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Person of Interest Sought in Lunsford Case; Defense Scores in Jackson Trial

Aired March 15, 2005 - 14:30   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: Checking stories "Now in the News."
Flanked by more than a dozen officers, shooting suspect Brian Nichols went before a magistrate in Atlanta today. Nichols is being held without bond in the prior case. Prosecutors say they're preparing charges in last week's deadly courthouse shootings.

Hundreds of people gathered to remember those shooting victims. A memorial service was held at the Fulton County Justice Center. Mourners paid tribute to Judge Rowland Barnes, court reporter and a sheriff's deputy. More on the courthouse shootings just ahead.

Another anthrax case near the nation's capitol. Initial tests have found no traces of anthrax at two military mail facilities. More testing is being done and workers were given antibiotics as a precaution. The facilities were closed yesterday after environmental tests set off alarms.

Sentencing is set for June 13th for former WorldCom CEO Bernard Ebbers. He was convicted today of nine federal charges. Authorities say that Ebbers cooked the books at WorldCom, leading to the biggest bankruptcy in U.S. history.

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Well, Kyra, as you know, we've been desperately looking for updates, more information, any information on 9-year-old Jessica Lunsford missing from Florida. Let's go to John Zarrella now, who has new information for us -- John.

JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Tony, Jessica Lunsford has been missing since February 24th, as most people recall. Disappeared in the middle of the night from her home in Homosassa Springs, Florida. Well, police in Citrus County today are saying that they are now looking for someone they call a person of interest in the case of the missing 9-year-old girl. This person, a man, is not in the state of Florida. But police say they do have a, quote, geographic location where he may be. They're not revealing his name at this point in time. They say if at some point they believe that that will help police, that then they may go ahead and do that, but not at this particular point in time.

Also, police are saying today that they have given polygraph exams, of course, we know to the father and Mark Lunsford, Archie Lunsford, the grandfather, and the girl's mother, Ruth Lunsford. And police are saying that the grandmother -- two responses raised, quote, red flags. Police are not saying what those red flags were. They are saying, however, that there is no connection between the grandmother's responses and the red flags that were raised and this person of interest that they are looking for.

So, again, two new details coming into us today from Citrus County. And it appears that, again, they are looking for a man not in Florida, but they do know the geographic location. And at the same time, they're saying that the grandmother's answers, a couple of those answers on the polygraph, did raise red flags. Now, the man that they are looking for, police are saying, is not at this time a suspect -- Tony.

HARRIS: Okay, John. John Zarrella reporting us. We appreciate it, John. Thanks.

PHILLIPS: Well, straight ahead, the most popular stories right now on cnn.com. See what number one is.

HARRIS: It's only rock and roll, but they like it. The new inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. I'm pointing at video that's not there. Sorry.

PHILLIPS: That's all right. I thought you were going to sing. Pounds and pounds of pennies. Pennies from heaven? Well, Cameron McAllister (ph) saved them up for a special cause. You could say he's an angel.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: All right. We're tracking all the stories that you're picking the most on the popular Web site cnn.com. Christina Parks joins us to tell us what they are.

CHRISTINA PARKS, CNN.COM: All right. Well, it's always interesting, Kyra, to see what our users are clicking on the most at cnn.com. And we are tracking all of the most popular stories for you. To get there, all you need to do is log on to our site and click on most popular. You can also get to the top ten most clicked-on stories by going directly to cnn.com/mostpopular.

Now number one on our top ten list, why, oh, why did "American Idol" contestant Mario Vazquez drop out of the competition? Well, fans are abuzz over the possibilities. His latest public statements insist that he withdrew for personal reasons. Vazquez is dispelling rumors that he dropped out due to his skeletons in his closet, or even because he has to testify at the Michael Jackson trial. Vazquez says the rumors are false, though he did sing back-up on one of Jackson's songs in 2001.

