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Records: Suspect Charged In Abduction Served Time For Prior Kidnapping; Liz Truss Named UK's Next PM, Replaces Boris Johnson; Tomorrow, Students Return To School For 1st Time Since Uvalde Shooting. Aired 2:30-3p ET

Aired September 05, 2022 - 14:30   ET

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

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[14:31:40]

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN HOST: The man charged in connection with the abduction of a still missing Memphis teacher served prison time for aggravated kidnapping more than 20 years ago.

Cleotha Abston pleaded guilty in November of 2001 and was released 19 years later.

CNN's Gary Tuchman is live for us in Memphis.

Gary, as I understand it, they have the suspect in custody. Do we know anything more about Eliza Fletcher's whereabouts?

GARY TUCHMAN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Alisyn, Eliza Fletcher is still missing, despite the fact that her alleged kidnapper is under arrest. Why? Police tell us he is not talking whatsoever. Certainly, not talking about her whereabouts.

So her family is holding out hope that perhaps she's still alive. But sadly, and frankly, it's not looking good.

Eliza was jogging behind me on this street Friday morning before dawn. At this intersection, where we're standing, and she was kidnapped.

The reason we know she was kidnapped here, right next to the University of Memphis campus, is because there's a surveillance camera nearby that got images of the kidnapping.

It shows a man stepping out of his black SUV, grabbing Eliza. There was a struggle. He forced her into the SUV.

And then he drove off to a parking lot right next to us on this side, according to an affidavit, where he waited about four minutes. He then started driving and he disappeared.

So regarding that, what are the details? What else do we need to know? We know that police know a lot that they're not telling us. And we know that specifically because there has been an affidavit released with very grim details. Authorities say this, in part, in the affidavit, they say, quote, "It

is believed and supported by the facts and physical evidence that she suffered serious injury. Further, it is probable and apparent from witness statements that these injuries left evidence, for example, blood, in the vehicle the defendant cleaned."

Authorities tell us they interviewed a woman who, a couple of hours after this happened, says she saw the suspect cleaning this vehicle. She said, quote, "cleaning with floor cleaner and acting odd."

We can tell you authorities, the U.S. Marshal Service, found the vehicle that they believe was right here at his residence. And that's a key piece of evidence.

This man, Cleotha Abston, as you said, Alisyn, in the year 2000, he ended up going to prison for a kidnapping.

Well, he will be in court tomorrow for his arraignment on this case -- Alisyn?

CAMEROTA: You're right, Gary, the details are horrible. Please keep us posted as to what happens in this case.

Thank you.

Now to this. The U.K. has a new prime minister, their fourth, in just over six years. Up next, the challenges that she faces and what this means for the U.S. relationship with the U.K.

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But first, be sure to join me tonight as I take a look at the business of infertility in America. I talked to infertile couples, egg donors, donor-conceived kids and doctors, all pushing for transparency in this industry. The special report, "THE BABY BUSINESS," airs tonight at 9:00 p.m. Eastern only on CNN.

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CAMEROTA: The United States' closest ally has a new leader.

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LIZ TRUSS, INCOMING BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: My friends, I know that we will deliver, we will deliver, we will deliver.

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CAMEROTA: Liz Truss will replace Boris Johnson as British prime minister following his resignation after various scandals.

Truss, who served as Johnson's foreign secretary, will take over as the U.K. battles skyrocketing energy prices, inflation and fears of an imminent recession.

Let's talk to our CNN Europe editor, Nina Dos Santos, in London. Nina, we understand that Liz Truss and Boris Johnson will meet with

the queen tomorrow and then what happens?

[14:40:01]

NINA DOS SANTOS, CNN EUROPE EDITOR: Yes, it's a busy day tomorrow. Obviously, today, it was announced that Liz Truss had won the support of her party, which is ruling at the moment.

Tomorrow is when the real political machinery kicks into action. Very early in the day, Boris Johnson will step out of Number 10 Downing Street for the final time, make a brief speech to the television cameras.

And then he'll depart for Scotland, to Balmoral, to the castle, where the queen spends summer in and he will tender his resignation.

He will soon be followed by Liz Truss, who will also have separately traveled up to Scotland.

And she will have a meeting in the late morning with the queen, during which time, she'll present her credentials, say she has the support of the party, and she'll be invited to become Queen Elizabeth's fifteenth prime minister.

