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District Attorney, Wife Shot To Death In Texas; Pope Francis Delivers First Easter Blessing Since Becoming Pontiff; Transplant Victim Gets Married; Camera Catches Possible Abduction; Who's Killing Texas Prosecutors?; Derek Jeter Wants To Be Owner; MLB Opening Day Is Monday; NCAA Nears Final Four Matchup; S&P 500 Posts 10 Percent Gain In First Quarter

Aired March 31, 2013 - 16:59   ET

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

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, I'm Fredricka Whitfield. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM. A look at our top stories we're following right now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD (voice-over): Who is killing prosecutors in Kaufman County, Texas? Questions are swirling after a Texas district attorney and his wife were found shot to death in their home. What's the connection to the murder of an assistant district attorney two months ago? We have got the latest.

And Pope Francis leads Easter Sunday mass with a huge crowd in St. Peter's Basilica but makes it personal for at least one worshipper right there. We'll tell you how this non-traditional pontiff is leading the way.

In New York, police are looking for the two men seen running in this video. They may have been part of a possible daylight kidnapping that took place in the city's busy Washington Heights neighborhood. More details on that in a moment.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: First, to Kaufman County, Texas.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD (voice-over): The deaths of District Attorney Mike McLelland and his wife, Cynthia, are shaking that community. It is about 30 miles outside Dallas. Adding to the shock, this comes two months after an assistant district attorney was murdered. Mark Hasse was gunned down in a courthouse parking lot. Listen to what the sheriff had to say when asked about a possible connection.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE REPORTER: Do you believe that these murders yesterday are definitively connected to the murder of Mark Hasse?

DAVID BYRNES, SHERIFF, KAUFMAN COUNTY, TEXAS: I can't say that, no. We have nothing indicating that for sure.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: But we're hearing from other local leaders who feel that there must be a connection.

Ed Lavendera is live for us now in Kaufman County.

So Ed, what have you heard about the possible link?

ED LAVANDERA, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, there's no question this story and these murders have become the talk of Kaufman County here in Texas as thousands of people are wondering just what in the world is going on and why are these prosecutors, high-profile prosecutors here in Kaufman county being murdered. First Mark Hasse, back at the end of January almost exactly two months ago, gunned down as he was walking to work in broad daylight in the morning of January 31st. And now, Mike McLelland and his wife in their own home.

Listen to the way Mike McLelland was talking back then at a press conference around the murder of Mark Hasse. Mike McLelland was one of the officials that came out and spoke about the law enforcement efforts to capture the killers. And listen to the way he talked that day.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MIKE MCLELLAND, DISTRICT ATTORNEY, KAUFMAN COUNTY: I hope that the people that did this are watching because we are very confident that we're going to find you. We are going to pull you out of whatever hole you are in and we are going to bring you back and let the people of Kaufman County prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law. Anything that you people can do to accelerate our getting our hands on this scum will be appreciated.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LAVANDERA: You can hear there the bravado and brashness of a Texas prosecutor. There was a lot of talk back when Mark Hasse was murdered that was perhaps the suspects, perhaps those involved might have been part of some Aryan brotherhood white supremacist group and that that was part of the focus of the investigation.

However, since then no suspects, no real movement in the case of Mark Hasse and now Mike McLelland turning up dead. And it is interesting, the Associated Press is quoting Mike McLelland in a recent interview having talked about how his prosecutor's office can made some real dents into the Aryan brotherhood white supremacist group over the last couple of years and that even though Mark Hasse had not prosecuted any of those cases, that his office had taken some cases against members of this group. And obviously, that kind of leads to the speculation as to, you know, whether or not those particular cases might have something to do with these murders.

However, the sheriff here in Kaufman County telling us a little while ago that so far they have no new information or aren't releasing any new information that these cases are connected. But as you said off the top there, Fredricka, we have spoken with several high-ranking officials here in Kaufman County who are just -- who have told us On the Record that they just are having a hard time believing that these cases can't be connected or aren't connected. So, that seems to be the way a lot of people are feeling about these two murder cases as we move forward here, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: And so, Ed, to what extent are federal authorities involved, the FBI, ATF?

