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Erin Burnett Outfront

Exclusive: Inmarsat Defends Handling Of Data; Fires Threatening Thousands Of Homes In California

Aired May 15, 2014 - 19:00   ET

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

ERIN BURNETT, CNN HOST: Next, breaking news, wildfires raging out of control in Southern California, thousands of homes, more than 100,000 people in flames way. We're live from the scene of the biggest fire.

Plus, breaking news on Malaysia Airlines, exclusive new information about the satellite data at the center of the search only OUTFRONT.

And the man who says he is the zodiac killer's son is my guest tonight. Let's go OUTFRONT.

Good evening, everyone. I'm Erin Burnett. OUTFRONT tonight, we have breaking news, a state of emergency. At least nine wildfires at this moment raging across California's San Diego County. The flames are out of control, already burning nearly 10,000 acres.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Wow. There it is right there. There it is right there.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BURNETT: One hundred twenty five thousand people already told to evacuate, 22 structures, several homes already destroyed. President Obama has now been briefed on the situation and right now the top priority is the uncontrollable blaze in San Marcos. That particular fire has already burned through a thousand acres. It is only 5 percent contained. Officials tonight trying to determine the cause of the fires. They won't rule out arson. We're going have more on that.

But now I want to begin with Gary Tuchman. He is OUTFRONT in San Marcos. And Gary, the pictures we just saw were apocalyptic. I mean, these are incredible.

GARY TUCHMAN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Erin, it's a volatile and very dangerous situation here in San Marcos, California, population 83,000, about 30 miles northeast of San Diego. This is not a rural area. This is the middle of a prosperous city and you see on top of the hill in this city of San Marcos, you can see the flames burning. You can see the helicopter that is water. That is in the container. It is dumping water on the fire spots throughout San Marcos.

What is so unusual about this fire, Erin, yesterday morning when people woke up in this town, they didn't see very much of anything at all. There was some fires, but it was considered relatively minor. It sprung up very quickly with the heat, the low humidity, the winds and then it died down a little bit this morning. When we came out this morning, we saw very little fire once again. The winds picked up, and now it's all over the city one more time.

I want to show you on this side, this fire, you can't see the flames anymore. We saw flames an hour ago. We see smoke. But John, my photographer, is going to zoom in. You're going to see the foundation of a house. That house burned down from a fire just an hour ago. Once again, the helicopter above it dropping water on flames. There is a lot of concern, Erin.

Because as you said, only 5 percent under control. And here in San Diego County, you're talking about 10,000 acres that have been destroyed and this is only May. Fire season usually kicks off in middle of the summer, the beginning of the fall. That's the heart of fire season. We're in springtime here and May in these dry conditions are very concerned what the season could end upbringing -- Erin.

BURNETT: And Gary, you mentioned again, the fire where you are, only 5 percent contained. How much worse do you think are they telling you it could get?

TUCHMAN: Well, you know, we've covered fires for so many years. What is unusual about this one, while we were standing in an area of trees, there was a little bit of flames and were taking some shots of an area we thought was particularly vulnerable. But we saw the flames start coming towards us. So we stepped back about 100 yards. Within 15 minutes, those trees were all completely gone. We saw what is basically called a fire tornado.

It's a whirlwind of smoke in a fire that's caused by the winds, caused by the humidity. And it spread the fire hundreds of yards in a matter of seconds. And that's why this is so dangerous. Of all the disasters we cover, Erin, hurricanes and tornadoes, this is the most treacherous because you know, which direction a hurricane is going. You don't know where a tornado is going, but you know how to stay away from it.

But if you're anywhere near a fire like these firefighters are, they're very brave people, and they're from all over Southern California here. If you're a firefighter, you never know you're completely safe at any given time if you can see the fire because it can come towards you.

BURNETT: All right, Gary, thank you very much. We're going to keep checking back in with Gary. A reminder of the firefighters who lost their lives last summer when they were fighting a fire. Now the cause of the nine wildfires tonight is under investigation. San Diego County Sheriff Bill Gore says arson is a possibility. San Diego County Supervisor Bill Horn joins me now on the phone.

Six of the nine fires are in his district. Let me start with you, Bill, first. These fires can move hundreds of yards in a matter of seconds. You think you're standing there very safely, and all of the sudden, it can surge towards you. And this is so much earlier in fire season than normal. How bad is this? BILL HORN, SAN DIEGO COUNTY SUPERVISOR (via telephone): Well, we normally see weather like this in October and November, and sometimes we get it in January and February when we get a Santa Ana. This is because of the high pressure over the desert, this is created a Santa Ana-type condition. We normally don't get 100 degree weather and 60- mile-an-hour winds. This is very unusual for May. I guess it's the beginning of an awfully hot fire season.

