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Mount Merapi Continues to Spew Lava; Open Border; Seconds to Spare?; Battling Eminent Domain in New London

Aired June 06, 2006 - 14:01   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Thousands of people dead, more than a half a million homeless, and that was after the earthquake. Today things are rapidly getting worse on Indonesia's Java Island.
At least 10,000 are being evacuated as Mount Merapi threatens to blow. Lava and super-heated puffs of gas are escaping. The mountain's lava dome has swelled in recent weeks, and some scientists think the magnitude 6.3 quake 10 days ago may have been just a warm-up act to a major eruption.

Let's check in with John Pallister with the U.S. Geological Survey in Vancouver, Washington.

John, you and I talked about this I think a week or two ago. Now it's getting worse.

What's your take on what's happening?

JOHN PALLISTER, U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY, VANCOUVER: Well, I think we need to be a little careful first in saying that it really is getting that much worse. The lava dome is growing, and it is -- the reports back from the Merapi Volcano Observatory indicate that it has grown and it is continuing to shed pyroclastic flows down several of the drainages.

However, it's been doing that for -- for a month now, and it's not clear to me, at least at this point, that -- that the evacuation that you just reported is much more than what has already been in effect for a while now. The report from the observatory last night had an update reiterating the evacuation that's been in place for several of the villages along the flank of the volcano.

So I think we'll really have to wait until -- until morning there and get the news of whether this evacuation is really anything that new. We haven't seen any reports to date or as of last night of the activity of the volcano being that much greater than it has been in the last week.

That's not to say that there isn't a significant risk. There certainly is. But I think we need to be a little careful on potentially getting ahead of a breaking story.

PHILLIPS: So we might need to downplay this a little bit? Is that what you're saying?

PALLISTER: I think I would be careful in over-interpreting. There have been some -- there's been misinformation coming out over the last -- last week. For example, an earthquake -- an aftershock of the earthquakes was reported the other day that the observatory in Indonesia reports did not happen.

You know, they're the authoritative source at the Merapi Volcano Observatory. It's a first-rate institution run by the Indonesian government, and they're doing a marvelous job in a very trying situation.

So it's just a word of caution to -- let's watch and be prepared to help, as we are in the USGS when called on. But, you know, just a word of caution on over-interpretation on a potentially very hazardous situation, but one that is likely to vary in its intensity over a period of weeks and months, or even more.

PHILLIPS: So, John, the 11,000 villagers that were evacuated, that was a good move, right?

PALLISTER: Well, it potentially could be a good move. I guess, yes, I would have to say certainly a good move. It was put in place in the past as best I can interpret it. And again, we'll just have to -- have to hear if this is any real change compared to the evacuation that's already been in place for one region on the volcano.

KAGAN: Got it. John Pallister, I know you're keeping your eye on it. And so we will. We'll talk again.

Thanks, John.

PALLISTER: OK. My pleasure. Thank you.

PHILLIPS: Well, more now on the possibility of new disaster for Indonesia. CNN meteorologist Jacqui Jeras takes a look at Mount Merapi.

Hey, Jacqui.

JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Hey, Kyra.

This is a very active part of the world. In fact, the most active. It's around the Pacific Ring of Fire.

I'm sure you've heard of that. That's where the plates come together. We talk about plate tectonics, and that's where we have the most earthquakes and the most volcanoes in the world.

In fact, 80 percent of them happen here. And there's still a lot that we don't know about how these things happen. And that's why monitoring them is very important. And you can see that scientists all across the world are monitoring what's happening right there at Mount Merapi to help provide clues as to what could happen elsewhere.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JERAS (voice over): In the aftermath of an earthquake that killed thousands, they're waiting for the other shoe to drop. Just 30 miles from the center of the quake is Mount Merapi, said to be the most dangerous of Indonesia's 130 active volcanoes.

A month's worth of small eruptions and rumblings had Merapi's neighbors on alert. The Indonesian government has a ring of eight seismographs around the mountain to provide early warning.

