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One Dead In Texas As Severe Storms Move Through The South; Russia May Have Mistaken Azerbaijan Jet As Attack Drone; Video Shows Inmate Fatally Beaten By Officers At New York Prison; Tornadoes Rip Through Neighborhoods Outside Houston; Democrats Look To Rebuild Party After Major Election Losses; Top 10 Biggest Crime Stories Of 2024; "Luther: Never Too Much" Premieres New Year's Day At 8PM ET/PT On CNN. Aired 7-8p ET

Aired December 28, 2024 - 19:00   ET

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


[19:00:00]

JESSICA DEAN, CNN HOST: You're in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Jessica Dean in New York.

We are getting dramatic new video tonight of a massive tornado tearing through Mississippi. Look at that. The powerful Stovepipe tornado hit McCall Creek near Jackson just hours ago. It is part of a deadly tornado outbreak leaving a path of destruction across the south. We know at least one person is dead in Texas, just outside of Houston after the storm hit there earlier today.

Back in Mississippi, drone video showing homes reduced to shreds. And tonight, a rare what's being called, quote, "particularly dangerous tornado watch" is in effect stretching from parts of Texas all the way to Alabama with more strong tornadoes expected tonight as the storm moves east.

Rafael Romo has more on the devastation across the region, but we're going to check in first with meteorologist Tyler Mauldin, who has been tracking this storm.

We're now starting to get more and more video to see what's happening on the ground, Tyler. But what are you seeing there on radar?

TYLER MAULDIN, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Well, that's because this storm system is going from a discombobulated, ragged system to more of an organized one, indicative by the line of storms coming into Mississippi and Louisiana.

We still have the tornado watch up for Louisiana and Mississippi. That is the particular dangerous, particularly dangerous tornado watch. Very rare. The reason why is because there's a lot of unstable air out ahead of this system for it to feed off of. In fact, we're seeing this line of thunderstorm activity. Pretty much all of it is warned with either a severe thunderstorm or a tornado warning. And then out ahead of it, you have these supercells that are getting their act together.

Going to take you on a tour of the radar. Let's go around the horn here. All the orange polygons, severe thunderstorm warnings. In the pink polygons those are tornado warnings. I do want to call out this one just to the south and east of Jackson, Mississippi, because it earlier had a tornado debris signature, meaning that we could see debris on radar, then pushing up to the north just to the east of Vicksburg. We also have a tornado warning.

Very strong line coming through Vicksburg right now. A lot of thunderstorms, a lot of lightning and very strong wind associated with that line. We have a level four out of five threat for this area. The reason being is because the unstable air could lead to long-lived, violent and strong tornadoes. EF-2 or stronger. In addition, we could also see 80-mile-per-hour wind and some large hail, too. We're going to continue with that threat overnight. Then, as we get into Sunday, the threat diminishes slightly, but we still have the potential for severe weather from Georgia all the way through the Carolinas.

The system goes eastbound. You see some drier air coming in, and by Sunday afternoon, Sunday evening, we begin to see it wane. And eventually, come Monday, it's a thing of the past. Typically, we would see this kind of activity during the spring time, during tornado season, but it is not totally unheard of, Jessica, to get some December tornadoes. We mentioned this earlier, Jessica, this is the last weekend of 2024. This year has been well above average for tornadic activity.

Bill mentioned that during his story last hour. So it's very fitting that we are ending 2024 with this tornado outbreak.

DEAN: All right. We're hoping people stay very safe.

Let's go now to Rafael Romo who is tracking the damage and the videos that we're getting in.

What are you seeing?

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Jessica, in the last hour, we were talking about the devastating impact the storms have had in Texas, where at least one person has died. This hour we're getting images from McCall Creek, Mississippi, where a violent long track tornado moved through the southwest part of the state, destroying homes and other structures.

In the last few minutes, CNN has obtained video from two survivors of this tornado, a grandmother and her very young granddaughter. The little girl was next door with her parents in the bathroom when the tornado hit, ripping the roof away. They were still visibly shaken when a storm chaser spoke with them. Let's take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Where were you during the -- when it came by?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: In our bathroom.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Really?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. My daughter and her family were in their bathroom in the middle of the house.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: With her?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, with her. You're OK. Calm. Calm down.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, my god.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You're OK.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMO: To state the obvious, they were terrified. But the good news is that the family was unharmed. Unfortunately, we cannot say the same thing about one Texas county. We have learned that at least one person is dead in Brazoria County after severe storms passed through the area earlier this afternoon.