BURNETT: And you talk about the timing. It's the temperature. It's the wind. But it's also possibly how these fires were started. There were reports earlier that someone had been detained, possibly for arson, and then released. Do you know anything about that?

TUCHMAN: No. Earlier yesterday, I alluded to the fact that because of the fires, and I've been doing this for 20 years, the fact that I've been through a lot of big fires in San Diego County, the Cedar fire, the Paradise fire, Witch Creek, Cuyamaca, what have you. It really burned up a lot of areas. But in those cases, the fire was spread by embers from one fire to the next, what have you.

In this yesterday and a fire started basically in six separate spots, close to roadways, next to big fuel that was basically set aside for habitat that burned right into very populated areas. And for me it's just, you know, six fires like that, it's just too much of a coincidence. So I don't have any evidence, it's just my gut feeling having done this for 20 year.

I'm watching air tankers right now drop in the canyon. So I really think -- I know we have our arson team out there from the sheriff's department. And I know the California fire is out there too with their arson team. If this was started by somebody, I had heard earlier they arrested somebody in Escondido. But I understand they released him. So obviously he was not the person, but I still have my suspicions.

This is just too much of a coincidence. We get fire like other places get tornadoes and hurricanes. San Diego County just happens to be prepared for fire. We're very prepared. God bless everybody who is serving down here. I mean we have units here from Modesto, an entire battalion I saw earlier from Riverside County. We have from Santa Barbara, all over. We could not do this without their help. We have the Marine Corps helicopters put this canyon out to save the houses.

BURNETT: Yes.

HORN: But I do have my suspicions to be honest with you.

BURNETT: All right, well, Bill, thank you very much. We're going to keep following that story. And interesting as he laid out where the fires were started near those fuel depots along highways, as to why he thinks it was arson. But it's -- however that spark started, it's extreme temperatures, as you heard, 100 plus degrees, strong winds, 60 miles per hour plus that are making this so horrific. Only 5 percent contained in the fires you were looking at right there.

Jennifer Gray, our meteorologist is OUTFRONT. Jennifer, when you look at this, these are some of the worst they have seen. Is there any relief in sight, or is this something that is just going to continue to spiral out of control?

JENNIFER GRAY, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes, these images are just awful. Temperatures have been very, very hot. They were hot yesterday. Hot today. We've been shattering records across the board and we were in the 90s today. Some areas in the triple-digits, 20 to 30 degrees above normal. Good news is after today, temperatures should start to fall. They'll still be above normal by the weekend. But they will be a little bit cooler compared to how we have been.

Look at this, 102 high temperature in Chula Vista, record 81 degrees. So shattering a record by more than 20 degrees in parts of California. Of course, we've been talking a lot about those Santa Ana winds, those very strong winds that are pulling offshore. We should get more of an onshore flow by the weekend that will help increase that humidity. That's what you want to help out these firefighters to battle these wildfires.

You want humidity to increase and you want the temperatures to go down. Still very, very dry, though, across the area. We're not going see any rain in Southern California for the near future. It will stay hot. It will stay breezy and it will stay dry. The drought monitor came out for today, 100 percent of the state of California in a severe drought, 25 percent in exceptional drought. Exceptional is the highest category when you're talking about drought. So it is a dire situation across the entire state -- Erin.

BURNETT: Jennifer, thank you very much. And we're going to continue monitoring those fires. We'll be checking back in with that throughout the hour. Next we have breaking news on Flight 370. Exclusive new information only here about the satellite data at the center of the search.

Plus, the zodiac killer known for taunting police with coded messages was never caught. Our guest coming up says he is the killer's son.

And three roommates find more than $40,000 in their couch. They're OUTFRONT.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BURNETT: Breaking news in the search for Malaysia Flight 370. Inmarsat, that's the satellite company whose data and analysis led to the current search zone tells OUTFRONT exclusively that it has provided all its raw data to Malaysian officials. Inmarsat tells us Inmarsat's raw data was provided to the investigation team at an early stage in the search for MH370. This is crucial because the Malaysian government said just today that it doesn't have the quote/unquote, "raw data."

Families and scientists have been increasingly angry at Inmarsat for supposedly refusing to release to it anyone. Now Inmarsat then goes on to exclusively tell OUTFRONT, we have very high confidence in the analysis of this data, which was independently evaluated by the international teams accredited to the official investigation. They are standing by the analysis that has led searchers to the Southern Indian Ocean.