Speaking of Jackson, another one of our top stories right now is the pop star's molestation trial. Cross-examination of the teenage accuser is now over. Prosecutors are now asking follow-up questions. Yesterday the 15-year-old insisted that he was molested twice at the Neverland Ranch, but he also admitted that he told a school official that Jackson, quote, "never did anything to me." So Kyra, we've got an interesting mix of stories at cnn.com/mostpopular.

PHILLIPS: All right, Christina, thanks. We're going to head live to Santa Maria, also, too, coming up hopefully after the break. Our Miguel Marquez might have some new developments...

HARRIS: Yes.

PHILLIPS: ... out of Santa Maria. Also just ahead, fake newscaster Jon Stewart takes a swing at Congress and the steroids hearings.

HARRIS: But first, more trouble for the piano man -- Sibila.

SIBILA VARGAS, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: Yes, the Grammy Award-winning singer is back in rehab. Martha Stewart's a little uncomfortable. And it hasn't been a sip of wine for another Hollywood couple. I'll have the details when CNN's LIVE FROM continues.

(WEATHER REPORT)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: In the Michael Jackson child molestation trial, the prosecution is trying to blunt the defense's withering cross- examination of the pop star's accuser. CNN's Miguel Marquez is in Santa Maria, California, with more -- Miguel.

MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Michael Jackson's accuser is off the stand now. But before he got off the stand, the prosecution was able to do their redirect and question him a bit more. And they addressed the issue of his dean at school and why he told his dean that Michael Jackson never did anything to him. The boy said under testimony today that he was embarrassed, simply. That he was -- that other kids at school were calling him names, saying that, you know, he's the one that Michael Jackson had sex with and the like and he was too embarrassed to admit to his principal why all that happened.

He also said that he was -- a lot of the reason for the fights and the disciplinary problems at school was related to this as well. So it's not clear, in the end, what the jurors will make of his story. He left the stand. There was no real big issue before he left the stand. No big testimony.

On the stand now, several detectives so far from Santa Barbara County sheriff's office, testifying about how these accusations got to them and how this investigation started and how it all took place -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right, Miguel Marquez, live from Santa Maria, California. We'll continue to follow up with you. Thank you -- Tony.

HARRIS: A legendary rock band goes into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, while another rock legends enters the hole of rehab. Details now from CNN entertainment correspondent Sibila Vargas in Los Angeles. Hi, Sibila.

VARGAS: Hey, Tony.

Let's start with the good news first, all right? What does the band U2 have in common with The Pretenders, The O.J.s, Percy Sledge and Buddy Guy? They're the latest band to be inducted into the Hollywood -- actually, at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

(MUSIC)

VARGAS: U2 just happens to be one of the rare acts still in the forefront of the music scene during the time of the induction. The band members Bono, the Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen, Jr., have been performing since they were teenagers in Dublin, Ireland. And just last month, they won a Best Rock Performance Grammy for "Vertigo." You can watch U2 and the other incredible artists get their props at a taped induction ceremony this weekend on VH1.

And piano man Billy Joel is singing the blues. The singer is going back into rehab. In the last few months, the newlyweds have been having severe gastrointestinal distress and decided to admit himself to a New York rehabilitation facility for alcohol abuse. The songwriter has been hospitalized three times since 2002, twice for minor injuries from a couple of car accidents, and another for his addiction. We wish him the very best in his recovery.

Well, it's over. The beautiful wine-tasting adventure between director Alexander Payne and actress Sandra Oh has come to an end. The director of "Sideways" and his beautiful wife, who was co-starred in the film, are joining a long list of celebrities who are separating. Payne and Oh met five years ago and were married in 2003. The couple says they plan to remain friends.

And here's a good one. Domestic diva Martha Stewart is not very happy these days. The businesswoman says her new security anklet is a real pain. Ms. Stewart has been ordered to wear the electronic device until her home detention is over in August. Not like she's a diva or anything, but Stewart told her fans online that the ankle gets in the way of her exercise. She wrote, quote, she "wishes it was removable, but it's not."

Guys, back to you. I don't know if want to even comment on that one.