Villages on the volcano's slopes face a special threat, made worse by rainy weather on the island of Java. A muddy mix of rock and volcanic ash called a lahar can slide down the mountainside with little or no warning. Lahars caused this damage after Mount Pinatubo erupted in the Philippines in 1992.

Volcano watchers in the U.S. have done double-duty recently. Alaska's Augustine Volcano has spewed ash since January. Scientists keep an eye on the remote volcano not just through seismic readings, but also with Web cams.

And in Washington State, Mount St. Helens is in its third year of rumbling. Small quakes beneath the mountain are an everyday occurrence. The area around the volcano has been on orange alert since 2004, and recently a pillar of lava rock has pushed up some 300 feet from Mount St. Helen's crater. It's growing by about four or five feet per day.

But with scientists monitoring the mountain 24/7, Mount St. Helens' area neighbors should have ample warning if the volcano stages a repeat of its massive eruption 26 years ago.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

JERAS: And while there may be several different ways to help detect and monitor these rumblings, there's still no real good way of predictions. And I think that's probably why Mr. Pallister, Kyra, was talking about being a little hesitant as to what may be to come.

And one of the other big unknowns right now is that lava dome, Kyra, that he was talking about. They're just not sure if that could collapse altogether, if it may slowly crumble over a period of time, or if it actually may continue to grow.

PHILLIPS: All right. Jacqui, thanks so much.

The U.S. is -- well, as the U.S. is battling illegal immigration, the borders are the frontlines. And that's where we find the commander in chief today.

At his first stop, Artesia, New Mexico, President Bush toured a training center for border guards. He said thousands of incoming National Guard troops will help them, not replace them.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The Border Patrol is in the lead. That's why you're going through significant training.

The Border Patrol is the primary law enforcement agency on the border. And so the Guard's units are down there to support your job. They're to make it easier for you to do your job.

Our Guard units will not involved in direct law enforcement activities. That's not what they're going down there for. The United States of America will not militarize our border.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Well, Mr. Bush's next stop, the Border Patrol sector headquarters in Laredo, Texas. Pre-9/11, the U.S.-Canadian border was known as the world's longest undefended frontier. It runs for 12 states and more than 4,000 miles, not counting Alaska.

Almost five years post-9/11, border security is a whole lot tighter in spots, still nonexistent in others. If you think I'm exaggerating, well, check out Gary Tuchman's report for "ANDERSON COOPER 360."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GARY TUCHMAN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's late afternoon, rush hour in many places. But not here.

On this desolate roadway in the Canadian province of Manitoba, where a monument separates Manitoba on the left from Minnesota on the right, a sign warns that you're about to arrive to the official U.S. border checkpoint. And then there it is, the Jim's Corner Immigration Customs Reporting Station, which looks like a shack and operates on the honor system.

Two sheriffs on the American side are not happy about it.

(on camera): What percentage of people in general do you believe check in there?

DALLAS BLOCK, SHERIFF, LAKE OF THE WOODS COUNTY: I believe it's less than 30 percent. Maybe even far less than that.

TUCHMAN (voice-over): When we entered Lake of the Woods County, Minnesota, from Canada, we went through the rather unorthodox process.

(on camera): Push the call, push the American flag.

Inside the shack, a videophone connected to a border agent 50 mile as way.

Hello, U.S. Customs. I'm at the Jim's Corner. My name is Gary Tuchman. I think you'll find I have a clean record.

The agent looks at you through the camera, and you look at the agent. What is your name?

OFFICER JOHNSON, BORDER AGENT: Officer Johnson.

TUCHMAN: Hello, Officer Johnson.

(voice-over): Officer Johnson would have no way of knowing if people were just driving by the shack without stopping, which indeed often happens because many honorable people can't be bothered with the videophone that often doesn't work.

(on camera): I'm going to hold you up my passport first. Can you see it?

JOHNSON: Okay.

TUCHMAN: That's me.

(voice-over): We were approved to enter the U.S. in a most unusual tourist town called Angle Inlet. It's actually an enclave not physically connected to the rest of the U.S. You have to drive 40 miles within Canada to the northern side of the Lake of the Woods to get there.