LAVANDERA: You know, it's interesting, because as soon as we heard about the murders of Mike McLelland and his wife, Cynthia, it was clear that the law enforcement's presence at that murder scene was very intense. They got very intense very quickly. They cordoned off neighborhood. You couldn't make it on to the street where the McLelland lived. You saw FBI agents, Texas rangers and state police also a very quick presence there on that -- at that murder investigation, you know.

So, it's clear that even though officials here aren't saying On the Record that these cases are connected, the presence in the way you've seen these people visibly respond to these cases it really seems to kind of suggest that.

WHITFIELD: All right, Ed Lavendera, thank you so much from Kaufman County, Texas. We'll check back with you as information warrants.

All right, Christians all over the world celebrating Easter today.

In Rome, Pope Francis delivered his first Easter blessing since becoming pontiff. Thousands of worshippers from around the world pack St. Peter's square.

Senior international correspondent Jim Bittermann is in Rome.

JIM BITTERMANN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Fred, about a quarter of a million people according to some estimates turned out for the Easter mass in St. Peter's square today. A lot of people just curious about this new Pope and what kind of changes he may bring.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BITTERMANN (voice-over): Barely two weeks into his reign, Pope Francis, as he celebrated his first Easter mass, is putting distance between himself and his predecessor. For one thing, the new Pope probably would not like the term "reign." He already has done several things to show he's against the imperial nature of the papacy. He has indicated, for example, that he prefers the title of bishop of Rome. Simpler and less majestic than Pope or his holiness.

There are plenty of other signs of a different approach. The broad smile and the wave as if he's identifying with specific people in the crowds and the very conscience effort shown once again on Easter Sunday to reach out and touch the faithful.

Benedict XVI is still alive and watching from afar but with each move, no matter how symbolic, Francis seemed happy to abandon the austere and distant approach of his predecessor. If differences have come up between the two Popes, it's not been before the cameras. In addition to their face to face meeting, they have had several phone conversations including one this week that the Vatican spokesman described as intense.

There are the stylistic differences that set Pope Francis apart from Benedict. The iron cross and the more common dress and there's already been one substantive change that has annoyed traditionalists. The way he included two women in a holy week ceremony representing the moment when Christ washed the feet of his 12 disciples, all men. Was the new Pope hinting he was intending to elevate the role of women in the church? It was something that raised hopes among catholic women at the Easter mass, even as some remain skeptical that he can or will be able to bring about major change.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If he is going to make changes, then he needs to sort of move forward with the time and embrace today and stop trying to implement old ideas.

BITTERMANN: Still, as much as many Catholics, especially in the developed world, would like to see a more modern church, Pope Francis follows a pontiff who did not disagreeing on philosophical issues may be one way the Pope can prove he's different from his predecessor, but the more immediate and visible way will be how he handles the desperate problems of managing the Vatican, how does he manage the personnel changes many feel are necessary to firmly and finally deal with the sex scandals involving the clergy and charges of financial misdeeds.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BITTERMANN: So, Fred, Vatican watchers will be looking on carefully this week and in weeks to come to see exactly what changes may be in the offing -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right. Thank you so much, Jim Bittermann in Rome.

All right. Police are now taking a closer look at this video. Was it a kidnapping in broad daylight in New York City? It's a must- see.

Plus, who is killing prosecutors in Texas? A lot of people are asking that very question today. We head live to Texas for the latest on that investigation.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BYRNES: We proceed to the scene and did find the district attorney, Mr. McLelland and his wife, Cynthia, deceased at that time. They both had been shot.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: That was the sheriff of Kaufman County, Texas talking about the shocking case, the district attorney and his wife found shot to death just two months after an assistant district attorney was gunned down.

So, let's bring in Tanya Eiser as she is the chief law enforcement writer for the "Dallas Morning News" and joining us by phone.

All right, Tanya. So, what are your sources saying about the likelihood that there may be a connection?

