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Remains of Woman, Fetus Found in Shallow Grave; Man Accused of Murdering Hitchhiker May Be Serial Killer

Aired January 12, 2008 - 22:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That is the bizarre. That is tragic. It's disgusting.

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TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: The burned remains of a woman and her fetus found in a shallow grave. The man accused of her death, a marine still nowhere to be found. Tonight, what did the military know and when.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm leaving. I'm getting out of here. God Almighty.

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HARRIS: Police say his trail of victims could keep growing. The man accused of killing a female hiker now the prime suspect in three more deaths. Is Gary Michael Hilton a serial killer? And could he have been stop sooner. Hilton's former boss says he warned police but no one listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He got to the point where he is trying to kill me if I don't give him $10,000.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: The politics of change are in the air. A woman and an African-American are a top for Democratic race for president.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HILLARY CLINTON, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I think having the first woman president is a huge change.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: What is it an asset? And is Hillary Clinton the woman for all women. We take a deeper look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRIS ROCK, ACTOR: I was working on the Golden Globes but they told me to go home.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: Chris Rock uncut, on the writers' strike, on the Clinton/Obama face-off, and while you'll never hear him poke fun at Oprah. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

And good evening, everyone, I'm Tony Harris. And please forgive us. The first few minutes of this newscast start to say the least rather discouraging. We have people who are missing, people confirmed dead, children confirmed dead. The hunt for a killer and a father accused of killing his own children.

But first, to Vail, Colorado. Paradise to skiers and boarders but it is also where rescue teams were called out to the scene of a mountain avalanche today. Straight to the Rockies now for details and Colin Campbell from our Denver affiliate KWGN. Colin, good to see you. And talk to us about this avalanche and today's rescue effort.

COLIN CAMPBELL, AFFILIATE KWGN: Yes, Tony, one of the skiers was found dead at the scene. He was skiing with a friend of his. One of the skiers managed to call 911. But by the time emergency responders arrived, it was too late. This was a really large avalanche. Rescue teams responded to this remote area of East Vail at about 1:00 Eastern Standard Time.

The skiers were in an area known for avalanche danger. Another skier died last week around the same location. Now, the avalanche that fell on the skiers was about 900 feet by 1,500 feet. That's considered quite large, even in this area where there is lots of snow and avalanches occur quite often.

One of the skiers shoveled himself out of the snow and called 911. When emergency teams arrived they found the missing skier underneath six to seven feet of snow. Now the skier who was deceased at the scene, his name is not being released right now and the cause of his death, the exact cause of his death, is still under investigation at this time. We're live in East Vail tonight, Colin Campbell for CNN.

HARRIS: Colin, appreciate it, thank you.

Let's get you to the severe weather center. Jacqui Jeras is there. And Jacqui, talk to us for a moment about the high-risk conditions there in the Colorado Rockies right now.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HARRIS: OK, now the tragedy and the mystery and the horrible death of marine lance corporal Maria Lauterbach. New developments tonight and they are absolutely awful. Civilian police outside Camp Lejeune in North Carolina believe the partially burned body of a woman with her near-term fetus still in the womb is Lauterbach. And the remains were buried in the backyard of a man and fellow marine accused of killing her. And where is that marine? Corporal says are Armando Lauren? Well, police would like to know that as well.

He is missing tonight and absent from the marine core and believed to be on the run from police, who want him for murder. So, some questions answered. Other questions, lots of them, remain. Jennifer Ladd is a reporter for the "Jacksonville Daily News." She's working hard on this story. Jennifer, good to see you. Thanks for your time this evening.

JENNIFER LADD, JACKSONVILLE DAILY NEWS: Thank you.

HARRIS: Good to have you. The suspect, another marine, we just mentioned his name. How was he able to get off base after the point at which this story was being reported by everyone?

LADD: Well, it's unclear if he actually left from base or if he left from his house, which is off-base. Now, of course, I'm assuming that he went to work the day before. But in terms of the day he disappeared, he may have just left from his house which, of course, it would be just like you or I leaving our houses. No one would really notice or think anything strange.

HARRIS: Jennifer, we're learning more about Maria as well. She was adopted.

LADD: Yes. I'm sorry?

HARRIS: She was adopted.

LADD: Yes, she was adopted.

