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Nancy Grace
Newborn Found in Trash; Three-Year-Old Kept in Cage
Aired February 25, 2014 - 20:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
NANCY GRACE, HOST: Breaking news tonight. In the last hours, we learn a couple being eyed in this home for horrific mistreatment of their 3-year-old girl and her five siblings, the little girl allegedly being kept in a cage in the basement, the list of her injuries and to those of her five brothers and sisters heart-wrenching. Can you imagine putting your child in a cage and leaving it in the basement? The little children not eating at home? They go to school and they try to eat three breakfasts apiece and tell their teacher they don`t get to have food at home?
Well, right now, it`s just a custody hearing, but when you hear the injuries on this child kept in a cage, how these children were starved, mistreated, abused, neglected, you, just like me, are going to demand justice!
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The 3-year-old girl allegedly suffers scratches, abrasions, bruises, cuts, swollen feet, facial swelling, mouth sores, a burn to the left ear.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A doctor of Mercy (ph) said the girl could have died without medical treatment.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What`s more outrageous is that the couple was actually putting their child in a cage?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Disturbing!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRACE: And live, Wisconsin suburbs, 4-day-old baby Kaden (ph) snatched from his little bassinet by a woman who fakes pregnancy with a prosthetic, a fake pregnancy belly. She`s got a fake stroller, fake baby clothes. Then the kidnapper abandons the baby and leaves him for dead in freezing temperatures.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
911 OPERATOR: (INAUDIBLE) County 911. Where`s the emergency?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My son is missing!
911 OPERATOR: OK. How old is your son?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He`s, like, 4 days old! I just woke up, and my son is not in his -- in his...
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRACE: And to Myrtle Beach. As we go to air, two in custody in connection with Heather Elvis`s disappearance. We learn cops believe the young girl is the victim of a married couple`s, quote, "open marriage." But tonight, where is Heather Elvis?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We have not located Heather.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sidney Moore (ph) and Tammy Moore (ph) were taken into custody.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Charged with murder.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Cadaver dogs searching both their cars and their house.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The evidence that we located there led to the charges.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRACE: And to Bridgeport, caught on tape, a well-respected elementary school principal. Look at this! If that were my child getting dragged down the hall like that, oh, hell would know no fury! A principal busted literally dragging kindergartners down the hall, dragging them on the floor! Wa-wa! Wa-wa! Wa -- she`s going back to work, getting her huge state salary after this?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She dragged my daughter with one leg and slammed her down. That`s just ridiculous.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: School board records show the incidents happened three times. Perez Dixon (ph) dragged their children in the hallway of Jeddie Tisdale (ph) School.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Who does that to any 5-year-old?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRACE: And to Denver, a child sex predator, a white male, 51-year-old Eric Eugene Hartwell (ph), escapes after cutting off ankle monitor!
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A dangerous child rapist.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Last seen wearing a quilted puffy coat, blue T- shirt and bluejeans.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Eric Hartwell, a registered sex offender.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He`s got a history of habitual criminal acts towards -- towards females.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He cut off his ankle bracelet and disappeared.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRACE: Good evening. I`m Nancy Grace. I want to thank you for being with us.
Bombshell tonight. First, we learn an eagle-eye maintenance worker spots a white plastic trash bag after he hears what he believes to be a baby animal in the trash. It`s a baby, all right. But it`s not an animal. It is a newborn baby boy -- we are just learning this -- the umbilical cord still attached, thrown away in a dump like he`s trash! Repeat, umbilical cord still attached.
So where`s Mommy? Before we take you out to our next story, straight to Nina (ph) Rajkovic, news reporter, KTRH -- Nik Rajkovic. Nik, thank you for being with us. Nik, a newborn baby boy, umbilical cord still attached, found in the trash?
