocktails flew, riot police came, armored personnel carriers surrounded the area. Reports of security forces burning tents the protesters had set up, beating people in the streets, all this taking place after a week of violent protests across the country. It's already claimed about 50 years. Again, this is taking place two years after the uprising drove Egypt's dictator Hosni Mubarak from power.

Elsewhere, in another pillar of the Muslim world, Turkey, a terrorist attack targeting Americans. We have got breaking news on that. It happened in the Turkish capital of Ankara, a suicide bomber striking just outside the U.S. Embassy there, blowing himself up at a security checkpoint, killing a Turkish guard and himself, wounding several others.

What distinguishes this terrorist attack from so many others has to do who was not involved. This was not the work apparently of jihadist killers. And just moments ago, vital new information emerged. It comes by the way of former George W. Bush homeland security adviser Fran Townsend, who has been working her sources.

Our usual disclaimer, she also serves on the CIA External Advisory Board. Also with us is retired CIA officer Bob Baer.

Fran, let's start with you. You have new information about the attack. What is it?

FRANCES TOWNSEND, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CONTRIBUTOR: What we know, Anderson, is that the attack happened on an outer perimeter checkpoint.

What we have now learned from law enforcement officials and sources working the investigation is that this outer checkpoint happened to be a walkway for embassy employees and their guests. That now makes more sense, Anderson. The ambassador has acknowledged the woman who has been injured, a journalist who is a friend of his, was coming to meet him for tea.

Law enforcement officials when you ask them about that say this female enters the perimeter checkpoint, and the man, the suicide bomber comes in behind her and that's when he detonates his device. He was carrying a bag, a law enforcement official said.

They're still trying to determine whether or not the device was on him or in that bag, but that's when it was detonated. This is an individual, by the way, Anderson, that was known to both foreign and U.S. intelligence officials for his affiliate with this Marxist- Leninist group that goes back to the 1970s.

COOPER: It's interesting. For folks who haven't to a lot of embassies overseas, Fran, often there's kind of a gatehouse that is manned by local security personnel, in this case, Turkish personnel, not by U.S. Marines. Those are kind of the first people, that's the first wave of security you go through nowadays when you go to an embassy.

They search you, there's a metal detector and the like, and they figure out why you want to enter. I guess that's what the journalist was doing. But you had said earlier today as the details were first coming in that it sounded like the security failsafes of the embassy may have worked exactly the way they were supposed to.

Based on what's you have learned since then, do you think that's still the case?

TOWNSEND: I do, Anderson.

As tragic as it is that we have the loss of life, you have these outer checkpoints so that you hope the further away from the embassy you will catch an individual who is trying to penetrate with an explosive device. That's exactly what happened here. Unfortunately, you had Turkish security guards who lost their lives, but what didn't happen was that individual wasn't able to get that device inside the embassy, closer to our ambassador.

COOPER: And, Bob, you have visited this embassy before. This was no Benghazi. This was a major embassy.

BOB BAER, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: No, it's well protected. Americans have been under attack in Turkey for decades.

An outer perimeter is meant to screen the visitors. They go through a mental detector. The Marines look at that entry with closed-circuit TV cameras. They see who is coming in. It's long distance, they call it standoff, between there and the actual embassy, and security did work. This is the way embassies are usually constructed.

COOPER: Fran, as you mentioned, this Marxist-Leninist terrorist group called DHKP-C, could a group like that pull a sophisticated attack like this without outside help?

TOWNSEND: I think so, Anderson.

Look, they pulled off attacks targeting, assassinating policemen in Turkey, a tourist. They have done these for a long period of time, as I mentioned, going back to the mid-1970s. They have got organization, but they also, we should remember -- just because we have identified the bomber and the group he's affiliated with, they do have outside affiliations.

They are known to have affiliations inside Syria with Iranians, and so we shouldn't -- the inquiry is only just beginning. This may have sort of a longer tale in terms of the story. COOPER: Right.

Bob, we were just talking to Ben Wedeman about what was going on in Cairo right now and really throughout Egypt. There are already a lot of potential flash points. Do you think this embassy attack may be a sign that the dysfunction in Syria spreading? Or do you think this is related to Syria?

