Return to Transcripts main page
Campbell Brown
Patrick Swayze Dies; Who Killed Yale Student?
Aired September 14, 2009 - 20:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CAMPBELL BROWN, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): Tonight, here are the questions we want answered.
We have heard the protests, felt the anger.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: All the czars that he picked are all either communists or socialists.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're kind of the ultimate check and balance, I suppose.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't want a revolution. I don't want a civil war. I would hate for that to happen, but it is a possibility.
BROWN: But it's what we're seeing that's really ugly, vicious, racist imagery attacking our first African-American president. For the tea party protesters, how far is too far?
Plus, who murdered Annie Le, the Yale grad student today confirmed dead, her body discovered hidden behind the walls of her Ivy League university? Tonight, the search for her killer, as police race to piece together the clues.
And disgraced ex-Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich awaiting trial on charges of trying to sell President Obama's old Senate seat, but not letting that slow him down one bit. Blago has got a new book and tonight he joins me live.
And the dis heard round the world. Kanye West stealing the spotlight from country sensation Taylor Swift at the Video Music Awards last night. It took Beyonce to make it right. How big a jerk is Kanye?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANNOUNCER: This is your only source for news. CNN prime- time begins now. Here's Campbell Brown.
BROWN: Good evening from Los Angeles, everybody. Those are the big questions tonight.
But we're going to start as we always go with the "Mash-Up." It is of course our look at the stories making an impact right now, the moments you may have missed today. We're watching it all so you don't have to. And we begin with the very latest on an awful story, police at Yale University today confirming the worst. A body found inside the basement wall of a campus building is that of missing graduate student Annie Le. Today, on the Ivy League campus, a candlelight vigil, friends and fellow students coming together to share their grief. No suspect yet, but lots of fear on campus.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: New Haven police are saying in their words that this was not a random act.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: After nearly a week of searching, police found her body stuffed inside a wall of the campus lab.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Detectives and investigators right now have a large amount of physical evidence at the scene that we're going through to determine if it's linked to this case or not.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Zeroing in a key piece of evidence, bloody clothing found at the crime scene tucked inside ceiling tiles.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They don't have any suspects in custody. They have been questioning many people, including students, faculty members, anyone who knew Annie Le.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Only Yalies had access to that basement. And that seems to point to someone in our community being involved in this. And that's what's so frightening.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: Police say they have ruled out Le's fiance as a suspect in her murder. They were to be married yesterday. We're going to have more on this tragic story coming up.
In New York City today, a strong message to Wall Street from President Obama that there will be more regulation and you better like it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Those on Wall Street cannot resume taking risks without regard for consequences and expect that, next time, American taxpayers will be there to break their fall. And that's why we need strong rules of the road to guard against the kind of systemic risks that we've seen.
History cannot be allowed to repeat itself.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: No accident and the timing the president's speech. It was after all one year ago today that the economy really took a dive.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) JOHN ROBERTS, CO-HOST, "AMERICAN MORNING": The foreign financial markets taking a big hit overnight following the fall of U.S. investment giant Lehman Brothers.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The U.S. government bailed out insurance giant American International Group, which was on the verge of failure because of its exposure to toxic securities.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Washington Mutual is now the biggest bank to fail in U.S. history.
ANDERSON COOPER, HOST, "ANDERSON COOPER 360": The stock market losing $3 billion a minute today.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Putting pen to paper in the Oval Office, the president made the financial bailout law.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The Bush administration will immediately give $13.4 billion in loans to two auto companies on the brink of ruin.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Foreclosures jumped a record 81 percent last year and up 225 percent if you go back to 2006.
LOU DOBBS, HOST, "LOU DOBBS TONIGHT": President Obama's almost $800 billion economic rescue package is now law.
ALI VELSHI, CNN CHIEF BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: The unemployment rate in the United States has now climbed to 8.1 percent -- 651,000 jobs were lost.
ERICA HILL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: General Motors today officially filing for bankruptcy protection. The one-time car giant will receive another $30 billion in federal aid.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: President Obama unveiled financial regulatory reforms aimed at preventing a future financial crisis like the country experienced this past year.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: And today some good news on stocks -- the markets were up again, closing at their highest levels in almost a year.
