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Live From...
New Trial Ordered For Andrea Yates; FBI Investigates Threatening Letters Sent to Prominent Interracial Couples
Aired January 06, 2005 - 15:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Now in the news, discord in Congress. Democrats toss a wrench into a special joint session to protest problems that occurred Election Day. A ceremonial count of electoral votes ground to a halt to force both houses to debate reported problems with the vote in Ohio. The Democrats say it is not a challenge to President Bush's reelection.
A new trial ordered today for the woman in Texas sentenced to life in prison for drowning her five children. A state appeals court reversed that conviction of Andrea Yates, saying a prosecution witness had tested falsely.
We'll take you live now to the press conference with her attorney, George Parnham.
GEORGE PARNHAM, ATTORNEY FOR ANDREA YATES: I, as you know, was excited to hear this morning at about 7:00 that the case had been reviewed, and the court of appeals, the first court of appeals reversed the case. And we don't know now what the next step holds for us.
But I do want to take the opportunity to introduce for members of the press, as well as those listening and viewing, members of the defense team that contributed so mightily to not only the trial, but the appellate process.
To my left is Wendell Odom, who is my co-counsel. And his support both legally as well as his emotional support throughout the course of this process has been absolutely invaluable. To my right is Troy McKinney, who so ably argued the case at the court of appeals. Daucey Shepman (ph) is somewhere back here. To my -- easily the most important person in this group. Daucey, whose excellent work on all of the issues of the appeal and whose tireless effort to devote her life to all of these issues, I just can't thank her enough.
Additionally, a number of students at the University of Houston that contribute their efforts through their professors to research the areas that, ironically, because the case was addressed on one point, the court of appeals never wrote to. But that doesn't mean that they weren't significant. The Park Dietz issue obviously was extremely important.
And, obviously again, I want the community to know that a verdict of this magnitude does not mean that Andrea goes free, much like not guilty by reason of insanity does not mean that an individual is released. We are presently now in the process of working with the state legislature to reform all of the procedures that are presently in place that follow an individual from a verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity to the mental institution and to monitor the activities of that person thereafter.
With that being said, I will entertain questions. Anyone here will obviously be glad to.
QUESTION: Were you able to talk to Andrea Yates today, Mr. Parnham?
PARNHAM: I had a conversation with Andrea Yates at 1:00 with the warden, Todd Foxworth. Andrea was in his office with Sarah Smith (ph), her psychotherapist, and two of the doctors that are in charge of Andrea's mental health care.
Without going into any detail, she is -- has lots and lots of questions about what the future holds. I told her in so many words that we weren't able to necessarily answer those questions, because many of the decisions relative to what happens to Andrea in the legal process, I take it, have yet to be made by the district attorney's office.
But I want to be very clear that we are not going to seek her immediate release from where she is. She is in the very best possible place, all things considered, at this time and in this place under these circumstances.
QUESTION: What did she say?
QUESTION: You said she asked questions. Did she understand what's happening?
PARNHAM: Yes, she understands what's happening.
QUESTION: And was she happy, sad, indifferent? What?
PARNHAM: Obviously, not being present, I can't really describe her visual reaction. But she was surprised and not unpleased.
QUESTION: What did she say?
PARNHAM: I can't go into detail about the content of that conversation, Phil. She had a number of questions. And I told her in advance there was no way I could even respond to those questions, because I don't know what the issues are at this moment in time.
(CROSSTALK)
QUESTION: ... best place she could be in right now.
PARNHAM: That's correct.
QUESTION: Why is that? Can you describe her condition at present? PARNHAM: She is under excellent mental health care. She has people that take care of her, both medically, mentally and with their heart. And, you know, they listen to the conversation that I had with her. They had their own questions. And so much will be played out within the next 36 hours.
QUESTION: Have you been able to talk to her husband, Rusty?
PARNHAM: We had conversations, yes.