TANYA EISER, CHIEF LAW ENFORCEMENT (via phone): They believe it absolutely has to be connected. The killing of Mark Hasse, which was the killing back in late January, was unprecedented in and of itself. And now, you know, two months later to have the D.A. of the same county and his wife killed in their home, they believe that it is connected. Whether it is the same killer or killers.

WHITFIELD: All right. Are there discussions about whether security detail is being assigned to prosecutors since clearly within a month's time they are targets. Two months' time.

EISER: They are not really talking much about the specifics but I'm being told they are absolutely, you know, ramping up security, that you know, prosecutors are going to have to put security details on these people. They are going to ramp up security around the courthouse. Because the problem here is that we don't know why whoever is doing this is doing this. So, you know, is there anybody else a target for some reason? It's extremely -- what's happened is extremely brazen. And you know, it is like something out of Mexico basically.

WHITFIELD: And we did hear that the courthouse would be up and running tomorrow. Any knowledge of whether there was a case or series of cases that perhaps the D.A., McLelland and the assistant D.A., Hasse, may have both been involved in that may relate to these shootings?

EISER: You know, there is, without naming a specific case because I don't want to libel anybody, but there was a case people have talked about that they both had worked on, you know, that involved somebody that was very angry about that case. But from what I understand about that situation, there's no evidence that that particular person was involved. You know, this particular D.A.'s office had a reputation for being extremely kind of law and order, by the book. So, there probably were a lot of angry defendants out there.

WHITFIELD: Well, what happened following the shooting death of assistant district attorney Hasse two months ago in a parking lot? What happened to that town, that county when that took place? I imagine that people were very unnerved, people were frightened even though it appears to be a targeted killing at that point, were people in general being worried about their safety whether they are law enforcement or not?

EISER: I think there was a lot of concern particularly among prosecutors and the judges. And I think that, you know, and recently things had, you know, kind of started to calm back down again. You know, I'm not saying they still weren't looking for Hasse's killers, they were. But you know, things had started to kind of return to normal because what happened with Hasse was so shocking and so unprecedented. I mean, I can't recall in 17 years as a reporter anything like this.

WHITFIELD: And now given this shooting of the D.A. and his wife, I imagine this is really kind of shaken the community. Not just the law enforcement community but the community as a whole to the core.

EISER: Absolutely. I think that, you know, this is going to be something now that they are going to, you know, the FBI is coming in how to work with the Texas rangers on this, you know. From what I understand about this particular crime scene, there are going to be some physical evidence. In the Hasse killing there was little to no physical evidence. But in this killing there are a lot of shell casings and McLelland also had surveillance cameras on his house. So, they are hopeful that either the surveillance cameras or some of the physical evidence left behind at the scene will yield some clues as to who's behind this.

WHITFIELD: Fascinating stuff.

Tanya Eiser, thanks so much.

Let's bring in our Ed Lavandera because we do understand, Ed, you are there outside the Kaufman County sheriff's office. There's still a significant presence outside the home of McLelland. And then, what Tanya just mentioned, that there are cameras, there were cameras at that house. It will be interesting to know whether it was rolling if they were functioning, at the time of this shooting.

LAVANDERA: Well, you know, and hopefully that could provide the break that is needed because if you look back at the Mark Hasse case that happened at the end of January, he was murdered just walking up to the courthouse. It's shocking that in the middle, as this man is walking to work in broad daylight and how very little eyewitness or credible eyewitness information investigators were able to get. The car was able to drive off. It was misinformation as to whether or not there were one or two shooters. I mean, I think it is really kind of boggled a lot of people's minds that somebody would be able to carry out an attack like that in broad daylight, then just simply disappear. There hasn't even been any talk or leads on where the get-away car might have gone to or if it's ever seen since.

So, all of that plays into the mystery of what is going on here especially when you look at McLelland's neighborhood. It is not like the district attorney lived in a neighborhood where neighbors were far away from him. It is a subdivision and at this point we're not getting any real clear indication that any neighbors have been able to offer any eyewitness or timing of when this attack happened. So all of that I think also plays into the mystery of what's going on here.

