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California Family Rescues their Dad; President Obama Addresses Gay Activists; Americans Warned of Possible Al Qaeda Retaliation; Fugitive Captured After Four Decades

Aired October 01, 2011 - 22:00   ET

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

SUSAN HENDRICKS, CNN ANCHOR: Hi there. I'm Susan Hendricks at the CNN Center in Atlanta. Don Lemon is off tonight. Here's what's happening this hour.

A story of determination, survival and, really, luck has thrust a California family into the national spotlight. Their father was missing somewhere in the thousands of square miles of the Angeles National Forest and his four grown children did not give up. They found him. Plus, they may have helped another family in distress. CNN's Tina Kim has the remarkable details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TINA KIM, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Two cars mangled at the bottom of a ravine, that was the site of a family reunion unlike any other, one that has likely solved a missing person's case and saved a father's life as this video shows. The worry began when the man being airlifted did not call his kids.

LISA LAVAU, CRASH SURVIVOR'S DAUGHTER: My dad would never not call his kids. There's four of us. And it's just by the time -- the fourth, the fifth day and then sixth day, we knew something was wrong.

KIM: And so the children of David LaVau started searching on their own, pinpointing an area in California's Angeles National Forest after detectives helped them track their dad's cell and credit card activity. Then the brother and sisters with other family and friends began driving.

L. LAVAU: We stopped at every ravine and looked over every hill.

SEAN LAVAU, CRASH SURVIVOR'S SON: All of a sudden, I thought I heard a cat or a dog enough where I just said hello and it echoed down.

KIM: Sean LaVau found his father Thursday, 200 feet down a ravine. The 67-year-old man had been missing for six days.

S. LAVAU: I hugged him and we both cried and I said, you know, how did you make it? And he said I drank the water in the river and I ate leaves and bugs.

JESSE HOOKER, CRASH SURVIVOR'S SON-IN-LAW: He was heading in this direction. Another car was heading towards him, had bright lights on. So he flashed the lights at the car. I believe at that point probably swerved, went off the road.

KIM: David LaVau ended up right near another wrecked car with a decomposing body inside. As his children worried about him, LaVau, too, worried about just how his kids would find him. The "Los Angeles Times" reports he wrote on his car's dirty trunk, quote, "I love my kids. Dead man was not my fault. Love, Dad."

The dead man is likely to be 88-year-old Melvin Gelfand, who's been missing since September 14th. His daughter, Joan Matlack, says she is thankful for answers.

JOAN MATLACK, KABC: We may have never found him. We tried to prepare for the worst but hoped for the best.

KIM: Authorities have yet to confirm the body's identity. What is certain, David LaVau raised some determined kids.

Tina Kim, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HENDRICKS: He certainly did. Our thanks to Tina for that amazing story.

Well, Barack Obama will go down in history as the president who ended "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," a fact he leaned on heavily tonight in a speech to 3,000 gay and lesbian activists at the annual Human Rights Campaign Dinner in Washington. But as our Athena Jones explains, some in the room were hoping to hear more out of the president.

Athena?

ATHENA JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The president spoke tonight before a crowd of nearly 3,000 people at the Washington Convention Center for the Human Rights Campaign's annual national dinner. He spoke about some of the steps his administration has taken to address the concerns of the LGBT community like repealing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" and passing a Hate Crimes Prevention Act.

But there's one thing that many people in the audience wanted to hear and certainly many people in the LGBT community outside of that room, which is to hear the president come out strongly and publicly and confirm support of gay marriage.

He didn't do that tonight. We didn't really expect him to. We've heard the president say that his position on gay marriage is evolving. But tonight, he did speak about his efforts to continue to push for the repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act. Let's listen to what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I vow to keep up the fight against the so-called Defense of Marriage Act. There's a bill to repeal this discriminatory law in Congress and I want to see that passed. But until we reach that day, my administration is no longer defending DOMA in the courts. I believe the law runs counter to the constitution, and it's time for it to end once and for all. It should join "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" in the history books.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JONES: Now the president also received a big round of applause and lots of cheers when he bashed Republican candidates for staying silent when American soldier was booed in the recent Republican presidential debate. Here's what he had to say about that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OBAMA: We don't believe in a small America. We don't believe in the kind of smallness that says it's OK for a stage full of political leaders, one of whom could end up being the president of the United States, being silent when an American soldier is booed.

(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)

OBAMA: We don't believe in that. We don't believe in standing silent when that happens. We don't believe in them being silent.

(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)

OBAMA: You want to be commander-in-chief? You can start by standing up for the men and women who wear the uniform of the United States, even when it's not politically convenient.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JONES: Now, it was certainly a big night. Lots of cheers, great reception for the president in that room.

