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Texas Woman on the Run, Accused of Killing Star Cyclist; Expert Witness Testifies Op-Ed Didn't Hurt Depp's Career; Russian Diplomat Resigns in Protest Against Aggressive War; Migrant Turned Away at Border as Lifting of Title 32 Delayed; South Korea's New President Offers North Korea COVID Help. Aired 4:30-5a ET

Aired May 24, 2022 - 04:30   ET

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

[04:30:00]

ISA SOARES, CNN ANCHOR: A suspected killer is on the run as authorities in Texas investigate a possible love triangle murder. They're searching for Kaitlin Armstrong -- on the left side of the screen -- they believe she shot and killed star cyclist Anna Mo Wilson who allegedly dated Armstrong's boyfriend, 35-year-old pro-cyclist Colin Strickland. CNN's Randi Kaye has the story for you.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's really, really quiet over here. We've never had this happen before.

RANDI KAYE, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Tonight, this woman is a fugitive. She is 34-year-old Kaitlin Marie Armstrong, U.S. Marshals say she's now on the run wanted on a first degree murder charge in connection with the fatal shooting of 25-year-old Anna Moriah Wilson. According to an arrest affidavit, Wilson, an elite cyclist, was gunned down earlier this month at a friend's home in Austin, Texas shot multiple times.

BRANDON FILLA, DEPUTY U.S. MARSHAL: If she thought or she knew she was going to be wanted for this, she probably had a five day head start

KAYE (voice-over): The motive may be a jealous rage. The affidavit says both women had been in a romantic relationship with the same man, another professional cyclist named Colin Strickland. An anonymous tip to police said Armstrong had made prior statements expressing desire to kill Wilson. On the day of her murder, the affidavit says Wilson and Strickland spent the afternoon swimming together, then had dinner afterwards. Strickland told investigators he dropped Wilson off at her friend's home afterward and did not go inside.

Later that night, Wilson's friend returned home to find her bleeding and unconscious in the bathroom. Per the affidavit, officers found bullet casings on the floor and Wilson appeared to be suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Despite CPR efforts she was pronounced dead at the scene.

Investigators zeroed in on Armstrong as a suspect after obtaining video surveillance that shows an SUV similar to Armstrong's near the home where Wilson was staying just one minute after Wilson went inside. That's according to the police affidavit, which also says ballistic evidence recovered at the scene show similarities to bullets test fired from a Sig-Sauer handgun, Strickland recently purchased for Armstrong. Police say the potential that the same firearm was involved is significant.

FILLA: Looking into Kaitlin, she did have a criminal history and came here to Texas and is residing here with her boyfriend.

KAYE (voice-over): Still, the arrest affidavit shows Armstrong had a jealous streak. In the documents, Strickland told investigators that while he was dating Wilson, Armstrong called Wilson to say she was the one dating Strickland. He also told investigators Armstrong had blocked the other woman's number in his phone and that he had to change the woman's name in his phone so Armstrong didn't know who he was speaking to. Strickland also admitted lying to Armstrong about his whereabouts that day, so she wouldn't know he was with Wilson.

In response to the killing, Strickland issued a statement saying he and Wilson had only a brief romantic relationship about a week or so in the fall of 2021. He said about a month after dating Wilson, he resumed his relationship with Armstrong. Anna Moriah Wilson's family also released a statement reiterating she was not in a romantic relationship with anyone at the time of her death.

Randi Kaye, CNN, Palm Beach County, Florida.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SOARES: Now "The New York Times" reports another sexual assault case involving actor and comedian Bill Cosby is headed to court, this time in a civil trial. Judy Huff accused Cosby of forcing her to perform a sexual act on him in 1975 when she was 16. Her memory of the year and how old she was at the time has changed since she first made the allegations. Cosby claims the story is made up.

The defamation lawsuit between actors Johnny Depp and Amber Heard is now in its sixth week with some questioning whether Depp will take the stand again or if Heard will rest her case after calling multiple expert witnesses to the stand. CNN's Jean Casarez breaks down the trials events on Monday.

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JEAN CASAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: On Monday there was a lot of expert testimony in regard to money damages in the Depp case. On the side of Amber Heard, there was an expert witness that testified that the op-ed that Amber Heard had published in the "Washington Post," that it did not ruin Johnny Depp's career, that he ruined it himself.