WHITFIELD: And it would, Ed, that there has to be that, some sort of eyewitness accounts because the sheriff did at least say in the press conference that they received a number of calls and that's how authorities knew to go to the house where they would then find D.A. and his wife dead.

LAVANDERA: Yes. And at this point the law enforcement investigative presence here has really intensified and clamped down given the seriousness an intensity of the situation which again kind of leads more to the notion that these cases are somehow connected and if they aren't, at least law enforcement at this point it's clear that they're acting with that assumption in mind given the intensity of what we've seen here.

You know, Fredricka, throughout the day it's been very difficult to get information from county officials. We spent a great deal of time trying to figure out whether the courthouse would even be open tomorrow, if it would be business as usual. I was finally able to get a hold of a county judge who said that the courthouse will be open regular hours. It is not clear whether or not prosecutors will be coming to work. Didn't sound like that decision had been made yet.

Then I've covered a lot of stories along the Texas-Mexico border. When you try to get information of cartel hits, that sort of thing along the Mexico border, the reporter from the "Dallas morning news" kind of alluded to this. You know, it kind of reminds me of this a little bit where it is very hard to get official information. People not wanting to go On the Record, not wanting anything to do with the public coverage of all of this. So, you definitely kind of felt those overtones of how we've covered this story today.

WHITFIELD: Ed Lavendera, thanks so much. We are going to allow you to keep digging and check back with you within the hour. Still lots of unanswered questions in those killings.

We're getting new details, however, from a local reporter who is also digging deep on the investigation. We will check back.

Also, a Pope reaching out to the people and breaking with tradition. All of that and more straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Pope Francis delivered a plea for peace in his Easter Sunday blessing and reached out to the people mingling with the crowd. He is being seen as a people's Pope, someone Catholics around the world can connect with.

CNN contributor Melinda Henneberger joins me now, live from Boston.

Melinda, good to see you.

MELINDA HENNEBERGER, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: You, too.

WHITFIELD: So, is the Pope's kind of non-traditional ways, might it help bring many Catholics back to the church?

HENNEBERGER: It's too early to really say that but I have to say that I have never seen Catholics from across the spectrum, Catholics we think of as orthodox, Catholics we think of as more progressive. So in agreement in their excitement about what this new Pope might bring to the church just in the signs and the symbols that we have seen in these first couple of weeks, doing things like washing the feet of women, couple of young women were included in that ceremony on holy Thursday, which was definitely a departure. In fact, was in violation of Canon law. That seemed to send a strong signal that not all of these small matters in Canon law are set in concrete. So, really I have to say that it's exciting to see we, Catholics, across the spectrum coming together on what we might see from this new Pope.

WHITFIELD: And so, what is the hope of that kind of potential? What are people hoping will spring from the washing of the feet or the Pope paying his own bills, making his own phone calls, that kind of thing?

HENNEBERGER: Some of it is stylistic and some of it is a matter of emphasis. But there's so much that we agree on. For example, the message of economic justice. That is not new. That certainly does not differ from what Pope Benedict said or what John Paul said before him. But in his emphasis, I think that's something that Catholics very much agree on and that we're excited to see that being so much to the forefront in what he said in these early weeks, talking about living in solidarity with the poor and showing that in again gestures like going to this prison for -- on holy Thursday and instead of washing the feet of 12 priests, coming to serve young people in a prison, including some women.

So, I think the excitement is to see what else is he going to bring, you know, just this sort of joyful style of, you know, riding around in the Pope mobile, waving the soccer jersey, just this kind of openness, accessibility, losing some of the more traditional trappings. I wouldn't -- I wouldn't say that there's an expectation of jettisoning core beliefs, absolutely not, on the contrary. But there's so much that we do agree on and I think one of those things is just the joy of seeing someone who can put a smiling face on the message of Jesus, who we of course think about on Easter of, you know, really caring for and serving the have-nots in this society.

