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Autopsy Reveals Terri Schiavo's Brain Hopelessly Atrophied; Congress Debates Fate of Gitmo; Iraqi Forces Free Australian Hostage
Aired June 15, 2005 - 13:00 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, HOST: Could Terri Schiavo have gotten better? A new coroner's report on the life and death of a woman who stirred a national debate. We're on the story.
JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm John Zarrella in Aruba. The three young men being held in connection with the disappearance of Natalee Holloway were back in court today. That story coming up.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DOUGLAS WOOD, FORMER HOSTAGE: First thing, there was a bit of shooting outside. They ripped off my (UNINTELLIGIBLE) put a blanket over me. Then still a lot of yelling and screaming.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They were busting in...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
WOOD: Knock down the furniture and everything.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O'BRIEN: Hostage no more. A civilian held for weeks by Iraqi insurgents is now free. We've got details on how it went down.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was pretty scary. I think a lot of the locals were pretending they weren't scared, but they were.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O'BRIEN: A tsunami scare on the U.S. coast, after a big quake. Did America's warning system work?
From the CNN center in Atlanta, I'm Miles O'Brien. Kyra Phillips is off. CNN's LIVE FROM starts right now.
Terri Schiavo, how she died. We have the official autopsy results, a surprise to some, not to others. Cutting the doctor-speak, it's in line with those who believe that those who believe Terri Schiavo's battle was a losing one, all along.
Details now from Susan Candiotti in Largo, Florida, today -- Susan.
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Miles.
And that is because she suffered severe brain injury. However, anyone who was hoping to completely solve the mystery of Terri Schiavo's death won't be satisfied this day, and that's because the medical examiner that performed her autopsy, that took more than 270 photographs, all kinds of analyses and scans, says that, nevertheless, he cannot say with any certainty what caused the heart of a healthy 26-year-old woman to stop beating back in 1990.
However, the medical examiner says he does know this: she suffered extensive and severe brain injury.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. JON THOGMARTIN, MEDICAL EXAMINER: Her brain was profoundly atrophied. The brain weighed 615 grams, roughly half of the expected weight of a human brain. This was due to diffuse hypoxic/ischemic damage. There was massive neuronal loss or death.
This damage was irreversible, and no amount of therapy or treatment would have regenerated the mass amount of neurons.
Of note, there was severe occipital lobe necrosis. Her vision centers of her brain were dead. Therefore, Mrs. Schiavo had what's called cortical blindness. She was blind; could not see.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CANDIOTTI: So again, it's critical to note what the doctor said there: no amount of therapy could have reversed the extent of her brain injury.
He also did answer some other questions. He said at the time of her death -- that was back on March 31 of this year -- that Terri Schiavo, he said, did not starve to death. She was dehydrated.
Other questions: was she in a persistent vegetative state? The medical examiner would not answer that question precisely. However, he said he did not find anything inconsistent with that diagnosis, which is a clinical one.
He also indicated that he found absolutely no signs of abuse, no kind of physical trauma at the time of her collapse, 15 years ago up, until the end.
So, again this calls into question, according to the Schindler family, well what caused her death? They say that, while they are grateful this report -- for this report, they can't be totally happy, because it doesn't answer their question about what caused their daughter to collapse back in 1990.
They also feel as though, still to this day, that her feeding tube should not have been pulled when it was because, in their opinion, she did not have to die at that time.
However, Michael Schiavo has consistently said that it was his decision to make because of what wife had indicated, that even though she had no written living will, and the courts agree that it was Terri Schiavo's decision not to live in that kind of state.
And so that's where things stand at this time. We do expect a news conference this afternoon from the lawyer representing Michael Schiavo, to tell us what they think about this autopsy report.
Back to you, Miles.
O'BRIEN: Susan Candiotti in Largo, thank you.
On the phone with us right now, on his way to Bloomington, Minnesota, is Brother Paul O'Donnell. You probably recall him as a spokesman for Bob and Mary Schindler, the parents of Terri Schiavo.
Brother Paul, can you hear me?
BROTHER PAUL O'DONNELL, SPOKESMAN FOR SCHINDLERS: Yes, I can.
O'BRIEN: All right. Well, first of all, did anything in this autopsy report surprise you?
O'DONNELL: Well, I think that, one, we have confirmed that the potassium deficiency that Terri was supposed to have had was not as a result of bulimia, which was the grounds of the whole medical malpractice suit.
Also, it was clear that she did not have any type of heart attack. And there still is a lot of questions that the family has, especially how long 911 was called before, you know, the police arrived and paramedics arrived. And also what Michael Schiavo did once he found Terri.
O'BRIEN: Well, now let's pick up on that point. Because the medical examiner was very clear in stating there was no evidence of any sort of abuse in this case.
O'DONNELL: Well, we just -- we had grounds to question that. As one can point out, there is no concrete evidence, but we would like to have other physicians review his report, not just accept this medical examiner's report.
