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Erin Burnett Outfront
Egypt's Terror Group Pledges Allegiance to ISIS; ISIS Spreads Reach to Egypt and Libya; Missouri Governor Ready to Call National Guard; Man Charged with Murder of Second Wife; Did Brain Disorder Lead to Robin Williams' Suicide?; Bush: People Surprised I Can Write Much Less Read
Aired November 11, 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 ANCHOR: "OUTFRONT" tonight, breaking news. A new tape of militants pledging allegiance to is. How far has it spread.
And the Missouri governor is ready to call the National Guard with the grand jury decision days away, police are getting ready with riot gear.
And a man charged with murder after his wife fell off a mountain and now there are questions about his first wife's death. Now there are questions. Accident or murder? Let's go "OUTFRONT."
Good evening. I'm Erin Burnett. OUTFRONT tonight, the breaking news. A major militant group pledging allegiance to ISIS. Tonight Egyptian militants who, until now, have been solely fighting their own government, are taking up the cause. The group calling on God's chosen fighters to join what they call the war against Islam.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (Through Translator): In obedience to God and his prophet, who warned against division among his people, we are announcing our allegiance to the caliphate.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: The group is considered Egypt's most dangerous group of militants. Dissatisfied with al Qaeda, they are now turning to ISIS. The affiliation is expected to provide money, weapons and soldiers.
There's also concern the group could adapt ISIS tactics of terrorizing tourists and tourists with indiscriminate killings and beheadings. Obviously a crucial issue for Egypt.
It is a major victory for ISIS in the propaganda war. And tonight another new video from ISIS itself, featuring dramatic pictures of militants on the battlefield, challenging Western leaders.
Barbara Starr is OUTFRONT tonight at the Pentagon.
And, Barbara, this new video from ISIS has some extraordinary never- before-seen images. I mean I know sometimes they patch things together. This, though, something very different.
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Erin, what U.S. officials are saying is this is another propaganda video by ISIS, but it is a video clearly with a message.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
STARR (voice-over): A hard-fought victory for Iraq in its battle against ISIS. Iraqi television reporting the key town of Baiji has been retaken from the terror group. The city, some 150 miles north of Baghdad, home to the biggest oil refinery in the country.
But ISIS is continuing to sell its battlefield prowess. In its latest video ISIS shows a helicopter being shot down in Iraq and recounts the history of fighting in Khobani. Some battlefield video shot with what appears to be helmet-mounted cameras. The 21-minute video includes graphic scenes we cannot show of ISIS killings.
It's high-tech propaganda. The U.S. believes ISIS is trying to project an image of inevitable victory over the West.
ISIS appears to be gaining support from one of Egypt's most dangerous militant groups which has shut down Egyptian military helicopters over northern Sinai in the past. Now the Egyptian militants pledging obedience to ISIS.
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: The radical elements in Egypt have now aligned themselves with ISIS. ISIS is winning. At least in the eyes of young radicals all over the Middle East.
STARR: The U.S. watching for signs that ISIS is moving into Egypt.
JEN PSAKI, STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESWOMAN: We don't have an assessment of that at this point in time.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
STARR: Now what about the fate of the self-proclaimed leader of ISIS, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. U.S. officials say still a few days later they cannot confirm reports that he was wounded or killed in an airstrike -- Erin.
BURNETT: It's pretty incredible that they haven't yet been able to do that.
Barbara Starr, thank you.
Now ISIS is not only gaining support in places like Egypt.
Jim Sciutto is OUTFRONT.
And, Jim, you know, the ambition here is for an Islamic state. How far does ISIS now reach?
JIM SCIUTTO, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, Erin, they've got a good start. As you know, they have this base now in Syria and Iraq. They started in Iraq as al Qaeda in Iraq, moved over to Syria, kind of blossomed in Syria, then swept down through Iraq earlier this year.
Barbara spoke about concerns now that it's establishing a base in Egypt here in the Sinai Peninsula but also they have established a base in the town of Darna in Libya.
Why is this happening now? One, it's a product of success. Success breeds success. There is success in establishing the Islamic state. Here is energized support in other countries. But two, and here's the interesting thing, Erin. It's also returning fighters from -- who were originally Egyptian, went to fight in Syria for ISIS, when they go home, that's when they try to form a base -- a base of support there and then pledge allegiance to the original organization.
The same thing happening in Libya. A lot of Libyan fighters in Syria and Iraq for ISIS. When they return home, they establish their own base. So it's a different kind of threat of that returning foreign fighter that we talked about before.
BURNETT: So, Jim, what is the concern for the West? Obviously when you're looking at a place like Egypt, which I believe the second biggest source of revenue tourism, a lot of it from tourists from the West. You now have ISIS cells and operating, pledging allegiance there, when we've seen these tactics like beheadings, no doubt that is going to have an impact on tourism.
