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Escaped Prison Inmate and Wife Captured in Ohio; Sell Your Home in a Weekend

Aired August 11, 2005 - 10:00   ET

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

DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: We have a lot of work to do. Let's get started with what's happening "Now in the News."
A tip from a cab driver leads to the capture of two fugitives wanted in the killing of a courthouse guard in Tennessee. George and Jennifer Hyatte were arrested at a motel in Columbus, Ohio. We're going to tell you how the manhunt went down in a live report coming up in a minute.

Meanwhile, we're standing by to hear from the cab driver himself. He's going to be holding a news conference in Newport, Kentucky, to tell his story. How did he end up picking this couple up and how did he end up leading police to where they were. That's coming up as soon as that begins out of Newport, Kentucky.

Also in the news this morning, former Worldcom CFO Scott Sullivan is due to be sentenced today. Sullivan pleaded guilty to his role in the company's $11 billion accounting fraud scandal. He was a key witness against former Worldcom CEO Bernie Ebbers who reserved a 25- year sentence.

Another purported al Qaeda video has surfaced on Al-Arabiya television. It shows the photo ID and weapon of a Navy SEAL killed this summer in Afghanistan. A Navy official says the photo appears to be that of Petty Officer Second Class Danny Deitz (ph), who's body was recovered on the Fourth of July.

And NASA's latest journey to Mars has been postponed. A software glitch is being blamed for delaying the launch of the Mars reconnaissance orbiter. NASA hopes the obiter will eventually help determine if the red planet can support human outposts.

Good morning. Thanks for joining me. I'm Daryn Kagan at CNN Center in Atlanta.

It began in a deadly burst of gunshots, it end with a phone call. An escaped Tennessee prison inmate and his wife, a former prison nurse, are in custody this morning after surrendering last night at a motel in Ohio. CNN's Alina Cho is in Columbus and she filed this report for us just minutes ago.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It was a cab driver who tipped off authorities, told them that George and Jennifer Hyatte were here at this motel in Columbus, Ohio. How did he know? Well, he was the one who drove them here from another motel about 100 miles away yesterday.

Authorities quickly acted on that tip, surrounded the motel and then called the Hyatte's motel room, told them they had a choice. Either they come out peacefully or they were going in after them. The Hyatte's immediately decided to surrender peacefully.

Investigators found in their room half-eaten food, a Hawaiian punch can and also a messy bed. They also found weapons in the room but they would not say whether it was the murder weapon that Jennifer Hyatte allegedly used to kill a corrections officer during Tuesday's escape. Jennifer Hyatte suffered a gunshot wound to the leg during that escape. Both she and her husband George will be extradited to Tennessee where they will both face first-degree murder charges.

Alina Cho, CNN, Columbus, Ohio.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: And once again we're standing by to hear from that cab driver. He is in Newport, Kentucky. Mike Wagers (ph) is his name.

While we do that, let's go to Kingston, Tennessee. That's where the story started. The site of the courthouse shooting where the two will be returned to face murder charges. Also where we find our National Correspondent Bob Franken.

Bob, good morning.

BOB FRANKEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning.

And to some degree, the investigators here who were really geared up for a really tough search with some clever fugitives are sort of marveling about how predictable their actions were, how much they seemed to be calling attention to themselves. First of all, traipsing the 390 miles from here to Columbus, Ohio, in just about the main roads around here, Interstate 40 and Interstate 75, with that stop in the Cincinnati area. Secondly, taking a cab ride, of all things, after they had to know that there had been quite a bit of publicity by them.

We have been told by the marshals that Jennifer Hyatte is no longer hospitalized. She has been taken out now. Her wounds have been treated. Not many details about what wounds she got. But that might hasten her extradition process. The extradition process for George Hyatte is well underway. You can imagine that there's not going to be much advanced publicity, particularly from the closed- mouth U.S. marshal service, about how and when the transfer is going to take place. Some officials say they hope that they'll be brought back but brought back where is a question. Each of them could possibly be brought somewhere different. Remember now that George Hyatte was a prison inmate not here. He had just been brought here for a court hearing.

As far as the investigation is concerned, it is far from over. There is a real suspicion on the part of many of the people with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and other authorities that there had to be accomplices they believe. So there is a real effort to try and identify those people, if they exist. A lot of loose ends. The biggest one being extradition and the charges against them, which will include, not limited to, the first-degree murder charge.

KAGAN: All right. We're going to -- Bob, let me jump in here because Mike Wagers, the cab driver, is talking now in Kentucky. Let's listen to him.

MIKE WAGERS, TAXICAB DRIVER: Where this all happened that as a personal customer, I guess, and my friend, Rob, called me and said, you know, would you like to cover a trip to Columbus? I said, sure. You know, it's a decent chunk of money.