It is highly unlikely, even in a person in this condition, that she would have all those fractures in her bone scan. I personally cared for people that had been in Terri Schiavo's condition, and I've never seen a 26-year-old woman with that extensive osteoporosis...
O'BRIEN: So -- so you are not accepting, then, the medical examiner's conclusion that there was no abuse in this case? Are you saying that you need additional evidence, additional autopsies, and so forth, examinations?
O'DONNELL: No, I think that, first of all, clearly, we need to set down and read the whole medical examiner's report. I know our attorneys are doing that now. The family has not had a chance to totally review that. But we are not, of course, satisfied. And, of course, this -- this can still be left to further inquiry, as the medical examiner said. There is no concrete evidence what caused her to go into this condition. And the bottom line is, still...
O'BRIEN: So what are you alluding to, then, Brother Paul? If you say there's no concrete evidence, are you saying that there was some foul play which led her into this situation?
O'DONNELL: I think that there is still questions that the family has concerning Michael Schiavo's actions on the night and early morning of Terri's collapse. And that's all I can really say, because I haven't had an opportunity to talk to the rest of the family, only Bob Jr. And they are concerned -- they still have some questions.
O'BRIEN: All right. No hope of recovery, that portion of the report, do you quibble with that?
O'DONNELL: Well, our issue has never been what condition Terri was in. This is a family that has severely brain damaged daughter that wanted to care for her. And we ended up starving and dehydrating her to death.
O'BRIEN: But, the state -- Brother Paul, isn't the state of her condition the most relevant discussion here, inasmuch...
O'DONNELL: If her...
O'BRIEN: ... what her intentions were, should she be in that situation, were the core of the legal case here.
O'DONNELL: Well, yes, but the core of the legal case was based on hearsay, and -- and we don't have evidence in writing or otherwise that Terri...
O'BRIEN: No, no, no, but it was good enough -- no, no, no, you say it was hearsay, but it was good enough for several legal reviews. And in several legal reviews, it was proven she had, in fact, made that very clear.
O'DONNELL: No, no, no.
O'BRIEN: So I guess the point is, if it turns out that it's clear-cut in this medical examiner's report there was no hope of recovery and she had stated, legally that has been proven, stated that she did not want to go on that way, where does that leave you?
O'DONNELL: Whether Terri -- whether Terri was a brain injured woman the rest of her life or whether she'd recover was not the issue for the family. She was their daughter. They wanted to care for her, no matter what her condition was.
O'BRIEN: All right, Brother Paul O'Donnell, thank you for your time. Appreciate it.
We'll hear more from the other side of this case a little later on LIVE FROM. Michael Schiavo's attorney, George Felos, expected to hold a news conference at 2:30 Eastern Time. We, of course, will bring that to you live as it happens.
Still a mystery. Other Florida authorities say it may take weeks before they know why a young boy died after going on a thrill ride at Walt Disney World. Preliminary autopsy reports show no trauma. The 4-year-old passed out, later died, after getting on the Mission: Space ride at Epcot Center, one of the more popular and intense rides at that particular Disney theme park.
In our "Security Watch," what to do with hundreds of terror suspects labeled enemy combatants by the U.S. government. Critics charge the military prison on Guantanamo Bay has become an international embarrassment. Supporters insist it plays a vital role in the war on terror.
CNN's Ed Henry with more on who's saying what today on Capitol Hill -- Ed.
ED HENRY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good afternoon, Miles.
That's right, a fierce battle with Democrats are saying basically that they feel Guantanamo is a gulag, a legal black hole where detainees are abused. They say it's gotten so bad, it's damaged America's image so badly around the world, that it's time to shut this U.S. prison down once and for all.
But Republicans today at this hearing continue to insist that, in fact, the detainees, some 500 or so who are being held at Guantanamo Bay, that these detainees are not only treated humanely, they're practically treated like kings.
A couple days ago, you'll remember, Republican Congressman Duncan Hunter trotted out the menu for these detainees, that they dine on chicken and fish and vegetables. Well, today, that theme was picked up once again by Republican Senator Jeff Sessions. He said that this prison is in a scenic part of Cuba that's almost so nice that it's practically a resort.
Senator Sessions also said that, in fact, what should be the focus here is the fact that these are potential terrorists who could do damage to the United States.
His comments, a stark contrast to what Democratic Senator Patrick Leahy had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. PATRICK LEAHY (D), VERMONT: ... society of changing, changing, the focus, producing props of chicken dinners and such, seeming to argue this is more a Club Med than a prison.