Also crucial given a recent report citing a group of scientists who said the Inmarsat analysis could be wrong with searchers looking in the wrong ocean. After all, it's been 70 days since the plane disappeared. There has not been a single shard of debris found in the search zone or any evidence of the plane beneath the water. Now the breaking news, Inmarsat says it has definitively absolutely given the Malaysians the raw data is in direct conflict with what the Malaysians said just this morning. Jim Clancy is OUTFRONT.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JIM CLANCY, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): What happened to Flight 370 is the biggest mystery in the history of modern aviation. But the raw data gleaned from satellite handshakes as the plane flew thousands of miles offcourse is not a mystery. It may instead become a controversy.

HISHAMMUDDIN HUSSEIN, MALAYSIAN ACTING TRANSPORT MINISTER: There is any request for raw data to be made available to the public, it must be made to Inmarsat.

CLANCY: Australian officials heading the search in the Southern Indian Ocean tells CNN, they don't have the raw data either, but Inmarsat, the company that owns the satellites insists that data has already been released.

CHRIS MCLAUGHLIN, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, INMARSAT: We shared the information that we have. And it's for the investigation to the site, what and when it puts out.

CLANCY: The truth it seems somewhere in between. Malaysia as the country in charge of the investigation is supposed to control the release of any information. But in this case, the conclusions were shared in a presentation on a laptop computer. Malaysia's transport minister insists he doesn't have the raw data itself. Malaysia and everyone else have the conclusions.

That's the sequence of maps that was produced by reading satellite data that showed the jetliner was somewhere along a huge arc. Further calculations aided by Boeing, Malaysia Airlines and others placed flight 370 in the Southern Indian Ocean, nearly out of fuel and far from land.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CLANCY: Is a reassessment of raw satellite data in order? Well, CNN has asked the Malaysian government if it would request raw data from Inmarsat in the hopes it could then in some form perhaps be made public and openly examined. Angus Houston, the man in charge of the search warrants, some of the world's best experts are confident the current analysis is correct. But even he doesn't rule out some kind of review -- Erin.

BURNETT: All right, Jim Clancy, thank you very much. Joining me now, Miles O'Brien and Arthur Rosenberg. All right, Miles, so Malaysia is the man in charge there says they have not given us the raw data. He says that this morning. Inmarsat now exclusively telling OUTFRONT, yes, we did. We gave them the raw data. They have everything. This is really crucial point here. Who do you believe?

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN AVIATION ANALYST: I don't know who to believe, but isn't it awful that it's quite evident somebody is lying here. Somebody is lying. We're talking about something that involves a missing airliner, now 70 days, lives lost, families shattered, and there is people lying about this. This is absolutely reprehensible. I can't even believe that it would be funny if it wasn't so tragic.

BURNETT: Arthur, someone is lying.

ARTHUR ROSENBERG, CNN AVIATION ANALYST: I don't think there is any question about that, but here is really the bottom line. Inmarsat is hiding behind ICAO Annex 13.

BURNETT: Let me read that. In their statement, they continue to say, look, we gave the raw data to the Malaysians. We can't give to it the public. We can't do that. The reason they're doing that it's an international airline legal agreement saying accredited representatives and their advisers will not divulge findings on the investigation without the express consent of the state conducting the investigation. They're saying we gave the raw data to Malaysia. Malaysia is the only one that can release to it the world.

ROSENBERG: First, ICAO Annex 13 is a framework, not a hard and fast rule. Malaysia has played footloose and fancy free with ICAO Annex 13 throughout this investigation. The preliminary report information given, not given. But here is the thing, Inmarsat claims that they turned it over to the Malaysians. The Malaysians say we don't have it. Inmarsat has it and Malaysian authorities did not expressly object to Inmarsat releasing the information.

BURNETT: So you're saying whether Malaysia has it or not isn't the point. Inmarsat can release it.

ROSENBERG: Under ICAO Annex 13, I say Inmarsat now, if I'm their general counsel, I'm saying boys, you are now obligated to release the data. And they -- any argument that it's proprietary, that Inmarsat has some ownership rights, some trade secrets in releasing this raw data is also gone because they said today the truth is it's not our data. So the bottom line is they are obligated in my judgment to release the data. The methodology is another issue.

BURNETT: So Miles, let me ask you about that. What would be holding them back at this point from releasing the raw data?

O'BRIEN: Well, unfortunately, you almost get the sense that they're stalling.

BURNETT: Yes, you do.

