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Anderson Cooper 360 Degrees

Alabama Child Rescued, Kidnapper Dead; Interview with Robert Menendez

Aired February 04, 2013 - 20:00   ET

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

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Erin, thanks very much.

Good evening, everyone. We begin tonight with breaking news. A little boy safe tonight. His armed captor and alleged killer dead. Jimmy Lee Dykes grabbed the boy from a school bus six days ago. Police say he shot the driver of that bus dead. After holding the boy in a bunker for nearly a week, talking with authorities through a PVC pipe, things began breaking down.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEVE RICHARDSON, FBI SPECIAL AGENT IN CHARGE: Within the past 24 hours, negotiations deteriorated and Mr. Dykes was observed -- was observed holding a gun. At this point, FBI agents, fearing the child was in imminent danger, entered the bunker and rescued the child.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: The operation went down at 12 minutes past 3:00 local time in Alabama. Now all this played out in Midland City, Alabama, where Martin Savidge is tonight.

Martin, what's the latest?

MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, what we know, Anderson, is that the little boy, of course, has been rescued and that the gunman is dead. Ethan is the 5-year-old, by the way. And we should point out here that, as you said, law enforcement noted that there was a sense that things were breaking down, at least with that gunman.

They said that Dykes was apparently getting more and more irrational. And they also saw him with a gun in a way that they thought was threatening to the little boy. So they wasted no more time. They moved in.

As you point out, they have had hostage rescue teams standing by around the clock, ready to move at a moment's notice. That notice was given. There was apparently an explosion. Whether it was a distraction or whether that was the entry, they made their way in, there was gunfire, Dykes was killed and the boy was rescued.

We should also point out that the Pentagon was involved in some level here. Apparently Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta okayed the use of special equipment used for monitoring. They won't say in any specific way. That would have meant that military personnel were also on site but they weren't part of the takedown. But it does show you, Anderson, that concern for this little boy went almost all the way to the top of this administration.

COOPER: Martin, I know there's a lot we don't know at this hour about the exact details of how this went down but authorities said they observed this man with holding a gun. Do we know how they were able to actually observe him? Because we've been told all along they've just been communicating through this PVC piping.

SAVIDGE: Right. And apparently they've been doing a lot more than just talking through a pipe. I mean we have been told now that there may have been surveillance of some sort, video surveillance. We also have heard maybe the use of drones was part of that surveillance. So there was a lot of high-tech equipment that was brought to bear as well as a lot of manpower. There's just plenty of people out there, hundreds maybe at some point, all surrounding this area and all in some way taking part in the operation.

COOPER: Is it any clearer at this hour, Martin, about why this man Dykes took this boy off this bus?

SAVIDGE: Well, there was a little bit of a hint that came before all of this went down. About mid-morning there was a press conference that was held by the sheriff. And he gave the first indication of a motive. And essentially what he said was that Dykes had something he wanted to communicate. And then the sheriff said but it's kind of complicated and we're trying to figure out a way, a forum for him to securely be able to do that.

So it appears that Dykes had a message of some sort to deliver. But now it also appears that he never had the chance to do it.

COOPER: And this boy, Ethan, and that's the only -- we only know his first name, he apparently has Asperger's syndrome. How is he tonight?

SAVIDGE: Well, he was transported to the hospital in Dothan, that's just a couple of miles down the road. And witnesses say that when they saw him being taken in, he was sitting upright. The ambulance that he had been riding in, the gurney was being tilted upright. So that's a pretty good sign.

And the authorities also say that he physically was fine. Of course, many people are going to wonder mentally how he is after six, seven days of that long ordeal. But he's back with his family and that's the best medicine of all.

COOPER: Yes, it certainly is. And we should point out just because -- because of the age of the child and what he's been through, we are -- we are not reporting his last name out of concerns for his privacy.

Marty, appreciate that.

Tonight we want to dig deeper into what this 5-year-old boy, Ethan, might have gone through in the last six days. It is hard to imagine putting yourself in that situation, not to mention what he witnessed during his abduction. He is just 5 years old.

We also want to try to explore what happens next, but also what played out in the negotiations and the rescue operation.

Joining us Alabama state senator, Harri Anne Smith, who was with Ethan's mother when the call came in that he was alive. Also Michael Senn, a pastor in the Midway Assembly of God who counseled the children who witnessed the shooting on the bus and the abduction. And also joining us, former FBI hostage negotiator, Chris Voss.

