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Troops To Leave Iraq By December 31; Cadaver Dogs Pick Up Dead Body Scent at Baby Lisa's House; Romney and Huntsman Decline Iowa Event; ; Changing Schools May Be Only Way Students Can Get Good Education; Exotic Animal Laws to be Toughened; Drunk Man Lets Girl, 9, Drive

Aired October 22, 2011 - 17:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

DEB FEYERICK, CNN ANCHOR: A dog picks up the scent of death in the home of baby Lisa in Missouri. You'll hear what the missing infant's family is saying this weekend.

Plus, long lines of people waiting for a chance to look at the corpse of a dictator. Gadhafi's death turning into a tourist attraction in Libya.

Then, an entire country moved by the loss of one little girl. Her final moments captured on camera. So were more than a dozen people who watched her struggle and did nothing.

I'm Deb Feyerick in for Don Lemon and you're right here with us in the CNN NEWSROOM. But first, an early holiday gift from President Obama to military families all over the country. The President announced this week that all U.S. combat troops will leave Iraq by the end of the year.

Welcome news at places like Fort Bliss in Texas where our Martin Savidge is there speaking to families' with reaction to the President's decision. This has to be a lot of sweetness mixed with a bitter sweetness that they're coming home but others won't be Martin.

MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, of course, there's always that. That is a concern for any military town. You have those that are coming home and those that continue to serve. We're at Fort Bliss Army Base which is located outside of El Paso, Texas as you say. Don't you worry, there's an air show going on, so, if you hear some noise roaring behind me, don't get too alarmed. But for many of the families, Fort Bliss who are blessed is exactly what they're feeling today. Thirty five hundred families, to be exact, here in this community because they're the ones that have been told that their loved ones that have been serving in Iraq will now be coming home, according to the President, by the end of the year.

Many of them had only deployed in July or August. And the families anticipated that they wouldn't see them all return at least until the same time next year. That has all changed. I talked to Brooke Trapnell, she's very young, this was her husband's Tyron's (ph) first deployment. It was difficult for them. She's glad she hears he's coming home. But most of all, she says, for all of those, the multiple deployments that many families have gone through, it is time they come back. Here's what she said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BROOKE TRAPNELL, WIFE OF FT. BLISS SOLDIER: It's been too long, definitely too long. I mean, I can't say anything because a lot of his guys had been deployed four times over there and this is his first one. But I think it's time, definitely.

SAVIDGE: Do you worry about other places he could be deployed?

TRAPNELL: Yes, Afghanistan. And we've heard if he goes to Kuwait, he could stay and go to Afghanistan. And I'm just -- that's not an option in my mind.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SAVIDGE: And that is the problem that you hear, Deborah, is that a lot of these families know that there is of course another war, Afghanistan. And that's what they worry about. Their loved one coming home. But could it now mean that they could be diverted or in some way, could they be doing a rotation over there sooner than was anticipated? But right now, they're not going to let that spoil with a feel which is the happiness, the end of one conflict, mission accomplished, in their minds, their loved ones coming home -- Deborah.

FEYERICK: All right. Marty Savidge, thanks so much. Big reprieve for these families. We appreciate it.

Well, much more on this story ahead. Some Republican presidential candidates have been extremely critical of the President's decision to end the war. A Georgia state lawmaker and former Iraq vet will join me to talk about that at the bottom of this hour.

And the case of the missing baby girl in Missouri has taken a dramatic turn. Ten month-old Lisa Irwin seen right here in home video has been missing since October 4th from her Kansas City home. Well, court documents say, a cadaver dog has picked up the scent of a deceased body in the house. Lisa's mother has admitted she was drunk when the child disappeared.

Joining us live from Kansas City is CNN's Sandra Endo. And Sandra, what are the details from this affidavit? Where did the dogs pick up that scent?