NIK RAJKOVIC, KTRH RADIO (via telephone): Well, that`s right, Nancy, this baby found this morning inside the trash bag, as you said, in a dumpster in an apartment complex in southeast Houston. A maintenance worker there, as you alluded to, found this while taking out the trash this morning. The baby was found upside-down in a bag with four inches of its umbilical cord still attached.
GRACE: Well, Nik Rajkovic joining us from Houston -- but Nik, when the maintenance worker heard the crying, thinking it was an animal in the trash, he opened the bag and found the baby purple.
To Dr. Tim Gallagher, medical examiner, forensic pathologist. The trash bag was sealed up, Dr. Gallagher. The baby was actually purple when they opened -- they untied the trash bag. What does that mean?
DR. TIM GALLAGHER, MEDICAL EXAMINER (via telephone): Generally, when a baby is purple, it means that his body is starving for oxygen, and that`s an imminent sign that he`s about to die.
GRACE: Back to Nik Rajkovic, joining me from KTRH. So the baby is wrapped -- is inside a white trash bag, in the trash. Do we have an idea of when the trash was last picked up? I`m trying to identify a timeline as to when this child was thrown away like trash.
RAJKOVIC: Well, we`re not sure when the trash was last taken out, but the maintenance worker did say that the dumpster was full and he was trying to get the trash in there at the time. So it had been a while. But the hospital officials still checking out this baby. They think it was really only a matter of hours, probably sometime overnight or maybe in the early morning hours, that this baby was dumped there.
GRACE: To have left a child overnight! To Stacey Newman. Stacey, where`s Mommy? Obviously, Mommy knows about that. The baby still has the umbilical cord on.
STACEY NEWMAN, NANCY GRACE PRODUCER: Well, Nancy, we`ve just learned -- this has just come in. Police seem to be closing in on a suspect. They have spoken with a relative on who they suspect to be the mother of this child. And apparently, there were clues, Nancy, in that white garbage bag where this baby John Doe was found.
GRACE: Everyone, we`ll bring you the latest as we learn it -- an infant boy found in a dumpster. An eagle-eye maintenance worker hears a sound, thinks it`s an animal, a baby animal. It`s a baby, but it`s a human baby.
And right now, we are taking you to Missouri. In the last hours, a couple in court, the judge eying them after allegations that they keep their 3-year-old baby girl in a cage!
Let`s see the home where this allegedly happened, Liz -- starving and sick, covered in cuts, bruises, her hair thinning, the 3-year-old girl, according to doctors, nearly died.
Interviews documented by police allege the Springfield girl had been tied to a chair and thrown down the stairs by Mommy`s live-in, allegedly kept in a part of the house the other children call "the hole," locked in a cage. The allegations are in court documents as police search the home.
I want to show you, first of all, what we are learning about the injuries on this 3-year-old girl. This is what I know. I know the child is covered in cuts and bruises. I know her hair is thinning because of malnutrition.
I know that the other children, some of them, go to school, and when they have breakfast offered at school, these children will eat three and four breakfasts. And the teacher asks them, Why are you eating three or four breakfasts? They go, Because we don`t get to eat at Mommy`s house.
Now, why criminal charges have not been brought in this case, I do not know! But everybody in Greene County, here is your chance to possibly save a life. These children do not need to be back in that home. Can you imagine taking one of your children and putting -- forcibly putting them in a cage in the basement, "the hole," and leaving them there? The girl said her Mommy would sneak down and give her some spinach to eat occasionally.
Clark Goldband, I`m looking at the search warrant return, the inventory receipt, and everything we know. Tell me what we know.
CLARK GOLDBAND, NANCY GRACE PRODUCER: Well, Nancy, it`s important to point out these are accusations and they haven`t been charged. But in these documents, shocking allegations, ranging from scratches, bruises and cuts, significant malnourishment. But I`m afraid these allegations only get far more serious. We`re talking about problems with the child`s feet, some serious problems with the child`s feet. In fact, the girl`s foot is allegedly turning blue -- facial swelling, mouth sores, skin abrasions.