WHITFIELD: So Melinda, can he go too far? Can it be interpreted that he's gone too far, he's departed from kind of the more -- the more grand, kind of more ostentatious, you know, residence of a pontiff, instead going for a more simplistic kind of apartment?

HENNEBERGER: I don't think so. And I think, you know, we have heard a little bit of rhetoric sort of -- and it's natural to compare him to Benedict and say, you know, is he at odds with Benedict. But, I don't really see it that way and I don't think he's going too far. I think Benedict himself in leaving the role and in retiring in such a dramatic and historic way, he himself was saying that it is time for change, it is time for some fresh air, it is time for some new wave. I think that he was also very much validating the idea that there needed to be change (INAUDIBLE), that there needed to be reform in the finances, that there needed to be, you know, a definitive step away from the sexual scandals that have certainly engulfed the church for at least the last ten years.

So, I don't see him as doing something that is so shocking or dramatic. I think he is showing us in a different style that he intends to reform some of the things that Benedict himself believed need to be reformed as well.

WHITFIELD: All right. We are seeing change and it will be interesting to see how far it goes.

Melinda Henneberger, thanks so much from Boston. Appreciate it.

HENNEBERGER: Thanks.

WHITFIELD: All right. Let's talk the royal expectancy. Is Pippa Middleton throwing a royal baby shower for her sister? Find out what royal experts are saying.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: A Texas man who received the nation's first full face transplant is celebrating another milestone. Dallas Wins got married yesterday. He was married in the same church where his face was severely burned as he was doing repair work near a power line. Wins and his wife also a burn survivor met in a support group for burn victims.

In New York, police say the two men seen running on this video may have been part of an abduction that took place in broad daylight. Two young girls told authorities they saw one of these men force two people into a van at gunpoint.

The van then sped off and then the man ran away. Other witnesses reportedly told police they saw three men waiting in the van wearing masks. Police say no one has been reported missing at this point.

Who is killing prosecutors in Kaufman County, Texas? Questions are swirling after the district attorney and his wife were found shot to death in their home. It comes two months after the murder of an assistant district attorney.

Officials in that area tell CNN it is hard to think the two cases are not related. Coming up, new information you may not have heard about how this shooting may have happened.

Here's a look at what's trending right now. A young woman who went missing for two days after going hiking alone on Mt. Hood is found alive. The National Guard rescued Mary Owen by helicopter on Sandy Glacier yesterday morning.

There's a lot of talk out there about Pippa Middleton throwing a baby shower for her sister, Kate. But royal experts say there's no chance of that happening according to entertainment reports.

Some major phone companies want the federal government to ax landline phones all together. They say the money used for maintaining land lines should be going toward upgrading wireless or internet based options.

Are you ready for some baseball? Opening day is just a day away and fans across the country can hardly wait of the return of the boys of summer. We've got an exclusive interview next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: In sports, the New York Yankees set for its opening game, but noticeably absent Derek Jeter. Jeter is one of the most recognizable and respected athletes in sports. He's in Tampa rehabilitating a lingering ankle injury and that's where our Rachel Nichols caught up with the Yankees captain.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RACHEL NICHOLS, CNN SPORTS: What's scary about the idea of not being in the game whenever down the road it does happen?

DEREK JETER, YANKEES SHORTSTOP: You know, I don't know if there's anything scary about it. I'm pretty sure I'll be involved in the game in some facet. You know, I want to own a team one day. That's my next goal.

NICHOLS: You think the Yankees are for sale? You could buy this team.

JETER: Too expensive unless you give me some of your money.

NICHOLS: What are you thinking of? Have you been shopping? Are you looking through this?

JETER: I haven't. No, I haven't yet. I don't know if you really pull out a catalogue and pick your team and buy it. Only time will tell.

NICHOLS: That's a pretty serious goal though. I mean, Michael Jordan talk for a long time and then eventually was able to do it. What are you thinking about how you'd accomplish that?

JETER: It was a long process. I'm learning more and more about the process as we speak, but I just think it would be fun. You know, I'm a little biased, but I think I've played for the greatest owner in all of sports in Mr. Steinbrenner and I think I've learned a lot from him.