So I covered the trip. And, honestly, didn't have a clue about all this going on until I got back. I picked the trip up. We immediately stopped and got gas there at the Speedway. Took them up there. We just chitchatted about nonsensical things most of the way up. Nothing really severe. I mean, I -- you know, I took them there, I dropped them off, then I came on back and actually kept working for a little bit before I realized -- you know, I was at home relaxing when I found out all this. So I called the police and they did their good work and got it done.

QUESTION: Tell us a little bit about what you thought when you found (INAUDIBLE).

WAGERS: It was really -- it was really shocking because I actually usually kind of stay up on the news and I just can't believe I got caught off guard like this because, you know, I watch the news and sports every morning so I can find out what's going on and I just totally missed this one.

QUESTION: What would you have done had you gotten them in the cab knowing who they were? Would you have taken them to Columbus? Would you have not taken them? What would you (INAUDIBLE).

WAGERS: Honestly, I never -- I haven't really thought about that. I guess now thinking about it, if it -- I would have tried to keep my cool and maybe get them up there, get them dropped off and then maybe notified the police. But, I mean, I had no clue. So I honestly haven't really thought about that until just now.

QUESTION: Can you describe a little bit for us about their -- what they looked like and their demeanor and if there was anything noticeable about them (INAUDIBLE).

WAGERS: The only thing that was really notable was when I asked them, you know, why they wound up taking a cab. They said they were involved in the accident that happened there underneath the 275 overpass the day before that had traffic all screwed up for so long. And they were with Amway and they were doing some things up in Columbus with a conference. And, you know, I honestly can say, I didn't really believe that but I'd been paid for the trip. So when I -- you know, they gave me no calls for suspicion other than, you know, the Amway thing didn't really stick but there were no outward signs of anybody or any one of them -- you know, either one of them doing anything that made me feel nervous beyond a normal cab trip.

QUESTION: Did you see any injuries on her or him?

WAGERS: Last night, or when I dropped them off, I didn't recognize any injuries like that then. But when the trip was completely done and they were getting out to go to their hotel room, she was favoring one side. And I asked her, you know, oh, what happened? She said she got banged around in the car wreck a little bit. So that was -- I mean that -- without hesitating. So, I mean, she pretty much had thought about what she'd say, I guess. I don't know.

QUESTION: Did they pay with cash?

WAGERS: Yes, they did.

QUESTION: How much? How much (INAUDIBLE)?

WAGERS: IT's $185 trip and they gave me $200 pretty much right at the start of the journey. Right at the beginning of the cab trip. So -- and that's actually, on a long trip, that's how we were told to do it anyway. I mean they offered the cash before I asked for it, so I was more than happy to take them.

QUESTION: Mike, I'd be interested in your impressions of how lucky you feel?

WAGERS: It's actually -- the luck part is really overwhelming because I honestly -- I, you know, I was just being a cab driver at the time. Now I got all this. No. Honestly, when I got home and was told to call the police, I turned the news on and I look the girl and with -- she had colored her hair or done something to it. It was like jet black. And I don't know if it was because she was sick or whatever but it made her complexion look funny. Almost to the point of being kind of pale. But I didn't know if that was the stark black hair because it just -- it didn't go with her complexion. But other than favoring herself, I mean, they didn't look too much out of the ordinary. When she got out, she kind of favored the one side and that's pretty much that.

QUESTION: What about George? Did he look any out of the ordinary at all?

WAGERS: No. I mean . . .

QUESTION: (INAUDIBLE)

WAGERS: To be honest, if -- I mean you have to understand, sitting in the driver's seat of a cab, you see your people maybe once or twice, you know, directly. The rest of the time you're driving and you're kind of looking at them, you know, through a second glance in a mirror. And, you know, I didn't feel uncomfortable. I'd been paid. So I really -- my guard was really down.

QUESTION: Did you demand to be paid up front? WAGERS: No. When we -- as soon as I picked them up, we immediately went to the gas station because I didn't know ahead of time to have that, you know, enough gas to make the trip. So I told them, hey, I got to pop in a gas station, get gas. When I got done getting gas, I was going to let them know if this wasn't a credit card trip it was going to need some cash up front, because it is such a long distance. And before we hit Interstate 75, I had a couple $100 bills handed to me. So I was satisfied. So they, you know, we chitchatted and that was pretty much it.

QUESTION: Did you guys make any stops on the way at all?

WAGERS: No. We drove -- once we made the stop for gas right there in Donaldson, we pretty much drove straight through the whole way. No stops.

QUESTION: Did they chitchat any at all? Anything about . . .

WAGERS: We chitchatted about a lot of different things and none of it was really important. None of it was, you know, had anything to do -- I asked then where they were from and they said they were from Virginia, and, you know, I don't know how true any of that is. But, I mean, other than the Amway business, you know, everything else seemed legitimate to me. I feel kind funny being, you know, involved in it, not having a clue.