She'll come back to Downing Street in the afternoon, step through Number 10 Downing Street's front door, make a speech to the crowd about what her next plan is.

And hopefully, that might settle some unanswered questions about how exactly she plans to solve the big issues of the day that the U.K. is facing.

CAMEROTA: And so, Nina, the U.K. is facing sky high energy costs. It's facing a lot of inflation. When known about this in the U.S. So what does Truss say she'll do?

DOS SANTOS: First of all, she says she wants to depart from the previous regime of Boris Johnson, which raised taxes to the highest level in 70 years to pay off pandemic costs.

She says the only way to stave off a recession is essentially to cut taxes and do so as quickly as possible.

But many economists are skeptical about whether or not they'll be able to do that when there are big bills to pay.

Today, she said in her acceptance speech to the party that she would "deliver, deliver, deliver," quote. But this is about as much detail as she's delivered so far.

Have a listen.

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TRUSS: I will deliver a bold plan to cut taxes and grow our economy. I will deliver on the energy crisis, dealing with people's energy bills, but also dealing with the long-term issues we have on energy supply.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DOS SANTOS: Speaking of energy costs, this fall, we're likely to see energy bills soar by 80 percent for British citizens. So she doesn't have long to grapple with these issues as soon as possible.

There's an election coming also in two years' time -- Alisyn?

CAMEROTA: OK, Nina Dos Santos, thank you very much.

Joining me now, we have CNN European affairs commentator, Dominic Thomas.

So, Dominic, tell us about Liz Truss. I understand she's had a bit of a political transformation. What should Americans know about her?

DOMINIC THOMAS, CNN EUROPEAN AFFAIRS COMMENTATOR: Well, she started out as a Liberal Democrat. She was not initially supportive of Brexit. But she went through this rapid transition.

And she was initially elected a member of parliament back in 2010. And she's held various government appointments since 2012. The most important of which was as foreign secretary.

I think ultimately the reason why she won this race was because she was able to secure the party membership support and the support of M.P.s because they see in her continuity.

The Conservative Party have a substantial majority. They still want to be able to legislate.

The general election is somewhere around two years away. So she has that time period to be able to convince the party, let alone the British people, she's the right person to be at the helm.

CAMEROTA: And, Dominic, what does this mean for U.S./U.K. relations?

THOMAS: That's a big question. As you know, there have been four prime ministers emerge from the Conservative Party just in the last six years. Clearly, the U.K. remains a privileged Atlantic partner.

But I think there's a lot of insecurity and uncertainty there at a time when global leaders are looking for rudders that will guide them forward -- the conflict in Ukraine, the global energy crisis, along with so many other issues.

It's hard to really know the extent and the reliability of a new prime minister in the guise of Liz Truss that has yet to face the British people with a number of domestic issues that they face, particularly in the aftermath of Brexit and the tremendous uncertainty that's there.

They'll work together closely but they won't expect her to be around too long unless she's able to deal with domestic issues -- Alisyn? CAMEROTA: Let's talk about those. Nina touched on them. What is Truss'

plan to deal with the surging cost of living and inflation and energy prices?

THOMAS: That's what separated her from the person that ended up at the end there, the former chancellor of the Exchequer, who was advising for much greater caution on these spending plans.

So cutting taxes for the rich, expenditure, and trying to deal with the energy crisis.

The big distinction between her and the time period when Boris Johnson came to power is that B.J., Boris Johnson, was essentially elected on a single issue.

At the time the British electorate was so fatigued by Brexit votes, multiple general elections and watching events unfold in parliament. In other words, he was elected on a set of emotions.

She has to deal with specific issues -- rising cost of living, energy crisis, inflation, and of course, the aftermath of COVID, and the uncertainty in the political international realm that has to deal with Ukraine.

[14:45:06]

And so dealing with the domestic issues, spending and so on, in that context of uncertainty, means that the path going forward is a difficult one.

She's promised to govern as a conservative. But there's a great difference between fulfilling the agenda she promised, the membership that represents less than 1 percent of the British electorate, and convincing the British people that she's the right person to win that general election if it comes in 2024 -- Alisyn?

CAMEROTA: Dominic Thomas, thank you very much for all of that context.

Emotions are running high in Uvalde as parents get ready to send their children back to school for the first time since the Robb Elementary shooting. We're going to speak to one parent about how his kids are feeling next.

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CAMEROTA: Tomorrow, students and teachers from Robb Elementary in Uvalde, Texas, will do the impossible and return to school. It will be the first time back since the mass shooting in May that killed 19 students and two teachers.

