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FBI Investigating Deadly LAX Shooting; LAX Opens after Deadly Shooting; Boston Celebrates World Series Win as City; LAX Shooting Delayed Flights Nationwide; Teen's Mysterious Death; Decorated Officer May Lose Career over E-mail; Amanda Knox Re-Trial; Kraft's Mac and Cheese Goes Healthy
Aired November 02, 2013 - 13:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Here are the top stories we're following in the CNN NEWSROOM.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Just pure and utter mayhem. I mean, people are tripping over each other on the floor, bags everywhere, crying.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: A shooter opens fire at LAX. One TSA officer is dead, two others wounded. New details about the suspect and what the goal may have been.
Plus, more than one million people are showing they are Boston strong. A parade in Beantown celebrating the Red Sox's World Series title and honoring the city's resilience six months after the Boston marathon bombing.
And an e-mail lands a U.S. Marine in hot water. He could get booted for mishandling classified information. But some say he should be rewarded instead.
An urgent investigation is going on right now at Los Angeles because of that LAX shooting. A day after a gunman burst in killing a TSA officer. The suspect was detained after being shot, according to an intelligence source.
Our affiliate KCAL and KCBS got this exclusive video, and is reporting that it appears to show suspect Paul Ciancia handcuffed to a stretcher. CNN cannot independently confirm who that person is on that stretcher. Video from inside the terminal moments after shots were fired did show how chaotic it was.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: On the floor. On the floor. On the floor now. On the floor.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Chill, chill, chill, chill.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Come on, come on, come on. The floor. (END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Passengers ran for their lives as officers screamed to get down and get out.
A disturbing picture is coming together of the suspected shooter, Paul Ciancia. According to a law enforcement official, he was carrying materials, including an anti-TSA rant and a reference to a new world order.
Chris Lawrence is in Pennsville, New Jersey, where the suspect is from.
Chris, his family members and even those who know him have been saying a little bit about him and how surprised they are about these events that unfolded yesterday.
CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: That's right. I mean, it came as a complete shock to a lot of people here who knew the family. But when you dig a little bit deeper, Fred, and try to find people who were really close to Paul Ciancia himself, who had longtime social ties with him, it becomes very, very difficult.
He grew up here. Spent most of his life here. Had only moved to L.A. about a year and a half ago. But I talked to one young man who knows his younger brother, who says it was very hard for him to think of even one person that he knew Paul was still friends with and kept in contact with, here in his hometown. So neighbors are very surprised by this, and inside the house, the family is obviously still trying to come to grips with what happened.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What is the state of mind of the family members --
(CROSSTALK)
CHIEF ALLEN CUMMINGS, PENNSVILLE, N.J. POLICE DEPARTMENT: Obviously, you know, they're upset. I mean, this is a shock to them. It's a shock to our community at this point right now. You know, this is -- the FBI in California and the FBI here in New Jersey, they're working together as a team. And they're going, you know, turn every stone over and try to find out what happened and why it happened.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LAWRENCE: The family says they did not know that he had a rifle. They said that he had no history of mental health problems. In fact, they told police that he was back here just this summer for a wedding. Nothing seemed to be the problem. The indication came when this series of text messages to his family, the text messages were described to us as being alarming, angry, hinted that perhaps he might hurt himself.
That is when the family called the local police here. The local police here got on the phone with the LAPD and said, please, go check this out, make sure he is OK. But by the time the officers got there and were talking to Paul -- Paul's roommates there in Los Angeles, he himself had already gone to LAX -- Fred.
WHITFIELD: All right. Chris Lawrence, thank you so much for that update from Pennsville, New Jersey.
All right. Now back to Los Angeles. People there are mourning the death of TSA officer Gerardo Hernandez. TSA administrator John Pistol is on his way to Los Angeles to meet with the officer's family. Pistol is also expected to meet with other TSA officers and FBI investigators at LAX.
Dan Simon is at LAX right now.
So, Dan, the FBI is still investigating in Terminal 3. What is the status of the terminal, while we've reported that it is open, that doesn't necessarily mean that passengers are moving through, right?