QUESTION: Did they have any luggage or anything?

WAGERS: Oh, they had like two or three small-like carry-on size bags. I'm pretty sure the majority of it went in the trunk. They might have had a small bag with them but I can't honestly say because -- I can't say because I don't know.

QUESTION: (INAUDIBLE) they were intended to be extremely violent and dangerous?

WAGERS: Yes. I'm hear -- I'm hearing that.

QUESTION: (INAUDIBLE).

WAGERS: When I called -- when I was told to call the police department and I turned on the news and I saw her picture, I really started, you know -- I actually -- I don't even know what I was feeling. It was more of shock and disbelief because I just can't believe I was involved in something like this.

QUESTION: You said you chitchatted with them. Did they say anything amongst themselves or (INAUDIBLE)?

WAGERS: No. I mean, with any talking that went on between them pretty much involved me, too. I don't recall any, like, you know, hush-hush, whisper whisper's going on. You know, I mean, to them I was just a friendly cab driver, I guess, because I'm the chitchatty type. So I...

QUESTION: The authorities (INAUDIBLE) briefed you (INAUDIBLE). Tell us a little bit about that experience.

WAGERS: Well, when I called -- I called the Erlanger Police Department last night when I first was realizing this was probably me they were -- you know, that they might be looking for or whatever. I called Erlanger police. He immediately told me that he'd have the marshals get -- the U.S. marshal's office get in touch with me. When the U.S. marshal called, I gave him all the information, where I dropped them off, you know, the chitchat, you know, nothing real serious. And they said they'd be getting back with me.

Then the Columbus Police Department called me and I gave them pretty much the same information I gave the U.S. marshals. Then the U.S. marshals came to my house and took my story and everything like that. And then within a half hour after that, the Columbus police was coming -- they called me to tell me they got them and I was watching it on the news that they got them. So I was very relieved.

QUESTION: Mike, as you processes all this, when you look back on it now, when you made that stop at the Speedway, there was an opportunity there for something to go very wrong. I mean a cop car could have pulled in, anything. They could have been jumpy. I mean as you look back on it, given what you know about this, how fortunate do you feel that nothing like that happened?

WAGERS: Well, I'm very thankful that it turned out the way it did. I -- there was, you know, except for the gas station, you know, there wasn't really any other opportunity for anything to go wrong. I mean, I got kind of a heavy foot in the car, so I was trying to keep my speed under control because I can't handle any more speeding tickets.

QUESTION: Hey, Mike.

WAGERS: Yes.

QUESTION: Your cabs don't really have barriers between front and back?

WAGERS: No. Y'all want to take a look inside the cab?

QUESTION: Well, in a moment.

WAGERS: OK.

QUESTION: I wanted to ask you, though, did they have any bags with them they might have concealed weapons? I didn't hear you (INAUDIBLE).

WAGERS: Like I said a second ago, I know for sure they had like two or three bags. And I'm pretty sure the bulk of what they had went in the trunk. But I'm -- I can't say yes or no if they had one in the car with them. I would like (INAUDIBLE) -- I think they might have but I can't say yes, they did, or no, they didn't. I honestly don't know.

QUESTION: Mike, (INAUDIBLE) marshals called you a hero. (INAUDIBLE).

WAGERS: I don't want to be a hero. I really have been reluctant to do this. I don't -- I just -- I just hope someone in my same situation would have done the same thing.

QUESTION: Did you think about time off today or . . .

WAGERS: Well, as soon as we get this wrapped up, I'm going home and relax. Evidently some of your all's colleagues with the national media want my attention this evening. So I'll give it to them. But I'm going home to relax a little bit. I didn't get any sleep last night.

QUESTION: What time did you pick up this (ph)?

WAGERS: I picked them up probably about 10:30 in morning.

QUESTION: Oh, really?

WAGERS: I'm a little inaccurate on the times because I was in a hurry to get to the them. I didn't want the trip to get gone before I got to them. That's $185. And that's, you know, that's a substantial amount of money for paying our weekly lease and stuff.

QUESTION: Has anyone talked to you about a reward?

WAGERS: There was mention of it last night. I kind of joked around with the U.S. marshals. I said, I really don't want all this publicity that's going to come with it. And I was half joking around when I said, oh, yes, and a reward would be nice but I'd rather not be known for this. But I'm not really concerned about that. I'm really more concerned that they got the bad guys. I'm OK and no one else got hurt.

QUESTION: What time did you get back and get a call or see TV and realize that?

WAGERS: Well, it's actually very funny. I was at home playing video games when a friend of mine, Rob, called me and said, hey, they found that van next to where you picked the people up from the escaped people in Tennessee. You need to call the police. And, I mean, I immediately dropped the video game and called the police.

