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Erin Burnett Outfront

Manhunt On After Museum Terror Attack Kills 19; White House "Deeply Concerned" About Netanyahu Comments; FBI Searches Cold Cases For Possible Durst Victims. Aired 7-8:00p ET

Aired March 18, 2015 - 19:00   ET

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

[19:00:12] ERIN BURNETT, CNN ANCHOR: OUTFRONT tonight, breaking news, a manhunt on for the gunman who killed at least 19 people mostly tourists visiting a museum. Is ISIS behind the deadly terrorists attack?

Plus, Benjamin Netanyahu victorious after a better campaign, what is this mean for America? New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman is OUTFRONT.

And more breaking news, the FBI calling on local police to search cold case files anywhere Robert Durst has lived. Are there other victims out there? Let's go OUTFRONT.

And good evening to all of you. I'm Erin Burnett, OUTFRONT tonight, we begin with breaking news. The massacre at the museum tonight. A massive manhunt under way to track down the terrorists behind a deadly attack today on tourists in Tunisia. You can see the visitors here running for their lives. Gunmen armed reportedly with grenades and assault rifles opened fire in this museum. At least 19 people were killed. Most of them were tourists. They had been on cruises in Tunisia and they had just stepped off a tour bus. The deadly siege took place in the heart of Tunis, the capital of the country. And witnesses tells CNN that the attack which was coordinated started outside the national parliament building. The terrorists suddenly changed course and they started targeting innocent civilians.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SABRINE GHOUBATINI, MEMBER OF TUNISIAN PARLIAMENT: The terrorists went first to the main entrance of the parliament building. And then when there was some gunfight between them and between the police officers who are on the entrance. They came back. They went back to the museum and they entered the museum. They shot a -- of tourists.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BURNETT: Security forces then descended on the museum, surrounded the gunmen. Two of them were killed. But in a city of more than 600,000, two or three more gunmen, they are not sure exactly how many at this hour but they are still on the loose and hundreds of Tunisians are rallying tonight in the capital chanting long live Tunisia condemning the deadly attacks. The tourists were from around the world, mostly from Europe, from Spain, from Italy, from France.

Yasmine Ryan is a journalist. She is OUTFRONT. She's live in Tunis for us tonight. And Yasmine, what have you learned about the manhunt?

YASMINE RYAN, JOURNALIST: There's not many details coming out yet about the manhunt. But what we do know is that there hundreds, if not thousands of Tunisian security officers dedicating that all night really that the hunt will be going on. The 2013 when there were two assassinations of two well-known politicians, those manhunt, the people weren't captured for a long time and some of them even managed to escape to Libya. So, hopefully the security forces will have learned from that and certainly with all the international attention and all the politicians here and everybody is very upset. So, the manhunt will be ongoing.

BURNETT: All right. Well, thank you very much, Yasmine. As we said she is live on the ground in Tunis for us tonight.

Joining me now, Paul Cruikshank and Jim Arkedis, former Defense Department counterterrorism analyst and president of 4DPAC, he worked in Tunisia in 2013 and 2014. In a moment, we're also going to be joined by someone who was there, an eyewitness to these attacks. Let me start though with you. Paul, you have been watching ISIS today. And this, you believe, this is an ISIS act.

PAUL CRUIKSHANK, CNN TERRORISM ANALYST: This could very well be an ISIS act. There's been no official claim or responsibility yet from ISIS but many supporters have been celebrating on social media. It could be another group though in Tunisia. There's a group called Ansar al-Sharia which has 40,000 followers in Tunisia. That's the group that did that attack on the U.S. embassy in Tunis just a few days off to the Benghazi attacks. And al-Qaeda in North Africa also has presence along the Algerian border. We've got to wait and see which group was responsible that up to 3,000 Tunisians have gone to fight in Syria and Iraq. Up to 500 have returned. Many of those have joined ISIS. So, it could be well ISIS veterans responsible for this.

BURNETT: And of course, as we've reported Tunisia, the number one source of foreign fighters into ISIS battlefield in Syria. Jim, what is shocking here is you're talking, there were two major international cruise lines that were docked in the harbor. This is a harbor city. These were tourists who have gotten off the cruise ships. So, basically a day excursion. You know, people on vacation from Italy, from France, from Spain. They went to a museum and they were just shot in cold blood.