O'BRIEN: There is something in there that they don't want the world to see. And that's the problem. That's why there is so little credibility right now about why this search zone has been identified. They keep saying the world's best experts have looked at our data, and it's fine. As far as I'm concerned, as Ronald Reagan said, trust but verify. It's time to do some verification. And frankly, the longer they stall, the more I think the world in general is not trusting what they're saying.

BURNETT: I mean, that seems to be the problem, Arthur. They're now saying look, we gave these guys everything they wanted, and we're hiding behind them the Malaysians have to release it. Miles is saying it's been called into question. It has been. A whole group of scientists say they think from the information they have that they could be looking in the wrong place. Give us the data, Inmarsat.

ROSENBERG: Just to do a takeoff on the stall issue, I think there may be something to that. McLaughlin said earlier in the week.

BURNETT: Who is with Inmarsat.

ROSENBERG: Right. He is the executive vice president. He is a high level executive.

BURNETT: Yes.

ROSENBERG: He said we don't have a lot. All we have are seven data points. Those data points are critical. The frequencies, the relative speeds, the distances.

BURNETT: They then analyze that and said the plane is down this in the Southern Indian Ocean.

ROSENBERG: Perhaps they're concerned when we see the flimsy nature on the data on which all our hopes are based that we're looking in the right area, we may have some second guesses about this. The bottom line is they are obligated now. There is no question about releasing this data. The real issue, how do we get them to do it?

BURNETT: Maybe conversations like this one and, you know, and both you and miles making that point. Maybe they will. Thanks very much to both of you. OUTFRONT next, our breaking news coverage continues. More than 100,000 now forced to flee the violent wildfires in California. A fire captain is OUTFRONT, says the fires are growing more explosive by the instant.

And the zodiac killer terrorized America, there is a man who says he is the son of the killer. He is OUTFRONT. Predicting the future is a pretty difficult thing to do.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BURNETT: Now back to our breaking news, devastating wildfires raging across Southern California. At least nine separate fires already burned nearly 10,000 acres, 125,000 forced to evacuate. A state of emergency declared. Mike Mohler is a captain with Cal fire, the San Diego County fire authority. He is on scene in San Marcos. That is right nw the center with these horrible pictures that you're seeing. These are in San Marcos, 5,000 homes evacuated. He is with me now on the phone. Captain, good to have you with us. Thank you for taking the time to tell us what you're up against there. How bad is it?

MIKE MOHLER, FIRE CAPTAIN CAL FIRE (via telephone): Right now I can tell you, unfortunately Mother Nature was not on our side today. We've had explosive fire growth. We've had it move in to what we consider the lowland urban space where structure, unfortunately some have been damaged, some have been destroyed. We're trying to get those numbers so we can get them out to the public.

BURNETT: And the explosive fire growth, we have been talking about the San Marcos fire where you're only 5 percent contained. You think this is going to get significantly bigger?

MOHLER: We're doing our best to get ahead of it. Just really, a fire-driven and topography driven because we don't have the offshore Santa Ana winds. But just because of the fuel conditions and the heat, today was the hottest day of the week, we're cautiously optimistic. We're really pushing hard to get ahead of this thing.

BURNETT: And do you think that arson is to blame?

MOHLER: We don't. We've had unconfirmed reports and several different outlets that arson has been determined as the cause. I know that's not because they're under investigation. We're working closely with San Diego County arson investigators. We do not have that as a cause of yet.

BURNETT: Not yet. In terms of what will happen over the next few days, obviously, the growth being explosive in so many different fires so early in fire season, how afraid are you?

MOHLER: Well, we are ready. In fact, for us to see fire conditions like this in May, it's unheard of. It's unprecedented to see this type of weather and fuel conditions. But we prepare for that. Not only Cal Fire, but all the local operators in California have looked at the weather, and we were ready. We actually had prepositioned resources prior to these fires so we could hit them even harder.

BURNETT: Captain Mohler, thank you very much for taking the time to talk to us. And we wish you luck. Our breaking news coverage on the wildfires raging out of control continues after this with more than 100,000 racing to escape the flames. As you can see, taking gigantic mansions down with them. Our reporters are on the ground with the latest.

Plus, the zodiac killer suspected of killing 37 people. His identity still unknown, but our next guest says he is the killer's son.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That is very unsafe. We have our heroes fighting this fire in aircraft, and you put them at risk because you would like to have a picture of this. Please do not do that.

From SDG&E, they would like to tell you their main concern is public safety. They'll ensure that the energy is brought back and gas as soon as they can. But the main concern -- BURNETT: All right. We're going to keep monitoring that.