There are far more deer than people who live here. The town is the state's only remaining one-room public schoolhouse. But amid the charm of this tranquil town, the sheriff of Lake of the Woods County says drug dealers drive past Jim's Corner, and then take boats in the summer or snowmobiles in the winter into the heart of the U.S. And he says there's even more.

(on camera): It is your professional opinion that terrorists have gone through Angle Inlet into the mainland United States?

BLOCK: Yes, it is.

TUCHMAN: And that's through intelligence you have?

BLOCK: Yes. We have pretty accurate, pretty reliable intelligence that that has happened. I don't think Osama bin Laden's going to check in there, but. So you're really on your honor system.

TUCHMAN: It's 6:00 p.m. on a chilly day. So most of the boaters have gone back to shore for the evening. This lake is very empty. But even in the summer in the middle of the day, it is very uncrowded on this lake, which makes it easy for people who might be up to no good to go relatively unnoticed.

(voice-over): Some of the year-round residents are concerned all this talk could scare away tourists. Jerry Stallock owns a restaurant.

JERRY STALLOCK, OWNER, JERRY'S RESTAURANT: I personally don't think this is as big a threat as some of the other people.

TUCHMAN: But the sheriff says in this post-9/11 world, one cannot be too careful. Although he does admit to a transgression.

Do you stop at the border station?

BLOCK: I do. Sometimes.

TUCHMAN: U.S. Customs and Border Protection tell CNN its officers who periodically visit this border area will start making more frequent visits. And better technology will be added, including cameras providing surveillance over the area, not just inside the shack. We did encounter one man from Manitoba who did stop at the videophone.

Any luck?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No luck.

TUCHMAN: But it didn't work, so he called on a pay phone...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. John Funk (ph), reporting in at Youngs -- at Jim's Corner.

TUCHMAN: ... to report his arrival into the United States of America.

Gary Tuchman, CNN, Angle Inlet, Minnesota.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: And Anderson Cooper is covering all angles of immigration stories. Watch "AC 360" weeknights, 10:00 Eastern, 7:00 Pacific.

Clan warfare in Somalia. Thousands of protesters hit the streets of the capital today, Mogadishu, in support of the city's largest clan facing an onslaught by an Islamic militia. The militia drove out fighters from a secular alliance yesterday. The U.S. accuses the Islamists of ties to al Qaeda.

Another bloody day for U.S. troops in Afghanistan. A roadside bomb killed two U.S. soldiers and wounded a third. Elsewhere, a blast so powerful it melted asphalt. It hit a U.S.-led coalition convoy.

Three U.S. soldiers were wounded. The military says a suspected Taliban suicide bomber jammed his car in the middle of that convoy and just blew it up. There's been a surge of Taliban attacks in recent weeks.

Well, the same Taliban that was routed by U.S. forces in 2001 is back, though not in control of the country. Rooted out, rather.

Here's a look at the group's rise, fall, latest resurgence in the war in Afghanistan.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice over): The Taliban rose to power during the civil war that engulfed Afghanistan after Soviet forces withdrew in 1989. Under the command of Mullah Mohammed Omar, the Taliban gained their first foothold in the southern city of Kandahar. Initially, Afghans welcomed tough measures aimed at corrupt and often brutal warlords. Public executions and floggings became regular attempts.

But with the Taliban's capture of Kabul in 1996, their policies took a more extreme turn. Girls were barred from schools. Women were required to wear veils. Men whose beards were judged too short were jailed.

At the same time, the Taliban allowed Osama bin Laden and his al Qaeda forces to set up terrorism training camps. After the 9/11 attacks, the U.S. demanded that bin Laden be turned over for trial. The Taliban refused. U.S.-led forces invaded and the Taliban were quickly defeated.

Some analysts contend the elected government of President Hamid Karzai has made little progress in gaining control of the country. Analysts say recent fighting has been the deadliest since 2001. And with the Taliban's increasing use of suicide attacks and roadside bombs, the situation looks more and more like Iraq.