But you know, the Human Rights Campaign has already endorsed the president for re-election, and, certainly, his speech while it may have pleased a lot of people there, wouldn't have pleased everyone in the community. We've heard from the Log Cabin Republicans ahead of the speech and the Freedom to Marry group who both want to see the president, as I said, come out and express his firm public support for gay marriage. But still a big event tonight.

Athena Jones, CNN, Washington.

HENDRICKS: Certainly powerful words from the president. So would gay voters ever really abandon President Obama for not supporting same-sex marriage? We will ask one of the key members of the Human Rights Campaign which invited him to speak tonight. That is just moments away. So stick around for that.

The U.S. government believes the killing of a high-level al Qaeda leader in Yemen could provoke revenge attacks against Americans. A CIA drone attack is credited with killing American-born cleric Anwar al-Awlaki and three others this week. The FBI and the State Department are warning the killing could incite anti-American attacks inside the world and around the U.S. as well.

A government official says Al-Awlaki had been under surveillance in Yemen for two weeks when the opportunity arose to kill him with a missile. Among the other victims was another American, Samir Khan, who was considered vital to al Qaeda's propaganda efforts with his online English language magazine.

Even though Anwar al-Awlaki was an American citizen, the U.S. considered him a threat to homeland security. Civil liberty groups say his killing violated U.S. and international laws. Our chief White House correspondent Jessica Yellin takes a look at the legalities here.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JESSICA YELLIN, CNN CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice over): It's President Obama's latest successful strike on a wanted al Qaeda terrorist.

OBAMA: The death of Al-Awlaki is a major blow to al Qaeda's most active operational affiliate. Awlaki was the leader of external operations for al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.

YELLIN: But this time it's different. Awlaki was an American. This may be the first U.S. killing of an American target with no trial, no indictment.

VINCENT WARREN, CENTER FOR CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS: The problem here is that the U.S. has done something that I don't think it's ever done before. It has killed one of its citizens somewhere else around the world without any due process at all. This is about rule of law and this is about rules to keep us all safe.

YELLIN: Warren's organization sued to take Awlaki off a terror kill list and lost. The White House wouldn't offer a legal justification for targeting an American.

JAY CARNEY, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: This goes to the assumptions about the circumstances of his death, and I'm not going to address that. I'm not going to speak hypothetically.

YELLIN: An adviser to the U.S. State Department explained the government's logic for killing anyone on the terrorist capture or kill list regardless of nationality.

HAROLD KOH, LEGAL ADVISER, STATE DEPARTMENT: A state that is engaged in armed conflict or in legitimate self-defense is not required to provide targets or legal process before the state may use lethal force.

YELLIN: There's no question this administration viewed Awlaki as a threat for some time.

MICHAEL LEITER, NATIONAL COUNTERTERRORISM CENTER: I actually consider al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula with Awlaki as a leader within that organization probably the most significant risk to the U.S. homeland.

YELLIN: Politically, the White House has support from both parties. Republican Congressman Peter King says, quote, "It was entirely legal." And from a top Democrat --

REP. C.A. RUPPERSBERGER (D), INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE: It's legal. It's legitimate. And we're taking out someone who has attempted to attack us on numerous occasions.

YELLIN (on camera): So why won't the White House explain their legal justification for the killing?

Well, that would be a tacit admission that the U.S. was involved in the killing. And it would seem the Obama administration wants to distance itself from an action that the Yemeni people could perceive as foreign intervention in their country.

Jessica Yellin, CNN, the White House.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HENDRICKS: It is also believed one of the other victims of Friday's missile strike in Yemen may be an explosives expert. Ibrahim Hassan al-Asiri. A U.S. official says there are indications he was at the scene. Al-Asiri is suspected of making the so-called "underwater bomb" that was worn by a Nigerian man on a flight to Detroit on Christmas day. That was back in 2009. He is also believed to have been behind the failed plot to place bombs disguised as printer cartridges aboard airliners last October.

As we mentioned earlier, President Obama addressed 3,000 gay and lesbian activists tonight at the Human Rights Campaign dinner. Next, we will ask the chief legislative counsel of that campaign how he did and, later, we'll go in depth on the high-profile trial of Dr. Conrad Murray, accused of giving Michael Jackson a lethal dose of propofol.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HENDRICKS: President Obama tonight promising gay activists he is committed to equality. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OBAMA: We believe in a big America, a tolerant America, a just America, an equal America that values the service of every patriot. We believe in America where we're all in it together. And we see the good in one another. And we live up to a creed that is as old as our founding E Pluribus Unum -- out of many, one. And that's includes everybody. That's what we believe.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HENDRICKS: I get the chills when I hear that -- we're all in it together. The president was the keynote speaker at the Human Rights Campaign Dinner that was tonight. He is coming off a major gay rights victory with the repeal of the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy. That was huge, taking effect less than two weeks ago.