SANDRA ENDO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, interesting information in those court documents, Deborah. According to this affidavit for a search warrant, police say a cadaver dog picked up the hit of the scent of a dead body inside the bedroom of baby Lisa's mother, Deborah Bradley. And according to the details, in the document, it says that the dog made this discovery in a floor area near her bed. So, interesting details to note. And that was the basis of police filing for a search warrant. And that is when a couple of days later on Wednesday they did a very intense investigation inside the home in this whole neighborhood, 17 hours, scouring this area, finding more evidence and bagging up a lot of evidence they took with them. Now, clearly the investigation is ongoing. It's been very quiet in front of her home right now for today. But according to a lawyer who issued a statement regarding these documents being released, a lawyer for the family says it's very unfortunate that these details were released and says the parents feel it will derail the investigation into where baby Lisa actually is -- Deborah.

FEYERICK: Tell us more about Deborah Bradley, Lisa's mom. She fears that police are going to arrest her. Why?

ENDO: Well, according to her lawyer, he says, Joe Tacopina, issued a statement saying that the family is not terrified for themselves. They're terrified for the whereabouts of their daughter. So clearly a different side of the story there. Of course, the family members and the parents of baby Lisa have been very quiet in recent days. We haven't heard from them. But clearly because of the evidence of this hit from the cadaver dog, it certainly points investigators to the direction of Deborah Bradley as well as all these other leads that are coming in, in this area, Deborah. So, clearly, police are searching high and low and not leaving any stone unturned.

FEYERICK: And Sandra, you see the grief on the mom's face when she's talking about this. How is the family holding up because there are other children in the home as well?

ENDO: Absolutely. They do have two other children. And right now, they aren't even staying at the house behind me in their own home. They're staying with other family members just about ten minutes from here. So, from time to time, you do see family members, grandparents actually came here for a vigil yesterday. And constantly neighborhood family members and friends have been coming to lay things down for baby Lisa. You can see some of the mementos placed in front of the home right here. And tomorrow, they are organizing another vigil for baby Lisa. But according to the lawyer, the parents feel that she is alive and out there and they just want her back.

FEYERICK: All right. Sandra Endo reporting for us, thanks so much. We appreciate it.

Well, the heir to the Saudi throne has died. Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdel Aziz Al Saud died earlier today in a New York hospital. King Abdullah's half brother was thought to be in his 80s and was reportedly battling cancer. He had served for decades as the Saudi defense minister and was described by President Obama as, quote, "a valued friend," unquote, of the United States. Observers speculate that Prince Sultan's brother will now become the likely the successor to the king.

And Libya's new government is set to declare the country's liberation Sunday. But questions remain about the way Moammar Gadhafi died. Hundreds of Libyans have hurried to Misrata to see the former dictator's body. The government has been KJ (ph) about when and where Gadhafi will be buried. His tribe is demanding the government hand over the body so it can be buried according to Islamic tradition.

CNN's Dan Rivers is among those who saw the tyrant's bloody body in Misrata.

DAN RIVERS, SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Deb, controversy is still swirling around the final minutes of Colonel Gadhafi's life. The anti -- facing pressure for an independent autopsy as hundreds of people line up to see his body.

FEYERICK: All right. You can hear a lot more of Dan's great report on the mystery over how Gadhafi was killed, that's coming up at 7:00 Eastern.

Well, Iran's had a complicated relationship with Libya and both have been thorns in the side of the U.S. CNN's Fareed Zakaria is in Tehran and scored an exclusive interview with President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FAREED ZAKARIA, HOST, FAREED ZAKARIA GPS: Moammar Gadhafi is dead. What is your reaction to the news of his death?

PRES. MAHMOUD AHMADINEJAD, IRAN (through a translator): It was no different. We think it is the will of the people that should work and prevail everywhere. Justice, freedom and respect to people, this is the right of all nations. But, of course, we are very sorry that people are being killed. I wish everybody would respect justice, freedom. And there was no need for any conflict or clash. In the beginning, we recommended that the dialogue between the two sides and all parties. But they did not pay attention to our recommendations. And, of course, NATO intervention was effective in exacerbating the conflict.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FEYERICK: Well, that's Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad speaking to CNN's Fareed Zakaria in Tehran. Watch the full interview and Fareed's reflections on his time there Sunday morning, 10:00 Eastern.

And Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain spoke out on abortion this week. Will he elaborate more tonight at a GOP event where faith comes first? We're live from Iowa in three minutes.