HARRIS: Yes, yes, it's a real mixed bag.

VARGAS: I mean, what's a lady to do?

HARRIS: Yes, what's the wrong thing to do?

HARRIS: Sibila, thank you.

VARGAS: Thanks, Tony.

PHILLIPS: Well, the king of fake news, Jon Stewart, questions lawmakers' priorities.

HARRIS: And how happy were you with your last airline flight? We've got a new survey on customer satisfaction ahead on LIVE FROM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) PHILLIPS: This just in to CNN. You know, as we've been talking about Brian Nichols, finally behind bars after this woman, Ashley Smith, came forward -- and you've heard her story and how she talked -- allegedly talked Nichols to giving himself up. Well, there was a $60,000 reward that was out for anyone that could lead investigators to Brian Nichols. Now we're being told, according to the desk here at CNN, that governor Sonny Perdue has offered up $10,000 of that $60,000 to go to Ashley Smith. That just has been authorized. So $10,000 of that $60,000, Georgia governor Sonny Perdue authorizing to go toward her as part of aiding law enforcement officials to Brian Nichols.

HARRIS: A newspaper reporter remembers the suspect as cool and calm during a violent encounter in a parking garage after Friday's courthouse shootings. Brian Nichols allegedly accosted "Atlanta Journal-Constitution" reporter Don O'Briant, pistol-whipped him, took his car, then abandoned it on a different floor of the garage. Authorities said Nichols had already stolen two other vehicles.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DON O'BRIANT, "ATLANTA JOURNAL CONSTITUTION": He was the coolest character I'd ever seen. I mean, you would think someone who had just carjacked a couple of cars and killed people would have been shaking and nervous, but, no, he was very calm and knew exactly what he was doing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: Medical experts have long tried to get inside the minds of murders. The recent shootings in Atlanta raised the question yet again: what makes a killer kill? Our senior medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta has some clues.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Everybody off the sidewalk!

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): What happened at 9:00 a.m. at a Georgia courthouse last Friday, unconscionable, unfathomable to most of us -- even, according to the woman he held hostage, to the alleged killer.

SMITH: He talked about his family. He was wondering what they were thinking. He said they probably don't know what to think. We watched the news. He looked at the TV and he just said, "I cannot believe that's me on there."

GUPTA: Ashley Smith, who says she was held hostage by Nichols for seven hours before he surrendered, paints the picture of a murderous mind turned solemn.

DR. JONATHAN PINCUS, NEUROLOGIST, GEORGETOWN UNIV.: In between periods of mania and depression, people are normal. That's a concept that's kind of hard to get across, how a person could be really almost psychotically affected by mental illness at one time and a few days later be normal. GUPTA: Jonathan Pincus is a neurologist at Georgetown University and author of the book "Base Instincts: What Makes Killers Kill." He has interviewed convicted murderers like Kip Kinkel and Ted Bundy.

PINCUS: I think they're all very similar. I think they're all, or most of them have been mentally ill, neurologically impaired and abused in childhood, terribly, badly tortured.

GUPTA: But of those three ingredients, Pincus believes the most interesting is in the brain.

PINCUS: The frontal lobe provides judgment, insight, self- criticism, the ability to say "don't do that." And when it's damaged you get some very bizarre changes in behavior.

GUPTA: Without a doubt, the mind of a killer is complex territory. What we do know from some convicted killers' own accounts, the crime itself often causes an adrenaline surge, a hollowing or muting of sound, what some scientists call a narrowing of the senses.

PINCUS: Most murderers feel a sense of elation when they kill somebody.

GUPTA: Were the courthouse murders simply elation, a spur of the moment decision or was it something deeper? Pincus says murders like these are all about power.

PINCUS: The perpetrator is a person who has felt like a victim. He's felt victimized for years and years, sometimes as the result of his own paranoid misperception of what's going on. And he hates that feeling of being a victim, and he wants to be a perpetrator. And in that moment that he kills somebody else, he's just one.