Brazoria County is located about 45 miles south of Houston along the Gulf Coast. A spokesperson with the sheriff's office there confirmed the fatality, adding that four other people were injured, but their injuries are non-critical.

[19:05:03]

There's also plenty of devastation in Montgomery County, Texas, located just north of Houston, where a local official is reporting that the storms have knocked down trees and power lines around the area as well, causing great damage to mobile homes and warehouses. Many people have lost power in this part of Texas as well.

Another reported tornado was spotted in Katy, Texas, about 30 miles west of Houston and the East Montgomery County Fire Department said that Station 154 in New Caney, Texas, sustained extensive damage after a storm swept through the area -- Jessica.

DEAN: All right. Rafael, thank you very much for that.

New details tonight in the deadly plane crash in Kazakhstan that killed 38 people on Christmas Day. Russian president Vladimir Putin apologizing today to the president of Azerbaijan, but stopped short of taking responsibility. Putin called the crash of the Azerbaijan Airlines plane, quote, "a tragic incident," and confirmed Russian air defense systems were active when the plane attempted to land in Chechnya.

But it is still unconfirmed what caused the crash. Video and images, though, of that plane wreck, show holes consistent with damage from shrapnel. A U.S. official telling CNN Russian air defenses may have mistaken the commercial plane for a Ukrainian drone.

CNN's Nada Bashir is covering this for us.

Nada, a lot of new developments in this today.

NADA BASHIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, absolutely. And we had previously heard from Azerbaijani officials who had said that the plane had faced external physical and technical interferences, and there had been questions around, of course, that nearby drone activity.

Today, Russian president Vladimir Putin has apologized for the fact that the plane crashed after entering Russian airspace and crucially acknowledging that Russian air defense systems were active in the area, particularly over the region of Grozny, the Chechen region of Grozny, where the plane had been intending to land before it was diverted.

So really feeding into those questions around whether or not this plane was in fact mistakenly targeted by Russian anti-aircraft systems, that has certainly been a key line of inquiry we've been hearing from U.S. officials, as well as, of course, reports from Reuters, citing multiple sources who are, according to Reuters, familiar with this investigation that is ongoing, saying that they believe that may well have been the case, that the plane was downed by Russian air defense systems, potentially mistakenly.

And, of course, as you mentioned, there has been a lot of questions around the holes that have been seen in the fuselage and the wreckage of the plane, which analysts and aviation experts have said could be consistent with shrapnel damage as a result of an explosion. So clearly, a lot of questions up in the air. We know that the two black boxes have been recovered, which will provide investigators with crucial data and evidence, but it could be a few days, potentially even a few weeks before investigators are able to give a full conclusion.

DEAN: And Nada, it is remarkable that 29 people survived that crash, and we're hearing from some of them. What have they been saying?

BASHIR: Yes, absolutely. It is hugely remarkable that there were survivors. And we saw that dramatic video of some of those survivors emerging from the wreckage. Many, of course, were injured. At least five said to be in a serious but stable condition now. But as you mentioned, we have seen firsthand testimonies as well as video footage recorded from the final moments before the plane actually crashed in the Kazakh city of Aktau.

Take a look at this account from one of those survivors.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BASHIR (voice-over): Subhonkul Rakhimov thought he was plunging to his death. He said he heard a bang before oxygen masks dropped. Reciting the Shahada, the Muslim proclamation of faith, he says what he had thought to be his final prayer.

According to Azerbaijan Airlines, the plane had faced physical and technical external interference. As the pilot attempted an emergency landing, the plane burst into flames upon impact. 38 people on board did not survive. Remarkably, Rakhimov was among 29 people who survived the crash.

After the bang, I already had my mind set that something bad would happen because it was clear that the plane had received some damage, Rakhimov says. And when the plane started behaving unusually, then it became 100 percent clear. I realized then that it was all over and decided I should film my final minutes.