We may have different styles of ownership, but I would look forward to it. That's something I think would be challenging. I think it would be very interesting and educational.

NICHOLS: Would you feel like George as an owner?

JETER: In some ways I would.

NICHOLS: The yelling, the firing? JETER: I don't know. I still got to hire people. I don't want to tell you how bad I'm going to be before I hire them.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: All right, you can see Rachel Nichol's complete interview with Derek Jeter on Monday right here on CNN.

All right, so as we've been saying, Monday is the big day and though it is April 1st, there's no fooling about this. The boys of summer will hit baseball diamonds all across the country.

One who knows what that feels like is with me now. Ron Darling pitched for the 1986 world champion series New York Mets and now as a part of our Sunday MLB coverage on TBS. Good to see you.

RON DARLING, TBS MLB ANALYST: Hi, Fredricka. How are you? Punxsutawney Phil lets the rest of the country know when April's coming. Of course, opening day or opening night tonight lets baseball fans know.

WHITFIELD: And people are so excited about that. What's the expectation? Is this going to be, you know, a season where you think a particular team or particular players are those to watch?

DARLING: Well, I think the great thing about baseball the last dozen seasons or so you don't know what to expect. Last year, before the season started people were saying in Oakland that could be a last place team. They won their division. You just don't know from year to year what young players are going to develop and what free agents will pay off.

WHITFIELD: Well, let's talk about the New York Yankees. We just heard Derek Jeter, he's on the front of "New York Times" today as well today. You know, Jeter may be nursing an injury. Curtis Granderson, A-Rod, all hurt as well.

You know, what does this mean for the Yankees and what does it mean for them considering perhaps newer talent? I hate that that "New York Times" headline was talking about, you know, the aging face of like A-Rod. Are you kidding me?

DARLING: Yes, we can also include Mark Teixeira in that group. Yes, I'm 52 so I know what you're saying about the age thing. I think even more importantly is the Yankees who are an organization that just doesn't -- just doesn't bow down to injuries. I know they'll try to tread water and winning team until those players get back.

You know, so I have seen it before. They've had injuries and they've seemed to withstand it. We'll have to get great efforts from Ichiro, speed from Gardner, maybe Edwardo Nunez will be able to hold that position until Derek gets back. But usually their history has been they'll be able to play winning baseball until their veterans get back.

WHITFIELD: Let's talk about that baseball money, huge contracts, the Dodgers and Yankees have the highest payroll in baseball history. We just mentioned A-Rod. He's got one of the biggest. You know, Justin Verlander just signed $180 million deal with Detroit.

My goodness! So, you know, what does this mean? Does this raise the bar as it pertains to the players and what they are going to bring to the diamond or are they getting paid for their potential?

DARLING: Well, I think it is a combination of both. I think that whenever you sign a free agent, you are signing them because you want to have a given. You want to know that if you're signing an Albert Pujols, you're signing a Miguel Cabrera that you know you are going to get 30 homeruns, someone who bats 300 and someone who drives in over 100 runs.

The problem for teams is when you sign a free agent whether it's a pitcher or a player and they don't come close to those expectations. That's when it really puts a stranglehold on your team. You mentioned Alex Rodriguez, $29 million, he is going to make this year.

He is going to start the season with the team. He's not going to start season with the team. Then you have the other teams. Guys like the Houston Astros who are beginning tonight's baseball calendar against the Rangers. They have a payroll that's less than what A-Rod makes for all 25 of their players.

So it's definitely an equity that's been in baseball forever, but you've seen teams like this before. Washington three seasons ago, we said they are at the bottom of the pile and now they have a large payroll and maybe the best team in baseball.

WHITFIELD: Is it true, injury or not, A-Rod, I mean, he's getting paid up until the age of 42.

DARLING: One of the greatest things about baseball players is everything's guaranteed, Fredricka. So it is a lucky sport to be in if you want to play.

WHITFIELD: Yes. All right, Ron Darling, you are one of the lucky ones who have had a chance to do it. All right, thanks so much. Good to see you.