A new message to the United States tonight from Osama bin Laden. His themes, pretty familiar stuff: Get out of Afghanistan. Break ties with Israel. The audiotape was timed to coincide with the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Osama bin Laden has emerged, calling Barack Obama vulnerable.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Osama bin Laden seems to have a fascination with talking to the American people. Every 9/11 anniversary, he sends out a message and he calls it a message to the American people.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In the audio recording posted online, bin Laden claims President Obama is powerless to stop the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and blames the conflicts on the pro-Israel lobby.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Bin Laden was critical of President Obama for keeping Bush administration military leaders, like Defense Secretary Robert Gates, on the job.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: We should not the message was audio only. We have not seen a new picture of the terrorist mastermind in two years.
Another update on the swine flu vaccine. Shots will be ready by early October, we are told, about two weeks sooner than expected. But that is not early enough for CBS anchor Harry Smith, who called in sick today. Check this out.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We think that Harry has H1N1. There he is. Harry, how you doing?
HARRY SMITH, CBS: I'm doing pretty good. You know, I had an interesting weekend. I went on a big bike ride on Saturday, 25 miles, got soaking wet. Went to a big birthday party on Saturday night. We danced the night away. And Sunday morning, I got up and I thought, maybe I had an extra glass of wine, perhaps.
Later in the day, I started to feel feverish and then really achy. And I called Dr. Ashton.
And what did you say?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I said, you know what, Harry, it's possible that it's H1N1. Until proven otherwise, we should take the appropriate steps.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: So, poor Harry. Researchers say the vaccine a appears to kick in about a week after you get a shot.
Everybody, of course, I'm sure you know, talking about rapper Kanye West's speech during last night's MTV Video Music Awards. No, he didn't win, but he did steal the show.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KANYE WEST, MUSICIAN: You know, Taylor, I'm really happy for you. I'm going to let you finish, but Beyonce had one of the best videos of all time, one of the best videos of all time.
(BOOING)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: Kanye may have made himself happy, but his scene-stealing act not well-received. He's now apologized to Taylor Swift. We're going to have more on this coming up later in the hour.
In tennis, Roger Federer trying to make history at the U.S. Open. A win tonight makes six titles in a row, tying a record set 80 years ago. That would be special.
But can anything match this?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ahead 5-4 in the third set, Federer runs back for the lob and hits this through-the-legs cross-court winner. Unbelievable.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Boy, oh, boy, I hope you saw this shot. If not, you will see it now. Roger Federer simply calls this the greatest shot of his life, the amazing through-the-legs, AKA Robin Roberts, stroke, helped him beat Novak Djokovic at the U.S. Open on Sunday.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And in the men's semifinal, Roger Federer one victory away from its sixth straight U.S. Open title, after a stunning backwards hit between his legs to set up match point. He is just so good.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: Also have to give huge props to Kim Clijsters, who came out of retirement to win the women's title yesterday, making her the first mom to win a Grand Slam title since 1980. Check it out, a great moment. She shared her shiny new trophy with 18-month-old Jada. Big congratulations to both.
And that of course brings to us tonight's "Punchline." It involves Rod Blagojevich, Jimmy Kimmel, and one very special chair.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JIMMY KIMMEL, HOST, "JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE": Here's a money-making idea. I think this is a great idea. Actually, I just thought of it. And I think you're going to like this.
ROD BLAGOJEVICH (D), FORMER ILLINOIS GOVERNOR: OK. Is it legal and ethical?
KIMMEL: I think it is legal. Yes, it's definitely legal. On ethical, I never really know.
BLAGOJEVICH: Interesting. Interesting.
(LAUGHTER)
KIMMEL: But this seat that you're sitting on right now, this is my seat. But I would be willing to let you sell it.
(LAUGHTER)
KIMMEL: You could sell this vacant seat...
BLAGOJEVICH: OK...
KIMMEL: ... on eBay and you can do whatever. You can give the money to charity. You can keep it. I don't care what you do.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: The best part, the governor actually did it. The chair is already up. It is almost $3,000 on eBay right now. We are going to be talking to former Governor Blagojevich in just a little bit. And that is the "Mash-Up."
When we come back, how far is too far when it comes to protesting the president's proposals? Tens of thousands of people brought their anger to Washington this weekend. We will talk about that when we come back.
Another big question tonight, who killed Annie Le? Yale's campus in mourning after her body's discovered in a restricted building. We will have more.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: This was the scene in Washington over the weekend, tens of thousands of activists venting their rage against President Obama, the man they have anointed public enemy number one. Yes, after a raucous summer, the tea party movement shows no sign of losing steam.
Last week alone, angry rallies across the country culminating in Saturday's pilgrimage you're watching there to the capital.