DAN SIMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's exactly right. I should tell you, Fredricka, that the airport just announced via Twitter that anybody who left any belongings whatsoever in Terminal 3 can now go pick up those belongings. As you can imagine, when this all took place, people sort of dropped their luggage, they left their purses, they left their briefcases, et cetera. And just hit the exit. Well, now, after waiting around for a long period of time, anxious travelers can now go back into Terminal 3 and claim those belongings.
As for the terminal itself, it remains closed. The rest of the airport, meanwhile, is completely open. We're seeing lots of planes take off and land. Lots of traffic here at the airport. If you happen to have a flight, though, that would normally leave Terminal 3, you should check in with your airline because perhaps that flight might be leaving out of another terminal.
In the meantime, Fredricka, the investigation continues. We're told that investigators are still inside the terminal processing the scene -- Fred.
WHITFIELD: All right, Dan Simon, thank you so much. At LAX.
Now to the East Coast. Six months after the Boston marathon bombings, the city of Boston has big reasons to celebrate. We'll take you to Beantown to show you how the Red Sox, World Series champions, are celebrating their victory. Along with the rest of the city.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: From tragedy to triumph, right now, the city of Boston is ecstatic. Celebrating the Red Sox's World Series victory, but it's not just about baseball. It's a sign of the city's resilience six months after the terrorism attack at the Boston marathon.
Alexandra Field joins us live now from, shall we say, the remnants of the parade?
(LAUGHTER) ALEXANDRA FIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: All around me, Fred, you can see the confetti is still spilled in the streets and some of these very enthusiastic fans still milling around a couple of hours after they saw their beloved Red Sox World Series champs.
This was the largest public gathering since marathon Monday. So, of course, it was fitting, though, to stop and pay tribute to those who were lost in the marathon attacks and those who also survived, and amid the celebration today, that is exactly what the Red Sox did.
As this parade approached the marathon finish line, Jonny Gomes, an outfielder with the club, a club leader, he got down, he took the team's trophy, he put it on the finish line, and he took off his cap in a very fitting and a very moving salute. The crowd also bursting out into song.
There were other poignant moments along the parade route that are worth pointing out as well. We saw Adrian Haslett, she is the dancer who lost her foot in the bombing, she was on board one of the duck boats. Other marathon survivors tell us that the Red Sox invited them for a special breakfast this morning at Fenway Park before the parade got under way.
So the Red Sox and these marathon survivors together celebrating the progress that this city has made in the last baseball season and in the last six months -- Fred.
WHITFIELD: Oh, I know everybody's feeling so good there today. And well, have been for a while now.
Alexandra Field, thanks so much. We'll see you again later on this hour with more.
All right. So let's talk about the effects of Friday's deadly shooting in Los Angeles of a TSA officer at the international airport. Those -- you know, those effects have really been felt across the country. More than 1500 flights, in fact, were impacted.
CNN's Nick Valencia talked to passengers about the delays and their concern for the loved ones.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The stoppage at LAX rippled through flight boards across the nation, with the major impact on people's travel plans.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My flight was massively delayed coming out of Phoenix. So they're rerouting me onto another flight. And I'll get home, but it's definitely going to be much later than expected.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Unfortunate. But what can you do? A crazy person goes shooting.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's quite stressful to come here and --
(LAUGHTER)
Look on the board and see that, you know, not only is the flight delayed, but really just things are quite hectic in L.A.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It takes you back to, like, previous events that have happened over the years, and you just hope everybody's OK when you land.
VALENCIA: For others at airport, some anxious moments, as they waited to hear from family members traveling through Los Angeles.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Got a message from my father-in-law, who was on the plane at the time saying we're on the plane, but we can't go. And they didn't really know what was going on.
VALENCIA: And while canceled or rebooked flights caused headaches for a lot of people, some late travelers in San Francisco say they're lucky to have missed their scheduled flights, including this mother who dropped off her kids.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They made their flight to visit their dad in L.A. today, they would have been in the midst of what was going on down there in Terminal 3.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: Nick Valencia joining us live now outside of Atlanta, at Hartsfield-Jackson Airport.
So all day, it's been fairly smooth sailing there at the -- airport. Typically, it's relatively crowded on a Saturday. Why is it so different today?