Let's get real. These people have been locked up for three years, no end in sight and no process to lead us out of there. Guantanamo Bay is causing immeasurable damage to our reputation as a defender of democracy and a beacon of human rights around the world. SEN. JEFF SESSIONS (R), ALABAMA: This country is not systematically abusing prisoners. We have no policy to do so, and it's wrong to suggest that. And it puts our soldiers at risk who are in this battle, because we sent them there. And we have an obligation to them, not to make this situation worse than the. If we made errors, we'll bring them up and we'll prosecute the people. But to suggest that we're in a wholesale violation of the rules of war, I suggest is wrong.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HENRY: Senator Sessions referring there to something that Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld had to say yesterday, which is that there is no alternative right now to the prison at Guantanamo Bay. So you can't just dump these suspected terrorists all around the world.
Democrats respond that they're not advocating sending these suspected terrorists out into the streets. Instead, Democrats say, if, in fact, they are terrorists, charge them with crimes. Instead, they say, a lot of these prisoners have been languishing at Guantanamo Bay for up to three years without any charges -- Miles.
O'BRIEN: Ed Henry on Capitol Hill, thanks very much.
Now that Osama bin Laden, the world's most wanted man -- of course, live and well, so is the Taliban leader Mullah Omar. A senior Taliban military commander telling a Pakistan TV station he is still getting instructions from Omar and he says bin Laden is absolutely fine. That's a quote from him. The commander, however, would not say where either man is. It's not clear he knows for sure, however.
CNN is committed to providing you the most important information about your security. Stay tuned to CNN day and night. LIVE FROM back in a moment.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
O'BRIEN (voice-over): Next on LIVE FROM, while the search for Natalee Holloway goes on in Aruba, so does the party. Is the teenager's disappearance changing the night life?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What Mom doesn't know won't hurt her.
O'BRIEN: Later on LIVE FROM, a pregnant woman in a coma.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's just sort of a race against the cancer.
O'BRIEN: A husband and father's agonizing wait to save his baby's life.
Tomorrow on LIVE FROM, they met on the front lines of Vietnam, an Army medic, a local translator, reunited after 36 years and a trip to the store for toothpaste. The LIVE FROM interview.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANNOUNCER: You're watching LIVE FROM on CNN, the most trusted name in news.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: Douglas Wood is a free man today, resting and comfortable in a safe place, we're told. He's the Australian man, a civil engineer taken hostage in April by an Islamic group in Baghdad. How he was found, by whom, is being trumpeted as a sign of great coalition progress in Iraq.
Jennifer Eccleston in Baghdad with details.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JENNIFER ECCLESTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: An extraordinary turn of events here in Baghdad. Australian national Douglas Wood taken hostage six weeks ago, today, freed from his captors by Iraqi military during operations of planned search and cordon operation in northwestern Baghdad.
They were looking for a weapons cache under the anti-insurgency push Operation Lightning when they stumbled upon the hostage. The Iraqis faced light resistance and detained a number of men.
Now, a member of Australia's emergency response team, sent here over a month ago to help secure Wood's release, said they found him in a house. He was handcuffed and he was also under a blanket. Now, he is said to be overjoyed that this ordeal is now over.
WOOD: I am extremely happy and relieved to be free again and deeply grateful to all those who worked to bring about my release. Some of these people I've already been able to thank personally. But I know there are many others I may never get the chance to meet.
ECCLESTON: Wood is now in the hands of Australian military. He is said to be in good health. He is undergoing medical tests and also psychological tests.
Now, the 63-year-old was a contractor here in Iraq. He's lived here over the past year. He resides in California, and he has an American wife. The last time we saw him was in an insurgent video on May 1, where he was pleading for life. But he also pleaded with the Australian authorities to let go their 400 troops here in Iraq, to bring them back to Australia.
And also in other news today, it was a deadly day for Iraq security and police forces. A suicide bomber, wearing an explosive belt, attacked a restaurant in an Iraqi Army base north of Baghdad, northwest of the city of Baqubah. So far, we have 23 soldiers that were killed and over 28 were wounded. An official with the Iraqi military says the blast took place at lunchtime, which accounts for the high casualty rate.
We also had another incident here in Baghdad. A suicide car bomber struck a police patrol in Eastern Baghdad, killing four people. Two of those were Iraqi police. Twenty-nine others were wounded.
Jennifer Eccleston, CNN, Baghdad.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
O'BRIEN: Now to Aruba where a concentrated search for the missing teen Natalee Holloway turns up no real clues so far. Meanwhile, the three young men who remain in police custody made a court appearance today. A source says they continue to point the finger at each other.
CNN's John Zarrella joining us from Aruba with the latest on this case -- John.
ZARRELLA: Mile, another bit of a late development here this afternoon. We understand that, through police authorities, that investigators have, in fact, and are at this hour, at the home of Joran Van Der Sloot. He is one of the three young men being held in connection with the disappearance of Natalee Holloway, one of the three who is suspected of being the last to have seen her on the night that she disappeared on May 30.
It is unclear what they have gone back to the house to do or what they have gone back to the house to look for. But police are confirming that investigators have returned to Van Der Sloot's home.