And Nancy, authorities are saying that this may not be the first child this has happened to. As you were saying just a moment ago, authorities investigating a 7-year-old child who said in school, I only eat breakfast at school, or lunch, and does not get food the rest of the day. Authorities have a whole heap of information to go through in this warrant.
GRACE: Well, wait! Wa-wa-wait! They`re going through the information? Out to Kelly Lamm, host of "Kelly Lamm" (INAUDIBLE) joining me in Missouri. What do you mean they`re going through the information? Well, what`s happening? There`s a court hearing today. Why aren`t these children out of their custody, and why haven`t they been booked on child abuse? Explain that to me, Kelly.
KELLY LAMM, HOST, "KELLY LAMM AT NOON" (via telephone): You know, it`s very scary because in most cases, rarely, rarely, are the children taken from the home. It takes a lot for that to happen. The parents are denying abuse, and they even have an attorney.
GRACE: Well, don`t you think the children saying that they`re kept in a cage in the basement is enough? I know they`ve got a lawyer. Everybody in jail`s got a lawyer. That doesn`t mean anything to me.
Let`s see. Hold on, Kelly. Liz, let`s show the viewers some of what we have learned from those search documents, tears (ph) out of the search warrant -- that the boyfriend, Mommy`s live-in -- and she`s just as much at fault as him if this is true -- ties her to a chair and pushed her down the stairs.
The little boy says the boyfriend, the live-in, put a sock down his throat as he was practicing his sentences. You know, you have to write sentences or learn to write sentences? You know, I`m working with my children on writing sentences. There`s the house of horrors that I`m talking about. And the live-in gets angry because the little boy is doing his homework, practicing his sentences, and sticks a sock down the little boy`s mouth and makes him start crying?
We also learn boyfriend hits the little boy, as the boy says, hit him "in the nuts" with his cane. If this is true, may they just both rot in hell! That is my request tonight to the judge.
And then more in the search warrant about how the children go to school and they eat three or four breakfasts. And when they`re asked, the children say they can`t get food at the mother`s house.
Kelly Lamm, I`ve got one name. Everything is being kept all secret, and I`m not allowed to give you the parents` names, the mother`s name and the live-in lover`s name. But I know this name, Perry Epperly (ph), the chief juvenile officer in Greene County, Perry Epperly.
Could you explain to me, Kelly Lamm, why there are no criminal charges at this time? The girl`s feet are turning blue!
LAMM: It doesn`t make any sense. It really doesn`t. It makes you sick. And our children are not protected.
GRACE: Who is the district attorney there? Kelly, who is the DA?
LAMM: The district attorney on that -- actually, the -- oh, I`m so sorry, I do not have his name in front of me.
GRACE: Liz, look it up, please. I want to know the elected district attorney`s name in Greene County, Missouri.
What I don`t understand is what is happening in court. From what I can learn, Kelly, they`re having a custody proceeding, where the children are being taken away from the parents and sent to DFACS, department of family, children`s services. This child didn`t even get taken to the hospital by her mother. The grandmother took her. Isn`t that true?
LAMM: That`s true, very much so. That`s the only reason why everything really came into play. And they knew of this other evidence from the 7-year-old, who is blind, by the way.
GRACE: Uh-oh! I`m hearing in my ear from Matt. All right, everybody in Greene County, here`s a chance to save a life. The elected district attorney is Dan Patterson (ph). You call him and tell him you`ve seen this house of horrors, allegedly, where a 3-year-old little girl is being kept in a cage and not being fed. Let`s see what he`s going to do about it come election time!
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GRACE: Tonight police rescue 11 children, children kept in cages, cages built of chicken wire and 2-by-4s. First, a 10-year-old boy placed in a cage wearing an electronic shock collar.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A 3-year-old girl was allegedly kept in a cage, according to authorities. But that`s not all. The allegations, if proven to be true, disturbing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRACE: You know what? I don`t even know what country I`m in! How can it be that in this nice neighborhood, there are five little children, I think the oldest one that`s home is 8, that are being put in cages, particularly a 3-year-old little girl. And I am not being allowed to tell you the name of the mother or her live-in lover that allegedly is doing this. But I can tell you this.
