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New Day

Fugitive Inmate Caught After Manhunt, Ex-Officer Dead; Odessa Under Attack from Russian Hypersonic Missiles; Ukrainian Officials Alarmed by Russians Crossing Major River in East; Senate Approves More Security for Supreme Court Justices; Gas Prices Jump to New Record High; 3 Americans Found Dead Mysteriously at Resort are Identified. Aired 6-6:30a ET

Aired May 10, 2022 - 06:00   ET

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

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: All right. Good morning to our viewers here in the United States and all around the world. It is Tuesday, May 10. I'm John Berman with Brianna Keilar.

[05:59:56]

And overnight, a dramatic and deadly end to an 11-day manhunt for an Alabama inmate charged in capital murder and the former corrections officer accused of aiding in his escape.

Casey White was arrested Monday after a police pursuit ended in a crash in Indiana. But Vicky White died after being taken into custody and hospitalized with self-inflicted gunshot wounds.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN ANCHOR: Police say no law enforcement officers fired shots, and Casey White officers reportedly told officers to help his wife, who had shot herself in the head. But authorities say, to their knowledge, the fugitives were not married.

In the days leading up to their capture, hundreds of tips were flooding in from across the country, including one Sunday that ultimately led to the arrest.

CNN's Miguel Marquez has the details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SHERIFF RICK SINGLETON, LAUDERDALE COUNTY, ALABAMA: Casey White is now back in custody.

MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The manhunt is over. Escaped inmate Casey White and former corrections officer Vicky White were apprehended in Evansville, Indiana, Monday.

SINGLETON: This has ended a very long and stressful and challenging week and a half.

MARQUEZ (voice-over): Vicky White died shortly after being taken to the hospital from what the U.S. Marshals believe was a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.

They say she was earlier seen leaving the hotel with a wig on. Then the pair drove away. Police officers were watching, then gave chase.

SINGLETON: There was a chase, a vehicle chase. And the suspect wrecked the car, rolled over. And we approached the vehicle to get the two suspects out. We got Casey White out. And he immediately announced that -- that his wife had shot herself in the head and that he didn't do it. To our knowledge, they're not married.

MARQUEZ (voice-over): Casey White will be brought back to Alabama to a different facility than where he was held previously. He is still facing previous murder charges.

The 11-day manhunt came to a close after a tip Sunday night that Casey White was seen at a car wash in Evansville. Authorities believe that the two were first seen in Evansville May 3.

COMMANDER DEPUTY CHAD HUNT, U.S. MARSHAL, GULF COAST REGIONAL: Unfortunately, we had no information that they had any relatives or associates in the area. But we do know that they intended to stay in the Evansville area for a period of time.

MARQUEZ (voice-over): The pair had purchased three vehicles to evade authorities since they fled on April 29.

HUNT: We were able to locate a vehicle that they purchased down in Tennessee, after the orange Ford Edge was located. We were able to subsequently locate that vehicle in a car wash up in Evansville, Indiana. And from that, our teams, along with the Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force, were able to put some additional information together that led us to the hotel.

MARQUEZ (voice-over): Vicky White had sold her home recently, well below market value. This is how authorities believe the pair had so much money at their disposal.

ANDREW MCCABE, FORMER FBI DEPUTY DIRECTOR: It's somewhat incomprehensible here that they had that advantage of time, and they seem to have wasted it by staying in Evansville, Indiana, and essentially allowing the investigation to catch up with them. They had the cash. They had the transportation, the ability to continue changing modes of transport. But they just didn't take advantage of it, and that's how they got caught.

MARQUEZ (voice-over): Vicky White was facing charges of permitting or facilitating escape in the first degree, as well as forgery and identity theft charges that were announced earlier Monday.

The former correction officer's involvement in this case has stumped the people closest to her. They are shocked that she allegedly helped Casey White escape.

SINGLETON: I think she knew that the day was going to come. They were going to get caught. So I just don't understand it. And I don't know that I ever will. We've known Vicky a long time. And this is just -- this whole fiasco is just totally so out of character for her.

(END VIDEOTAPE) KEILAR: Joining us now CNN law enforcement analyst Jonathan Wackrow. Jonathan, thank you for being with us. I mean, what do you make of how this ended, and what questions do you still have here?

JONATHAN WACKROW, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: Well, good morning.