I want to welcome Brian Moulton, chief legislative counsel for the Human Rights Campaign.

Brian, so glad to see you. Thanks for joining us.

BRIAN MOULTON, HRC CHIEF LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL: Thanks for having me.

HENDRICKS: I do get the chills when I hear President Obama say that, saying "We're all in it together." He believes in equality. What stood out to you tonight the most? There's probably a lot of things that did.

MOULTON: Sure. It was -- it was an amazing speech. You know, I think the fact that he was able to talk about the success of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" with openly gay and lesbian service members right there in the room, you know, in uniform being able to stand and applaud their commander-in-chief. I thought that that was really powerful.

And also he spoke about, you know, him and the first lady standing up as examples for LGBT youth that are struggling with whether or not there's a real future for them and that the president stands with them. And I thought, you know, thinking back to my, you know, teenage years how amazing it would have been to hear that from a sitting president.

HENDRICKS: It is, Brian, but there's still criticism out there because the president did not say, yes, I'm for gay marriage. And so, would this drive away gay and lesbian voters? What do you think?

MOULTON: Well, the president has, you know, said he's evolving on marriage and we all would like him to evolve faster. Certainly, it would be a powerful thing for the president to support marriage, you know, forthrightly. But it doesn't take away from the amazing accomplishments that we've seen in this presidency on hate crimes protections, on "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" repeal, on hospital visitation protections, so many things.

And also the really strong commitment you heard from him tonight to keep pushing forward, to push for repealing the federal Defense of Marriage Act, to push for employment protections, the many things that our community still needs.

HENDRICKS: Right. So the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" repeal, that's one thing. But to go a step forward, what do you think is preventing that?

MOULTON: Well, I think that, you know, he's continuing to consider the issue the way that a lot of Americans are. A lot of our workers are having those conversations. And I just think hopefully, although, you know, I can't look into my crystal ball but, hopefully, soon he will be there on the marriage issue as well.

HENDRICKS: Do you think Barack Obama has done more for gay rights than any other president in history? I'm guessing your answer is yes.

MOULTON: Absolutely. I think the record is incredibly strong and he really, you know, mentioned a lot of it in tonight's speech and we've seen so much progress in the last 2 1/2 years.

HENDRICKS: And what was the reaction to the speech tonight? I know you said that you felt really positive about it. And so did I in the excerpts that we did hear. What was the reaction overall in the room?

MOULTON: The room was, you know, on their feet for most of the speech. It was -- it was tremendously well received by our members.

HENDRICKS: And why do you think that? Do you think it is the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" repeal? What stuck out to me was when he said when that service member was booed and the people running for president, the Republicans especially, didn't step in and say something sooner and he said, look, if you want to be the leader of this country, you have to stand up and say something. These people are fighting for our country.

MOULTON: Absolutely. I mean, I think that is a really stark example of the kind of advocate he is for our community in comparison to all the folks on those stages at those Republican debates who, as he said, stood silently by while, you know, people booed a service member in the theater of war in Iraq simply because, you know, he mentioned that he is a gay service member.

HENDRICKS: Right. It's almost like at the debate, no one wanted to step in. It was kind of like a pause feeling (ph).

Brian Moulton, thanks so much for your feedback on tonight's speech. We sure do appreciate it.

MOULTON: Thank you.

HENDRICKS: Nice meeting you. Thanks.

Well, this is an arrest 40 years in the making. A convicted murderer who escaped from a New Jersey prison, then later helped hijack a Delta flight. He's been tracked down finally. See how U.S. marshals found him more than 3,000 miles away.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HENDRICKS: Welcome back.

A fugitive hijacker is trying to get out of extradition back to the U.S. on a technicality. George Wright is his name. He spent four decades on the lam until authorities finally caught up with him on Monday. His attorney says the U.S. doesn't have a right to get him back because he's now a Portuguese citizen. Our Susan Candiotti retraces Wright's steps to learn how authorities found him after so long.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): This rural seaside town is the idyllic backdrop for a fugitive living with a secret for more than four decades. Looking nothing like he did in the early 60s when he was still a teenager, George Wright, now 68, was arrested in central Portugal after breakfast at this bakery.

About eight officers in plain clothes surrounded him, this man says. They did it quietly and he didn't put up a fight.