I want to go to Gary Tuchman who is on the ground right now in San Marcos where you just saw the fire chief and the assemblyman.

Gary, this is the center of it. I was just talking to the fire chief who was saying this is -- it's been explosive today, explosive growth in the fires.

TUCHMAN: Erin, absolutely. When we came out this morning here in San Marcos, we saw very little fire. And now behind me, you can see that blaze threatening even more homes. Houses have been destroyed in this suburb of San Marcos. We just saw one destroyed about an hour ago, and that flame up there is a very big possibility to destroy more homes.

The weather is supposed to improve tomorrow and this weekend. It's supposed to be much cooler. But right now, it is very worrisome.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh my God! Oh my God!

TUCHMAN (voice-over): Multiple fires burning in San Diego County right now. The one concerning authorities the most, the San Marcos Fire, north of the city of San Diego. Barely contained, houses have already been destroyed.

(on camera): The flames and the winds spread the ashes and embers, and that's what makes the fire spread. This area right here ten minutes ago, nothing at all. Now, we're seeing the smoke and the flames start to form. It's very likely that within the next couple of hours, these trees, this vegetation will be gone.

Right down the hill from where I'm standing here in San Marcos, California, which is northeast of San Diego, this is the Cal State-San Marcos campus. It's been around for a quarter century. It has now been evacuated. They're hoping that the fire does not spread down there.

And in this area, within a five-minute walk, there are hundreds of homes, businesses, condominiums, and lots of people.

(voice-over): Firefighters thought they were starting to make headway, but then all of the sudden a fire tornado forms, a bizarre spectacle of nature. It's a whirlwind of flame caused by the turbulence of the wind and the intense heat. Seconds after we see the tornado, the fire starts blazing in new spots.

The blaze is now very close to a neighborhood. Evacuated residents can only watch.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's scariest at the moment with a fire now like 100 yards from the homes. And I worry about the embers jumping into the grass next to the homes.

TUCHMAN (on camera): It's frightening?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It is, very.

TUCHMAN: The winds continue to increase. The fire is flaring up, getting even closer to the houses.

(voice-over): Helicopters swoop in with water drops. Firefighters work on the ground with precision and professionalism. And at least for now, they have met success. The flames have not reached the houses.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BURNETT: And, Gary, seeing these pictures, they really are -- it's like you're seeing hell flames. Are these some of the worst fires you have ever seen? You've covered a lot.

TUCHMAN: Yes, Erin. I've seen fires this bad and worse. What is very unique, though, about these fires is the suddenness of them. Yesterday when people woke up here, there was very little fire. People weren't concerned. Within a couple of hours, they had a catastrophe on their hands.

This morning, it got better. And then it got much worse quickly. And it shows you how dangerous this is, that between 12:00 noon and 1:00 p.m., we saw the situation go from a little bit of fire to a tremendous outbreak of fires and incredible danger. And that's what we're facing as we speak to you right now.

BURNETT: Gary Tuchman, thank you very much. We're continuing to monitor that situation. We'll check back in.

But now, for nearly 50 years, the Zodiac Killer has remained a mystery. It was a case that captivated America because it's never been solved.

My next guest is Gary Stewart, the man who says he is the son of the Zodiac Killer. He is going to join me in just a minute. But first, here is the Zodiac Killer's story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It appears to us that he is killing just for the thrill.

BURNETT (voice-over): The Zodiac Killer terrorized San Francisco in the late '60s, taunting police with coded messages and claims of dozens of murders.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Killing is his compulsion.

BURNETT: The case is so bizarre and notorious, it inspired a Hollywood movie in 2007 featuring Robert Downey Jr. and Jake Gyllenhaal.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This Zodiac Killer has come to San Francisco. BURNETT: More than 40 years later, the mystery has never been solved. And now one man claims to have indisputable evidence. He knows who the killer is.

Gary Stewart, author of the new memoir, "The Most Dangerous Animal of All", says the serial killer is his father, Earl Van Best Jr.

Stewart, a Louisiana businessman made the startling discovery after a ten-year search helped him identify best as his biological father. This photo shows a striking resemblance between best and a sketch of the Zodiac Killer.

Gary Stewart's father died in 1984. But he says forensic experts have matched his father's handwriting to cryptic notes the killer left behind.

So far, San Francisco police have not reviewed the book, but they have investigated and cleared more than 2,500 other suspects. The killer claims he murdered as many as 37 people. But the evidence, including letters and cards the killer sent to the press and swatches of bloody clothing having baffled detectives.