QUESTION: What time was that?

WAGERS: It was probably 8:00 p.m., maybe. I mean, I'm not real accurate on the times because, I mean, I was totally cut -- I don't want to say cut off from the news but I wasn't watching regular TV, I was playing video games and watching movies. So I really don't have a good time reference. But . . .

QUESTION: What video game?

WAGERS: Actually, . . .

QUESTION: Don't tell me, Grand Theft Auto. WAGERS: No. No. It was -- it's called Siphon Filter. It's a PlayStation I game.

QUESTION: OK.

WAGERS: It's kind of an oldie but it's, you know, it's a game. It was something to do.

QUESTION: Hey, Mike, you know, you're on national TV right now, you're on CNN . . .

WAGERS: Sure.

QUESTION: And this just sort of brings out a good public citizen kind of thing. Is there anything you might want to say to other folks that come forward during a real crisis like this?

WAGERS: Just maybe before you start the day watch the news so you can get a grip on what's going on around you. Maybe my ignorance in all this yesterday is what actually what helped me. But watch the news. You know, if -- don't hesitate, if you think you've been involved in something, to get in touch with authorities. Because last night I watched it play out on the news within an hour of me getting done with my last talk with the marshals, they had these guys. So good job to them. You guys need to interview them more and say, hey, good job to them.

QUESTION: Mike, what was the reaction of your boss -- bosses back here (INAUDIBLE) they found out?

WAGERS: Well, I can't comment on that because I don't know. You can ask the owner of my company, Mr. Nichols (ph), who's over there.

Tom, they'd like to know your reaction to when you found this out. Found out about this.

QUESTION: Not only that, Tom, but also, could you step up to the mic, if you would (INAUDIBLE) about putting the word out and alerting your people it was after the fact. What's the irony of that?

TOM NICHOLS: Yes, there's a lot of irony. I was actually informed last night. We were simply watching TV about 10:15 last night and my wife was talking to my mother-in-law and said, did you hear about, you know, what's occurring with the fugitives and their surrounding the Econo Lodge in the Erlanger area. So the first thing I did is call the office and talk to our dispatch call center just to see -- these people might be looking for transportation or something like that and to be aware. And that's when the dispatcher says, well we think that one of our drivers has already taken them to Columbus. I said, you're kidding?

So I had the dispatcher call, you know, Mike, because we were told that it was Mike, to make sure that he was OK. And about 10, 15 minutes later he calls me back said says, yes, he's okay. He's already back from Columbus and he's being interviewed by the U.S. marshals and they believe that they have the two. And that was it. Next thing you know we're watching the news, saw that they were captured in Columbus and that was it.

QUESTION: Do you give your drivers any kind of training to deal with situations like this?

NICHOLS: Well, I think the biggest training that you can have in a taxicab is trial by fire sometimes. But, you know, your constantly, you know, aware of who you're picking up, the surroundings. You know, a lot of the times when we're getting a call, a dispatcher has dispatched it or it's come from, you know, a hotel or whatever. You're getting a name and possibly a phone number, often a destination, and that gives them the awareness of safety. But you also be a safe environment in your taxi, as well as a conscious driver. So sometimes it's learning on the road. A lot of times it's just awareness prior to driving.

QUESTION: Mike, do you have a family?

WAGERS: My parents are gone. My parents both passed away quite a few year ago. I have a sister and some cousins that live in the area and I'd rather not comment further on that because I want their privacy to be respected.

QUESTION: Did you grow up here?

WAGERS: Yes, originally.

QUESTION: Where'd you go high school?

WAGERS: Actually, I went to high school in a couple different places. My mother worked for a department of the Army, so I went to high school in Indiana, in Massachusetts, and graduated in George Rogers Clark in Winchester, Kentucky.

QUESTION: How old are you?

WAGERS: Thirty-three.

QUESTION: Hey, Mike, you mentioned the chitchat. You say it wasn't about to much of anything. What chitchat you (INAUDIBLE)? What were you talking about?

WAGERS: You know, I honestly can't say because none of it really sticks out as anything prominent. The only thing that we really chitchatted about was the Amway situation and to head off any kind of aggressive sales ploy, if they were Amway people, I let them know, well, you guys have been around, you know how that business works. And I tried to tell them my bad experience with that. Hopefully to head off any kind of recruitment activity. And they didn't -- you know, Amway people are all about Amway and when they didn't -- when they didn't try any conversation further about it, that's when I pretty much thought, well, they're not with Amway, they're probably doing something else. But nothing was suspicious enough for me to be concern about it.