CNN's Jim Spellman has been tracking the movement. And here's just a little bit of what he has heard. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: An everyday tea-partier is an American citizen that's frustrated with the direction the country is going.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are truly concerned about the heartbeat of our country. They're taking our liberties away. It's tyranny. It's a gestapo-type tactic.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They're too much involvement in the government. We can take care of ourself.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I didn't vote for him. But I didn't necessarily have anything against what he was saying. He gets into office and it's like all the things that I was kind of afraid of really happened.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They can have my country when they pry it from my cold, dead fingers.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And I think their agenda is to slowly but surely take away everything that we have worked for and everything the Constitution stands for.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Kill the bill! Kill the bill! Kill the bill!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Free the bill! Free the bill!
(SHOUTING)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: All the czars that he picked are all either communists or socialists.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I really don't want to be a guinea pig for the experiment they have with the population control.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He's going after our kids, and trying to indoctrinate them into a national defense army. And we're not going to let him do it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're kind of the ultimate check and balance, I suppose.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't want a revolution. I don't want a civil war. I would hate for that to happen, but it is a possibility. It's there as an option, as a last resort, should our government turn on its own people.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: Pretty strong stuff, but, hey, this is America. Politics not for the fainthearted. We are all about free speech.
Still, what does it say about our ability to engage in civil discourse? I want you to check out this protester. See the sign he's waving there? hat's the president made to look like an African witch doctor, pretty ugly racist image. That was a popular prop at Saturday's rally.
So, is this the work of a few fringe cranks here or does it tell us something truly troubling is brewing in this country? Can we debate issues anymore without devolving into sort of this vile smear attack?
Joining me now, Joe Wierzbicki, who is coordinator of the Tea Party Express, and also NPR John Ridley with us as well, and Daily Beast contributor John Avlon joining us with us also.
Joe, let me start with you. And, first off, I'm going to put up that picture again of President Obama. This is, again, decked out as the witch doctor. What do you make of it? What does it say to you? JOE WIERZBICKI, COORDINATOR, TEA PARTY EXPRESS: It says to me that a lot of people in this country are angry about the direction that the administration and Congress are taking us.
And you're going to see a wide expanse of those people. Some are going to be more extreme. Most of them are going to be in the mainstream of American politics, as evidenced by Obama's falling poll numbers.
BROWN: But talk to me about the image. Is that the right way -- or, I don't know, the most effective way to express yourself? Does that image bother you at all?
(CROSSTALK)
WIERZBICKI: Campbell, if you're going to represent the hundreds of thousands of people that have participated in the tea party protests that we have had across the country, then I would suggest to you that it's no different from the fact that there are some people watching CNN right now who have radical or fringe benefits. They're bad apples of the lot, but to define the entire movement by that is totally unfair.
BROWN: I'm not -- so, in your view -- I'm trying to clarify, Joe. I'm not trying to define the movement in any one way. I don't think you can do that.
WIERZBICKI: But you're...
(CROSSTALK)
BROWN: Is that in your view the people carrying -- clarify for me. You tell me. The people carrying those signs of the president of the United States as an African witch doctor, is that how you define the movement or is that the fringe element in this movement? You tell me.
(CROSSTALK)
WIERZBICKI: That is not representative at all of what this movement is about. And that's what my point of contention is.
By showing that as indicative of what the tea party movement is about is misleading. As I said, when you look at polls that show 40 percent to 50 percent of the American people having opposition to Obama's and the Congress' economic policies, I think that speaks volumes about the size and expanse of this movement and the discontent.
And does that represent people who believe that Obama's a witch doctor? No, of course not, totally not representative.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But, Campbell...
BROWN: So, what do you say -- hold on. What do you say then, Joe, to people you see carrying a sign like that? Do you say, put it down, it's not helping the cause here?
WIERZBICKI: Sure.
And you also say what Ronald Reagan said, which is people who choose to embrace your message or your movement are not the people that you embrace. They have chosen to embrace you. And that is not representative of what we want the American people to view the tea party movement as. That doesn't speak for us.
BROWN: John Ridley, racism a fringe element of these protests and shouldn't define the movement, is that a fair point?
JOHN RIDLEY, COMMENTATOR, NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO: I think it is a fair point.
But, unfortunately, you look at what happened to Sonia Sotomayor. She makes the wise Latina comment and everyone jumps on her from the far right, saying, look, she's a racist by saying this. Democrats need to talk that down. You look at these images -- and I think Joe did a nice job of sort of conflating them -- the fact of the matter is, they're not just talking about policy
They're talking about things like secession. They're talking about things like get your hands off my country. They're asking for his birth certificate. When over the last eight years, as much as people might have disagreed with George Bush, do people talk about where are you from, get your hands off my country, talking about secession and things like that?