HARRIS: And this is a story where you're getting some details I know, Jennifer, where there was a history of some issues, perhaps related to that adoption, and how she felt about her family, related to her position in the family vis-a-vis the other children.

LADD: Yes, sir. Well, I talked to one of Maria's friends from when she was a young child. His name is Sean Gardner. He was talking about the fact that Maria may have felt at certain times that she wasn't exactly -- as an adopted child she wasn't treated necessarily the same as maybe a biological child. And she also had apparently a lot of emotional issues. A lot of trouble in her life.

In fact, Gardner said that when she joined the Marine Corps he hoped that it would give her a little discipline in her life, which she may really have needed. So, you know, with the different emotional issues, things that were going on, it's possible that if she was told she should give up the baby that that was a very difficult decision for her, since she was in fact adopted and maybe had problems with that herself.

HARRIS: And just another quick question here, Jennifer. What role did Cesar Lauren's wife play in all of this in helping investigators? LADD: Well, the sheriff has not said a lot about exactly what role she's played.

HARRIS: That's true.

LADD: We do know that he talked to her and we're pretty sure that she's the one that brought the note that apparently said something about Maria committing suicide and Cesar burying her in the backyard. However, the sheriff said most of that note has been proven false already.

Now, he said that she's a cooperating witness. It's not clear if she might be a suspect as well. But she is apparently cooperating with the sheriff and giving information. It seems a little strange that she would have been able to be at the house and not know this.

Now, if she was for whatever reason not at the house for a long period of time, you know, maybe we should give her the benefit of the doubt. But at the same time, for your husband to possibly kill this woman, for there to be blood everywhere, paint over it, burn her in the backyard, and bury her, I think that's a little bit of a stretch to not know about that.

HARRIS: Hey, Jennifer, let's leave it there. I'm sure more questions and we could spend some more time on this. But I know you'll be talking to investigators and continuing to work on this since it really does feel like a reporter story right now. Jennifer Ladd for us. Jennifer, great to see you. Thanks for your time.

LADD: Thank you very much.

HARRIS: And turning to a different but equally disturbing case, new questions tonight about whether the man accused of killing and decapitating a Georgia hiker may in fact be a serial killer. Gary Michael Hilton is in jail, charged with abducting and killing 24-year- old Meredith Emerson.

Police say she met Hilton on the Appalachian Trail. She died from blunt force trauma to the head. Hilton has not yet entered a plea in the Emerson case. Yesterday the 61-year-old was named the primary suspect in the death of Cheryl Dunlap. The Florida nurse's body was found in a national park. And now Hilton is suspected in the death of Irene Bryant and the presumed death of her husband John. They disappeared while going for a hike in a North Carolina National Forest. John Bryant has never been found.

Today, CNN's Catherine Callaway sat down with one of Hilton's former employers who had a lot of revealing things to say about him.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN TABOR, HILTON'S FORMER EMPLOYER: I just can't -- could never imagine that someone I knew could be the heartless, brutal murder that he appears to be.

CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Gary Michael Hilton worked on and off for John Tabor's siding company for almost ten years. Tabor says Hilton was always an outdoorsman and a bit eccentric. But last year he noticed a change. He says Hilton became belligerent, difficult to communicate with, and took large doses of prescription drugs.

TABOR: He told me that he really needed his drugs because if he didn't take them, the demons would start to come back, something to that effect. And this isn't the type of language I had heard from him before and he just quite frankly at the point where he wasn't doing his job.

CALLAWAY: Tabor says he fired Hilton, but in September he started calling, demanding money.

TABOR: Basically, it got to the point where he threatened to kill me if I didn't give him $10,000. He said he didn't care how I got it but that he wanted it. He could take half now and get the rest later. But he -- he made no bones about it, that he wanted that money or else.

CALLAWAY: Tabor filed a report with the police and began carrying a firearm for protection. He says he thought Hilton was out of his life until January 3rd, while watching CNN, he heard the description of the person of interest in the case of missing hiker Meredith Emerson.

TABOR: I put all of that together. And I -- my heart just sunk to my stomach. I said, oh my God, this must be Gary Hilton.

CALLAWAY: Tabor gave authorities Hilton's vehicle description and plate number. Just hours later, his cell phone rang. It was Hilton.

TABOR: He sounded more sane and rational than he had for most of the past year. He sounded clear-headed. He acted as though nothing was wrong.