QUESTION: Mike, is this the actual cab behind you that you carried them in? Did police go over it? WAGERS: No. I guess apparently the crimes that they've committed were bad enough that they're not really worried so much about me that they got them and they need to be held accountable for what they've done. You know, I mean, I don't know if they needed to do something to prove I was actually the one that did it but you guys found me. So, yeah.

QUESTION: Hey, in hindsight, Mike, you know, a law enforcement officer may have been killed by these two in this crime.

WAGERS: Yes.

QUESTION: In hindsight, the next day later, knowing that, you know, these are people three feet behind your head.

WAGERS: Yes. Well, I mean, look, you know, looking with hindsight at the situation, I'm very lucky. It could have been bad. You know, if my suspicions had been aroused, there's no telling what could have happened. But it ended peacefully. The police were notified and they got the bad guys.

QUESTION: Mike, were you OK with that $15 tip?

WAGERS: Oh, you know what, in the cab business, technically that might have been a little bit light on the tip. But when you're getting $185 cash trip, when they only throw you an extra $15, you're not going to think anybody bad. You're going to -- thank you, appreciate it, and go on your way.

QUESTION: Were you glad you didn't challenge them on that?

WAGERS: As a cab driver, if I'm unhappy with somebody's money they gave me, as long as it's enough to cover the trip, I'm not supposed to show any displeasure.

QUESTION: Anything out of the ordinary about having a fare to Columbus?

WAGERS: No, not really. From our airport, it's not uncommon to take those long trips, sometimes due to weather problems or maintenance issues. The airlines will put them in our cab under like a voucher that we turn into the office here. So, I mean, to get a cash trip that far, the only thing outrageous -- or the only thing uncommon about it was it was a cash trip. Usually those are done on credit cards or vouchers through the airlines.

QUESTION: How many years have you been driving a cab?

WAGERS: About six years.

KAGAN: We've been listening in to Mike Wagers, a cab driver, 33 years old. He is the one police believe that picked up the fugitive couple, Jennifer and George Hyatte, and took them from Erlanger, Kentucky to Columbus, Ohio. That's a 115-mile trip. And tipped off police that he had dropped off the couple. He has an incredible story to tell. He says he usually keeps up on the news. Yesterday was a day he didn't and he had no idea until he got back who was in the back of his cab.

He mentioned that colleagues in the national media interested in talking to him. Later tonight, that includes our Anderson Cooper. You'll hear more with Mike Wagers, the hero cab driver, on Anderson Cooper at 7:00 p.m. Eastern.

But we have a lot more to do this morning. Still to come on CNN LIVE TODAY, he's being held in Britain but he's wanted here in the U.S. Today terror suspect Haroon Rashid Aswat appeared in a London court. Details on what happened there just ahead.

And how far would you go to for a cup of joe? Coming up later, you're going to meet one devoted drinker who is traveling the world for a cup of starbucks' coffee.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: When you hear talk about investments, it's frequently about stocks or bonds. But the biggest investment many people make is their home. And when it comes time to sell, homeowners want the biggest return they can get. So some people are doing that by putting their homes on the auction block. In today's "Top Five Tips," CNN's Gerri Willis takes a look at that option.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GERRI WILLIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The math is easy if you sell your house and avoid the agent's commission, you keep more money for yourselves. But how do you bring in buyers? We met up with one man who found a unique solution.

LARRY KAGAN, HOMESELLER: The next step was, they came in and they were great by a mortgage broker.

WILLIS: Larry Kagan is a lot like every other seller. He wanted to get the most for his home, didn't want to share profits with a real estate agent, and wanted it sold fast. But unlike many other sellers, he got his wish, finding the idea at a book store.

LARRY KAGAN: Well, I was in Barnes & Noble and I was hanging out, drinking coffee with my wife and we were looking through books and we came across a book called "How to Sell Your Home in Five Days."

WILLIS: The book, and its companion Web site, walks the reader through the process of selling a house by auction.

GEORGE CAPPONY, WWW.5-DAYSALE.COM.: You can read it in about two-and-a-half hours. And if you bought it on a Friday, you could sell your home effectively next weekend, if you so desired.

WILLIS: Kagan spent a week and about $2,500 prepping for the auction. He staged his home as you would for any open house. Created an 18-page brochure on his computer for potential buyers. Took out ads in the local newspaper and on the Internet and plastered signs around town. Then he opened bidding at just under $200,000.

LARRY KAGAN: I chose a low number to attract activity because I wanted to have activity. And, you know, so somebody truly did have the opportunity to purchase this condo for below the market value. And the market ultimately would determine the final price.

WILLIS: He let people into his home from first thing Saturday morning through 5:00 p.m. Sunday. Throughout the weekend, potential buyers toured the condo and made bids in writing which other bidder could see. To speed the process, he had a mortgage broker on hand but no real estate agents in sight. Kagan promised all bidders phone calls after 8:00 Sunday night for an update on their status.