There is debate to be had. But those images, I'm sorry, have nothing to do with health care, the economy, the deficit, or anything.
BROWN: Except I'm going to disagree with you a little bit here, John, because I do remember seeing images of George Bush as Hitler at times when the debate was getting very intense about...
(CROSSTALK)
RIDLEY: A witch doctor. Did anyone talk about where he was from? Did anyone talk about his legitimacy as a president of the United States?
When you talk about racial images, this is not just standard debate that could be it could be a white guy, it could be any other white president. They are very specific images. When you talk about secession, when you see the Confederate flag, those are very specific things that we have not seen since the 1960s and the civil rights movement.
BROWN: What do you think, John Avlon? We're talking about the first black president here, and these are clearly images that carry an enormous amount of weight.
JOHN AVLON, AUTHOR, "INDEPENDENT NATION": That's exactly right.
Look, I was in Washington. The problem is, is that the fringe is blurring with the base. There are citizens who are angry and concerned about government overspending. But there is an ugliness. There is a deal with the devil being made by these folks with these fringe people who are comparing the president to Hitler, comparing the president to Stalin, communism, racism.
All this ugliness is bubbling up. And the fringe is blurring with the base. And the Republican Party needs to watch out. Hate is a cheap and easy recruiting tool for these tea-partiers. And there are legitimate concerns some people have.
But hate ultimately leads to violence. And there's a courting of violence going on here and America needs to be aware of this.
WIERZBICKI: May I respond to that?
AVLON: Sure. Please.
(CROSSTALK)
BROWN: Yes, absolutely, Joe, please.
WIERZBICKI: On the first point, I think there was a lot actually defined on the left against George Bush and making fun of him as being a simple-minded Southern hick. And so I think that's something that you see on the fringes of both sides.
And the second point I wanted to make on the broader overall theme is that President Barack Obama came into office and was inaugurated with an over 70 percent approval rating. He has not become any more or any less black during the time. This has nothing to do with race. This has to do with opposition to his policies.
(CROSSTALK)
RIDLEY: President Reagan didn't become any more black over time, and he lost his approval ratings, too.
(CROSSTALK)
BROWN: I do think -- you can't concede there's a difference between saying -- comparing Bush to being sort of a simple-minded hick, in your words, vs. racial attacks? That's what -- how they're being interpreted, clearly, by a lot of people.
WIERZBICKI: I think there's fringes on both sides. And I want to make sure that we don't go ahead and identify a movement based on a few people on the fringe.
BROWN: All right, guys, we have to end it there. I'm out of time.
But many thanks to John Ridley, John Avlon.
And, Joe, appreciate your perspective in this as well. Thanks very much for your time. When we come back, some incredible video from the Defense Department. Take a look at this now. Insurgents trying to plant a roadside bomb blew themselves up instead. We have the full story coming up in a moment.
Also, impeached governor, Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich is still facing trial on charges, including trying to sell Senator Obama's old Senate seat. But if you thought he would be laying low right now, guess again. He will be here live.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: We have some breaking news to tell you about right now: the Associated Press reporting that actor Patrick Swayze has died.
This is attributable -- they are attributing, rather, the news to his publicist tonight. Swayze was 57 years old. He has been battling pancreatic cancer since January of last year, the cause of death, though, not confirmed, at least not yet.
His most famous role, as many remember, was in the 1980s movie "Dirty Dancing." He co-starred with Jennifer Grey. He also appeared in so many other feature films, "Ghost," of course. Swayze most recently starred in the cable series "The Beast."
Again, AP, Associated Press, reporting that Patrick Swayze has died. He was suffering from pancreatic cancer and had had quite a battle on his hands.
We're going to have a whole more for you coming up, as we have more information on this.
(NEWS BREAK)
BROWN: When we come back, we're going to have more information for you tonight on the breaking news, the death of actor Patrick Swayze, of course a huge star in the '80s and '90s, and jumped into pop culture status with hits like "Dirty Dancing" and "Ghost." He's been battling pancreatic cancer.
The Associated Press reporting that Patrick Swayze has died -- we will have more coming up right after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: Breaking news tonight: the Associated Press reporting that actor Patrick Swayze has died. He was suffering from pancreatic cancer and just turned 57 years old only a few weeks ago.