Accounts from survivors like Rakhimov give a rare firsthand glimpse into the terrifying final moments of the flight and potentially what may have caused the crash. Azerbaijani sources and a U.S. official say preliminary evidence suggests the plane may have been hit by Russian air defenses. A possible case, one U.S. official told CNN, of mistaken identity with the Russian city of Grozny, the flight's intended destination, under Ukrainian drone attack at the time.

[19:05:10]

Ukrainian combat drones were mounting terrorist attacks on civil infrastructure in the cities of Grozny and Vladikavkaz, the head of Russia's Federal Air Transport Agency said. Due to this, in the area of the Grozny airport, the Kovyur plan was introduced, meaning all aircraft had to leave the indicated airspace immediately.

Russian aviation authorities claim the plane had initially attempted to land in Grozny twice and was later offered other airport options within Russia, but the pilot rerouted towards the Kazakh city of Aktau instead.

For those on board, it was a terrifying physical and emotional ordeal. For a brief moment, passengers thought they were out of danger.

But when the Caspian Sea appeared, the clouds dispersed and the plane began to behave unusually, Rakhimov says. The feeling of tension began to increase, both for other passengers and for myself.

While not acknowledging responsibility for the incident, Russia's president Vladimir Putin apologized on Saturday for the fact that the plane crashed after entering Russian air space. Noting that Russia's air defense systems had been active when the plane attempted to land in Grozny.

Clear perforations in the fuselage point to shrapnel or debris hitting the plane while still in the air according to several aviation experts. The hope now is that recovered black boxes will provide more definitive information regarding the plane's final moments.

I was conscious when I felt the impact. I was thrown up and down and back up again. I was strapped in, yet I was being thrown back and forth, Rakhimov recounts. It all lasted for a few seconds, then everything went quiet. There was silence. Everything was calm. And I realized that that was it, we had landed.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BASHIR (on-camera): And Jessica, it could take around two weeks for investigators to complete their assessment of those black box recorders. And of course, at this stage, at least five airlines have now suspended flights to parts of Russia, many of them citing safety concerns as we await the results of that investigation.

DEAN: Nada Bashir, thank you for that reporting. We appreciate it.

CNN military analyst, retired U.S. Air Force Colonel Cedric Leighton joins us now.

And, Colonel, you're familiar with Putin's tactics. I want to go back to what he said today is this apology, but not accepting responsibility. The closest thing you think we'll get in terms of accountability from him and from Russia?

COL. CEDRIC LEIGHTON, CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Yes, I think so, Jessica. I mean, when you compare it to what the Russians said and did not say after the MH-17, the Malaysian Airlines disaster and shoot down in 2014, and going all the way back even to Soviet days back when the KAL 007 airplane was shot down in 1983, the Russians or the Soviets never apologized for anything that they clearly had done in this case.

So this is somewhat of a remarkable half admission, if you will, by Putin, that something bad happened to the aircraft while it was in Russian airspace. And that is, I think, the closest that we'll get to an admission that something that they did caused this crash.

DEAN: If indeed it turns out that the Russians mistook this commercial airliner for a Ukrainian drone, what does that say to you about the state of the Russian military?

LEIGHTON: Well, when it comes to their air defense forces, Jessica, it means to me that they really lack a great deal of training. And their equipment is actually quite good in some cases, depending on exactly what they deployed and how they used it. Some of their equipment is quite modern, but if you don't interpret the radar picture correctly, if you don't have other information to help augment the radar picture, then you can make mistakes like this.

And no system is perfect. Clearly ours is not either, but their system does have a lot of gaps in it, and it clearly shows that the Ukrainian drones can often be mistaken for commercial airliners and vice versa.

DEAN: And in your opinion, should that have been -- I talked to another expert that said Russia should have alerted, you know, the airlines not to fly in Russian airspace for this very reason.

LEIGHTON: Yes, that's absolutely true. Usually they send out a notice to air missions or NOTAM report to all aircraft that could potentially be flying in the area. It's something that's widely disseminated by the aviation authorities of a particular country. And that should have been what the Russians did in this particular case. Their failure to do so is, you know, clearly something that shows that they're responsible for this tragedy.