VALENCIA: Yes, we've seen travel ebb and flow here. Passengers, actually we've spoken to a lot of them, and some are more nervous than others. Actually in the last, I'd say about hour here, the traffic has picked up, though. TSA officials tell us that the security lines are a lot shorter than normal.
We've asked the airlines if any of those cancellations or the lack of passenger presence here at the airport has anything to do with yesterday's shooting at LAX, they declined to comment about that. But certainly, even if it's just a psychological impact on the travelers here, it is evident -- Fred.
WHITFIELD: All right. Nick Valencia, thank you so much.
All right. Another story we've been watching very closely over the past few months. Now the parents of Kendrick Johnson are one step closer to finding out what might have happened to their son.
His body was found in a rolled-up gym mat earlier this year and now the feds are opening an investigation.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: Major developments this week in a case that CNN has been digging into for more than six months now.
A U.S. attorney announced that he is launching a federal investigation into the death of 17-year-old Kendrick Johnson. Johnson was found dead inside a rolled-up gym mat at his high school in Valdosta, Georgia, in January.
Officials said Johnson suffocated after falling into the gym mat while reaching for his shoe. But his parents believe he was murdered.
CNN's Victor Blackwell has been on top of this story for more than six months now. I asked Victor how federal investigators plan to move forward.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The U.S. attorney says it's a combination of a review and an investigation. So he and the FBI will be looking at the original investigation from local authorities, but also, they're going to go out and conduct their own interviews.
I spoke with a former FBI special agent and he says they're going to treat this like a cold case, in many ways, going out, and trying to find the people who were in the gym, around that gym, and knew the basic facts. So they'll create their own investigation as well.
WHITFIELD: There are an awful lot of inconsistencies. Everything from deeming it accidental, and then suddenly, OK, it looks like foul play was involved, and even the condition of Kendrick's body. How will federal authorities go about that? Does it appear as though there may be a sophisticated cover-up and that being part of the federal investigation?
BLACKWELL: Well, that's what the family believes. They believe that this was a cover-up. And we've reported that. We do not know, because that statement from the U.S. attorney was very carefully written, what the specific impetus, what that one detail was that initiated the investigation. But we do know that there's a possibility that there could be another exhumation.
In my conversations with the former FBI specialist, he says that there is the one from the state, the autopsy, and then the private autopsy, maybe the FBI lab will want their own autopsy. So a third to kind of find out which one of these is more in the right direction of what actually happened.
WHITFIELD: Some of those things are long term. What's next immediately?
BLACKWELL: What's next? The authorities, FBI, will be going into Valdosta and starting to have conversations with the officials there, the investigators, and the people in the community. We also know at the local level, expecting an announcement from the coroner to decide if he will open an inquest, which would gather a jury of six people, they would listen to testimony, look at evidence, and determine if Kendrick's death was an accident or a homicide. If it's deemed homicide, it changes his death certificate, and that could start a parallel local investigation to find the person responsible.
WHITFIELD: Victor Blackwell, thanks so much. Keep us posted on this.
BLACKWELL: Sure will.
WHITFIELD: Former county prosecutor Ken Hodges joins me now via Skype from Jekyll Island, Georgia.
Ken, good to see you. This is an extraordinary development that federal authorities are looking into this. Georgia authorities at one time concluding no foul play, case closed. And now with this federal investigation.
So what is the criteria, in your view, for a case to get this kind of attention from federal investigators?
KEN HODGES, FORMER D.A., DOUGHERTY COUNTY, GEORGIA: Well, I think clearly it's the pressure that was put on by the family and by the public at large that are questioning what went on. I know all of the state investigators and officials that are involved in this, the D.A., the medical examiner, the sheriff, and I know that they did a very thorough job. I also know the federal prosecutor, Michael Moore, and I know that he will do a great job of re-examining all this evidence and then, hopefully, answering these questions that the public has.
WHITFIELD: But does it have to be more than just the pressure that comes from the family and from, you know, media reports? Does it also have to -- I guess, the case itself have evidence or somehow have unanswered questions to a level that federal investigators have to say, "This is a federal case, this is more than a local investigation"?