Senator Smith, I want to start off with you. You were there when Ethan's mother got the phone call. Can you describe that moment?

HARRI ANNE SMITH, ALABAMA STATE SENATOR: It was a great moment. I mean, she was being whisked away. I was driving up for my afternoon visit with her and she was being whisked away at this point now I know to meet with her -- to be reunited with her son. She hugged my neck. She thanked me and she was a little nervous but there were smiles all around.

So I knew something was going on. And then later learned she was being reunited with the little boy. So lots of smiles. I'm sure lots of hugs and lots of kisses going on right now.

COOPER: Yes, I can imagine. Senator Smith, has -- to your knowledge, was she able to communicate at all with her son or anyone from the family being able to communicate directly with her son over the last several days?

SMITH: You know, that's a question for law enforcement. I know that they kept her very well briefed, let her know what was going on. She had complete faith in what law enforcement was doing and was just very grateful that they were keeping her informed of what was going on. She got briefs about his condition, that he was doing well, and she complied with what they asked her to do.

COOPER: And, Pastor Senn, I know you counseled a number of the children on the bus when Ethan was originally taken off and that bus driver was shot. I can't imagine what those children saw, what they witnessed, if they saw the bus driver shot. What did they tell you? What did you say to them?

PASTOR MICHAEL SENN, MIDWAY ASSEMBLY OF GOD: Well, they -- of course, it was very shocking by the time I got there. It was about 35 minutes after it happened. And they were still, you know, so much in shock, they wasn't saying a whole lot. But they did explain to me how the gentleman had come on the bus and had asked for two hostages, actually. And had told some of them to get off of the bus.

And then actually he got ahold of this young man. But, you know, they were still in shock so much, they couldn't say a whole lot. All I could do really was just, you know, love them, comfort them, and had an opportunity also to pray with some of them before they left.

COOPER: What age were these kids? I mean, were they all in the 5-year-old age range that Ethan was in?

SENN: Well, there was actually several different ages on the bus. This is a small community. And from my understanding, this bus picked up kids from the elementary school, the middle school as well as the high school. So I know that a few of them that I talked to was 12 and 13 years old. So there had to be a pretty good variation of the age group on this bus.

COOPER: Well, and Chris Voss is joining us now.

Chris, from a negotiator standpoint, what do you make of how this operation went down?

CHRIS VOSS, FORMER FBI HOSTAGE NEGOTIATOR: Well, Anderson, from a negotiation standpoint, they did a great job. From the very beginning, negotiators effectively they put a stethoscope on the situation and they monitored the threat level. They think about every single word that the hostage taker says. They think about its context and they get a really good handle on his emotional state, what direction it's going and they start to predict what the negative indicators are, what the warning signs are, if it should begin to get out of hand.

They started to see this over the weekend. They realize that this sort of tactical action was probably going to be necessary and they supported the tactical action that the hostage rescue team took. It was a great textbook case.

COOPER: And, Chris, when I heard about the -- you know, when you see the graphic of this bunker, the layout of it, any kind of tactical operation has got to be extraordinary difficult. I mean, it seems like there's really only one entrance point into this bunker. That's got to complicate the negotiations and complicate the planning for any kind of operation.

VOSS: Right. Yes. It certainly seems that way. I mean, that was -- at the beginning of any one of these situations there's really three teams that swing into action at the very beginning and work the entire time. The negotiators began to find out as much information as they can. And they'll discuss things in a way that helps them find out the exact layout on the inside and where the hostage taker has things placed.

As technical people they begin to work on getting microphones and cameras inside or finding a way to see things. And then all that information is then fed to the tactic al people who prepare for an assault. And they talk to the negotiators all along the way and the negotiators let them know how they might be able to support a tactical action if they have to take it.

So really three separate teams all attack the site at the same time in their own way so that they can all -- get to an outcome that was just like this one tonight.

COOPER: Pastor Senn, I'm wondering if you knew this man Dykes and -- or if you -- other people in the community have told you their impressions of him.

SENN: I never had a chance to meet him. But I know of several folks in the neighborhood that had had some confrontations with him previously in the past, said that he was a man that was -- they kind of patrolled his area, walked up and down his property line at night, and some even said carrying guns and just -- you know, real watchful over his property, didn't want anybody to get on his property.