And how much does it cost to raise a child from birth to 18? Here's a hint, start saving right now. The answer, just six minutes away.

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FEYERICK: GOP presidential contenders are looking for an edge in Iowa. But two notable names are no-shows at the faith and freedom coalition, Mitt Romney and Jon Huntsman, both Mormons, they didn't come.

Well, Shannon Travis is at the event in Des Moines. And Shannon, does it have anything to do with the fact that, in fact, they are Mormons? Or what was their reason for not being there?

SHANNON TRAVIS, CNN POLITICAL PRODUCER: Well, I mean, it's really unclear. I spent the better part of yesterday, Deb, trying to talk with the Romney campaign and ask that very question, why aren't they showing up at this event? You know that Mitt Romney was just here on Thursday. So he was in this state. But he left. He's actually campaigning in New Hampshire today. So, we don't have a clear reason from the Romney campaign. But we do have the organizers speaking out saying what he offering his reason. Steve Scheffler spoke with him yesterday, he said, he thinks that Mitt Romney isn't comfortable in this kind of setting.

I pressed him, I said, what do you mean by this kind of setting? He said, I don't think that Mitt Romney is comfortable in a setting with economic and social conservatives, Christian conservatives, evangelicals. Of course, I then pressed him Deb and said, hey, he's been to a lot of these forums before even recently two weeks ago at the Values Voters Summit in D.C. and Steve Scheffler told me, you know what? This is Iowa. And if he's going to be the nominee, if he becomes the nominee, he'll need Christian voters.

FEYERICK: Is it the fact that he has been attacked on -- he's had to defend himself and his religion? I know they're putting it sort of more in economic terms. But how do you get the balance? Could his message on the economy be heard in a forum that's labeled faith, basically?

TRAVIS: Yes. I mean, that's certainly a possible reason for Romney's no-show here today. But another possible reason and actually probably more probable is that Mitt Romney is focusing on the state's economic conservatives and letting the likes of Michele Bachmann and Rick Perry and maybe even Herman Cain duke it out for the Christian conservative vote. You know that they come out in big numbers for the caucus and for the general election here in Iowa. So it could be possible that Mitt Romney is saying, you know what? Let them divide that vote. I'm going to go after economic conservatives and maybe even Democrats who are disgruntled with the way things are going with the economy -- Deb.

OK. Well, interesting. Well, Shannon Travis, thanks so much. We appreciate that. We'll going to check in with you a little later on. Thanks so much.

FEYERICK: Well, Louisiana voters are going to the polls today in a statewide primary that's expected to return Republican Governor Bobby Jindal to office. The state has what's called a blanket primary with both parties running in the same contest. If a candidate gets more than 50 percent of the vote today, then he or she wins the race. Before today's vote, Jindal was pulling 57 percent. His nine opponents were tracking at a combined 15 percent.

And a shocking high school kiss. Here's the video that caused some in the audience to walk out. That's right. That's right. Two boys locking lips. More on this in two minutes.

But first -- saving for your child's college tuition? There are some tough decisions parents are forced to make. Christine Romans has some tips in this week's "Smart is the New Rich."

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Most of us aren't saving enough for college or starting early enough. It's easy to see why. You're already spending $227,000 to raise a kid from birth to 18, this according to the USDA. That's up 40 percent since 2000. And that doesn't include the cost of college. That's another $21,000 for a private four-year college room and board every year. The debate should be, is college worth it? It should be how are you going to pay for it and in a smart way. According to the government, a worker with a college degree will make more than $1 million more than a high school graduate over the course of their lifetime. And the unemployment rate for a college graduate is only 4.3 percent.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CARMEN WONG ULRICH, AUTHOR, "THE REAL COST OF LIVING": If you look at data, this country is going to require that college degree, like a high school degree. You really, absolutely needed the degree. But what are you going to do with it and how are you going to pay for it is the really important question?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: Time is your best friend. Even saving a little when your kid is still in diapers is better than taking out boatloads of loans later. Now, 529 plans help you to do this with tax breaks for the investment in some states. But you don't have to save for all of the college and you shouldn't. You should save for your retirement, too, don't forget. Ulrich recommend saving a third, borrowing a third with student loans and then getting scholarships and grants for the final third. Now, the resource finaid.org has this rule of thumb. Don't borrow more in loans in a graduation expected to earn in the first year working. So, an engineering major can tolerate more loans than say, a social worker education major who will be paid less. And that means choosing the right school for your finances and ambitions. Community college, state school or private liberal arts college, only if you can afford id.