DARLING: Thank you very much.

WHITFIELD: All right, in sports, we're closer to the NCAA final four. March Madness this afternoon out west. Michigan blows out Florida by 20 points. The Wolverines led the entire game and never looked back. They will face Syracuse in the final four. Last night Wichita State, the shockers, easily beat Ohio State. The only game left is under way right now actually number one, Louisville and number two Duke battling for the last spot in the final four bracket.

All right, can you predict how the stock market will finish the year? In a minute our Wall Street guest says he has some clues on where it is headed and what it means for your 401(k).

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right, the S&P 500 rose 10 percent in the first quarter of this year and because it is a broad measure of stocks, it means a lot of 401(k)s went up by just as much. But what goes up must come down, right?

Sam Stovall is the chief equity strategist for S&P Capital IQ. Sam, good to see you. You say there is some history here that can give us clues about where the market could be headed.

SAM STOVALL, CHIEF EQUITY STRATEGIST, S&P CAPITAL IQ: Well, that's right. Happy Easter, Fredricka. And even though A-Rod's contract might be a guarantee, there's no guarantee on Wall Street.

But basically history says that if the first quarter is up, that it provides a running start for the rest of the year and instead of getting an average increase of about 6 percent in the final nine months of the year, it ends up being closer to 9 percent. So something at least investors can hope for.

WHITFIELD: Wow. We also get the March jobs report this Friday. Predictions are for 195,000 new jobs. Seems like a lot. Is it keeping up with the economy? Is that going to be an impressive number?

STOVALL: Well, I think investors are hoping that it will be. Remember, last month we ended up surprising to the up side with more than 260,000 new jobs while most on Wall Street were expecting something closer to 200,000 jobs. So I think investors are crossing their fingers that we do end up with a better than expected number.

WHITFIELD: All right, Sam Stovall, thanks so much. Happy Easter.

STOVALL: Thanks.

WHITFIELD: All right, a Texas county is on edge after a district attorney and his wife were shot to death in their home. We're learning new details about what may have happened inside that home.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: We're digging deeper into the death of a district attorney and his wife in Kaufman County, Texas. The sheriff did not give many details about the case in a news conference a few hours ago.

But a reporter with our affiliate, KTVT, has received more information. J.D. Miles joins us live now from Kaufman County. So J.D., what are you learning and what are investigators learning about the number of shell casings in the house and as well as were they, you know, deriving from the placement of the bodies, the D.A., and the wife in the house, when found dead?

J.D. MILES, KTVT REPORTER: Well, we're learning quite a lot, Fredricka. In fact, behind me you can see the house in the background it's surrounded by police tape. There are investigators still combing through that house looking for evidence.

Right now, all they have apparently are shell casings. There are a quite a few of them. More than a dozen, we're told. The bodies of the couple, the D.A. and his wife, were found yesterday around 6:00 p.m., but we have been told by sources they may have been killed as much as a day earlier.

They were found in their sleeping clothes, which suggest they have been killed sometime during the previous night. They also had locked up their dogs and kennels. So it looks like at this point, they have been dead for some time.

But authorities really have no evidence. We've noticed pairs of investigators going door-to-door in this neighborhood just outside of Dallas looking for anyone who might have some information. But so far, we have not heard about any substantive leads in this investigation.

WHITFIELD: And, J.D., the sheriff said they received a number of calls and that's how authorities knew to go to the home. So were those calls from eyewitnesses who said they heard something unusual? They saw something unusual?

MILES: Well, the door was found to be wide open, which is unusual. But we were told that possibly the D.A.'s wife might have actually answered the door or it may have been left unlocked.

She was found in the front entry of the house in her nightgown, he was found in the hallway wearing his sleeping clothes. Apparently, this person came to the door sometime after dark, possibly knocking, ringing the doorbell or walking in unimpeded and that's when the shooting happened.

WHITFIELD: And according to some sources that possibly the number of bullets used or I guess one body was riddled with more bullets than the other. Is that the case?