BAER: Anderson, absolutely.

You know, these small leftist parties in Turkey, a lot of them ended up in Damascus. They have got close connections with Syrian intelligence. Right now, Syria would like to spread the chaos to let the world know it's not localized, it's not a question of just getting rid of Bashar al-Assad, that if some sort of peace agreement isn't reached quickly, it's going to spread to Turkey and it's going to spread Jordan and Lebanon.

And I think the Turkish police right now will be looking for a Syrian connection. You know, a lot of explosives are coming up into Turkey. The Turks themselves are very nervous. I just talked to some opposition members, the Syrian opposition, and they said the Turks have started to cut off weapon supplies going into Syria because the situation is out of control, and it looks like Syria is going to break up.

And sending more weapons in the country will have undetermined consequences.

COOPER: Fran, do you agree that this could be linked to Syria?

TOWNSEND: Absolutely, Anderson. My understanding is that's what investigators are looking at now.

One of the critical things, you know, now that there's not been a U.S. citizen killed, the FBI won't lead the investigation. They will work closely. They will offer bomb technicians and expertise to the Turks. One of the key questions will be to understand what explosive was used because that's one of the ways, as Bob can tell you, you will trace back to a group based on the weaponry that was used.

COOPER: Right.

Fran Townsend, I appreciate you being on, Bob Baer as well.

For more of the stories, go to CNN.com.

Coming up: the Super Bowl returning to New Orleans for the first time since Katrina. Seven years after the storm, many of those who fled have come back. Denise Herbert couldn't stay away, even after losing her mom to Katrina -- why she cannot imagine living anywhere else than the great city of New Orleans. We're meet her ahead.

And later, Ronaiah Tuiasosopo says he pretended to be Manti Te'o's online girlfriend for years. Dr. Phil McGraw challenged him to prove that he left the voice-mails that fooled Manti Te'o. We will let you decide if it really is his voice.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Well, the man at the center of the Manti Te'o fake girlfriend hoax, Ronaiah Tuiasosopo, has now told his side of the story in an interview with Dr. Phil McGraw, telling him that he pretended to be Te'o's online girlfriend for years, creating her out of thin air after hijacking the identity of a former high school classmate, Diane O'Meara.

She became the face of the fictional Lennay Kekua, though she had no idea until a couple weeks ago. Well, in his first interview since the story broke, Tuiasosopo told Dr. Phil that he acted alone and ended up falling in love with Manti Te'o, the Notre Dame star linebacker. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. PHIL MCGRAW, HOST, "DR. PHIL": Were you in love with him?

RONAIAH TUIASOSOPO, TRICKED MANTI TE'O: I mean, yes.

If I had pretty much had this escape of Lennay from everything else, and this was where my heart had pretty much invested not just time, but all of my energy went into this, as twisted and as confusing as it may be, yes, I cared for this person. I grew feelings. I grew emotions that I sooner or later, I couldn't control anymore.

DR. PHIL MCGRAW: Are you gay?

TUIASOSOPO: Honestly, if you look at this situation and look at everything that I have been through in this, of course, yes, you say, I would say yes, I am gay, but honestly, I'm so confused. I'm so lost, and I'm just finding me in this whole experience.

MCGRAW: But what you know is that you did have romantic feelings for another man?

TUIASOSOPO: Yes.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: When Tuiasosopo told Dr. Phil of the hoax it was an escape for him from a painful secret he had hidden for years. The secret was they said that starting at the age of 12, he was repeatedly molested and raped by someone close to his family.

Now you may wonder why anyone should believe a guy who has already proved he is a liar by engineering the hoax in the first place. Dr. Phil asked Tuiasosopo to prove that it really was his voice on the voice mails that Te'O received allegedly from his girlfriend.