And as often happens down here, things do happen at a moment's notice and with somewhat of a surprise. And that was the case again today when these three young men did go to court, had a court appearance today. It's unclear why all three of them were in court at the same time.
But we did have the opportunity to talk to the attorney representing one of the two Surinamese men who are being held. And Deepak Kalpoe's attorney told us that he had gone to court for a hearing, seeking the release of documents and evidence.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RUDY OOMAN, DEEPAK KALPOE'S ATTORNEY: We had a brief hearing here about the withholding of certain documents regarding my client. And tomorrow the judge is going to decide on that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ZARRELLA: Now, the attorney also said that his client is maintaining his innocence, that he did nothing wrong, but would not answer questions about whether his client has made statements that he and his brother dropped Natalee off near the Marriott with the Dutch boy, that being Van Der Sloot. So no confirmation of that from the attorney.
One other note: this weekend, there was a carnival scheduled here on the island. It has been postponed, the carnival postponed, because so many police resources are tied up covering the investigation here. And, also, authorities tell us, just because this is not a good time to be having a carnival -- Miles.
O'BRIEN: John, so that search we told viewers so much about yesterday yielded nothing of consequence?
ZARRELLA: At this point what we're told is no, nothing of consequence. In fact, they opened up that scene about 7 p.m. last night and, in fact, this morning, I went over there with our cameraman. We walked around there. There were a few police officers. We asked, "Is it OK to be here?" No problem.
So apparently -- they would have kept it cordoned off, had they found any evidence that Natalee Holloway or any of her belongings were there. But no, it has been reopened and no indication that they found anything whatsoever involving this case there at that particular scene -- Miles.
O'BRIEN: John Zarrella, in Aruba, thank you very much.
Even as the search for Natalee Holloway continues so does the party as far as other teens are concerned there.
CNN's Karl Penhaul takes a look at the still bustling social scene in Aruba and the persistent arrogance of youth, the firm belief that nothing bad could ever happen to them.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KARL PENHAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): School's out for Stoneham (ph) High's class of 2005. It's time for cocktails, a splash of sun, sea and something exotic.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's going to be a great time.
PENHAUL: They paid $1,500 each for this all inclusive graduation trip from Boston. They're at the same hotel where Natalee Holloway stayed.
Meet homecoming queen Allie (ph).
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Are we going to go to Iguana Joe's or Mambo Jambo or Carlos 'n Charlie's?
PENHAUL: Time to get ready. Tony's in demand.
(on camera) You're on holiday, you're here to have fun, and I'm sure you're here to blow off some steam. I mean, you've been working hard all year. I mean, is that about the short and tall of it?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Basically.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, we're here to have fun, start our last summer, like, really all together.
PENHAUL: What -- what did you start to think when you saw all this case about Natalee? Did any of you have second thoughts?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Our parents did.
PENHAUL: What have they been saying?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Don't go. If you do go, don't go to Carlos 'n Charlie's, blah blah blah.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: After what happened with Natalee, I don't -- I think we're trying to stay away from, like, people outside of our group.
PENHAUL (voice-over): The gang's planning on hitting Carlos 'n Charlie's, where Natalee Holloway was last seen. But haven't parents banned them from there?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What Mom doesn't know won't hurt her.
PENHAUL: Unlike Natalee Holloway's group, there's no chaperones here, but they've set up their own buddy system.
On the bus, and the party's already kicking off. It's going to be a wild one.
Tony shares her photos with us. It's a booze and boogie wonderland.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Six days a weeks baby.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When any guy came near one of us, all the guys were around.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And the party's right here.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Every night, dude.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Amazing.
PENHAUL: Closing time, the homecoming queen seems a little worse for wear. What's she been drinking?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Sex on the Beach. And they make you want to have sex on the beach.
PENHAUL: And what about Mike, the high school soccer MVP?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We'll be back tomorrow.
PENHAUL: Steve's been drinking yards of beer. He'd be the first to admit he's only just holding it together.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, amazing. It was awesome. We had a good time. A lot of girls. A lot of drinks. Carlos 'n Charlie's is the best bar ever, best bar.
Taxi's waiting for us. We got to go. You're my boy. You're my boy.
PENHAUL: The buddy system seems to be in chaos.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, some people are saying -- not my problem.
PENHAUL: Lindsay thinks the numbers add up.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're the Army; we never leave a man behind.
PENHAUL: Allie (ph) seems less sure.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The buddy system...
PENHAUL (on camera): Do you think the buddy system panned out?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Beautifully, except my buddy's not with me. I've got a new buddy.
PENHAUL: At this moment, it's almost two weeks to the minute since Natalee Holloway was last seen.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: See you later.
PENHAUL: Karl Penhaul, CNN, Oranjestad, Aruba.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
O'BRIEN: Sure is good to see they're not driving.
An earthquake sends people from British Columbia down to California scurrying for fear of a possible tsunami. Did the warning system work? We'll check that out a little later on LIVE FROM.