What is the name again, Matt, of the district attorney?
MATT ZARRELL, NANCY GRACE PRODUCER (via telephone): Dan Patterson.
GRACE: Dan Patterson in Greene County, Missouri, Perry Epperly, chief juvenile officer in Greene County. When I hear about the abuse alleged by these children -- unleash the lawyers, Patrick McDonough, defense attorney, also with Parag Shah, defense attorney and author of "The Code."
All right, Shah, what`s your defense?
PARAG SHAH, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Well, I think there`s a line between being a bad parent and it actually being a criminal offense. And there`s - - we don`t have much evidence showing that it is a criminal offense. They searched the home...
GRACE: You didn`t hear the condition of the child?
SHAH: ... they didn`t find the cages...
GRACE: I guess when they got a call from the hospital, they got rid of the cage, I would imagine. Clark, hold on. And you know, McDonough, I see you sitting there looking smug. You`ll have your say.
What did the defense lawyer say, the first defense lawyer, on this case say, Clark?
GOLDBAND: Well, he said, Nancy, exactly what you just heard from Parag Shah, that no cages were found. Also, no bone were broken. And he also added at a court hearing, Nancy, that this girl is in the 75th percentile for weight. Now, that was kept...
GRACE: The what?
GOLDBAND: The 75th percentile for weight...
GRACE: Hold on just a moment.
GOLDBAND: ... for her age.
GRACE: Hold on -- everybody, hold on just a moment! Put up McDonough, please, and Parag Shah. Right toe blue, possibly infected, feet swollen from being in cage, open wounds along spine, bruising on throat, bruising to forehead, bruising to ear, pain in feet, abdominal pain, lower legs swelling, mouth sores, facial swelling, skin abrasions, malnourishment, scratches, abrasions, bruises, cuts.
All right, McDonough, what`s the difference between bad parenting and child abuse? What were you two saying?
PATRICK MCDONOUGH, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Well, let`s start with this. I mean, the most important thing is what they found is people have been to this house on more than 10 occasions, there`s never been a cage found. They talked to that 7-year-old that said, Oh, that he had injured me. When they actually did a forensic interview with the child, he said, He didn`t injure me. (INAUDIBLE) said the child was thrown down a stairwell tied to a chair, but yet there`s no broken bones.
The problem is, a lot of these children`s statements, they don`t jibe with the physical evidence. So that`s why the district attorney hasn`t done anything yet.
GRACE: I don`t know...
MCDONOUGH: They`re trying to see...
GRACE: ... sir, what your experience is...
MCDONOUGH: ... if there`s actually credible -- there`s plenty of experience on both sides, and...
GRACE: I don`t know what your...
(CROSSTALK)
MCDONOUGH: ... witnesses are credible.
GRACE: ... prosecuting or defending child abuse cases, but when children speak, you have to be able to understand what they`re saying. And let me point out to you, Mr. McDonough, that there are five siblings here. While one may not have been thrown down the stairs, another one may have. And you so expertly danced around this list of injuries for just one child.
(CROSSTALK)
GRACE: This is what the doctor said! This is not what the little girl said, McDonough!
MCDONOUGH: Lots of different things (INAUDIBLE) They can fall down. I understand that she`s got some medical conditions...
GRACE: A blue and swollen foot?
MCDONOUGH: But here`s the thing -- let`s be clear. You know as a former prosecutor that...
GRACE: Don`t tell me what I know!
MCDONOUGH: ... that if you`re going to (INAUDIBLE) trial, that you should have a forensic interview. And when they had the forensic interview, oh, these allegations weren`t made.