(on camera): Reviving the case in 2002, U.S. marshals and the FBI tracked Wright to Portugal through travel patterns they were examining, a law enforcement source tells CNN.

U.S. authorities say they in turn matched a fingerprint from a Portuguese national ID database to one they had on file for Wright in prison, and set up a delicate surveillance operation to make sure they had the man who had eluded them for so long.

(voice over): Wright was convicted of killing a decorated World War II vet during a gas station robbery. Serving time in New Jersey, he escaped in 1970, hiding out in Detroit where he joined the Black Liberation Army. In 1972, Wright hijacked a Delta flight from Detroit to Miami. He had a gun and a cutout bible and posed as a priest to take over the flight with four others.

WILLIAM MAY, DELTA AIRLINES CAPTAIN: I went back to the lavatory and as I came out of the lavatory, the stewardess was in the forward buffet with one of the hijackers, which I didn't know at this time. And I asked her for a coffee and he turned around and pointed a gun and says they want you in the cockpit.

CANDIOTTI: At Miami International Airport, FBI agents forced to wear bathing suits to prove they were unarmed delivered a $1 million ransom, at that time, a record amount.

Passengers were let go, but the flight crew was ordered to fly to Boston to pick up a navigator before going on to Algiers. Algeria returned the ransom money to the U.S. but Wright and his buddies were allowed to stay in Algeria.

Wright eventually settled in this town in Portugal and used the name Jorge dos Santos. Townspeople say he held several jobs and even owned restaurants. He was married and had children. He blended in, even as a foreigner.

He was pleasant, this woman says, and when he spoke to his wife and children, he used English, not Portuguese. His capture is a relief for the daughter of William Patterson who was killed by Wright at the gas station 40 years ago.

ANN PATTERSON, FATHER KILLED BY WRIGHT: There was no dad there at graduation. There was no daddy to walk us down the aisle. Grandchildren didn't have a grandfather. You know, it's a big void. It's a big empty spot.

CANDIOTTI (on camera): Saying he's a Portuguese citizen, Wright is fighting to stay put but the U.S. wants him back to finish a murder sentence and face other charges including that hijacking decades ago. The legal process could take weeks, months, or even longer.

Susan Candiotti, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HENDRICKS: And we will hear much more firsthand about the fear inside of that plane that was hijacked by Wright when we talk with passengers who were on board that day back in 1972. You won't want to miss that. That's Sunday night, tomorrow night.

Hundreds of people are arrested in New York while protesting what they are calling greed and corruption on Wall Street. That and more top stories are next, but first this.

A fight over a longer school day has Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel at odds with the teachers union. Emanuel wants to lengthen the school days which are among the shortest in the country at under six hours. Talks between the school system and the teachers union broke down this month. But six public elementary schools did vote for 7 1/2 hour days and they will get $150,000 and a 2 percent raise for teachers as well. Education contributor Steve Perry has more on the squabble.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

STEVE PERRY, CNN EDUCATION CONTRIBUTOR: Chicago schools as a city are performing just as poorly as many of the others and worse than quite a few, and many Chicagoans are pretty upset about that. And so therefore, I believe Mayor Rahm Emanuel is on the right track. And he's saying, listen, I want the best teachers in and I don't want to be hamstringed by a union.

The mayor tried to sit down with the union and say, hey, what can we do? We're all in this together. You guys have been in charge of the situation for generations now. What can we do differently?

They as they typically do folded their arms and said we're doing what we've been doing. We're not going to give an inch and so they were put on the sidelines.

One of the most exciting things about what Mayor Rahm Emanuel is doing is he's saying, listen, I'm going to forego the leadership in the union because I believe that there are too entrenched in maintaining themselves and I'm going to bring the message straight to the people.

And what we find is that there's a current generational gap of new teachers, a group of young people who want to be able to prove themselves and they believe that their performance should be the determinant of their job security.

The mayor is proposing exactly that. What the mayor is saying is, listen, I will give you the highest possible salary I can, but I'm going to expect you to perform to receive it.

What a novel concept.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HENDRICKS: Education Secretary Arne Duncan, who once headed Chicago schools, has called the city's short school day, quote, "a disgrace." Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HENDRICKS: Checking the headlines for you.

Authorities in Ocean Ridge, Florida, are investigating a suspicious package delivered to the home of Vice President Joe Biden's brother. The bomb squad and HAZMAT, the hazardous materials team, were dispatched to examine the package, which was leaking powder. The FBI has taken custody of the item for examination. No injuries reported.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(PEOPLE CHANTING)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HENDRICKS: You are looking at a showdown on the Brooklyn Bridge. It led to the arrest of some 400 anti-Wall Street protesters today. Demonstrators chanted "the world is watching" as New York City police moved in. They were taken into custody for disorderly conduct and blocking traffic. The so-called "occupy Wall Street" demonstrations are entering their third week now, protesting what organizers call greed and corruption in America.

