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A-Rod Penalty Expected Soon; U.S. Embassies Closed in Hot Spots; Burned Body Found in Detroit; Driver Was Out for Blood; Confessed Killer Testifies at Son's Trial

Aired August 05, 2013 - 14:00   ET

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

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: They're being called the new generation of al Qaeda, and their apparent new plot has the world on edge.

I'm Brooke Baldwin. The news is now.

He cheated. He lied. And now baseball's most expensive star may be about to go to war with his league.

What would you do?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MOODY: Leave that boy alone. Leave him alone!

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BALDWIN: A school bus driver doesn't step in as a student cries for help during a brutal beating.

Plus, the Army psychiatrist accused of the Fort Hood massacre could cross-examine victims. Hear what they're saying.

And -

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Camouflage, shadows and (INAUDIBLE). No guns but got ammo (INAUDIBLE).

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BALDWIN: Schoolteacher by day, burqa avenger by night. What this new cartoon character is fighting for.

Hi there. I'm Brooke Baldwin. Great to be with you on this Monday.

We begin with the highest paid player on the most high-profile team in all of Major League Baseball. You know who I'm talking about. Alex Rodriguez. He is famous for his record-setting performance, his celebrity girlfriends, and his exploits on the baseball diamond.

But one of the game's most storied careers is coming apart at the seams as I speak because what we're learning, we are expecting Major League Baseball to issue a news release anytime now outlining this punishment for A-Rod, and a group of other players, all linked to this Miami clinic alleged to have distributed these PEDs, these performance enhancing drugs.

But even with today's imminent announcement, this saga is far from over. CNN Sports' Rachel Nichols is tracking the story for us from New York right now. And here he is in Chicago, Jason Carroll, where we know A-Rod has said he plans to be in the Yankees lineup tonight against the White Sox. We've heard from the manager saying he's penciled him in.

But, Rachel Nichols, let me just begin with you. Tell me, what are we expecting to happen both to Rodriguez and these other players involved?

RACHEL NICHOLAS, CNN SPORTS: Well, this is getting fascinating, Brooke, because baseball is planning to use this evidence it gathered from this Miami clinic to suspend 13 players today. And reports over the last hour have indicated that 12 of those 13 players are going to accept their suspension, 50 games each for each one of them. None of them, according to these multiple reports, plan to appeal. They're all going to start serving today.

The lone holdout, Alex Rodriguez. A-Rod has said that he denies any wrongdoing. He is going to appeal any suspension that he gets. Now, of course, things could change at the 11th hour, but so far we are expecting him to be suspended, to appeal that immediately. And there was some talk from Major League Baseball last week that maybe they've used special powers of the commissioner to keep him off the field during his appeal. That doesn't sound like it's going to happen. So it sounds like he can appeal, show up for the New York Yankees today in Chicago for, by the way, his first game of the season, probably get booed at a park that is not full of friendly fans, and then, Brooke, this saga is going to go on for the next month or so while an arbitrator looks at it.

BALDWIN: Speaking of potential booing, let's go to Jason Carroll.

I mean, Jason, I'm sure that's what you've heard as well, expecting that, right, in the stadium, in the White Sox stadium. What are you hearing there in Chicago?

JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, first I should tell you, Brooke, we've already heard some of the booing. We heard it this weekend when I was out in New Jersey, as you know, Rodriguez playing AA ball out there. I heard some boos when he hit the field, but also heard some cheers as well, expecting to hear that in Chicago as well.

But they won't be all boos. As I was standing out here doing some live reporting, we saw one guy walk by with the Yankees jersey on and it had "Rodriguez" there on the back. We pulled him over. And we know that there's at least one fan out there who feels as though Rodriguez deserves a second chance.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm not saying it was OK. It's not OK to do steroids and stuff. But I'm just saying, do I think it's fair for him to get a lifetime ban or 214 games that they're talking about compared to everybody else that's at 67 when Braun did about the same thing as A-Rod? I don't think so, you know.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CARROLL: And we've heard Rodriguez say something similar to that, Brooke. Basically Rodriguez saying that he feels as though he's being singled out because he's a high-profile, highly paid player. He feels as though it's a double standard -- one standard for him, another standard for some of the other players. So that's probably going to be the basis of part of his appeal.

Also, he says, as you heard Rachel say a little earlier, says he is not guilty of the allegations, was not connected to that clinic, that anti-aging clinic down there in Florida. So it's going to be an interesting game, to say the least.

BALDWIN: Yes.

CARROLL: I think it was ESPN who basically said, it's not going to be just a game, it's going to be more like a circus. I'm actually anxious to see what will happen later on this evening.