As of today, the Zodiac Killer has only been officially connected to five deaths.

BRYAN HARTNEL, ONE OF ONLY ZODIAC KILLER SURVIVORS: I see him pull his knife and just kind of in one fell swoop, I feel the knife buried in my back.

BURNETT: Bryan Hartnell was stabbed eight times while he was picnicking with his girlfriend. In 2007, he spoke to CNN's Dan Simon about the attacker.

HARTNELL: He had some clip-on glasses that were either affixed to the hood or affixed to glasses underneath. The circle on the chest was a perfectly formed circle.

BURNETT: In an e-mail to CNN, Hartnell says he is skeptical about this latest claim saying there has been no time in the last 40-plus years when someone was not stirring the pot.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BURNETT: OUTFRONT tonight, Gary Stewart, the author of "The Most Dangerous Animal of All: Searching for My Father and Finding the Zodiac Killer."

So, Gary, you write in the book about the revelation. You know, you had been looking for your biological -- you found your mother. She led you to your father, and you got a picture of him. You see this picture, and you're sitting around and watching A&E.

And what happened?

GARY STEWART, CLIAMS FATHER IS THE ZODIAC KILLER: The wanted poster from 1969 from San Francisco Police Department flashes on the screen, and my heart stops. And I think I let out an audible scream, noise.

And my son Zach comes out of his room and looks at me fixed on the television. And he says, hey, dad, it's you.

And I walked back to my office where I had the only photo I've ever had of my father, which I was told was an old DMV photo. But it turned out to be his 1962 mug shot for his rape of my mother.

And I said, no, son, it's not me. It's my father.

BURNETT: It's your father.

So, then you start investigating to find out if this is really true. And we just showed you the images side by side, obviously. Let's talk about some of the other evidence. The handwriting.

You actually took the time to compare your parents -- your father, I guess, coerced your mother into a, quote/unquote, "marriage", but that meant there was a certificate. So you had handwriting.

STEWART: Right.

BURNETT: And you compared that to the handwriting of the Zodiac Killer. The Zodiac Killer is on the left there, right? And then this is an overlay with your father's handwriting.

STEWART: Correct.

Lieutenant John Hennessey had asked me years before, Gary, do you have any handwriting from your father? And I didn't recall that I did.

I had forgotten that my mother had given me -- had given me a copy of their marriage certificate. And I wasn't until after I had been swabbed by the San Francisco Police Department that my co-author Susan Mustafa asked again just two years ago, do you have any handwriting from your father? And I said, oh my God, I do.

BURNETT: And that's when you realized.

Now, let's show one more piece of evidence. And let me ask you then what skeptics say this. This is actually the cryptic letters the Zodiac Killer wrote. He wrote the letters in code and would send them. They were never able to interpret it. They did not know your father's name. Obviously you know that. So, when you look at this, the highlight there, if you can see, every, if you read it backwards, EV, Best Jr.

STEWART: The Zodiac Killer insisted to the police if you crack this cipher, you will have my identity. They cracked the cipher and got the cryptic message, but they didn't know what name to look for.

BURNETT: Because they didn't -- they didn't know your father's name.

STEWART: Right.

BURNETT: That's there. There are some out there that "The San Francisco Chronicle" has been covering this story says look, I've got drawers full of evidence, people that claim they know who the Zodiac Killer. What do you say to those critics? How can you know?

STEWART: I believe for the first time in the history of this case that I have presented more evidence that has ever been presented on any one suspect and had the belief of the head of homicide behind me at one time.

BURNETT: So, how does it make you feel, if this is true and your father was a serial killer? Do you ever worry? I mean, does it make you wonder about who you are, what kind of person you are? I mean, it's got to be a -- really bizarre things.

STEWART: Erin, of course I get asked that question quite a bit. But I've had 12 years now on my journey. In the past 10, realizing what I've discovered.

For me, it's personal. I try to disassociate myself from the serial killer side of my father. He laid me on a doorstep and walked away.

BURNETT: He abandoned you. Yes.

STEWART: So, for me, I can compartmentalize my feelings and my hurt and focus on that when all this other stuff tends to get all the attention.

BURNETT: So police told you they're going to look into this? The San Francisco police, look into your claim?

STEWART: The media said that if he has any information, please come forward. And I believe I've come forward.

BURNETT: All right. We'll see how they respond. Thank you very much for coming on and sharing your story.

STEWART: Thanks for having me.

BURNETT: And, of course, in the book you can see all of the case that Gary lays out.

Still OUTFRONT, Hillary Clinton hits the campaign trail, but not for herself. Working hard for a Clinton family member you may not know about, but you should.