But how concerning is this for the West?
SCIUTTO: Extremely concerning. I'll tell, you, when I speak to intelligence officials, this is one thing they watch. The number of failed states that are spreading around the region. When you look at them, Iraq, at least this portion of the country largely a failed state. Syria certainly so. Portions of Egypt now, questions of how much government control. Virtually all of Libya, you can argue with some exceptions of failed state. But it goes worse than that.
Yemen, this eastern part of Yemen, virtually under the control of extremist groups. Then of course you have concerns about tribal areas of Pakistan, portions of Afghanistan, and then down Somalia as well. All of those areas, potential bases, and existing bases for extremist groups, make it a heck a lot easier for them to train, to track support, money, et cetera, and the concern is plot attacks on the West.
BURNETT: All right. Thank you very much, Jim Sciutto. Pretty frightening when you look at that map. But it gives an important context.
Joining me now, Seth Jones, associate director of the International Security and Defense Policy Center at Rand, along with our terrorism analyst, Paul Cruickshank.
Paul, you're with me. Let me start with you. In Barbara's piece a few moments ago, we saw this new ISIS video. I want to just show for all of you out there one clip of it again. This is a helicopter that an ISIS fighter takes down with what appears to be a shoulder-fired missile. So they're able to take down this helicopter.
You looked at this video and described this particular scene as extraordinary.
PAUL CRUICKSHANK, CNN TERRORISM ANALYST: Well, it is quite extraordinary. They managed to take out this helicopter with those shoulder-fired missiles. It appears to be an FN-6 missile, which is a Chinese missile, a sophisticated missile which can reach up to 20,000 feet. That could put a U.S. Apache helicopter pilots in danger. We saw that they were being deployed just a few weeks ago to protect Baghdad airport.
But there's also concern that ISIS could try and launch an attack against a passenger jet that's taking off from an airport somewhere in the region with a missile like this.
BURNETT: Which is pretty terrifying because, you know, I mean, you obviously have a lot of airports that are used by a lot of people in that region. The world's busiest airport frankly with people from around the world is also in that region, when you're talking about Dubai. There are a lot of airports people use from the West everywhere in that region.
Seth, the part of the video I know that stuck out to you most, I want to play that again, what Barbara showed, it was the world leaders. She got Obama, Netanyahu, King Abdullah of Jordan, they all appear in this video. Interesting group.
SETH JONES, ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF THE INTERNATIONAL SECURITY AND DEFENSE POLICY CENTER, RAND: Yes, I mean, what they've done is essentially arraigned themselves against every major power both in the West, in the Middle East, including the Persian Gulf and then all their neighbors. So this is a, you know, somewhat small group that we see that's expanded its control of territory in Iraq and Syria, putting itself now up against every major government in a region, in the world.
It's putting itself in a very difficult, long-term position to keep that control, and everybody else aiming for it.
BURNETT: And, Paul, to this point, the audio we just heard from Egypt, the most populous country in the region, you have the most feared largest militant group in Egypt now pledging allegiance to ISIS, with the words, "We call on Muslims everywhere to join the caliphate and help it succeed in obedience to God."
Why is that so significant that you have now the most feared terrorist group in Egypt to joining forces with ISIS?
CRUICKSHANK: This is Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis, it's a powerful jihadist group in Egypt. It was formed in 2011. It's grown stronger because of the crackdown on the generals on Islamist, it's been able to recruit because of that. It's mainly based in the Sinai region.
Why should we be so concerned about it? They could start going after American tourists in Egypt right now. ISIS wants them to do that to retaliate to these U.S. airstrikes against ISIS in Syria and Iraq. This group, Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis, they already killed an American back in the summer in a carjacking.
BURNETT: Which, by the way, it's a pretty frightening thing when you consider the fact that at least by our understanding ISIS in Syria may only have two Americans at this point. One of them a woman, that they are desperately one would imagine looking for Americans, that they're able to find in another place to find them, that would be empowering for them.
CRUICKSHANK: That's absolutely right. And we're seeing a sort of extension and also in Libya, in this town of (INAUDIBLE). They've basically taken control of this town, which is on the southern shore of the Mediterranean, just 200 south of Crete. That is now basically an ISIS stronghold.
BURNETT: And Seth, what's your reaction to that? When you talk about a new ISIS stronghold. I want to show everyone the map again. The territory where ISIS is going, the failed state, which you're now looking at, Egypt, you're looking at Libya, in addition to countries like that. Libya obviously will probably classified as a failed state at this point.
Why is the ISIS message resonating?
