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Bloodhounds Brought in to Search for Georgia Woman; Michael Jackson's Ex-Wife Throws Curve Ball; House Ethics Committee Back in Business; Boy Suspect in Murder/Suicide of Mother

Aired April 28, 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.


MILES O'BRIEN, CO-HOST: Well, it was supposed to be the happiest week of her life. Now Georgia bride-to-be Jennifer Wilbanks is the focus of an expanding search.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHIEF RANDY BELCHER, DULUTH, GEORGIA, POLICE DEPARTMENT: At this point, we still had no indication that a crime has been committed. But we are treating it as a criminal investigation, as of now. Actually, as of last night.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MILES O'BRIEN, CO-HOST: CNN's Sara Dorsey is following developments in suburban Atlanta. She joins us on the phone now -- Sara.

SARA DORSEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Miles, Duluth police have confirmed to CNN that a clump of hair was taken into evidence from a search area yesterday. They caution, though, that this hair has not been linked to Jennifer Wilbanks and say at this point the hair could belong to anyone.

They are still trying to get a break in this case. Police say because of the lack of leads in the case, they are expanding the search today for the missing woman, who is set to be married on Saturday.

The expansion comes because police say Wilbanks was an avid marathon runner, and it's possible that she ran further than that five-mile area that was searched yesterday.

Bloodhounds are being brought in now. Canines were here the first couple days. Police say these bloodhounds have better noses and possibly could pick up a scent. They are looking for anything to uncover a trace of where this missing girl may be.

Now, they tell us that she did disappear Tuesday evening, according to family members, after she went for a late-night jog. Her fiance told police that she left behind her car, car keys, money, cell phone and her diamond ring.

At this point, police are questioning friends, family members, coworkers and even, they say, they could go as far as ex-boyfriends. So far they tell us everyone is cooperating with the investigation -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: Sara Dorsey in Duluth, Georgia. Thank you -- Kyra.

KYRA PHILLIPS, CO-HOST: Take two for Michael Jackson's ex-wife, Debbie Rowe, back in the stand today after throwing the prosecution a bit of a curve ball yesterday. CNN's Ted Rowlands is there with the very latest.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Michael Jackson's ex-wife, Debbie Rowe, was on the stand for less than two hours this morning. Her testimony seemed to favor the defense. In fact, defense attorney Thomas Mesereau withdrew a motion to strike her testimony. When it was all said and done, seemingly, they're pleased with what she had to say.

She said that, in her opinion, Michael Jackson was not informed about everything that was going on around him. She said in her past dealings with Jackson that would typically be the case, which would hurt the prosecution's allegation that Jackson was directly involved in the conspiracy.

She said that she herself tried to tell sheriff deputy representatives that the victim's family in this case was trying to take advantage of Michael Jackson. She called the co-conspirators opportunistic vultures on the stand, which again distanced Jackson from this band of co-conspirators that the prosecution is trying to lump into one big group.

She maintained that these folks were out for money and out to get Michael Jackson and take advantage of him.

She broke down on the stand a few times when describing Michael Jackson. She said that he was kind, generous to a fault, said he was a wonderful father and great with children. She said there are two different Michaels. The Michael -- "My Michael," and then there's the Michael that everyone else knows, Michael the entertainer. She said she would like to reestablish her relationship with Michael Jackson.

On cross-examination, Thomas Mesereau was very gentle with her. He kept it short and -- and kept her testimony down to two hours today, which was much less than many people anticipated in terms of her time on the stand.

Ted Rowlands, CNN, Santa Maria, California.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: All right. Set your alarm, log it into your Palm Pilot, do the TiVo thing, the cell phone. If you're kind of quaint and anachronistic, you can write yourself a note.

PHILLIPS: Write it on your hand.

O'BRIEN: Kind of old-fashioned. That's the way my kids do it. They come back with, you know, things all over their hands.

However you do it, thought, remind yourself that President Bush will hold a news conference tonight, class, and there will be a quiz tomorrow. He's going to -- obviously, the full range of topics can be expected. Expected to announce details of his plan to change Social Security. So far, his partial privatization concept hasn't caught fire, shall we say?

When you watch tonight, we will trust you will watch, where else? Here, CNN. We are the best, folks. We say that because it's true, not because we're tooting our own horn. Our coverage begins at 8 p.m. Eastern.