I mean, this was a stunning end to, you know, a week-long, you know, manhunt. And thankfully, the public and law enforcement, you know, were uninjured in these dramatic final moments.

But I want to just say that, you know, the causes of these man hunts, or manhunt situations vary greatly from incident to incident. But the outcome is often the same. The suspects are apprehended or ended up, you know, killed by law enforcement.

But there are a lot of questions we don't know. And unfortunately, a lot of those questions may remain unanswered because of, you know, Vicky White taking her own life, right?

We need to know what was the motivation from her to engage in this relationship. You know, what was the end goal for her to work with a violent criminal, to basically have this dereliction of duty to let him escape into the public with her? I mean, again, just a lot of unanswered questions right now.

BERMAN: You talk about the unanswered questions, Jonathan. Most of them, I imagine, aren't about the last 11 days. This manhunt, which did end -- you see the pictures right there, the way that it ended. But the questions must be about the weeks, if not months, maybe even years before the escape.

[06:05:11]

WACKROW: John, great point. Listen, when I look at this incident, right, I don't look at it just in what we're reporting today. I look backwards. I look at the order of consequences of this relationship from the moment that they decided to engage with each other.

You know, how did that develop over time? What type of information can Vicky White give to Casey White, throughout that relationship, that really could compromise the safety of the correctional facility that they were in, the other officers?

Again, this is -- this is such a dereliction of duty on her part. But we just don't know the level of damage. Was she giving proprietary information to Casey White that could be utilized days, weeks, months from now, at that facility that could put others at harm?

Again, thinking through this, we look at this incident, the public wasn't harmed today. We just don't know the level of the order of consequences right now and how they may impact the correctional facility in the long term.

KEILAR: Yes. Certainly, so many questions here. Jonathan Wackrow, thank you so much. We appreciate it.

WACKROW: Thank you.

BERMAN: So new this morning in Ukraine, Russian forces stepping up their assault on the Southern port city of Odessa, firing hypersonic missiles at a number of locations, including a shopping mall and hotels. Widespread damage you can see there. One person, at least, was killed.

In Kharkiv, a civilian convoy was attacked. New video shows the scene after the vehicles -- you can see there -- tried to escape. Baby strollers, toys scattered around. Several people killed in this attack.

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian military says Russia is holding back some of its forces within its own borders to protect against a Ukrainian counteroffensive that has gained some ground outside Kharkiv.

And a senior U.S. defense official tells CNN anecdotal reports reveal that some Russian troops and officers are refusing to obey orders to move forward in their new Donbas offensive.

KEILAR: The bodies of 44 civilians found in the rubble of a five-story building in the town of Izium. Ukrainian officials say the building was destroyed by Russian -- by Russian forces.

Russian troops have been in control of Izium for nearly two months.

This is the last holdout in the besieged city of Mariupol. And Ukrainian officials say several hundred soldiers remaining at the Azovstal Steel plant are refusing still to give up the fight.

At least 100 civilians, mostly men, are still trapped. Video shows a Ukrainian flag still flying over the steel plant. CNN cannot verify that it is still there.

And here at home, the House of Representatives today will consider an additional $40 billion in supplemental funding for Ukraine, President Biden calling on Congress to act immediately, warning that existing aid will run out in approximately ten days.

BERMAN: Want to bring in CNN's Isa Soares, who is live in Lviv this morning. Isa, let's start with these latest attacks, repeated attacks now on Odessa.

ISA SOARES, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: A very good morning to you, John, and to you, Brianna.

You know, President Putin didn't reveal his hand, of course, as we saw on Monday, but his forces are surely, and as we've seen, not holding back, pummeling the port city of Odessa, with missile strikes really being fired from submarines, from ships, as well as from planes.

Witnesses tell us they felt the impact of those missile strikes about 25 miles or so away. And those strikes were felt and hit, really, three hypersonic missiles hitting a shopping mall. Luckily, that was closed at the time. But also hitting two hotels, one of them very beloved by the Russian elite, we have been told. Officials saying that one person has died; several others are injured.

And as Russian forces pummeled, John, the port city, we know the European Council president, Charles Michel, was actually touring the port city with the Ukrainian prime minister.

And the Ukrainian prime minister taking a photo and tweeting it out, showing them really having to hunker down in the basement as Odessa was really being pummeled, pummeled by Russian forces, John.