More than 1,000 supporters and family members turned out today for this man, the funeral of executed Georgia inmate Troy Davis. Davis was put to death last week for the 1989 slaying of an off duty Savannah police officer. He claimed he was innocent. Amnesty International is urging supporters to observe today as a day of remembrance.

It was a moment that brought tears to the eyes of so many fans who packed into the Texas Rangers Ballpark. This 6-year-old boy, the son of the Ranger fan who fell to his death in July, threw out the first pitch of the division series against the Tampa Bay Rays. You see him there hugging.

Young Cooper Stone was joined by his mother Jenny and Rangers President Nolan Ryan. Catching the pitch was Josh Hamilton, Cooper's favorite player. Hamilton sadly was tossing a ball to Cooper when his father, a firefighter, fell to his death while trying to catch it.

There's that hug.

Right after the break, the richest sunken treasure ever found. A British ship torpedoed into World War II has been located with 200 tons of silver on board. Video of the sunken ship is just ahead. You don't want to miss it. But first in tonight's "Making their Mark," urban camping the legal way. Check this out from San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury district. It's a twin bed in a parking spot. It is there, compliments of Bennett Austin who feeds the meter to let homeless kids sleep there. It's also a clever way around the city's sit-lie law, which forbids people sitting or sleeping on sidewalks from morning until late evening.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BENNET AUSTIN, ORGANIZER: I think instead of putting laws in place to push the problem away, we should be putting more efforts to changing it and coming up with a solution.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HENDRICKS: Bennett has also collected around $700 in donations for a homeless youth shelter. He says, so far, city police have been quite understanding considering its kids.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HENDRICKS: Returning to our headlining story, the amazing rescue of a man trapped for six days, 200 feet down a ravine in the Angeles National Forest. His four grown children did not give up. They found him. It led to the rescue to David LaVau.

Right now on the line is Sean LaVau, the son who actually spotted his father.

Sean, thanks so much for calling in and for speaking to us. We understand your dad went through surgery. How is he doing?

SEAN LAVAU, SON OF CRASH SURVIVOR: Thank you for asking. He is really doing incredible. He's always been an amazing fighter. He just actually literally 15 minutes ago got wheeled in from recovery. And like I said, just maybe five minutes ago, he just kind of opened his eyes lightly and just looked at us with those big blue eyes and just knowing that we know he's going to be OK.

HENDRICKS: Not only is your father a fighter, but I think that you, Sean, and your entire family are fighters. Take us through the day when you realized your dad was missing and what your family did to find him, to not give up.

LAVAU: Well, I mean, I kind of -- don't know how much time it is that we realized Wednesday morning that a friend of his that he did not show up to the Orange County fair which is something he looks forward to all year. And right when we got that phone call, it just -- we didn't mess around. So what happened was that my sister said, is my dad with you? His friend hasn't picked him up. And then, you know, she said no, I thought he was with you.

And we ended up calling my other sister in San Francisco -- Lisa. And she said no. We ended up waiting for my sister, Malanda (ph), that was heading to Mexico, just caught them in the knick of time. And it's amazing how life is because if we would not have caught them, we would have waited until they landed, you know, in five or six hours later, which would have took more time away from finding our father.

But we caught them actually on the plane as the plane was closing its doors that she said no, I do not have dad with us. And that we put into -- I can't explain it but a 911 mode and right away, less than an hour, family got together already was at the sheriff, did a missing person's report. And once we did the report, they told us, you know, what it was going to take to really get this file going. You know, it could be two to three days realistically from the file being transferred to the other sheriff's station and from the sheriff's station going down to downtown L.A.

HENDRICKS: Yes. And time was ticking, as I understand, Sean, because you had to find your dad. Real quickly, was he alert? And what was his first words? What did he say?

LAVAU: When we actually found him?

HENDRICKS: Yes.

LAVAU: Oh, we're moving forward. Yes, when we actually found him is at the top of the hill, and I just thought I heard something and I just said hello. And I just heard help, a real faint help and then he said it again. I just realized it was my dad and, you know, this hill, I don't know if you guys, your viewers can actually saw the video, but it was impossible for me to go down. I couldn't think of how to do it.

HENDRICKS: Yes, we're looking at it right now. So when you finally got to him, was he alert?

LAVAU: Yes, shockingly, he was. He just looked at me and right away, I just went and I just hugged him. He just started crying. Of course, I started crying. And we just looked at each other and he said I just can't believe it's you, it's really you.