QUESTION: Can you talk generally about that?
PARNHAM: Oh, it was a pleasant conversation. He was -- thought that the court had done the right thing and wants only mental health care for Andrea.
And let me say this. And Wendell so aptly put it earlier today. This is all that we want for Andrea Yates. We want mental health care. From the very day that I took this case on, that was my hope. That was concern, that she be treated in the way she should have been treated within the system. And we still live with that desire. And we hope that whatever the prosecutor decides to do, that that will be the foremost consideration in the decision-making process.
PHILLIPS: George Parnham, the attorney to Andrea Yates, talking to reporters there.
A new trial now ordered for Andrea Yates in Texas. As you know, she was sentenced to life in prison for drowning her five children. Today, the state appeals court reversed that conviction of Andrea Yates, saying a prosecution witness had testified falsely.
Her attorney there saying that he did get a chance to talk to her, that she acted surprised, yet not unpleased, according to her attorney. He says she's under terrific mental health care. That's really all he wanted for his client.
As for her husband, Rusty Yates, he's going to talk exclusively tonight on CNN's "LARRY KING LIVE." That's at 9:00 Eastern.
And, once again, just to get the point across, this does not mean that Andrea Yates will go free. It just means that the court reversed the conviction of Andrea Yates. They are looking forward to the new trial -- Miles.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Well, one down, 2,609 to go.
Here's the one, Raul Bernard (ph), an American thought to be in Sumatra when disaster struck, unreachable since. Today, he e-mailed his family, saying he is alive and well in an isolated spot where he hadn't even heard about the tsunamis until now.
The list of unaccounted-for Americans is down 500 from yesterday, 17 Americans confirmed dead, 18 others presumed dead.
In Jakarta today, leaders and diplomats took stock of the massive humanitarian aid campaign. Kofi Annan said almost $1 billion of the $3.5 billion promised by outside governments is due and payable by June. As for that core group of big-ticket donors formed last week by the Bush administration:
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: We formed the core group last week and we folded it into the overall U.N. operation today. We did it last week because we felt there was an immediate need while we were getting organized for this unprecedented crisis and the unprecedented response to the crisis to create this core group, got it up, got it running, got it started and helped us coordinate our efforts regionally.
But now I think things are up and running to the point where we can work within the U.N. communities.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O'BRIEN: The Jakarta conference also endorsed a regional tsunami warning system like one that exists currently in the Pacific.
PHILLIPS: Well, aid isn't just coming from governments and companies.
Satinder Bindra is one of 19 CNN correspondents spread across four nations. He tells us about a Texas monk on a mission of mercy to Sri Lanka.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SATINDER BINDRA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): From the United States to Sri Lanka, an emissary of hope. Buddhist monk and part-time professor of English at the University of Houston Basongoda Rahula surveys the damage along Sri Lanka's southern coast; 139 homes here are smashed beyond repair, but Rahula tells these stunned victims he's here to build them new ones.
BASONGODA RAHULA, BUDDHIST MONK: Actually, I was born in Sri Lanka, but I'm -- presently, I'm an American, so I'm here to help you, too. So, out of compassion, we are all here to help you.
BINDRA: At the forefront of sharing the grief of Sri Lankans is this Buddhist temple in Houston. When the congregation here heard of all the death and damage caused by the tsunami, they raised $50,000 within hours. They also packed and dispatched several tons of supplies. Then they asked the temple's head, Basongoda Rahula, who, coincidentally, was visiting Sri Lanka, to start making a difference and fast.
RAHULA: Americans have showed compassion towards the suffering of people in Sri Lanka. So, I must say thank you very much for your compassion.
BINDRA: Also sending a thank-you is Amra Sudasinghe. American money is now buying her a brand new home. "I'm very thankful to the Americans who are helping people like me," she says, "people who are absolutely destitute right now and totally helpless."
Meanwhile, a few hours drive away, Buddhists gather for evening prayer.
