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Tennessee Woman Accused of Killing Husband to Make Court Appearance Today; Final Words From 9/11; Immigrants in Touch

Aired March 27, 2006 - 11:00   ET

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

DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: The preacher is dead, and now his wife faces the justice system. Look for a Tennessee woman accused of killing her husband to make a court appearance today. Mary Winkler is charged with first-degree murder.
Our Rusty Dornin has the latest.

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RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: So far, the motive in this case has been a very closely-guarded secret. Police say they know but they're not telling. They say infidelity is not an issue but won't comment on whether any domestic abuse was involved.

Meantime, her colleague and her attorney did visit Mary Winkler in jail over the weekend. They said they found a woman very upset about what has happened.

STEVE FARESE, ATTORNEY FOR MARY WINKLER: What I can tell you is that she is a very quiet, demure young lady who seems very confused. When I first saw her Saturday night she was in a state of semi-shock, obviously did not know the gravity of what was going on. And yesterday, when I visited to her, she's getting a little better and is acclimating herself to being in prison, concerned about her children and concerned about her husband's family.

PAM KILLINGSWORTH, FAMILY FRIEND: Just repeatedly through our conversation she was asking me to apologize to this one or that one for all of the problems that she'd caused them, that she was so sorry that she had caused the church all of the problems that we're going through right now. She was just -- she was very sorry. She kept repeating how sorry she was and that she wanted me to apologize to this one and that one.

DORNIN: Pam Killingsworth says that Mary Winkler did not admit to her that she killed her husband, and her attorney says that he has not even seen the confession yet and will not see it until he sees the discovery. He says that Mary Winkler will plead not guilty to the charges today.

Her husband's wake will be held this afternoon, and funeral services will be held on Tuesday.

Rusty Dornin, CNN, Selmer, Tennessee.

(END VIDEOTAPE) KAGAN: A manhunt this morning for a suspected serial bomber. Federal investigators want to find 54-year-old Robert Burke. Agents say he also uses the name Robert Pope. Authorities in Colorado believe Burke may be connected with five bombs.

The explosives were found at the home of five people he worked with at an aviation company. Two of those bombs exploded. Authorities say the devices were similar to one that blew up at the aviation company's Tennessee office. No one has been hurt so far. Burke was fired from that company two years ago.

Final words from 9/11, they were captured in calls to emergency dispatchers that infamous day. Now the public will get to hear some of those recordings, and some family members are not happy about that.

Our Chris Huntington reports from Ground Zero.

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CHRIS HUNTINGTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): The terrifying sounds of 9/11 at Ground Zero will never be forgotten. Later this week, a more personal and potentially more painful soundtrack is expected to be released, partial and, in some cases, complete recordings of 911 calls from more than 100 people trapped inside the twin towers.

Sally Regenhard, who lost her firefighter son Christian on 9/11, helped secure the release of the 911 recordings by joining other firefighters' families and "The New York Times" in winning a lawsuit against New York City last year.

SALLY REGENHARD, MOTHER OF 9/11 VICTIM: There is no reason to secrete it and to hide the really truth about the valiant effort that people made to save their lives to get out of the buildings and to help other people. However, you know, since shortly after 9/11, the Giuliani administration, the port authority and the governor of New York had a vested interest in suppressing the real true facts about what happened in those buildings on 9/11.

HUNTINGTON: New York City officials tell CNN that of the more than 130 911 calls, 28 callers have been positively identified, one of whom survived. For that caller and the families of the 27 who died, the city will turn over complete and unedited recordings of their 911 calls. The public versions of the recordings will only have the dispatcher's half of the call. The callers' voices and all names, numbers and identifying information will be deleted.

On Friday, the city sent letters to the surviving caller and the families of 24 of the victims, notifying them that the recordings would soon be available. To some, the official six-page letter was a shock.

BILL DOYLE, 9/11 VICTIMS ACTIVIST: I had one family call me today. She was hysterical. She actually fainted. She opened it up in an elevator and she couldn't believe it because she never heard from her husband that morning, but apparently he called 911. HUNTINGTON: New York City officials tell CNN they meant to send out a preliminary e-mail, but because of miscommunication that notification never went out.

REGENHARD: Why wasn't this made known to the families in the last four and a half years? It's really very discouraging.

HUNTINGTON: A spokesperson for New York City's Department of Law explained the timing. "There was a decision to not release the 911 call recordings until we knew the identities of as many callers as possible. That work was only completed earlier this month. We did not want to create false hope nor expectations."

Chris Huntington, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: They were looking for work, but these Iraqis found another day filled with death. A suicide blast targeting an Iraqi army recruiting center near Tal Afar killed at least 40 people. That's according to the Iraqi Defense Ministry. We're told many of the victims had lined up outside the facility to apply for jobs with Iraq's security forces. Tal Afar is a city, by the way, that was recently singled out by President Bush as a success story in the fight against insurgents.