And here's something else that we invite you to do. Let us know right now what you should think the president should ask -- you should ask the president, if you had the opportunity. Keep it, you know, clean. Whatever. Send us whatever you like. We won't put it on the air if it's not clean. LifeFrom@CNN.com. We'll read as many as we can get on the air in just a little bit. Remember, pithy. Keep it pithy.

PHILLIPS: The House Ethics Committee is open for business again, and that means another investigation of House Majority Leader Tom DeLay and maybe other House members, as well.

CNN's Ed Henry reports now from Capitol Hill.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How was the conference?

REP. TOM DELAY (R-TX), MAJORITY LEADER: It was a great conference.

ED HENRY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This is why Republicans retreated: the ethics questions swirling around Tom DeLay taking their toll on the majority leader and his party.

DELAY: You guys better get out of my way. Where's our security?

HENRY: Back in January, Republicans changed the ethics rules to make it harder to launch investigations of misconduct. Democrats allege this was an attempt to shield DeLay.

Speaker Dennis Hastert insists the changes were meant to protect all members, but he acknowledges the only way to end the controversy is to restore the old rules and let the ethics panel investigate whether DeLay let lobbyists pay for overseas trips.

REP. DENNIS HASTERT (R-IL), SPEAKER: Right now, we can't clear his name. The media wants to talk about ethics. And as long as we're at a stalemate that's all is in the press today, is the ethics stalemate. We need to move forward. We need to get this behind us.

HENRY: In private, other Republicans are even blunter. One lawmaker said he's worried the Democratic line of attack, that Republicans were being arrogant, may be effective, because there's some truth to it.

But there could be political fallout for both parties, as the scrutiny of DeLay has a ripple effect. Republican and Democratic lawmakers are scurrying to amend their own travel records, and staffers flocked to a closed door refresher course on the ethics rules this week.

JASON ROE, HOUSE REPUBLICAN AIDE: I think in a political sense absolutely everyone is concerned this thing is ratcheting up the partisanship in Washington. I think everyone's a little on edge about it.

HENRY (on camera): Republicans are the ones who are on edge now, because they're not sure how the Tom DeLay investigation will end up. They're vowing to retaliate by pushing for investigations of top Democrats.

Ed Henry, CNN, Capitol Hill.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: OK. Your chance to be a reporter. What questions would you ask the president at his news conference tonight? Some of your e-mail ahead on LIVE FROM.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This week in history, the collapse of the South Vietnamese army following the pullout of the American military. On April 30, 1975, North Vietnamese troops smashed through the presidential palace gates in South Vietnam's capital city, claiming victory in the Vietnam War.

In Ukraine, one of the worst nuclear disasters occurred on April 26, 1986. A flawed Soviet reactor at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant exploded, making toxic radiation.

And on April 29, 1992, four white police officers charged in the beating of an African-American motorist, Rodney King, were acquitted. The violence sparked riots in Las Angeles, lasting three days.

And that is this week in history.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: Live now, B Control, CNN center, Atlanta. To your left, Sequoia Benton, 12, Christina Benton, 10, in the center -- no, no. She's not the center. That's Madison Mahelic (ph) in the center. And then to the right, Christina Benton, age 10.

It is Take Your Kid to Work Day. And these are great kids. We're glad to have them around.

PHILLIPS: There you go. Behave. O'BRIEN: Go ahead. Punch some buttons and roll the commercial break, will you? How about cue weather. Let's cue weather.

(WEATHER REPORT)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Well, now to a tiny North Carolina town and two shocking deaths. The sheriff has a theory, but it seems that few can accept his explanation.

CNN's David Mattingly, on a case as distressing as it is puzzling.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The crime would be shocking no matter where it might have happened. But in the rural crossroads of Arcola, North Carolina, it is impossible to believe.

Glenda Pulley, single mother of two, and her youngest son Tyler, just 10 years old, both found shot to death in their home, no sign of a struggle. No sign of forced entry. No sign of a robbery.

MICHAEL PULLEY, GLENDA PULLEY'S BROTHER: I reached up there, and I kicked the door in.

MATTINGLY: Worried when no one answered calls on a Saturday morning, Michael Pulley broke down his sister's front door to get inside. He found his sister had been shot in the head, apparently in her sleep. A pillow, he says, may have been used to silence the blast.

And at the foot of the bed on the floor, his nephew also shot in the head.