BERMAN: All right. Isa Soares for us in Lviv. Isa, thank you very much.

KEILAR: In the Luhansk region, Ukrainian officials are raising the alarm about a Russian pontoon bridge erected a few days ago that may allow Russian forces to threaten Ukrainian defenses and supply routes.

I want to bring in Tom Foreman with more on this. Tom, what can you tell us?

TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The Ukrainians have focused on bridges in this region a great deal, because if you look at the rivers that run through here, including the Siverskyi-Donets (ph) River, which is the one they're concerned about now, which is up in this area, one of the concerns all along has been that the Russians would manage to get behind Ukrainian forces, isolate them, cut off their supplies and then chop away at them.

This bridge up in that area is one of these pontoon bridges which has been built here. Now, remember, the Ukrainians had blown up a lot of their own bridges as they have retreated from areas as the Russians came in, knowing the Russians are a very traditional military force. They need to move big pieces of equipment -- artillery, tanks, things like that -- and they need bridges.

[06:10:16]

So they've managed to go after these bridges and tried to cut them off. The Russians keep trying to rebuild them, Brianna.

KEILAR: What might they be trying to do here?

FOREMAN: Well, what they're trying to do is move in, in that area. And remember, what has happened before is the Ukrainians have been able to destroy many bridges out here, which has really slowed down the Russian movement here.

Remember, though, as we talked about some time before, the Russians have now consolidated their command over these areas. So they may be a little more coordinated in what they're trying to do.

Again, the Russians want nothing more than to push into this area and to somehow get, essentially, behind the Ukrainians and cut them off from their supplies. The Ukrainians are saying if you can control the rivers, you can keep that from happening. That's why they're so focused on this. We've seen a lot of action right up in this area. KEILAR Can you talk about the location of this, being near

Bilohorivka?

FOREMAN: Yes, where this is, is about two miles away from all we saw in that big school bombing over the weekend, where there may have been, like, 90 civilians in this building, dozens of people killed. They're still trying to get to this, in terms of full -- going through all the rubble here, to figure out how many people were killed here.

So this is very close to where we've seen a lot of sharp, sharp action between the Russians and the Ukrainians. These bridges, I cannot overstate this enough, Brianna, from the very beginning, the Ukrainians knew, against a traditional military like this, cut the bridges, let the rivers serve as barriers.

And that can, at very least, slow down the Russians. And that is a plan that has worked for them that they're not giving up on.

KEILAR: It's been instrumental. We've seen that, right? It's made the difference, certainly in the battle for Kyiv.

Tom Foreman, thank you so much.

FOREMAN: You're welcome.

BERMAN: All right. We do have major news just in. Gas prices today, new record overnight, and it comes as a major bank warns the ingredients for a global recession are on the table. President Biden set to address the nation this morning on all of this.

KEILAR: Action to increase security for Supreme Court justices, as the national outcry over that leaked opinion on abortion rights hits a fever pitch.

And growing questions surrounding the deaths of three Americans at a Sandals resort in the Bahamas. What autopsies could reveal.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:16:54]

BERMAN: New this morning, police in Madison, Wisconsin, are investigating an arson and vandalism attack at the office of an anti- abortion group, where they found two Molotov cocktails inside the building. Police say the fire was started early Sunday morning but was doused quickly.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHIEF SHON BARNES, MADISON POLICE: We are combing the area, looking for any video evidence or what we call digital evidence. We ask our community that if you've seen something, please give us a call. There's no place in Madison for any type of hate speech. For any type of violence or any type of property destruction.

(END VIDEO CLIP) BERMAN: Wisconsin Family Action is a political organization that lobbies against abortion rights and same-sex marriage. No arrests have been made.

KEILAR: The Senate unanimously passing a bill to extend security for the families of Supreme Court justices after abortion rights supporters marched to homes of justices Samuel Alito, Brett Kavanaugh and John Roberts, following a leaked Supreme Court draft opinion that could overturn Roe v. Wade if it stands.

CNN's Sunlen Serfaty is joining us live from Capitol Hill. Tell us about this.

SUNLEN SERFATY, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Brianna, this certainly speaks to the tense political climate right now in Washington in the wake of that leaked draft opinion.

This is a bipartisan bill, and it was notably passed unanimously last night in the Senate. Now, it provides an additional layer of security, notably for the family members of the Supreme Court justices, the immediate family members of those justices.