And you know I've heard several different stories of people that have conflict with him in the past but I never had the opportunity to meet him before.

COOPER: And, Chris, this man Dykes had a court case that he was facing based on an altercation he'd had with a neighbor in the recent past. Again, that's also got to complicate any kind of negotiations because if that is -- I mean, we don't know for a fact but I would assume that pending court case maybe had something to do with his taking a hostage or his feeling under pressure to some regard.

So when you're negotiating, how do you try to deal with the reality of what this guy is facing? How do you talk to him and try to kind of relay his concerns?

VOSS: Well, Anderson, you're right. That probably was the triggering event with all the stress and strain that he built up in his own mind in advance. That actually gives the negotiators something to talk about. Anything and everything becomes a topic for negotiators to begin to talk to a subject like this about, to find out what makes him tick, to get his perspective on it.

You know, the comment was made earlier today by the sheriff that they were trying to give him essentially a forum to express his views and a safe environment to do it in. That was the approach that they were taking. And while they're doing do it, they gather as much information about him as they can.

COOPER: And Senator Smith, I know Ethan is just two days away from his 6th birthday. I can't imagine a better birthday present for him and for his family certainly than to have him safe and reunited tonight.

What's your message to the community? I mean, how does the community go about recovering from something like this, healing from something like this?

SMITH: Listen, this is a very strong faith-based community. They've pulled together during this and have just -- there's been an outpouring of love. And I know Ethan's mom was very appreciative of all the prayers, very appreciative of the support from all the volunteers. And they were just praying for a very peaceful outcome to this situation. And I know that tonight that the family is just so glad to have Ethan back home with them. And we want to thank everyone who had anything to do with that. Law enforcement did a wonderful job here.

COOPER: It's been an incredibly tense number of days for law enforcement, family members and the whole community.

Senator Smith, I appreciate you being with us. Pastor Senn and Chris Voss, as well.

SMITH: Sure. Thank you.

COOPER: Let us know what you think about this operation, how it went down, let me know on Twitter, @AndersonCooper. Be tweeting tonight.

Coming up next, how will the little boy comes to terms at such a terrible ordeal? I mean, it's hard to imagine being 5 years old, witnessing this, going through it yourself.

I'm going to be joined by Katie Beers who, you may remember, she survived 17 days of underground captivity when she was a child. We'll talk to her ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Welcome back. More now on our breaking news. Two days before his 6th birthday the ordeal is over for a boy named Ethan who was kidnapped, held in a bunker in Alabama for nearly a week now. Law enforcement officials say he seemed to be OK when he was freed. He was taken to a hospital where he would be reunited with his mom and his grandmother.

Now even if he's fine physically, there are sure to be psychological issues that Ethan and his family will have to deal with, after going through an experience like this and at such a young age.

Joining me now is Katie Beers. You may remember she -- when she was a child she was kidnapped by a neighbor, a family friend, held in an underground cell for 17 days. She gives the harrowing details of her ordeal in a book, "Buried Memories: Katie Beers' Story."

Katie, thank you very much for being with us. This has obviously got to bring back terrible memories for you. You were held captive as I said underground, went through your own unimaginable ordeal. We've got some pictures from when you were kidnapped.

What is going through your mind tonight as you see this coverage of the situation in Alabama and what this little boy must have been through?

KATIE BEERS, KIDNAPPING SURVIVOR: I am ecstatic that Ethan has been retrieved safe and sound, it seems, from the reports that I've heard. As for my ordeal, I just keep thinking about the effects of it being deprived sunlight, nutritious food and human contact. And how much I wanted to have a nutritious meal, see my family, have contact other than John Esposito.

COOPER: That was the man who took you. I mean, you were -- you were abused over the course of those days. And I know basically fed kind of junk food the entire time. To this day, what lingering effects does that experience have? BEERS: To this day, the effects that I have are some anxiety. The major issue that I have is control issues with my kids and finances. I don't like my kids being out of my sight for more than two seconds. And I think that that might get worse as they get older. And I just -- I have to be in control of situations because for the first 10 years of my life, I had no control over anything.

COOPER: And, Katie, how do you -- as a child, how do you get through something like this? I mean, day after day, night after night underground?

BEERS: Underground, it -- it was definitely it was difficult. My only human contact was my captor. The only food that I had was junk food. The only light that I had was the light of a television. It was basically pure adrenaline that kept me going. And the thought of knowing that the cops were still looking for me and that hopefully one day soon I would be back with my family.