(on camera): This temple just outside Sri Lanka's capital, Colombo, has close ties to the one in Houston, Texas. Worshipers here have all heard about the donations from the United States and say in times of such great distress, Buddhists across the world must continue helping those who have lost so much.
(voice-over): About 70 percent of this island nation's 19 million people are Buddhists, their way of life, their mannerisms very different from Americans. But grief and human suffering has brought people in these countries together. And Sri Lankans say they are touched Americans are so concerned about their well-being.
Satinder Bindra, CNN, Nitambua (ph), Sri Lanka.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: And don't forget, CNN's prime-time special "Saving the Children," it airs at 10:00 p.m. Eastern, 7:00 Pacific. You can find the best of our coverage 24/7 at CNN.com/tsunami.
O'BRIEN: The FBI investigating hate letters sent to prominent interracial couples.
PHILLIPS: Just ahead on LIVE FROM, we're going to talk with a former FBI agent about who investigators think might be behind the letters.
O'BRIEN: And from hate to overwhelming compassion, one aid group helping tsunami victims says people have overloaded it with help and it just doesn't need anymore. We've got details straight ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(WEATHER UPDATE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Well, the FBI is on the hunt for a racist who is sending hate mail to dozens of prominent interracial couples across the country. The letters, apparently threatening death and castration, have been mailed to people such as actor Taye Diggs and Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.
Joining me from Houston, Texas, to talk about the case, former FBI agent Don Clark.
Don, great to see you.
DON CLARK, FORMER FBI AGENT: Good to see you, Kyra. PHILLIPS: All right, first of all, let's talk about these letters. And I know you can't be real specific because that's evidence, but can you kind of give me a general feeling of what these letters say and how direct they are?
CLARK: Well, you know, Kyra, I got an opportunity to talk to some of the people in the offices who have seen some of these letters. And while they are not giving me all the details, clearly, it's very bad language that is used in there. It's very racist-type language that's used in there. And the type of violence that they talk about doing to people's bodies in these letters also exist.
I mean, it's almost, Kyra, like another form of terrorism.
PHILLIPS: Well, you think of -- all right, 70 threats have been accounted for so far as I was reading through. This is coming from "The New York Daily News," by the way. How do you know -- why is 70 threats a lot? And how do you also know this isn't just someone who is obsessed vs. someone who could be really dangerous?
CLARK: Well, you know, Kyra, this is one of those types of crimes that the numbers of threats that are out there are not necessarily the significant thing.
It's the fact that this type of threat exists out there. That's why laws were created back in 1969 and then supplementally upgraded back in 1990 to make sure that we don't have this type of behavior, because it's so emotionally damaging and sometimes people do carry them out. So we shouldn't be wrapped around the number 70. One is way too many for this type of behavior.
PHILLIPS: I have to ask you this because I'm looking at the list of names that allegedly of the individuals that got the letters, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. Of course, his wife is white, also Miami Dolphins defensive end Jason Taylor, tennis star James Blake's parents. I mean, I'm seeing a list here of famous people. Is that the only reason why this is getting attention?
CLARK: No, I don't think so, because we don't know, and certainly I don't know at this point, who the other people are. I suspect that the person intended to at least specify those types of people because that would bring this individual some attention.
Oftentimes, people who commit these types of crimes are looking for a little bit of attention. But I would think that I know from the law enforcement perspective, Kyra, that the FBI would be all over this if they had that many letters floating out there really targeting people that are violating the hate crimes statutes.
PHILLIPS: Violating hate crimes statutes. Are these individuals getting death threats? Is this person that is writing or persons writing these letters saying, I'm coming after you, I'm going to kill you?
CLARK: Well, it doesn't necessarily have to be a death threat. But what's in the letters that I can understand is enough of a threat that, I'm going to do bodily harm to those people who are in this particular category. And that's what the law sanctions against. So it doesn't just have to be a death threat.