CNN's Brooke Anderson now looks back at an iconic figure of film for more than two decades, Patrick Swayze.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BROOKE ANDERSON, CNN CULTURE AND ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): By the time Patrick Swayze leapt to fame in "Dirty Dancing," he already had a dozen credits to his name, among them, "Red Dawn" and the Francis Ford Coppola "The Outsiders."
PATRICK SWAYZE, ACTOR: And I can't even call the cops, because you two would be thrown in a boys home so fast, it would make your head spin.
ANDERSON: He was something of an outsider to acting, having grown up a dancer under the tutelage of his mother.
SWAYZE: My mother is a choreographer, so I sort of had no choice in it. I came out of the womb dancing.
ANDERSON: That background made him ideal to play dance instructor Johnny Castle in "Dirty Dancing," the 1987 film that would propel him to stardom.
Swayze even composed and sang a hit song from the film, but he would later feel too identified with the part.
SWAYZE: There was a period, it was like, God, am I ever going to get out of this dance dude thing? That's the reason -- part of the reason I have gone off and done so many different, you know, types of characters.
ANDERSON: Among those characters were the brawler in "Road House," the thrill-seeking bank robber in "Point Break" and a drag queen in "To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything Julie Newmar."
His career peaked in 1990 with the romantic thriller "Ghost."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "GHOST")
PATRICK SWAYZE, PLAYING SAM WHEAT: Ditto.
WHOOPI GOLDBERG, PLAYING ODA MAE BROWN: Who's ditto?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: He played a murder victim whose ghost returns to protect his wife, a part that showcased his ability to play masculine characters with a sensitive side.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SWAYZE: With all my heart.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: In the late 1990s, Swayze said he made a conscious decision to take fewer blockbuster roles. Instead, he spent time on his horse ranch in Southern California.
SWAYZE: My animals really tell me whether I'm buying the hype or not or whether I'm really 100 percent myself.
ANDERSON: And he continued to dance, making a film on the subject with his wife, fellow dancer and actress, Lisa Niemi. And then in March, his publicist confirmed the actor was suffering from pancreatic cancer. A year before the diagnosis, he struck a philosophical note as he reflected on his journey through Hollywood.
SWAYZE: You know, a career goes up. I think I'm on the fifth refocusing of Patrick Swayze's career. You know, it's like -- the part of the ride and the growth is the up and down. It can be just as hard to live through the ups as it can to live through the downs.
ANDERSON: Brooke Anderson, CNN, Los Angeles.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CAMPBELL BROWN, CNN ANCHOR: And joining us right now on the telephone is David Caplan. He's a senior editor for "People" magazine.
Hey there, David. Good to have you on tonight.
DAVID CAPLAN, SENIOR EDITOR, "PEOPLE" MAGAZINE (via telephone): Thank you.
BROWN: You know, he told Barbara Walters in an interview recently that he was kicking this disease. He thought he was kicking it. How sick was he? Did you realize that he was in this bad of shape? That it was this close to the end for him?
CAPLAN: You know, it did seem that, you know, the disease was taking a toll on him. But, you know, even a month before he told Barbara Walters in the interview, and that was in January, where, you know, even though he was saying about, you know, it haven't gone the best. At that time he said, you know, yes, I'm scared. You know, yes, I'm angry. And then even before that he actually told "People" that, you know, that there was so much speculation about his health and he was saying that, you know, such questions really cast a negative shadow on the positive and the good fight I'm fighting.
So even though it seemed sort of that, you know, the prognosis wasn't obviously, you know, the most positive one, he just didn't want to hear any of those negative words. And he always, you know, maintained that he was fighting this.
BROWN: Well, not only that, but he kept working after his diagnosis. He was working on the series "The Beast." And how did he do that? How did he manage to continue working given his illness?
CAPLAN: It's pretty amazing. I mean, it is amazing, really. Ever since he was diagnosed with the pancreatic cancer, you know, in January 2008, he was working. He did that show "Beast" which was an A & E show, and it was later canceled. And he really, you know, garnered the strength. You know, he told people that this was really a project that was near and dear to him, that he was going to do it.
There was speculation even before they started filming that it would never happen. You know, there were a lot of skeptics out there, but he always maintained it was a project he wanted to do, he was a professional, and that it was something that, you know, he promised himself that he would do. And, you know, he came out well and he did that and he was involved with so many other projects really during his diagnosis.
He appeared in all the networks when there was a simulcast for the Stand Up to Cancer telethon. Last year as well, he was involved with that. So by no means at the same time that he really kept, you know, a super low profile.
BROWN: David, talk to us a little bit about his movies, because you think about it, he was in movies two different movies that were iconic in their own way, that defined for many of us sort of the times and what that meant, both "Dirty Dancing" and then "Ghost."