COOPER: We don't know what kind of access this little boy had or understanding he had of what was going on or access to information about what was happening outside of this bunker. You were actually able to watch television. Did you know that people were looking for you?

BEERS: I did know that the cops were looking for me. I could see the news footage every day and I typically, at least, watched one news broadcast a day. But a lot of time I had News Channel 12 on, which repeated the same story over and over again.

COOPER: And the man who took you, what sort of conversations would you have with him? It must have been just so terrifying to be there with him.

BEERS: The conversations that I had with John were trying to talk about my future, trying to talk about what I was going to do when I was older for school, for work, for family, kids, things like that. It was very difficult, having these conversations with John, my captor, because he would always tell me I wouldn't have to go to school. He would teach me. I wouldn't have to work. He had enough money for us.

When it was time for me to get married and have kids, he would do that with me. So he was thinking long term that he was going to keep me until I was apparently very old.

COOPER: Katie, please stay here. I want to bring in also Dr. Louis Kraus who's the chief of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Rush University Medical Center.

Dr. Kraus, the kind of trauma that Katie endured is -- I mean, it's really incomprehensible for anybody who hasn't been through it. We don't know what happened to 5-year-old Ethan in that bunker, what kind of condition he's in. Generally speaking, though, from what you know of 5-year-olds and apparently he has Asperger's, what kind of recovery are he and his family looking at? DR. LOUIS KRAUS, CHILD AND ADOLESCENT PSYCHIATRIST: You know, it's going to be hugely variable. You know, you think about the whole process. This poor child, you know, started with the trauma of seeing this bus driver shot and killed. Then being kidnapped, pulled away from his regular routine.

You know, a typical 5-year-old child would find this frightening. A child with Asperger's, which is a form of autism, where kids often have a certain rigid quality to how they expect to do things, having difficulties with unfamiliar environments, unfamiliar people, and being put exactly in that type of placement where they already have a routine level of anxiety when things don't go the way they want and put into a situation like he has, you know, it's very hard to tell how he's going to do.

On the one hand, he might get right back to his routine and do absolutely fine. But on the other hand, you know, the anxieties, the trauma, you know, what we call an acute stress disorder even post traumatic symptoms, you know, as was just described, can occur.

What's really important is first, make sure he's safe, make sure he's healthy, make sure he's got nutrition, whether -- you know, whatever medications were given to him or not given to him simply to make sure that he's healthy initially and stable. And then to get him back to his normal routine, get him back home. Get him with his family.

And, most importantly, to make sure that he's looked at, as much as love and care is going to be important, we've got to make sure that we get him back to his normal routines and that if the anxiety levels are overwhelming, to treat those, whether therapeutically or regards to medications. But regardless, to get him back to school, get him back to his normal routine.

COOPER: Katie, when you finally were free, when you finally got out, I mean, how did you readapt? How did you -- you know, Dr. Kraus talked about getting back on to a schedule. How long was it before you were able to do something like that?

BEERS: One thing to understand, my childhood was not that of a normal 9-year-old, 10-year-old. I really had no schedule. So getting me on to a schedule, I think, was a little difficult for my parents. They did a phenomenal job of it, though. The thing that helped me the most was being with a loving family who had a routine. We did dinner the same time every night. Bedtime, homework. Things like that.

And they allowed me to maintain my privacy. They didn't speak to any media outlets. They never have. This is the first that I've done it since writing "Buried Memories." This is the first that I've spoken to the media. And I think that the privacy really helped me to recover, along with the therapy. I wasn't forced to talk about things until I was ready.

COOPER: Well, it's -- it's -- again, it's just such an extraordinary story. And, Katie, I really appreciate you being with us and talking about this. I know it's difficult. And I find your book really fascinating. Thank you very much for that.

And Dr. Kraus as well, really --

KRAUS: Pleasure.

COOPER: You know, so much we still have to learn about what happened to this little boy and exactly what happened in that bunker.

We've got a lot more coming up. Senator Bob Menendez answers some tough questions about allegations of improper travel and parties with his prostitutes. He's only talking with CNN's Dana Bash. We'll have that ahead.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DANA BASH, CNN SENIOR CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That you were with prostitutes.