PHILLIPS: All right, so how do you track the author of these letters? I see that they are postmarked Canton, Ohio, but that's about all that I've seen.
CLARK: Kyra, you have asked the big question here, because that's the real difficult part. Clearly, the law enforcement community have got to develop the leads.
And, obviously, it's going to start with the postmark. In all likelihood, that postmark may not be where the person is that mailed the letter. So, they are just going to have to keep developing evidence to try and get to a point where these letters may have originated.
And I have to tell you, I think the Internet is also a very good source for the investigators to use now, because there's a lot of information in chat rooms and things like that that they are capable of interface with to help them to develop leads to try to see if they can pinpoint a person.
PHILLIPS: Now, from your experience, eventually, does this -- an individual that does something like this, do they eventually say something to somebody or leave a couple more leads kind of hoping that they'll get caught? You talk about sort of that mentality of they want the attention and they want to see if they can get caught.
CLARK: You know, I've seen it both ways, Kyra.
For an example, with the Unabomber case, he didn't say a word to anybody, but it often -- it got given up, it was given up when somebody identified his language style. I do think that by airing this information out there that eventually someone may pick up something, some activity, some word that's been said about somebody or somebody that's maybe used that type of language just in general conversation.
That information may find its way back to law enforcement, which may help to identify the person.
PHILLIPS: Former FBI agent Don Clark, always a pleasure, Don. Thank you.
CLARK: Thank you, Kyra.
O'BRIEN: One group helping tsunami victims says they don't need any more help right now, but others say, keep it coming. We'll focus on the global outpouring of support for victims straight ahead.
And later on "INSIDE POLITICS," President Bush's pick for attorney general gets some tough grilling on Capitol Hill today. How will it affect his confirmation? Judy Woodruff with more on the judge.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(FINANCIAL UPDATE)
O'BRIEN: From Boston to Britain and far beyond, governments, companies and individuals are opening their wallets to help after the tsunami disaster. There may be a downside to the generosity, however.
Here's Nic Robertson.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Destruction beyond living memory, generosity, if all offers of aid are genuine, to match, $4 billion pledged so far, hundreds of millions of dollars of that an emotional outpouring of cash from sympathetic citizens worldwide, so much so the Nobel-winning aid agency Doctors Without Borders says no more.
ROWAN GILLIES, DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS: We have made over 50 million euros, which is more than in fact what many countries are giving. And at some stage, we must make an ethical decision to say to our donors, we have enough for our current operation.
ROBERTSON: And the aid groups not alone. Charity rock legend Bob Geldof of Band Aid fame has called on them to remember the needy in Africa. British Prime Minister Tony Blair, also a vocal supporter of African aid, perhaps fearing empathy for tsunami victims is on the verge of ebbing, added his voice.
TONY BLAIR, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: It's important that we try to take some of that extraordinary spirit people have shown over the past two weeks and say, how do we use that in order to awaken people's feelings in respect of what can be prevented in terms of tragedy and catastrophe?
ROBERTSON: U.N. officials, too, traditionally forgotten until they are needed, are using their time in the media spotlight to emphasize glaring holes in global attention, the Bangladesh and Bolivia flash flood appeals, for example, barely a quarter funded.
The Central African Republic needing $7.5 million to combat drought and war -- not even $3 million donated so far. Fear is, money given in sympathy for tsunami victims may be a double-edged sword, sucking potential donations for other appeals.
JAN EGELAND, U.N. EMERGENCY RELIEF COORDINATOR: It would be the ultimate irony if we started the year with unprecedented global generosity and we would end this year again with no money for those most in need in the forgotten and the neglected emergencies in Africa and elsewhere.
ROBERTSON (on camera): In the past, donor fatigue and disaster relief have seemed inseparable twins. Now it appears aid agencies and politicians are trying to break with the past, get ahead of the curve and redirect the wave of sympathy before it dries up.