JONES: Well, Erin, I just came back from this region and South Asia as well, looking at this question, and I would say one of the things that people have taken note of, including both in Libya and in Egypt, is that they've conducted battlefield successes. Unlike al Qaeda which has been pushed back in Pakistan, which has been pushed back in Somalia with al-Shabaab, and in Yemen, what ISIS has done is increased its control of territory really since June.
I mean, it's been pushed back in a few areas, but that progress on the ground against Iraq and against the U.S. backed and a coalition backed Iraq is something that gets people's attention. And has actually -- what we're seeing is this competition now between al Qaeda in some of these areas and ISIS reaching out to jihadist groups on the ground.
CRUICKSHANK: And in this video that ISIS put out they say we're going to use our terror safe haven to come after you, America. You'll be defeated here and then we'll come after you. I mean, this concern, this is going to be a terrorist safe haven for quite some time. They're not going to be able to go off for Mosul for at least a year according to the American retired General (INAUDIBLE), who's over there. So a lot of concern that they could use this safe haven to launch attacks back in the West.
BURNETT: Which of course raises, you know, this spectra of what Afghanistan used to be The fact that Syria is such a black hole right now in terms of intelligence.
Thanks so much to both of you.
And OUTFRONT next, the governor of Missouri says he'll call up the National Guarded if he needs to. Police stocking up on riot gear there to prepare for the grand jury decision.
Plus two years after a woman falls to her death in the Rockies, police charged her husband with murder. Now they're looking at the death of his first wife and the insurance. Was it an accident?
And new details on what may have led Robin Williams to kill himself.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BURNETT: Tonight the governor of Missouri said he will take action. Speaking to the press today he says he's willing to call the National Guard to Ferguson if needed. The grand jury could decide any day whether to charge Officer Darren Wilson for killing 18-year-old Michael Brown. And local police are outfitted with riot gear.
Sara Sidner is OUTFRONT in Ferguson.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SARA SIDNER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): As the grand jury announcement on whether to indict Officer Darren Wilson grows every nearer, the Missouri governor sent out a message out to everyone, law enforcement is ready.
GOV. JAY NIXON (D), MISSOURI: If folks cross that safety line on property or on person, we will use the full power of the law to keep peace.
SIDNER: The governor says he will send in the National Guard if required.
NIXON: When we make the determination that the National Guard is necessary to provide support, I'm prepared to issue that order.
SIDNER: We've talked to dozens of people from pastors, to residents, to protesters to police and they all say the city is on pins and needles waiting for the grand jury's decision and everyone is planning. Not just here in Ferguson, but in the entire St. Louis metropolitan area.
(Voice-over): The (INAUDIBLE) Police Department is already gearing up, purchasing more than $100,000 in riot gear. Some protesters blame police for escalating tensions after the killing of Michael Brown and they, too, are planning their reaction.
DEBRA KENNEDY, RESIDENT AND PROTESTER: It's probably going to be a little anger, a little tension. There are going to be a few bad apples that do some looting, but my position is you can always replace a window, you can replace things, but you can't replace human lives. So as long as no lives get lost and if any lives are lost, it's probably going to be at the hands of the police officers and then that would just cause more problems.
SIDNER: But police said they have been diligent over the past 90 days, meeting with the community to make safety for all a priority. CHIEF JON BALMER, ST. LOUIS COUNTY POLICE: We have instances where
officers have been injured. We have instances where they've been hit with rocks in the face and different things like that. So we're going to do what we can to protect them but at the same time we try to always portray a posture of appropriateness to the situation that we're faced with.
SIDNER: While the community plans, Michael Brown's family was in Geneva speaking to the U.N. on police brutality. They have been calling asking for a peaceful reaction to any decision but if there is no indictment, they told CNN they will join protesters in the streets once again .
MICHAEL BROWN SR., MICHAEL BROWN'S FATHER: So the fight would not be over. We understand that our son is gone, but the movement will be that we're trying to make sure that this doesn't happen to anyone else.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SIDNER: And we should be clear that, you know, almost every day there has been protests. In fact every single day for 91 days now. And they have been mostly peaceful. But the police say they are preparing for the worst just like everyone else in Ferguson. They had 1,000 officers taking 5,000 hours more of training time -- Erin.
BURNETT: That is incredible. Sarah, thank you.
And I want to bring in our legal analyst, Mark O'Mara, along with our political commentary, Van Jones.
All right, Mark, let me start with you . St. Louis County, the police department, has been stacking up on equipment. We now understand the hundred thousand dollars worth of riot gear, pepper spray, rubber bullets. There was violence this summer.
Is this just the smart thing to do, be on the safe side, be sure you're armed and have riot gear?