GUPTA: Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: More now on that story out of Rome. Italy's prime minister Silvio Berlusconi -- we reported not long ago, within the past 30 minutes, that Italy is going to start reducing troop numbers in Iraq.

Let's bring in our Barbara Starr live at the Pentagon. Barbara, we talked with Alessio Vinci, our Rome bureau chief, and asked him is there connection to this move come September and the whole controversy surrounding the death and the shooting by U.S. troops on the Italian journalist. Do you know if there's a connection?

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, we've talked to some senior U.S. military officials and they're not willing to say that there is a connection just yet. The announcement by Italy has caught some senior military officials by a slight amount of surprise. Italy had a commitment to keep troops there for another six months. That basically takes it to that September timeframe.

U.S. officials say it's not a big surprise for many reasons. They know that the leader, Silvio Berlusconi, is facing an election in Italy, that he is very aware that the war is unpopular in many parts of his country, that Italy, like many other coalition members, has what you might call donor fatigue. They've been in Iraq for months. Very tough business for some of these smaller countries, and their leaders want to bring their troops home.

Ukraine is the next one. Ukraine has told the U.S. it's going to bring home it's 1,600 troops. They're doing it for much of the same reason. The new leader, Mr. Yushchenko, had campaigned on the promise he would bring the troops home, back the Ukraine. And now that government is also telling the United States it will bring its troops home.

But the bottom line, U.S. military officials say, they feel they can deal with these other troop withdrawals as more Iraqi security forces come online. They think they can deal with it. They say they will not need to send more U.S. forces to make up the gap -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right, Barbara Starr, live from the Pentagon. Thanks.

HARRIS: Frequent flyers have a lot to complain about these days, considering the cramped cabin and low level of amenities. So where do the major carriers stand in terms of customer satisfaction?

PHILLIPS: Susan Lisovicz with more from the New York Stock Exchange. Hi, Susan.

SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Kyra and Tony. A new survey from J.D. Power and Associates is shedding some light on the passenger's point of view. It looked at things like check-in and boarding efficiency, in-flight amenities and flight crews. And Northwest Airlines ranked dead last in overall airline customer satisfaction among the major air carriers. On the flip side, the newcomer, JetBlue, scored the most points for happy customers, followed by Southwest, Delta and Alaska Air.

Overall the study found airlines scored well for reservations and checking and baggage, but lost points for those uncomfortable passenger seats and lack of amenities. And checking yourself in could save some time. Passengers that used the ticket service counters waited twice as long as those using self-service kiosks -- Kyra and Tony, back to you.

PHILLIPS: Bankrupt U.S. Airways could have a new lease on life?

LISOVICZ: A regional carrier, Kyra, Republic Airways, has agreed to invest $125 million in U.S. Airways to help it emerge from bankruptcy. This is the second deal of its kind for the nation's seventh largest carrier and it greatly increases the company's chance of survival. Republic could end up with a big stake in U.S. Airways and could also get some of U.S. Airways' larger regional jets.

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

HARRIS: Susan, thank you. We will update the day's top stories for you next.

PHILLIPS: Plus, inside the Atlanta Courthouse shooting. A look at the sequence of events that allowed Brian Nichols to escape.

HARRIS: And later, making your pennies count. A young boy from Washington will inspire you to save your spare change.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: "Now in the News," a bomb scare topping our top stories at the hour. An apparent bomb threat at a hotel in St. Louis, Missouri. This is what we know. Maryland Heights Police and St. Louis County Bomb Squad are on the scene here at the Hampton Inn on Dorsett (ph) Street in Maryland Heights, apparently responding to some type of threat by a man of interest. Police did find this pickup truck in the parking lot of the motel.

The bomb squad has sent in its robot, as you can see there, right in the back of the truck. And the robot has started going through and removing packages. Sources indicate that they're worried the truck may have some explosives that could set off. There is a spokesperson at the scene right now. The only thing we can do is confirm that the bomb squad was called in to assist at Maryland Heights in this possible explosive incident. We'll bring you more information as we soon get it, of course.