CALLAWAY: Tabor says he pretended there was no problem between them and told Hilton he would leave him money at his office, but instead called authorities. He thinks Hilton was on the way to his office when he was apprehended. Tabor is haunted by the fact that Meredith Emerson was still alive when Hilton called him, but says he did everything he could to see that Hilton was caught.

TABOR: I have felt physically ill from the very first moment that I identified him to authorities. And it seems to just get worse everyday as more facts come forward. And they're discovered. And the overwhelming guilt and the vicious, horrible nature of the crime just makes me sick. Sick to my stomach.

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CALLAWAY: Now, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation wouldn't comment about Tabor's involvement in this case. They say they don't talk about people who give them tips. Hilton, as you know Tony, remains in jail. He has not yet entered a plea in this case. HARRIS: So Catherine, all right, well look Hilton works for Tabor's siding company. Did the people he actually visit, I'm wondering, did he actually visit people's homes?

CALLAWAY: He was actually, according to John Tabor, worked in a telemarketing role, the first few years he worked for him. And then he ended that company. And Hilton occasionally would come back and do some marketing for him. It was mostly part-time the last few years. And then last year, he started having problems with him. And then as I reported he fired him in the summer.

HARRIS: How did Tabor know for sure, for certain, that the description that we were all sharing was that of this man Hilton?

CALLAWAY: Well he put a lot together. And that he fit the description. The location was in the area. As we said, he was in the mountains a lot, in the North Georgia Mountains. So he knew that was an area Hilton frequented. But probably the clincher, besides the van, was the dog. Because the description said that he was with a dog. And it fit the description of, according to Tabor, a dog that Hilton was never without. He went everywhere with him.

HARRIS: This man was terrified, wasn't he?

CALLAWAY: He still is. I mean, he's glad he's in jail. But I mean, I believe it's had quite an effect on him and his family.

HARRIS: Catherine, great story, thanks. I appreciate it.

To Texas now where investigators consider the concept of honored killings. That's one theory police are working on to explain why a father allegedly shot and killed his two teenage daughters. Police say Yasser Said was angry that one of his daughters was dating a non- Muslim. Both of the girl's bodies were found in the back seat of their father's cab. Now he's missing. CNN's Keith Oppenheim has more.

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KEITH OPPENHEIM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Teenage sisters Amina and Sarah Said who seemed to have everything going for them. Smart, beautiful, athletic, and popular at school. According to police, their father, Yasser Said, a cab driver who'd emigrated from Egypt, was adamantly opposed to his daughters dating anyone outside the Muslim faith. But his daughter, Amina, was doing just that and it incensed him.

Police say Patricia Said, the mother, became fearful of her husband, and on Christmas Day, fled with her two daughters. They left Lewisville, Texas, and went to a relative's house in Kansas, then to an apartment in Tulsa. On December 26th, dad, Yaser, filed a missing persons report. On December 27th, the mom finally called police, telling them her and the girls had gone into hiding.

KEITH DEAVER, LEWISVILLE TEXAS POLICE: Apparently Yasser did find out that her daughter was having a relationship with a young man that was not of Muslim religion.

OPPENHEIM: Did she say anything about what he was going to do once he found that out?

DEAVER: Apparently, he was very upset and threatened his daughter and made it in no uncertain terms that was not accepted.

OPPENHEIM: On New Year's Eve, Patricia Said made a fateful decision and returned home to Lewisville, Texas, with daughters Amina and Sarah. The next day, a horrifying 911 call.

DAVID TULL, IRVING TEXAS POLICE: The call was from a female caller on cell phone. Basically stating that she had been shot and that she was dying.

OPPENHEIM: Irving, Texas police got a second call which pinpointed the location of Yaser Said's leased taxicab in the parking lot of a hotel. Inside, the dead bodies of the two teenage girls, shot multiple times, and their father nowhere to be seen. Police tell us the father is the main suspect.

TULL: To this point we have no indications where he may be or where he has gone to. That's why we're looking at this as a, he could still be here local, he could be statewide, nationwide, and the very real possibility that he could have gone international, either that night or could be working on that now.