GRACE: You`re just making that up!
MCDONOUGH: No, no, no!
GRACE: That`s not what`s in the search document!
MCDONOUGH: Well, talking about making it up, and you`re making allegations...
(CROSSTALK)
GRACE: If you would look very carefully, Mr. McDonough, you would see they were referring to another two cases where children were held in cages. You obviously are not reading what`s at the bottom of the screen.
Kelly Lamm, host of "Kelly Lamm at Noon," joining me from Missouri, why aren`t there criminal charges?
LAMM: Nancy, there are 15 open cases and an extensive history with the CPS before the 3-year-old. This has just happened. This isn`t the first time.
GRACE: DFACS has been there 15 times, Kelly, 15 times!
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GRACE: A house of horrors, Greene County, Missouri, allegations that five children have been starved, mistreated, the 3-year-old being kept in a cage right here on a residential street with neighbors going by. Documents state 15 open cases and a, quote, "extensive history" with children`s services before the 3-year-old`s condition resulted in police being called to the Springfield emergency room. Doctors diagnosed the 3-year-old with conditions described -- horrific.
Clark Goldband, why was the little girl`s foot blue?
GOLDBAND: Well, Nancy, according to authorities, it was because there was some kind of a foreign object or paper clip-type object in the fifth toe.
GRACE: Everyone, Perry Epperly, the chief juvenile officer in that county, and the district attorney -- tonight, we are calling for criminal charges against these parents.
When we come back, 4-day-old baby Kaden (ph) snatched from his little bassinet by a woman who fakes pregnancy with a prosthetic, a fake pregnancy belly, a fake stroller and fake baby clothes.
Then later, caught on tape, a well respected elementary school principal busted literally dragging kindergartners on the floor!
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GRACE: And tonight, to Wisconsin suburbs. A four-year-old baby, baby Caden, snatched from his little bassinet by a woman who fakes pregnancy with a fake pregnancy belly. She`s got a fake stroller, she`s got baby clothes, but then after she steals the baby, she abandons the baby and leaves him for dead in freezing temperatures.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My son is missing. I put him to sleep in his crib and now he`s not there. There was a knife laying next to my bed.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There was a knife laying next to your bed?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is there any blood on the knife?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No. I picked it up and seen it was a knife, then I threw it back down and looked over and my baby was gone.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRACE: Straight out to Dan O`Donnell, anchor at WISN. Dan, what happened?
DAN O`DONNELL, WISN: Little Caden`s mother, Brianna, woke up in an absolute panic to find that Caden was missing from his bassinet, an almost unspeakable, unbelievable occurrence. She called 911 immediately.
GRACE: Let`s take a listen to that 911 call.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Rock County, 911. Where is the emergency? What`s the address? And what city?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Beloit, Wisconsin.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is that Beloit Township?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What`s going on?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My son is missing.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK. How old is your son?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He`s four days old.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He`s what?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He`s four days old.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Four days old?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
And there was a knife laying next to my bed.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There was a knife laying next to your bed?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is there any blood on the knife?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No. I picked it up and seen it was a knife and then I threw it back down and looked over and my baby was gone.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Okay.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Can you just please have the police here?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You`re not slowing help down by talking to me, I`m just trying to get more information, okay? Is your boyfriend the child`s father?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK. All right. Why is he yelling? What`s going on?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Huh?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRACE: To wake up and find your infant missing? Joining me right now is John Vaudreuil the US attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, who has been investigating and handling the case. John, I want to take it from the very beginning. Thank you for being with us. This baby, baby Caden, is four days old, and the mom wakes up and finds the baby missing. Was she sleeping in the room with the baby when the baby goes missing?
JOHN VAUDREUIL, US ATTORNEY FOR WESTERN DISTRICT OF WISCONSIN: Yes. That`s -- the baby was in a bassinet in the same room with the mother.