There is fresh blood on the streets in other parts of Iraq as well.

Let's bring in our Nic Robertson to tell us more about that following the developments from Baghdad.

Nic, first, this incident in Tal Afar, as we said, tell us more about the town, why it was considered a success story and more about today's incident.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Tal Afar was considered a success story because the town was in the grip of insurgents, and last summer, along with Iraqi forces, U.S. troops went in on a -- on a program to get the insurgents out. We sent a crew up there last week. The story's a bit more mixed than that. The town is now sort of sectarian -- divided along sectarian lines.

This attack today happened about 30 kilometers outside of -- outside of the town. It was at a mobile army recruitment center which seems to have been, rather than one of these fortified structures, a group of tents.

Iraqis were lining up to sign up to join the new Iraqi army. They were targeted about a suicide bomber, apparently wearing a suicide vest. Iraqi military says 40 people dead, 30 wounded. U.S. military says 30 dead, 30 wounded. But what is clear is that the insurgents saw this line of people and this temporary, relatively unprotected, unguarded facility as an opportunity to target the security forces and target the Iraqi population -- Daryn. KAGAN: Nic, it seems that one of most common targets we hear about are recruiting centers or police stations. And yet, remarkably, Iraqis keep showing up to apply for these jobs.

ROBERTSON: Absolutely. Iraqis know that their best future -- that their future is really in their own hands, that if they want an opportunity to live in a safe and secure Iraq, they need to join the security forces.

Many people don't have an opportunity to go anywhere else. This is their only option. Iraq is their only option. And that they see joining the security forces as a decent paycheck, a relatively stable job, if you will, apart from obviously the threats of violence. But they see it as the best way that they can make their country safer.

The insurgents see the security forces as a great opportunity to target people, to dispirit them and try and sow the seeds of chaos in the country. It is a battle of wills, as a lot of Iraqi people want -- desperately hope the country can be stable.

KAGAN: Nic Robertson, live from Baghdad.

Nic, thank you. That battle continues. We'll continue to check in with you as well.

Meanwhile, coming up, speed kills. A rookie's dream ends behind the wheel.

And seven months since Katrina, and more of the storm's dead surface. We'll take a closer look.

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KAGAN: They are Americans at heart and now citizens by law. Last hour, immigrants were naturalized in a Washington ceremony. About 30 of them in Washington, D.C., with President Bush standing by.

Their oath provided the backdrop for President Bush and his plans to change immigration law. He's calling for a guest worker program that would allow many illegal immigrants to stay. That proposal, though, is at odds with a House bill that calls for tough immigration penalties.

A new immigrant in tears, tears for a new land and new possibilities. Tears also, though, for loved ones back home. Now a new company is making it possible for immigrants to see the faces that they long for.

Our Carol Lin has that story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) CAROL LIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): They come here seeking a better life, the American dream. But the decision comes at a price, painful separation from the families they leave behind in places like Mexico, Colombia and Ecuador. But like so many immigrants before them, some have found opportunity in the face of difficulty.

FERNANDA ROJAS, "REACH OUT": Going to Peru here.

LIN: Meet Fernando Rojas. His cleaning company was doing work at a New York videoconferencing firm and that gave him an idea: using videoconferencing to unite immigrants in the U.S. with their relatives back home.

ROJAS: This was one of the best ways to see their families, their children and all their loved ones over there. And we make them very happy and make them cry.

LIN: Rojas invested hundreds of thousands of dollars to turn his idea into a viable video link between immigrants and their families. It helped that the technology is now much more affordable than what it used to be, with prices in the $80-an-hour range.

HAROLD GERMAN, IVCI MARKETING DIRECTOR: The reason the number is growing is because it really is becoming cheaper. It really is. And the quality is excellent.

LIN: The video links have made all sorts of visits possible. Emotional moments celebrated long distance in a way that was once impossible -- birthdays, recent newlyweds, and those that simply miss seeing the faces of loved ones. It's a new way to stay in touch, bridging the distance between continents, thanks to technology and the ingenuity of a man who knows what it's like to be alone in a new country.

ROJAS: It gives me a lot of joy that I'm able to do this for people that cannot see their -- their family, because I was there myself.

LIN: Carol Lin, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: Katrina's dead still being uncovered in New Orleans. Just this weekend, searchers found two bodies in the devastated Ninth Ward. One was a child. The medical examiner tells CNN's Soledad O'Brien that he fears this sad story will play out for some time to come.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. LOUIS CATALDIE, LOUISIANA MEDICAL EXAMINER: I think we're going to find more, unfortunately. And according to our information, we have approximately 16 children between the ages of 6 and 10 who are still missing. So, Soledad, I don't know what we're going to discover there. I just know that it's horrific, and it's very horrific for the families and the recovering personnel who are finding these kids. (END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: Experts say that some of the missing will never be found. They may have been pulled into the Gulf of Mexico by Katrina's retreating surge.