Tuiasosopo agreed to read the voice mails behind a privacy screen. He said he didn't feel comfortable reading them directly on camera. We're going to play that for you now. First, you're going to hear one of the actual voice mail messages that Te'O received, and then you'll hear Tuiasosopo reading them behind the screen in a woman's voice.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

"LENNAY KEKUA" VOICE MAIL: Hey, Babe. I'm just calling to say good night. I love you. I know that you're probably doing homework or you are with the boys or grubbing. What a fatty. I just want to say I love you and good night, and I'll be OK tonight. I'll do my best. Yes, so get your rest and I'll talk to you tomorrow. I love you so much, hun, sweet dreams.

TUIASOSOPO: I'm just calling to say good night and I love you. I know that you're probably doing homework or with the boys or grubbing, what a fatty. But I just want to say I love you and good night, and I'll be OK tonight. I'll do my best, yes, so get your rest and I'll talk to you tomorrow. I love you so much, hun. Sweet dreams.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: You can decide that the voice is the same. Dr. Phil wasn't convinced. So, he had Tuiasosopo read the voice mail from home on a phone provided by a producer who also watched him make the call. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RONAIAH'S FEMALE VOICE ON PRODUCER'S PHONE IN FRONT OF PRODUCER: Hey, babe. I'm just calling to say good night. I love you. I know that you're probably doing homework or with the boys, or grubbing, what a fatty. I just want to say I love you and good night, and I'll be OK.

I'll be OK tonight. I'll do my best. Yeah, so get your rest and I'll talk to you tomorrow, and I love you so much, hun. Sweet dreams.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: To me, it sounded like the same voice. Dr. Phil said that the three voice analysts -- voice analysts who heard the last recording said that Tuiasosopo's voice matched the one in the original voice mails. Again, you can judge for yourself.

From Manti Te'O's perspective, the interview backed up his story. Tuiasosopo told Dr. Phil that Te'O was not part of the hoax in any way other than being just duped by it.

Tim Burke broke the story at Deadspin. He joins me now. Tim, I got to say I mean I was kind of fascinated by this interview, and I didn't believe that this guy, Ronaiah, could actually do a woman's voice possibly for so long on the phone. But then when you hear it, to me it sounded identical. What do you think?

TIMOTHY BURKE, EDITOR, DEADSPIN.COM: Good evening, Anderson. Well, you know, kudos to Dr. Phil for, you know, his magisterial use of the television medium, and building this specter of doubt for days that Ronaiah either couldn't or wouldn't do the voice that we heard on those voice mails that were provided by Manti Te'O.

Only to spring it on us at the end that wow, amazingly, he actually could. Whether it really is the same voice that you hear is sort of up for debate. Dr. Phil's analysts say yes, but if you listen, you might hear some things that are significantly different in them.

COOPER: You broke the story. You were skeptical of Te'O. Now you have seen this interview. You've heard Ronaiah do the voice. I mean, do you believe that Te'O was not involved in the original hoax?

BURKE: I certainly think that if you buy even half of what Ronaiah is telling, and that requires a leap of faith, frankly, given how long he's been telling these lies, and executing this hoax.

You sort of have to assume that Manti Te'O, his involvement was minimal insofar as at least, Ronaiah says that it was Manti who initiated the conversation by adding the Lennay Kekua character on Facebook.

Other than that, it's really tough to say that Manti had any sort of active involvement, but that again, requires you to believe both, two people -- you know, you have to believe two people who have both admitted a lie.

COOPER: What surprised you most about the interview?

BURKE: Well, certainly the fact that Ronaiah claims that Manti Te'O dumped Lennay Kekua and actually told her that he didn't ever want to talk to her again, and that's what sparked Ronaiah Tuiasosopo to kill off the character.

And that they had a conversation about these hours before she allegedly died. That throws a lot of doubt on Manti Te'O's version of things, especially if you want to believe that, you know, he was saying that she was the love of his life, et cetera, you know, hours after he dumped her.

Or that a reasonable person could have a normal conversation with someone and then believe that they were sick enough to die of leukemia hours later. All of those things are kind of surprising to me, but really intriguing at the same time.