GRACE: You know, John, that is so hard to take in, that you`re asleep with the child in the same room, and you don`t hear anything going on. I want to get to the point where we find the baby in freezing temperatures left for dead, and it`s out in back -- look at that. There`s snow on the ground. And this child is left basically in a box. Where was the baby found and how was baby Caden found, John?
VAUDREUIL: First, the baby was found just next to a gas station at an exit in Cedar County, Iowa, West Branch, Iowa, right off of Highway 80, the highway that basically, as we all know, goes straight from the Midwest towards Colorado. The baby was found because of just excellent police work, in my view.
GRACE: When you were seeing a shot of baby Caden, baby Caden literally being stolen from his bassinet with his mom asleep, just knocked out exhausted in the same room. The baby later found. The kidnapper gives up in fear and leaves the baby to die, out literally in the snow behind a gas station in a crate.
Miraculously, baby Caden is alive, but wait until you hear about the kidnapper.
Now, the kidnapper, Kristen Smith, aka Kristen Pearson. Back to you, John Vaudreuil. He is U.S. attorney on this case. Really held back all the stops, because she has a fake pregnancy belly, she`s gotten a stroller, baby clothes, the works, to make people think this is her baby. What were the items? How did you find a fake pregnancy belly?
VAUDREUIL: We did it with a search of her vehicle. She was initially arrested on charges out of Texas in a fraud warrant from some other case, unrelated case. Search of her car led to the recovery of the items you described, Nancy. Baby clothes, ultimately the prosthetic pregnancy stomach.
GRACE: You know, I could never even imagine, John, kidnapping a baby and using a fake pregnancy prosthetic stomach. She had the baby clothes, she had a stroller. Did she want a baby that much, John?
VAUDREUIL: Well, as you know, Nancy, since you`ve been in my position as a prosecutor, at this point I`m certainly not speculating on what the defendant was thinking or what her motivation was. We`re just adding up the facts that led us to bring the charges.
GRACE: You know, you`re so right, John. Who wants to crawl into her head and figure out what`s going on? You`re seeing a shot of the woman that steals baby Caden from his bassinet by use of a prosthetic fake pregnancy belly, totally posing as the mother. With me the U.S. attorney on the case, and Dan O`Donnell. Out to Dan O`Donnell, anchor WISN. She admits she took the baby. She is found with a fake pregnancy belly, the stroller, the baby clothes. She went into the mom`s room when the mom is knocked out exhausted after giving birth. She admits she took the baby. What kind of time is she looking at, Dan?
O`DONNELL: Well, this is a federal crime, Nancy, because she took the child across state lines, and, conceivably, she could face the maximum sentence of life in federal prison.
GRACE: Dr. Janet Taylor, psychiatrist joining us out of New York. Dr. Taylor, do you anticipate an insanity defense?
TAYLOR: I`m sure that could be, but certainly she wasn`t insane. She was in her right mind enough to have everything fake. She took the baby, she took it across state lines. It`s horrible what she did, but I would imagine she thought that if maybe she had lost the baby, she could act like she had it, but she left the baby to die.
GRACE: Everyone, to tonight`s case alert. As we go to air, a missing Colorado Springs man, Grant Frazier, found dead, 70 miles from home, Newton, Iowa. Frazier last seen Feb. 16. His white Mitsubishi also recovered. Police searching for 21-year-old Bianca Rogers, last seen with Frazier. Tip line, Colorado Springs Police, 719-444-7000.