For more on how to save for college and retirement college at the very same time, check out more in the book "Smart is the New Rich." Christine Romans, CNN, New York.

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FEYERICK: Well, from his plastic surgery to crazy clothes, there's no doubt that Moammar Gadhafi craved being the center of attention in life. Now in death, his body is attracting lines of Libyans who want to see the dictator's body with their own eyes. Gadhafi was killed Thursday under circumstances, well, that are still not clear. His body now lies in a meat market cooler on public display in the city of Misrata.

Joining me now is Dr. Wendy Walsh, a human behavior expert and the co- host on The Doctors. Wendy, thanks for joining us. First of all, people are lining up, they want to see him dead lying there with his son. Is this feeding a sense of revenge, perhaps?

DR. WENDY WALSH, HUMAN BEHAVIOR EXPERT: It may be to some degree. But you know, these people have been oppressed for so long, I'm sure many of them don't know what to believe. For years, they may not even believe their own media. So, to have this visual proof that he is dead is probably something that many, many people need. And it's helping them create some closure.

FEYERICK: One thing I'm fascinated by is here's this tyrant of 42 years who in the end is begging for his life, asking the people to show mercy which arguably he never showed them. What's that about?

WALSH: That's called a survival instinct. And that happens in the last minutes or hours when there's a knife or gun put to us, any human being, at that stage. But we have to remember, he may have been a tyrant but he kept a very well-oiled machine in organization. And it's estimated that up to 20 percent of the population were his informants or employees. So he was hoping to appeal to potentially one of those too.

FEYERICK: OK. Maybe somebody who was in that crowd. Well, let's go to another international story. And this is one that makes us question, what has happened to human compassion? And this is the image from security video that shows a 2-year-old girl in China just moments before she's run over by a van. You see her walking there. It's almost as if she doesn't even notice the van has there until it's right on her. She's run over twice. About 18 people walk by her, ignoring her as she's bleeding in the street. Finally, a Good Samaritan, a woman who actually is one of these sorts of street folks gets her to safety. What is going on here that people simply will walk by an injured child?

WALSH: Yes, and sadly this woman did get her to hospital. But yesterday, this child did pass away. This is a classic bystander effect. I mean, there's two major social psychological features in this. Which is that, in one, there's a diffusion of responsibility when in a crowded situation, or when there are many people who could come to aid are natural responses to say, well, it's not my problem, somebody else will help. There's also something called, we pick up social cues in public. If nobody else is doing anything, then maybe that's what you're supposed to do. So let me tell you this, if you are ever in danger needing a medical emergency in public, you want to hope that few people are there to see it because the more people there are to witness it, the less likely you will get help.

FEYERICK: That's amazing. So, everybody is taking their cues from one another. One person helps, other people help. If they don't, then they feel they're sanctioned to sort of pass by. Well, OK, let's move to a story in this country, a lot of outrage over a Connecticut High School play that shows two male teens kissing. It's very brief. One of the groups behind it is a gay student coalition. And Wendy, what's your take on this? Do you think within the context of the play, it's OK, that it's all right if other students are sort of shown this? Would it be more acceptable if it were a girl and a boy? How do you read this?

WALSH: Well, I think part of coming of age and high school age is for us to expose our youth to all the variations in human society. Now, of course, the play is optional to attend. You don't have to attend. Some people did walk out. That is their right as an American, too. All that's OK. The play itself, the theme was about prejudice. So it was a reverse theme, as I understand, so that the culture was actually gay and they were discriminating against straight people within the theme, just kind of make fun of it. But the way that we're talking about this now sort of sounds like in the 1950s, should it be OK to show an interracial couple kissing on a high school stage. You know, in 10 years from now, this question won't even be asked.

