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Washington State Bridge Collapses; Nurses Save Baby; New Jury To Decide Arias Fate; Jersey Shore Rebuilds After Superstorm Sandy; Old Show Gets New Life; Farewells For Two Young Storm Victims; Baby Born During Tornado; London Investigation Continues into Lee Rigby's Death; Bridge Collapses in Skagit County, No Loss of Life
Aired May 24, 2013 - 13:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: We'll have a live report from Washington State.
And it's not over yet, a lot of us thought the high courtroom drama of the Jodi Arias trial would be ending this week, guess what? We were wrong. What's next in the case?
And babies weight for nothing, not even tornadoes. How these nurses went above and beyond their call of duty.
This is CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Wolf Blitzer in Washington. Let's start with those terrifying moments when drivers in Washington State realized the bridge they were crossing was collapsing. Here's a closer look at exclusive pictures of the bridge after it fell into the Skagit River near Seattle. Two vehicles were crossing the bridge when it gave way. And they were sent careening off the edge into the waters below. Katharine Barrett is joining us now from Mt. Vernon, Washington. Katharine, what have you learned about the cause of the collapse?
KATHARINE BARRETT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, it's been a little more than 12 hours since that collapse happened, so it's early for an official determination of cause. But NTSB, National Transportation Safety Board, investigators are on their way here. They ought to be here within a few hours to start updating us on their process and where they're going to start looking.
A few things that we do know, however, this bridge was inspected twice within the past year as recently as November and deemed safe and sound officially, if perhaps a bit outdated in its design. But, again, deemed safe and sound in its most recent inspection just six months ago. We also know that several eyewitnesses report seeing a large oversized cargo truck which was crossing the bridge and appeared to strike the bridge just before it collapsed. State transportation officials seem to give some credence to that possibility as a cause.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN BATISTE, CHIEF, WASHINGTON STATE PATROL: We have a semi truck that was southbound on Interstate 5 in what we call lane one, the right lane. And the size of the load that he was carrying appeared to create a problem striking -- causing him to strike the bridge. (END VIDEO CLIP)
BARRETT: The driver of that truck did actually manage to cross the bridge before it collapsed, stopped on the other side and is apparently cooperating and speaking with investigators. One transportation engineer that we spoke with earlier pointed out there are some sort of nicks and gashes in some of the framing on the bridge here that do suggest that something at the very least scraped it or hit it on some parts. That's one avenue, one possibility.
Washington department of transportation investigators say they'll also need to get this mangled mess of steel out of the river in order to examine it, see exactly where it failed and why -- Wolf.
BLITZER: And so folks -- are there alternate routes nearby? Or are people really going to be driving way out of their way to make this important stretch?
BARRETT: Well, it's a vital artery, really, between the Canadian border, Washington, Oregon and points south. A huge amount of commercial traffic, tourist traffic, of course. Interestingly though, the border patrol and immigration and customs agents had for the Vancouver Olympics made sort of contingency plans for alternate routing if there was an incredible gridlock at the border, because we are closer to the Canadian border here. And they have apparently put that rerouting plan in place. So, you're seeing actually slow but smooth traffic of a whole lot of semi-trucks over another bridge that is not much farther away from me than the mangled one you see behind. So, it is an inconvenience and it could go on for weeks. It will take them that long certainly to even affect temporary repairs probably -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Yes, it's a major interstate, Interstate 5, and you don't often see an interstate bridge like that simply collapsing. Katharine, thank you.
The collapse already stirring up a heated debate over the country's crumbling infrastructure. Here is why some are calling it a matter of national security. Just ahead, we'll have much more on this part of the story.
There's other news we're following including Jodi Arias who's sitting in an Arizona jail cell still not knowing whether she will be put to death for murdering her boyfriend, Travis Alexander. A jury in Phoenix announced it could not reach an agreement on whether to sentence her to death. The jury foreman spoke out today about what the panel had to weigh when considering sending Arias to death row. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm very sure in my own mind that she was mentally and verbally abused. Now, is that an excuse? Of course not. Does it factor into decisions that we make? It has to. We're charged with going in presuming innocence, right? But she was on the stand for so long, there were so many contradicting stories. But I don't think it did her any good, no, that length of time, no.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: Ted Rowlands is joining us now from Phoenix. Ted, the deliberations went on for a few days. I assume they were pretty difficult to split jury, you need unanimous -- a unanimous decision. What are we hearing? What was going on inside that room?
TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, we know it was very difficult, Wolf. They deliberated for just under 14 hours, but within three hours, they came to the judge and said, we can't come to a decision. The judge told them to go back and 10 more hours transpired. Eventually, as you mentioned, they came back and said we just can't do it. The split was eight to four, eight jurors going for the death penalty, four jurors saying life in prison. So, it was a major difference in opinion there. And obviously, they just couldn't break it down. They -- it was a very emotional scene inside that courtroom when the verdict was read. All of the jurors seemed very emotional. Two of them even were weeping, openly weeping in court while the verdict was read.
BLITZER: So, what happens next? Walk us through the legal process.
ROWLANDS: Right now, it's all up to the county attorney here in Maricopa County. They have the option of moving forward and impaneling another jury for the death phase of this trial. It's not a full retrying of the case. It'll be a new panel that will just determine whether Jodi Arias should live or die. And that process will take a considerable amount of time, especially finding jurors who don't know about this case and who can act impartially. It's up to the county attorney. They did release a statement last night saying they are moving in that direction, but they say they'll look at all of the factors before they make a final decision.
BLITZER: So basically in July, they'll seat a new panel of jurors, they'll hear the evidence in favor or against the death sentence. She's obviously convicted of first-degree murder and having done it in an extremely cruel way. That is -- that remains on the table. The only thing these 12 jurors will have to decide is whether or not she'll serve the rest of her life in jail or she'll get the death sentence. So, here's the question, I don't know if you know the answer but maybe you do. What happens if the next panel can't come up with the unanimous decision, all 12 deciding either life or death?
ROWLANDS: At that point, Arizona law dictates it automatically drops to life in prison. And it'll be up to the judge to determine whether it's life with parole after 25 years, the possibility, or life without the possibility of parole. But this would be it. If another jury comes in and they can't come to a unanimous decision, then it automatically transfers down to life.
BLITZER: So, there's no third panel that could be part of this. It's only two panels.
ROWLANDS: No.
BLITZER: They will decide and then everyone moves on. All right. Ted, thanks very much.
Let's dig a bit deeper right now with Dan Schorr, he's a former prosecutor in New York. So, what do you think, Dan? How likely is it that we potentially could see some sort of plea to spare Arias the death penalty? What's the likelihood of that?
DAN SCHORR, FORMER PROSECUTOR, NEW YORK: It's possible. Certainly the prosecution has to weigh what they're going to do. Even though the prosecutor makes the final call and not the family, I think the prosecutor will probably go with what the family wants to do if they have a strong opinion. If they don't want to relive all the testimony about the brutal killing of Travis Alexander, I could see making a plea negotiation where she spends the rest of her life in prison, no parole and no right to appeal. But if the family wants to go forward and have another death penalty phase, Juan Martinez, the prosecutor, certainly doesn't look like the type of person to back down.
BLITZER: And then, in that -- in that new panel, the new trial, if you will, to determine life or death, all that graphic testimony, all those witnesses, they have to again come forward and the family has to hear all of that one more time.
SCHORR: Right. This recent death penalty phase was very short because the jury had already heard all of that evidence during the trial. But here, a new jury wouldn't have heard all of that evidence. So, you'll have to have the representation from the medical examiner about the almost 30 stab wounds. The gunshot to the head. The throat being slashed. They'll have the photos of Travis Alexander and probably autopsy photos. That's something that the family may not want to live through again, however they may see this as something that's an ongoing process and they're willing to see it through in order to get the death penalty for Jodi Arias.
So, the prosecutor makes the call, but he'll probably go with what the family feels, if they have a strong opinion one way or another.
BLITZER: So, when you were a prosecutor and if the family in a situation like this -- I know you probably didn't have a case remotely similar to this one. But if the family says, please, let's just get it over with and move on, then the pressure is on the prosecutor to do exactly what the family wants. Is that what I'm hearing you say?
SCHORR: Yes, I've handled a lot of murder cases. And you always want to take into account what the family wants, however you don't always do exactly what the family wants you to do. You have to weigh other concerns, what's society's interest? What is the best strategy going forward? But in a case like this, you really want to take a long time to think about it, they'll probably take at least a few days. And you want to hear what the family wants to do because the emotional cost of going through this again may be high. But it may be important to the family to do it anyway.
BLITZER: Another round going forward in July. Dan Schorr, thanks very much for joining us.
SCHORR: Thank you. BLITZER: Here's what we're working on in other news this hour. Shala Taylor (ph) said she didn't know if she or her baby would survive. She was in labor, couldn't move as a massive tornado literally tore the walls off her operating room. But a brave hospital staff stuck by her. We have the story, that's ahead.