[19:05:14] JIM ARKEDIS, FORMER DEFENSE DEPARTMENT COUNTERTERRORISM ANALYST: Yes. Absolutely, it's pretty amazing and obviously a horrific attack. I want to pick up on something that Paul just mentioned. This group Ansar al-Sharia. In September 2014 there were reports that began to surface that Ansar al-Sharia had pledged allegiance to ISIS. It's difficult to confirm but we're beginning to see parallels in Tunisia with an attack we saw about a month ago in Libya where 21 Egyptian Christians were rounded up in Derna in Libya and they were beheaded. As a group that had also claimed allegiance to ISIS was basically trying to show itself to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi ISIS is leader to say, look, here we are in Libya. We're credible, we're worthy of being part of your organization. And I speculate and very important to speculate in caveat here that we don't know, there has been no claim of responsibility, but I wonder if something similar isn't going on in Tunisia.

BURNETT: Let me just step for just a moment here. Bring in Farouk Affi (ph), he joins me on the phone. Farouk, you were right outside the museum when the shooting happened. You heard the gunshots. What did you see?

FAROUK AFFI, TUNIS, TUNISIA (on the phone): Hi to everybody. (INAUDIBLE) I saw that running and people was shot and scared. No one was expecting shooting and a gunman in the parliament in the museum. No one was expecting that. We saw the terrific act on and reflecting on the pages over Tunisia people. That is what I saw today.

BURNETT: And Paul, you know, when troops taking about just the horror of what has he experienced, what was he saw, he has a friend who was inside the museum. Farouk shared with us a picture. These are people, some of them tourists just huddled on the floor terrified inside this museum. Is this something that you think ISIS is now actively trying to do, attack tourists and tourists' spots? This happens to be Tunisia. But when you look at coming into to tourists' season across Europe.

CRUIKSHANK: That's absolutely right. And western tourists, obviously western tourists topics at the same time. But by going after tourists you really undermine Tunisia's economy which is highly dependent on tourists coming into the country on cruise ships or beach vacations. And what ISIS and other Jihadi groups are trying to do is to topple the government in Tunisia and Kuwait an Islamic State. Right now the politics are going quite right in Tunisia because you've got a secular president, a secular prime minister, a moderate Islamic opposition which is very pragmatic and --

BURNETT: The opposite of what the Islamists want.

CRUIKSHANK: It's kind of the good news story from the political point of view on fortune economics are not going right. And that's why you've got all these grievances and people are turning to radical Islam.

BURNETT: And Jim, when you see this attack on terrorists, obviously, first it seemed they were trying to attack the parliament which would fit to what Paul is saying with that political goals. But then they attack tourists, they create this atmosphere of fear. We've heard ISIS say they want to march on Rome and put the flag of ISIS above St. Peters Square. We've heard them talk about wanting to attack tourists' sites. Is this a real risk?

ARKEDIS: Oh, absolutely. Look, I sort of wonder if in trying to approach the parliament first, they apparently, the gunman drew fire from some of the security forces surrounding the parliament and I wonder if the attack on the museum the Bardo, which is right next door, wasn't maybe a target of opportunity. So, could they have had designs to try and get to the parliament compound and disrupt the legislative process when they realized that wasn't the possibility that they then move across right next door and quite frankly attack a much softer target.

BURNETT: Much softer target. Both of those cruise ships as we understand, one of them maybe pulling out of Tunis right now. But people just as we said on their vacation shot in cold blood as they were on a cruise ship. Thanks so much to all of you.

And next, the White House slamming Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a day after he claims victory. Can the relationship be salvaged? It is the most important relationship for the U.S. and of course in the Middle East. My guest is "The New York Times" columnist Tom Friedman. He's next.

And breaking news, the FBI looking now into more cold cases across the country. They're saying anywhere real estate heir Robert Durst has lived they want to look into cold case murders.

And someone reportedly called the American embassy in Japan threatening Caroline Kennedy, the U.S. ambassador. Is she the target of an assassin?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:13:43] BURNETT: Tonight, the White House sending a warning to Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. A spokesman for President Obama saying he's quote, "deeply concerned about Netanyahu's comments about Arabs." Netanyahu urged conservative voters to go to the polls yesterday. He did it by warning that leftists were bringing, quote, "huge amounts of Arabs by bus to vote against his right wing party."

Today, the White House fires back saying Netanyahu, quote, "Undermine the values and democratic ideals that have been important to our democracy and an important part of what binds the United States and Israel together."

Elise Labott begins our coverage OUTFRONT from Jerusalem.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ELISE LABOTT, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A Judaism holiest site, Benjamin Netanyahu gave a prayer of thanks for his political comeback.