FEYERICK: All right. Let's switch gears a little bit and Wendy, there's a study out that says in a bad economy, men seek out more one night stands. So, why is that?

WALSH: This is an age-old ancient survival instinct. Apparently our hunter gathers when their face with a drought and a tough environment. I think their survival strategy was to spread their seed on their way out, if you will. But it's like the craving that we have for salt, sugar and fat today. It doesn't make sense in today's economy. So, spreading your seed or, you know, increased sex drive doesn't necessarily help you pass your genes because what it takes for your genes to keep going and grow up to produce healthy children themselves, of course, are involved parents, good education, economics. So if you think that your genes are going to survive by spreading them around, guys, uh-huh.

FEYERICK: What about -- does it make sense that men who may feel a little bit out of control, if they don't have a job, feel more in control, at least there's something that they can at least be in control of, so to speak? I've used the word control for a times now, but is that what it's about, about having control over something that's simply spiraling out of control?

WALSH: I think in some ways it's a sense of control. But more than anything, sex is like a drug. It can be self-soothing. So, when we have anxiety, it's one of the great nature-made ways for us to calm ourselves and feel better and feel closer to another human. However brief and however fake intimacy a sexual encounter without love maybe.

FEYERICK: All right. Wendy Walsh, thank you so much.

WALSH: Thank you.

FEYERICK: Really interesting insights on all of those various topics. We really appreciate it.

Well, coming up after the break, an Iraq vet and Georgia state lawmaker joins me to address the harsh criticisms from some Republicans about bringing all U.S. troops home from Iraq. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FEYERICK: Veteran race car driver Dan Wheldon has been laid to rest in St. Petersburg, Florida. Wheldon died last Sunday in a fiery 15- car crash at the Las Vegas Indy 300. The two-time Indianapolis 500 winner was remembered as a driver with the heart of a lion. This weekend, NASCAR said it's giving teams at the Talladega superspeedway a decal that features an image of night and the word "Lion heart" in his honor. Wheldon leaves behind a wife and two young sons. Well, President Obama's decision to bring all combat troops home from Iraq is met with scathing criticism, especially from some Republicans. Senator John McCain of Arizona called it a sad setback for the United States. Some of the GOP presidential candidates call it a failure by the Obama administration.

Scott Holcomb is a democratic lawmaker in a Georgia House of Representatives. He's also a veteran of the Iraq war and Scott, what do you make of the Republicans' complaints about these decisions? They're saying that they're by pulling out all troops, it leaves Iraq vulnerable to Iran and that makes the U.S. more vulnerable to Iran as well.

SCOTT HOLCOMB (D), GEORGIA STATE HOUSE: I disagree. I actually think that the decision is the right decision and it's the right decision for three reasons. First, it's the right decision because this respects and honors an agreement that was made during the Bush administration to withdraw our troops by December 31st of this year.

Secondly it's the right decision because this puts the focus back on America where we need to do our own nation building, focus on our own development.

And third, it respects the will of the Iraqi people. For us to stay would be to say to the Iraqi people, we don't respect you. If you think back during the dark days of the Iraq war, President Bush would often say, America will sit down when the Iraqis stand up. The Iraqis have stood up. So now it's time for us to come home.

FEYERICK: You can't overlook the fact that the Iraqi folks said, no, you can't keep anybody here. The U.S. did want some U.S. forces to be able to look after the contractors, look after diplomats. There's still a U.S. presence there. But now they don't have the security and Iraq wouldn't give them a pass on what law dos or do not apply to U.S. troops. How does that factor in? They said, no, get out.

HOLCOMB: That was a sticking point. But we need to respect their sovereignty. I think it's the right decision for both the United States and for Iraq. And the folks that work there will still be protected. And Iraq is really coming together in terms of being a much more stable and secure country. So I think the president has made the right decision and one that furthers our national interest.

FEYERICK: As a vet yourself, this is one thing, you see a lot of guys who are going to come home, a lot of men and women, made it out safe. A lot of people didn't. Close to 4,600 people died in Iraq. Three times as many will come back with concussion, brain injuries. There's a huge human toll to this. And now we're sort of going away. Isn't that a little bit bittersweet?