LARRY KAGAN: Initially, I had 74 bids on my bidding sheets. So on the first round I would call 74 people and I would tell them that -- something like this. Hi, this is Larry calling from a condo in Plainview. The current high bid right now is $351,500. In order for you to advance to the next round, you have to move up the bid by at least $500. Where would you like me to place your bid?

WILLIS: The round robin bidding took eight rounds, 100 phone calls and a few hours to complete. The winning bid $366,000, more than $166,000 from where it began.

LARRY KAGAN: -- I chose to sell my home this way because it's a win-win. It's a win for the buyer and it's a win for the seller. You know, basically what we're doing here is I'm able to not pay any sort of brokerage commissions, no broker's fees, there's no broker involved, so I can afford to accept a lower price.

WILLIS: But brokers normally bring in perspective buyers. That means an auction like Kagan's is only for those who have the savvy to get people in.

CAPPONY: Understand how the flow of traffic is going to be. Understand different forms of marketing that you have to do in order to bring the people into your home. And then try to understand effectively how the bidding process works.

WILLIS: For Kagan, all that made sense.

LARRY KAGAN: I sold this condominium really in two days. I sold it. I showed it on Saturday, I showed it on Sunday, and sold it Sunday night, to the highest bidder. And, to me, that was the biggest benefit.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: That was Gerri Willis reporting. You can catch "OPEN HOUSE" 9:30 on Saturday morning.

Now let's take a look at what's happening "Now in the News."

A captured fugitive couple could appear in court today to face first-degree murder charges. Police say Jennifer Hyatte shot and killed a guard while freeing her inmate husband outside a Kingston, Tennessee, courthouse on Tuesday. Just minutes ago we heard from the cab driver who had driven the couple to Columbus, Ohio and then contacted police. He says he's not worried about whether or not he receives a reward.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MIKE WAGERS, FUGITIVES' CAB DRIVER: I'm not really concerned about that. I'm really more concerned that they got the bad guys, I'm OK, and no one else got hurt.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: From Los Angeles, we have new developments to report in last month's fatal police shooting of a 19-month-old girl. The coroner's office say Jose Pena, who allegedly used his daughter as a human shield, had large amounts of cocaine and methamphetamine in his system. The FBI has also opened an investigation into the baby's death.

President Bush meets up with his top people on defense and diplomacy today at his ranch in Crawford, Texas. Secretary of state Condoleezza Rice and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld will be among those that will be there. The meeting has become something of an annual gathering at the ranch.

He wouldn't miss it for the world. Coming up, how an army sergeant stationed in Iraq had the chance to see the birth of his daughter across the miles. Look at that little face!

But first, exactly five weeks after the first London bombing, suspects head to court today. We'll have the latest in that investigation.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: We're at five weeks to the day after the deadly July 7th London bombings. Britain, continuing its crackdown on suspected terrorists.

Robyn Curnow reports from the British capital with today's developments.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ROBYN CURNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Here at Bow Street Magistrate's Courts, ten people appearing before the magistrate, accused of withholding information and/or helping the July 21st suspected bombers to evade arrest. Also appearing here today before the magistrate, Haroon Rashid Aswat, the man wanted by Americans, with regards to helping set up a terror training camp in Oregon. All of these people were remanded in custody.

But while this legal process went underway here at Bow Street Magistrate's Court, also, more details emerging on Britain's wider fight against terrorism. British authorities saying that ten foreign nationals are being detained with an eye to being deported. They said these people were a threat to national security. They didn't give their names or their nationalities, but they did say that they assurances that when these people would be deported back to their countries of origin, that they would not be facing ill treatment, torture, or perhaps even the death penalty.

Robyn Curnow, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: Two assassinations were reported in Iraq today. One was in western Baghdad, where a police lieutenant was killed driving to work. The other took place in Basra, in the southern part of the country. The two gunmen stepped out of their car and killed a Ministry of Defense intelligence official while he was shopping at a market.

In Pennsylvania, Governor Ed Rendell said the recent news from Iraq brings home, in his words, "the crushing reality of this war." Seven Pennsylvania National Guard soldiers have died in recent days, five of them on Tuesday. Rendell says Tuesday was the deadliest day of the Iraq War for Pennsylvania soldiers.

Army Sergeant William Hamrick comforted his wife, talked to his son and watched the birth of his daughter. And he did it all from 6,000 miles away from Iraq. Look at this little baby. This is Elaina Jo. Hospital technicians in Parkersburg, West Virginia, set up a wireless video stream that put the soldier right inside the delivery room.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SGT. WILLIAM HAMRICK, FATHER: It really, truly, was amazing to be halfway around the world in a war zone and be able to be at my wife's side.