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 March 15, 2005 - 14:30   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Checking stories "Now in the News."
Flanked by more than a dozen officers, shooting suspect Brian Nichols went before a magistrate in Atlanta today. Nichols is being held without bond in the prior case. Prosecutors say they're preparing charges in last week's deadly courthouse shootings.

Hundreds of people gathered to remember those shooting victims. A memorial service was held at the Fulton County Justice Center. Mourners paid tribute to Judge Rowland Barnes, court reporter and a sheriff's deputy. More on the courthouse shootings just ahead.

Another anthrax case near the nation's capitol. Initial tests have found no traces of anthrax at two military mail facilities. More testing is being done and workers were given antibiotics as a precaution. The facilities were closed yesterday after environmental tests set off alarms.

Sentencing is set for June 13th for former WorldCom CEO Bernard Ebbers. He was convicted today of nine federal charges. Authorities say that Ebbers cooked the books at WorldCom, leading to the biggest bankruptcy in U.S. history.

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Well, Kyra, as you know, we've been desperately looking for updates, more information, any information on 9-year-old Jessica Lunsford missing from Florida. Let's go to John Zarrella now, who has new information for us -- John.

JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Tony, Jessica Lunsford has been missing since February 24th, as most people recall. Disappeared in the middle of the night from her home in Homosassa Springs, Florida. Well, police in Citrus County today are saying that they are now looking for someone they call a person of interest in the case of the missing 9-year-old girl. This person, a man, is not in the state of Florida. But police say they do have a, quote, geographic location where he may be. They're not revealing his name at this point in time. They say if at some point they believe that that will help police, that then they may go ahead and do that, but not at this particular point in time.

Also, police are saying today that they have given polygraph exams, of course, we know to the father and Mark Lunsford, Archie Lunsford, the grandfather, and the girl's mother, Ruth Lunsford. And police are saying that the grandmother -- two responses raised, quote, red flags. Police are not saying what those red flags were. They are saying, however, that there is no connection between the grandmother's responses and the red flags that were raised and this person of interest that they are looking for.

So, again, two new details coming into us today from Citrus County. And it appears that, again, they are looking for a man not in Florida, but they do know the geographic location. And at the same time, they're saying that the grandmother's answers, a couple of those answers on the polygraph, did raise red flags. Now, the man that they are looking for, police are saying, is not at this time a suspect -- Tony.

HARRIS: Okay, John. John Zarrella reporting us. We appreciate it, John. Thanks.

PHILLIPS: Well, straight ahead, the most popular stories right now on cnn.com. See what number one is.

HARRIS: It's only rock and roll, but they like it. The new inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. I'm pointing at video that's not there. Sorry.

PHILLIPS: That's all right. I thought you were going to sing. Pounds and pounds of pennies. Pennies from heaven? Well, Cameron McAllister (ph) saved them up for a special cause. You could say he's an angel.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: All right. We're tracking all the stories that you're picking the most on the popular Web site cnn.com. Christina Parks joins us to tell us what they are.

CHRISTINA PARKS, CNN.COM: All right. Well, it's always interesting, Kyra, to see what our users are clicking on the most at cnn.com. And we are tracking all of the most popular stories for you. To get there, all you need to do is log on to our site and click on most popular. You can also get to the top ten most clicked-on stories by going directly to cnn.com/mostpopular.

Now number one on our top ten list, why, oh, why did "American Idol" contestant Mario Vazquez drop out of the competition? Well, fans are abuzz over the possibilities. His latest public statements insist that he withdrew for personal reasons. Vazquez is dispelling rumors that he dropped out due to his skeletons in his closet, or even because he has to testify at the Michael Jackson trial. Vazquez says the rumors are false, though he did sing back-up on one of Jackson's songs in 2001.