OPPENHEIM: Keith Oppenheim, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: And many of us tonight are asking, what would possess a father of four to allegedly throw his children off a bridge? Father and kids lived together in an Alabama coastal town. Police say one by one he tossed them off the Dauphin Island Bridge and into the river below. All four are believed to have drowned. Police say a duck hunter found the body of one of the children this morning, possibly the youngest. They may have located the others but weren't able to pull them out.

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SAM COCHRAN, MOBILE COUNTY, ALABAMA: Yesterday we saw images, the searchers did, that appeared to be, in their opinion, maybe the bodies of three infants in the water. Because the currents were so strong, the divers were unable to get to the location and the search at that time had to be discontinued.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: And when the mother of the children was told the body of one of her babies had been found, she was beside herself as you can imagine with grief. She spoke through an interpreter to our Alabama affiliate WPMI.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) KIEU PHAN, MOTHER (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): Just too hard. It's too -- too much hurting. Really want to just follow them and die with them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: OK. We have given you a pretty horrifying run-down of crimes. Next, we are going to talk to a criminal psychologist about what makes people commit these terrible acts.

And later, Chris Rock, uncut, unedited. Giving it to you raw on the writers' strike, politics, O.J., and even Oprah.

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HARRIS: You know, we spent the first part of the program that I'm telling you about some heinous crimes. And now we want to know, what goes through someone's mind, what might cause a person to do such horrible things? Criminal psychologist Lawrence Simon joins us from Miami to shed some light on some of these cases. He is a specialist in serial killers. Boy, that's something to say. And has been following the Hilton story very closely. Doctor, good to see you, thanks for your time.

I got to tell you, after the first section of this show, I just want to take a deep breath and I'm glad we're talking to you. We now know that Hilton, while with Meredith Emerson, terrorizing her, spent some time at a restaurant on the phone with his former employer, begging for money and his old job back. What does this tell us about his state of mind?

LAWRENCE SIMON, CRIMINAL PSYCHOLOGIST: Well, I mean, first of all, to kind of, you know, go into it, you know, kind of like if you mind a chronological time line.

HARRIS: Sure, sure.

SIMON: Yes. When these individuals are young, they're younger, they have some sort of a -- I say a bad relationship, if you will, with the primary parent. And in some of these...

HARRIS: That's in some cases, that's not in all cases, correct?

SIMON: No, not in all cases. As a matter of fact, child abuse is not -- is not a cause of some of these types of crimes. But it appears to be a necessary ingredient, if you will. But what goes on inside these individuals' minds, for example, is that they end up working up an intense hatred towards the victim. And I like to call it a chaotic life system. And a lot of things happen in their lives where -- and usually what happens in their lives are, you know, like a -- child abuse, and then you get into a realm let's say...

HARRIS: We also know -- sure, but doctor, we also know that not everyone who goes through a bad childhood experience -- I'm just trying to understand, I mean, for someone in Hilton's situation, and he is accused of this crime, your research tells you what about people who do this kind of thing?

SIMON: Well, the research that I've done with murders, I've compared people that use a gun, murders that use a gun, compared to those who use a knife. And what I found in my research was is that the individual's past in particular with regards to the relationship with the mother, these individuals would use more of a hands-on method, compared to those who use firearms. Whereas they would, at least in my study, they wouldn't be or suffer any kind of emotional abuse from the mother.

HARRIS: What's the great benefit of the research you've done? Have you been able to help law enforcement, you think, in understanding the mind of people who commit these kind of acts?

SIMON: Well, certainly. I mean, I like to think so, of course. But you know, the way -- you know, the way I see it is that each individual is different. It takes a lot -- there is no clear method that we do have that says, OK, this person is a serial killer. It -- it's like when you make spaghetti sauce. I mean, you have different ingredients that go into the sauce that make this particular type of individual tick. So we need to keep that in mind, that each individual behavior is different.

But what makes these individuals so unique is that they are able to manipulate individuals. Quite frankly, there isn't a profession in the world that hasn't been fooled by these individuals. OK? And what I mean by that is -- go ahead, Tony.

HARRIS: I just -- yes, you made the case about Jeffrey Dahmer being able to convince or manipulate an officer to release him, even as he had a body in the back of the car, correct?

SIMON: Yes. Well, and of course, Edmund Kemper as well. Edmund Kemper, he ended up seeing some mental health professional and he got a clean bill of health and he had two heads in the trunk of his car and went out to go bury the heads. What I'm -- yes, exactly. What I'm saying is, if these guys can fool the best, then in a way, the public doesn't stand, you know, stand a chance.