Nic Robertson, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: Well, that wraps up LIVE FROM for today.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired January 6, 2005 - 15:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Now in the news, discord in Congress. Democrats toss a wrench into a special joint session to protest problems that occurred Election Day. A ceremonial count of electoral votes ground to a halt to force both houses to debate reported problems with the vote in Ohio. The Democrats say it is not a challenge to President Bush's reelection.
A new trial ordered today for the woman in Texas sentenced to life in prison for drowning her five children. A state appeals court reversed that conviction of Andrea Yates, saying a prosecution witness had tested falsely.
We'll take you live now to the press conference with her attorney, George Parnham.
GEORGE PARNHAM, ATTORNEY FOR ANDREA YATES: I, as you know, was excited to hear this morning at about 7:00 that the case had been reviewed, and the court of appeals, the first court of appeals reversed the case. And we don't know now what the next step holds for us.
But I do want to take the opportunity to introduce for members of the press, as well as those listening and viewing, members of the defense team that contributed so mightily to not only the trial, but the appellate process.
To my left is Wendell Odom, who is my co-counsel. And his support both legally as well as his emotional support throughout the course of this process has been absolutely invaluable. To my right is Troy McKinney, who so ably argued the case at the court of appeals. Daucey Shepman (ph) is somewhere back here. To my -- easily the most important person in this group. Daucey, whose excellent work on all of the issues of the appeal and whose tireless effort to devote her life to all of these issues, I just can't thank her enough.
Additionally, a number of students at the University of Houston that contribute their efforts through their professors to research the areas that, ironically, because the case was addressed on one point, the court of appeals never wrote to. But that doesn't mean that they weren't significant. The Park Dietz issue obviously was extremely important.
And, obviously again, I want the community to know that a verdict of this magnitude does not mean that Andrea goes free, much like not guilty by reason of insanity does not mean that an individual is released. We are presently now in the process of working with the state legislature to reform all of the procedures that are presently in place that follow an individual from a verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity to the mental institution and to monitor the activities of that person thereafter.
With that being said, I will entertain questions. Anyone here will obviously be glad to.
QUESTION: Were you able to talk to Andrea Yates today, Mr. Parnham?
PARNHAM: I had a conversation with Andrea Yates at 1:00 with the warden, Todd Foxworth. Andrea was in his office with Sarah Smith (ph), her psychotherapist, and two of the doctors that are in charge of Andrea's mental health care.
Without going into any detail, she is -- has lots and lots of questions about what the future holds. I told her in so many words that we weren't able to necessarily answer those questions, because many of the decisions relative to what happens to Andrea in the legal process, I take it, have yet to be made by the district attorney's office.
But I want to be very clear that we are not going to seek her immediate release from where she is. She is in the very best possible place, all things considered, at this time and in this place under these circumstances.
QUESTION: What did she say?
QUESTION: You said she asked questions. Did she understand what's happening?
PARNHAM: Yes, she understands what's happening.
QUESTION: And was she happy, sad, indifferent? What?
PARNHAM: Obviously, not being present, I can't really describe her visual reaction. But she was surprised and not unpleased.
QUESTION: What did she say?
PARNHAM: I can't go into detail about the content of that conversation, Phil. She had a number of questions. And I told her in advance there was no way I could even respond to those questions, because I don't know what the issues are at this moment in time.
(CROSSTALK)
QUESTION: ... best place she could be in right now.
PARNHAM: That's correct.
QUESTION: Why is that? Can you describe her condition at present? PARNHAM: She is under excellent mental health care. She has people that take care of her, both medically, mentally and with their heart. And, you know, they listen to the conversation that I had with her. They had their own questions. And so much will be played out within the next 36 hours.
QUESTION: Have you been able to talk to her husband, Rusty?
PARNHAM: We had conversations, yes.
QUESTION: Can you talk generally about that?