HODGES: Well, certainly, it should be that, too. Because there are plenty of unsolved cases that are all across the country, and in Georgia, as well. To have a federal case, though, is a different question. There is not going to be -- because this was a homicide that occurred on nonfederal property, there is not likely to be a federal nexus unless there's a civil rights violation.
And I think that Michael Moore is -- I don't know the reasons why Michael Moore decided to open the investigation. I'm not privy to that. But I have -- I am privy to a lot of the things that were done by the local officials. And they did a very thorough job. I think Michael will review that job, and then in my estimation, will confirm what has already been determined this was a tragic accident.
WHITFIELD: Is this as much an investigation about the case itself of Kendrick Johnson and how this child ended up dead, as it is a case of an investigation about local authorities who handled the case in the first place?
HODGES: Well, it's probably both. But again, I've known the district attorney, David Miller, for 20 years. I've known the sheriff, Chris Prine, for probably 10 years. The GBI -- there is no one is finer than the Georgia Bureau of Investigations, and Kris Sperry, one of the top biologist in the country. They have all looked at this and I would be amazed if the federal authorities don't confirm what these local authorities have already done.
That said, because there's so many questions out there, I welcome this federal inquiry, and I'm sure the local authorities do, just to put to rest any suspicion about ill motives but --
(CROSSTALK)
WHITFIELD: But credentials aside, I man, you're talking about the merit of all of these people involved. But credentials aside, it just seems like a strange conclusion, you know, by anyone's measure. I mean, something strange happened, that this young kid could be seen on videotape by all accounts everyone knew him to be healthy. Seen on videotape going into a gym, playing basketball, you see the videotape, and the next thing you know, he's rolled up in a mat.
And it doesn't seem feasible that he would crawl into this mat, reaching for a shoe, when parts of the investigation reveal that the shoe was far away from the mat, and that his body is much wider than the mat. So, you know, it just seems very strange, and maybe it says little about the credentials of the investigators, but more about why are these pieces not being put together properly?
HODGES: Well, clearly, the situation is bizarre. It's like no other that I've ever encountered. But Dr. Sperry has medical forensic explanations for how all of this occurred. And I understand there are actually two sets of shoes. The set of shoes he was wearing at the time, and the set of shoes that he was reaching for. You know, it's almost like a suicide. No one wants to believe that a suicide occurred when it occurred. Not suggesting this was. It certainly wasn't.
But no one wants to believe that this kind of a freak accident could occur. And so, that's why there are unanswered questions. This is a bizarre tragedy, no doubt. Kendrick Johnson, it's a loss that he's not with us. But, you know, I would bank on the integrity of Chris Sperry and the Georgia Bureau of Investigations every day of the week, and I did for many years as a prosecutor.
WHITFIELD: OK, Ken Hodges, thanks so much for your time from Jekyll Island, Georgia, today.
HODGES: Thank you.
WHITFIELD: All right. You saw some of the images. People running for their lives after a gunman opens fire inside the Los Angeles airport yesterday. Next, we take you inside the airport for a firsthand look of what many describe as chaos.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: It's the bottom of the hour now. Welcome back. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. The investigation is ongoing into that shooting at Los Angeles International Airport yesterday. Officers say 23-year-old Paul Ciancia shot three TSA officers Friday, killing one of them. The shooting caused thousands of passengers inside Terminal 3 to run for cover.
Wolf Blitzer talked to some of the people who were there.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WOLF BLITZER, ANCHOR, CNN'S SITUATION ROOM: This incident apparently started with the shots fired. There are injuries. We've seen people evacuated, and we've seen people who have been injured.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I heard a couple of popping noises, and I just turned to look. It didn't -- it just sounded like somebody banging on something. But there was a stampede of people coming right away. And I realized that something was very wrong.
At the beginning, it was a complete panic. People were screaming. You know, I saw children crying. You know, I mean, people here are still very shaky.
TORI BELLECI, WITNESS: Then all of a sudden I heard shots, but it didn't register until everybody star started, like, flying down the hallway, and they were just, like, jumping over chairs, jumping over people. Hiding in -- we were kind of trapped at the end of the terminal. It seems like an eternity, but finally the security came, opened up the door, and we all piled out onto the tarmac, and just kind of hid underneath the plane.