When we come back, two in custody after we learn cops believe a young girl, 20-year-old Heather Elvis, the victim on this married couple`s, quote, open marriage.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GRACE: Live, Myrtle Beach. As we go to air tonight, two in custody in connection with the disappearance of a young 20-year-old girl Heather Elvis. We learned cops believe Elvis, a victim of a couple, a married couple`s quote, open marriage. But even though these two are behind bars at this hour, we still don`t know, where is Heather Elvis?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We have not located Heather.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sidney Moorer and Tammy Moorer were taken into custody.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Charged with murder.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Cadaver dogs searching both their cars and their house.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The evidence that we located there led to the charge of murder.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRACE: Out to Michael Smith, editor of Carolina Forest Chronicle. Michael, thank you for being with us. I don`t understand how these two are implicated in the disappearance of 20-year-old Heather Elvis. She goes out that night on a date, nice guy, totally cooperating with police, (inaudible), and then suddenly she`s just gone? How does a couple with a, quote, open marriage, what did they have to do with Heather Elvis and why is there a murder charge?
MICHAEL SMITH, CAROLINA FOREST CHRONICLE: Right. Thanks for having me, Nancy. Well, in the police records, Sidney Moorer, he`s the husband, acknowledged to having a relationship history with Heather Elvis, and he says in the report he tried to break it off, but police noted that there were some discrepancies in the story, including the roommate who had told police that Sidney wanted to leave his wife to be with Heather. And that, of course, goes against what was on their Facebook pages, which were taken down just today.
GRACE: Joining me right now, I`m hearing in my ear, in addition to Lieutenant Kegler from the police department, Terry and Debbie Elvis are with us, Heather`s mother and father. Mr. and Mrs. Elvis, thank you for being with us.
You know, when I`m hearing this, the whole thing just makes me sick. To think of these two in a so-called open marriage?
TERRY ELVIS, FATHER: Thank you, Nancy, for taking the time to visit with us again and help us keep a spotlight on finding our daughter. At this time, we`re still looking for Heather. It really hasn`t changed our focuses as a community, and they do have people in custody that have been charged, but we`re still trying to find our daughter, and we`re still seeking as much assistance as possible to locate her.
GRACE: Everyone, we are talking about a missing 20-year-old girl, Heather Elvis. Tonight, two people are behind bars in connection with her disappearance, and I am not accepting, Debbie Elvis, that she`s dead. I am not accepting it. They have not found a body. And these two, now these two are somehow implicated. I was just showing you the picture of Sidney and Tammy Moorer, ages 38 and 41, who claim they have an open marriage. Not for one minute do I believe, Debbie Elvis, this guy was trying to break something off with Heather Elvis. I don`t believe that for a minute.
DEBBIE ELVIS, MOTHER: I don`t -- since we haven`t been told all the evidence that they have, we really are at a loss to form opinions. We`re just -- we`re still searching for answers ourselves until the police are able to tell us more information.
GRACE: With me are Terry and Debbie Elvis on the disappearance of their girl, Heather. To Lieutenant Robert Kegler with the Horry County Police Department, Officer Tegler, thank you for being with us. Why are they charged with murder? Why are police convinced, sheriffs convinced that this is a murder case?
KEGLER: Well, we have been investigating the disappearance of Heather for two months, and it`s been day and night that we have been working on her case. And during the course of our investigation, our task force has been able to obtain enough evidence to show that murder has taken place, and as a result of that, we have charged both Sidney and Tammy Moorer with the charge of murder.
GRACE: Listen, I know you can`t comment on the evidence specifically, but I know you have searched the home and found disturbing evidence. Is that the evidence that makes you believe a murder has occurred?
KEGLER: Yes. Like we said, we did a search warrant on Friday, the 21st. And there was multiple pieces of evidence that were taken from the home of the property of the Moorers. And that evidence has been gone through, is still being gone through. As a result of that search warrant, we were able to get enough probable cause to secure murder one`s for both the Moorers.
GRACE: And this hour, our prayers continuing for Heather Elvis. Her parents with us, Terry and Debbie. The tip line, 843-915-tips. There is a $30,000 reward to help bring home Heather Elvis. At this hour, a married couple with a so-called open marriage behind bars in connection with her disappearance, but still, where is Heather?