BALDWIN: I think, though, if you were to talk to a lot of people, they mentioned circus and Yankees a lot in the same sentence. And just in terms of dollars and cents for the non-baseball, you know, viewing audience, this is a guy who, it was 2007, signed with the Yankees for $275 million over the course of 10 years.

CARROLL: Yes.

BALDWIN: Rachel, back to you. I mean put this, though, more in perspective as we await this lone holdout here, this 13th man. Tell us why we really should care, because a lot of people want this to go away.

NICHOLS: Both of those things can be true. You want it to go away and care about why it's happening. Look, this is a very interesting case. This didn't come about because of a spate of positive tests. Instead we're looking about what is likely going to be the largest performance enhancing drugs scandal in the history of American sports because of baseball's aggressive investigation into this clinic. We really haven't seen this from sports leagues in the past. Normally they wait around for the positive test to come in. Instead, baseball, recognizing it has had a huge problem with this, went after the players involved in this clinic, used other evidence to bring these guys in. So that's first of all a big change and we may see some other leagues follow.

You've also seen a c-change among the players. During the so-called steroid era of baseball, which by the way, of course, we know never really ended, but the whole Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa era, we saw players close ranks around any guys accused or accused of using steroids. Hey, hey, don't bother us about this. Now clubhouse after clubhouse, we listened to players say, get them. Go get the guys who were cheating. We don't want them in the game. That is a huge change and that is going to affect, going forward, the penalties for these guys. I think you're only going to see them get tougher.

BALDWIN: As soon as we get the news, obviously we'll bring you two back up and a number of other players here to talk about what everyone is talking about today, A-Rod and this news that we're awaiting. Jason Carroll, Rachel Nichols, thank you both very much.

Let me move on for now and tell you that the United States government is closed for business across much of the Mideast and Africa today. This is the terrorist threat. We talked about this on Friday, apparently based upon an intercepted message from within the ranks of al Qaeda.

But take a look with me. Take a look at Egypt. Here it is. The American flag is flying. But the U.S. embassy is locked. It is closed until Friday. Bangladesh, a heightened security presence there at the embassy in Dhaka. And Yemen, increase in suspicion that the plot could originate there. In all, I am talking about 19 embassies closed the entire week, a defensive move, unprecedented in scope. Authorities say the intel is the scariest stuff they have seen since the days before 9/11. Take a listen to this.

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REP. PETER KING (R), NEW YORK: Because this threat was so specific as to how enormous it was going to be and also there's certain dates were given, but it didn't specify where it's going to be. And, you know, the assumption is that it's probably most likely to happen in the Middle East at or about one of the embassies, but there's no guarantee of that at all.

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BALDWIN: Congressman King says it could happen in Europe. It could even happen here at home.

Keep in mind, al Qaeda has tried at least three times since 9/11 to bomb incoming airliners. CNN terrorism analyst Paul Cruickshank is joining me now from Washington. And there is Nick Paton Walsh joining us from Beirut.

So, Paul, first to you. What are you hearing as far as new today, new intelligence, new warnings, new indications of where this purported threat might originate?

PAUL CRUICKSHANK, CNN TERRORISM ANALYST: Well, Brooke, it seems that the threat originates in Yemen. There's a lot of concern because it may be linked to the chief bombmaker of the group in Yemen, Ibrahim al-Asiri. He's the mastermind behind those three attempts against U.S. airliners. Three plots against U.S. airliners in recent years. He's been able to build the most sophisticated devices ever seen from al Qaeda. Devices which are very difficult for detection scanner equipment to pick up. So a lot of concern that he may be linked to this plot. This is a guy who put a bomb inside his own brother in August 2009 to target the head of Saudi counterterrorism, Brooke. BALDWIN: I want to come back to you about al-Asiri and sort of the cutting-edge bombmaking, if you will.

But, Nick Paton Walsh, to you. As we have been reporting, really one of the wild cards here is this rash of prison breaks. You have hundreds of militants who have been sprung in these nine different countries in the month of July, including some with al Qaeda connections. I mean here's the tick tock, the time line, if you will. How can these - how can these bad guys return to the battlefield so quickly?

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, this complexity in working out exactly how that would take shape, Interpol put out an alert over the weekend. As you say, 11 jail breaks, nine countries in just 25 days. Pakistan, Libya, Iraq. Importantly, in Iraq, we've confirmed today with Iraqi officials, and, in fact, it's the war minister of al Qaeda in Iraq who was released in that jailbreak. '

But this is where it gets more complex, Brooke, because a lot of these high-profile militants, they have battles to fight in Pakistan, in Iraq, in Iraq's own (ph) sectarian violence, in Syria even as well. Al Qaeda having changed in shape slightly to be more about local, often into (ph) Arab violence and just targeting America, like we remember seven, eight years ago at the height of the Bush administration.