But there have been witnesses for Depp that have said that three days after that op-ed came out where Amber Heard said I am a public figure and I'm the face of domestic abuse, that Disney sent a communication saying that final decision that they would they would not be using Johnny Depp in "Pirates of the Caribbean 6." Now, in other testimony because this is a defamation case, credibility

is so important and credibility of Amber Heard is really at stake here.

[04:35:00]

In Australia in 2015 when Depp was making "Pirates of the Caribbean 5," he testified about his finger being severed. The tip of it. He said that Amber Heard had thrown vodka bottles at him and that one of them landed on the edge of the bar, it broke, and that then severed his finger. Well, Heard's team put on an orthopedic surgeon who actually looked at the x-ray, he said that version, it just can't be so. Take a listen.

DR. RICHARD MOORE, EXPERT WITNESS FOR DEFENSE: It's not consistent with what we see in the described injury pattern or in the clinical photographs. And there are several elements. There's the description was of the hand being flat on the bar and the bottle crushing the finger from the top.

But looking at the images, there's really no significant injury in the dorsal of the finger and to create that type of injury with that type of a crush injury, we would anticipate both injury to the fingernail and other parts of the finger.

CASAREZ: Now Amber Heard testified herself that she doesn't know how the finger was severed but that there was a phone on the wall and that Johnny Depp actually forcibly got it out of the wall and somehow, she believes that's how he severed his finger.

But we haven't seen any pictures of any phone or any hole in any wall and once again, this is all about the credibility. So Heard is still in her case in chief, she has not rested. On Tuesday morning here in the United States, the question will be will she rest and it goes then into the rebuttal case, or will she keep going? And the pivotal question is, will Johnny Depp get back on the stand and if so, who will call him?

Jean Casarez, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SOARES: We'll stay on top of that story for you.

Now after three months of relentless fighting the war in Ukraine hit a milestone on Monday. It didn't happen on the battlefield but in a courtroom. A 21-year-old Russian soldier was sentenced to life in prison by a Ukrainian court for war crimes. He had pleaded guilty to killing an unarmed civilian during the early days of the war.

And in a rare public protest a long time Russian diplomat announced his resignation Monday and blasted what he called an a aggressive war unleashed by the Russian president. The U.S. State Department says that resignation shows there are Russians who profoundly disagree with what Mr. Putin is doing despite all the local propaganda. And with me now is Clare Sebastian who's been tracking all the developments. And Clare, he also said -- I was reading that resignation letter -- he also called it a bloody witless war -- pretty much lambasting Russian leadership here.

CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I mean, he did not hold back. And this is very rare. He was a, you know, 20 year veteran of the diplomatic service, an employee don't forget of the foreign ministry serving at the permanent mission in Geneva. Extremely rare to see this kind of dissent at this point.

Just another part of his post on LinkedIn.

He said: The aggressive war unleashed by Putin against Ukraine, and in fact against the entire western world, is not only a crime against the Ukrainian people, but also perhaps, the most serious crime against the people of Russia.

Significant that he names Vladimir Putin. He goes on to accuse his employer, the foreign ministry, of lies and unprofessionalism. But he says that recently have become catastrophic. Now the State Department -- although we haven't heard from the foreign ministry or the permanent mission in Geneva, they have not commented. But the State Department says this shows that many are willing to stand up to Putin. I think the open question for now, as we enter the fourth month of the war, is that true. Are there many people willing to stand up to Putin.

And you know, we have seen various outbursts, various examples of dissent. But over here the Levada-Center -- this is an independent polling center in Russia that tracks public opinion. If you look at the question, do you personally support the actions of the armed forces of Russia in Ukraine? In March 53 percent definitely yes, in April it was just 45 percent. So, there is a shift there. But we move to Putin's approval rating which in February this year was just 71 percent, and in March, it jumped after the war to 83 percent. Now just down a fraction to 82 percent. So, no concrete answer as of yet to whether any of this represents a sea change in Russian public opinion.

SOARES: And so far, I'm guessing we've heard nothing from Russia, from the Kremlin regarding this resignation.

SEBASTIAN: Nothing at all from the Kremlin or the foreign ministry. I assumed Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin spokesperson, will be asked about this. Today he holds a regular call with journalists, but as of yet nothing. And that in itself potentially ominous. Don't forget, that President Putin himself never actually mentions the name of Alexey Navalny, who is the most prominent dissident. So, when they don't mention something, that's something to watch.

SOARES: Clare Sebastian, thank you very much.