Speaking of Jackson, another one of our top stories right now is the pop star's molestation trial. Cross-examination of the teenage accuser is now over. Prosecutors are now asking follow-up questions. Yesterday the 15-year-old insisted that he was molested twice at the Neverland Ranch, but he also admitted that he told a school official that Jackson, quote, "never did anything to me." So Kyra, we've got an interesting mix of stories at cnn.com/mostpopular.

PHILLIPS: All right, Christina, thanks. We're going to head live to Santa Maria, also, too, coming up hopefully after the break. Our Miguel Marquez might have some new developments...

HARRIS: Yes.

PHILLIPS: ... out of Santa Maria. Also just ahead, fake newscaster Jon Stewart takes a swing at Congress and the steroids hearings.

HARRIS: But first, more trouble for the piano man -- Sibila.

SIBILA VARGAS, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: Yes, the Grammy Award-winning singer is back in rehab. Martha Stewart's a little uncomfortable. And it hasn't been a sip of wine for another Hollywood couple. I'll have the details when CNN's LIVE FROM continues.

(WEATHER REPORT)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: In the Michael Jackson child molestation trial, the prosecution is trying to blunt the defense's withering cross- examination of the pop star's accuser. CNN's Miguel Marquez is in Santa Maria, California, with more -- Miguel.

MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Michael Jackson's accuser is off the stand now. But before he got off the stand, the prosecution was able to do their redirect and question him a bit more. And they addressed the issue of his dean at school and why he told his dean that Michael Jackson never did anything to him. The boy said under testimony today that he was embarrassed, simply. That he was -- that other kids at school were calling him names, saying that, you know, he's the one that Michael Jackson had sex with and the like and he was too embarrassed to admit to his principal why all that happened.

He also said that he was -- a lot of the reason for the fights and the disciplinary problems at school was related to this as well. So it's not clear, in the end, what the jurors will make of his story. He left the stand. There was no real big issue before he left the stand. No big testimony.

On the stand now, several detectives so far from Santa Barbara County sheriff's office, testifying about how these accusations got to them and how this investigation started and how it all took place -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right, Miguel Marquez, live from Santa Maria, California. We'll continue to follow up with you. Thank you -- Tony.

HARRIS: A legendary rock band goes into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, while another rock legends enters the hole of rehab. Details now from CNN entertainment correspondent Sibila Vargas in Los Angeles. Hi, Sibila.

VARGAS: Hey, Tony.

Let's start with the good news first, all right? What does the band U2 have in common with The Pretenders, The O.J.s, Percy Sledge and Buddy Guy? They're the latest band to be inducted into the Hollywood -- actually, at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

(MUSIC)

VARGAS: U2 just happens to be one of the rare acts still in the forefront of the music scene during the time of the induction. The band members Bono, the Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen, Jr., have been performing since they were teenagers in Dublin, Ireland. And just last month, they won a Best Rock Performance Grammy for "Vertigo." You can watch U2 and the other incredible artists get their props at a taped induction ceremony this weekend on VH1.

And piano man Billy Joel is singing the blues. The singer is going back into rehab. In the last few months, the newlyweds have been having severe gastrointestinal distress and decided to admit himself to a New York rehabilitation facility for alcohol abuse. The songwriter has been hospitalized three times since 2002, twice for minor injuries from a couple of car accidents, and another for his addiction. We wish him the very best in his recovery.

Well, it's over. The beautiful wine-tasting adventure between director Alexander Payne and actress Sandra Oh has come to an end. The director of "Sideways" and his beautiful wife, who was co-starred in the film, are joining a long list of celebrities who are separating. Payne and Oh met five years ago and were married in 2003. The couple says they plan to remain friends.

And here's a good one. Domestic diva Martha Stewart is not very happy these days. The businesswoman says her new security anklet is a real pain. Ms. Stewart has been ordered to wear the electronic device until her home detention is over in August. Not like she's a diva or anything, but Stewart told her fans online that the ankle gets in the way of her exercise. She wrote, quote, she "wishes it was removable, but it's not."

Guys, back to you. I don't know if want to even comment on that one.

HARRIS: Yes, yes, it's a real mixed bag.