And just ahead, the race against the clock to save the baby of a comatose pregnant woman. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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 June 15, 2005 - 13:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, HOST: Could Terri Schiavo have gotten better? A new coroner's report on the life and death of a woman who stirred a national debate. We're on the story.
JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm John Zarrella in Aruba. The three young men being held in connection with the disappearance of Natalee Holloway were back in court today. That story coming up.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DOUGLAS WOOD, FORMER HOSTAGE: First thing, there was a bit of shooting outside. They ripped off my (UNINTELLIGIBLE) put a blanket over me. Then still a lot of yelling and screaming.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They were busting in...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
WOOD: Knock down the furniture and everything.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O'BRIEN: Hostage no more. A civilian held for weeks by Iraqi insurgents is now free. We've got details on how it went down.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was pretty scary. I think a lot of the locals were pretending they weren't scared, but they were.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O'BRIEN: A tsunami scare on the U.S. coast, after a big quake. Did America's warning system work?
From the CNN center in Atlanta, I'm Miles O'Brien. Kyra Phillips is off. CNN's LIVE FROM starts right now.
Terri Schiavo, how she died. We have the official autopsy results, a surprise to some, not to others. Cutting the doctor-speak, it's in line with those who believe that those who believe Terri Schiavo's battle was a losing one, all along.
Details now from Susan Candiotti in Largo, Florida, today -- Susan.
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Miles.
And that is because she suffered severe brain injury. However, anyone who was hoping to completely solve the mystery of Terri Schiavo's death won't be satisfied this day, and that's because the medical examiner that performed her autopsy, that took more than 270 photographs, all kinds of analyses and scans, says that, nevertheless, he cannot say with any certainty what caused the heart of a healthy 26-year-old woman to stop beating back in 1990.
However, the medical examiner says he does know this: she suffered extensive and severe brain injury.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. JON THOGMARTIN, MEDICAL EXAMINER: Her brain was profoundly atrophied. The brain weighed 615 grams, roughly half of the expected weight of a human brain. This was due to diffuse hypoxic/ischemic damage. There was massive neuronal loss or death.
This damage was irreversible, and no amount of therapy or treatment would have regenerated the mass amount of neurons.
Of note, there was severe occipital lobe necrosis. Her vision centers of her brain were dead. Therefore, Mrs. Schiavo had what's called cortical blindness. She was blind; could not see.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CANDIOTTI: So again, it's critical to note what the doctor said there: no amount of therapy could have reversed the extent of her brain injury.
He also did answer some other questions. He said at the time of her death -- that was back on March 31 of this year -- that Terri Schiavo, he said, did not starve to death. She was dehydrated.
Other questions: was she in a persistent vegetative state? The medical examiner would not answer that question precisely. However, he said he did not find anything inconsistent with that diagnosis, which is a clinical one.
He also indicated that he found absolutely no signs of abuse, no kind of physical trauma at the time of her collapse, 15 years ago up, until the end.
So, again this calls into question, according to the Schindler family, well what caused her death? They say that, while they are grateful this report -- for this report, they can't be totally happy, because it doesn't answer their question about what caused their daughter to collapse back in 1990.
They also feel as though, still to this day, that her feeding tube should not have been pulled when it was because, in their opinion, she did not have to die at that time.
However, Michael Schiavo has consistently said that it was his decision to make because of what wife had indicated, that even though she had no written living will, and the courts agree that it was Terri Schiavo's decision not to live in that kind of state.
And so that's where things stand at this time. We do expect a news conference this afternoon from the lawyer representing Michael Schiavo, to tell us what they think about this autopsy report.
Back to you, Miles.
O'BRIEN: Susan Candiotti in Largo, thank you.
On the phone with us right now, on his way to Bloomington, Minnesota, is Brother Paul O'Donnell. You probably recall him as a spokesman for Bob and Mary Schindler, the parents of Terri Schiavo.
Brother Paul, can you hear me?
BROTHER PAUL O'DONNELL, SPOKESMAN FOR SCHINDLERS: Yes, I can.
O'BRIEN: All right. Well, first of all, did anything in this autopsy report surprise you?
O'DONNELL: Well, I think that, one, we have confirmed that the potassium deficiency that Terri was supposed to have had was not as a result of bulimia, which was the grounds of the whole medical malpractice suit.
Also, it was clear that she did not have any type of heart attack. And there still is a lot of questions that the family has, especially how long 911 was called before, you know, the police arrived and paramedics arrived. And also what Michael Schiavo did once he found Terri.
O'BRIEN: Well, now let's pick up on that point. Because the medical examiner was very clear in stating there was no evidence of any sort of abuse in this case.
O'DONNELL: Well, we just -- we had grounds to question that. As one can point out, there is no concrete evidence, but we would like to have other physicians review his report, not just accept this medical examiner's report.