[19:15:04]

DEAN: All right. Colonel Cedric Leighton, as always, great to see you. Happy New Year. Thanks so much.

LEIGHTON: You bet. Happy New Year, Jessica.

DEAN: Thanks.

Still ahead, it is shocking video just released showing New York correction officers beating a handcuffed inmate to death. What we're learning about the officers involved and what the New York attorney general says she's going to do to investigate.

Plus, what is the future of the Democratic Party? Former presidential candidate Marianne Williamson is running for chair of the Democratic National Committee hoping to lead the party back to some wins. We'll talk to her ahead here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

DEAN: In New York, more than a dozen corrections employees have now been suspended without pay and another has resigned after a handcuffed prisoner was beaten to death, and that was captured on police body cam video.

[19:20:00]

We do want to warn you these images are disturbing. Authorities saying the inmate Robert Brooks died a day after that assault. New York's governor, Kathy Hochul, has called for those involved to be fired, including those who stood by and did not intervene.

CNN's Leigh Waldman is here with more on this.

And Leigh, this video is just very hard to watch. What more are you learning about these people who were involved?

LEIGH WALDMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Jessica, at this point, we don't know if those who were suspended without pay will be fired. It's one of several questions that still remain weeks now after Robert Brooks' death. Another is why he was transferred from the Mohawk Correctional Facility to the Marcy Correctional Facility in the first place, and why this assault even began.

What we do know the body camera video shows us that Brooks, who was 43 at the time, with his arms cuffed behind his back, was taken by those officers into a medical examination room. He was then surrounded by those officers, and they began to punch him in his face, in his chest, in his buttock and his groin. They also kicked him. They wiped his face with blood -- with the blood on his face and they also put a cloth into his mouth.

He's then lifted up by his neck and his collar and pushed against this wall while his legs were limp. The very next day he is then pronounced dead at the Wynn Hospital, also in upstate New York. The New York attorney general, Letitia James, released this video and vowed for accountability and a full scale investigation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LETITIA JAMES, NEW YORK ATTORNEY GENERAL: I do not take lightly the release of this video, especially in the middle of the holiday season. But as attorney general, I release these videos because I have a responsibility and duty to provide the Brooks family, their loved ones, and all New Yorkers with transparency and accountability.

My deepest condolences go out to Mr. Brooks' family.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WALDMAN: A law enforcement expert who watched the video weighed in and said potential excessive use of force is evident in this video when the officers clean that blood off of his face and then continued to strike and grab him -- Jessica.

DEAN: All right, more to come on this. Leigh Waldman, thank you very much.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:26:33]

DEAN: Back to our top story now. One person is dead after tornadoes cut across the southern U.S., touching down in Texas and Mississippi.

Sheriff Bo Stallman of Brazoria County, Texas, is joining us on the phone right now.

Sheriff, thanks for being here with us. What can you tell us about this person who died in this tornado? Anything?

SHERIFF BO STALLMAN, BRAZORIA COUNTY, TEXAS: At this time the information has not been released as far as details of the person involved out of respect for the families that are affected by this. But I can tell you that there is in fact one person deceased. And it's extremely devastating for all those involved.

DEAN: Of course it is. And we are just looking at pictures of your community while you're talking. Can you tell us what kind of damage people are seeing, how people are reacting tonight?

STALLMAN: Yes. So I can tell you it was a very quick impact, very devastating. It touched multiple points throughout the county, but it was within a small, you know, square mile vicinity. But it touched down at four different locations. And as you can tell by the images that the damage has been extremely devastating.

But I can assure you that, you know, Brazoria County will come together as we always do to help everyone involved. So, it was a hard impact and it -- as you can imagine, very devastating.

DEAN: Of course. I'm a native of Arkansas, so I remember growing up with tornadoes and tornado season. Typically it comes in the spring. This seems like kind of an odd time where people given -- did they have warning? Do you feel like people were able to take shelter?

STALLMAN: Yes. So I can tell you that that's the problem with tornadoes is that there's not a whole lot of planning and, you know, preparation, for these type of events when it comes to hurricanes, which we're typically used to here in the Gulf Coast. There's more of an advanced warning to where you can properly prepare to take shelter. But I would tell people to always pay attention to any storm thing that comes through our area and take the proper shelter in place as, as need be, but these are just really hard to plan for because they develop so fast.