HARRIS: And I got to tell you, at the end of the day, we appreciate the fact that you do the work that you do. But oftentimes I tell you, we sit here and wonder why we spend so much time trying to understand the mind of what appears to be the criminally insane. But we do understand that it helps law enforcement. Doctor, thanks for your time this evening, appreciate it.

SIMON: Thank you very much. Thank you, Tony.

HARRIS: And for more in-depth coverage of this story and other crime and justice stories, log on to our website, cnn.com/crime.

Candidates face a lot of questions, as you know on the campaign trail. But what do you say to a marriage proposal? Find out which presidential candidate got popped the big question.

Plus. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Our biggest challenge, of course, is to get past the issue of being a woman.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: Whoa, whoa, whoa. So she wears a dress, heels and makeup. Will that keep her from the White House? We pose the question to you, our viewers.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: OK, time now for a little "Dog Bone Politics." Political news with a bite or in this case more like a slice. OK. That is President Bush, as you can see, in Bahrain today, getting into the swing of things with that ceremonial sword. The president was presented with the weapon as a gift, which you can see, he just poked in the air with a little bit of flair (INAUDIBLE). Mr. Bush is the first U.S. president ever to visit Bahrain, a crucial ally in the U.S. military efforts in the region.

Presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich isn't wasting any time crying over his one percent showing in New Hampshire. He is still fighting to get into the White House officially, but he has already converted one of his presidential campaign websites into a bid for his re-election to Congress. His other website dennisforpresident.com also remains active.

And finally tonight, the sweetest words Senator Clinton has heard in a long time on the campaign trail.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hillary, marry me, baby.

HILLARY CLINTON, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: You know, that is -- that is certainly the kindest offer I've had. But I would probably get arrested.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: Well, this all going down during a campaign stop in Los Angeles. The heckler was a lot friendlier than the one in New Hampshire, Monday who yelled at Clinton, quoting here, "Iron his shirts."

Well, the writers' strike isn't slowing down this funny man. Chris Rock unplugged in the UK. And no subject is off-limits, including American politics.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRIS ROCK, ACTOR: Hillary did win. Hillary win. Did win so far, but we're going to ask for a recount. We're going to ask for a recount. (END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: And coming next, can women really elect the next president? More importantly, will they even vote for this woman? We've got some strong opinions when we pose the question to you, our viewers. Stick around. You don't want to miss it.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Mitt Romney, Edmund Muskie, George W. Bush. They have all gotten teary-eyed in public. Yet when Hillary Clinton did the same, her critics, boy, stepped up. And so did New Hampshire women. She won them by a 12-point margin. Was it a fluke or the demographics have change? Perhaps neither.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CLINTON: Thank you.

HARRIS: What some view as an asset.

BECKY COLE, VOTER: I think she came across as a very strong woman.

HARRIS: Others tag as a weakness.

HERMAN "DENNY" FARRELL JR., FORMER NEW YORK DEMOCRATIC PARTY CHAIRMAN: Our biggest challenge of course is to get past the issue of being a woman.

HARRIS: Hillary Clinton plays to both crowds and has an answer for each.

CLINTON: I am not running because I'm a woman. I think having the first woman president is a huge change.

HARRIS: A mixed message from the candidate. And sometimes double-talk from the American public as well. Poll after poll indicates the U.S. is willing to elect a black or female president. Yet, last week, at a Clinton campaign event, two men stood up and began shouting "Iron my shirts."

CLINTON: Oh, the remnants of sexism, alive and well tonight.

HARRIS: A moment of strength. Yet hours earlier, what some see as a moment of weakness.

CLINTON: You know, I have so many opportunities from this country. I just don't want to see us fall backwards.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think that her crying appeared staged. And that's what my older friends think.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Of course, as a president, we definitely need a leader. But we always need someone who's human. HARRIS: For all the talk about sisterhood and the female vote, women historically don't always vote for other women. Case in point. Geraldine Ferraro. Post-election polls found the majority of women voted against her ticket in 1984 when she ran as the Democratic candidate for vice president. Years later, Hillary Clinton steps onto the national scene, helping her husband campaign for president. But then, much as today, feminists loved her. Conservative moms, not so much. Thanks to comments like this.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I suppose I could have stayed home and baked cookies in that scene. But what I decided to do was fulfill my profession, which I entered before my husband was in public life.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think a lot of people still see her in that light.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think primarily she's viewed about the same, I think. But I think a lot of women are career-minded nowadays and probably think the same way she does.