I mean, how many actors even have two movies like that in a career that are that sort of meaningful to what's going on at the time?
CAPLAN: Yes, exactly. You know, those movies, that's what really sort of -- you know, that was really his breakthrough role for him. When he took that role in "Dirty Dancing," it was -- you know, it just, you know, it made him this leading man. And he was often, you know, really the ultimate romantic lead and that's really sort of, you know, the -- you know, what the connection between "Dirty Dancing" and a "Ghost" was.
He was this romantic lead. He was very popular with female viewers, but at the same time, there was also almost really a dichotomy with his career. Because even though he was this ultimate, you know, romantic lead, he also really had great success sort of in these action-type movies, brat pack movies. Don't forget, he was also in that movie "Red Dawn." He was in "Young Blood," "The Outsiders." And that's what made him such an incredible actor, that he was so versatile.
BROWN: All right. David Caplan with us, of course, senior editor from "People" magazine. David, thanks so much for your time.
We're going to be back. We're going to have a whole lot more on Patrick Swayze's life and death from pancreatic cancer when we come back right after this. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: Disturbing new developments coming to light in the killing of a Yale grad student. The body of Annie Le was found stuffed inside the basement wall of a Yale laboratory on Sunday, the day she was supposed to have gotten married. In a moment, we're going to be joined by one of Le's close friends along with a former homicide detective for more details.
But first, Erica Hill is going to bring us up to speed on the very latest developments on all this.
Erica, what do we know. ERICA HILL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Campbell, as you mentioned, Sunday should have been Annie Le's wedding day, but instead, it became the day her remains were found, found stuffed in a wall in the basement of a medical research building. And the medical examiner interestingly is not releasing a cause of death. They're saying that's to help facilitate the investigation.
We do know, however, that her death is being investigated as a homicide. A Yale professor tells CNN the building where Le's body was found does have good security and noted that access is restricted. A list of people with approved access to the area where the remains were found has been turned over to police according to the university's president.
The 24-year-old Yale grad student was last seen on Tuesday morning when she entered the 10 Amistad research building. You can see she was captured on surveillance video here.
Now, we should point out there are more than 70 cameras around the building but none of them captured her leaving. Investigators tonight also analyzing some bloody clothing which had been found, stuffed into ceiling tiles.
There are conflicting reports as to who that clothing may belong to. But the New Haven register and the "Yale Daily News" reporting it's not the same clothing Le was wearing when she entered the building, that still image you just saw from the surveillance camera.
Police are also saying they do not believe this was a random act. There are no suspects in custody at this hour. Investigators, we're told, though, are questioning several people, Campbell.
BROWN: So, I guess, Erica, does that mean that they think students are not in danger, that this is someone who was targeting Le or had a connection to Le.
HILL: They do say they believe she was targeted. In terms of students on campus and security on campus, there was a pretty detailed e-mail that went out today from the university's vice president and secretary which talked about the fact that Yale is stepping up its security in some areas. They've actually added an additional bike police patrol in the area of these buildings near the medical campus. They've talked about increased security in one of the medical buildings where Le actually had her office. Not the same building, that research building where her remains were found.
In the e-mails were pretty detailed, went also to note the different types of security that are there, in an attempt obviously to make people feel better. Some students though understandably, expressing the fact that they are frightened -- Campbell.
BROWN: All right. Erica Hill for us tonight. Erica, thanks so much.
And joining us now is Jennifer Simpson who is a friend of Annie Le's, and also retired New York police detective Mike Gaynor with us as well, who now heads a private investigation firm.
Jennifer, let me start with you and just say, first of all, I'm so sorry about your friend. And I know initially a lot of people thought she might be a runaway bride. But you never thought that was the case, did you?
JENNIFER SIMPSON, ANNIE LE'S FRIEND: No, absolutely not. It's not characteristic of Annie whatsoever. She was very much in love with John and vice versa, and they were just the absolute perfect couple. And it just wasn't even an issue.
BROWN: You talked to Annie about a month ago. What did she tell you about her work at school and the lab or with any other students or teachers at Yale? Did she talk about it?
SIMPSON: You know, Annie and I had a very brief conversation to be honest. And, you know, she just said that she was very busy with the wedding and the projects that she had and she was just trying to cope to make sure that she didn't turn out to be "bridezilla." But she was just joking around. And I wish I had spent more time with her on the phone. We just kind of caught each other at the wrong time and just wanted to connect and check in with each other at that time.