SEN. ROBERT MENENDEZ (D), NEW JERSEY: The smears that right-wing blogs have been pushing since the election and that is totally unsubstantiated.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: Also ahead tonight, what caused that Super Bowl blackout? Details on that ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: A veteran who's been called the best U.S. military sniper ever, a former Navy SEAL killed in Texas over the weekend, shot to death allegedly by another military veteran and another man also killed. The latest on the investigation ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: A 360 exclusive tonight. U.S. Senator Robert Menendez finally speaking out about allegations of improper travel, sex parties with prostitutes in the Dominican Republic and his relationship with a generous donor, an eye surgeon in Florida. Now the allegations were raised just before Election Day. And Senator Menendez, the new chair of Senate Foreign Relations Committee, has been under growing pressure to address them.

He is speaking out tonight exclusively to our chief congressional correspondent, Dana Bash. She joins me now.

Dana, you asked the senator some tough questions. What did he tell you?

DANA BASH, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, he admitted and apologized to making some travel and not paying that back. A lot of money on that, but he vehemently denied anything that was untoward or tawdry, particularly with prostitutes. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BASH: Senator, if you can you explain why it took so long to pay back almost $60,000 in flights that you took with your friend?

SENATOR ROBERT MENENDEZ (D), NEW JERSEY: Well, I was in a big travel schedule in 2010 as the chair of DSCC, plus my own campaign, getting ready for a re-election cycle. In the process of all of that, it unfortunately fell through the cracks that our processes didn't catch moving forward and making sure that we paid. When it came to my attention that payment had not taken place, I personally paid for them in order to meet my obligation.

BASH: Because that's a lot of money. As chair of the DSCC you did so much traveling. You know the rules. That's a pretty big chunk of money not to pay back.

MENENDEZ: Well, it's certainly, you know, the responsibility of myself when it came to my attention to do so. You know, if it came to my attention -- had it come to my attention before, I would have, in fact, done it before. When it came to my attention, I did what was right and I paid for it myself.

BASH: You, of course, understand the perception that when you say when it came to your attention that you didn't pay for it until you got caught.

MENENDEZ: Well, that's not the case. The bottom line is, when it came to my attention, I paid for it. You know, there are a series of flights that were alleged. Several of them were, you know, shown not to be the case.

But after the election, when I got to look at the allegations and I did my own self inspection, I ultimately came forward. Matter of fact, one of those flights I self reported. It wasn't even anybody raising it.

BASH: One last question, can you just answer the allegation that has been out there that you --

MENENDEZ: The smears?

BASH: That you were with prostitutes, sir?

MENENDEZ: The smears that right-wing blogs have been pushing since the election and that is totally unsubstantiated. It's amazing to me that anonymous, nameless, faceless individuals on a website can drive that type of story into the mainstream. But that's what they've done successfully.

Now nobody can find them. No one ever met them. No one ever talked to them, but that's where we're at. So the bottom line is that all of those smears are absolutely false. And, you know, that's the bottom line. BASH: Just one last question on contracts, sir, did you do anything -- did you do anything to help your friend in an untoward way, use your influence to help him?

MENENDEZ: I have always advocated for issues and I have advocated for policies and that's what I have done across the board.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Dana, I don't quite get, why is he taking private jets down to the Dominican Republic? I mean, there are tons of flights down to the Dominican Republic from New York. He's from New Jersey. You know, JetBlue, I think, even flies down there pretty cheaply. Why is he taking private jets?

BASH: Well, I didn't have a chance to ask him a lot of questions. Certainly, that is a good one. It is possible that the Senate Ethics Committee will be investigating. Perhaps that's something that they will ask. Look, it is known now that he went down to the Dominican Republic with his wealthy friend, donor, and went on his plane.

That may be the answer to why he did take private travel. But, you know, I thought it was really interesting, Anderson, that after weeks of not talking to the press, putting out statements through his staff, avoiding reporters who cover the Senate in the hallways, even though we often have access to all the senators, he made a point through his staff, contacted me and a couple of reporters from New Jersey saying he does want to talk.

That's why he not only came out and talked to some reporters first right off the Senate floor, but then I asked him if he would come down to where our camera was, which was not close and he agreed to do so. This is something I talked to his staff earlier.

He walked down to the first floor all the way to our camera and made a point of talking to us on camera because, according to his staff, he is angry about the fact that all of these --

COOPER: Why now?