MARK O'MARA, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Well, I think they do need to be on the safe side but they're the professionals and the way they handled it the first time, I think, ended up causing more problems. They have to be -- react with a great deal of restraint.
If there's not an indictment there's going to be an intense reaction from the protesters, and quite honestly, I think the police are going to have to let them let off some steam. React maybe more than they would otherwise allow, because what we don't want that to happen is for that to turn into an event where there is more violence and more injury to somebody on the street.
BURNETT: Right. Because these things -- obviously when people are -- there's passion, if something starts it's very hard to stop it.
Van, Michael Brown's parents were adamant today that they will -- that they believe Darren Wilson will be indicted. I mean, that is what they believe without question. Obviously most of the reporting out there as they indicated that that may not be the case. But here is what they said here on CNN about that earlier today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: We're trying to figure out why was he playing part of a judge, a prosecutor and an executioner that day, that moment he interacted with our son. He had no right to address the law the way that he did.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: Then they said they will protest if Wilson is not indicted. Is that something that will calm or incite?
VAN JONES, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, first of all, they have the right to peacefully -- peacefully assemble and so does everyone. So -- but why would people be upset about the indictment? You have to look at the facts of what is going on here. This is the most -- this is a circus. The district attorney, rather than charging the officer or not charging the officer, instead did something we've never seen before.
He gave it to a grand jury but didn't give the grand jury any instructions. So basically you usually say well, listen, we want manslaughter, we want second-degree, we want trespassing or something, but no instructions to the grand jury.
Here is the facts, good luck. That has sent a signal to the entire community that this is not a -- this thing is being handled in a very, very strange way. Then they kick the can down the road for weeks and weeks and weeks and so there is no trust.
Now the governor should be ashamed of himself because rather than talk about, I'm going to send in the National Guard, the governor should send in a special prosecutor to do a professional job.
BURNETT: All right, let me --
V. JONES: There is no confidence that anybody has or should have in this kangaroo circus process.
BURNETT: All right, Mark, you've been shaking your head as Van was saying that the grand jury was sort of epically a fail.
O'MARA: Look, we have some concerns but the criminal justice is still the best in the world. People are going to complain no matter what happens. Had the prosecutor made the decision there would have been complaint that it didn't go to the grand jury. We have 12 people from the community, a cross-section of the community, who has spent months and months.
There would been complaints if they didn't spend enough time on the case. Now that they're spending enough time, my understanding, and we don't know yet, is that this grand jury has heard every piece of evidence, not only that the prosecutor could give but even the defense and the Martin family -- V. JONES: I've got to bump in.
O'MARA: Hold on. Hold on.
V. JONES: You are not -- you are not being accurate about what the community -- the community said from the very beginning they wanted a special --
O'MARA: Go right ahead.
V. JONES: The community says from the very beginning -- let's be accurate here. From the very beginning they wanted a special prosecutor from the governor because there is no trust.
O'MARA: Right.
V. JONES: And every single decision the prosecutor has made --
O'MARA: And the special prosecutor is only appointed --
(CROSSTALK)
O'MARA: Only appointed if there's good reason. What we can't -- what we can't do is just say because a segment of the population wants one thing that doing the opposite, which is a normal course of conduct is wrong. Why don't we wait?
V. JONES: Is this normal, sir?
O'MARA: Yes, actually it is.
(CROSSTALK)
O'MARA: A grand jury is a normal --
V. JONES: Not give charges to a grand jury?
O'MARA: Sir --
BURNETT: So wait. Let's hit this issue. Let's hit this one issue, Mark. To Van's question, to not give directions, charges to the grand jury.
V. JONES: That's never happened.
BURNETT: Did that happen? Did that ever happen, Mark? Should it have happened?
O'MARA: Well -- well, first of all, we don't know yet that it did not happen. What we do know is that they are going to be instructed on all of the law. That is the only way they can make a decision on the law. So the suggestion that they were given facts and no law, I would contend, is completely inaccurate and only portends greater mistrust in a system that we might -- should believe is going to work. So let's wait and see what they did. It's a great decision that they're going to be transparent with all
the transcripts so that we can look at it. But to make a decision now that they were just given facts without law is not only an absurd suggestion but it also doesn't follow with what supposedly has happened already.
BURNETT: Van, why wouldn't you have a grand jury just to look at it and make a decision to charge since that is what's done in much of the country?
V. JONES: Listen. If you're going to have a grand jury, then you've got to give the grand jury instructions. And listen, the whole joke has always been about a grand jury. You can get a grand jury to indict a ham sandwich because there's nobody putting anything back on the other side, and in this situation, it's the first time we've seen this kind of abuse.
Now here's the reality. We have three levels of government. Federal, state and local. The federal government is doing what it can. Nobody had confidence from the beginning in the local.