BROWN: Do you have any idea -- I mean, is there anyone you can think of in her life, anybody who would have wanted to harm her in any way?
SIMPSON: You know, just as I've been sharing with everybody, Annie does not have a mean spirit, not a mean bone in her body. And she loved people and she loved life. And I just, myself and all her other friends, we cannot wrap our minds around this and can't even begin to imagine who would want to harm Annie. She was just the most loveable and likable person that anybody could meet.
BROWN: Let me bring in Mike Gaynor now, who is, again, a former NYPD detective. And, Mike, even before the body was found, officials had scrutinized that security tape. They knew she didn't come out of the building again after she had gone in on Tuesday, but presumably they saw any other number of people go in and go out. Are all those people now potential suspects or witnesses?
MIKE GAYNOR, RETIRED POLICE DETECTIVE: Well, I think there's going to be a reasonable process of elimination where not all of them will become suspects. And I would imagine at this point that the police have some very strong suspects. Of course, they're keeping everything quiet because they might want to get a few things out of a particular suspect in the form of a confession, that they don't want the whole world to know about right now. But this case seems to be really under wraps. The FBI and, of course, the local police department have a good grasp on everything.
For those particular reasons, they have pictures of everyone that went in, outside of any intruders that may be unknown and they have pictures of who came out. So they'll check the way people were dressed when they went in and the way they were dressed when they came out and see if they can find any inconsistencies in statements that they may be taking from potential witnesses or suspects.
BROWN: They found these bloody clothes hidden in the ceiling, her body hidden in a wall. I mean, that would seem to indicate some familiarity with the building on the part of the killer, right?
GAYNOR: Well, it maybe a little premature to say but chances are very good that this person that committed this heinous act knew Annie, at least had seen her in the building on several occasions, probably even spoke to her. Most homicides are committed by people that we know, at least 60 percent or more. So there's a very strong likelihood that they knew each other and, of course, this guy -- I'm assuming it's a man, very likely it's a man, knew hiding places to get rid of evidence, perhaps his own clothing that maybe bloodstained and unfortunately, her little body.
BROWN: All right. We're going to have to end it there. But again, Jennifer Simpson, I just want to thank you for your time. Jennifer was a friend of hers, and I appreciate you coming on given the circumstances and appreciate your time as well, Mike. As always, thanks.
SIMPSON: Thank you.
BROWN: A lot more to report to you when we come back. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: Tonight's newsmaker, former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich. He was thrown out of office more than seven months ago. Remember those headlines?
Well, he is facing charges that he tried to sell Barack Obama's former Senate seat. But now, Blagojevich is back in the spotlight, partly by choice. He's got a new book out. It's called simply "The Governor."
He is also in the news by a tragic circumstance. A close associate and fund-raiser died over the weekend after what may have been a suicide.
Governor, are you there? Welcome to you.
ROD BLAGOJEVICH (D), FORMER ILLINOIS GOVERNOR: Hi, Campbell. Thanks for having me. How are you?
BROWN: I'm good, thanks. And before we talk about your book, I do want to ask you about your former top aide, Chris Kelly. As we just mentioned, he died over the weekend. It is being investigated as a suicide.
He was about to go to prison for mail fraud. He was also getting a lot of questions, frankly, about his relationship and dealings with you. What do you think was going on?
BLAGOJEVICH: Well, Chris was a friend of mine. And my heart goes out to Chris, to his wife, to his three little girls. I feel a deep sense of loss and a real deep sadness.
Chris was a person who had flaws, as we all do. There was some wrongdoing he did. He acknowledged that wrongdoing. The wrongdoing had to do with kickbacks at contracts at O'Hare Airport. It deals with the daily administration not my administration. He fessed up to the things he did wrong but what he was not going to do was to do what he was being urged to do, and that is to tell lies about me to reduce his sentence. And I believe that when he faced what he was facing, in his despair, it would appear that, sadly, he took his own life.
And this is part of what is the story that continues to unfold in many ways. It's an epic story. I've been falsely accused of things I didn't do. And people who've known me or worked with me have been pressured and are being pressured to say things that in the past they said just the complete opposite. Tony Rezko was a mutual supporter and friend of Barack Obama's...
BROWN: Right.
BLAGOJEVICH: ... wrote a letter to a federal judge where he said prosecutors were trying to make him lie about Obama and me. He also said in that letter that there was no wrongdoing with either one of us. --
BROWN: All right.
BLAGOJEVICH: And now he's been pressured to say other things.
BROWN: OK.