MILES: Yes. In this case it looks like the D.A. was the main target. He was shot multiple times. More than a dozen shell casings found. His wife shot once maybe twice.

And this connects obviously to a previous shooting and murder of his chief prosecutor killed two months ago who was shot with multiple rounds just outside of the Kaufman County Courthouse where he was going to work.

Authorities, my sources tell me that this is clearly these cases are connected and we're dealing with someone involved in a serial assassination plot.

WHITFIELD: Are they indicating what the other similarities might be in terms of, you know, how the murders were carried out? The type of weapons that may have been used, the real links that authorities are looking at besides the fact they are both prosecutors?

MILES: Well, there are clearly links, Fredricka, in this case, for one thing, nothing was taken in neither one of these crimes. So clearly robbery was not the motive, the intention was to kill.

In this case, multiple rounds fired inside the house at the D.A. multiple rounds fired at the chief prosecutors. As authorities call it that's overkill. The only difference is these cases, the weapons used. We're told an AR-15 rifle was used here while at the courthouse, a handgun was used.

WHITFIELD: And they are able to discern that because of the shell casings that were located at the parking lot versus the shell casings located in this house?

MILES: That's right. They have separate shell casings and unfortunately, that's the only evidence authorities have to go on at this point. They really don't have any fingerprints left behind. They don't have any eyewitness testimony, but there is a large reward right now that will hopefully produce some leads.

WHITFIELD: And I suppose investigators are also trying to figure out any other common denominators, such as the kind of cases the D.A. and assistant D.A. may have handled, right?

MILES: Clearly, Fredricka, that's what they're leaning on. My sources tell me that the authorities are looking at people who might have had personal grudges against these two men. People who could possibly say their lives were ruined by the chief prosecutor and the D.A.

They've narrowed that list down before this murder to about five or six people who they felt like could say that, and they've been thoroughly researching. But unfortunately at this point, they don't have any evidence to produce a case against anyone.

So they're really at square one, but obviously, with this next murder, this leads you to believe there must be a larger plot involved here and something much more serious, much more sinister.

WHITFIELD: And describe the neighborhood? I mean, we're looking at the property behind you. The cordoned off area. Clearly, this was not a house in isolation, but there are neighbors that are in close proximity.

MILES: Yes. We do know that the D.A. had some police protection shortly after this murder. In fact, you may remember two months ago, he was making these bold, brash statements right in front of reporters saying he was going to chase the thug who killed his chief prosecutor and find him.

Now two months later, unbelievably, he is gunned down inside his home, presumably by that same person. He had lived here, had police protection, but this is obviously an upscale, remote suburban neighborhood that doesn't see a lot of crime.

A lot of people back here don't even have fences as you can see. So it clearly was someone who felt comfortable coming in here and could find an easy way out. WHITFIELD: And apparently the D.A., Mike McLelland put it this way, he wanted to put the scum away after the killing of the assistant D.A. J.D. Miles of KTVT, thank you so much there outside of Dallas.

MILES: Sure.

WHITFIELD: All right, something else to watch. Michael Jackson's family says the concert promoter AEG is responsible for the singer's death. The wrongful death lawsuit is set to go trial this week, and the superstar's children may be called to testify. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Right now a look at stories makes news in the week ahead. Monday, the first family will hosts the annual Easter Egg Roll. They are expecting more than 35,000 people in the south lawn for game, stories and, of course, the egg roll.

And Tuesday, a jury selection gets underway in the Michael Jackson family lawsuit against Jackson's promoter. The family accuses AEG Live of negligence in the king of pop's death.

And Wednesday, President Obama heads west to raise cash for Democrats. On Friday, it's the Hollywood legends auction up for grabs, the "I Dream of Genie" bottle, the hat from "The Wizard Of Oz," one of Marilyn Monroe's cocktail dresses and the costume Jane wore from the "Tarzan" movies.

Also Friday, look for the latest jobs report from the Department of Labor, all that straight ahead this week. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. Much more of the NEWSROOM straight ahead with my colleague, Don Lemon. Have a great week. See you tomorrow.