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER (through a translator): I appreciate the decision by Israel citizens to elect me and my friends against all odds and in the face of powerful forces.

LABOTT: His surprising and crushing victory, the product of an 11th hour push for right wing votes promising there will be no Palestinian state on his watch and whipping up fear on Facebook with a warning to the base, get out and vote to prevent Arab parties from unseating him.

NETANYAHU: The right regime is in danger. The Arab voters are coming in huge amounts to the polls.

LABOTT: But those hard lied statements that saved his job, may only deepen his bad blood with the Obama administration who was privately hoping for his ousters. U.S. officials say they are waiting to see if Netanyahu dials back. If he doesn't, it could be a game changer for both the peace process and U.S.-Israel relations.

JEN PSAKI, STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESWOMAN: Certainly the fact that he's changed his position has an impact. I'm not going to pre-judge what we'll do. The election was yesterday, those comments were made two days ago. So, I'm sure we'll continue to discuss.

LABOTT: But Netanyahu is unlikely to reverse course.

DAVID HOROVITZ, TIMES OF ISRAEL: His essential concern that Israel would draw in territory exposes itself to more danger is something he feels in his heart and he believes that many, probably most Israelis share with him.

LABOTT: Republican lawmakers overjoyed at Netanyahu's re- election. Senator Rand Paul tweeting his congratulations and Senator John McCain calling him the comeback kid. After lobbying Congress and the American people against President Obama's policy towards Iran, Netanyahu is likely headed for another showdown with the White House, ahead of the March 31st deadline for a nuclear deal.

AARON MILLER WOODROW WILSON CENTER: This prime minister is way too committed on the Iran issue. It's almost messianic for him. And he's going to want to fight. So, there is a real opening there for some continuing tensions over this deal.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LABOTT: And Erin, Secretary of State John Kerry did call the prime minister to congratulate him. We're told it was for perfunctory call. Did not ask him about those statements. But what a stunning turnaround, a reversal for Prime Minister Netanyahu. Last night we were talking about the fact that him and Herzog, his leftist opponent might need to share power in a unity government. Today, is a totally different story -- Erin.

BURNETT: All right. Elise, thank you very much.

And Jim Acosta is at the White House tonight. Jim, you know, you just heard Elise's reporting. And you're getting new information from the White House tonight.

JIM ACOSTA, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Right.

BURNETT: Their reaction to Netanyahu's victory. Well, Erin, there's a reaction to Netanyahu's victory and there's also the reaction to what he said. Perhaps to secure that victory you heard in the final hours of this campaign, Benjamin Netanyahu saying that he no longer supports a separate Palestinian state and what I'm hearing from senior administration officials this evening is that the Obama administration may take a new posture on this, that they may want to look at other options when it comes to pursuing a separate Palestinian state because that remains a priority of this administration even if it's not a priority of Benjamin Netanyahu. So, that is one impact that's being felt already. And I'll tell you as Elise were saying in the final hours of the election when the Prime Minister warned Arab voters that to quote, "Arab voters are coming out in droves."

That comment also did not go over well here at the White House. And it's worth noting that during the press gaggle on Air Force One today as the off camera briefing, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest, he was not asked about Netanyahu's remarks about Arab voters but Earnest volunteered that the White House was deeply concerned that the Lakud Party in other words Netanyahu was using, quote, "divisive rhetoric in the campaign." Earnest was then asked if the President whether the President would raise this issue with Netanyahu in a phone call that two leaders are expected to have in the coming days. Earnest did not want to go there. He did not want to predict what the two leaders would talk about. But he did say that U.S. officials would brace this issue with Israeli leaders.

Erin, this just another example of how furious this White House is with this prime minister. It was worth noting this morning on CNN. One of the President's top advisors David Seema said that the White House congratulates the Israeli people for the democratic process. Not congratulates Netanyahu. So, after that big speech that Netanyahu had in front of Congress there's still hard feelings here. The question is whether this relationship can be repaired.

[19:18:49] BURNETT: All right. Jim Acosta, thank you very much.

ACOSTA: You bet.

BURNETT: And OUTFRONT now, our special guest, "The New York Times" columnist Tom Friedman. Also, the author of "From Beirut to Jerusalem."

All right, Tom, it's great to have you with me. I guess, let's just start with this. We know this tensions has been going on. Right? And there's furious, is the word Jim was using. But I mean, this White House and Benjamin Netanyahu are at deep odds. Does Netanyahu now have the upper hand though with President Obama?