DEAN: Absolutely.

Sheriff, thank you so much for being here with us. We certainly are wishing you and your community well. I know this is a tough time, especially around the holiday season, but thanks for being with us.

STALLMAN: Yes, well, it's a pleasure to be here, but I also want to say that our response and not only our agency, but all the first responder agencies in the entire Brazoria County that showed up, we had an over amount of resources and, you know, first responders that were there to help our community. So I want to say thank you to them. And this is just a terrible event. But, you know, Brazoria County will pull together and we'll get through this. So thank you for your time.

DEAN: They are truly heroes. All right. Thank you so much. We really appreciate it.

The Democratic Party is facing a monumental task, which is rebuilding its trust with voters after losing the White House and both chambers of Congress. There are a lot of questions over where the party goes next. How do they connect with those voters? And now the focus is on who will help rebuild this party.

There are currently five candidates running to become the new chairman of the Democratic Party. One of them is former presidential candidate Marianne Williamson, and she's joining us now.

Thanks so much for being here with us on this Saturday night. You ran for the Democratic nomination for president in 2020 and in '24. I want to note that your best performance was in the New Hampshire primary, and that's where you got 4 percent of the vote behind President Joe Biden and Dean Phillips.

[19:30:08]

Marianne, I just want to ask you first why you think you're the best person to lead the party.

MARIANNE WILLIAMSON, RUNNING FOR DNC CHAIR: Well, first, let's talk a little bit about what happened there in New Hampshire. Reid Hoffman came in with that $2 million to support the write-in campaign for President Biden's renomination. Once again, the way billionaires have the kind of undue influence that they have. Plus, you had a super PAC that came in for days supporting Dean Phillips before the election.

So, sometimes these things are not quite what they appear to be. The reason I think, that I'm the best person, actually, for this job is because I've traveled all over this country and I have been up close and personal with what people have been going through. I don't think that the political system in general, and I don't think that the Democratic Party either. In fact, the problem is that it President-elect Trump has a very good way of coming across as though he cares. Somebody has got to bear witness to the incredible suffering that is going on out there. And that is what I've had the opportunity to do.

When you have one in four Americans living with medical debt, when you have over half of our bankruptcies as medical bankruptcies, 46 percent of Americans saying that they live with hunger. When we have over a million people who are rationing their insulin, when we have people unable to live working with just one job and supporting a family, this is the kind of thing that the Democratic Party should stand for.

The Democratic Party should be bearing witness to the incredible hardships that so many people are experiencing in this country. And I feel as someone who has not only been out all across America, very extensively, traveling, bearing witness, seeing what's going on with people, as well as someone who has experienced the inside of the belly of the beast, as they say, of the way the system works, particularly the culture of the DNC.

I think that I'm the one who has the information, the visceral information, to know how we reconnect with the American people, how we serve the American people best and what's most important, how we win in 2026. Because Donald Trump has created a collective adrenaline rush. He has a psychological and emotional sway on masses of Americans, millions who have not only been drawn over to him, but millions of Americans who have been drawn away from the Democratic Party.

So, we have to change the Democratic Party. If you want a change in the Senate and the House and the White House, then you're going to have to have a change in the Democratic Party. And I feel that I'm the one who has the greatest ability to make that shift, so that we are making that contact with Americans again.

DEAN: And I hear what you're saying about traveling around that you feel like you have interacted with a lot of Americans, but in terms of functionally, what would you do to the DNC to make it better? I mean, a lot of it, as you well know, is about organizing. It's about building together the party coordinating. How would you do that and what do you think is the right way forward?

WILLIAMSON: Well, there are people in the party. Ken Martin, for instance, a very, very fine candidate who is running. He has the kind of expertise that is needed on that level. And someone like that would work very, very closely at my side throughout. My point is that it's not enough to have a good political car mechanic. You've also got to address the fact that you're on the wrong road.