PARNHAM: Oh, it was a pleasant conversation. He was -- thought that the court had done the right thing and wants only mental health care for Andrea.
And let me say this. And Wendell so aptly put it earlier today. This is all that we want for Andrea Yates. We want mental health care. From the very day that I took this case on, that was my hope. That was concern, that she be treated in the way she should have been treated within the system. And we still live with that desire. And we hope that whatever the prosecutor decides to do, that that will be the foremost consideration in the decision-making process.
PHILLIPS: George Parnham, the attorney to Andrea Yates, talking to reporters there.
A new trial now ordered for Andrea Yates in Texas. As you know, she was sentenced to life in prison for drowning her five children. Today, the state appeals court reversed that conviction of Andrea Yates, saying a prosecution witness had testified falsely.
Her attorney there saying that he did get a chance to talk to her, that she acted surprised, yet not unpleased, according to her attorney. He says she's under terrific mental health care. That's really all he wanted for his client.
As for her husband, Rusty Yates, he's going to talk exclusively tonight on CNN's "LARRY KING LIVE." That's at 9:00 Eastern.
And, once again, just to get the point across, this does not mean that Andrea Yates will go free. It just means that the court reversed the conviction of Andrea Yates. They are looking forward to the new trial -- Miles.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Well, one down, 2,609 to go.
Here's the one, Raul Bernard (ph), an American thought to be in Sumatra when disaster struck, unreachable since. Today, he e-mailed his family, saying he is alive and well in an isolated spot where he hadn't even heard about the tsunamis until now.
The list of unaccounted-for Americans is down 500 from yesterday, 17 Americans confirmed dead, 18 others presumed dead.
In Jakarta today, leaders and diplomats took stock of the massive humanitarian aid campaign. Kofi Annan said almost $1 billion of the $3.5 billion promised by outside governments is due and payable by June. As for that core group of big-ticket donors formed last week by the Bush administration:
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: We formed the core group last week and we folded it into the overall U.N. operation today. We did it last week because we felt there was an immediate need while we were getting organized for this unprecedented crisis and the unprecedented response to the crisis to create this core group, got it up, got it running, got it started and helped us coordinate our efforts regionally.
But now I think things are up and running to the point where we can work within the U.N. communities.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O'BRIEN: The Jakarta conference also endorsed a regional tsunami warning system like one that exists currently in the Pacific.
PHILLIPS: Well, aid isn't just coming from governments and companies.
Satinder Bindra is one of 19 CNN correspondents spread across four nations. He tells us about a Texas monk on a mission of mercy to Sri Lanka.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SATINDER BINDRA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): From the United States to Sri Lanka, an emissary of hope. Buddhist monk and part-time professor of English at the University of Houston Basongoda Rahula surveys the damage along Sri Lanka's southern coast; 139 homes here are smashed beyond repair, but Rahula tells these stunned victims he's here to build them new ones.
BASONGODA RAHULA, BUDDHIST MONK: Actually, I was born in Sri Lanka, but I'm -- presently, I'm an American, so I'm here to help you, too. So, out of compassion, we are all here to help you.
BINDRA: At the forefront of sharing the grief of Sri Lankans is this Buddhist temple in Houston. When the congregation here heard of all the death and damage caused by the tsunami, they raised $50,000 within hours. They also packed and dispatched several tons of supplies. Then they asked the temple's head, Basongoda Rahula, who, coincidentally, was visiting Sri Lanka, to start making a difference and fast.
RAHULA: Americans have showed compassion towards the suffering of people in Sri Lanka. So, I must say thank you very much for your compassion.
BINDRA: Also sending a thank-you is Amra Sudasinghe. American money is now buying her a brand new home. "I'm very thankful to the Americans who are helping people like me," she says, "people who are absolutely destitute right now and totally helpless."
Meanwhile, a few hours drive away, Buddhists gather for evening prayer.