The kids will not go back into Robb Elementary. They will go to a different school building. And there will be beefed up security and counselors to help the returning students.

Adam Martinez is a Uvalde parent. He has two kids.

Adam, thanks so much for joining us.

I understand your kids, Zaon, in seventh grade -- no, Aaliyah in seventh grade, Zaon in third, have decided not to go into the building and to just do virtual schooling.

So how did you all reach that decision?

ADAM MARTINEZ, PARENT OF UVALDE SCHOOL STUDENTS: We've been speaking to them from the beginning and they've gotten a little bit better as far as their behavior.

But when they started doing some protocols as far as higher fencing, more security, I talked to my son, and I told him that they're going to have higher fencing, they're going to have more DPS cops, and he just wasn't having it.

He said that he doesn't think they're going to be brave enough if it happens again. They're not going to go in there. They didn't go in there before. And he wants different cops and that he's really not budging.

The fencing, he said they can just get a ladder and climb over it. So right now, he's just not ready.

My daughter, she was looking forward to volleyball, playing volleyball, and now, even with that, she doesn't want to go back.

CAMEROTA: We can't blame them. I mean, there's nothing that your son is saying that's irrational. He lived through it. He saw that people, who were sent to help, the police, didn't go in.

And so what do you fear for them this coming year?

MARTINEZ: Well, I've talked to a few parents, and if they did have a choice, they would go virtual. But some of them don't have a choice. Some of them don't have somebody to take care of their kids or they're working.

And so, I just hope that the children feel safe enough to where they can learn. Because a lot of times, when they don't feel safe, they're not going to be able to learn.

It's very important to interact with children. I agree with that. But right now, it's just not the right decision, in my opinion, for our particular family.

CAMEROTA: Yes, it's so awful. I mean, it's just a horrible situation because we know that kids don't learn as well at home. But who could blame your kids for not wanting to go back to school after what they endured?

Obviously, I don't have to tell you the school board recently finally fired the police chief, the school police chief, Pete Arredondo.

What else do you want them to do?

MARTINEZ: Well, if you look at that House committee report, there were so many failures, from administration to all the other agencies. So we want more accountability.

We haven't seen any accountability from any of the administrative staff. There were clear failures, from key shortages, you know, the safety protocols, all the lockdowns that Robb had experienced.

But yet, no increased security. There was no security presence there. The list goes on.

And without accountability, how are we supposed to move forward?

CAMEROTA: When you say more accountability, meaning you want other people fired or you want to know what the new protocols are?

MARTINEZ: I would say both. They haven't been very transparent.

So a lot of these protocols, they're not sharing with us. I've asked them certain questions as far as safety committees that they have, and a lot of times it's very difficult to get that information.

And, yes, as far as people fired, I think people should be fired for this. They know it -- we had so many chances to get it right, from the fencing to the prop door to the doorknob that didn't work.

I mean, all those things that we failed on or they failed on, somebody needs to be accountable for that.

CAMEROTA: Yes. Does the fact that there are now more security guards in these new schools, does that comfort you and your kids?

MARTINEZ: I think so. I mean, there's a chance -- the chances of something happening are a lot less.

But I think the perception is what we need to change. If my children could -- I think, over time the perception changes. And like I said, if we hold some people accountable.

One of the questions is the DPS workers that are going to be there, are those the same ones at the school that day? We can't get an answer.

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They won't give us an answer whether it's going to be the same people, the same school resource officers that were there. They're going to be there on campus, too, so, you know --

CAMEROTA: They're not telling you, Adam, if those same guards, who didn't go into the class that day, if they are still employed and still going to be on school grounds?

MARTINEZ: As far as the DPS officers, I think it's going to be 35 or so that are going to be rotating. Parents were asking, are they -- any of those people the ones that

were there, and they didn't have an answer. This was the last meeting that we had.

It was an important question that the parents had, and even the children that spoke out asked, and they just didn't have an answer for us.

CAMEROTA: Adam Martinez, we don't blame you and your kids for having really a high level of anxiety as school starts. But we're thinking about you. And we certainly pray that this year gets easier.

Thanks so much for your time.

MARTINEZ: Thank you.

CAMEROTA: A judge has granted former President Trump's request to appoint a special master to review those materials seized from Mar-a- Lago. We'll talk about the impact of that next.

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