ANGELA HAMRICK, MOTHER: The most thing I remember is him being able to see the baby. Going through it, I mean, he was being moral supportive and stuff, but there was so many people -- else talking in the room that I just -- the only thing I really honestly heard was how much he said how beautiful his daughter was.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: Ah. Very special moment. Sergeant Hamrick has been in Iraq for eight months. He is with the Army Reserve's 463rd Charlie Company's Engineering Battalion. Congratulations to that family.

Have you had your soy almond mocha with no whip today? If you thought you were a Starbucks' fan, wait until you meet this guy. He's joining us in just a little while for a little coffee talk, just ahead.

Plus, corporate crime and punishment. The former number two man at WorldCom is being sentenced at this hour. We'll have details on that, just ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Time for a little coffee talk. It may seem like there's a new Starbucks popping up every time you turn around. One man made it its vision to visit every all of them, in the entire world. We're going to ask him when CNN LIVE TODAY returns.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Let's take a look at some stories making news coast to coast. South of Salt Lake City, a massive crater marking the spot where a semitrailer overturned and exploded, along with all of the cargo, more than 35,000 pounds of explosives. The driver and his passenger were able to escape the wreckage before the blast. They are among the injured. The truck, according to the highway patrolman, was, quote, "vaporized."

Indiana motorists won't be able to watch the clock as they wait in line at the Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Officials there hope they can erase the frustration level by taking down all the clocks of some 153 offices that issue and renew licenses. Customers will instead leave the office with a receipt showing how long they were there.

In New York City, health officials are encouraging restaurants to voluntarily eliminate transfats from their menus. That would meaning getting rid of many of the cooking oils and margarine. The New York State Restaurant Association says it will support that effort. Transfats are cited as a contributor to heart disease.

If you happen to be enjoying a cup of coffee right now, you are not alone. Of course, we live in caffeinated world, and you don't have to go very far to find evidence of that. Sometimes it seems like there is a Starbucks on every corner. A man who calls himself "Winter" is trying to visit all of them. He's taking a break from his quest for caffeine to join us from Washington.

Winter, good morning.

WINTER, STARBUCKS EXPLORER: Good morning, Daryn. Good to talk you.

KAGAN: You seem very calm for someone who drinks so much coffee.

WINTER: Well, in my regular life, I only drink one or two cups a day. It's when I hit the road that I really take it down.

KAGAN: OK, well, good thing we got you on a down day here. Biggest question is why? Why do you want to do this?

WINTER: I hadn't heard of anybody else doing it when I thought of the idea eight years ago, and it seemed like my one chance to do something completely unique.

KAGAN: Yes, but, Winter, there's a lot of people not doing a lot things, but you don't go do them.

WINTER: Sure, sure. I mean, and there's a lot of things I could do that would be a little more less painful, but I figured this would be fun and safe, too.

KAGAN: OK, so how do you keep track?

WINTER: Well, I download store listings from the Web site, plot them on a map, and when the opportunity comes to travel, I just plot a route that tries to visit all of them.

KAGAN: And what's the rules you set up? You have to step inside the store, you have to have a drink?

WINTER: Right, my primary rule is that I have to have a caffeinated coffee beverage from each store, at least a sample of drip coffee. It can be more, and I actually have to go inside the store. It can't be the drive-through. The store has to have hop opened for business. Those are the main rules.

KAGAN: What's your drink?

WINTER: Well, my regular drink is drip coffee. If I've only got one store to visit that day and then I have to drive a few hundred miles, I may have a double shot of espresso for the extra caffeine kick.

KAGAN: That's a big day.

Does Starbucks know what you're doing?

WINTER: Oh, sure. I put up a Web site in '99. And Starbucks found out, you know, anything having to do with them. They contacted me just to make sure I wasn't protesting them, and you know, since then, they've pretty much just let me do my own thing.

KAGAN: So when you show up in some of these stores, they've heard of you, like, oh, Winter's here.

WINTER: Well, if I tell them who I am, about a third of the stores know who I am. -- There's only a few times that I've been recognized on sight. But hopefully once the movie comes out, then everybody will know me.

KAGAN: Right. OK, so there's the next thing. So somebody hears about you and decides, you need a movie made about you.

WINTER: Yes. An aspiring filmmaker, a county prosecutor in Nebraska, heard about my story, and he'd been looking for a documentary subject, contacted me. Last November,we met up in met in New York for the initial footage. It went well. So we've met about five or six more times, and he's almost ready with a completed movie, hopefully done by the end of this year.

KAGAN: How do you pay the bills, Winter?

WINTER: I'm a computer programmer, and I work on a contract basis. That gives me the flexibility to travel in between contracts and also to take a little bit of time off while working to go travel.

KAGAN: And how long will it take you to finish this? How do you keep up? A Starbucks opens practically everyday someplace.