BASH: That's exactly what I asked, why now after all this? The answer was he is fed up with these, as you heard him say, unsubstantiated allegations about prostitutes and other things. He wanted to admit that he made a mistake with the travel but the rest he wanted to vehemently deny, which is what he did.

COOPER: All right, Dana, thanks. Good interview. Let's get the latest on other stories we're following right now. Susan Hendricks has the "360 News and Business Bulletin" -- Susan.

SUSAN HENDRICKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Anderson, speaking to law enforcement officers today in Minneapolis, President Obama called on them to press lawmakers to tighten background checks for guns, limit magazine size and reinstate the old ban on military-style rifles. The president also rejected the argument any of the proposed legislation is trying to eliminate all guns or subvert the second amendment.

Standard & Poors says the Justice Department intends to file a civil lawsuit against the company over its inaccurate ratings of mortgage-related investments. In a statement the company says the lawsuit has no merit and it used the same data as the government and other analysts that didn't predict the housing bust as well.

And Air Asia X has started banning kids under 12 from the first seven rows in economy class on some flights. The child-free area also has softer lighting and is called the quiet zone. I'm thinking if you put a child in row eight you can still hear them. We'll see if it works -- Anderson.

COOPER: Yes. All right, Susan. Thanks.

Just ahead, really sad story, Chris Kyle, reportedly one of the best snipers the U.S. military has ever seen, went to a remote shooting range with two other men this weekend. Only one of the three is live and he is charged with double murder. The latest on the investigation ahead.

Also later, the Pakistani teenager shot in the head by the Taliban gunmen, she is now talking about her future. Literally, she is talking up a storm. Dr. Sanjay Gupta explains how this is even possible. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: We all witnessed it, the night the lights went out at the Super Bowl. Today, the day everyone is asking what happened. We'll have details on that ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: The man charged with murdering a well-known Navy SEAL over the weekend is on suicide watch tonight. Eddie Ray Routh is being held on a $3 million bond. Texas authority says he was tasered and restrained after he became aggressive with guards.

One of the two men Routh is accused of shooting down is Chris Kyle, possibly the best U.S. military sniper ever, had five combat tours in Iraq. He had 160 confirmed kills that's according to his best-selling book "American Sniper."

Now remarkably he made one of those shots from 2,100 yards away. Here is how he described the moment. Quote, "Maybe the way I jerked the trigger to the right, adjusted for the wind. Maybe gravity shifted and put that bullet right where it had to be."

Kyle was so feared by Iraqi insurgents they put a bounty on his head. He survived the war, left the Navy with a chestful of medals. Back home in Texas, he was known for helping combat veterans struggling with PTSD.

And authorities think that is what he may have been doing on Saturday at that gun range where he died. Ed Lavandera reports tonight.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Chris Kyle and his friend, Chad Littlefield spent countless hours counseling fellow war veterans suffering from post traumatic stress syndrome. Chris felt passionate about the issue.

PAT KILBANE, FRIEND OF CHRIS KYLE: He was very concerned that service members felt discarded when they returned home and he wanted to facilitate, help facilitate their transition from war to productive civilian life.

LAVANDERA: The family of a former young Marine named Eddie Ray Routh may have reached out to Kyle, asking him to help Routh overcome his personal struggles and Chris Kyle and Chad Littlefield were there to lend a hand, which brings us to this weekend in the wide open spaces of the Texas countryside.

(on camera): It was just after 3:00 in the afternoon on Saturday that Chris Kyle, Chad Littlefield, along with Eddie Ray Routh, arrived here at the Rough Creek Lodge, sprawling 11,000-acre resort. But it wasn't until about 5:00 that a hunting guide on the grounds discovered Kyle and Littlefield's bodies.

(voice-over): But by then, Eddie Ray Routh was long gone. They were found in a remote part of the resort, far from any witnesses. Near the bodies, several different types of weapons were found.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right now it appears that he used a semi automatic handgun.

LAVANDERA: Police say after the shootings, Routh jumped into Chris Kyle's truck and drove almost 70 miles to the town of Midlothian to the home of his sister. Investigators say Routh confessed to her that he had just killed both men.

According to an arrest warrant affidavit obtained by WFAA TV, Routh told his sister that he had just traded his soul for a new truck.

(on camera): After he left here, she called authorities and told them all about it.