You might want to check the calendar. The first election in New Orleans since Katrina is just a few weeks off, but that could change. Candidates like Mayor Ray Nagin and nearly two dozen challengers are in full stride, but civil rights groups go to federal court today, trying to block the April 22 election. They say too many African- American residents displaced by Katrina will not be able to take part.

Well, it also means we're trying to think about weather. Can't think about New Orleans without thinking about weather. Chad Myers has that for us -- Chad.

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KAGAN: A question for you. What is black and blue and red all over? It may be a scarlet license plate at the center of a bruising debate. We'll explain on CNN LIVE TODAY.

And an IndyCar driver goes after his life-long dream, and it cost him his life. Paul Dana's story just ahead.

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KAGAN: We're talking a lot about immigration, immigration reform today. Now some people across America having their voices heard.

Betty Nguyen has more on that -- Betty

BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Hi there, Daryn.

We saw it last week, we are seeing it again today. Let's take a picture now, a live look at Detroit.

As you can see, safe to say thousands have turned out in the streets to protest the new immigration legislation that the Senate will take up this week. Many of them filling into the streets with signs, chanting, and really standing as one in protest of many bills that will be going before the Senate this week. A lot of them cracking down on illegal immigration.

Also want to show you what's happening in California as well, because this is taking place across the nation. You're looking at students.

Now we saw this on Friday, seeing it again today, students walking out of class. This is significant, too, because today is Cesar Chavez Day, a holiday that honors the United Foreign Worker Union founder, Cesar Chavez.

Now, a lot of students were being asked to stay in class and honor him by talking about the immigration legislation and all the discussion that's been going on about that. But instead, many have decided to fill into the streets.

And as you recall, on Saturday we saw similar pictures, not just of students, but of a half a million people in Los Angeles bringing this debate to the streets, showing the solidarity in support of a protest against legislation that the Senate will be dealing with this week. So this is one of many pictures, Daryn, that I imagine we're going to see throughout the day and throughout the week.

KAGAN: All right, Betty. Thank you. We'll check back with you.

President Bush first outlined his support for a guest worker program two years ago. Here now are the facts of that plan.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN (voice over): Some key points of President Bush's controversial guest worker plan include: employers must make a reasonable effort to hire an American before turning to illegal immigrants now employed in the country, or workers in foreign countries who have been offered jobs here; the government would step up efforts to enforce laws against hiring foreigners illegally; illegal immigrants would be able to gain legal status for a set amount of time to do a specific job. Once the job is done, the workers would be required to return home.

Workers involved would be required to pay a one-time fee to register for the program. They would have a chance to renew the temporary worker status. At an unspecified time in the future, only people outside the U.S. would be able to join the temporary worker program.

One crucial point Mr. Bush's program does not allow is amnesty. He says those who have entered the country illegally should not be reward for breaking U.S. law.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: Silent E, dangling participles. Did you have trouble learning the rules of English? Well, many 3-year-olds today are learning more than one language at the same time.

CNN's Gary Nurenberg looks at what is pushing this global education trend.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GARY NURENBERG, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Students in Arabic classes at Washington, D.C.'s Rock Creek International School are as young as 3. It is an immersion program, all classes taught in Arabic two or three days a week.

FATEN GAFFERE, TEACHER: They learn really fast because at that age their mind is like a sponge. So, it's perfect age for teaching a language.

CAROLE AL-KAHOUAJI, ROCK CREEK INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL: We found that all the mental blocks that adults might have towards language learning aren't -- don't exist when they're only 3 years old.

NURENBERG: In a war on terror that President Bush says will last years, foreign language proficiency, he says, will be key.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We need intelligence officers who, when somebody says something in Arabic or Farsi or Urdu knows what they're talking about.

NURENBERG: Saying American soldiers would be more effective if they could speak native tongues, the president included more than $100 million in next year's budget for what he calls the National Security Language Initiative.

(on camera): In Arlington, Virginia, the school board has approved a plan to offer at a local college Arabic and Chinese to students in the 7th through 12th grades.

MARK JOHNSON, ARLINGTON, VA. SCHOOLS: And this allows students to earn college credit at the same time they're earning high school credit.

NURENBERG: Educators believe Arabic and Chinese will be essential to compete in a global economy.

GENE BROWN, N. VA. COMMUNITY COLLEGE: Now all of the businesses, no matter what you're involved in, the trade is involved with China and the Middle East.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My dad really wants me to learn it because he speaks Arabic.

NURENBERG: Parents are a driving force, seeing language proficiency as key to their children's success and pressuring schools to provide the training.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

NURENBERG: That means good morning. The start of a new day in so many ways.

Gary Nurenberg, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: Abraham Lincoln signed it, and now you can own it, a fragile piece of paper, history that meant freedom for millions of Americans. We'll talk about that in a moment on LIVE TODAY.

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