(on camera) When you first walked into the crime scene, what did you think you had at that time?

SHERIFF JOHNNY WILLIAMS, WARREN COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA: We thought we had a homicide, a double homicide.

MATTINGLY (voice-over): Immediately, the question in this tight- knit community was why? According to friends and neighbors, Glenda Pulley was well-liked, described as beautiful inside as she was out. Young Tyler was just as popular, a lovable child, they say, raised in a loving home. And in a community so small that there are no strangers, who could have possibly pulled the trigger?

(on camera) But the county sheriff says the answer is clear and so startling that it could be as hard to understand as the killings themselves. He says that not only was the killer someone everyone knew, it was someone that no one could have suspected.

(voice-over) The crime, according to state and local investigators, was a murder/suicide, carried without by 10-year-old Tyler, who is believed to have taken a family .410 shotgun like this one, killed his mother, then himself.

Even though he was found with the weapon still in his hand, friends and family refused to believe this little boy could kill the mother he loved.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I just can't fathom that 10-year-old boy getting a shotgun, putting a pillow to his mom's head, shooting her, putting a note under her pillow, then reload the shotgun and then shoot himself. I just cannot fathom that.

MATTINGLY: It's so hard to believe because Tyler was on the honor roll at a small private Christian school, where the principal says he never showed any behavioral problems and was not known to be on any kind of medication.

The afternoon before the crime, Jamesha Davis picked Tyler up after school and says he was excited about weekend plans he had with friends.

(on camera) When you heard that this had happened what went through your mind?

JAMESHA DAVIS, NEIGHBOR: There's no way Tyler could have did it. No way.

WILLIAMS: Everybody got their opinion, but I have to look at the physical evidence.

MATTINGLY (voice-over): Warren County Sheriff Johnny Williams says the facts speak for themselves. Investigators from the state Bureau of Investigation, he says, believe all preliminary signs point to a murder/suicide.

There was even a suicide note that Tyler's father and brother find hard to believe.

DANIEL JONES JR., BROTHER: In the first line of the letter, he says, "I'm sorry that I had to kill the best mom ever." And you know, for a child to sit there and write that, he know he's doing that to somebody who means the world to him. I just don't understand it.

MATTINGLY (on camera): What else did he say?

DANIEL JONES SR., FATHER: The part that stays with me the most, where you get to the point where it say, "Dad, don't nobody cry for me. Don't nobody love me. My daddy don't even love me."

MATTINGLY (voice-over): Divorced from Tyler's mother for years, Daniel Jones believes the words did not come from his son.

The sheriff says there was also a cryptic reference in the note suggesting an explanation for the killings could be found in this CD from the rapper 50 Cent. But when we listened to the CD, we found that it contained no themes of matricide or suicide. Twelve of the 22 tracks mentioned guns and gun violence, but strangely, Tyler's family says he didn't like guns. So much so, he would frequently get emotional on hunting trips.

(on camera) What is it about that note that makes you think your son did not like that?

JONES SR.: Just me knowing him, knowing his ideas, knowing his ways, knowing his likes and dislikes and his fears. He was scared of guns. And I know he loved his mama with all his heart. He would do anything to protect her. I know in my heart that he's not responsible.

MATTINGLY: Sheriff Johnny Williams says the mother's long-time boyfriend was at the house early in the evening before the killings, but he was interviewed and is not a suspect.

And with so many unanswered questions, state and county investigations continue into a crime few believe could be committed by an apparently happy 10-year-old boy.

David Mattingly, CNN, Arcola, North Carolina.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: Target's redesigned pill bottle might be good news for both customers and the company.

PHILLIPS: Susan Lisovicz, live from the New York Stock Exchange, to explain -- Susan.

(STOCK REPORT)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

VERONICA DE LA CRUZ, CNN.COM: When visiting a foreign land be careful what you say or do. A simple gesture could land you in a world of trouble.

At CNN.com/travel, a few helpful tips. If you're traveling through Asia, patting someone on the head is considered an insult. And in other countries, be careful when crossing your legs or pointing with your index finger. Both gestures can be looked at as just plain rude.

Consult your guide book, which may have a chapter on the dos and don'ts of etiquettes. Travel experts say becoming familiar with a country's customs and etiquette will give visitors a better experience when traveling abroad.