One of the co-sponsors of the bill, Senator Chris Coons, says in a statement, quote, "We must take threats that come from both sides of the political spectrum against Supreme Court justices seriously and that makes this bill an unfortunate necessity."

Now, in the last few days, we have seen large multiple protests mainly pro-abortion rights groups outside the private homes of justices Alito, Kavanaugh and Roberts.

Now this bill, now that it has passed the Senate, Brianna, heads to the House, where it is expected to be passed very quickly, then sent to President Biden for his signature.

This notably, of course, just one of the many layers of D.C. as it -- this city is certainly bracing for potentially an official court ruling that could come as soon as next month.

KEILAR: All right. Sunlen, thank you so much. Sunlen Serfaty, live for us on Capitol Hill.

SERFATY: Thanks.

BERMAN: All right. Just in, gas prices hitting a new record overnight. It comes as President Biden is set to address the nation on the growing problem of inflation.

Let's get to Matt Egan on all of this. Matt, this is not inflation adjusted but these are higher numbers than we have ever seen.

MATT EGAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that's right, John. Inflation adjusted or not, these are record highs: $4.37 a gallon, up 17 cents in just the past week.

This is only going to add to all of the headaches in the U.S. economy right now. And to the inflationary pressures that are souring Americans' views on the economy and also forcing the Federal Reserve to rapidly raise interest rates.

This means that gasoline prices are up about 25 percent since just before Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

[06:20:03]

Now, we did see a dip, if you recall, in April. Prices did come down. They actually got to as low as $4.07 a gallon, nationally. That came as oil prices had cooled off. And also as the Biden administration released record amounts of emergency oil.

But that relief proved to be pretty muted and temporary. Because as we see, prices have actually gone back higher. And some of the oil analysts that I've talked to, they don't think this is done. They actually think they'll see the national average going up to $4.50 a gallon in the coming days or weeks.

As you noted at the top, this is not adjusted for inflation. So that would mean that, if you actually looked at the real gas price, it would have to go above $5.30 a gallon to take out the inflation- adjusted record, but I don't really think that means all that much to families that are dealing with sticker shock right now.

BERMAN: Yes. People know what they have to pay. Matt Egan, thank you very much.

EGAN: Thanks.

BERMAN: Ahead, we will be joined by the White House to respond to this news.

All right. The mysterious deaths of three Americans on vacation in the Bahamas. What was learned from the autopsies?

KEILAR: And it is election in two key states this morning as primary season heats up across the country.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:25:27]

KEILAR: This morning, autopsies are being conducted on three Americans who mysteriously died while on vacation at a Sandals resort in the Bahamas. On the night before they died, two couples had reported feeling ill, and they were seen by medics. The surviving victim is currently hospitalized in Miami.

CNN's Carlos Suarez is live for us in Miami with more on this. Carlos, do we know anything? This is such an incredibly puzzling case.

CARLOS SUAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It really is. Brianna, good morning.

Authorities in the Bahamas have said it will be several days before they have a clearer picture of what happened to the four victims. That lone survivor, a 65-year-old woman, she remains in fair condition

at a hospital here in Miami. She was identified as Donnis Chiarella. Her husband, Vincent, died. He was 64 years old. And the two were visiting the Bahamas from Florida.

The two other people that died were identified as 68-year-old Michael Phillips and his wife, 65-year-old Robbie. The couple was from Tennessee.

Now, on Monday, their family provided CNN a photo of the couple as well as well as a statement that read, in part, quote, "Our hearts are grieving and broken but full of hope. We already miss them terribly."

According to authorities in the Bahamas, the two couples were treated at different times the night before some of the bodies were found. Now, the police commissioner said that samples had been taken from each of the victims, as well as the two villas they were staying in. He said the samples are being sent in a lab in Philadelphia to look for the presence of a chemical. But he did not want to say what type of chemical.

Authorities said no one else at the resort in Great Exuma have reported feeling sick and that the areas where the two villas remain closed off to guests -- Brianna.

KEILAR: All right. Carlos, we know that you'll stay on this. Carlos Suarez, thank you.

New overnight, two Russian reporters appear to have posted at least 30 articles to to a pro-Kremlin news site, criticizing Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine. How Putin is likely to respond.

BERMAN: Also, new polling data that the issue that best indicates whether someone is a Republican or a Democrat. The answer will shock you.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:30:00]