THOMAS FRIEDMAN, COLUMNIST, "THE NEW YORK TIMES": Well, I don't know if he's got the upper hand or low hand. When it comes to this issue of I think that when it comes of this issue of a two state solution or not, this is really fundamental. This is really fundamental. This is the foundation of all American diplomacy going back basically since the '67 war. And if there's no two state solution, Erin, it means there's only a one state solution. And what that means if there's only a one state solution, you're either going to have an Israel that's a Jewish state and not a democracy. Or Israel that's not a democracy and not a Jewish state. Because it's going to be absorbing 2.7 million Arabs from the West Bank and is unlikely to want to give them the right to vote. So, this is a huge issue. It's also an issue that could really divide the American Jews community. How many American Jews want to defend a one state solution where basically Palestinians either are not allowed to vote or Israel is no longer much of a Jewish state? So, this is a huge, huge issue.

BURNETT: It is. And, you know, as they said, do you want to be an apartheid state or a democracy. The question that they're facing. And it goes right at Tom. The warning yesterday. The Netanyahu in the last moment of the campaign when he was desperate to get off the vote. He said, leftists are bringing, his words, quote, "huge amounts of Arabs by bus" to vote against his party. And he was, you know, trying to rally his base, go out and vote against them. A rival of his as you know noted that that was in there the same thing as an American politician point blank talking about bussing blacks to vote. And the White House obviously was angry about this. You wrote today in your column that Netanyahu, quote, "went for the gutter with a comment like that."

FRIEDMAN: Yes. There's no question. What happened here, and again, this was a huge development. Netanyahu shifted the Likud party from a center right party, which it's really been since its founding to a far right party. The votes he gained to win did not come from the Israeli center. They came farther right parties. The actual right coalition did expand in this election. What changed was that Netanyahu, to save himself, took votes from even farther right parties. And now he's saddled with the way he did that, this kind of race baiting. And at the same time with throwing out the window of his election bus the whole notion of a two-state solution. Now, he's not someone who would surprise me would tomorrow, go back on what he said. But this is not a small matter. I would add another thing.

The people who are happiest tonight, who are high fiving and toasting themselves with endless Allahu Akbars is the Iranian regime in Tehran. Because Iran's fundamental strategic position is that Israel must always be in the West Bank. Iran wants a one state solution. So, there's a constant grinding between Israeli settlers and Palestinians which delegitimizes Israel in Europe. It keeps the focus away from Iran's own abuse of its own people and its nuclear program and builds tensions between Iran and Israel. So, nothing makes Iran happier than Israel opting for a one state solution.

BURNETT: And that's the great irony as you point out. And as we've also said, the backdrop to this election of course is Iran. And specifically the United States nuclear deal with Iran. Right? Which BB so strengthly opposed. You wrote today that the United States has a we can because everyone knows the United States is not going to use force against Tehran. Right? U.S. force in the Middle East recently hasn't worked. You also point out though that America is actually fighting Iran's battles and has been for years. And I wanted to quote the question you asked because I thought it was just so poignantly done. You said, why are we for the third time since 9/11 fighting a war on behalf of Iran? And of course, you're referring to the American wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. So, American money was spent. Trillions of dollars, American lives lost. Removing governments that Iran didn't want. And now the United States is doing it again, fighting against ISIS on the same side as Iran. You raised the question, and it was painful question to raise, but an important one. Maybe ISIS is actually the American ally.

[19:23:31] FRIEDMAN: Well, the point I'm raising is of course I despise ISIS as much as you do and everybody else, they are horrific organization. But ISIS is the manifestation of Sunni Arab power which Sadam manifested before. Now because we'd have taken out the Taliban regime in Afghanistan and because we deposed Sadam and failed in the effort to build a multi-sectarian party in his wake. And now that we are bombing ISIS we're in effect for the third time taking out the Sunni Arab bull work against Iranian expansion. Obviously I'm not for supporting ISIS. But somewhere we better step back and figure out, how did this all add up? Because Iran as a result of this is not projected its power where it's indirectly controls for Arab capitals, Beirut, Baghdad, Sanaa and Damascus. So, you know, I feel like we're kind of reacting in a knee jerk way without a broader strategic framework to determine what where we're going here.

BURNETT: It's interesting that Iran seems to be the winner in all of this as the U.S. and Israel are duking out a very personal battle between allies.