HENDRICKS: Sean, we are so happy that it ended that way, that he said I can't believe it's you, it's really you. We hope that we're able to talk to your father David LaVau and hear from his side. We're so happy for your entire family. Thanks so much for calling into CNN. We appreciate it. Thank you.

LAVAU: Thank you. Have a good night.

HENDRICKS: And our thoughts are with him. You, too.

When we come back, the richest sunken treasure ship is next. Don't miss it.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HENDRICKS: A couple of new videos leaped out at us this week. First of all, they're amazing to look at and they're shrouded in mystery. CNN's Jacqui Jeras has been investigating the stories behind these incredible images. Let's start with the sunken ship we've been talking about. Tell us that.

JACQUI JERAS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes. This is really amazing not just because of how much loot could potentially be on this thing but also because of how deep it is on the ocean floor.

What is it? Well, that's a World War II British merchant ship. It's been discovered about 300 miles off the coast of Ireland. It's sitting three miles deep on the ocean floor. That's deeper than the Titanic, which by the way as you look at those pictures, isn't that kind of what you think about a little bit?

HENDRICKS: Yes, you do.

JERAS: Absolutely. So there's this company, it's called the Odyssey Marine Exploration Company. And if they can safely bring the cargo on this ship up to the surface, they think it's going to be the deepest and largest precious cargo haul ever lost at sea.

So what is it? What's on board?

HENDRICKS: Yes.

JERAS: Not gold. It's silver actually.

HENDRICKS: Wow.

JERAS: They think there's this big silver bars and big silver coins that's estimated to be about 7 million ounces. That's 200 tons how much that thing weighs. And its estimated value, today's dollars? Somewhere over $200 million. So that is a lot.

HENDRICKS: That is a lot of money. So silver is down there. That's amazing.

JEARS: Yes.

HENDRICKS: The pictures -- you do think of the Titanic when you look at that.

JERAS: Yes, you do. And the technology has really changed a lot, too, by the way. And that's why they think they're able to do this. So they're using those, you know, ROVs, the robotic operated vehicles and there are submarines. So they're going to use those to bring it up. They hope to do that in the springtime. So, we'll have to wait and see.

How did it get there? You know, what's the story behind that? This is really an amazing story, as well. Well, the merchant ship was traveling from Calcutta, India to Great Britain back in 1941. There was bad weather. There was a whole convoy of ships. So there's one ship got off course, unfortunately, and then it got sunk by a German U-boat.

HENDRICKS: I hear a movie in the making. Don't you, don't you? JERAS: I know. Seriously. There are more than 80 men on board. Only one of them survived this whole thing. He was out on a lifeboat for about 13 days at sea. He's the only one that made it.

HENDRICKS: What else do you have for us in terms of video?

JERAS: The next one is very cool. Say ooh and ah with me before you see this. It's an amazing light show. It kind of reminds you of a laser light show, OK.

First of all, we've got some pictures we want to show you. This is of the aurora borealis taken up in northern Minnesota - from Osakis, Minnesota. A storm chaser, Doug Kiesling, took these photos for you. Look at the greens and the purples, pinks in there...

HENDRICKS: That's a beautiful shot.

JERAS: ...just shining over the lake. I love this. If you think that's beautiful, wait until you see this next video. Let's roll that video.

HENDRICKS: Roll tape.

JERAS: Roll tape. Roll that magical bean footage. This is from the International Space Station. This is actually at the South Pole. So we call this aurora Australia. It's basically the same thing but at the South Pole as opposed to the North Pole.

So, how does it happen to see these cool colors and these cool waves? Well, basically, there's been a bunch of solar storms that have been going on, OK. So the sun spews off these big flares in the past few weeks and it releases electrically charged particles that go towards the earth, OK. Those particles then get trapped in the earth's magnetic field and they kind of funnel down towards the poles. The result gives off these really cool glowing lights.

HENDRICKS: We were talking during the commercial break, you said have you ever seen it? I said no. Now I have.

JERAS: Now you have.

HENDRICKS: It's a sight to see.

JERAS: Yes. And something very different though when you see it on the ground as supposed to seeing it from the International Space Station. But, yes, I grew up in Minnesota, so I did get to see it a couple of times. I just loved it. It's so gorgeous.

HENDRICKS: Love it, too. Beautiful no matter what. Jacqui Jeras, good to see you. Thanks.

JERAS: Yes.