Other troubling developments, the Taliban's ability to attack with up to 300 fighters at a time and reports they've been joined by al Qaeda fighters. Experts say the Taliban are benefiting from Afghanistan's traditional weaknesses, bitter rivalries among ethnic groups, warlords and tribal leaders, a history of civil war and weak central governments.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Well, a mother's momentary lapse puts her child in peril. Luckily, two good Samaritans saved the day. A chilling brush with a suspected sex offender, we'll have that story coming up on LIVE FROM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Safe and sound after the scare of a lifetime, a very short lifetime so far, six days. And today the kidnapped victim, Priscilla Nicole Maldonado, is back with her parents in Texas just a day after being found in a sweltering condominium carport in Lubbock.

Police have arrested a 33-year-old woman who allegedly posed as a nurse to befriend the child's mother and make off with Priscilla. Priscilla's mother talked about it on CNN's "AMERICAN MORNING".

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ERICA YSASAGA, BABY'S MOTHER: She came over and she asked about my baby. She brought up about stuff she was going to give me, the baby stuff she was going to give me. And then she said if she could take my baby on the next block, some relatives lived on the next block from me and she could take Priscilla.

And I told her no, and she kept on insisting. And I told her no. And I finally went with her, and then we were walking. We walked over there and nobody was at that house, and then we were walking back and my son distracted me. And when I turned around she was gone with Priscilla.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Well, Pricilla is said to be doing remarkably well at this point.

Well, allegedly snatched the moment her mother's back was turned, but an eight-year-old girl in Waterville, Maine, was spared a potential nightmare thanks to two men who were paying attention when a missing child alert went up at the local Wal-Mart.

Cherilee Budrick has more from WGME, our affiliate in Portland, Maine.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHERILEE BUDRICK, REPORTER, WGME (voice over): Parents in the Waterville area are holding on to their children a little tighter as word gets out about the arrest of this man.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Scary. Don't let your kids out of your site.

BUDRICK: Police say Richard Decca approached an eight-year-old girl in Wal-Mart while her mother went into the next aisle. They say he told her he was going to bring her to her mother.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It makes you think when something like that happens at home.

BUDRICK (on camera): Police say Decca took the little girl into the parking lot and weren't from car to car looking for one that was open. When he finally found a door that was open, that's when the men approached. And police say they believe if he'd gotten the girl in the car, she would have been molested.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If you're a single parent or if -- you know, if you're alone and you're shopping, then, I mean, of course you're going to turn your head, of course you're going to step away for a minute. I guess I would say, don't shop alone now.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm glad she's OK.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

BUDRICK: In this case, Bruce Smith (ph) and Eric Cowett (ph) were able to bring the girl safely back to her mother. Police arrested Decca, who had just gotten out of jail the day before after posting his $300 bail on charges he sexually assaulted a one-year-old.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Every day you pick up the paper or hear the news, it's always a repeat offender. Once they put them in jail, leave them there and they wouldn't have the problem.

BUDRICK: And with bail now set at a $500,000, police say Decca should be behind bars for a while.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Well, the suspect, Richard Decca, spoke to WGME from his Augusta jail cell. He says he was simply trying to help the little girl find her mother. And he says police and the district attorney have drummed up the charges because they're desperate for a conviction.

Well, do you ever get hot under the collar when you're headed down the highway or feel like ringing someone's neck when you're stopped at a light? You're not alone. Road rage is a pretty common feeling for Americans.

More on that when LIVE FROM continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Explosive anger, violent outbursts, extreme overreactions. Well, when they take place behind the wheel of a car, they're called road rage. But horn-blasting, tailgating, bird- flipping or worse can be part of a much bigger problems. And guess what? Doctors have now come up with a name for it: Intermittent Explosive Disorder, IED for short.

A new study says it could affect 16 million of us. Well, it's marked by threats, aggressive actions, even property damage. The study says it usually shows up in adolescence and people can average 43 episodes in a lifetime.