So before you pack your bags, take our online quiz. In which country is it considered faux pas to use soap or shampoo in a traditional bathtub? And how about this one? In this country cutting the point off the cheese is considered bad form. For the answers log on and find out. And last but not least, a few words to the wise. Hello, good- bye, please and thank you. Check out this list of words that should be learned in the language of your destination.

Safe and happy travels from the dotcom news desk in Atlanta. I'm Veronica del la Cruz.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: OK, let's imagine for a moment it's time now, LIVE FROM viewers, to imagine yourself...

PHILLIPS: At the press conference.

O'BRIEN: ... as a White House correspondent. Tonight, 8:30 p.m., you stand up and say, "Mr. President, blah, blah, blah."

Doug in Pocatello in Idaho, if he had that opportunity, would say, "Tens of thousands of Americans die each year because they don't have health insurance. How does this reconcile with your 'culture of life'?"

PHILLIPS: We asked a lot of to you e-mail us and ask -- tell us what you would want to ask the president.

O'BRIEN: There we go.

PHILLIPS: Henry in Pearland, Texas. I've actually been there, believe it or not. "President Bush, my grandson has spent 16 months in Iraq and is due to be discharged in March 2006. Why must he return to Iraq and have his tour of duty extended? This is a travesty!"

O'BRIEN: All right. Good pointed question from Henry.

Steven, Williamstown, Massachusetts: "America appears more divided than ever. What are you doing that -- and what have you done to heal those divisions? With respect," he says.

PHILLIPS: And Celia in Lawrence, Kansas, "Isn't Medicare/Medicaid rather than Social Security in more immediate funding difficulty? And what are you doing, or going to do, rather, to remedy that?"

O'BRIEN: Good question, Celia. That would really get him.

All right. Dale in Walla Walla River, "I would ask the president if he's embarrassed that, as the leader of the world's only superpower, he has been unable to even locate Osama bin Laden."

Good question.

PHILLIPS: "Why when your own favorability is an all-time low would you choose to embrace the one politician that is allegedly so unethical" -- course talking about Tom DeLay -- "that the majority of House members in your own party no longer are willing to protect him?" O'BRIEN: And here's a really important one. Jamie in Devon, Pennsylvania wants to know, "How on earth did 'My Sharona' end up on your iPod, Mr. President?"

And finally, the question we have been telling you about all throughout the afternoon, from Dennis in Grand Haven, Michigan.

PHILLIPS: "Like to know more about those exploding toads that I heard about on CNN. If we had that technology, maybe we can use it to control fanatical countries that don't kiss our" dot, dot, dot, dot.

O'BRIEN: Thank you, e-mailers, all.

And I hope that some of the Washington correspondents have been listening, watching, taking notes. And perhaps, the exploding toad question will come up tonight.

PHILLIPS: Do you know what Judy said to me the other day?

O'BRIEN: What?

PHILLIPS: Judy said, "Why is it that you always come to me after some type of animal story?"

O'BRIEN: And you know, the first rule of show business is never, never follow an animal.

PHILLIPS: That is true.

O'BRIEN: The bottom line is, this program is a zoo, Judy. And it is your job to add some professionalism.

PHILLIPS: She's the zookeeper. See? She comes back in and gives us credibility and authority.

O'BRIEN: Yes. Bring us back.

JUDY WOODRUFF, HOST, "INSIDE POLITICS": When are you guys going to stop talking? No. Thank you.

PHILLIPS: We love you, Judy!

WOODRUFF: Thank you, Miles, and thank you, Kyra. I love you both.

President Bush does have an important news conference tonight. CNN will be carrying it live. And we'll tell you much more about what the president is expected to say.

In that connection, if you had 15 minutes to spend with the president, what would you ask him? We'll tell you what America had to say when "INSIDE POLITICS" begins in just a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) ANNOUNCER: Look who's talking tonight. President Bush prepares for a rare primetime news conference. We'll examine the issues he wants to address and the ones he hopes to avoid.

He promised to be an action figure in politics, but is Governor Schwarzenegger overdoing it and paying a price?

Laura Bush, revealed.

DANA BASH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Tell me, is there something that -- that the public simply doesn't know about that would surprise them about Laura Bush?

ANNOUNCER: Find out if there's anything the first lady has been keeping from us.

If you think there are no heroes in Washington, guess again. Stay tuned for the story behind the picture.