HENDRICKS: Well, he is accused, coming up, of taking the late -- of pop, the singer Michael Jackson, his life, with a lethal dose of drug propofol. Next, we'll look at the high profile trial of Dr. Conrad Murray.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HENDRICKS: The E.R. doctor who pronounced Michael Jackson dead testified the pop superstar had signs of a dying heart and was clinically dead on arrival. Really a flat line. Ted Rowlands has a recap of all the drama of week one and a look ahead to week two of Dr. Conrad Murray's involuntary manslaughter trial. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Week two of the Conrad Murray trial will likely be picking up right where week one left off. Remember, on Friday, we heard from the paramedics that reported to Michael Jackson's house after the 911 call was made. And the paramedics told the jury that when they arrived, Michael Jackson was cold to the touch and that never throughout their resuscitation process did they ever feel a pulse or see one on the heart monitor, but, of course, the most damning evidence against Murray from those paramedics was that they asked him what drugs were in Jackson's body and Murray never mentioned propofol.

We started to hear from one of the emergency room doctors at UCLA on Friday. We'll extend that testimony starting early next week. And the doctors at UCLA are going to tell much the same story as the paramedics -- that they, too, asked Murray what was in Jackson's body and again no mention of propofol at all.

We'll also likely start to hear from the detectives that were assigned to the case. They will determine or to detail to the jury their investigation throughout this. They've been sitting in the courtroom throughout the week. Jurors are starting to get to know them because they've been referred to a couple times by the attorneys.

Well now, they'll really get to know them because they'll be on the stand for quite some time. And then later in the week, we may hear from two of Dr. Murray's girlfriends. One of the girlfriends lives here in the Los Angeles area. That was the apartment that Dr. Murray was sending the propofol to throughout this. We'll hear from her likely and then we will hear from the other girlfriend in Houston, Texas. This was the woman that Dr. Murray was on the phone with when he realized that Michael Jackson was in trouble.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HENDRICKS: All right. Thanks, Ted.

Want to bring in legal analyst Beth Karas who was there in Los Angeles. She's been covering the trial all week for "In Session" on HLN.

And, Beth, more than a dozen witnesses in the first week and we mentioned during the break, Richard Senneff. He was the paramedic at the scene. He was asked -- he asked what did you give this guy, meaning Michael Jackson, and Dr. Murray said just a sedative. And he noticed an IV. He noticed that Michael Jackson was extremely thin. They're in trouble here, it seems.

BETH KARAS, CORRESPONDENT, "IN SESSION": Well, indeed. Richard Senneff was a good witness for the prosecution. And you know, Susan, what I found really telling was that Senneff said the first question he asked when he sized up the scene in the bedroom, an IV pole, a thin man lying in bed who appeared to be unresponsive, a doctor on site. He's like, are there DNR orders? Do not resuscitate orders? He thought this might be somebody terminally ill. He was wearing what looked like a surgical cap. It looked like the scene of an ill person.

Well, Michael Jackson really was quite healthy. He was eating well. Yes, he was a little bit thin, but he was still within the normal range. And that will come out later in the trial. So, I mean, he didn't have anything wrong with him. Yet, he was being hydrated. It doesn't look good for the doctor.

HENDRICKS: So down the road, what do you think the defense will be? That they will show that this is it video and that Michael Jackson was in good health and that he gave himself the propofol? Is that the defense of Conrad Murray?

KARAS: Well, actually, the defense is going to say he wasn't in good health and the prosecution is saying he was in good health. The defense is going to say that he self-administered whatever killed him. A combination of a sedative lorazepam and propofol.

Now, they're not saying exactly how he did it. They'll come up with that, I don't know, at some point when they're presenting their evidence. But he had a very high level of propofol in his body, which was much more consistent with a crude IV drip malfunctioning and a whole bottle just sort of just spilling into his body. That's more consistent with the findings at autopsy.

So we'll have to see how they explain it because Michael Jackson never could have given himself the amount that was found in him assuming, I understand the numbers correctly and I'm consulting doctors about it.

HENDRICKS: During the child molestation trial years ago, there was kind of a zoo-like feel outside of the courtroom with so many Michael Jackson fans because as you know, Beth, he has fans worldwide. Is it that way during this trial? Do you see the fans gathering outside the courtroom?

KARAS: Oh, yes. They are gathering outside. They're not in the numbers in Santa Maria when Michael himself was showing up at the molestation trial, especially on the first day. But Conrad Murray also has supporters out there, and it gets kind of crazy on some days but it has dissipated as the week went on. And I think it will probably pick up at the end of the trial.