Where is Governor Nixon? Why is he talking about sending in troops when he has not even sent in an investigator, a prosecutor on his own to find out what's going on there. There is a presumption that African-American are going to riot just because they don't get their wear. We usually don't get our way but there is usually a fair process and that is not happening in Ferguson.
BURNETT: All right. Thanks very much to both of you. We'll have you back.
OUTFRONT next. A woman falls to her death. She was hiking in the Rockies. She fell off -- fell may not be the right word. She fell off a clip because now her husband is charged in her murder. And now investigators are looking at the death of his first wife.
Plus new details tonight on the death of Robin Williams. Did a common disease that millions of Americans have drive him to suicide?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BURNETT: Loving husband or cold-blooded killer. Tonight Harold Henthorn faces federal murder charges for the death of his second wife. His first wife also died in a freak accident. Two years ago in Colorado's Rocky Mountain National Park, Harold's second wife, Toni, you see her there, plunged to her death. The only other person there was her husband, Harold. He said she fell by accident.
Ana Cabrera begins our coverage OUTFRONT in Denver.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANA CABRERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Pictures portray a happy couple, married more than a decade with a beautiful daughter. Harold Henthorn and his second wife Toni were celebrating their 12th anniversary at Rocky Mountain National Park in 2012 when a day of hiking took a tragic turn. Toni plunged face first 40 to 50 feet over a cliff.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did you push your wife?
CABRERA: Investigators now say it was premeditated murder. A grand jury indicted 58-year-old Harold Henthorn in Toni's death more than two years after that fatal fall. He was arrested last week as he returned to his suburban Denver home after dropping the couple's 9- year-old daughter off at school.
HALLE MILES, HENTHORN NEIGHBOR: The suspicion was already there and so when I saw the action going on, I knew already what was going on down there. So it wasn't very surprising.
CABRERA: And for Toni's family, the arrest was a longtime coming.
TODD BERTOLET, TONI HENTHORN'S BROTHER: It's an extremely logical conclusion to come to that he had a hand in my sister's death.
CABRERA: While investigators aren't talking about evidence, or a motive, the coroner's report says homicide cannot but excluded. Court documents show Toni had three life insurance policies totaling $4.5 million. And that someone tried to make a claim on one just two days after her death but the money was never paid out.
This case has raised questions about Harold Henthorn's first wife. Officials are now reinvestigating what happened to Sandra Lynn Henthorn, who also died and what Harold claimed was an accident back in 1995.
The couple was driving on a rural road about 10 miles outside of Sedalia, Colorado, when they were reportedly pulled over to fix a flat tire.
(on camera): They were parked on the gravel shoulder. According to the autopsy report, Sandra Lynn may have been trying to help her husband look for a lug nut underneath the car when the jack slipped and car came crashing down, pinning her underneath it.
(voice-over): Again, Harold Henthorn was the only witness. The Douglas County sheriff's office calls it an open case, telling us they can't provide more information because it's an active investigation.
TODD BERTOLET, TONI HENTHORN'S BROTHER: To have two wives die of freak accidents, your -- the odds are better off that you win the Powerball lottery.
CABRERA: Henthorn's attorney declined to answer questions but provided the following statement, saying, quote, "I'm sure when all of the facts are known in this difficult and complex case, that justice will be done."
Ana Cabrera, CNN, Denver.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BURNETT: All right. Our thanks to Ana. Harold Henthorn will be arraigned on the first degree murder charge in
Denver tomorrow. He faces life in prison. And tomorrow, the judge will also decide whether he'll be given bond. Tonight, he is behind bars.
Joining me now, criminal defense attorney Sam Adam Jr. And here in New York, CNN legal analyst and former federal prosecutor, Paul Callan.
Sam, let me begin with you, because this may remind some of our viewers of another case I knew that you followed very closely, you have been involved in advising, Drew Peterson. Drew Peterson's wife disappeared, authorities began looking then into the death of wife number three, he was eventually convicted and sentenced to prison for her death.
In this case, you have a man who have both of his wives died in freakish circumstances. One crunched underneath the car, you heard them say the jack broke, the other falling off a cliff. Do you think he killed them?
SAM ADAM, JR., CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: I can't say whether he killed them or not. All I can say is, much like Drew Peterson, the suspicion will be there because of the circumstances around one wife dying and the second wife dying. The first, I understand there may have been an insurance payout here and then there is an attempt to an insurance payout, or at least an attempt at insurance payout here.
Taking a look at those two factors right in the row, with the same individual, it certainly leads to a greater suspicion. So, I can't say whether he killed her or not, but it's certainly looking as if the government is going to try to prove that.