It is probably the worst experience I've ever been in in my life. I mean, it's most terrifying.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And they were telling us to run in different directions, so people ran into a bathroom to hide. And then they pulled us out to the sidewalk, and said we are going to get bussed out, but then they pulled us back into the international terminal, and then we're being told we're not allowed to leave.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was actually in a very bad place. I was leaning against the wall, right outside where the shots were fired. I only found that out after we were evacuated, and we were standing probably 20 feet from a high-powered rifle and AR-15-looking rifle on the ground with three clips nearby.
And black shoes and some people's shopping bags and other people's carry-on luggage strewn about. But a policeman was taking pictures of the rifle.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Unforgettable, harrowing moments yesterday at LAX.
All right, now to five things crossing the CNN newsdesk right now. Number one, the New York man called the "Subway Vigilante" after he shot four black teenagers in 1984, as you'll recall, has been arrested for allegedly selling marijuana to police. The NYPD says Bernhard Goetz met a female undercover officer yesterday and agreed to sell her marijuana for $30.
Goetz was acquitted of murder and assault charges in the 1984 shooting but was convicted of illegal possession of a weapon. He served less than nine months behind bars.
Number two, a new study shows that piracy is becoming big business. It claims Somali pirates hauled in about $400 million in ransom money over the past eight years and funneled it into drugs, prostitution, real estate, and other ventures. The study was conducted by the U.N.'s crime unit, Interpol, and the World Bank.
Number three, the way your dogs wag their tails. Actually, it has something to do with their personality and what they're feeling in doggie language. A new study says if the tail is wagged towards the right side of the dog's body, he's happy. However, if the tail wags towards the left side, it often means that the dog is upset and anxious.
And number four, Kraft's Mac and Cheese will be getting healthier, they say. The company is making it more nutritious by adding more whole grains to the macaroni and removing saturated fats, some sodium, and artificial food dyes. The revamped recipe will hit store shelves next year.
And number five, the giant barge floating in the San Francisco bay could be a huge Google showroom. The barge has been a mystery since it docked, but our affiliate KPIX is quoting multiple sources as saying it's a big marketing center for Google to show off products like Google Glass. Google has not commented.
All right. Right now, the city of Boston is celebrating a victory that transcends sports. More than a million people lined the streets today to not only revel in the Red Sox's World Series win, but they're also celebrating the city's strength in the wake of the marathon bombings last April.
Alexandra Field has more on the victories on and off the field.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FIELD (voice-over): National champions. The Boston Red Sox, and national treasures, the marathon bombing survivors, after more than six months they're celebrating victories together.
HEATHER ABBOTT, BOMBING SURVIVOR: It felt like, you know, we were a city that had such a tragedy happen, and we were able to kind of be resilient and heal over the course of the baseball season coincidentally.
FIELD: Back in April, the Sox were coming off a last-place finish in their division last year, and the city of Boston had just taken a devastating hit.
After a pair of explosions near the marathon finish line, Heather Abbott lost part of her leg. She had just left the game at Fenway. A planned return would help her heal.
ABBOTT: I practice in physical therapy.
FIELD: While she was still using a wheelchair to get around, Abbott accepted an offer to go back to the ballpark.
ABBOTT: When I threw out the first pitch and I had just left the hospital, you know, that was really a big deal for me.
FIELD (on camera): And you can now say you pitched for the World Series champs.
(LAUGHTER)
ABBOTT: I guess I did.
FIELD (voice-over): Over and over again, the team invited Abbott and other survivors home. Most memorably for a tribute alongside James Taylor during the seventh inning of the second World Series game.
ABBOTT: You know, it felt like they were very supportive of us, and I think, you know, at least I felt supportive of them in return.
FIELD: Abbott had come a long way during the baseball season with her new prosthetic leg. She could now walk onto the field. As for the Sox, after 93 losses last year, they were now playing for the World Series championship.