COOPER: Yes, I mean, it certainly does seem like Manti Te'O played up his relationship or his feelings for this person in the media for I guess, for his own benefit. I want to play a clip of Ronaiah Tuiasosopo apologizing to Manti Te'O today. Let's listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TUIASOSOPO: I can never express how sorry I am for everything. I know I put you through a lot. I'm just very sorry for everything. Not just affecting you and hurting you, but hurting your family. I know the depth of the pain that I caused and I pray that you can forgive me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: He obviously seems to be very confused person about his sexuality and a whole bunch of things. Do you think now this is done, I mean, as far as I'm concerned, it seems pretty done, but I'm wondering that you broke this story. You know it better than anyone.

BURKE: Well, the first night that we talked, Anderson, that Wednesday night, I said that as soon as these statements started coming out, our chance at really truly finding the facts and the truth were slipping away.

I think that we have come to the end of what both Manti Te'O and Ronaiah Tuiasosopo are going to say what happened and I doubt that we're going to get many more facts out of it because of that.

His little apology on camera, that's more television magic, right? We know that Ronaiah already apologized in person or at least on the telephone to Manti Te'O. So he didn't really need another sort of on-camera apology except to anybody in his family or anybody else that he hadn't been able to sort of explain his role in this hoax.

COOPER: Yes. Tim Burke, thank you again. You know, it's a long, sad, bizarre story. I appreciate you being on. Thanks, Tim.

A lot more happening tonight, Susan Hendricks is here with the "360 Bulletin" -- Susan.

SUSAN HENDRICKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Anderson, Hillary Clinton said goodbye today, stepping down as secretary of state, leaving a legacy of 30 years of public service. At a farewell speech, she told staffers she's more optimistic today about our world than four years ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HILLARY CLINTON, DEPARTING SECRETARY OF STATE: So next week, I would expect that all of you will be as focused and dedicated for Secretary Kerry as you have been for me. And that you will continue to serve President Obama and our nation with the same level of professionalism and commitment that I have seen firsthand.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HENDRICKS: She is talking about Senator John Kerry, sworn in today as the nation's 68th secretary of state. Daughter Chelsea was there, too, tweeting a photo with her mom. The caption reading, "thankful I shared her last day as #SOS #, proud daughter."

Former New York City Mayor Ed Koch has died of congestive heart failure. After the three-term mayor left office in 1989. Mayor Koch practiced law and served as a judge on the syndicated show "The People's Court." He also appeared in other TV shows as himself and was a newspaper columnist, too. Ed Koch was 88. Money news now, the Dow Industrial is closing above 14,000 today for the first time since October of 2007. The big gains are linked to strong economic reports.

And archeologists believe they may have found the remains of England's King Richard III in this grave site. He is the last British king to die in battle more than five centuries ago. Now, the area is now a parking lot, but used to be a Franciscan Friary. Anderson, back to you.

COOPER: Susan, thanks. Super Bowl is this weekend, of course and all eyes are going to be on New Orleans Super Dome for the big game. The city has a lot to celebrate today, but for a while after Hurricane Katrina, a lot of folks wondered whether it would ever be able to bounce back. How one storm victim forced out by Katrina tells us about her journey back to the city that she calls home.

Also, the office of a prominent donor to New Jersey's Senator Robert Menendez raided by the FBI. We told you about that the other day. Tonight, why authorities say they needed to act.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Will charges be filed against the Australian DJs who hoaxed the London hospital where the Duchess of Cambridge was staying with morning sickness early December. What British prosecutors have decided, coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: On Sunday, of course, Ravens and the 49ers are going to hit the field inside New Orleans Super Dome for the Super Bowl. The stadium was so badly damaged by Katrina, it became a symbol of the storm's destruction.

What happened inside in the days after served as a symbol of the city's dysfunction. The situation there was bad. Some doubt it obviously the Super Dome would ever be around to host another Super Bowl.

But much less become the home of a Super Bowl winning team. Now the Super Dome is a symbol of a new, New Orleans. For so many who left after Katrina and a flood of uncertainty, it's once again somewhere that they're happy to call home.