VARGAS: I mean, what's a lady to do?

HARRIS: Yes, what's the wrong thing to do?

HARRIS: Sibila, thank you.

VARGAS: Thanks, Tony.

PHILLIPS: Well, the king of fake news, Jon Stewart, questions lawmakers' priorities.

HARRIS: And how happy were you with your last airline flight? We've got a new survey on customer satisfaction ahead on LIVE FROM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) PHILLIPS: This just in to CNN. You know, as we've been talking about Brian Nichols, finally behind bars after this woman, Ashley Smith, came forward -- and you've heard her story and how she talked -- allegedly talked Nichols to giving himself up. Well, there was a $60,000 reward that was out for anyone that could lead investigators to Brian Nichols. Now we're being told, according to the desk here at CNN, that governor Sonny Perdue has offered up $10,000 of that $60,000 to go to Ashley Smith. That just has been authorized. So $10,000 of that $60,000, Georgia governor Sonny Perdue authorizing to go toward her as part of aiding law enforcement officials to Brian Nichols.

HARRIS: A newspaper reporter remembers the suspect as cool and calm during a violent encounter in a parking garage after Friday's courthouse shootings. Brian Nichols allegedly accosted "Atlanta Journal-Constitution" reporter Don O'Briant, pistol-whipped him, took his car, then abandoned it on a different floor of the garage. Authorities said Nichols had already stolen two other vehicles.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DON O'BRIANT, "ATLANTA JOURNAL CONSTITUTION": He was the coolest character I'd ever seen. I mean, you would think someone who had just carjacked a couple of cars and killed people would have been shaking and nervous, but, no, he was very calm and knew exactly what he was doing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: Medical experts have long tried to get inside the minds of murders. The recent shootings in Atlanta raised the question yet again: what makes a killer kill? Our senior medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta has some clues.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Everybody off the sidewalk!

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): What happened at 9:00 a.m. at a Georgia courthouse last Friday, unconscionable, unfathomable to most of us -- even, according to the woman he held hostage, to the alleged killer.

SMITH: He talked about his family. He was wondering what they were thinking. He said they probably don't know what to think. We watched the news. He looked at the TV and he just said, "I cannot believe that's me on there."

GUPTA: Ashley Smith, who says she was held hostage by Nichols for seven hours before he surrendered, paints the picture of a murderous mind turned solemn.

DR. JONATHAN PINCUS, NEUROLOGIST, GEORGETOWN UNIV.: In between periods of mania and depression, people are normal. That's a concept that's kind of hard to get across, how a person could be really almost psychotically affected by mental illness at one time and a few days later be normal. GUPTA: Jonathan Pincus is a neurologist at Georgetown University and author of the book "Base Instincts: What Makes Killers Kill." He has interviewed convicted murderers like Kip Kinkel and Ted Bundy.

PINCUS: I think they're all very similar. I think they're all, or most of them have been mentally ill, neurologically impaired and abused in childhood, terribly, badly tortured.

GUPTA: But of those three ingredients, Pincus believes the most interesting is in the brain.

PINCUS: The frontal lobe provides judgment, insight, self- criticism, the ability to say "don't do that." And when it's damaged you get some very bizarre changes in behavior.

GUPTA: Without a doubt, the mind of a killer is complex territory. What we do know from some convicted killers' own accounts, the crime itself often causes an adrenaline surge, a hollowing or muting of sound, what some scientists call a narrowing of the senses.

PINCUS: Most murderers feel a sense of elation when they kill somebody.

GUPTA: Were the courthouse murders simply elation, a spur of the moment decision or was it something deeper? Pincus says murders like these are all about power.

PINCUS: The perpetrator is a person who has felt like a victim. He's felt victimized for years and years, sometimes as the result of his own paranoid misperception of what's going on. And he hates that feeling of being a victim, and he wants to be a perpetrator. And in that moment that he kills somebody else, he's just one.