(on camera): This temple just outside Sri Lanka's capital, Colombo, has close ties to the one in Houston, Texas. Worshipers here have all heard about the donations from the United States and say in times of such great distress, Buddhists across the world must continue helping those who have lost so much.
(voice-over): About 70 percent of this island nation's 19 million people are Buddhists, their way of life, their mannerisms very different from Americans. But grief and human suffering has brought people in these countries together. And Sri Lankans say they are touched Americans are so concerned about their well-being.
Satinder Bindra, CNN, Nitambua (ph), Sri Lanka.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: And don't forget, CNN's prime-time special "Saving the Children," it airs at 10:00 p.m. Eastern, 7:00 Pacific. You can find the best of our coverage 24/7 at CNN.com/tsunami.
O'BRIEN: The FBI investigating hate letters sent to prominent interracial couples.
PHILLIPS: Just ahead on LIVE FROM, we're going to talk with a former FBI agent about who investigators think might be behind the letters.
O'BRIEN: And from hate to overwhelming compassion, one aid group helping tsunami victims says people have overloaded it with help and it just doesn't need anymore. We've got details straight ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(WEATHER UPDATE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Well, the FBI is on the hunt for a racist who is sending hate mail to dozens of prominent interracial couples across the country. The letters, apparently threatening death and castration, have been mailed to people such as actor Taye Diggs and Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.
Joining me from Houston, Texas, to talk about the case, former FBI agent Don Clark.
Don, great to see you.
DON CLARK, FORMER FBI AGENT: Good to see you, Kyra. PHILLIPS: All right, first of all, let's talk about these letters. And I know you can't be real specific because that's evidence, but can you kind of give me a general feeling of what these letters say and how direct they are?
CLARK: Well, you know, Kyra, I got an opportunity to talk to some of the people in the offices who have seen some of these letters. And while they are not giving me all the details, clearly, it's very bad language that is used in there. It's very racist-type language that's used in there. And the type of violence that they talk about doing to people's bodies in these letters also exist.
I mean, it's almost, Kyra, like another form of terrorism.
PHILLIPS: Well, you think of -- all right, 70 threats have been accounted for so far as I was reading through. This is coming from "The New York Daily News," by the way. How do you know -- why is 70 threats a lot? And how do you also know this isn't just someone who is obsessed vs. someone who could be really dangerous?
CLARK: Well, you know, Kyra, this is one of those types of crimes that the numbers of threats that are out there are not necessarily the significant thing.
It's the fact that this type of threat exists out there. That's why laws were created back in 1969 and then supplementally upgraded back in 1990 to make sure that we don't have this type of behavior, because it's so emotionally damaging and sometimes people do carry them out. So we shouldn't be wrapped around the number 70. One is way too many for this type of behavior.
PHILLIPS: I have to ask you this because I'm looking at the list of names that allegedly of the individuals that got the letters, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. Of course, his wife is white, also Miami Dolphins defensive end Jason Taylor, tennis star James Blake's parents. I mean, I'm seeing a list here of famous people. Is that the only reason why this is getting attention?
CLARK: No, I don't think so, because we don't know, and certainly I don't know at this point, who the other people are. I suspect that the person intended to at least specify those types of people because that would bring this individual some attention.
Oftentimes, people who commit these types of crimes are looking for a little bit of attention. But I would think that I know from the law enforcement perspective, Kyra, that the FBI would be all over this if they had that many letters floating out there really targeting people that are violating the hate crimes statutes.
PHILLIPS: Violating hate crimes statutes. Are these individuals getting death threats? Is this person that is writing or persons writing these letters saying, I'm coming after you, I'm going to kill you?
CLARK: Well, it doesn't necessarily have to be a death threat. But what's in the letters that I can understand is enough of a threat that, I'm going to do bodily harm to those people who are in this particular category. And that's what the law sanctions against. So it doesn't just have to be a death threat.
PHILLIPS: All right, so how do you track the author of these letters? I see that they are postmarked Canton, Ohio, but that's about all that I've seen.