HOLCOMB: I could see how some could characterize it as bittersweet. But I see it as a real success. The United States -- we toughed it out. There were some days where this conflict did not look like it was ever going to work out. And the United States pulled back together, regrouped, rethought our policy, and ultimately it led to a much more stable and secure Iraq. That's something that I think should be celebrated.

Moreover, we've been there almost nine years. This war started on March 19th of 2003. I was there when it started. And so this isn't as if we're just cutting after a very short period of time. We've been there for almost a decade. And with respect to the sacrifices, there have been very real sacrifices that have been borne by our men and women of uniform. Some of my friends, they gave their lives in Iraq. And we all owe them such a debt of gratitude. And this decision to end the war is a recognition that we succeeded. It is a positive statement. And it's one that I think that we should actually celebrate as opposed to malign.

FEYERICK: Sure. At least you're bringing a huge number of troops back safely. And those that gave their lives, clearly everybody appreciated their sacrifice.

Scott Holcomb, thank you so much. We appreciate your joining us today.

HOLCOMB: Thank you. Appreciate it.

FEYERICK: In four minutes, did Michael Jackson accidentally kill himself? Defense attorneys for Jackson's doctor will try to convince jurors that's exactly what happened.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FEYERICK: Under the federal No Child Left Behind law, students are allowed to transfer out of failing schools. While abandoning a struggling school is not always the best option, it may be the only way students can get the best education they need.

CNN contributor and Connecticut school principal, Steve Perry, has more in this edition of "Perry's Principles."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

STEVE PERRY, CONNECTICUT SCHOOL PRINCIPAL & CNN CONTRIBUTOR: No Child Left Behind is federal legislation in play everywhere. But what happens is, when you begin to choose schools in a district that has a failed school system, you're really choosing between the bow and the stern of the Titanic.

No Child Left Behind says every single child needs to perform at or above grade level. When a school, over a certain period of time, consistently performs poorly, that school should either be closed or the children should be given additional opportunities to learn. And finally, if none of that works, those kids should get to go to another school.

Everywhere where school choice is an option, it is exercised. In fact, here in Hartford, almost 50 percent of the children participate in a school choice program, meaning they decide to not go to their neighborhood school for another school, even if it means to go to school an hour and a half away.

Parents want options now. And we're seeing that when the parents speak, the legislators will start to listen.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FEYERICK: Recently, the Obama administration said it would free states to seek a waiver from the federal No Child Left Behind law's 2014 goal. The state must prove it has a solid system for measuring schools' performances.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FEYERICK: In Los Angeles, the trial of Michael Jackson's doctor enters an important new phase next week when the defense gets its turn. One of the final prosecution witnesses told jurors how Jackson died.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. STEVEN SHAFER, ANESTHESIOLOGIST: Michael Jackson died while the infusion was running.

UNIDENTIFIED ATTORNEY FOR MICHAEL JACKSON: So the Propofol was going into his body even as his heart was stopping?

SHAFER: That is correct.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FEYERICK: Let's bring in legal analyst, Holly Hughes.

Holly, prosecutors took a month to lay out their case. Clearly, that kind of testimony, the jury's got to be listening to that very, very closely. What do you think the three key pieces of evidence are for the prosecutors? What is it that the defense is going to have to try to undercut?

HOLLY HUGHES, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: & FORMER PROSECUTOR: They have to show that Michael Jackson somehow caused his own death. So the prosecutors have done this fantastic thing. They had Dr. Steven Shafer on the stand this week. He was so impressive, Deb. He set up a demonstration. And our viewers get to see it now. He showed them how the I.V. bag hangs and how the drip goes in. And basically, he brought that home for the jurors. He brought it into the courtroom. That's really impressive for the jurors to see how it happened, how it went down.

The second really big thing that helps them is their Propofol expert, Dr. Steven Shafer, he wrote the insert that goes inside the bottle. When you get Propofol from the pharmacy, it has the little instructions, that's the man who wrote this. Having him on the stand saying Dr. Murray's standard of care was so below where it should have been in the administering of this drug, is number two for them.