Now, live from Washington, "JUDY WOODRUFF'S INSIDE POLITICS."

(END VIDEOTAPE)

END

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Aired April 28, 2005 - 15:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CO-HOST: Well, it was supposed to be the happiest week of her life. Now Georgia bride-to-be Jennifer Wilbanks is the focus of an expanding search.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHIEF RANDY BELCHER, DULUTH, GEORGIA, POLICE DEPARTMENT: At this point, we still had no indication that a crime has been committed. But we are treating it as a criminal investigation, as of now. Actually, as of last night.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MILES O'BRIEN, CO-HOST: CNN's Sara Dorsey is following developments in suburban Atlanta. She joins us on the phone now -- Sara.

SARA DORSEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Miles, Duluth police have confirmed to CNN that a clump of hair was taken into evidence from a search area yesterday. They caution, though, that this hair has not been linked to Jennifer Wilbanks and say at this point the hair could belong to anyone.

They are still trying to get a break in this case. Police say because of the lack of leads in the case, they are expanding the search today for the missing woman, who is set to be married on Saturday.

The expansion comes because police say Wilbanks was an avid marathon runner, and it's possible that she ran further than that five-mile area that was searched yesterday.

Bloodhounds are being brought in now. Canines were here the first couple days. Police say these bloodhounds have better noses and possibly could pick up a scent. They are looking for anything to uncover a trace of where this missing girl may be.

Now, they tell us that she did disappear Tuesday evening, according to family members, after she went for a late-night jog. Her fiance told police that she left behind her car, car keys, money, cell phone and her diamond ring.

At this point, police are questioning friends, family members, coworkers and even, they say, they could go as far as ex-boyfriends. So far they tell us everyone is cooperating with the investigation -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: Sara Dorsey in Duluth, Georgia. Thank you -- Kyra.

KYRA PHILLIPS, CO-HOST: Take two for Michael Jackson's ex-wife, Debbie Rowe, back in the stand today after throwing the prosecution a bit of a curve ball yesterday. CNN's Ted Rowlands is there with the very latest.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Michael Jackson's ex-wife, Debbie Rowe, was on the stand for less than two hours this morning. Her testimony seemed to favor the defense. In fact, defense attorney Thomas Mesereau withdrew a motion to strike her testimony. When it was all said and done, seemingly, they're pleased with what she had to say.

She said that, in her opinion, Michael Jackson was not informed about everything that was going on around him. She said in her past dealings with Jackson that would typically be the case, which would hurt the prosecution's allegation that Jackson was directly involved in the conspiracy.

She said that she herself tried to tell sheriff deputy representatives that the victim's family in this case was trying to take advantage of Michael Jackson. She called the co-conspirators opportunistic vultures on the stand, which again distanced Jackson from this band of co-conspirators that the prosecution is trying to lump into one big group.

She maintained that these folks were out for money and out to get Michael Jackson and take advantage of him.

She broke down on the stand a few times when describing Michael Jackson. She said that he was kind, generous to a fault, said he was a wonderful father and great with children. She said there are two different Michaels. The Michael -- "My Michael," and then there's the Michael that everyone else knows, Michael the entertainer. She said she would like to reestablish her relationship with Michael Jackson.

On cross-examination, Thomas Mesereau was very gentle with her. He kept it short and -- and kept her testimony down to two hours today, which was much less than many people anticipated in terms of her time on the stand.

Ted Rowlands, CNN, Santa Maria, California.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: All right. Set your alarm, log it into your Palm Pilot, do the TiVo thing, the cell phone. If you're kind of quaint and anachronistic, you can write yourself a note.

PHILLIPS: Write it on your hand.

O'BRIEN: Kind of old-fashioned. That's the way my kids do it. They come back with, you know, things all over their hands.

However you do it, thought, remind yourself that President Bush will hold a news conference tonight, class, and there will be a quiz tomorrow. He's going to -- obviously, the full range of topics can be expected. Expected to announce details of his plan to change Social Security. So far, his partial privatization concept hasn't caught fire, shall we say?

When you watch tonight, we will trust you will watch, where else? Here, CNN. We are the best, folks. We say that because it's true, not because we're tooting our own horn. Our coverage begins at 8 p.m. Eastern.