It is highly unlikely, even in a person in this condition, that she would have all those fractures in her bone scan. I personally cared for people that had been in Terri Schiavo's condition, and I've never seen a 26-year-old woman with that extensive osteoporosis...
O'BRIEN: So -- so you are not accepting, then, the medical examiner's conclusion that there was no abuse in this case? Are you saying that you need additional evidence, additional autopsies, and so forth, examinations?
O'DONNELL: No, I think that, first of all, clearly, we need to set down and read the whole medical examiner's report. I know our attorneys are doing that now. The family has not had a chance to totally review that. But we are not, of course, satisfied. And, of course, this -- this can still be left to further inquiry, as the medical examiner said. There is no concrete evidence what caused her to go into this condition. And the bottom line is, still...
O'BRIEN: So what are you alluding to, then, Brother Paul? If you say there's no concrete evidence, are you saying that there was some foul play which led her into this situation?
O'DONNELL: I think that there is still questions that the family has concerning Michael Schiavo's actions on the night and early morning of Terri's collapse. And that's all I can really say, because I haven't had an opportunity to talk to the rest of the family, only Bob Jr. And they are concerned -- they still have some questions.
O'BRIEN: All right. No hope of recovery, that portion of the report, do you quibble with that?
O'DONNELL: Well, our issue has never been what condition Terri was in. This is a family that has severely brain damaged daughter that wanted to care for her. And we ended up starving and dehydrating her to death.
O'BRIEN: But, the state -- Brother Paul, isn't the state of her condition the most relevant discussion here, inasmuch...
O'DONNELL: If her...
O'BRIEN: ... what her intentions were, should she be in that situation, were the core of the legal case here.
O'DONNELL: Well, yes, but the core of the legal case was based on hearsay, and -- and we don't have evidence in writing or otherwise that Terri...
O'BRIEN: No, no, no, but it was good enough -- no, no, no, you say it was hearsay, but it was good enough for several legal reviews. And in several legal reviews, it was proven she had, in fact, made that very clear.
O'DONNELL: No, no, no.
O'BRIEN: So I guess the point is, if it turns out that it's clear-cut in this medical examiner's report there was no hope of recovery and she had stated, legally that has been proven, stated that she did not want to go on that way, where does that leave you?
O'DONNELL: Whether Terri -- whether Terri was a brain injured woman the rest of her life or whether she'd recover was not the issue for the family. She was their daughter. They wanted to care for her, no matter what her condition was.
O'BRIEN: All right, Brother Paul O'Donnell, thank you for your time. Appreciate it.
We'll hear more from the other side of this case a little later on LIVE FROM. Michael Schiavo's attorney, George Felos, expected to hold a news conference at 2:30 Eastern Time. We, of course, will bring that to you live as it happens.
Still a mystery. Other Florida authorities say it may take weeks before they know why a young boy died after going on a thrill ride at Walt Disney World. Preliminary autopsy reports show no trauma. The 4-year-old passed out, later died, after getting on the Mission: Space ride at Epcot Center, one of the more popular and intense rides at that particular Disney theme park.
In our "Security Watch," what to do with hundreds of terror suspects labeled enemy combatants by the U.S. government. Critics charge the military prison on Guantanamo Bay has become an international embarrassment. Supporters insist it plays a vital role in the war on terror.
CNN's Ed Henry with more on who's saying what today on Capitol Hill -- Ed.
ED HENRY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good afternoon, Miles.
That's right, a fierce battle with Democrats are saying basically that they feel Guantanamo is a gulag, a legal black hole where detainees are abused. They say it's gotten so bad, it's damaged America's image so badly around the world, that it's time to shut this U.S. prison down once and for all.
But Republicans today at this hearing continue to insist that, in fact, the detainees, some 500 or so who are being held at Guantanamo Bay, that these detainees are not only treated humanely, they're practically treated like kings.
A couple days ago, you'll remember, Republican Congressman Duncan Hunter trotted out the menu for these detainees, that they dine on chicken and fish and vegetables. Well, today, that theme was picked up once again by Republican Senator Jeff Sessions. He said that this prison is in a scenic part of Cuba that's almost so nice that it's practically a resort.
Senator Sessions also said that, in fact, what should be the focus here is the fact that these are potential terrorists who could do damage to the United States.
His comments, a stark contrast to what Democratic Senator Patrick Leahy had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. PATRICK LEAHY (D), VERMONT: ... society of changing, changing, the focus, producing props of chicken dinners and such, seeming to argue this is more a Club Med than a prison.
Let's get real. These people have been locked up for three years, no end in sight and no process to lead us out of there. Guantanamo Bay is causing immeasurable damage to our reputation as a defender of democracy and a beacon of human rights around the world. SEN. JEFF SESSIONS (R), ALABAMA: This country is not systematically abusing prisoners. We have no policy to do so, and it's wrong to suggest that. And it puts our soldiers at risk who are in this battle, because we sent them there. And we have an obligation to them, not to make this situation worse than the. If we made errors, we'll bring them up and we'll prosecute the people. But to suggest that we're in a wholesale violation of the rules of war, I suggest is wrong.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HENRY: Senator Sessions referring there to something that Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld had to say yesterday, which is that there is no alternative right now to the prison at Guantanamo Bay. So you can't just dump these suspected terrorists all around the world.