All right. Let's turn to Wall Street, where the Dow has passed an important milestone. Unfortunately, it passed that mark going in the wrong direction, but Susan Lisovicz is going to lay it all out for us from the New York Stock Exchange.

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Well, Canada's parliament and the CBC, two alleged targets of the terror suspects arrested last week in Toronto. The suspects appeared in court today. CNN's Jeanne Meserve was there also -- Jeanne.

JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kyra, we'd had very few details about the allegations about these individuals, but the defense attorneys told us today that they had received a synopsis of the charges against their clients and some of the new allegations are quite startling.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GARY BATASAR, LAWYER FOR STEVEN CHAND: The allegations, as you reported, are quite serious, including storming and bombing of various buildings. And there's an allegation apparently that my client personally indicated that he wanted to be behead the prime minister of Canada.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MESERVE: That was Attorney Gary Batasar. He is representing Defendant Steven Chand. He said Chand was certainly quite perturbed by the allegations against him. Batasar also offered the opinion that he thought it was inappropriate that the prime minister had talked about this case, since he is named in these allegations. He said he thought the government was trying to instill fear in the public of Canada.

A lot of discussion in the courtroom today about the kind of access attorneys are getting to their clients. The attorneys said when they visit them, they are forced to talk through plexiglass, over telephones, that there were armed guards nearby. They want to have private communications with their clients. The justice of the peace here today said that he didn't know enough about the security concerns about this case to be able to change anything in that regard.

The attorneys were not satisfied with that. They said this is a basic right of Canadian citizens. One of them said this is not Guantanamo, this is Ontario. Another one pointed out that even in Nuremberg, the defendants had had access to private time with their attorneys. A couple of the attorneys indicated they would be back in court next Monday to file an emergency motion if they aren't given that sort of private access. Kyra, back to you.

PHILLIPS: Jeanne Meserve, thanks so much.

Well, they fight for their country. Now veterans are fighting their government over the theft of their personal information. Five veterans groups have filed a class action lawsuit, demanding the Department of Veteran Affairs reveal exactly who is affected. It also seeks $1,000 in damages for each victim. And there are more than 26 million apparent victims, plus another 50,000 still in the service. This is the second lawsuit since the V.A. announced thieves took the data from a computer analyst's home last month.

It's voting day in some places, judgment day potentially on five years of G.O.P. control of government. In San Diego, there's a tight battle to fill the congressional seat that used belong to Republican Duke Cunningham. The Democratic school board member is facing a Republican former congressman in a race that's being billed as a barometer for the November elections. As you may know, Cunningham is in jail for accepting bribes.

Primary elections are taking place in California, Montana, New Mexico, South Dakota, Iowa, Mississippi, Alabama and New Jersey. In Alameda County, California, they aren't using electronic voting machines this year, and officials fear hand counting could delay results in the Democratic primary for governor.

The city and the courts say get out, but two homeowners in New London, Connecticut, are refusing. Did I mention one of those courts was the Supreme Court of the United States? Jon Camp of our affiliate WFSB has our update.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You, you, you, you, and you. You are a disgrace to the city, the state, and the nation.

JON CAMP, WFSB REPORTER (voice-over): Strong rhetoric and a strong message for New London City Council members.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Return the deeds and leave us alone.

CAMP: The city has been trying to take Michael Cristofaro home through eminent domain for the last eight years. With others, he's fought it through protests and through the courts. But last June, the U.S. Supreme Court sided with the city and finally, at this meeting, despite Governor Jodi Rell's attempts to stop it, the city council voted to remove the last two long-time property owners from their homes, upsetting most everyone in the crowd.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Motion passes 5-2.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't want to listen anymore.

CAMP: So why did the City Council pass it? Mayor Beth Sabila.

MAYOR BETH SABILA, NEW LONDON, CONNECTICUT: The citizens of New London, the 25,000 citizens, need to have an economic driver to alleviate the tax burden to improve our schools.

MICHAEL CRISTOFARO, HOLDOUT HOMEOWNER: I'll do whatever it takes to stay in that property.

CAMP (on camera): Include chaining yourself?