Number three is the obvious, what we've always seen. The victim here is a celebrity. Typically, we see defendant celebrities and the jury wants to help them out and be nice to them. Here we have a victim who is the celebrity. And that's got to play into the jurors' mindset. FEYERICK: So who do Dr. Murray's lawyers bring in? Who do they put on the stand to say, there was a possibility that Michael Jackson did administer the Propofol on his own? Who do they have to bring in?

HUGHES: They are bringing in Dr. Paul White, who is world-renowned anesthesiologist. And he's going to say just the opposite, that Michael could have done this to himself. Michael could have taken additional drugs, which would have interacted poorly and, hence, resulted in his own death. They're going to bring on their expert to say, Dr. Murray exercised the proper standard of care. And it's going to be a battle of the experts.

FEYERICK: It's all about reasonable doubt. That's what the defense is going to be working on.

There's another story, Baby Lisa, the Missouri infant missing for several weeks. Police brought in a dog to the house. They got a scent of a cadaver, of a dead body. Where do we stand on that? Is it the mother, as the police investigation seems to be focusing?

FEYERICK: Well, she certainly is what we call a person of interest. We used to call them suspects. Now we have this nice new name for them.

(LAUGHTER)

Now it's person of interest. Here's the reason why. Not just do you have the scent, the cadaver dog picked up on. He hit, as we say. But she's the one who told the story. She's the one who said, oh, no, the baby was fine. I put the baby down for bed. I passed out from drinking too much wine. If, in fact, something happened in that house, she's already put herself dead in the middle of that crime scene, and she can't get out now.

FEYERICK: So something has to surface that the baby went missing somehow, somewhere with an open window or something.

Holly Hughes, you sit right there. We're going to come right back.

More legal issues to talk about after the break. The laws on owning wild animals, should it be more difficult to have tigers, bears, lions, other exotic animals on private property, so we don't end up with the tragedy we had this week?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FEYERICK: Now to the tragic killing of dozens of exotic animals this week in Ohio after their owner freed them and then took his own life. Police say they had no choice but to shoot and kill the animals.

Legal analyst, Holly Hughes, explains the laws as they apply to exotic creatures.

I think a lot of people are just surprised at how easy it is to own one of these animals. HUGHES: But that's very specific to Ohio, Deb. What we're talking about -- there's only about seven or eight states in the nation that have such weak regulatory laws about owning exotic animals. About 26 states flat-out ban the ownership of exotic animals.

What you have here in Ohio, the governor has come out and said, we had a more stringent law but we let it lapse while we were legislating something else. And they're going to have to put that back in place because, even though the deputies had been out there before about animal cruelty, they went out, they looked. He had the proper permits because, in Ohio, at that point in time, you were allowed to own these gorgeous creatures.

FEYERICK: What's interesting also is that -- I know some people who own horses. And the cost to feed a horse is so extraordinary. Multiply that by 50 or 56 -- however many animals he had -- you would think that at least people who are watching out for the safety of these animals are also running numbers to make sure there is enough money coming in so that these animals are taken care of.

HUGHES: See, you just hit the issue, the nail on the head because there isn't anybody looking after. There isn't anybody regulating. This state doesn't have a regulatory agency. All they said was, if you get a permit and you have a vet, clear them and say they're healthy, you can own them. and that's the problem. And then when this one person -- and he did have the money, he had an inheritance and he did some selling of things. So he was taking care of them. But then when he took his own life prior to doing that, he let them out into the community and the police had no choice, Deb. Think about this, if they had not put those animals down even if they attempted to tranquilize them, one of those animals wakes up and kills a neighborhood child, they're going to sue the police because they're going to say, you knew and you didn't stop it.

FEYERICK: And you have to wonder what was going on in his mind to do something so reckless and so dangerous to the community at large. He had to know what the outcome would be.

HUGHES: Absolutely. But when you are desperate enough to take your own life, you're not thinking clearly, not thinking rationally. And it's all about you at that point in time. It's not saying -- because if you're going to plan, then you would stay alive to carry out the plan. So it's a double tragedy. I'm a huge animal lover. And this breaks my heart. But we lost a human being here, too, which is also a tragedy for his friends and family members.