Democrats respond that they're not advocating sending these suspected terrorists out into the streets. Instead, Democrats say, if, in fact, they are terrorists, charge them with crimes. Instead, they say, a lot of these prisoners have been languishing at Guantanamo Bay for up to three years without any charges -- Miles.
O'BRIEN: Ed Henry on Capitol Hill, thanks very much.
Now that Osama bin Laden, the world's most wanted man -- of course, live and well, so is the Taliban leader Mullah Omar. A senior Taliban military commander telling a Pakistan TV station he is still getting instructions from Omar and he says bin Laden is absolutely fine. That's a quote from him. The commander, however, would not say where either man is. It's not clear he knows for sure, however.
CNN is committed to providing you the most important information about your security. Stay tuned to CNN day and night. LIVE FROM back in a moment.
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O'BRIEN (voice-over): Next on LIVE FROM, while the search for Natalee Holloway goes on in Aruba, so does the party. Is the teenager's disappearance changing the night life?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What Mom doesn't know won't hurt her.
O'BRIEN: Later on LIVE FROM, a pregnant woman in a coma.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's just sort of a race against the cancer.
O'BRIEN: A husband and father's agonizing wait to save his baby's life.
Tomorrow on LIVE FROM, they met on the front lines of Vietnam, an Army medic, a local translator, reunited after 36 years and a trip to the store for toothpaste. The LIVE FROM interview.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
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ANNOUNCER: You're watching LIVE FROM on CNN, the most trusted name in news.
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O'BRIEN: Douglas Wood is a free man today, resting and comfortable in a safe place, we're told. He's the Australian man, a civil engineer taken hostage in April by an Islamic group in Baghdad. How he was found, by whom, is being trumpeted as a sign of great coalition progress in Iraq.
Jennifer Eccleston in Baghdad with details.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JENNIFER ECCLESTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: An extraordinary turn of events here in Baghdad. Australian national Douglas Wood taken hostage six weeks ago, today, freed from his captors by Iraqi military during operations of planned search and cordon operation in northwestern Baghdad.
They were looking for a weapons cache under the anti-insurgency push Operation Lightning when they stumbled upon the hostage. The Iraqis faced light resistance and detained a number of men.
Now, a member of Australia's emergency response team, sent here over a month ago to help secure Wood's release, said they found him in a house. He was handcuffed and he was also under a blanket. Now, he is said to be overjoyed that this ordeal is now over.
WOOD: I am extremely happy and relieved to be free again and deeply grateful to all those who worked to bring about my release. Some of these people I've already been able to thank personally. But I know there are many others I may never get the chance to meet.
ECCLESTON: Wood is now in the hands of Australian military. He is said to be in good health. He is undergoing medical tests and also psychological tests.
Now, the 63-year-old was a contractor here in Iraq. He's lived here over the past year. He resides in California, and he has an American wife. The last time we saw him was in an insurgent video on May 1, where he was pleading for life. But he also pleaded with the Australian authorities to let go their 400 troops here in Iraq, to bring them back to Australia.
And also in other news today, it was a deadly day for Iraq security and police forces. A suicide bomber, wearing an explosive belt, attacked a restaurant in an Iraqi Army base north of Baghdad, northwest of the city of Baqubah. So far, we have 23 soldiers that were killed and over 28 were wounded. An official with the Iraqi military says the blast took place at lunchtime, which accounts for the high casualty rate.
We also had another incident here in Baghdad. A suicide car bomber struck a police patrol in Eastern Baghdad, killing four people. Two of those were Iraqi police. Twenty-nine others were wounded.
Jennifer Eccleston, CNN, Baghdad.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
O'BRIEN: Now to Aruba where a concentrated search for the missing teen Natalee Holloway turns up no real clues so far. Meanwhile, the three young men who remain in police custody made a court appearance today. A source says they continue to point the finger at each other.
CNN's John Zarrella joining us from Aruba with the latest on this case -- John.
ZARRELLA: Mile, another bit of a late development here this afternoon. We understand that, through police authorities, that investigators have, in fact, and are at this hour, at the home of Joran Van Der Sloot. He is one of the three young men being held in connection with the disappearance of Natalee Holloway, one of the three who is suspected of being the last to have seen her on the night that she disappeared on May 30.
It is unclear what they have gone back to the house to do or what they have gone back to the house to look for. But police are confirming that investigators have returned to Van Der Sloot's home.
And as often happens down here, things do happen at a moment's notice and with somewhat of a surprise. And that was the case again today when these three young men did go to court, had a court appearance today. It's unclear why all three of them were in court at the same time.