HARRIS: There are seven female presidents around the world right now. But in 2008, the question may not be, is America ready for its first female president, but rather, is America ready to vote for this particular woman?

CAROL GROSETH, VOTER: To me, it's about her. I think a woman could do it. But not her.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She's going to give them a run for their money. Whether she wins or loses she's going to give them a run for their money.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: OK, Erin Vilardi is the national program director for the White House Project. Their mission among others, to train women to run for political office. We've asked her to come on tonight to talk about chromosomes. I know, I'm terrible. Erin, good to see you.

ERIN VILARDI, WHITE HOUSE PROJECT: Good to see you. Thank you.

HARRIS: Hey, Iowa and New Hampshire down. I'm wondering, what are you noticing in the women's vote so far?

VILARDI: Well, one thing that we're noticing is that the women's vote is not a monolithic voting bloc. And we have a lot of issues, important issues to us. I think we're also seeing women's issues expand. This war in Iraq is a women's issue. Health care now is more than a women's issue I think. Two presidential election cycles we saw health care still being talked about as a women's issue. And so what are women's issues and what women leaders we have to represent us are brand new for 2008.

HARRIS: Well, I wonder to what extent you're sort of breaking it down. What women who vote Democratic and women who vote Republican. Are you doing that kind of work? VILARDI: Absolutely.

HARRIS: Are the issues the same or different?

VILARDI: Well, I think, you know, some of the top issues, the economy, health care, the war in Iraq, are across the board and important issues for all Americans. But you'll see on the left and on the right a split with women voters. Where they prioritize those things.

HARRIS: You know, I think we've been long curious about the real help a candidate's spouse might play, and what kind of an impact that spouse might have on the candidate and the campaign, particularly with women. Let's take a couple. Let's talk about Cindy McCain and Michelle Obama. Strong women.

VILARDI: Absolutely.

HARRIS: Do they help their husbands with women voters?

VILARDI: I absolutely think that the spouses, including Bill Clinton, including all of the spouses, help with women voters. I think it's important for people to see strong family values in this country. And so your partner is an equal part of, you know, helping you to get elected and it's usually been a part of politics is a hard game. So the spouse is usually a significant part of helping people get elected. And we see that both -- but there's a different standard for female candidates and for male candidates around the world.

HARRIS: Explain that.

VILARDI: So you often won't see -- it depends really on whether it's a local race or a national race, how different and the role that the male spouse plays. We continue to say, what we call Bill Clinton?

HARRIS: We do.

VILARDI: You know, right now I don't think that's the most important campaign issue but its on people's minds. We're switching entirely what a leader looks like in this country, with everything from 1994 as year of the woman, to the number of governors that we have in this country and you know, the rise of women in Congress in the last election.

HARRIS: And that's pretty compelling stuff. It really is. Erin, another question. How do you view Oprah's potential impact in driving women voters to Barack Obama? And does it in any way feel a little bit, dare I say, too calculated to you?

VILARDI: I think Oprah is a phenomenon in and of herself. And I think that she brings a lot of excitement and a lot of jazz to the Obama campaign. But you know, he already has a lot of excitement. So I don't know necessarily what weight she brings. And she's in and of herself a female role model. So it may have a positive image for all women running for office in 2008, including Hillary Clinton.

HARRIS: And a lot of attention now on single women as a voting bloc.

VILARDI: Absolutely.

HARRIS: Within that non-monolith. But what are you making of single women, and their potential to shape this election?

VILARDI: Single women tend to vote less often. I think they have the one of the widest ranges for getting out to vote in the 2008 election. They also, having been polled by a couple of different groups, usually are the change demographic. They are most interested in change.

I think single women, particularly younger women, are more economically secure with themselves. I think you see single women sort of doing -- making sure that they have what they need in taking care of themselves. And so what you find maybe is, they have a different relationship to politics. They want to make sure that it's important to their lives and relevant to them. And seeing a woman candidate out there for president might be what it takes to bring them into the process more.

HARRIS: And Erin finally, in the final analysis, you really have to sort of, your a candidate, you have to go market to market and target those women and their concerns really in a retail way.

