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Nancy Grace
Body Found Is Relisha`s Abductor; Drunk Mom`s Accident Kills two of her Children
Aired April 01, 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. Mommy leaves 8-year-old Relisha Rudd with a family friend, but tonight, police insist Relisha in grave danger. And police are right. We learn her kidnapper, 51-year-old Karl Tatum, has an extensive criminal history and was actually posing as Relisha`s doctor to keep the 8-year-old girl out of school and with him.
After Tatum`s wife found murdered at a Red Roof Inn, Tatum spotted on grainy surveillance video. He`s alone with the little girl, and they are in a Holiday Inn Express motel, entering a room.
Bombshell tonight. In the last 24 hours, we can confirm a body found in a 700-square-acre wooded park is 51-year-old Karl Tatum. But where is 8-year-old Relisha? Is she holed up in a hotel room? Is she still alive? If so, where? As the clock is ticking down tonight, where is 8-year-old Relisha Rudd?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Searchers found a body.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The person that we found here today was, in fact, Mr. Tatum.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The man suspected of being on the run with the 8- year-old. There is still no sign of her.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I`m hoping that she`s still alive, but by taking himself out, it looks the other way.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRACE: And tonight, Teflon, Kevlar, Corian, Simonize. Ring a bell? It should. They`re all products invented or sold by DuPont, the mega- billionaires. But at this hour, DuPont heir Robert Richards IV admits he abuses his 3-year-old little girl after she claims he raped her in multiple rooms of their mansion at the tender age of just 3 years old.
But tonight, even after the DuPont heir confesses, he gets straight probation! He walks free! The judge says the 6-4, 280-pound hulk, quote, "wouldn`t fare well in jail." Well, you know what, Judge Jan Jurden (ph)? You need to be thrown off of the bench and DuPont heir Robert Richards IV needs to go to jail. And you know what? While we`re at it, Delaware attorney general Beau Biden, that`s Vice President Joe Biden`s son, this all happened on your watch, man! You brought the charges, and now a rich man walks free after he admits he raped his 3-year-old daughter!
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He`s a trust fund baby.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A member of one of America`s richest families pleads guilty to rape charges for molesting his own 3-year-old daughter.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Now a convicted pedophile.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We ended up staying in the big house, and they`re in a small rented place.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is this another case where the rich and powerful seem to beat justice?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRACE: That`s from NBC Philadelphia.com.
And tonight, a reality TV star gets a dose of actual reality after the star`s dragged into court on serious assault charges. We have the video! In the last hours, is there a sweetheart deal in the works? And who`s demanding $5 million?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Reality TV gets a little too real. Kelly Highland (ph) was upset about her daughter`s roles in a dance recital. Highland was charged with assault and harassment. The real-life "Dance Mom" could go from sitting at dance recitals to sitting behind bars.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRACE: That`s Lifetime "Dance Moms."
And live to Dallas suburbs, a mom of five admits she`s drunk off at least five mojitos, that we know of, a powerful mix of rum, lime juice and club soda, when she plows her minivan into two cars, killing two of her own children.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Suniga`s blood alcohol content was twice the legal limit when she got in the car with her kids and started speeding.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We need an ambulance as soon as possible!
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The aftermath of the crash captured on police dashcam. It cost the lives of two of her kids.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRACE: And Winter Haven, Florida, caught on video. War erupts at the McDonald`s drive-through. Who`s going to jail?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What had happened at this Winter Haven McDonald`s, one woman couldn`t steer clear of a bout of road rage. Wilson (ph) yelled in Thomas`s (ph) face and held her door open after she tried to close it before punching her.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My heart dropped. I just -- I didn`t know what to think.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRACE: Good evening. I`m Nancy Grace. I want to thank you for being with us.
Bombshell tonight. In the last 24 hours, we confirm a body found in Kenilworth Park -- it`s 700 square acres -- is 51-year-old Karl Tatum. But tonight, is 8-year-old Relisha holed up in a hotel room still alive? If so, where is she? As the clock ticks down, where is 8-year-old Relisha Rudd?