ABBOTT: You know, it kind of felt like we were going -- moving along now with the Red Sox every step of the way. As they were, you know, continuing to improve their season as well, and the whole Boston strong, you know, mantra kind of stuck.
FIELD: In six games, Boston's team proved its strength, winning the series.
DAVID ROSS, BOSTON RED SOX: The Boston -- the marathon, you know, all of that stuff, it's bigger than us.
FIELD: In six months, Abbott showed the world how strong she is.
ABBOTT: To know that, you know, only six months have gone by, and I'm pretty much totally independent and have, you know, a few different legs that I can use and I started running again, you know, I think for me that's an important success to celebrate.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: All right. Abbott is a real inspiration, such resolve.
Alexandra, joining me now live from the route where that parade has just ended. And it seems as though kind of her attitude is synonymous with so many people there, like you said, whether they were, you know, one of the sox or whether they're simply one of the citizens of Boston.
FIELD: Absolutely. And, Fredricka, you know, the mayor of Boston, Tom Menino, really put it the right way when he said earlier this week, that the sox were reflecting the resilience of this city. Their ability to bring this title home this year, meaning so much to people in this city who have really gone through a lot. People like Heather Abbott, who also had the opportunity this morning, Fred, to have breakfast with the Red Sox before they headed out to celebrate their big win.
WHITFIELD: That's fantastic. All right, Alexandra Field, thanks so much for being it to us all morning long. It really was very infectious, just the feeling there of people being excited and coming together. So nice, we're so proud of the Boston Red Sox, as well.
Thanks so much, Alexandra.
All right. A decorated officer could be kicked out of the Marines for sending an e-mail, but some say he's a hero. Ahead, we lay out both cases for and against Major Jason Brezler.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: A decorated officer in the U.S. Marine Corps faces possible discharge after writing an e-mail that could have exposed a threat to Marines. But some say Major Jason Brezler should be given an award instead.
Ivan Watson reports on this story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Jason Brezler is not just a New York City fireman. He's also a highly decorated officer in the U.S. Marine Reserve, serving four tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. Now facing possible discharge on less-than- honorable terms after serving 13 years.
KEVIN CARROLL, JASON BREZLER'S ATTORNEY: For a man like Jason Brezler, being asked to separate from the Marine Corps that he loves so much would be an even worst punishment than jail.
WATSON: Legally, Major Brezler cannot speak about his case because it's still under review. So his attorney, Kevin Carroll, is speaking for him. Here's what he says happened.
Brezler was in the U.S. in the summer of 2012 when he received an urgent message to his Yahoo! e-mail account from his fellow Marine officers in Afghanistan's turbulent Helmand Province.
CARROLL: The subject on the e-mail he received said, in all capital letters, with three exclamation marks, "Important: Sarwar Jan is back."
WATSON: Brezler had a history with Sarwar Jan, an Afghan police commander.
CARROLL: When Jason was serving in Afghanistan in 2010, he caused Sarwar Jan, an Afghan police official, to be fired from that position because he was raping children.
WATSON: Brezler responded attaching a classified document, warning the Marines that Jan was a threat.
CNN has repeatedly tried to get an official account of what happens next. But every major military agency involved has declined to comment. The Marine Corps has only said that due to the mishandling of classified information, Major Brezler has been ordered to show cause for retention in the U.S. Marine Corps. They say his use of an unsecure Yahoo! account breached security, but others say the warning could have saved lives.
(On camera): What do you think would have happened if the commanders had listened to the advice of Major Brezler?
GREG BUCKLEY SR., FATHER OF SLAIN MARINE: I would have my son.
WATSON (voice-over): Less than two weeks after Brezler sent the Marines that e-mail, warning about Jan, Greg Buckley's son, Lance Corporal Greg Buckley Jr., was shot and killed along with two other Marines at the same base.
BUCKLEY: He was in the gym with his friends, just working out. A (INAUDIBLE) walked in with an AK-47 given to him by the chief of police, Sarwar Jan, and at about 8:300 at night on August 10th executed three Marines.
CARROLL: The only reason that the shooter was on that base and had access to weapons is because he was the child sex abuse victim of the Afghan district police chief.