Tonight, he serves our country as a naval officer, spending four years away from his eight-year-old little girl, and he can`t have a welcome home sign? Anthony Orsiglia (ph), set for a family reunion in Louisiana, but the homeowners association tells them they`ve got to take down this banner, claiming it breaks the rules. Says they have not been given a clear explanation, the family says. I think the least that our American heroes deserve is a welcome home. And to that homeowners association, you can put that in your pipe and smoke it.
When we come back, caught on tape. A well-respected elementary school principal busted, as she should be. She -- this is just one of many videos. She drags kindergartners on the floor down the hall.
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GRACE: You`re never going to believe this. This well-respected, up until tonight, school principal dragging 5-year-olds down the hall, on the floor. Everybody is just going along with it. It is okay because the principal did it. It`s not okay to me. Dragging children? Not just one. If this were an isolated incident, you`d think, well, it is bad, but was the kid trying to kick her? Was she trying to hold his hand? You try to make explanations for the principal. Brett Larson, there is no explanation for this.
LARSON: Not at all. There is no explanation. Frankly, Nancy, there should be no excuse for this person, for this kind of behavior. She is the principal, she is in charge of this school, and she shouldn`t be dragging children, kindergartners, through the hallways for any reason.
GRACE: Brett Larson, do you have children?
LARSON: I do not.
GRACE: Let me tell you something, Brett, when you do, if you are ever that lucky, and you see a video of them being dragged down the hall by the principal on the floor -- all they have got to say is it should have been kept private. That`s the defense? Hey, you weren`t supposed to see this. It`s like, get away from the man behind the curtain. Well, we`ve seen it now, and I don`t think just firing her is enough. I`m pretty sure that there should be a criminal investigation.
I mean, take a look at this.
LARSON: It is downright offensive that her response to this was this was supposed to be kept a secret during an investigation. We didn`t want anybody to see this.
GRACE: We know about it now, and now authorities, what are you going to do about it?
When we get back, a child sex predator, a white male, 51-year-old Eric Eugene Hartwell escapes after cutting off an ankle monitor.
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GRACE: A child sex predator cuts his ankle monitor and is on the run. Take a look at this guy. Straight to Ken Deal, chief deputy, U.S. Marshals Service, what are the chances of finding this guy?
KEN DEAL, CHIEF DEPUTY, US MARSHAL SERVICE: Highly probable he will be in custody within a period of time here very shortly.
GRACE: How did he get away?
DEAL: In this particular case, he removed an ankle bracelet from a monitoring device from his ankle, and then left the residence where he was actually staying, serving his term of supervised release.
GRACE: Take a look at Eric Eugene Hartwell. 51, level 3 sex offender. Tattoo on right hand. Known to change his appearance, cuts off ankle bracelet, after leaving a halfway house. Convicted of raping a 6 year old and attempting to rape a 15 year old. Blue eyes, blond or strawberry blond hair. Ken Deal, do you expect him to try to change his appearance?
DEAL: Well, we have seen it in a number of cases where individuals on the run have changed their appearance. It is hard to say at this point in time, and I can`t speculate on what his actions may or may not be, but that is a possibility.
GRACE: Everyone, we are being joined from Denver, but this guy is on the run. He is a multiple child sex offender. There is a reward. 877- 926-8332. You find this guy, Eric Eugene Hartwell, you will be saving a life. All you truckers, everybody on the road, take a look. Eric Eugene Hartwell, child sex predator on the run. There is a reward.
Let`s stop and remember American hero, Marine Lieutenant Colonel Mario Carazo. 41. Bronze Star, Purple Heart, Meritorious Service Medal, two master degrees, loved coaching his son`s soccer team. Parents, Alvaro and Ana. One brother, two sisters, widow Jennifer, son Mario, daughter Mila. Mario Carazo, American hero.
And tonight happy birthday, Sam. Double major in biology and IT. Starting a brand new career in IT. Isn`t he handsome? Drew up next, everyone. I`ll see you tomorrow night 8:00 sharp Eastern. Until then, good night, friend.
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