So many asking, yes, how fast can these militants get back into play? Is someone like the minister at war with al Qaeda in Iraq, would he find himself eventually (ph) looking to threaten America or more involved in this violent civil war almost happening in Iraq now that killed over 1,000 people last month, Brooke.

BALDWIN: And, Paul, back to you. Talking about this mastermind bombmaker, al-Asiri, who, as you point out, put this bomb in his brother. I mean, if you can, just characterize for me this group, al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. Clearly they seem hell-bent on using airliners as an example. They are constantly the group that's keeping us or we're trying to stay one step ahead of them as far as our own detection. Are they younger? Are they organized? How brazen are they?

CRUICKSHANK: Well, al Qaeda in the Arian Peninsula is an organized group, and they also have a track record of hitting U.S. interests in the region. In September 2008, they carried out a sophisticated multiphase attack on the U.S. embassy in Sana'a. They didn't manage to breach the embassy perimeter. But six Yemeni guards were killed in that attack

And now, according to sources who've spoken to CNN, there are also three operatives from the group who actually participated in the attack on the consulate in Benghazi in September of last year. So this is a group with a track record of hitting the United States, Brooke.

BALDWIN: Paul Cruickshank and Nick Paton Walsh, thank you very much, both of you.

Coming up, a young woman found dead and burned inside her own apartment. This, just days after two other women were attacked and burned as well in the same city. Might there be a connection there? We'll look into that.

Plus, a teenager is on trial for allegedly helping his father murder a young boy. And today that father takes the stand. And let me tell you, it got very heated.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I've been sentenced for it, life in prison, yet here I am going over the same (EXPLETIVE DELETED) story.

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BALDWIN: Detroit Police calling it an unprecedented case. A woman found dead, burned in a Detroit apartment days after two other women were also found attacked, both left for dead in a nearby vacant field. One of them with burn marks on her body. CNN's Rosa Flores joins me with more on this one.

And, Rosa, what are police saying? Are they connecting these women at all?

ROSA FLORES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You know, that's the big question. I just got off the phone with Detroit Police and the public information officer there tells me that they are investigating these three cases separately. Right now they don't believe that these cases are related.

But here is what we know. The latest body was discovered after Detroit firefighters put out an apartment fire Saturday. The woman has not been identified, but investigators do say that she is in her 20s. Now, the medical examiner has not determined the cause of death at this point in time.

And here's what's very interesting. A week earlier, to the day, on July 27th, a 30-year-old woman was found physically assaulted in a vacant field. Her condition is unknown at this time.

But hear this. A day earlier, on July 27th, a 37-year-old was also found in a vacant field physically assaulted and with burn marks. Now, her current condition is also unknown.

Now, according to the fire department, the arson unit is also investigating. Now, the cause of the fire, of course, has not been determined at this point in time because it's early in the investigation.

Now, the police department is also investigating. Again, all of these cases separately, they tell me, but they also tell me that they are waiting for the medical examiner to determine the cause of death to, of course, hopefully find some leads for them to follow. At this point, they say it's very early in the investigation. Brooke, they're saying that these three cases are not being investigated as one. They're not being connected. But, of course, three women, two of them in a vacant lot, another one in an apartment complex. We've got to ask the questions, of course. BALDWIN: Rosa Flores, we thank you for that one. You're going to say on it. Rosa, thank you.

Coming up next, terror on the boardwalk as this car just plows through this group of people, leaving one woman dead. The police say the driver was, quote, "bent on doing evil." But why? Next.

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BALDWIN: A plan police say was, quote, "bent on doing evil," has killed one person, wounded 11 others during a deadly rampage on this Venice Beach Boardwalk. His weapon, not a gun, not a bomb, it was his car.

I want you to watch this with me. Watch the background of this surveillance video here and you're going to see the car starts to accelerate. Watch the spotlighted area. Plows through. You see them falling over. Plows through victims, just enjoying their Saturday at the beach. They're walking along this crowded Venice Beach Boardwalk.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He just drove and took that left turn down the center of the boardwalk and just started driving. And bodies were scattered and bodies were flying in the air. And people were screaming. And it was absolute mayhem.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You could tell he intentionally continued to drive and speed up. That's when it became, like, jaw dropping. Like you just freeze and, what is happening here?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, it was like something out of a movie. Something you'd never expect to see. There were people flying, laying on the ground, tents flying everywhere.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He had to have pressed his foot to the gas, you know, pedal to the metal because the tires started screeching. And I saw him and he - he was looking for blood. That guy was -- that guy, his intention was to kill people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: One woman was killed. A 32-year-old from Italy. Her husband told police they were on their honeymoon.