In tonight's "360 Follow," Gary Tuchman caught up with one woman who despite what may have seen like insurmountable odds is back to share in her city's rebirth.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm very angry. Guess what -- everybody (inaudible) but where is mine? That's what I want to say. Where is my mother?

GARY TUCHMAN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Denise Herbert, this is how we first met her, a town hall meeting for displaced people four months after Hurricane Katrina. Her mother Ethel was still missing and she and her daughter couldn't get anyone in government to help.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm angry with the world. They like parade around here, talking about Mardi Gras and what they want to do with New Orleans. But what about these 3,000 and some people missing? And what (inaudible) miss my mother? I'm sick of these people. I really am sick of these people.

TUCHMAN: Days later, the body of Ethel Herbert was identified in a morgue. Her death certificate states, "Hurricane Katrina Related Death."

(on camera): In the days and weeks after Katrina, there was the strong feeling among many that the Super Dome where so much tragedy had occurred and which have been heavily damaged, would have to be torn down.

At the same time, there was the likely possibility the New Orleans Saints would leave the city. Meanwhile, the population of New Orleans was plummeting. The city was withering.

(voice-over): Denise moved to Atlanta for more than three years, trying to make ends meet, but she dreamed of coming back, just like so many other displaced New Orleanians.

(on camera): What did you miss most about New Orleans when you were gone?

DENISE HERBERT, NEW ORLEANS RESIDENT: The food and the culture, the music, and you're here right now, the Mardi Gras. Mardi Gras used to be my favorite of all time holidays.

TUCHMAN (voice-over): She wanted to return to New Orleans after the body of her mother was found. However, her son Terrell (ph) was in a very serious car accident. After he recovered, Denise and her two children returned to New Orleans, joining tens of thousands of others who have come back.

Terrell will remain in a wheelchair because of the accident, but is thriving as a trumpet player in a jazz ensemble. Daughter D'Lon is a school P.E. teacher who says the major turning point for the city is when the home town Saints won the Super Bowl in 2010.

D'LON HERBERT, NEW ORLEANS RESIDENT: It was a rebirth. Not just for the team, but for the city.

TUCHMAN: And getting to host the Super Bowl for the first time since Katrina is certainly another turning point for this festive, cultural and restaurant city. It would not have been the least bit likely if people like Denise did not come back.

DENISE HERBERT: We still have that same good old I love you spirit. We still have it. Katrina didn't take that from us. TUCHMAN: Denise, who works in a New Orleans grocery store now, isn't going to the Super Bowl, but she is one of the reasons 76,000 other people will be going.

(on camera): If someone said we have a condo for you in Honolulu or you can live in Beverly Hills, but you have to leave New Orleans, would you consider it?

DENISE HERBERT: None of that excites me like New Orleans.

TUCHMAN (voice-over): Seven years after Katrina, New Orleans is not the same city, but it is her city.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Gary Tuchman joins us now live from New Orleans. Gary, you have been to New Orleans for Super Bowls prior to Katrina. How does the atmosphere of the city compare today?

TUCHMAN: Well, Anderson, my most vivid memory of the Super Bowl in New Orleans was 1986 because I came as a fan to see my home town Chicago Bears win their only Super Bowl, and the atmosphere all weekend was electric, the restaurants, the streets, the hotels were all full.

And this weekend, we're seeing the exact same thing, and that's very good news. There are certainly still problems in New Orleans, but once again, this city is the Super Bowl city.

COOPER: Yes, it certainly is. And they know how to deal with huge crowds like this. Gary Tuchman, I appreciate it. Gary, thanks very much.

The Australian shock jocks who prank called the hospital treating Kate Middleton are off the air for good, but should they face criminal charges following the suicide of the nurse who answered the call? We're going to tell you what British prosecutors just decided coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Let's get you caught up on some of the other stories we're following. Susan Hendricks joins us again with the "360 Bulletin" -- Susan.

HENDRICKS: Anderson, Energy Secretary Steven Chu said he will leave the Obama administration in the weeks ahead. He was a leading advocate for clean energy alternatives, drawing praise from environmentalists and fire from critics over his handling of a federal loan guarantee to solar panel maker Solyndra.