CRISTOFARO: Chaining ourselves to the house, barricading ourselves into the house, a human chain, whatever it takes to send the message that we are not going anywhere.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: And so far no such confrontation, but we're going to keep you posted.

The victims were down and out, the crime was hit and run, but the cops smell murder for money. Meet the suspects: little old ladies whose alleged scheme has shocked veteran detectives.

CNN's Peter Viles is following this Hitchcockian tale for "ANDERSON COOPER 360."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PETER VILES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The two elderly ladies pleaded not guilty to fraud, 75-year-old Helen Golay, in the glasses and the bouffant, and 73-year-old Olga Rutterschmidt, allegedly behind a scheme so twisted, it shocked even the cops.

DETECTIVE DENNIS KILCOYNE, LAPD: I will tell you, I'm in my 30th year, probably 21 years in homicide. And this is -- this is pretty evil.

VILES: Death number one, a homeless man named Paul Vados, killed by a hit-and-run driver in this alleyway in 1989. No suspect was apprehended. Death number two, a year ago another alley, another hit-and-run, another dead homeless man, Kenneth McDavid, again, no suspect. There was something weird about the McDavid case, though. Two old ladies kept bugging the investigating detective for information.

LT. LYLE PRIDEAUX, LAPD: He was suspicious, in that these two women with no apparent interest in this person were making all these inquiries and wanted copies of reports and things like that.

VILES: The women were Helen Golay and Olga Rutterschmidt. It just so happened they had taken out nine life insurance policies on McDavid, the homeless victim. When another detective heard that, he said, wait a minute, I remember those two from a cold case.

KILCOYNE: The cobwebs were cleared out. The file was located. And there's a -- the Paul Vados 1989 incident. And, sure enough, the same two little old ladies, Olga and Helen, were doing the same thing then.

VILES: What emerged was chilling, women who allegedly befriended homeless men, took out insurance policies on them, and then collected more than $2 million when the men died violent deaths.

COMMANDER HARLAN WARD, LAPD: We had to refocus the death investigations of these two men on these two women.

VILES: They were arrested last month, Golay near the beach in Santa Monica, where she owns property, Rutterschmidt in a modest Hollywood apartment complex. For now, they're charged only with lying when they took out the insurance policies.

KIM SAVO, PUBLIC DEFENDER: They're charged with mail fraud, mail fraud. It's a very boring federal offense.

ROGER DIAMOND, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: There's just no evidence of any murder. If they had evidence, they would have filed charges.

VILES: But police believe there were two murders and that the women are the prime suspects.

KILCOYNE: Probably anyone in this room would think that this is probably not something that -- even though they're -- they're gaining financial gain for this, that they would -- would leave the actual dirty work to someone else or hire someone. We're not so sure about that anymore.

VILES: When they showed up in April for a free lunch at this church, the pastor assumed they were like many other older women, down on their luck.

PASTOR CHARLES SUHAYDA, HOLLYWOOD PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH: Many of them, as you know, live on very small Social Security incomes. And many of them are in poverty here.

VILES: Then he learned they had cashed in when two homeless men who took their meals here were killed. SUHAYDA: And to think that, you know, people would be victimized in such a way was, you know, very sad for me.

VILES (on camera): Now police are still investigating and they're asking the public in Los Angeles for some help. The question, are there other homeless men who have suffered the same fate?

Peter Viles for CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: And you can watch "ANDERSON COOPER 360" weeknights beginning at 10:00 p.m. Eastern.

A criminology lesson comes to life for high school students in Florida. What these teens found triggered an immediate call to police. You're watching CNN, the most trusted name in news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: CSI 101: taking photos, bagging evidence. These students in Florida were just pretending to be crime scene investigators when there make believe mystery got real. CNN's Carol Costello reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BILLY SPRITZER, STUDENT: There are no words to describe it. I was freaking out.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For a group of high school criminology students it was a frightening lesson in forensics.

JOSH ROZENTAL, STUDENT WHO FOUND BODY: It look looked real, but we thought since we were here for an investigation, it wouldn't be.