GUPTA: Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: More now on that story out of Rome. Italy's prime minister Silvio Berlusconi -- we reported not long ago, within the past 30 minutes, that Italy is going to start reducing troop numbers in Iraq.

Let's bring in our Barbara Starr live at the Pentagon. Barbara, we talked with Alessio Vinci, our Rome bureau chief, and asked him is there connection to this move come September and the whole controversy surrounding the death and the shooting by U.S. troops on the Italian journalist. Do you know if there's a connection?

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, we've talked to some senior U.S. military officials and they're not willing to say that there is a connection just yet. The announcement by Italy has caught some senior military officials by a slight amount of surprise. Italy had a commitment to keep troops there for another six months. That basically takes it to that September timeframe.

U.S. officials say it's not a big surprise for many reasons. They know that the leader, Silvio Berlusconi, is facing an election in Italy, that he is very aware that the war is unpopular in many parts of his country, that Italy, like many other coalition members, has what you might call donor fatigue. They've been in Iraq for months. Very tough business for some of these smaller countries, and their leaders want to bring their troops home.

Ukraine is the next one. Ukraine has told the U.S. it's going to bring home it's 1,600 troops. They're doing it for much of the same reason. The new leader, Mr. Yushchenko, had campaigned on the promise he would bring the troops home, back the Ukraine. And now that government is also telling the United States it will bring its troops home.

But the bottom line, U.S. military officials say, they feel they can deal with these other troop withdrawals as more Iraqi security forces come online. They think they can deal with it. They say they will not need to send more U.S. forces to make up the gap -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right, Barbara Starr, live from the Pentagon. Thanks.

HARRIS: Frequent flyers have a lot to complain about these days, considering the cramped cabin and low level of amenities. So where do the major carriers stand in terms of customer satisfaction?

PHILLIPS: Susan Lisovicz with more from the New York Stock Exchange. Hi, Susan.

SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Kyra and Tony. A new survey from J.D. Power and Associates is shedding some light on the passenger's point of view. It looked at things like check-in and boarding efficiency, in-flight amenities and flight crews. And Northwest Airlines ranked dead last in overall airline customer satisfaction among the major air carriers. On the flip side, the newcomer, JetBlue, scored the most points for happy customers, followed by Southwest, Delta and Alaska Air.

Overall the study found airlines scored well for reservations and checking and baggage, but lost points for those uncomfortable passenger seats and lack of amenities. And checking yourself in could save some time. Passengers that used the ticket service counters waited twice as long as those using self-service kiosks -- Kyra and Tony, back to you.

PHILLIPS: Bankrupt U.S. Airways could have a new lease on life?

LISOVICZ: A regional carrier, Kyra, Republic Airways, has agreed to invest $125 million in U.S. Airways to help it emerge from bankruptcy. This is the second deal of its kind for the nation's seventh largest carrier and it greatly increases the company's chance of survival. Republic could end up with a big stake in U.S. Airways and could also get some of U.S. Airways' larger regional jets.

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

HARRIS: Susan, thank you. We will update the day's top stories for you next.

PHILLIPS: Plus, inside the Atlanta Courthouse shooting. A look at the sequence of events that allowed Brian Nichols to escape.

HARRIS: And later, making your pennies count. A young boy from Washington will inspire you to save your spare change.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: "Now in the News," a bomb scare topping our top stories at the hour. An apparent bomb threat at a hotel in St. Louis, Missouri. This is what we know. Maryland Heights Police and St. Louis County Bomb Squad are on the scene here at the Hampton Inn on Dorsett (ph) Street in Maryland Heights, apparently responding to some type of threat by a man of interest. Police did find this pickup truck in the parking lot of the motel.

The bomb squad has sent in its robot, as you can see there, right in the back of the truck. And the robot has started going through and removing packages. Sources indicate that they're worried the truck may have some explosives that could set off. There is a spokesperson at the scene right now. The only thing we can do is confirm that the bomb squad was called in to assist at Maryland Heights in this possible explosive incident. We'll bring you more information as we soon get it, of course.

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