And here's something else that we invite you to do. Let us know right now what you should think the president should ask -- you should ask the president, if you had the opportunity. Keep it, you know, clean. Whatever. Send us whatever you like. We won't put it on the air if it's not clean. LifeFrom@CNN.com. We'll read as many as we can get on the air in just a little bit. Remember, pithy. Keep it pithy.

PHILLIPS: The House Ethics Committee is open for business again, and that means another investigation of House Majority Leader Tom DeLay and maybe other House members, as well.

CNN's Ed Henry reports now from Capitol Hill.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How was the conference?

REP. TOM DELAY (R-TX), MAJORITY LEADER: It was a great conference.

ED HENRY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This is why Republicans retreated: the ethics questions swirling around Tom DeLay taking their toll on the majority leader and his party.

DELAY: You guys better get out of my way. Where's our security?

HENRY: Back in January, Republicans changed the ethics rules to make it harder to launch investigations of misconduct. Democrats allege this was an attempt to shield DeLay.

Speaker Dennis Hastert insists the changes were meant to protect all members, but he acknowledges the only way to end the controversy is to restore the old rules and let the ethics panel investigate whether DeLay let lobbyists pay for overseas trips.

REP. DENNIS HASTERT (R-IL), SPEAKER: Right now, we can't clear his name. The media wants to talk about ethics. And as long as we're at a stalemate that's all is in the press today, is the ethics stalemate. We need to move forward. We need to get this behind us.

HENRY: In private, other Republicans are even blunter. One lawmaker said he's worried the Democratic line of attack, that Republicans were being arrogant, may be effective, because there's some truth to it.

But there could be political fallout for both parties, as the scrutiny of DeLay has a ripple effect. Republican and Democratic lawmakers are scurrying to amend their own travel records, and staffers flocked to a closed door refresher course on the ethics rules this week.

JASON ROE, HOUSE REPUBLICAN AIDE: I think in a political sense absolutely everyone is concerned this thing is ratcheting up the partisanship in Washington. I think everyone's a little on edge about it.

HENRY (on camera): Republicans are the ones who are on edge now, because they're not sure how the Tom DeLay investigation will end up. They're vowing to retaliate by pushing for investigations of top Democrats.

Ed Henry, CNN, Capitol Hill.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: OK. Your chance to be a reporter. What questions would you ask the president at his news conference tonight? Some of your e-mail ahead on LIVE FROM.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This week in history, the collapse of the South Vietnamese army following the pullout of the American military. On April 30, 1975, North Vietnamese troops smashed through the presidential palace gates in South Vietnam's capital city, claiming victory in the Vietnam War.

In Ukraine, one of the worst nuclear disasters occurred on April 26, 1986. A flawed Soviet reactor at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant exploded, making toxic radiation.

And on April 29, 1992, four white police officers charged in the beating of an African-American motorist, Rodney King, were acquitted. The violence sparked riots in Las Angeles, lasting three days.

And that is this week in history.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: Live now, B Control, CNN center, Atlanta. To your left, Sequoia Benton, 12, Christina Benton, 10, in the center -- no, no. She's not the center. That's Madison Mahelic (ph) in the center. And then to the right, Christina Benton, age 10.

It is Take Your Kid to Work Day. And these are great kids. We're glad to have them around.

PHILLIPS: There you go. Behave. O'BRIEN: Go ahead. Punch some buttons and roll the commercial break, will you? How about cue weather. Let's cue weather.

(WEATHER REPORT)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Well, now to a tiny North Carolina town and two shocking deaths. The sheriff has a theory, but it seems that few can accept his explanation.

CNN's David Mattingly, on a case as distressing as it is puzzling.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The crime would be shocking no matter where it might have happened. But in the rural crossroads of Arcola, North Carolina, it is impossible to believe.

Glenda Pulley, single mother of two, and her youngest son Tyler, just 10 years old, both found shot to death in their home, no sign of a struggle. No sign of forced entry. No sign of a robbery.

MICHAEL PULLEY, GLENDA PULLEY'S BROTHER: I reached up there, and I kicked the door in.

MATTINGLY: Worried when no one answered calls on a Saturday morning, Michael Pulley broke down his sister's front door to get inside. He found his sister had been shot in the head, apparently in her sleep. A pillow, he says, may have been used to silence the blast.

And at the foot of the bed on the floor, his nephew also shot in the head.

(on camera) When you first walked into the crime scene, what did you think you had at that time?