CNN's Paul Vercammen has more from Venice Beach.

Paul.

PAUL VERCAMMEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Brooke, the LAPD now saying that 15 people were injured in the crash, all of them out of the hospital. The one person killed is Alice Gruppioni. She's from Bologna, Italy. Her husband said to be doing fine physically, not mentally. The couple were wrapping up the Los Angeles leg of their honeymoon and headed to Tahiti next.

As for the suspect, Nathan Campbell, 38 years old, and a transient.

As for the timing of this, this is possibly the most crowded time at the Venice Boardwalk. A Saturday evening, just before sundown, when it is jammed with both tourists and local residents. In the video, it seems like Campbell looks at the boardwalk as if to case it and then goes back to his car and steps on the gas. Many of the witnesses saying that he was pulling a slalom-type move to hit pedestrians on that crowded boardwalk.

Now back to you, Brooke.

BALDWIN: Awful. Paul Vercammen, thank you.

And we're going to stay on it because next hour I'll talk to an LA city councilman whose district includes Venice, about how additional barrier along the boardwalk are need.

But coming up next, Josh Young, the 17-year-old on trial for complicity to murder in the death of his stepbrother. Today that boy's father is on the stand, and he claims he acted alone in the murder of his stepson.

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JOSH GOUKER, CONVICTED KILLER: And (EXPLETIVE DELETED) I've lied this whole (EXPLETIVE DELETED) time expect for since arraignment. Since arraignment court, and I've told you I've done it. I admitted everything I've done. I've been sentenced for it, life in prison, yet here I am going over the same (EXPLETIVE DELETED) story.

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BALDWIN: Well, HLN's Jane Velez-Mitchell, she's going to join me. She's all over this bleep-filled testimony today. Don't miss this.

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BALDWIN: Near the bottom of the hour. You're watching CNN. I'm Brooke Baldwin.

Want to take you to Kentucky for this one because jurors in this Kentucky courtroom listened to a confessed killer curse his way through the testimony today in the Josh Young trial. Josh Gouker is the biological father of Josh Young and has pled guilty to killing young stepbrother Trey Zwicker. Prosecutors say Gouker is covering for Young who faces a complicity to murder charge. His trial is in Louisville. It has seen its share of sordid stories. But today stood out when Gouker talked about killing Zwicker. Here he was.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOSH GOUKER, CONVICTED KILLER: And (EXPLETIVE DELETED) I've lied this whole (EXPLETIVE DELETED) time expect for since arraignment. Since arraignment court, and I've told you I've done it. I admitted everything I've done. I've been sentenced for it, life in prison, yet here I am going over the same (EXPLETIVE DELETED) story. If it says I said it, then I said it.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK.

GOUKER: I mean I don't deny nothing I've said.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK.

GOUKER: I'm a (EXPLETIVE DELETED), you know what I mean? But I was probably telling the truth about that. I don't know.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK. And that -

GOUKER: This (EXPLETIVE DELETED) didn't really mean nothing to me, you know what I mean? I was trying to get on past that day.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You told them, when they got there, that little Josh had confessed to you on the night of May 14th, right?

GOUKER: Yes. Yes, the day - I told them it was the day I got back from talking to him because he wanted me to take a polygraph. And I knew I had convinced him during that interview - I believed he believed that I didn't have nothing to do with it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: HLN's Jane Velez-Mitchell, you have been following this trial each and every day. I mean talk about a bleep-filled testimony. I see you shaking your head. Tell me every day is not like this.

JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL, HOST, HLN'S "JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL": Look, there's been a lot of monsters in the news lately, and this guy is right up there. I call him hell dad. He is a vicious, vicious individual who served time for armed robbery and assault. And he gets out. And he takes his son, who was thriving in a foster home, and within a couple of months, there's a murder.

And the reason why his testimony is not to be believed is because he's a self-admitted pathological liar who has told many, many different stories at different times. He originally blamed this teenager's death, his stepson's death, on a group of African-American kids. And he chuckled about that on the stand today. Then he turned around and said, well, my own son actually killed Trey Zwicker, but don't worry about it, he's a minor. He's 15, at the time. He's going to get off with a slap on the wrist.

Now that his son is charged as an adult and could go to prison for life, he's saying, I did it. I beat the boy to death with a pipe. I did it alone.