And what is the strangest thing? Look down right now. I found a quarter in my couch the other day, and frankly, some loose popcorn and old pretzels. That's probably what you might find. But our next guest, they found $40,000. We'll be back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BURNETT: Everyone has found, you know, spare change hiding under a couch cushion. Like I said, I recently found some pretzels and popcorn. But what about finding $40,000 in cash? This is no joke. That's how much a group of roommates found buried in a couch that they bought at the Salvation Army for 20 bucks. Apparently, it was kind of a gross, stinky couch. But that's what they got.

Those three roommates are with me now. Reese Werkhoven, Cally Guasti and Lara Russo, along with I think probably, guys, it is safe to say the luckiest couch in the world.

Reese, just tell me how this happened. You guys buy this couch, and then how did you find the money?

REESE WERKHOVEN, FOUND OVER $40,000 BURIED IN USED COUCH: We were just sitting on it one night, and we watched. We were watching Harry Potter. We just finished watching Harry Potter. And we were feeling up the couch. It felt all lumpy like it was full of plastics bags or something, which isn't surprising because we got it from Salvation Army.

So, you know, we lift it up. Right under here there is a zipper. We unzip it all the way, and we pull out this wad. It was just in a bubble wrapped container. And we're like oh my God. This might be drugs or this might be money. We're getting scared about it, right?

So we open up the plastic bag, and we're freaking out. It's a stack of $100 bills, an inch and a half tall. And me and Lara are shaking. We run in and we go see Cally on the bed. And then we just count it out.

The first envelope was $4,000.

BURNETT: Oh, my gosh. Lara, what went through your head? You're thinking wait, I'm watching Harry Potter, that is the fantasy in the television screen, right here, right?

LARA RUSSO, FOUND OVER $40,000 BURIED IN USED COUCH: Yes, that was like enough magic for one night. Yes, I was needing to immediately lock the doors like this is dirty money. Somebody is after us.

And, especially, then we found $4,000 at first, but there kept being more and more envelopes. It was a little scary. It was fun but it was scary.

We had no idea where it came from.

BURNETT: So, Cally, at that moment, I'm just thinking how did you guys as college kids -- none of this stuff fell out? I mean it is kind of incredible that it went -- it got from I'm going to get where it came from in a moment - but it got all the way to you and you had not found any of it?

CALLY GUASTI, FOUND OVER $40,000 BURIED IN USED COUCH: Yes, and especially Lara had been sitting on the couch for a longer period of time, and she had said she felt it being lumpy, right, at certain, and just never -- we never checked what was behind all of that. BURNETT: So, Reese, and then there was a name on one of the envelopes, how do you track down the woman, it ends up being a woman whose couch this was?

WERKHOVEN: Well, my mom was very involved in the whole process. So what happened was I called my mom like anybody in a moral dilemma would do. I'm like, mom, you would never believe what I found. I'm going to get you a car!

Immediately she hears Lara and says we have to find out where this money is going. So, she texted me the woman, and I got into contact with her the next day. It was probably 12 hours after that --

BURNETT: And what did she say? At least according to police, this is not drug money, where did it come from?

WERKHOVEN: Yes, so I called her and you know the first time I was really nervous, right, so I don't know what I'm dealing with. So, I call her and say like, is this the woman's name on the envelope. And she says, yes. I just hang up immediately. I'm like, oh my God, like what would we do? This is real. You know, this just became really real.

So, I obviously called her back because I remembered, you know we said like if this woman is alive, if everything -- like if this woman is alive, essentially she is getting her money back. So that was the next step.

BURNETT: And I know it turned out, but she and her husband had sort of been stashing the money in there. She is older. So, you all did an incredible thing.

Lara, before we go, any of you regret giving the money back? I know there had to be a moment where each of you thought, college debts, all things, not my problem anymore.

RUSSO: Well, I think that played into the decision, like we're all financially stable, like not dealing with college debt. And I think all of us were under the understanding that even if we spent it, we wouldn't feel good about it. We would have felt like we had done something wrong, we have taken something that wasn't ours. So, it didn't make sense. It was her money, she deserved it.

GUASTI: Right. In someway, the money was almost superfluous, you know, for us. So, it always an extra thought, and you know spending any of that money would have just seemed completely ridiculous given the circumstances.

RUSSO: It would have been a loss --

BURNETT: I'm sure it would have, but you all did the right thing, and thank you very much for sharing your story. Enjoy that couch.