BURNETT: At which, Paul, let's just talk about this -- how difficult will it be for the government to do this, to prove this. All they have is, he was the only one there and there were life insurance policies. You need more than that, right? Is there any way to get forensics when Toni Henthorn fell off the cliff?
PAUL CALLAN, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Well, you know, just life insurance policies alone, of course, look very suspicious -- $1.5 million policies, three of them were taken out on her, $4.5 million. There's a lot of money at stake.
But, no, you're right. That's not enough. A lot of people have life insurance. You need to forensics. Now, what kind of forensics --
BURNETT: Plus, they had a daughter.
CALLAN: Yes, they had a daughter. And she was an ophthalmologist, the wife who was killed, so she probably had a good income. So, life insurance is meant to replace the income and help the child.
But given that, you may have forensic evidence indicating injuries, bruising, that took place not from the fall, but as a result of something that preceded the fall. And I will also tell you that we have had seen cases in New York, a woman was thrown out of an airplane into the Atlantic Ocean. They never recovered the body. They were able to get a conviction in that case through the use of other circumstantial evidence.
BURNETT: I never heard about that case.
All right. Sam, what about this issue of the life insurance? How important is it? And are you going to be able to get premeditated murder off of the life insurance. Will you look that it was taken out not far from when she died and an attempt to cash in on one of the policies a couple of days after her death?
ADAM: They're never going to be able to prove that he killed her simply because there was life insurance and he may have tried to get it. But what they're going to do is connect the two for motive and premeditation. And my understanding is, there may be able to show that even the life insurance may have been forged. If they can show that, that there was premeditation here, because on the first wife, he had learned how to do this and gotten insurance on that one, and then planned this ahead of time, they'll never be able to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that he did it because of it, but it certainly adds to the motive.
BURNETT: It also, Paul, to me, the question is, how could nobody have any inkling that somebody could -- if this is indeed what happened, right, and we have no idea, but if it is -- that someone could be so brazen, so evil as to do this, right? To kill their wife, to kill the mother of a 9-year-old little girl. How would -- would there be any character witnesses? Would there be any -- as you look into criminal cases like this, is there always somebody who's able to say, you know what, here is something that happened at one point that gives you that light goes off in your head and you say that person is guilty?
CALLAN: Absolutely. And you are saying this wouldn't happen, people would be surprised. You know what people would be surprised by? How many people get killed for reasons like this.
Now, this is a highly publicized case, and who's to say, by the way, we haven't talked about circumstantial evidence, when they look at his computer, when they look at who he talked to, maybe he mentioned to somebody else he was planning this. There may be a lot of evidence that we don't even know about at this point. So, it might not just be linked to the life insurance.
BURNETT: Frightening you say that the thing that might scare people is how common it is.
CALLAN: Yes.
BURNETT: Thanks to both of you.
And OUTFRONT next, new details on what may have led to Robin Williams' suicide.
Plus, a very frank and funny President Bush growing up with Barbara as his mom. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, FORMER PRESIDENT: You know, so I used to say in these campaigns, I had my daddy's eyes and my mother's mouth and you are learning why I said that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BURNETT: New details tonight on actor Robin Williams' suicide. The coroner's report reveals Williams suffered from a disease called Lewy body dementia. It also shows there was no alcohol or illegal drugs in his system.
Lewy body dementia is a terrible disease if you heard of. But an estimated 1.3 million people suffer from it.
Sanjay Gupta is our chief medical correspondent.
I mean, Sanjay, it's pretty incredible when you look at those numbers, when you're talking about 1.3 million people. What is it? What are the symptoms of it?
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, it's something that you only can conclusively know after someone has already passed away. But you get a pretty good idea, and neurologists look for specific things.
When you're talking about dementia, it's loss of memory, it's loss of ability to be able to do things that you normally were able to do. Lewy body dementia, as you have up here, has more cardinal symptoms. Hallucination's being one of them. It doesn't mean everybody has hallucinations by any means, but that's something that could develop.
Movement problems, that's a big one, Erin, because you remember we talked about the fact that he had Parkinson's like symptoms. That could actually also be caused by Lewy body dementia, this brain disorder and then obviously, the problems with memory and confusion. Those can be more -- things like Alzheimer's but this is pretty characteristic for this particular issue.
BURNETT: For what he had.
All right. So, now, I just want to show for everyone, this is a normal brain and a brain with Lewy body dementia. So, tell me what we're looking at.
GUPTA: You're looking at a very fine cut of the frontal lobe of the brain, a very particular part of the brain. Over here, this is normal. These are just normal neurons. You see the way the brain should normally look.
This is the exact same part of the brain over here, but specific stain over here, that staining for something right here, that brown clump, that is a Lewy body. That's what they're specifically talking about. If they see that, then that sort of makes the case.