Thank you so much to Tom Friedman.

FRIEDMAN: Pleasure. Thanks, Erin.

BURNETT: And OUTFRONT next, the breaking news, we now know what investigators found when they raided real estate hear Robert Durst hotel room. What was he doing with a rubber latex mask at $42,000 in cash?

And Caroline Kennedy reportedly facing death threats in Japan. Who is behind a mysterious phone call threatening to kill her?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:29:01] BURNETT: Breaking news at this hour on Robert Durst, the real estate heir linked to at least three murders. The FBI is now calling on authorities around the nation to examine cold cases where ever Robert Durst lived. That includes Vermont, New York and California. So, they're now saying anywhere he lived, any cold cases, any clusters of murder they want local authorities to investigate because they are looking for a connection between Durst and other murder victims. There's also a search warrant that we just have in to CNN which indicated Durst was maybe likely they say trying to flee the country. According to the documents that we have, he was frequently making daily bank withdrawals of 9,000 dollars and he checked into the New Orleans hotel room where he was arrested using a fake name. In that room officials found a rubber latex mask that covers the head and the neck, a loaded gun and over $42,000 in cash. Most of it was in $100 bills that were segmented into smaller envelopes.

Also tonight, there are new questions about Durst's current wife. Yes, current wife and her potential involvement.

Shasta Darlington begins our coverage OUTFRONT.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SHASTA DARLINGTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Who would marry Robert Durst? A man investigated for the disappearance of his first wife Kathleen.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: Are you the wife of Robert Durst?

DEBRAH LEE CHARATAN, WIFE OF ROBERT DURST: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: When did you marry him?

DARLINGTON: Debrah Lee Charatan, a shrewd Manhattan real estate developer.

CHARATAN: December, 2000.

DARLINGTON: She's one of the most mysterious characters in the HBO documentary about Robert Durst called "The Jinx." Appearing in a police interview for more than a decade ago. Charatan says, she met Durst in 1988 six years after his first wife went missing. The two were married in a rushed ceremony just weeks before Durst's long time friend Susan Berman turned up dead in Los Angeles.

And she stood by him in 2003 when he admitted to shooting and dismembering his elderly neighbor in Texas.

Recorded jailhouse calls show she was his rock.

ROBERT DURST: Am I supposed to be smiling or am I supposed to be grim?

CHARATAN: If you're thinking of expression, I would just have like, as close to no expression.

DURST: Yes, that's what I think.

CHARATAN: Yes.

DARLINGTON: And the driving force behind decision to fire attorney Michael Kennedy because his insanity defense could have meant both Durst and Charatan were cut out of the family fortune.

CHARATAN: What he doesn't want me to get any of the trust money later on, since I'm not your wife because you're incompetent at the time, OK, means that they are the only ones to make your decisions.

DARLINGTON: Durst was acquitted after claiming self-defense. Like Durst himself, Charatan is a powerful player in the New York real estate scene.

AMIR KORANGY, PUBLISHER, THEREALDEAL.COM: She's not some opportunistic woman who came into Bob's life for monetary gain. She was very successful and millionaire several times over, long before she met Bob.

DARLINGTON (on camera): We also spoke to several former friends and associates who described her in less than glowing terms. One woman said and I quote, "Her sole goal in life is to become uber wealthy and she makes no secret about it." (voice-over): Former employees have successfully sued Charatan

for failing to pay commissions. We were unable to reach her for comment.

According to sources, Charatan only briefly lived with Durst, and they are separated now, although still married.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

DARLINGTON: In fact, Charatan has been living with another man for quite some time, according to sources. And while she was this overpowering presence during that Texas trial, she was constantly visiting Durst in jail, she was on the phone with him when he was in jail, it's really not clear that she'll be that present this time around. In fact, the real estate expert that we spoke to for that report told us that Charatan was opposed to Durst participating in the documentary, and that she hasn't spoken to him since HBO started airing it, not even after he was arrested, Erin.

ERIN BURNETT, CNN ANCHOR: All right. Shasta, thank you very much.

It's pretty fascinating report.

We're also learning, I want to make sure you all know, that Robert Durst tonight is on suicide watch in a mental health unit in a Louisiana prison.

OUTFRONT now, Susan Criss, she is the judge who presided over Durst's trial for killing and dismembering his neighbor in 2001. Durst was acquitted by a jury in that case.

And investigative journalist Matt Birkbeck also joins me. He's reported on Durst's potential involvement in other murder cases.