FEYERICK: Holly Hughes, thank you so much. Appreciate your insights there.

Could anything have been done to save the wild animals in Ohio? A wild animal expert who runs a private zoo will join us at 7:00 p.m. eastern with his take on the massacre of so many animals.

And also just ahead, we'll hear from a teen who's half the man he used to be. We'll explain.

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(THE HUMAN FACTOR)

FEYERICK: And Taylor said he is determined to keep the weight off. He no longer has high blood pressure, still counts calories and exercises five days a week.

Up next, an NFL player under arrest.

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FEYERICK: Checking some of our top stories, the U.S. embassy in Nairobi is warning that terrorists could strike areas where foreigners are known to meet. The statement specifically mentions malls and nightclubs as potential targets. The warning comes after Kenya's military sent troops across the bored entire Somalia to pursue suspected Islamic militants.

And for the second time this year, Minnesota Vikings Cornerback Chris Cook has been arrested. Cook was charged early today with two counts of domestic assault. The Vikings say he'll not play this weekend against Green Bay Packers. In March, he was arrested for allegedly threatening a man with a gun. He was later cleared in that case.

It sounds like deja vu. Another satellite could crash to earth tonight. The latest threat to humanity is a decommissioned German satellite. It is expected to enter earth's atmosphere as soon as 90 minutes from right now. The biggest fragment may be the satellite's telescope mirror, which may weigh more than 1.5 tons. A NASA satellite crashed into the Pacific Ocean last month. At 7:00 eastern, I'll speak with a guest with the satellite's path towards earth.

Finally, if you're going to be out drinking tonight, it is best to have a designated driver. Make sure that person is old enough to drive.

CNN's Jeanne Moos has the story of a guy in Michigan who put his 9- year-old daughter behind the wheel. He even bragged about it.

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JEANNE MOOS, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The way she drove up to the gas pumps was a little jerky. And when she got out and saw why, it was a 9-year-old driving her allegedly drunk dad, something witnesses say he bragged about inside the store.

SHAWN WEIMER (ph), ALLOWED DAUGHTER TO DRIVE: 9 years old -- 9. Gas, brakes, listen, we're leaving and she's driving. I'm drunk.

MOOS: She didn't just drive. Her dad bought her a caramel apple. Then she got back on the booster seat behind the steering wheel and slowly off they went. A customer who saw the whole thing dialed 911 and followed them.

DISPATCHER: Is the vehicle staying on the road?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, she's driving pretty good. I'm telling you, I can't believe it.

MOOS: When police stopped the van, the girl said, what most people say. Why did you stop me? I was driving great.

But her dad is not looking so great. 39-year-old Shawn Weimer (ph) wiped his eyes as his preliminary hearing was postponed. He has been charged with child abuse.

MOOS (on camera): What made you think it was OK to let a 9-year-old driver drive a public road?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Anything to say to your daughter?

WEIMER (ph): No comment.

MOOS: Friends say he is a great dad who had weekend visitation rights with his daughter.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Now he cannot see her.

UNIDENTIFIED CORRESPONDENT: What will that do to him?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That will destroy him.

MOOS: He told a reporter for WXYZ that as he good dad, who made a bad decision.

He has been busted before after crashing while driving under the influence. This time, his daughter said he had been drinking whiskey all day. He refused a breathalyzer test and told police he was just teaching his daughter how to drive.

There have been lots of stories of little kids driving their parents' cars.

UNIDENTIFIED BOY: I'm trying to drive but I couldn't reach the pedals.

MOOS: From this 5-year-old to a 7-year-old, who told police he was trying to avoid going to church.

At least Shawn Weimer's (ph) daughter didn't hit anything. The "Detroit Free Press" reports she was even seen using her turn signal at least twice.

It is her father who seems to have taken the wrong turn by turning to his daughter.

WEIMER (ph): I got, I got a designated driver.

MOOS: Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.

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FEYERICK: I'm Deb Feyerick at the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta. I'll see you back here in an hour from now. "The Situation Room" with Wolf Blitzer begins right now.