Joining me right now, Dan O`Donnell with WISN. What do you know, Dan?
DAN O`DONNELL, WISN (via telephone): Well, we can now confirm that this body was Karl Tatum`s. It`s believed that Tatum, in fact, shot himself in the head, his body found in a storage building at the Aquatic Gardens area of Kenilworth Park, police still not saying even whether they believe Relisha is alive or whether she, like her abductor, is deceased.
GRACE: Also joining me, special guest from "The Washington Post" Hamil Harris. Hamil, thank you for being with us. You know, I`ve learned a lot. Number one, this is the body of 51-year-old Malik...
HAMIL HARRIS, "WASHINGTON POST" (via telephone): Yes, it is.
GRACE: ... Karl Tatum. I`ve also learned that he has an extensive rap sheet. Let`s see those mug shots. He has at least 10 guilty pleas or guilty verdicts. Keep it rolling. That`s not all. They date all the way to 2003, that I know of. And not only that, Hamil Harris, joining me from "The Washington Post," I understand that the mother, Relisha`s mother, actually thought this guy was taking Relisha to some type of a conference, a medical conference, in Atlanta?
HARRIS: Remember, it`s very important to understand that her mother, from the very beginning, has always maintained that she trusted Khalil Tatum, and that this was someone who was a -- who wanted to be a godfather. And that begs a lot of questions, because again, at the D.C. shelter, there`s a very clear rule where workers -- he was a janitor -- was not supposed to have this contact and these type of relationships with this family, number one.
Number two, he was a janitor. He`s working around women and children all day long. And the police have said that at least three to four other young children in that facility that is under investigation about the contact he`s had with them, as well. So we`re looking at a situation that`s just the beginning of a long probe. But I guess the key thing is, where is this little girl? The focus of...
GRACE: Yes, I mean, that is the key thing. And what I`m asking you, Hamil Harris, is it`s my understanding tonight that the mother says she thought -- or has told police that she thought he was taking her daughter to a medical conference in Atlanta.
Justin Freiman, what do you know about that?
JUSTIN FREIMAN, NANCY GRACE PRODUCER (via telephone): That`s right, Nancy. She has told that to some of the authorities. We`re just not sure where she ended up.
GRACE: Everybody, Dan O`Donnell and Hamil Harris with us. You know, number one, Dan O`Donnell, WISN, this guy has an extensive rap sheet. You`re seeing newly released video of Relisha Rudd. At this hour, there are hundreds of volunteers searching for her by foot, police, K-9s, fire department, by water. They`re right along the Anacostia River.
What can you tell me, Hamil Harris? Isn`t it true that his home -- that Tatum`s family home is about one block from the Anacostia River?
HARRIS: Right. One of the places where Tatum grew up and lived is a very large federal park along the banks of the river. And the thing that`s very important to note is that the largest manpower, helicopters, police officers, FBI, are all focused in this park, where, again, Mr. Tatum was found in a storage shed, and again, what the police know is he got bags, he got a shovel (ph), he got materials to bury someone (ph). This is stuff that`s already been in the public square. So that focus, while we know about the hotels and places where he traveled...
GRACE: Right. You know...
HARRIS: ... all we know is that that body was in the park...
GRACE: ... you said something very interesting, Hamil Harris. Let me see that grainy surveillance video from a Holiday Inn Express, Liz, quickly, please. You know, I`ve been taking a look at his MO.
Let me go to Cooper Lawrence, Dr. Cooper Lawrence, psychologist and radio personality. Doctor, thank you for being with us. He murdered his wife at a Red Roof Inn, OK? And I suspect, by looking at the timeline, it`s because she wanted to put her foot down and put a stop to his relationship with this little girl.
So the little girl had been missing a lot of school, lot of school, lot of school with him. He`s posing as her doctor. And I guarantee the wife, who filed for separation because of this -- she`s found dead immediately, murdered by gunshot wound, we believe, to the head at a Red Roof Inn.
I`m getting to a point here. Then here he is in a Holiday Inn Express checking into a room with an 8-year-old little girl. How wrong is that? Now we find out that he`s been at yet another hotel. Let me think for a moment. I`ll remember which one it was. He`s checked into yet another motel, Days Inn -- that`s what it was, thanks, Liz -- in the area.