COSTELLO: The summer classroom at Saint Thomas Aquinas in Fort Lauderdale was on a field trip Monday conducting a mock crime scene investigation when they came across a real dead body.

SPRITZER: We found a guy with his hand wrapped around the fence, and then -- everyone came over there, and we saw his face. We thought it was part of the crime scene.

COSTELLO: In fact, the students thought their teacher, Sue Messenger, was playing a trick on them.

ROZENTAL: I thought she made it really look good because the hand was grabbing the fence. I touched the hand and it felt real.

SUE MESSENGER, TEACHER: All of the sudden a student came running up to me and asked if I planted a real body. I had actually planted these cardboard skeletons. I was like no.

COSTELLO: The teacher and the students notified the police who turned the area into a real crime scene.

SGT. ANDY PALLEN, FORT LAUDERDALE POLICE: Ironic case set of circumstances that they were out here in a summer program for crime scene investigation when they came across the body.

COSTELLO: Police believe the victim, a man about 55 years old, died of natural causes, but the gruesome discovery was an invaluable lesson for students trying to solve a mock mystery and stumbling upon the real thing.

ROZENTAL: That's the first time I've ever seen a dead body. That was crazy. The smell I'll never forget. This is a great experience.

MESSENGER: You know that old expression, true life is stranger than fiction? I think this definitely holds true here.

COSTELLO: Carol Costello, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: You can see more of Carol Costello reports on CNN's AMERICAN MORNING every weekday at 6:00 a.m. eastern right here on CNN.

Do you play the heavy with your kids? Then your kids might get heavy as a result. A new study shows strict parenting can make for overweight children. Researchers studied moms and their kids in 10 U.S. cities and found a higher rate of obesity among children of strict disciplinarians -- 17 percent of kids with strict moms were overweight compared to about 10 percent for neglectful and permissive parents. The kids who were least likely to have weight issues were children with parents who set rules but were flexible and treated their kids with respect.

Straight ahead, entertainment news with A.J. Hammer of "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT." A.J., what do you have today?

A.J. HAMMER, CNNHN ANCHOR: Actress Cybil Shepherd is heading to the small screen again which is a good thing because we love Cybil. And Oprah Winfrey, the wedding crasher? All that and more when LIVE FROM continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Some people think all tattoos are cheesy, but this one is meant to be. Remember the South Florida woman who had a grilled cheese sandwich that she said looked like a the Virgin Mary? Now she has a tattoo of the same thing on her chest. What else was Diane Dewser (ph) doing after selling her cherished artifact on eBay last November? She needed to spend the some of the 28,000 bucks that the Golden Palace Casino paid for it. Insert for our own punch line here because the only ones we can think of would probably get us in a whole lot of trouble..

Cybill Shepherd is returning to the small screen. You will soon be able to see Jay Leno on an even smaller screen, and Oprah Winfrey, wedding crashing? A.J. will make sense of all of those headlines for us.

HAMMER: I can't let you talk about the grilled cheese story without letting you know that the sandwich is going on tour with Captain Kirk's kidney stone.

PHILLIPS: Are you being serious?

HAMMER: I'm being totally serious.

PHILLIPS: Is it coming through Atlanta?

HAMMER: I'll let you know. It will be right here in the afternoon. We'll be sure to tell you. Everybody loves Cybill Shepard, right Kyra?

PHILLIPS: Absolutely.

HAMMER: Of course we last saw her playing Martha Stewart on the made for T.V. movie that she did. But now we're going to get to see Cybill, in shall we say, a whole new light. Shepherd is going to soon be joining the cast of Showtime's lesbian-themed drama "The L Word." She's going to be playing a college president who happens to be married, but who is beginning to question her own sexuality. "The L Word" will begin its fourth season next year.

Do you love watching NBC's "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," but maybe sometimes you just can't stay up late enough to catch it? Well now you can actually take it with you, starting today. You're going to be able to access the late night show's full monologue and some of the comedy sketches the very next day on i-Tunes. Viewers will have access to the five most recent monologues and sketches and they're going on sale for $1.99 a piece.