CLARK: Kyra, you have asked the big question here, because that's the real difficult part. Clearly, the law enforcement community have got to develop the leads.
And, obviously, it's going to start with the postmark. In all likelihood, that postmark may not be where the person is that mailed the letter. So, they are just going to have to keep developing evidence to try and get to a point where these letters may have originated.
And I have to tell you, I think the Internet is also a very good source for the investigators to use now, because there's a lot of information in chat rooms and things like that that they are capable of interface with to help them to develop leads to try to see if they can pinpoint a person.
PHILLIPS: Now, from your experience, eventually, does this -- an individual that does something like this, do they eventually say something to somebody or leave a couple more leads kind of hoping that they'll get caught? You talk about sort of that mentality of they want the attention and they want to see if they can get caught.
CLARK: You know, I've seen it both ways, Kyra.
For an example, with the Unabomber case, he didn't say a word to anybody, but it often -- it got given up, it was given up when somebody identified his language style. I do think that by airing this information out there that eventually someone may pick up something, some activity, some word that's been said about somebody or somebody that's maybe used that type of language just in general conversation.
That information may find its way back to law enforcement, which may help to identify the person.
PHILLIPS: Former FBI agent Don Clark, always a pleasure, Don. Thank you.
CLARK: Thank you, Kyra.
O'BRIEN: One group helping tsunami victims says they don't need any more help right now, but others say, keep it coming. We'll focus on the global outpouring of support for victims straight ahead.
And later on "INSIDE POLITICS," President Bush's pick for attorney general gets some tough grilling on Capitol Hill today. How will it affect his confirmation? Judy Woodruff with more on the judge.
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O'BRIEN: From Boston to Britain and far beyond, governments, companies and individuals are opening their wallets to help after the tsunami disaster. There may be a downside to the generosity, however.
Here's Nic Robertson.
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NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Destruction beyond living memory, generosity, if all offers of aid are genuine, to match, $4 billion pledged so far, hundreds of millions of dollars of that an emotional outpouring of cash from sympathetic citizens worldwide, so much so the Nobel-winning aid agency Doctors Without Borders says no more.
ROWAN GILLIES, DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS: We have made over 50 million euros, which is more than in fact what many countries are giving. And at some stage, we must make an ethical decision to say to our donors, we have enough for our current operation.
ROBERTSON: And the aid groups not alone. Charity rock legend Bob Geldof of Band Aid fame has called on them to remember the needy in Africa. British Prime Minister Tony Blair, also a vocal supporter of African aid, perhaps fearing empathy for tsunami victims is on the verge of ebbing, added his voice.
TONY BLAIR, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: It's important that we try to take some of that extraordinary spirit people have shown over the past two weeks and say, how do we use that in order to awaken people's feelings in respect of what can be prevented in terms of tragedy and catastrophe?
ROBERTSON: U.N. officials, too, traditionally forgotten until they are needed, are using their time in the media spotlight to emphasize glaring holes in global attention, the Bangladesh and Bolivia flash flood appeals, for example, barely a quarter funded.
The Central African Republic needing $7.5 million to combat drought and war -- not even $3 million donated so far. Fear is, money given in sympathy for tsunami victims may be a double-edged sword, sucking potential donations for other appeals.
JAN EGELAND, U.N. EMERGENCY RELIEF COORDINATOR: It would be the ultimate irony if we started the year with unprecedented global generosity and we would end this year again with no money for those most in need in the forgotten and the neglected emergencies in Africa and elsewhere.
ROBERTSON (on camera): In the past, donor fatigue and disaster relief have seemed inseparable twins. Now it appears aid agencies and politicians are trying to break with the past, get ahead of the curve and redirect the wave of sympathy before it dries up.
Nic Robertson, CNN, London.
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PHILLIPS: Well, that wraps up LIVE FROM for today.
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