SHERIFF JOHNNY WILLIAMS, WARREN COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA: We thought we had a homicide, a double homicide.

MATTINGLY (voice-over): Immediately, the question in this tight- knit community was why? According to friends and neighbors, Glenda Pulley was well-liked, described as beautiful inside as she was out. Young Tyler was just as popular, a lovable child, they say, raised in a loving home. And in a community so small that there are no strangers, who could have possibly pulled the trigger?

(on camera) But the county sheriff says the answer is clear and so startling that it could be as hard to understand as the killings themselves. He says that not only was the killer someone everyone knew, it was someone that no one could have suspected.

(voice-over) The crime, according to state and local investigators, was a murder/suicide, carried without by 10-year-old Tyler, who is believed to have taken a family .410 shotgun like this one, killed his mother, then himself.

Even though he was found with the weapon still in his hand, friends and family refused to believe this little boy could kill the mother he loved.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I just can't fathom that 10-year-old boy getting a shotgun, putting a pillow to his mom's head, shooting her, putting a note under her pillow, then reload the shotgun and then shoot himself. I just cannot fathom that.

MATTINGLY: It's so hard to believe because Tyler was on the honor roll at a small private Christian school, where the principal says he never showed any behavioral problems and was not known to be on any kind of medication.

The afternoon before the crime, Jamesha Davis picked Tyler up after school and says he was excited about weekend plans he had with friends.

(on camera) When you heard that this had happened what went through your mind?

JAMESHA DAVIS, NEIGHBOR: There's no way Tyler could have did it. No way.

WILLIAMS: Everybody got their opinion, but I have to look at the physical evidence.

MATTINGLY (voice-over): Warren County Sheriff Johnny Williams says the facts speak for themselves. Investigators from the state Bureau of Investigation, he says, believe all preliminary signs point to a murder/suicide.

There was even a suicide note that Tyler's father and brother find hard to believe.

DANIEL JONES JR., BROTHER: In the first line of the letter, he says, "I'm sorry that I had to kill the best mom ever." And you know, for a child to sit there and write that, he know he's doing that to somebody who means the world to him. I just don't understand it.

MATTINGLY (on camera): What else did he say?

DANIEL JONES SR., FATHER: The part that stays with me the most, where you get to the point where it say, "Dad, don't nobody cry for me. Don't nobody love me. My daddy don't even love me."

MATTINGLY (voice-over): Divorced from Tyler's mother for years, Daniel Jones believes the words did not come from his son.

The sheriff says there was also a cryptic reference in the note suggesting an explanation for the killings could be found in this CD from the rapper 50 Cent. But when we listened to the CD, we found that it contained no themes of matricide or suicide. Twelve of the 22 tracks mentioned guns and gun violence, but strangely, Tyler's family says he didn't like guns. So much so, he would frequently get emotional on hunting trips.

(on camera) What is it about that note that makes you think your son did not like that?

JONES SR.: Just me knowing him, knowing his ideas, knowing his ways, knowing his likes and dislikes and his fears. He was scared of guns. And I know he loved his mama with all his heart. He would do anything to protect her. I know in my heart that he's not responsible.

MATTINGLY: Sheriff Johnny Williams says the mother's long-time boyfriend was at the house early in the evening before the killings, but he was interviewed and is not a suspect.

And with so many unanswered questions, state and county investigations continue into a crime few believe could be committed by an apparently happy 10-year-old boy.

David Mattingly, CNN, Arcola, North Carolina.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: Target's redesigned pill bottle might be good news for both customers and the company.

PHILLIPS: Susan Lisovicz, live from the New York Stock Exchange, to explain -- Susan.

(STOCK REPORT)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

VERONICA DE LA CRUZ, CNN.COM: When visiting a foreign land be careful what you say or do. A simple gesture could land you in a world of trouble.

At CNN.com/travel, a few helpful tips. If you're traveling through Asia, patting someone on the head is considered an insult. And in other countries, be careful when crossing your legs or pointing with your index finger. Both gestures can be looked at as just plain rude.

Consult your guide book, which may have a chapter on the dos and don'ts of etiquettes. Travel experts say becoming familiar with a country's customs and etiquette will give visitors a better experience when traveling abroad.