And still to come right here on the show --

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MATT RIVERS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: You can see just how completely full this dormitory is. It is just bunkbed next to bunkbed next to bunkbed. (END VIDEO CLIP)

SOARES: CNN heads to the U.S./Mexico border where desperation is growing as thousands of migrants wait for a chance to cross into America. Will bring you that story after a very short break. You are watching CNN NEWSROOM.

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SOARES: Now tens of thousands of migrants are still waiting to enter the U.S. from the Mexican border, despite a judge's ruling keeping in place Title 42. The COVID-related law that allows border agents to turn migrants away from the U.S. are Matt Rivers met with some asylum- seekers on the Mexican side of the border.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MATT RIVERS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

Are you nervous that the authorities are not going to allow you to enter the country?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Yes. Very much so. More than the nerves, it's the uncertainty of not knowing how long we will have to be here, especially for the baby. He's only a year and a half old. So, yes, it's difficult.

RIVERS: Well, thank you so much for your time. (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

OK. So, his story there, very similar to other stories that we have heard in this shelter. This shelter is called the " Buen Pastor," the Good Shepherd Shelter, and it is completely full at the moment.

The majority of migrants here right now are actually Haitian, but as you just heard from our interview there, he is Venezuelan. There's people from Honduras here, and this shelter, which can hold 80 people, is now completely full.

And we can show you some of the -- I want to enter into one of the dormitories here. And just bear with us, because it is a little dark, as we transition from sunlight to darkness here. There's no lights in here.

But you can see just how completely full this dormitory is. It is just bunkbed next to bunkbed next to bunkbed. There are dozens of people that are living in this facility, most of whom are spread out through the facility. They've asked us to respect people's privacy here, so that's why you're seeing empty beds. But there are people who are sharing bunk beds here.

Now, remember, Ciudad Juarez is one of the most dangerous cities in Mexico, and as a result, people that come into the shelter can't actually leave unless they have a good reason to do so. One of those legitimate reasons would have been to apply for asylum at the border.

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And many people were hoping here that, with the expiration of Title 42, that they could have gone to the border to do that more easily. Of course, that didn't happen, with the federal judge in Louisiana continuing to allow that policy to be in place. And that's been very disappointing for people here, many of which -- many of whom would have gone to the border to try and apply for asylum.

And we spoke to the director of this facility earlier today, who told us that things can't continue like this. He's building another facility just across the street that he says can house more than double of what he can hold right now. And yet, when that is finished in two months' time, he says he already knows that there won't be enough people -- enough room, rather, to handle all of the people that he says are still going to be in this area.

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SOARES: And that was Matt Rivers reporting there.

Now Yoon Suk Yeol's political career off to a whirlwind start, South Korea's new president is a foreign policy novice but he's already been thrust on to the world stage after a summit with U.S. President Biden. And just two weeks into the job, President Yoon is tackling his country's relationship with North Korea and is doing it head-on. President Yoon spoke exclusively with CNN's Paula Hancocks in his first interview since his inauguration. And Paula joins us now live from Seoul with the very latest. So, Paula, what kind of shift or policy change are we expecting to see if any from President Yoon via North Korea here?

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Isa, I certainly think we're going to see a shift. He did talk about his predecessor, President Moon Jae-in, his tactics. And said his approach has been shown not to work. Saying many had called it servile diplomacy. And he said that is simply not working.

However, we're seeing really a dual track approach from the president at least from what he was saying in our interview. At this point you see on one hand with all the intelligence assessment saying that a missile test or an underground nuclear test is imminent from North Korea. He said if there was that seventh test there would be a stronger and a firmer response than there had been before. It would be coordinated with the U.S.

He also when I asked him about whether he would speak to Kim Jong-un and how he would do it. He said that it was up to Kim Jong-un, the North Korean leader to initiate that dialogue if he wanted to. Now course, it is a massive if because at the moment he does not appear interested in talking, far more interested in testing his weapons.

He also said he doesn't want North Korea to collapse, he would like to see a North Korea that prospers alongside South Korea. Also talking briefly about COVID which we know Pyongyang has admitted to having an outbreak a couple of weeks ago. He has said publicly that he would offer North Korea vaccines, masks, testing kits. But did I asked him, as you say that so publicly, as does the United States, it's very difficult for Kim Jong-un to be able to publicly accept help from the two of you. How else could you get that aid to the North Korean people?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

YOON SUK YEOL, SOUTH KOREAN PRESIDENT (through translator): If North Korea accepts these medical supplies to quickly distribute them to its people, we will provide them in any method North Korea wishes. It could be through a third country or international organization. We are fully prepared.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANCOCKS: North Korea also now publicly saying that the outbreak is easing. Unfortunately, we all know from bitter experience that COVID an outbreak does not ease within just a couple of weeks -- Isa.