So those external factors are important. We need that kind of expertise. And that kind of expertise would certainly be brought to bear, no matter who is the chairman. But we have to transform the party from the inside out. The first thing I would do is go on a listening tour, and I would help reconnect the American people with the practical relevance of politics in their lives. You know, one of the things that the Republicans do much better than the Democrats, but this will change if I am party chair, is that they maintain close contact with their base. It's amazing how often you talk to Republicans about an issue. And the average Republican seems more informed about the issues that affect their daily lives. Now, even though some of that information is the exact opposite of what Democrats believe, I do not see the equal kind of contact with the Democratic voters.

Too often the DNC talks to Democratic voters when there's an election every two years, every four years. And a lot of times we're coming across with, give me your money or give me your votes. I want to say to people, what do you need? How can we help? What is it? What are the instruments of government that could be helping you?

And we need an information infrastructure, a kind of issues hotline, so that every single day, people in America would know this is what Trump is doing to you. This is what the Democrats are standing for. This is what the Democrats are standing for in the House and in the Senate. This is what Democrats are standing for all over this country. This is its relevance in your experience. And this is how you can participate in turning things around.

It would be an entirely different culture and an entirely different way that the Democratic Party would be a keeper of the story. The great story of American possibility. I would make sure that that happens. And I think that kind of energy, that kind of psychological and emotional and even spiritual communication with people, is what would help turn things around in a way that it needs to, in order to meet the energy and the influence of Donald Trump.

[19:35:12]

DEAN: All right, Marianne Williamson, thanks so much for your time tonight. We appreciate it.

WILLIAMSON: Thank you.

DEAN: We're going to be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:39:40]

DEAN: Twenty-twenty-four brought a long list of shocking crime stories. CNN's Jean Casarez takes us to the top ten cases that people that had people talking all year round.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEAN CASAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Music superstars charged in criminal court, parents of a school shooter land in prison and an insurance executive gunned down, shot in the back in the heart of New York City.

[19:40:11]

All part of the top ten crime and justice stories of 2024.

Number ten: A conviction in murders of Abigail Williams and Liberty German, two young Delphi, Indiana girls have an afternoon off from school in February 2017. A family member drops them off to hike at the Monon High Bridge Trail. Libby and Abby were never seen again. Their bodies were found together the next day with their throats cut. Libby's phone had pivotal video evidence of a suspect. Local resident Richard Allen was arrested in 2022 and was later convicted by a jury of his peers.

Number nine: Charges in connection to the death of a beloved actor.

MATTHEW PERRY, ACTOR COMEDIAN: When I dance, I look like this.

CASAREZ (voice over): Matthew Perry, who became a household name on the hit show "Friends" found dead in October 2023, his body floating face down in a hot tub at his Pacific Palisades home with ketamine in his system. Five people now charged in connection with his death, including two doctors.

ANNE MILGRAM, DEA ADMINISTRATOR: Matthew Perry sought treatment for depression and anxiety and went to a local clinic where he became addicted to intravenous ketamine.

CASAREZ (voice over): Three of the defendants have reached plea agreements, while the other two have pleaded not guilty.

Number eight: A stunning end to Alec Baldwin's manslaughter trial.

Baldwin goes to trial following the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of his film "Rust." Prosecutors said Baldwin pulled the trigger of a prop gun during a rehearsal, but the gun had a live round, killing Hutchins. Within two days, the involuntary manslaughter case was thrown out over withheld evidence.

JUDGE: Dismissal with prejudice is warranted.

CASAREZ: Number seven: Pop star Justin Timberlake arrested for driving while intoxicated.

Timberlake is pulled over while driving in Sag Harbor, New York. Court records alleged he was glassy eyed with a strong odor of alcohol on his breath. He told police he only had one Martini. Three months later, he pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of driving while impaired.

JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE, SINGER, SONGWRITER: Even one drink. Don't get behind the wheel of a car.

CASAREZ: Number six: An Illinois woman shot and killed in her own home by police.

Thirty six-year-old Sonia Massey called 911 on July 6th because she thought an intruder was in her home. Deputies responded, but a dispute over a pot of hot water on the stove became the focus.

SONIA MASSEY, VICTIM: Where you moving? DEPUTY: Huh?

MASSEY: Where are you going?

DEPUTY: Away from your hot steaming water.

MASSEY: Away from my hot steaming water?

MASSEY: Yes.