Of course, as we reported the breaking news: the FBI tonight having law enforcement across the country looking to those cold cases.

Judge Criss, let me start with you, because Shasta is reporting on this woman, Debrah Charatan, and who she is. Obviously, a very powerful player in her own right. You hear her in that piece telling what look to have on his face, talking about what the strategy should be to try to keep hold of the money. Is she a master mind here?

SUSAN CRISS, FORMER DISTRICT COURT JUDGE: Absolutely. It's very clear from listening to those tapes and I've listened to 40 hours of taped conversations, many of them with her, it's very clear that she only cares about the money.

BURNETT: Wow. So, you do think she's important.

Matt, the FBI now tonight, as we said, that this latest development, calling on local authorities to examine cold cases anywhere that Robert Durst may have lived. That includes New York, it includes New England. I believe we were saying Vermont.

You have looked at those places, what have you found?

MATT BIRKBECK, INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALIST: Going back to 2002 when my book was first published, police found six addresses in the San Francisco Bay Area alone. And some of them are properties, some of them were post office boxes, some of them were warehouse facilities. There were other addresses in northern California, southern California as well as other parts of the country.

BURNETT: And so, you think all of that points to the fact they should being looking at other cases?

BIRKBECK: Oh, clearly. And they have been. I mean, they made this public tonight but have been looking at it several years. I guess with recent events, they've really now expanded their scope.

BURNETT: Does it surprise you, Judge Criss?

CRISS: You know, it does and it doesn't. I don't know why I continue to be surprised by him, there's always something new. He apparently has been a lot busier than we thought, but I haven't been aware that they've been looking at other areas. I didn't know there were that many.

BURNETT: There were that many.

Now, about this document that we have, about everything they found in the hotel room, $42,000 of cash.

[19:35:00] They found the latex mask that covered his face and neck, all these things they found. Fake name. They say perhaps he was about to flee the country. Perhaps this woman, this wife, may have been involved in that.

What do you think he was planning to do?

CRISS: There's no yes he's planning to leave the country. There's no question she helped him. That's why he married her the first time he went on the run. The mask, though, I'll tell you what, that's so terrifying. That one threw me a little.

BURNETT: Because you don't use mask as a disguise to flee the country.

CRISS: No. The mask as a disguise, and so, on the other times when he's killed that I'm aware of, it was someone that he knew, it wasn't a situation where he would -- even though he wears disguises to live under the radar, he's known the people that we're aware of that he killed. So, the situation with killing strangers, that's a whole other side to him.

BURNETT: The whole other side you're thinking of.

Matt, Durst has two copies of your book in his home.

BIRKBECK: I heard.

BURNETT: Your book about him. What does that say to you?

BIRKBECK: I'd like to say he has good taste in non-fiction. When I first heard about it, I was somewhat shocked, a little disturbed. I heard he read the book. This was a while ago. I didn't realize he still had two copies.

BURNETT: Yes. And, Judge, what does it mean to you that he's collecting things about himself?

CRISS: Well, that doesn't surprise me. When he was on the run the first time he went to New Orleans, he had a video of a documentary, not documentary, it was a television news program about the re-opening of Kathie's case. So, that doesn't surprise me.

What I'd like to know is, I'm very sure that somewhere he's got copy's of Susan Berman's books.

BURNETT: Wow. All right. Thanks to both of you -- about two people who know about this man and this case, and cases, plural.

OUTFRONT next: to Japan, reports of death threats targeting Caroline Kennedy. Michelle Obama and Bill Clinton also are in Tokyo tonight, and we have a live report.

And one man dead and five others wounded after a shooting rampage today in Arizona. The suspect, under arrest, is he a neo-Nazi?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:41:04] BURNETT: She's part of an American political dynasty, the only surviving daughter of Jackie and President John F. Kennedy. Now, Caroline Kennedy is reportedly facing death threats in Japan. She's the U.S. ambassador there.

Our Anna Coren is live in Tokyo tonight.

And, Anna, how seriously are authorities taking these threats? I know some of them may have been in the form of calls.

ANNA COREN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that's exactly right, Erin. Authorities here are taking these death threats against Caroline Kennedy extremely seriously. As we know, U.S. ambassador to Japan, she's been in a job for the 16 months and from all reports, is well-admired and respected.