BURNETT: So is it like a plaque like in Alzheimer's or something that we're talking about? Or is it --
GUPTA: Yes, very similar to that. It's basically clumps of proteins. So, think about the fact that your brain is functioning over here, signals are transmitting back and forth pretty normally, but over here you see this brown stuff, not just a big body over here but just --
BURNETT: These little squiggly things.
GUPTA: It sort of mucks up the brain to transmit signals more normally and that's part of the problem here. If this occurs in an area that's responsible for Parkinson's, you'll get the Parkinson's- like disease. If it occurs in an area that's responsible for memory, you can dementia-like disease.
BURNETT: So, one thing that I've heard about, which I know is sort of seemed miraculous to some people and perhaps frightening because we didn't have a treatment for Alzheimer's, but if Alzheimer's, there might be a way very early on, to look at someone's brain, and so, you have the tell tale signs, you're someone who's going to get Alzheimer's, which as I said, is frightening because right now, we don't have a way to stop the onset. But for something like this, is there a way to screen the brain before you are dead and you're looking at this, or I could say you are at risk, you're going to get this?
GUPTA: You can say someone is at risk. You can do certain tests, including MRI scans and what are known as PET scans, and you can get an idea. But you made the exact, important point, Erin, though, is first of all, would you want to know if the next part of the sentence is, there is nothing that we can specifically do for you, and the second part is, it's not a conclusive diagnosis until someone is actually passed on.
So, you're just going to frighten somebody while they might not necessarily develop the disease later on. It's often what we call a clinical diagnosis, if someone starts to have depression that's not responding to treatment, Parkinson's is becoming harder and harder to treat and these hallucinations start to really zero into the diagnosis.
BURNETT: It is amazing what we don't know about the brain.
GUPTA: There is a lot more to learn.
BURNETT: All right. Sanjay Gupta, thank you very much.
GUPTA: You got it.
BURNETT: And OUTFRONT next, the son's very touching and very funny tribute to his dad.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BUSH: So catch this. He is all worldly at Yale. Phi Beta Kappa in 2 1/2 hours, that part of the gene pool got diluted.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: And now let's check in with Anderson with a look at what's coming up on a few minutes on "A.C.360".
Hey, Anderson.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Hey, Erin.
Yes, tonight, we have a CNN exclusive investigation, pirates at the pump. This is footage of an undercover bus, thieves caught using stolen credit cards to buy hundreds of gallons of gas and how it is resold puts drivers at risk of an explosive and potentially deadly disaster. Drew Griffin investigates on that tonight.
Also ahead, winter blasting into the northern center of the country, heavy snow, bitter winds, freezing temperatures. Billings, Montana, briefly went negative today, just below zero. So, of course, we sent Gary Tuchman there. That's an assignment I'm glad I did not get.
Those stories and tonight's "Ridiculist" and whole lot at the top of the hour, Erin.
BURNETT: I mean, I don't know about that. Of course, we sent Gary Tuchman there.
COOPER: He's the go-to guy for that sort of thing.
BURNETT: Oh, yes?
COOPER: Yes, he'll do anything.
BURNETT: All right. Thanks, Anderson.
Well, tonight, a new and candid glimpse into one of America's political dynasties. Today, former President George W. Bush released a biography about the family patriarch, his father, George H.W. Bush. The author and subject also appeared together at a discussion this afternoon, it was touching and funny. It was a tribute about growing up in the Bush household.
Suzanne Malveaux was there for today's book unveiling in College Station, Texas.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It was classic George W.
BUSH: It kind of surprised people in this parts of our country that I can write, much less read and --
MALVEAUX: Sitting slouched across from his former chief of staff, Andy Card, in front his parents, George H.W. and Bush, President Bush unveiled "41: A Portrait of My Father", with passion, humor and humility.
BUSH: This is a love story. It's not an objective analysis of President Bush.
Well, I wrote it when I did because I wanted dad to be alive.
They used to say in these campaigns, I had my daddy's eyes and my mother's mouth and you are learning why I said that.
MALVEAUX: On this Veterans Day, Bush highlighted his father's combat role as a fighter pilot in World War II.
BUSH: He said he thinks about the Delaney and White all the time. Those are two guys on the airplane that died, when they got shot down.
MALVEAUX: In his book and his speech, Bush took on the stereotypes that his childhood was all roses and his father played it safe.
BUSH: Catch this. So he is all worldly at Yale. Phi Beta Kappa in 2 1/2 hours, that part of the gene pool got diluted.
Everybody says Wall Street and he moves to Odessa. We get out there and dad finds us a place to live and it's a duplex on 7th Street with one of the few indoor bathrooms on the street, a bathroom we shared with two ladies of the night. So much for the silver spoon stuff.