Paula Hancocks for us in Seoul there. Thanks very much, Paula, good to see you.

Still to come right here on the show, California's governor says that if residents don't control their water usage, the drought situation will get even worse. And we'll have the latest on weather in the United States including this --

PEDRAM JAVAHERI, CNN METEOROLOGIST: We already know the drought situation is pretty rough across portions of the Western U.S., but what if I told you temperatures about 20 degrees above average for late May? Pretty incredible heat. We'll break this down in a few minutes.

[04:50:00]

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SOARES: Now California's governor says that the state needs to cut back its water usage now or restrictions may come into play. The state is in its third year of an extreme drought and reservoirs are at critical lows but some at half a historic average. And all this as the Western U.S. braces for a wave of higher than normal temperatures. Meteorologist Pedram Javaheri has the latest forecast. Good morning to you -- Pedram.

JAVAHERI: Isa, this incredible heat has been in place for a couple of days and now the Central Valley of California, about 7.5 million Americans under the heat advisory where temperatures -- get this -- as hot as 103 degrees which was about 20 degrees above seasonal averages. 82 what is normal in the state capital of Sacramento there for this time of year. 101 what we expect on Tuesday -- could be a record. 102 what we expect on Wednesday. Also, on pace here to be a record. And notice Bakersfield, even down toward Palm Springs, temperatures for just about everyone running at least 5 to 20 in some cases above average. But there is the record for Sacramento for Wednesday, a record from 100 degrees, that has been standing since the early 1950s.

Now, it's not just hot. And we know the drought situation here has been pretty bad, but the average rainfall to date across Long Beach, they should have about 8.33 inches of rainfall, only 1.14 inches has come down through May 24th.

Now here's the perspective, at least toward the beginning of May 24. The perspective is that 14 percent of normal has occurred and we're entering the dry season. This is really a bad setup when it comes to the excessive heat and of course, the upcoming fire season across this region.

Just toward the east, severe weather also an area to watch across portions of Texas, some beneficial rainfall certainly in store. And what we're looking at here is for generally lesser amounts of concern when it comes to severe. Just the winds, just the hail, very little in the chance of tornadoes here. But looking at some storms across areas of Houston as far as Wednesday afternoon is concerned. And could bring in again some heavy rainfall across this landscape -- Isa.

SOARES: Thank you very much, Pedram.

Now major league baseball has suspended New York Yankees third baseman Josh Donaldson for one game for what they call inappropriate comments. Chicago White Sox player Tim Anderson -- who is black -- told reporters that Donaldson called him Jackie in a disgraceful -- in a disrespectful way multiple times during Saturday's game.

[04:55:04]

An apparent reference to Jackie Robinson who was the MLB first black players. Donaldson admitted to calling Anderson Jackie but denied any racist intentions. Both teams benches cleared over the controversy. CNN contributor Bob Costas says Donaldson has a reputation for stirring up trouble.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BOB COSTAS, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Yes, so a prickly personality. He's a provocative guy. He's very edgy. He's had run-ins with umpires, with teammates, with opponents. That's not unheard of among players, but he has a pattern of that. OK. When he read this sports illustrated thing, he says he started calling Tim Anderson Jackie every time their paths crossed. Now that's just designed to dig at him. And he has to be more aware. There's 1,000 ways if you want to be obnoxious, if you want to be a bench jockey, if you want to get on the other guy's nerves, there is a bunch of ways without going to that territory.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOARES: Josh Donaldson has appealed his suspension.

And in the NBA playoffs, the Boston Celtics have evened up the series with the Miami Heat. Jayson Tatum led all scorers with 31 points for Boston. The Celtics jumped out to a big lead in the first quarter, never looked back. The Heat shot a miserable 33 percent from the field and their starting lineup scored only 18 points. Game five is in the best-of-seven series, is scheduled for Wednesday night in Miami. Will bring you the very latest, of course, on that.

And that does it here for me on CNN newsroom. I'm Isa Soares in London. Do stay in touch, details will be on your screen. And meantime, our coverage continues on "EARLY START" with Christine Romans and Laura Jarrett. I shall see you tomorrow. Have a wonderful day, bye-bye.

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