WATSON: The suspected shooter was reportedly a teenage servant of Sarwar Jan. Afghan officials say they do not know their current whereabouts. Fourteen months later, U.S. Central Command has yet to publish the results of an investigation into the incident. The only person facing any charges is Major Brezler for using an unsecured e- mail account.
REP. PETER KING (R), NEW YORK: It's wrong to be going after the one person who seems to have done, by all accounts, you know, did the right thing.
WATSON: Unanswered questions leading many to come to Major Brezler's defense.
BUCKLEY: They should be giving him a medal, not prosecuting him.
WATSON (on camera): We're told the Marine Corps is not commenting further on Major Brezler's case to avoid influencing the three officers he'll face at his Board of Inquiry next month.
(Voice-over): Until then, Brezler will focus on his current job, fighting fires, and saving lives.
Ivan Watson, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: Another fascinating case, Amanda Knox. Well, she's set to be retried in Italy for the murder of her roommate. She won't be there but new evidence in the case could be good news for Knox. We'll tell you why.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: The retrial of Amanda Knox is set to resume next week in Italy. Knox, as you may remember, was convicted along with her boyfriend of killing her roommate in Italy in 2009. Those convictions were overturned, but Italian prosecutors are now retrying the case. Knox says she has no plans to return to Italy. But as Erin McLaughlin explains, the trial is about to see some dramatic new evidence.
ERIN MCLAUGHLIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fredricka, it looks like there's some good news for Amanda Knox.
Court proceedings in her case next week will focus on new DNA tests. The tests involve a small portion of the knife prosecutors say was used to kill Meredith Kercher. Now according to Italian media reports the tests rule out the possibility that Kercher's DNA is present in the sample tested. The results are expected to be revealed in court on Wednesday. The written conclusions by forensic experts have already been filed and in Florence.
Now this knife was a critical piece of evidence in the original trial that found Knox and her then boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito guilty of killing Kercher in 2007. An appeals court overturned the convictions in 2011, but Italy's Supreme Court reversed that decision, so the case is back in court.
Both Knox and Sollecito have always maintained their innocence of Kercher's murder. Knox remains in the United States. She says she had no plans to return to Italy -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: Thank you so much.
So if the knife doesn't show evidence of the victim's DNA, then what does that mean for the trial?
I'm joined now by Steve Moore. He is a retired supervisory special agent for the FBI. He was also part of a congressional briefing this week looking into this case.
Good to see you.
STEVE MOORE, RETIRED SUPERVISORY FBI SPECIAL AGENT: Good morning. How are you?
WHITFIELD: I'm doing good. So at this briefing, you talked about the investigation by Italian police. What was your main message? MOORE: My main message was that this is one of the most poorly conducted investigations I had ever seen outside of a third world country. It was frighteningly bad. And of course, you know, garbage in, garbage out. They were -- they had decided who they were going to convict before the forensic evidence ever came back. And they've been trying to hold on to that since then.
WHITFIELD: So at what point did you come to this conclusion? Because at the very beginning, you didn't believe that Amanda Knox was innocent. What changed your mind along the way?
MOORE: Well, my -- I come from a law enforcement family. So when the police say somebody's guilty, I kind of think -- I give them the benefit of the doubt. When I started looking into the case, I found that that knife that we're still talking about years later could not have inflicted the wounds on the victim. It was too big to fit in the wounds.
It was also the imprint of the murder -- the real murder weapon in a white sheet -- it was laid down on a white sheet. The two were nothing alike. So it doesn't surprise me that the victim's DNA wasn't on that knife because it wasn't in the house where the murder occurred. And it's too big to fit the wound. So early on I figured that -- I discovered that all the evidence against them was just simply made up.
WHITFIELD: So ultimately, her conviction was overturned. She made her way back to the United States where she remains. She says she will not go back to Italy. Proceedings begin Wednesday. And it will carry on without her not being there. But then what could potentially happen if, in this retrial, the determination is, you know, her original conviction should remain? What would happen? I mean, she's not going to be extradited.
MOORE: No, there's really no way the United States would extradite on such faulty evidence. And her remaining home, I would no more return to Italy than I would have in the early United States, return to Salem, Massachusetts, to -- for that trial. But what this will show is that the Supreme Court said this test on this knife will be decisive. And now it is decisive. The victim wasn't involved in that knife.