MASSEY: I rebuke you in the name of Jesus.

DEPUTY: Huh?

MASSEY: I rebuke in the name of --

DEPUTY: You better (bleep) not. I swear to God. I'll (bleep) shoot you at your (bleep) face.

MASSEY: Okay, I'm sorry.

DEPUTY: Drop the (bleep) pot.

SECOND DEPUTY: Drop it.

CASAREZ: The Sangamon County Sheriff's Deputy, Sean Grayson, was fired and has pleaded not guilty to murder and other charges.

Number five: After 35 years in prison, two brothers have the possibility of freedom.

Lyle and Erik Menendez planned, plotted and executed the murders of their parents in 1989. The brothers said they acted in self-defense after suffering years of physical and sexual abuse by their record executive father. The first jury trial ended in a mistrial, but included their sexual abuse testimony.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you recall the first time that he wasn't nice during the sex?

ERIK MENENDEZ, CONVICTED OF MURDER : Yes, yes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And you were 11.

ERIK MENENDEZ: I was 11.

CASAREZ (voice over): But during a second trial, the brothers were convicted. Now they say they have new evidence. And with a Netflix docudrama on the case --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We did it.

CASAREZ: -- as well as the sudden support of now former LA District Attorney George Gascon, the chance for freedom is possible, but the new DA, Nathan Hochman, is making no promises.

NATHAN HOCHMAN, LOS ANGELES DISTRICT ATTORNEY: You have to review thoroughly the facts and the law.

CASAREZ: Number four: The chief executive officer of insurance giant, UnitedHealthcare gunned down in New York City.

Brian Thompson, in town for a conference, was shot and killed in the early morning hours of December 4th outside of the Hilton in Midtown Manhattan.

JESSICA TISCH, NYPD COMMISSIONER: It appears the suspect was lying in wait for several minutes.

CASAREZ: On December 9th, the NYPD announced 26-year-old Luigi Mangione had been arrested in Altoona, Pennsylvania, while eating at a McDonald's. He was in possession of a document criticizing the healthcare industry, a police official told CNN.

Mangione has been charged with murder, among other counts, in state and federal court. Mangione's attorney denies his client was involved in the killing.

Number three: A Georgia nursing student murdered on her morning jog.

Twenty-five minutes into that run, Laken Riley was killed.

GOV. BRIAN KEMP (R-GA): This community, all of Georgia and the entire country have been rocked by this inexcusable and avoidable murder.

CASAREZ: Jose Ibarra, a 26-year-old migrant from Venezuela, was charged with her murder. The trial in November brought an unemotional Ibarra and Riley's family together in the same room.

ALLYSON PHILLIPS, LAKEN RILEY'S MOTHER This sick, twisted and evil coward showed no regard for Laken and her human life.

CASAREZ: Ibarra was convicted and sentenced to life in prison without parole.

Number two: It was precedent setting. Parents of a mass school shooter on trial themselves for the deaths of the students their son gunned down.

KAREN MCDONALD, OAKLAND COUNTY PROSECUTOR: Gun ownership is a right and with that right comes great responsibility.

CASAREZ: Jennifer and James Crumbley, the parents of the Oxford, Michigan high school shooter, went to trial in early 2024 on involuntary manslaughter charges. In a first of its kind prosecution, the state alleged the Crumbleys bought their son a gun days before the mass shooting and didn't properly store it.

MARC KEAST, OAKLAND COUNTY ASSISTANT PROSECUTING ATTORNEY: Despite her knowledge of his deteriorating mental crisis, this gun was gifted.

CASAREZ: Jennifer, then took the stand.

JENNIFER CRUMBLEY, MOTHER OF OXFORD HIGH SCHOOL SHOOTER: There was a couple of times where Ethan had expressed anxiety over taking tests, but not to a level where I felt he needed to go see a psychiatrist or a mental health professional right away now.

CASAREZ: With the community still overcome by grief from the four students murdered by their son, both parents were convicted by unanimous juries. They are appealing their verdicts.

And the number one crime and justice story of the year: Music superstar Sean "Diddy" Combs arrested.

Combs was charged in September with sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy and prostitution related charges.