And memories of another storm still linger. Superstorm Sandy destroyed parts of the Jersey shore. As Memorial Day approaches, the race is on to turn a disaster zone into a summer paradise.
Plus, new life for old shows. More than six years after "Arrested Development" was canceled, guess what? The sitcom is coming back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Cleanup and recovery moves forward today in Oklahoma. But families of two young tornado victims pause for emotional farewells. A funeral service was held this morning for eight-year-old Nicholas McCabe, he was one of ten children killed including seven at an elementary school. His obituary says Nicholas loved Legos, country music and going to the lake.
Services were also being held today for eight-year-old Kyle Davis. He played soccer and loved it. His mother spoke with CNN's Piers Morgan about how she's coping with such a tremendous loss.
(BEGINVIDEO CLIP)
MIKKI DIXON: With lots of prayer and support. It's been one of the hardest few days of my life. Leaving him on Monday, just telling him good-bye as I'm going to work and he's headed to school and thinking, OK, I'll see you in a little while. And then -- and then, I don't. It's been horrible. I just can't -- it's just hard to express in words.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: Our heart goes out to that family. In the middle of all this grief, the city is moving ahead with graduation ceremonies tomorrow. And President Obama visits the area on Sunday.
It's one of the amazing and aspiring stories to come out of the Oklahoma tornado tragedy, four nurses help protect and comfort a woman who was in labor while the storm was demolishing the hospital. After the danger passed, they helped get her to another hospital where she gave birth. Now, the mother, her baby and the hero nurses, they have all been reunited. We have the story from our own Brian Todd.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How are you?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Good.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, my God, look how handsome your boy is. BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A reunion that came seconds and inches away from never happening. Four nurses from Moore medical center congratulate Shayla Taylor on her newborn son, Braden (ph). Six people with a bond that will last for the rest of their lives. As the tornado approached town, Shayla Taylor was in labor on the second floor of the medical center. She was dilated, going through contractions and --
ALYSON HEEKE, NURSE SUPERVISOR: She couldn't move. She'd had an epidural anesthesia which meant she was numbed she couldn't walk.
TODD: As the tornado bore down, the staff moved her to the hallway, then to the more solid, windowless operating room. The power was knocked out. It was too dangerous to move her anywhere else.
CINDY POPEJOY, CHARGE NURSE: Her baby was not doing the best. So I really needed to wait to monitor the baby to see how the baby was tolerating the labor process especially since she was so far dilated. So the only place to do that would be the OR.
TODD: But within minutes the hospital was hit with massive force.
Now what are you thinking?
SHAYLA TAYLOR, WAS IN LABOR DURING TORNADO: Once I felt the floor start shaking, it felt like an earthquake. And I knew we were getting hit directly.
TODD: Did you think at that moment that you and Braden could survive this?
TAYLOR: I didn't know if we would. I was just praying that we would.
TODD: The walls were ripped off the operating room. Shayla's husband and the nurses shared these pictures from where they were hunkered down a gaping hole to the outside. The tornado still raging.
TAYLOR: Over my eyes I could see I-35. And I could see the movie theater.
TODD: With Shayla still in labor, nurses Cindy Popejoy, Barbara Brand (ph), Bonnie Stephens (ph) and Alyson Heeke draped blankets and their bodies over her and hung on.
HEEKE: We actually were on the floor, Bonnie, the scrub tech, was leaned over her a little more. We had blankets and pillows all around her and we were holding onto each other and the bed.
TODD: It worked. The tornado passed without any of them being hurt. But Shayla's husband, Jerome, who had taken cover with their 4-year- old son Shayden (ph) on a lower floor hadn't been allowed to go to his wife and says he didn't know how to get to her.
JEROME TAYLOR, SHAYLA'S HUSBAND: They were like, no, everybody's out of the building. And I was like, no, my wife is upstairs. TODD: And there was still danger. Even though the tornado had passed, floors and ceilings were unstable and there were gas leaks, but Jerome Taylor and the nurses were able to get Shayla onto to a flat board, get her down a stairwell, and out.
Shayla was taken to the Healthplex hospital in Norman. Within hours Braden Emmanuel Taylor was born at a healthy 8 pounds 3 ounces.
What do you think of those nurses and what they did?
S. TAYLOR: Those nurses are amazing. You know, they're definitely doing the job they were called to do. You know, to put my life before theirs, I know that's what you're supposed to do, you know, as a nurse. I went to nursing school, so I know that's what you're supposed to do, but to actually see them do it and to be more concerned about me than them, I know they're definitely doing the job that they're called to do.