BLAGOJEVICH: So it suggest --
BROWN: Before we get sidetracked, I just want to -- OK. But let's back up a little bit because you've got this new book out. And in this book, "The Governor," you do -- you blame just about everybody for your current legal troubles there is. But do you hold yourself accountable for anything? Are you responsible for any of the problems that you now face?
BLAGOJEVICH: Well, if you read the book, I think you'd see that I acknowledged judging certain people the wrong way. I write in depth about my relationship with Tony Rezko and how both President Obama and I trusted him, thought he was a different person. And a lot of other Democrats in Illinois did, too.
It was a mistake. I acknowledge that. The president said about his relationship with Mr. Rezko that it was boneheaded, and I acknowledge it is a mistake.
BROWN: But this isn't about the president's relationship with Mr. Rezko. I want to talk about your stuff.
I do know the FBI has you on tape...
BLAGOJEVICH: Yes.
BROWN: ... calling President Obama's old Senate seat golden, saying, you won't give it up for nothing.
BLAGOJEVICH: Yes.
BROWN: It seems pretty cut and dry. I mean, you don't even deny having said that, do you?
BLAGOJEVICH: Well, let me ask you something what you just quoted. Are you suggesting that's a crime? That's not a crime? And what I am saying to you is this, somebody is lying here.
BROWN: Well, how would you characterize it? How would you characterize that? First of all, you do acknowledge saying it, correct?
BLAGOJEVICH: I acknowledge saying --
BROWN: So what on earth did you mean when you said it?
BLAGOJEVICH: Well, what I meant and the answer is in the decision I made. I wanted the jobs bill to put 500,000 people to work. I wanted health care for 50,000 to 300,000 people, and I want a written guarantee not to raise taxes on people.
And let me point something out that's a big injustice here. My accusers have taken snippets of taped conversations out of context in a super sensational press conference. The accuser made allegations that were false and a mutilation of the truth, just the opposite was true.
The day before I was arrested, I directed my chief of staff to work out a routine political deal. Rahm Emanuel was asked to help us and was working with us, where we would have a public works bill passed, health care passed, and no tax increase --
BROWN: In exchange -- in exchange, you would give the Senate seat --
BLAGOJEVICH: In exchange for making --
BROWN: Go ahead.
BLAGOJEVICH: To the attorney general of Illinois whose father was the House speaker who was blocking these initiatives. It was a routine political deal.
BROWN: So -- but -- OK, so maybe, maybe technically it's not illegal but really, a routine political deal? I mean, isn't to most of us, that just sounds like corruption. I'll scratch your back if you scratch mine and just -- isn't that what we all hate about politics?
BLAGOJEVICH: If you're working and bartering for the benefit of the people to put people to work and create jobs, to expand health care and not raise people's taxes, that's the nature of the business. It is not unlike. In fact, it's a lot more pristine than the discussions you guys in the media so cavalierly talked about when then-candidate Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, he decided to raise $10 million to reduce her campaign debt, all of a sudden she becomes secretary of state. That's politics. No one is raising an eye about that, and yet that's strictly politics.
Here there was results for people. Jobs, health care and no taxes. And that's the true story.
Somebody's lying. The truth is on those tapes.
BROWN: OK.
BLAGOJEVICH: The prosecutor won't allow me to tell you what's on those tapes, and the full context would be heard if I could have those tapes heard.
BROWN: All right.
BLAGOJEVICH: I'm sorry.
BROWN: We'll see. I know you're asking to get those tapes heard. We'll see if that happens.
Governor Rod Blagojevich, thank you for your time.
BLAGOJEVICH: Thank you, Campbell.
BROWN: When we come back, we're going to have more on our breaking news tonight. The death of actor Patrick Swayze. Lost to pancreatic cancer at age 57. We have more details for you when we come back. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: Again, with our breaking news from here in Los Angeles tonight, actor Patrick Swayze, best known for his role in the movie "Dirty Dancing" has died after a nearly two-year battle with pancreatic cancer.
Swayze's publicist tells "The Associated Press" that he died today with his family at his side, along with films like "Ghost," "Road House." Swayze also appeared on Broadway, in plays including "Grease" and then "Chicago." He most recently starred in the cable TV series "The Beast." Patrick Swayze dead at the age of 57 from pancreatic cancer.
"LARRY KING LIVE" coming up at the top of the hour tonight. Anderson Cooper, of course, will have much more on "360" at 10:00 p.m. Eastern Time tonight.
That is it for us. Thanks for watching.
"LARRY KING LIVE" is next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