WINTER: Ah, well, that's the burning question. Can I ever finish? And since Starbucks keeps on announcing that they're going to build stores for the next 20 or 30 years, I don't see that I can ever really complete my mission. The challenge then is to just keep up and try to stay as close to 100 percent as I can.

KAGAN: The final question. I have something that I wonder if you have, a Starbucks mug from Kuwait City.

WINTER: I do not have that. I have quite a collection, but I certainly would love to head over to the Middle East and collect some of the souvenirs from there.

KAGAN: Brought this back when I was covering the war a couple years ago.

WINTER: Wow. I'm jealous, Daryn.

KAGAN: Well, not of covering war, but I do have the mug and it's staying right here in Atlanta. But good luck with trek. We'll look for the movie, too.

WINTER: Thank you very much, and you have a good day.

KAGAN: OK. I'm going to get some caffeine. Thank you, Winter.

WINTER: Bye.

KAGAN: All right, well, that was interesting. Let's check the time around the world. It is 9:50 in Jonesboro, Arkansas. It is 10:50 in Springfield, New Jersey. That, by the way, is where the PGA Championship is underway this morning. We're going to go live, check in with Larry Smith and see how folks are doing on the greens, after a quick break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: A couple notes from the sports world we want to get to.

Rafael Palmeiro's ten-day suspension for steroids. The suspension is over, but it's not clear whether the Baltimore Orioles slugger will make an immediate return to the playing field. The manager of the team says he wants to keep -- he might want to keep Palmeiro in the dugout today, not out of concern over fan reaction, but in order to give Palmeiro more time to get back in shape.

Let's check on the shape of the golf world.

Tiger Woods hoping to win a third major tournament victory this season. The PGA Championship began this morning. Our Larry Smith joins us from Springfield, New Jersey.

Larry, I'm watching the leaderboard here. It looks like Tiger got off to a little bit of a rough start? LARRY SMITH, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Yes, you know, Daryn, this is not the way that Tiger envisioned starting the final major of the golf season. Already five shots off the pace before he even makes the turn and plays his back nine, the final nine hole. He started off on ten this morning. He is two over par through eight holes, five shots behind Steve Elkington, who is at three under par. Elkington, the 1995 PGA champion.

Now the defending champion tees off at 1:30 p.m. Eastern time today. Vijay Singh. You know, it's kind of hard to imagine a golfer with three major victories on his resume could be overlooked, but the native of Fiji has been criticized for his outspoken tone, for which he offers no apology.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VIJAY SINGH, DEFENDING PGA CHAMPION: And I go out there to play golf (INAUDIBLE), and I speak my mind out and I'm very honest about it. I'm not a fake like many guys out there. So -- you write whatever you want to write, but write what I say. Don't mix things over.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SMITH: There's no mixing over what Singh did last year. He unseated Tiger Woods atop the world rank rankings and stanzas, his chief rival today on tour. Now, the two aren't exactly friends, but Singh says that doesn't mean they're enemies, either.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SINGH: He's been the best player. And he's proven it over and over again. And I just think, you know, he's a great golfer. We don't go to dinner together. You know, I don't go to dinner with 95 percent of the guys on the tour, or maybe 99 percent of the guys on the tour. So, I mean, why single Tiger out? I mean, never, ever had a drink with Phil Mickelson. Why doesn't anyone talk about that?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SMITH: You know, Vijay Singh also was among the most outspoken golfers against Annika Sorenstam when she played with the men a couple of years ago, down in Texas at the Colonial. Now, he was very generous at the champions dinner Tuesday night. Everyone received from Vijay a top of the line fishing rod, a subscription to a fishing magazine -- a lot of fishermen on tour here -- and the ladies all got soap ropes. The softer side of Vijay.

Daryn, back to you.

KAGAN: All right. Sounds good. I think some of the -- I'm hearing about some of the older golfers complaining on the continuing lengthening of these courses, especially with the major championships?

SMITH: Yes, all of them are. This course is nearly 7,400 yards. And the thing is is that it's going to be hard to see late round heroics, if you get down to Saturday and Sunday. The final two holes measure 1,200 yards total. There's a 650-yard par five 17, a 554-yard par five 18. And it's very difficult, say for Tiger Woods and maybe John Daly to try to reach those in two. So a lot of complaining about that, and that's the way they lay it out. We'll see how they play it.

KAGAN: We will. And you'll get to see it up front and personal. Thank you, Larry Smith.

(WEATHER REPORT)

KAGAN: Officials in New York are trying to make it a healthier town. But what they want to cut out of food served in the city may leave you saying fat chance on that. That's today's "Daily Dose," ahead.

Plus, she has followed Billy Graham all her life. Now his daughter joins me to talk about her father, as the second hour of CNN LIVE TODAY begins right now.

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