The Australian radio DJs who pranked a London hospital treating Prince William's pregnant wife, Kate, will not face charges. The DJs impersonated Queen Elizabeth and Prince Charles and the nurse who put the call through killed herself. We have new details about an FBI raid targeting a major campaign donor of Senator Robert Menendez of New Jersey. A law enforcement source tells CNN the raid on Dr. Solomon Melgan's Florida office was sparked in part when a shredding truck was spotted on its property.

Menendez, who was set to become chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, has denied allegations Melgan helped him obtain the services of prostitutes in the Dominican Republic.

And former first dog, Barney, has died. The Scottish Terrier was 12 and had lymphoma. Former President George Bush called him a faithful friend and fierce armadillo hunter, too. Anderson, back to you.

COOPER: Susan, thanks very much. Just ahead, when Larry King went on a date with Katie Couric, the "Ridiculist" is next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Time now for the "Ridiculist." And tonight, we're adding anyone, and I mean anyone, who doubts that Larry King is a ladies man. That's right, folks. I hope you're ready because you sure as heck don't need Cinemax tonight.

Now first of all, you know I love me some Larry King. He's a friend of mine, a former colleague, a great broadcaster. In short, he's a living legend. There's nobody like him. In fact, he's so legendary that the events in question actually happened decades ago in Washington, D.C.

I'm referring to a date he went on with, wait for it, Katie Couric. Yes, that Katie Couric, who lucky for us, recalled the experience in vivid detail last night on ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KATIE COURIC: So I met Larry at this restaurant in Washington. And what can I say, Jimmy, I was wearing a leather skirt.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: Yes, we're just getting started. Katie, please continue.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COURIC: So we're having a nice enough time, and so -- we're driving home. And I see we're going over Memorial Bridge. And that's not the way back to my apartment.

(LAUGHTER)

COURIC: So, I go, Larry, where are we going? He goes, my place ...

(LAUGHTER) COURIC: And I was like, oh, mother of God.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: All right, let's just stop right there because this is where I enter the picture because I personally asked Larry King about this date years ago. He was on my program promoting his book back then, and he had a completely different version of events.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: You write about going out with Katie Couric a couple of years ago in Washington, and you said, and I quote, page 127, "She invited me back to her apartment, I remember thinking, this could be good, this could be good."

LARRY KING: This could be good.

COOPER: How did that work out?

LARRY KING: It worked out terribly because she had a roommate.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: So that's what Larry told me, that it was basically an episode of "Happy Days" in suspenders, but Katie says it just isn't so.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COURIC: Larry has no memory of any of this. He tells the story that we were going to go upstairs, but I had a roommate. I didn't have a roommate.

(LAUGHTER)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: So what really happened that night when the stars were all so close to aligning? Larry offered me a bit more detail.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KING: When we got to the door, and I liked Katie. We've been friends over the years and she was really pretty, still is. Now, we get to the door, she just turned around and said, she kissed me on the cheek, I think and I said, can I come in? I have a roommate.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: All right, it still sounds pretty chaste enough, right? Let's see if that matches up with Ms. Couric's recollection.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COURIC: So we sat there, and what can I say? He lunged. (LAUGHTER)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: Yikes, the old lunging Larry. So you ask, where does such an awkward night go from there?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COURIC: So I said, Larry, you're such an interesting, nice man, but I would like to meet someone a little closer to my age.

(LAUGHTER)

COURIC: And he said, that's OK, because when I like, I really like.

(LAUGHTER)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: Oh, Larry, never failing to give it his all, whether it be interviewing Suzanne Somers or trying to get Katie Couric into the sack. And look, I'm a big fan of all of them, Larry, Katie, and for that matter, Suzanne Somers, who until now wasn't even part of this sorted little tale.

But you see some things just aren't meant to be. Though as long as your Friday night now involves the image of Larry King lunging at Katie Couric, I think I've done my job on the "Ridiculist." That's it for us, thanks for watching. Erin Burnett, "OutFront" starts now. That does it for us. We'll see you again one hour from now.