DAMIAN WILLIAMS, US ATTORNEY FOR THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK: Combs used force, threats of force and coercion to cause victims to engage in extended sexual performances with male commercial sex workers.

CASAREZ: The indictment specifically notes surveillance video showing Combs beating his then girlfriend, Cassie Ventura, at a hotel in march 2016. Combs apologized after CNN aired that video in May.

SEAN "DIDDY" COMBS, AMERICAN RAPPER, PRODUCER: I take full responsibility for my actions in that video. I'm disgusted.

CASAREZ: Combs remains in federal custody at the metropolitan detention center in New York City. He has pleaded not guilty.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:52:34]

DEAN: Coming up on New Year's Day, a new CNN film follows the legendary singer Luther Vandross throughout his life and his career. CNN anchor Victor Blackwell sits down with Luther's longtime friends and music collaborators, as well as the director of the film.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN HOST (voice over): Singer songwriter, producer. Eight-time Grammy winner with 11 consecutive platinum or double platinum selling albums.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. Luther Vandross.

LUTHER VANDROSS, SINGER-SONGWRITER AND RECORD PRODUCER: (Singing)

BLACKWELL (voice over): Millions of fans around the world, know his unmistakable voice and classic love songs.

VANDROSS: (Singing) I can't fool myself. I don't want nobody else to ever love me.

BLACKWELL (voice over): But what you may not know is the story of how he became a star.

FENZI THORTON, MUSICIAN AND FRIEND OF LUTHER VANDROSS: The day that I met him, it was clear to me this dude is going to wind up being on the radio. First of all, he sang better than everybody. He had a vision about how he sang.

VANDROSS: I try to do songs that I think I can do differently, you know, and that I think fit me. You know, sort of like a what somebody chooses to wear.

BLACKWELL (voice over): Luther was inspired by the icons, The Supremes, Aretha Franklin, Dionne Warwick and before his solo career, Luther grew to be a top background vocalist.

VANDROSS: I used to sing background vocals for Roberta Flack on the road. And Roberta sometimes would have interviews, and sometimes shed be unable to show up at soundchecks, so I would sing her songs for her in soundchecks to test her microphone.

BLACKWELL (voice over): And throughout his career, Luther kept those friends from the early days close.

DAWN PORTER, DIRECTOR, "LUTHER: NEVER TOO MUCH": One, of the many, many things that's so impressive about Luther over the course of his life is how his friends have remained so constant. I really wanted to have people who could tell you how he laughed, could tell you how he was silly, could tell you about him as a person.

BLACKWELL (on camera): What memories come back about Luther, when you see these relics, these artifacts from that period?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's people who can sing. There are people who can arrange. There are people who can play. But Luther wanted to be -- he had a vision of the entire thing.

BLACKWELL (voice over): What most fans probably don't know is that Luther meticulously designed every aspect of his shows the costumes, the lighting and choreography.

PORTER: I love talking to people who were the like OG Luther fans, and they're like, you cannot tell me something I don't know. And then they're all like, What? What? What? That's a really interesting thing with a with a Black artist is he literally was everywhere. He just wasn't always visible.

I really like to think of this as also a celebration of Black music.

VANDROSS: (Singing)

BLACKWELL (voice over): And that's what this film is, a celebration of Luther's artistry and a deeper look at the man, professionally and personally.

FONZI THORNTON, MUSICIAN AND FRIEND OF LUTHER VANDROSS: He called me from LA where he was living. He said, listen, I'm nominated for best R&B vocal. I'm not going to win anyway. Why don't you come and hang out with me? And we went to the Grammys and he won for "Here and Now". This is the dude I met in the projects, and he is winning a Grammy.

PORTER: When you kind of travel through time with this movie and with Luther's journey, you remember these moments, these spectacular moments. This is all part of American culture. It's not just Black culture, it's an American culture.

BLACKWELL (voice over): Nearly 20 years after his passing, Luther still inspires artists and fans through the power of his voice.

Victor Blackwell, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

DEAN: Luther never too much premieres New Year's Day at 8:00 PM Eastern and Pacific only on CNN.

Thanks so much for joining me this evening. I'm Jessica Dean. "All the Best, All the Worst 2024" is up next. Have a great night and a Happy New Year.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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