MALVEAUX: He spoke of the unique challenge both faced as war-time commanders in chief.
BUSH: Mother used to call me and say, you need to call your dad. And I'd say, why? Because he just read some editorial and he's upset.
So, I would call him. He said, can you believe what they said about you? I said, dad, don't worry about it. I'm doing fine.
MALVEAUX: Bush marveled at his dad's ability to embrace the man who beat him in 1992, the friendship which has developed between H.W. and Bill Clinton, which has turned them into buddies as well.
BUSH: We're the only two baby boomer presidents. We both like retail politics. We're both, you know -- you know, we both can talk a lot. Now, we're both grandfathers.
MALVEAUX: But Bush doesn't rule out an epic rematch between the Bush and Clinton families.
BUSH: I heard him say he doesn't like the idea of a political class, the idea of Bush/Clinton, Bush/Obama, Bush troubles him speaking to his great integrity. I said, how does this sound? Bush, Clinton, Bush, Obama, Clinton?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MALVEAUX: And, Erin, Bush says Clinton calls him W. He calls him Bubba. But he says, look, if this family matchup happens, game on. Bush gives it about a 50/50 chance that Jeb will actually decide to run -- Erin.
BURNETT: Well, he'll have to put his brother out there with his humor. I think people saw a really wonderful side of him. Thank you so much, Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: Sure.
BURNETT: And OUTFRONT, President Obama, you know, not a baby boomer president, but not on that group yet -- looking dapper in his Star Trek tunic at the APEC summit. Vladimir Putin didn't look as good in his shirt. He looks better with it off.
Jeanne Moos on what's being called the chew and flirt summit.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BURNETT: Putin, Obama and the president of China's gorgeous wife. Had an economic summit in Beijing fireworks of all sorts were going off.
Here's Jeanne.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Gum chewing and flirtatious gallantry, too many gaffes worth a laugh. Chinese have been chewing out President Obama over gum chewing. A mere five-second glimpse of the president's jaw moving moved Chinese commenters to call him a slacker and a rapper. "Let us forgive these unenlightened barbarians."
But at least the president proved what he has maintained all along that he can --
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Walk and chew gum at the same time.
MOOS: He once sat and chewed Nicorette at the D-Day rememberance.
But even worse than getting caught chewing gum is getting nabbed removing it.
From Rosie O'Donnell in plain view on "The View", to Senator Barbara Boxer, trying to subtly ditch the evidence as she met with the U.N. secretary general. Nothing subtle about Toby Keith spitting his gum into the crowd or Joaquin Phoenix.
DAVID LETTERMAN: I'll come to your house and chew gum.
MOOS: Sticking his wad on letterman's desk.
At least President Obama didn't pull a pretty woman.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Give me your gum.
MOOS: And speaking of pretty women, there's China's first lady. She used to be a huge singing star.
So, what does Russia's president do while waiting for the fireworks? He drapes a shawl or blanket over her shoulder. Within five seconds, she discreetly slips it off and replaces it with a coat brought by an aide. In the China, the moment was obliterated by the censors. In the West, headlines popped up like Goosebumps. Putin flirts, Putin hits on China's first lady. What's the big deal?
It wasn't as if he got caught like the husband of Finland's former president, seeming to check out a princess' cleavage.
But habitually shirtless President Putin might do better covering himself.
Come on, a little discreet gum-chewing, a little flirty chivalry, is that enough to rub people the wrong way?
Now, this is rubbing someone the wrong way. If you ever saw this at a summit --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm sorry.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE) clean it up.
MOOS: That would be a little too much free trade.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That was my last piece.
MOOS: Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BURNETT: I've got to say the highlight of that piece was George W. Bush and Angela Merkel.
All right. Well, today was a very serious day in the United States. On this day 96 years ago at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, in 1918, an armistice was signed between the allied forces in Germany which put an end to fighting in the war that was supposedly the war to end all wars.
Earlier today, Vice President Biden commemorated Veterans Day when he placed a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington Cemetery.
Veterans Day is a very special day here in America. It is also a holiday for America's allies, too. In England, a very poignant moment in England, sea of crimson surrounding the Tower of London. Just look at this for a moment.
They're poppies, said to be the first flower to grow on blood-soaked battlefields after the war, 886,000 poppies, every one to honor a British soldier lost in World War I. The final bloom was planted today -- an important day to stop for a moment and reflect on the sacrifices that veterans have made for our lives, as thousands more American troops to head to Iraq, we honor the dedication and patriotism of every one of them and every one of who came before them.
Thanks so much for joining us.
"AC360" begins now.