VILARDI: Absolutely.

HARRIS: Market to market, don't you?

VILARDI: Yes. It's classic campaigning. If that's the group that you think is going to come out for you, then you need to make sure that you're speaking to their issues. But again, I think women's issues this election are very, very broad and we need to make sure that we're not only talking about what's been traditional women's issues.

HARRIS: Erin Vilardi. Erin, good to see you. Thank for your time tonight. We appreciate it.

VILARDI: Bye, bye.

HARRIS: The writers' strike isn't slowing him down. Chris Rock is touring the UK and no celebrity is safe. Well, maybe one.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is anybody off limits for you? I mean, obviously, Hillary isn't, Barack Obama isn't, is anybody off limits?

ROCK: You know, I kind of stay away from Oprah.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Why?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: It's Oprah, that's why. Chris Rock makes sure that media mogul Oprah is never the butt of his jokes and he'll tell you why.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: OK. Its pens down and picket signs up in Hollywood still. And no one's talking about when anyone's going to start writing again. It's bigger than just the writers and the studio execs. Tomorrow's 65th Annual Golden Globe Award show is now a casualty to the fight. And there is definitely a trickle-down effect. CNN's Kareen Wynter has the story.

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KAREEN WYNTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Movie and television stars all walking the red carpet together. Winners overjoyed backstage just moments after getting their statues. And celebrities partying hard all night long. Well, expect something different, really different, this year.

STEVEN GAYDOS, EXECUTIVE EDITOR OF FEATURES VARIETY: There will be no actors at the Golden Globes.

WYNTER: Instead, what you will see is an hour-long announcement of the nominees and winners by the Hollywood Foreign Press. You can credit the striking Writers Guild of America that has refused to allow their members to work on the show. In solidarity, most actors in Hollywood would not have crossed picket lines to attend award shows. Much to the disappointment of those who spent the last year prepping, like designers, caterers, and party planners.

MICHAEL O'CONNOR, JEWELRY & STYLE EXPERT: A year's worth of work down the drain. Not only for Platinum Guild International but also for the platinum designers and manufacturers because many of them actually create platinum and diamond pieces specifically to be shown at the celebrity suites, and specifically to be shown to the celebrities to wear.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Rentals range from $7 to $107. And we don't know how many people will come through. But it is a hit and we wish we had that business.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Think about the party planners who have to put millions of dollars on the table, all the ballrooms standing empty, all the caterers. Hollywood is a nervous place now.

WYNTER: If you think the cancellation of the Golden Globes Awards only affects Hollywood, you're wrong. According to the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation, the local economy is taking as much as an $80 million hit.

JACK KYSER, LOS ANGELES COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION: This is just rippling out a lot of collateral damage in the Southern California economy. A lot of small businesses. People think it's the big studios that's the industry. No. About 85 percent of the firms in the entertainment industry are small companies.

WYNTER: But there's a silver lining to this dark cloud. One celebrity style lounge is switching gears by changing an event that usually caters solely to celebs to now helping out those impacted by the strike with a fund-raiser.

KARI FEINSTEIN, OWNER, FEINSTEIN-MCGINNIS P.R.: We're going to still have talent come down and press come down and cover the event like they would if it was a Golden Globes event. Although, it's not a Golden Globes event now. It's -- we're calling it the Winter Style Lounge and it's benefiting the Writers Guild.

WYNTER: A union that has single handedly shaken up the Hollywood industry, and managed to make history in the process. Kareen Wynter, CNN, Hollywood.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: And tomorrow night, right here on CNN, don't miss a special edition of "LARRY KING LIVE." Larry covers the Golden Globes Awards show, or lack thereof, and how the writers strike is playing the leading role. "LARRY KING LIVE," tomorrow at 9:00 eastern, 6:00 pacific.

And fortunately for actor and comedian Chris Rock, he has never really been one to rely on a script to say what's on his mind. CNN's Becky Anderson sat down with Chris Rock in London. Hang on. Let the games begin.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRIS ROCK, ACTOR/COMEDIAN: I think the writers' strike probably...

BECKY ANDERSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You have to be here.

ROCK: Help me over here. I was working on the Golden Globes. But they told me, go home. So I said, I'll do a full tour of England.