Now one would think that Oprah Winfrey could simply get invited to any party in the world if she wanted to be here. But now you can call her Oprah Winfrey, the wedding crasher. It's true. Last weekend, in a turn no doubt inspired by the movie "Wedding Crashers," Winfrey crashed several Tulsa, Oklahoma wedding receptions to collect footage for the "Oprah Winfrey Show." She dropped off dishes for the newlyweds, she posed for a picture during her few minutes at the wedding reception. And before visiting the wedding reception, she actually stopped off at another wedding party. The video will be shown on her show when it returns in September. Kyra, can you imagine? You're having your wedding party and there's Oprah, maybe jumping up and down in the pew, I don't know.

PHILLIPS: My guess is she'd probably be the life of the party, what do you think?

HAMMER: I think so and probably brings pretty nice dishes, if that's what she's dropping off.

PHILLIPS: All right, so what else is coming up tonight?

HAMMER: Well coming up tonight, reliving a nightmare. Why one of Tom Cruise's former co-stars must confront the horrible memories of the night a rapist changed her life forever. It's a chilling story and we'll have it for you on television's most provocative entertainment news hour, it's "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT." You can find us at 11:00 p.m. Eastern on CNN Headline Prime.

PHILLIPS: Thanks, A.J.

HAMMER: All right, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Well up next, reaching the top of the world and being left for dead on the way. We're going to talk with the hero who came to this climber's rescue 20,00 feet up, when LIVE FROM continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Australian mountain climber Lincoln Hall had conquered Mount Everest. And he made it about 500 feet down from the top last month when something went horribly wrong. He got sick, and then his guides say that they thought he was dead. So they left him on the mountain. But then American climber Dan Mazur came to his rescue. We recently caught up with him in Tibet. Here's Dan's story in his own words.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAN MAZUR, SAVED MOUNTAIN CLIMBER (voice-over): We were just coming up the ridge at 7:30 in the morning. We rounded a little corner, and there was a person sitting there. And it was pretty windy and cold, you know, dawn, first light. And he didn't have a hat on, and no gloves, and he had his top off and was sitting there in sort of like -- almost like his T-shirt.

I was very surprised he lived and the first thing he said was "I imagine you're very surprised to see me here." I said, "You know, what are you doing here?" And he said, "You know, I don't know." I said, "Do you know your name?" And he said, "Yes it's Lincoln Hall." And I said, "Oh, OK." And then he looked at me and he said, "Could you please tell me what I'm doing here?" I said, "I have no idea, buddy."

Finally we got someone from their team on the radio and said we found this guy up here. Their first reaction was no, it's not possible. We said yes. We found him, and they said, "Well, you mean he's alive?" I said we need to get some of your sherpas up here. Finally they got up there, and we thought that he seemed like he was in pretty good hands.

I think he was with some of the same sherpas that he'd been with the night before who had decided he wasn't going to make it. That never entered our minds, should we stop or not. Immediately, it was like what the heck are you doing here?

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Thanks to Dan, Lincoln Hall made it safely down the mountain. But just 10 days before, another climber wasn't so lucky. David Sharp was also left dying on the mountain. Forty people passed him by and Sharp died. That's raises questions about the ethics of climbing Mount Everest. We asked Dan what we thought about that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAZUR: Going to Everest is a lot more possible. Nowadays if you save your pennies and do your training and get a lot of practice on other mountains and stuff, you know, a lot of people you see walking by on the street might have a good chance getting to the top of Everest.

There's a little more of an anonymity. I think that's maybe what you're seeing with Mr. Sharp and with these two gentlemen who passed us by when we were trying to help Lincoln Hall, is you don't feel the kind of bond as much between the climbers and all the people that are out on the trail that day.

They maybe feel like they're strangers. We don't all know each other on a first-name basis and know each other's stories, which in a way it would probably be better if we did.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Well meteorologist Jacqui Jeras joins us now with more on what's happening across the country.

(WEATHER REPORT)

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