TODD: As for this tiny troublemaker.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He probably will sleep through anything now.
TODD: One final piece of symmetry here, Shayla Taylor just finished nursing school. She says she's always wanted to be a labor and delivery nurse and this experience only reinforces that. Brian Todd, CNN, Moore, Oklahoma.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: Really truly inspiring story. This important programming note for our viewers. This weekend you can get an up close look at the storm chasers who risked their lives to get incredible footage of the tornado that hit Moore, Oklahoma. "STORM HUNTERS IN THE PATH OF DISASTER," an Anderson Cooper SPECIAL REPORT Saturday night 7:00 p.m. eastern.
Just ahead here in CNN NEWSROOM, it's an unforgettable image. The man accused of killing a British soldier in broad daylight, holding a bloody cleaver. So who is he, and what drove him to allegedly commit this horrific crime?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: President Obama says the rising number of sexual assault cases in the U.S. military are a threat to the country's fighting forces. The president addressed graduates at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis earlier today. He says misconduct including sexual assault erodes trust in the military.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: In our digital age, a single image from the battlefield of troops falling short of their standards can go viral and endanger our forces and undermine our efforts to achieve security and peace. Likewise, those who commit sexual assault are not only committing a crime, they threaten the trust and discipline that makes our military strong. That's why we have to be determined to stop these crimes. Because they've got no place in the greatest military on earth.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: U.S. military is also dealing with three high profile cases where officers in charge of preventing sexual assault are actually accused of misconduct. And just this week we also learned about an army sergeant at West Point accused of secretly videotaping female cadets in the showers and bathrooms.
Let's go to London now where police are searching for more people who may have played a role in the hacking death of a British soldier. The victim is 25-year-old Lee Rigby, an infantryman and drummer. But this man has become the frightening face of this very violent act. Covered in blood, holding a meat cleaver, ranting about jihad and revenge. Police have released his name and CNN found some people who actually know him. Here's CNN's Dan Rivers in London.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAN RIVERS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: His bloody image is already seared into our brains, brandishing a meat cleaver, a knife he's suspected of using to kill a British soldier, but who is Michael Adebolajo? Friend Abu Baraa shares much of his extremist ideology and says he's known him for more than seven years.
ABU BARAA, FRIEND OF MICHAEL ADEBOLAJO: I mean, he's always been very vocal and very concerned about the affairs of Muslims and people being oppressed. He could never tolerate anybody to really be oppressed without to do to say anything. And I'm sure he felt very frustrated and helpless when he couldn't. As a person he was always very caring, very concerned. He always had a heart for other people. Just wanted to help everybody.
RIVERS: But on Wednesday it appears he wanted to kill. In this video you can see him and his alleged accomplice running towards the police brandishing knives, as if they deliberately waited at the scene to attack the first police who responded. The officers who arrived were armed and shot both men.
Michael Adebolajo was a fixture at Islamist rallies like this one in London in 2007. He's understood to have converted to Islam from Christianity four years earlier. British of Nigerian decent, he started at this school in Essex, he married in 2006, a marriage which Abu Baraa was unable to attend because he was in prison for encouraging Muslims to kill British soldiers in Iraq.
RIVER: Would you condemn what he did?
BARAA: I would condemn the cause of this, which is the British foreign policy. At the end of the day Britain has taken its people, its public to war. And it's taken its soldiers to war. And knowing full well that war, you know, is a violent practice and people get killed in war. Soldiers are, you know, in full knowledge that they could get killed. So Britain is the one who is responsible. The government. And I believe all of us as a public we are responsible. We should condemn ourselves. Why would we not do enough to stop these wars going on in Iraq and Afghanistan?
RIVERS: But you would not condemn his actions?
BARAA: I would only condemn the one who is the cause of this, the aggressor, the occupier, the British government, the British troops.
RIVERS: But it is this young soldier, Drummer Lee Rigby who has paid the price for such extremism.
CNN understands spies at the British Security Service MI-5 based here in central London were aware of Michael Adebolajo and his accomplice while investigating other terrorist plots, but there was nothing to indicate either men were about to strike in such an appalling way. Dan rivers, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: What an awful, awful, awful story.
Just ahead here in CNN NEWSROOM, with damage Superstorm Sandy caused, it was hard to see the Jersey Shore ever being really the same. But now businesses are opening for the summer, we're taking a closer look.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Take a look at these terrifying pictures out of Washington state. An entire section of a bridge in Skagit County collapsed sending cars plummeting into the river below. Amazingly, no one was killed.