Well, it comes at a time, Erin, when U.S. officials in Asia are on heightened alert. Here in Tokyo at this very moment, U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama, as well as former U.S. President Bill Clinton are both here in Tokyo. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COREN (voice-over): American and Japanese authorities on a heightened state of alert in Tokyo after death threats were allegedly made against Caroline Kennedy, now U.S. ambassador there. JEN PSAKI, STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESWOMAN: We take any threats to

U.S. diplomats seriously. We take every step possible to protect our personnel. We're working with the Japanese government to ensure that necessary security measures are in place.

COREN: Japanese media report mysteriously phone calls were placed to the U.S. embassy last month. The caller, a male speaking in English saying he was going to kill Kennedy.

Although reportedly present, Alfred Magleby, U.S. consul general in Okinawa. Although Japan is a top U.S. ally, a former American ambassador to that country tells CNN there are those who harbor resentment toward Americans.

THOMAS SCHIEFFER, FORMER U.S. AMBASSADOR TO JAPAN: There are 50,000 American troops stationed in Japan, more than anywhere else in the world. It's a top flight target for people who want to do harm.

COREN: There's an eerie parallel here between Caroline and her father, JFK.

SCHIEFFER: President Kennedy is ambassador to Japan. Edwin Reischauer was actually stabbed and almost fatally stabbed while he was serving in Japan.

COREN: Fueling concerns that Kennedy's safety, early this month, a knife-wielding man attacked and seriously wounded Mark Lippert, American ambassador to South Korean. Another security concern, First Lady Michelle Obama just arrived in Tokyo for an extended visit.

Former President Bill Clinton is also in the capital, appearing Wednesday with Kennedy and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Kennedy was sworn in as ambassador in November 2013. Since her brother John's death in 1999, the 57-year-old is the sole surviving member of one of America's most storied presidential families.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COREN: Now, Erin, we've obviously been in touch with the embassy and the police here in Tokyo. Both bodies remaining tight lipped on details, refusing to elaborate. But we do understand that investigation is under way and security has been stepped up -- Erin.

BURNETT: All right. Anna, thank you very much.

As we said, Anna Coren, live in Tokyo tonight, tomorrow morning, obviously her time.

Next, a gunman allegedly killing one man, wounding five others in a string of shootings today. Then, police tracked him down. They are saying the suspect had the word skin head tattooed on his forehead.

And on a much lighter note, say you decided to hold up a bank. So, why disguise yourself as Darth Vader? Jeanne Moos has the answer.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) [19:48:25] BURNETT: And we have breaking news out of Arizona

tonight. Police have captured the man allegedly at the center of a massive manhunt today. One person killed, five others wounded during a four-hour shooting rampage outside of Phoenix.

Listen to how Mesa police described the suspect.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DET. ESTEBAN FLORES, MESA POLICE DEPARTMENT: He is a white male in his late 30s, early 40s, bald head. He does have tattoos on his neck and also on his face.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BURNETT: That matches the description of the man, I'll show you now, right there. His name is Ryan Giroux. He has the word "skinhead" tattooed across his shaven eyebrows and tattoos across his name. We're going to have much more on what those mean in a moment.

Paul Vercammen begins our coverage OUTFRONT, though.

And, Paul, the Arizona Department of Corrections says Giroux has a long rap sheet. This was a bizarre horrible string of events of shooting people in various places.

What more do you know about this man?

PAUL VERCAMMEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, according to that rap sheet, he's been in and out of prison almost of his life. It seems mainly for drug related offenses and theft offenses. This would suggest at times he robs or steals to support a habit.

We also know, Erin, much more about the timeline, if you will. It started at about 8:30 in Arizona time. It started at a less than opulent hotel or motel or in, the Tri-City Inn, where Giroux, apparently according to police, knew three people there and in that incident, he allegedly fatally shot one man and injured two women. And that's where all of this began.

Then, not far from there he goes skipping on down the street.

[19:50:01] And there's a nearby trade college which has a culinary company, it's a Bistro 13 and at that place, there you see the East Valley Institute of Technology, he injures a student who's able to cross the street and he carjacks this gray Honda Accord.

Then, Giroux skips down street to South Dobson, where a man is shot in an apartment complex. Police saying they think the robbery might have been the motive. And then, in a joining complex, Giroux goes off and shots another man.

So, the manhunt is one for him and, of course, everyone fearing that he's armed and dangerous. He's later caught and tasered and brought into custody, Erin.

BURNETT: He is in custody tonight.

All right. Thank you very much, Paul Vercammen, laying out exactly what happened and really the fear that was going on during those hours in the Phoenix.