(LAUGHTER)

WERKHOVEN: Yes, thank you. BURNETT: At least it won't be lumpy anymore.

All right. We're going to take a quick break. We'll be right back with a new story on Hillary Clinton.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BURNETT: Hillary Clinton back in campaign mode, headlining a fundraiser for daughter Chelsea Clinton's mother-in-law. This is not just any mother-in-law. She has a long history with the Clintons.

Gloria Borger reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BILL CLINTON, FORMER PRESIDENT: I wouldn't be here if her son was not my son-in-law.

GLORIA BORGER, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL ANALYST (voice-over): She is Marjorie Margolies, her son happens to be married to Chelsea Clinton.

Chelsea is now expecting a baby.

CHELSEA CLINTON, FORMER FIRST DAUGHTER: Marc and I are very excited.

BORGER: And her mom may be running for president.

(on camera): Your son has married into a political dynasty. What's that like?

MARJORIE MARGOLIES (D), CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATE: It's surprisingly normal.

BORGER (voice-over): That depends on how you define normal. Because the back story of the two families is anything but.

BILL CLINTON: I'm not saying vote for her because 20 years ago she saved the economy.

BORGER: She also saved Clinton's presidency, it was 1993. Clinton's defining economic plan was on the House floor and about to die.

MARGOLIES: The Republicans were high-fiving, saying it is going down.

BORGER: She was a holdout, a Philadelphia freshman who had won by just over a thousand votes.

MARGOLIES: A lot of Democrats were talking about changing their vote.

BORGER: That's when the president called.

MARGOLIES: And I said and I will only be your last vote. I know how important this is.

BORGER: He hung up and then watched her from the White House. PAUL BEGALA, FORMER CLINTON ADVISER: As we all gather around this little one-foot 13 inch screen and watch the vote, Marjorie walked down the aisle and cast the vote. And Republicans stood there and said, bye-bye, Marjorie, bye-bye, Marjorie.

MARGOLIES: The vote was needed and I gave him the 218.

BEGALA: So, I'm quite sure he knew that that was -- a political death knell.

BORGER: And it was.

MARGOLIES: I do not regret my vote, nor do I apologize for it.

There was a lot of hostility in that room.

BORGER: Hostility that sent her packing in just one term.

Fast forward 20 years, and now, her old seat is open with one big different, the district has been re-drawn and it's solidly Democratic. So, she is at it again, locked in a tight primary as an advocate for abortion rights and the middle class.

(on camera): Is this a little bit the politics of redemption, to a degree?

MARGOLIES: I'm not sure, I think it would be more resiliency. I don't have any retirement skills.

BORGER (voice-over): She spent the last two decades on women's issues both outside and inside politics.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Sexual harassment in Capitol Hill, is it there?

MARGOLIES: Well, first of all, I think it has to be addressed.

BORGER (on camera): Do you think women have a harder time still, running?

MARGOLIES: When I was running in the '90s I always got questions as to who is taking care of your children. And even if the questions aren't asked, they're there.

BORGER (voice-over): In this campaign she started as the big name frontrunner and has been attacked on campaign finances, for coasting early on and for her use of a valuable asset, the Clintons.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He seems like a great guy but everything he is talking about happened in the past.

MARGOLIES: We always knew that if they came in too much, we would be blamed for their coming in too much. If they didn't come in enough, that people would say they didn't come in enough. You're kind of damned if you do, and damned if you don't.

They have done everything we've asked them to do, and I am running on what I have accomplished in the last 20 years, and not on my affiliation with the Clintons.

BORGER: But she is not exactly running away from them either.

BILL CLINTON: And this district will be well served if you elect her.

BORGER: Did she consult with the former president about running?

MARGOLIES: I called and he said, I think it's a good idea. But that's pretty much it.

BORGER: She is even more guarded if you dare to ask some personal questions about life in the Clinton family.

MARGOLIES: It's just -- it's an area that I will not get into. I -- they are lovely. The Clintons couldn't be any nicer.

BORGER (on camera): Are you going to talk about what it is going to be like to be co-grandmother in chief?

MARGOLIES: No.

BORGER (voice-over): After four decades in the public eye, Margolies knows how to stay on message, even when it's Hillary Clinton.

(on camera): Is there any doubt in your mind that she is running?

MARGOLIES: She has said that she has that she is making up her mind, and I take her at her word.

BORGER: So?

MARGOLIES: She has said that she's making up her mind and I take her at her word. She has said --

(LAUGHTER)

BORGER (voice-over): Gloria Borger, CNN, Philadelphia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BURNETT: And thanks for watching.

Anderson starts now.