So before you pack your bags, take our online quiz. In which country is it considered faux pas to use soap or shampoo in a traditional bathtub? And how about this one? In this country cutting the point off the cheese is considered bad form. For the answers log on and find out. And last but not least, a few words to the wise. Hello, good- bye, please and thank you. Check out this list of words that should be learned in the language of your destination.

Safe and happy travels from the dotcom news desk in Atlanta. I'm Veronica del la Cruz.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: OK, let's imagine for a moment it's time now, LIVE FROM viewers, to imagine yourself...

PHILLIPS: At the press conference.

O'BRIEN: ... as a White House correspondent. Tonight, 8:30 p.m., you stand up and say, "Mr. President, blah, blah, blah."

Doug in Pocatello in Idaho, if he had that opportunity, would say, "Tens of thousands of Americans die each year because they don't have health insurance. How does this reconcile with your 'culture of life'?"

PHILLIPS: We asked a lot of to you e-mail us and ask -- tell us what you would want to ask the president.

O'BRIEN: There we go.

PHILLIPS: Henry in Pearland, Texas. I've actually been there, believe it or not. "President Bush, my grandson has spent 16 months in Iraq and is due to be discharged in March 2006. Why must he return to Iraq and have his tour of duty extended? This is a travesty!"

O'BRIEN: All right. Good pointed question from Henry.

Steven, Williamstown, Massachusetts: "America appears more divided than ever. What are you doing that -- and what have you done to heal those divisions? With respect," he says.

PHILLIPS: And Celia in Lawrence, Kansas, "Isn't Medicare/Medicaid rather than Social Security in more immediate funding difficulty? And what are you doing, or going to do, rather, to remedy that?"

O'BRIEN: Good question, Celia. That would really get him.

All right. Dale in Walla Walla River, "I would ask the president if he's embarrassed that, as the leader of the world's only superpower, he has been unable to even locate Osama bin Laden."

Good question.

PHILLIPS: "Why when your own favorability is an all-time low would you choose to embrace the one politician that is allegedly so unethical" -- course talking about Tom DeLay -- "that the majority of House members in your own party no longer are willing to protect him?" O'BRIEN: And here's a really important one. Jamie in Devon, Pennsylvania wants to know, "How on earth did 'My Sharona' end up on your iPod, Mr. President?"

And finally, the question we have been telling you about all throughout the afternoon, from Dennis in Grand Haven, Michigan.

PHILLIPS: "Like to know more about those exploding toads that I heard about on CNN. If we had that technology, maybe we can use it to control fanatical countries that don't kiss our" dot, dot, dot, dot.

O'BRIEN: Thank you, e-mailers, all.

And I hope that some of the Washington correspondents have been listening, watching, taking notes. And perhaps, the exploding toad question will come up tonight.

PHILLIPS: Do you know what Judy said to me the other day?

O'BRIEN: What?

PHILLIPS: Judy said, "Why is it that you always come to me after some type of animal story?"

O'BRIEN: And you know, the first rule of show business is never, never follow an animal.

PHILLIPS: That is true.

O'BRIEN: The bottom line is, this program is a zoo, Judy. And it is your job to add some professionalism.

PHILLIPS: She's the zookeeper. See? She comes back in and gives us credibility and authority.

O'BRIEN: Yes. Bring us back.

JUDY WOODRUFF, HOST, "INSIDE POLITICS": When are you guys going to stop talking? No. Thank you.

PHILLIPS: We love you, Judy!

WOODRUFF: Thank you, Miles, and thank you, Kyra. I love you both.

President Bush does have an important news conference tonight. CNN will be carrying it live. And we'll tell you much more about what the president is expected to say.

In that connection, if you had 15 minutes to spend with the president, what would you ask him? We'll tell you what America had to say when "INSIDE POLITICS" begins in just a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) ANNOUNCER: Look who's talking tonight. President Bush prepares for a rare primetime news conference. We'll examine the issues he wants to address and the ones he hopes to avoid.

He promised to be an action figure in politics, but is Governor Schwarzenegger overdoing it and paying a price?

Laura Bush, revealed.

DANA BASH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Tell me, is there something that -- that the public simply doesn't know about that would surprise them about Laura Bush?

ANNOUNCER: Find out if there's anything the first lady has been keeping from us.

If you think there are no heroes in Washington, guess again. Stay tuned for the story behind the picture.

Now, live from Washington, "JUDY WOODRUFF'S INSIDE POLITICS."

(END VIDEOTAPE)

END

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