Joining me OUTFRONT, Mark Potok. He's with the Southern Poverty Law Center. He's a leading expert on domestic hate groups.

Mark, I'm glad to have you with us. I want to go straight to that booking photo that we briefly just showed a moment ago, where you can see the word "skinhead" tattooed on his eyebrows across his forehead. And then there's also those other tattoos on his chin, sort of, you know, like a kind of a goatee of some sort and around his neck.

You obviously are an expert on sort of tattoos that might signify some sort of neo-Nazi white supremacy? What do these say to you? What do they mean?

MARK POTOK, SPOKESMAN, SOUTHERN POVERTY LAW CENTER: Well, they're pretty openly white supremacist tattoos. When you look in particular at his left temple, you will see the numbers 88. That is neo-Nazi code for "Heil Hitler". H is the eighth letter of the alphabet, so 88 stands for HH, which stands for "Heil Hitler" in the skinhead world. This is a very, very common neo-Nazi signifier.

In addition, his chin, in that larger tattoo is a Celtic cross, which is a perfectly legitimate symbol, but to white supremacists, the white race. It's a bit hard to tell what's on his neck, but it looks like the word "danger". In any case, I think that kind of tattoos on one's face absolutely brands a person, not only as a white supremacist but as a very hard edged white supremacist. If for no other reason than a person with tattoos like that on their face is virtually incapable of getting a job. This is a person who clearly seemed to be at war with the world.

BURNETT: Right, because it's so public and you can't hide it. It's not as if it's on the stomach or something that's hidden.

When you see all that, you're talking about it being a hard core white supremacist. What sort of groups might that mean he was perhaps linked to?

POTOK: Well, we know very well, a long time Mesa detective, who is now retired from the department, who in fact worked at infiltrating these groups in the '90s and beyond. And, in fact, this detective knows Giroux. He said that Giroux is in fact a member of a very scary skinhead group called Hammerskin Nation, really the largest and most scary and violent skinhead group in the country. And he is also an associate member, which is a kind of notch below full member of the Aryan Brotherhood, which similarly is a huge and very, very scary prison gang, a white supremacist prison gang.

It seems that he probably got hooked up with the Aryan Brotherhood while serving his many stints in prison over the last 20 years or so. BURNETT: All right. Well, Mark Potok, thank you very much.

Pretty disturbing but fascinating and important to understand exactly what those marks on his face were, how significant it might be.

Next, Darth Vader has returned to the dark side. He's taking up banks with a rifle instead of a light saber? Jeanne Moos, of course, is going to break this case.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:57:28] BURNETT: Seduced by the dark side, a man disguised as Darth Vader is on the run after allegedly robbing a bank.

Jeanne Moos has our report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Talk about a teller with a story to tell, Darth Vader demanding money at a credit union in Pineville, North Carolina, know there were no reports of heavy breathing. And instead of his usual light saber, this Darth Vader was reeling what police called a long gun.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He had a gun and everything?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, you see he's holding right there --

MOOS: The suspect got away with an undisclosed amount of cash, escaping not in a Star Fighter, but a Chevy Suburban.

This isn't the first bank robbed by Darth Vader. It's not even the second.

There had been at least three, one robbed Toledo, Ohio, bank. Another robbed a bank on Long Island almost five years ago. Police are still looking for him at a time a look-alike from the robber.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: On a more personal note, a blue cape? Seriously, does this cape look blue to you?

MOOS: Robbers have disguised themselves as everything from a construction worker to Santa to nuns. Nuns right out of a heist movie "The Town".

One guy tried to hide his identity by duct taping tree branches to himself. He robbed a bank on, no kidding, Elm Street in Manchester, New Hampshire. Police arrested him the next day.

And how about this head scratcher? A 19-year-old tried to rob a San Diego convenience store dressed as Gumby, and clerk thought it was a joke and didn't give many money.

Gumby eventually turned himself and his costume into police.

Some disguises are so tacky, they should have just called the police. They should have called the fashion police. Suspects wearing underwear on his heads, clad boxers, a thong.

That's the dark side.

Stick to being a piggy bank rather than robbing a real one, Darth Vader.

Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BURNETT: I give the guy credit. I mean, he didn't actually even get caught. Hmm.

All right. Well, thank you so much for joining us. We'll see you back here the same time tomorrow night.

Please be sure to set your DVR. You can record OUTFRONT and watch us anytime.

"AC360", though, begins right now.