ANDERSON: What is it about this writers' strike? Why is it that your contemporaries can't write their own jokes? What's going on?

ROCK: They write their own jokes. Sometimes. It's just when you tell jokes, new jokes every day.

ANDERSON: All right. How are you enjoying England? What are the audiences like? Are they very different?

ROCK: Audiences are really good. They listen. They read books. They're politically astute.

ANDERSON: So is that tough for you or not?

ROCK: No, it's good, it's good. They appreciate mild profanity. But they don't want it over and over again. It's an exercise.

ANDERSON: Are you changing the acts accordingly?

ROCK: I mean, there's certain topics that people didn't know about, you know. Michael Vick? Huh? What, did he eat a dog? What are you talking about? You know, you know, you just have to clarify your references. You don't even realize how much slang you talk in.

ANDERSON: Will they buy, Chris, the American elections? For sure the British audience will understand and they will buy that. I'm not sure we all necessarily understand what's going on now. But we will buy the elections toward the end of the year. So how are you explaining the primaries, caucuses?

ROCK: I don't -- well, you know, you have Barack and Hillary. That's pretty much it. People understand that Bush has done a job that is so bad it's made it hard for a white man to run for president. So everyone's focused on this black man and this woman. And if raccoon was to run or a giraffe, that will be fine too. But no one wants to see a white man running.

ANDERSON: You probably endorse Barack Obama. So how did you feel when you woke?

ROCK: I endorse Barack Obama.

ANDERSON: How did you feel when you woke up this morning and saw what happened in New Hampshire? Because Hillary won.

ROCK: Hillary did win. Hillary win, did win, so far. But we're going to ask for a recount. We're going to ask for a recount. And I think when this recount comes in, it will all be clear.

ANDERSON: No, no.

ROCK: It's a long race. It's a long, long race. And you know, it's a guy no one heard of two years ago. And she's, you know, the wife of the president -- you know, a two-term president. So there's some advantage there.

ANDERSON: Is anybody off-limits for you? I mean, obviously Hillary isn't. Barack Obama isn't. Is anybody off-limits?

ROCK: You know, I kind of stay away from Oprah, you know.

ANDERSON: Why?

ROCK: Because I might need a billion dollars one day. Why piss off the only black person with it? Why would I do that?

ANDERSON: If I say, I don't know, Britney Spears to you, you say?

ROCK: I say, I'm sorry that I got her sister pregnant. That's what I say.

ANDERSON: If I say O.J. Simpson?

ROCK: I say, I'm sorry that I got his wife pregnant. That's what I say. Good book, though. He's a fine author, O.J. He segued way out of running into writing. I can't wait to see, you know, the next book. You know. "I didn't tear down the World Trade Center, but if I did," you know.

ANDERSON: You know none of this is going to make it on CNN.

ROCK: You know what's bad, though?

ANDERSON: What can I do?

ROCK: If you say it without a joke it makes it. If Wolf Blitzer says, "Oh she's been having sex for a while" it's fine. If I say it, and it's funny, oh, that's off-limits. Wolf Blitzer gets away with so much that I can't get away with.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: OK. Still to come in the NEWSROOM, snow (INAUDIBLE) hidden danger. Colorado avalanches have claimed two lives in two days. We look at the warnings next and find out if we can expect more of the same in the days ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: We're going to tell you, plenty of dangers in the Colorado Rockies for those adventuresome skiers, Jacqui, who decided to take on the back country right now. It's probably a no-go. But we understand that they do.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HARRIS: All right, another Hanna Montana story. But this one will really warm your heart. A tale of just how good children can be. That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: OK, show of hands out there, how many of you have heard of Hanna Montana? OK, good. But do you know of the Diva Disciples? Well, you should. They are a group of Hanna Montana fans who did a really nice thing. Their mom scored tickets to see their favorite singer. But instead of going to the concert, they donated the tickets to another little girl who is on her way to have an operation to improve her vision. Now, these tickets as you know often sell out within, what 10 minutes or so in many cases, after they go on sale. So this is a pretty big deal. One of the girls explains why she did it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DEVIN SCHOOLEY, RAFFLED HANNAH MONTANA TICKETS: It feels better to me to go help Riley (ph) than it is to go see Hanna Montana.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: Something tells me this is going to work out just fine for the little disciples.

That's it for the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Tony Harris. Have a great evening.

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