(voice-over): When Eddie Ray Routh left his sister's house, authorities say he kept on driving east and ended up at his house in the town of Lancaster, another 24 miles away.

(on camera): Police arrived in the neighborhood, found Chris Kyle's truck here in the driveway.

(voice-over): But it didn't end there. Somehow Routh was able to drive away from his house and neighborhood in Chris Kyle's truck. He led authorities on a short chase for several miles. It took tire spikes dropped on the roadway by police to finally end the hunt for Eddie Ray Routh. (END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: This is such a tragedy. You've got details about an incident with Routh and his parents a few months ago. What happened?

LAVANDERA: We've got our hands on a police report back in September from his hometown in Lancaster, Texas. His parents called police and it was described as a major disturbance.

According to that police report, his parents said that Eddie Ray Routh was threatening to kill them because his father told his son he was going to sell his gun. When police arrived, they found him walking through his neighborhood without shirt and shoes on.

And that he was telling them that he was, quote, "hurting" and that his parents didn't understand what he was going through and that he was a Marine veteran suffering from PTSD. That police report also says that Routh was taken to a mental hospital and evaluated. It's not clear what, if anything, was done after that.

COOPER: And what's going on with him in jail right now? Because I heard these reports he has been hard to control.

LAVANDERA: Apparently, he has been. Sheriff's officials here are telling us that they tried to -- gave him his meal. He didn't want to give back the utensils and plate that the meal was served on.

He had to be tased to get control. He has been shackled. In fact, we heard from his attorney, who met briefly with him today who told us that throughout that meeting he was shackled and restrained. The sheriff says until he stops becoming aggressive that he will have to remain that way as well -- Anderson.

COOPER: Ed, thanks for the update. Appreciate it.

Brandon Webb, a former Navy SEAL and author of the book "The Red Circle" trained Chris Kyle to be a sniper. They became close friends. He joins me now. Brandon, thank you so much for being with us. I'm so sorry for the loss of your friend.

You say that Chris was a book you definitely didn't want to judge by its cover. What do you mean?

BRANDON WEBB, FORMER NAVY SEAL: Well, I think that goes to most guys in the SEAL teams. You know, you look at these individuals sometimes and you just don't realize, you know, what they've been through and what they're capable of and just the amazing things that they've accomplished. You know, Chris was that guy. He was a larger- than-life Texan and one of the best students that we've had come through the program and an American hero.

COOPER: When you first started training Chris to be a sniper, did you know he was as talented as he was?

WEBB: Well, I think it was one thing Chris would want to acknowledge, the fact that we have one of the best sniper programs in the world. And there is -- to get to graduate that program, these guys are absolutely amazing marksmen.

And there are plenty of guys out there like Chris, but Chris often times didn't like to take the credit. He would shy away from it. But he just ended up being one of the most accomplished snipers on the battlefield.

COOPER: And, I mean, the horrible irony of this is that it was important for him to help other vets and vets suffering from PTSD and this guy who is now accused of shooting Chris and his friend told police he is suffering from PTSD.

It's an issue that is close, obviously, to a lot of Americans, to veteran's hearts as it was to Chris. What's the value? Explain the value of having former service members like yourself, like Chris, helping vets transition out of a war zone.

WEBB: Well, you know, the transition is something that Chris and I talked about. It's tough when you're at war for a decade and you try and transition back to civilian life and oftentimes these guys are getting maybe a one-week transition course.

And the thing about having veterans help veterans is that they understand -- these guys can relate to each other. I had a lot of people ask me, why a shooting range? Well, you know, it's a familiar environment and they're used to it. They're military guys.

It's like going to the basketball court and shooting hoops and talking about things and working things out. So, you know, it was something very close to Chris' heart. This is a guy that was usually successful outside of the SEAL community, could have done anything.

Yet he chose to devote time away from his business and family to help these veterans that were suffering and kind of slipping through the cracks of the Department of Veteran Affairs.

COOPER: Well, it is just such a loss. And I appreciate, Brandon, you being on tonight to talk about your friend. Thank you very much. Again, I'm so sorry for your loss.

WEBB: Thank you.

COOPER: Brandon Webb. We'll have more coming up.