But we did have the opportunity to talk to the attorney representing one of the two Surinamese men who are being held. And Deepak Kalpoe's attorney told us that he had gone to court for a hearing, seeking the release of documents and evidence.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RUDY OOMAN, DEEPAK KALPOE'S ATTORNEY: We had a brief hearing here about the withholding of certain documents regarding my client. And tomorrow the judge is going to decide on that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ZARRELLA: Now, the attorney also said that his client is maintaining his innocence, that he did nothing wrong, but would not answer questions about whether his client has made statements that he and his brother dropped Natalee off near the Marriott with the Dutch boy, that being Van Der Sloot. So no confirmation of that from the attorney.
One other note: this weekend, there was a carnival scheduled here on the island. It has been postponed, the carnival postponed, because so many police resources are tied up covering the investigation here. And, also, authorities tell us, just because this is not a good time to be having a carnival -- Miles.
O'BRIEN: John, so that search we told viewers so much about yesterday yielded nothing of consequence?
ZARRELLA: At this point what we're told is no, nothing of consequence. In fact, they opened up that scene about 7 p.m. last night and, in fact, this morning, I went over there with our cameraman. We walked around there. There were a few police officers. We asked, "Is it OK to be here?" No problem.
So apparently -- they would have kept it cordoned off, had they found any evidence that Natalee Holloway or any of her belongings were there. But no, it has been reopened and no indication that they found anything whatsoever involving this case there at that particular scene -- Miles.
O'BRIEN: John Zarrella, in Aruba, thank you very much.
Even as the search for Natalee Holloway continues so does the party as far as other teens are concerned there.
CNN's Karl Penhaul takes a look at the still bustling social scene in Aruba and the persistent arrogance of youth, the firm belief that nothing bad could ever happen to them.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KARL PENHAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): School's out for Stoneham (ph) High's class of 2005. It's time for cocktails, a splash of sun, sea and something exotic.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's going to be a great time.
PENHAUL: They paid $1,500 each for this all inclusive graduation trip from Boston. They're at the same hotel where Natalee Holloway stayed.
Meet homecoming queen Allie (ph).
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Are we going to go to Iguana Joe's or Mambo Jambo or Carlos 'n Charlie's?
PENHAUL: Time to get ready. Tony's in demand.
(on camera) You're on holiday, you're here to have fun, and I'm sure you're here to blow off some steam. I mean, you've been working hard all year. I mean, is that about the short and tall of it?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Basically.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, we're here to have fun, start our last summer, like, really all together.
PENHAUL: What -- what did you start to think when you saw all this case about Natalee? Did any of you have second thoughts?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Our parents did.
PENHAUL: What have they been saying?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Don't go. If you do go, don't go to Carlos 'n Charlie's, blah blah blah.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: After what happened with Natalee, I don't -- I think we're trying to stay away from, like, people outside of our group.
PENHAUL (voice-over): The gang's planning on hitting Carlos 'n Charlie's, where Natalee Holloway was last seen. But haven't parents banned them from there?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What Mom doesn't know won't hurt her.
PENHAUL: Unlike Natalee Holloway's group, there's no chaperones here, but they've set up their own buddy system.
On the bus, and the party's already kicking off. It's going to be a wild one.
Tony shares her photos with us. It's a booze and boogie wonderland.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Six days a weeks baby.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When any guy came near one of us, all the guys were around.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And the party's right here.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Every night, dude.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Amazing.
PENHAUL: Closing time, the homecoming queen seems a little worse for wear. What's she been drinking?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Sex on the Beach. And they make you want to have sex on the beach.
PENHAUL: And what about Mike, the high school soccer MVP?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We'll be back tomorrow.
PENHAUL: Steve's been drinking yards of beer. He'd be the first to admit he's only just holding it together.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, amazing. It was awesome. We had a good time. A lot of girls. A lot of drinks. Carlos 'n Charlie's is the best bar ever, best bar.
Taxi's waiting for us. We got to go. You're my boy. You're my boy.
PENHAUL: The buddy system seems to be in chaos.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, some people are saying -- not my problem.
PENHAUL: Lindsay thinks the numbers add up.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're the Army; we never leave a man behind.
PENHAUL: Allie (ph) seems less sure.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The buddy system...
PENHAUL (on camera): Do you think the buddy system panned out?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Beautifully, except my buddy's not with me. I've got a new buddy.
PENHAUL: At this moment, it's almost two weeks to the minute since Natalee Holloway was last seen.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: See you later.
PENHAUL: Karl Penhaul, CNN, Oranjestad, Aruba.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
O'BRIEN: Sure is good to see they're not driving.
An earthquake sends people from British Columbia down to California scurrying for fear of a possible tsunami. Did the warning system work? We'll check that out a little later on LIVE FROM.
And just ahead, the race against the clock to save the baby of a comatose pregnant woman. Stay with us.
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