HENDRICKS: And it's a small courtroom. So you see the Michael Jackson family, they're there. We saw La Toya Jackson going in and only six people. There's a lottery, correct, that you can win that you can go in and sit in the trial? KARAS: Yes. The latter days of the week, though, they increased it to eight. And the winners have been sort of Michael Jackson look- alikes, some people who dress like him, people from other countries, somebody who was a high school classmate of some of the brothers the other day. These are people who are ardent fans and they sit in the back row which is actually where I sit because I sit near the camera operators. And so they're all to my left. And are just -- they take notes and they cry sometimes. They're just so passionate about this case.

HENDRICKS: They're very strict in the courtroom though. You cannot wear any Michael Jackson paraphernalia. If you do have a t- shirt on, have to turn it inside out. No pins, nothing, correct?

KARAS: Right. That's correct. Nothing that advocates one position or another. And you know, Conrad Murray's mother is on the courtroom, too, by the way, on the other side of the courtroom. Obviously, the Jackson family is. It's the center of attention and I see jurors looking over at them periodically when they're filing in or sometimes when the lawyers are at sidebar. I see them glancing over there. But everything is very orderly. The judge presiding over the case is strict but he's a very fair, very good judge.

HENDRICKS: He is, and he's moving it along quickly. Beth Karas, great job in Los Angeles for us. Thanks so much.

And as we mentioned, Michael Jackson's family has been attending the trial. When we come back, we'll discuss how they're coping and if they're showing up next week.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HENDRICKS: While Dr. Conrad Murray stands trial in Los Angeles for involuntary manslaughter in the death of Michael Jackson, many are wondering how the Jackson family is coping and reacting to what is being said on the witness stand. It must be difficult. CNN Wire Entertainment Editor Alan Duke has been keeping tabs on the Jackson family.

And, Alan, who has actually attended the trial and who will not next week?

ALAN DUKE, CNN WIRE ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR: Well, just about all of them have been there at one point or another. Katherine Jackson has been there every day although she left early on Friday because she had to pack. She's going out of town. Katherine Jackson has said she would be there every day that she could but she's got some other obligations.

The estate has asked her to go to Montreal which she is there right now for the opening of the Cirque du Solei Michael Jackson: the Immortal Tour premiere tomorrow night and then on to Ottawa for the second show.

Then she goes to Cardiff, Wales next weekend for the Michael Jackson tribute concert that she's part of. So, we will not see her. She's also taking the three kids of Michael Jackson with her. But I expect perhaps that we will see Jermaine and maybe Randy will be the only Jacksons we'll see there on any day this next week.

HENDRICKS: Your heart just goes out to all of the Jackson family losing a brother and a son. But when we did see La Toya come out of the car, it is a spectacle when they do show up. And I could imagine it does have an effect on the jurors to look and see the famous Jackson family sitting there while the trial's going on.

DUKE: I think so but I have to say this jury is paying quite close attention to the witnesses. And you got to give them credit for that, taking very copious notes.

And speaking of writing things, people are wondering how are the Jackson kids -- Michael's three kids handling this. It's very interesting and Prince Jackson, who is 14 years old, has a Twitter account and he posted on Twitter a message Thursday night to his former chef, someone he was very close to who testified Thursday. Let me read this.

It was in his -- I don't know if Kia -- Kia Chase the chef -- will see this but everyone please try and get to her to see it. We love you, Kia, and we miss you. So that shows that Prince at least is watching, paying attention to some of this trial and that he misses the woman who cooked for him every day for a while.

HENDRICKS: Yes. And who can forget Paris during the funeral saying he was the best daddy and you just couldn't help but cry for those kids. And it is just such a sad, sad case.

What is standing out to you in the trial thus far? I think that the judge is doing an excellent job in moving this along fairly quickly.

DUKE: I knew that would happen because I've been watching this judge now for a long time in these hearings. He's limiting the scope. He's focusing the witnesses. He's keeping a tight rein on the lawyers, imposing a gag order on Friday when one of the law partners of the lead lawyer gave an interview to the "Today" show. This judge is a strict judge who's really watching and paying attention. And we're not going to get an out of control trial here.

HENDRICKS: Seems like a nice guy but strict and moving it along. Alan Duke, appreciate your time. Thanks so much.

And finally, we want to say congratulations to the man who usually sits right here in this seat, Don Lemon. Tonight, Don received the Outstanding Citizen Award from the Atlanta chapter of GLAAD, the gay rights group. It is the chapter's highest honor and the organization is recognizing Don's work in his memoir "Transparency" about his life as a gay African-American. Our congrats and love again to Don Lemon. He will be back here tomorrow night.

Great to see you. I'm Susan Hendricks at the CNN Center in Atlanta. "LATINO IN AMERICA: IN HER CORNER" is next. Have a great night.