So if they are honest, if they are straightforward, they will dismiss the case. If it continues after this, it has nothing to do any more, if it ever did, with evidence.
WHITFIELD: And Steve, while I have you --
MOORE: Yes.
WHITFIELD: Thank you for that on the Amanda Knox case.
MOORE: Sure.
WHITFIELD: But now, yesterday, LAX., the shooting taking place. From your standpoint, how will the FBI proceed on this? Given you're a retired FBI employee. What would you do? How would you tackle this case, investigating this case if you were involved?
MOORE: Well, the case believe it or not is already well down the line. You have the -- you have suspect. You know what his motivations were. You have him in his own handwriting. This is going to be now --
WHITFIELD: And you're saying you know his motivations, meaning he was --
(CROSSTALK)
MOORE: He was after TSA agents.
WHITFIELD: Because of this information or this text information, this rant of anti-TSA, federal government, you believe the motivation, indeed, he was angry at federal government, angry at the TSA?
MOORE: Yes. That is --
WHITFIELD: They (INAUDIBLE).
MOORE: That is my belief. But at the same time, you can't just say, OK, he said it, case closed. You know, we're gone.
WHITFIELD: Right.
MOORE: What you have to do is verify everything he said. I mean, it could take a year before trial to go through everything he said. You can't just take a confession. Those are too easy to get from innocent people. You take that statement. You verify everything. And then you can go to trial with it. And by the way, LAPD and LAX P.D. did a fantastic job. If I was a coach and had a game plan for a football game, I would love it if it was executed as beautifully as they did the interdiction of this active shooter.
WHITFIELD: All right. Steve Moore, retired supervisory agent for the FBI. Thanks so much.
MOORE: Thank you.
WHITFIELD: Much more of the NEWSROOM straight ahead.
In a few months, one of your kid's favorite foods may look a little different. We'll show you why Kraft is making changes to its macaroni and cheese.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: All right. Here's Christine Romans with a sneak peek at what's ahead on "YOUR MONEY."
CHRISTINE ROMANS, HOST, CNN'S "YOUR MONEY": Hi, Fredericka. Soaring corporate profits, record highs for the stock market, surging home sales, if you can get credit. That's not the economic recovery President Obama campaigned on. Does he still have time to save his economic legacy? Find out on an all-new "YOUR MONEY" at 2:00 p.m. Eastern.
WHITFIELD: All right. Thanks so much, Christine.
All right. Everybody loves mac and cheese. To make it healthier? Well, that is Kraft's task. Making their mac and cheese healthier. The company is making it more nutritious by adding more whole grains to the macaroni and removing saturated fats, some sodium and artificial food dyes.
Senior medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen explains.
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Fred, after hundreds of thousands of parents signed a petition on change.org, Kraft is changing its formula for many of its mac and cheese products. Now these are products that have had a very similar format for quite a long time now. So what they said is that they're going to be taking out these two dyes where there's been so much controversy. They're also going to have less saturated fat. They're going to increase the amount of whole grain per serving. They're also going to have less sodium.
And they said they're doing this because parents want more nutritious foods. They're not agreeing that there was anything wrong with these dyes in the first place. They're just saying that parents want more nutrition.
Now it's important to note that the changes won't be in all of their products. Their original mac and cheese is still going to have the same coloring. Now for the mac and cheese products that are changing, Kraft says they're going to be using natural ingredients to get the color they're looking for, using turmeric and paprika. Now we're not sure if those natural colorings are going to achieve that same bright neon yellow that kids have come to love -- Fred.
WHITFIELD: All right, thanks so much, Elizabeth Cohen.
All right. Coming up, new information about the suspect in the LAX shooting and whether air travel is still being affected.
Plus, a huge parade in Boston. More than a million people strong celebrating the Red Sox world title and honoring victims of the Boston marathon bombing.
And here's the real Johnny. A former friend dishes on some dirt on the former late-night kingpin.
I'll see you back here in 30 minutes. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. "YOUR MONEY" right now.