A remarkable recovery for the teenage girl shot in the head by the Taliban in Pakistan. Malala Yousafzai, just four months and two surgeries later, she says she's feeling pretty good. Details ahead.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm feeling all right. And I'm happy that the operations, all the operations are successful. You know, it was that kind of success now that they have removed everything from me and I can also walk a little bit. I can talk and I'm feeling better.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: A record breaking 164.1 million people watched the Super Bowl last night. Chances are you were one of them. So you probably know it wasn't just the game that made for some pretty dramatic TV.

It was also when the lights went off in the Super Dome. We have some video to show you what happened in the control room at the stadium when the Super Bowl power outage made history. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So we took that out, put it up there so that I could see it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right, we lost lights.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: Imagine being in that control room. That power outage delayed the game for more than half an hour. The question today is what happened. Brian Todd joins me live from New Orleans. So, Brian, what do we know so far?

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Anderson, there are new questions are being raised tonight about whether managers at the Super Dome may have had any inkling that this could be happen, any warning that this could happen.

Anecdotal reports we're getting that rehearsals the pop star Beyonce was holding during the week where there may have been problems. One of the questions raised by Boomer Esiason, he is the CBS NFL analyst.

He was doing some radio analysis during the game in the Super Dome when the lights went out. Today on his radio show, it's called "Boomer & Carton" he raised the issue, talked about what it was like when the power went out but then he talked about what he had heard about Beyonce's rehearsals during the week. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Now the interesting thing is about 5 minutes or 6 minutes prior to the breaker going, where our radio booth was up on the seventh floor, we're almost at the ceiling of the dome.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And Kevin says to me, man, do you hear that buzzing? I took my headset off and there was like this electrical buzz sound coming from the ceiling and this was after half time, after Beyonce -- by the way, Beyonce blew the electric in the Super Dome twice I'm told.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is that right?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: During her rehearsals. (END VIDEO CLIP)

TODD: Now we tried to reach representatives for Beyonce for comment on those remarks and just anything that they might be able to say about the power outage. We have not heard back from them. We also asked the managers from the Super Dome, SMG, about Boomer Esiason's comments. We have not heard back about whether those anecdotal reports are accurate or not.

What SMB has said about Beyonce's actual performance is that it had nothing to do with the power outage. The actual live performance at half time, they said, had nothing to do with it because she and her production team were on kind of a separate self generated power source for that, not on the Super Dome's grid.

They're saying that her actual performance had nothing to do with it. What they're saying now, Anderson, is that a machine that monitors power input to the Super Dome detected an abnormality at some point, when it did that, the machine kind of triggered power breakers that triggered the power to go off.

They said they basically tripped the power switch. What SMG is saying is that those power breakers were operated by Entergy, the power company that supplies the Super Dome.

Entergy only says it's investigating and any statements while they're investigation is going on are pure speculations. So on one hand, you have SMG is saying the power breakers that tripped this were operated by Entergy and Entergy not really commenting on that at this point -- Anderson.

COOPER: OK. I guess a lot more questions to be answered. Brian Todd, appreciate the reporting. Thanks very much. Let's check back in with Susan Hendricks has more news in another "360 News and Business Bulletin" -- Susan.

HENDRICKS: Anderson, Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani teenage girl who was shot in the head by Taliban attackers on October is vowing to continue her activism on behalf of education for girls. Listen to her.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Today, you can see that I'm alive. I can speak. I can see you. I can see everyone. And today I can speak and I'm getting better day by day. God has given me this new life and this is a second life. This is a new life and I want to serve. I want to serve the people and I want every girl, every child to be educated.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HENDRICKS: Such a great message. Over the weekend, doctors attached titanium plate to Malala's skull and implanted a device to restore some hearing to her left ear. They say she won't need any more surgeries and, incredibly, doesn't have any long-lasting brain injuries.

Turkish authorities investigating the death of an American tourist in Istanbul say they've questioned 21 people so far. Police found the body of 33-year-old Sarai Sierra on Saturday. Her family had not heard from her since January 21st. She traveled to Turkey alone from New York.

And a 360 follow, a team of archaeologists said today that DNA testing has confirmed that ancient remains found under a parking lot in England do, in fact, belong to King Richard III, pretty interesting. Anderson, back to you.

COOPER: Yes. Yes, that was really cool. I saw that earlier. Susan, thanks very much. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: That's it for us. Because of all the breaking news we ran out time for the "Ridiculist." Tonight, we'll be back one hour from now another edition of 360 at 10 p.m. Eastern. "PIERS MORGAN TONIGHT" starts now.