I think the police need to be looking in local motels. He`s repeating himself. Isn`t it true, Dr. Lawrence, that people can`t help it, they keep repeating their behavior? It`s like a cycle?
COOPER LAWRENCE, PSYCHOLOGIST (via telephone): Yes, people definitely have patterns, and this is a good example. You know, we keep talking about stranger danger all the time, but actually, all the research shows that it`s usually somebody the child knows that is the most likely to inflict some sort of harm, some sort of abduction.
So the fact that the family trusted him, already that gives him an in. So his patterns are easy to keep doing over and over because, look, the family has let him into their lives and let him have their child and think that he`s somebody who`s trusted.
GRACE: You know, you`re bringing up an interesting point, Dr. Cooper Lawrence. With me right now, in addition to Derrica Wilson, is Tiara Cotton. This is Relisha`s aunt.
Ms. Cotton, thank you for being with us. We`re getting a lot of conflicting stories. The mother`s stories are conflicting. We`re hearing that she handed her daughter over to Tatum to go to a medical conference in Atlanta. Now we`re hearing that she`s saying she had had her mother taking care of Relisha and she handed the girl over to Tatum. Which one is true, Tiara, or none of them?
TIARA COTTON, RELISHA`S AUNT (via telephone): None of them.
GRACE: What happened?
COTTON: I`m just hearing about this. I wouldn`t know. I can`t answer that. I`m trying to figure out myself what actually happened.
GRACE: Well, who was with the girl last, her mother or her grandmother?
COTTON: I believe -- I guess her mother.
GRACE: OK. That makes sense to me, Ms. Cotton, because her mother was there at the facility where Tatum worked as a janitor. And this is what we`re learning.
Let me go to Derrica Wilson. Is it Derrica or Dereeka, Ms. Wilson?
DERRICA WILSON, HELPING WITH SEARCH FOR RELISHA: It`s Derrica.
GRACE: Thank you. Derrica Wilson, co-founder of Black and Missing Foundation and a former police officer. Thanks for being with us. Your group was called in to help with the search.
WILSON: Yes.
GRACE: Tell me what you`ve been doing and what you observed.
WILSON: We were calling in by NPD (ph) to help on the grounds of the Kenilworth Park, so we`ve been aiding them in the efforts of helping find Relisha. And we`re not going to stop.
If you look at the timeline, she was last seen alive March the 1st. That was days -- actually, weeks before his wife even went -- before she turned up murdered. And so that`s when she was last seen alive, this little girl. I don`t feel that she`s in this park.
GRACE: With me, Hamil Harris with "The Washington Post." Hamil, so many different stories, and that`s disturbing, Hamil, that we can`t get to the truth of how she ends up with Tatum. But what I know tonight is that his habit is -- we know he`s got a gun. He shot himself. He shot his wife. We know that he frequents these local motels, and I bet he pays with cash, Hamil, because he would always flash a big wad of cash there at the facility where Mom lived.
Dan O`Connell, Hamil lost his satellite. What do we know about searches in local motels and hotels?
O`DONNELL: Well, we know that police have been actively searching all of the hotels and motels that Tatum was seen at or that they know he at least stayed one night. However, those searches have thus far turned up nothing. It seems to me that police are focusing instead on the park where Tatum`s body was found.
GRACE: Well, that`s a good bet, Dan O`Donnell, because we know one of the last places he was spotted before his death was at a local hardware store, buying construction-grade black plastic bags, lime and a shovel.
To Dr. Michelle Dupre, medical examiner, forensic pathologist. Dr. Dupre, what would lime do to a body?
DR. MICHELLE DUPRE, MEDICAL EXAMINER, FORENSIC PATHOLOGIST (via telephone): (INAUDIBLE) a body and help it decompose after (ph). But that really depends. I`ve actually seen lime preserve a body and make it a little bit easier for us to find some trace evidence and other things.
GRACE: Everyone, tip line, 202-727-9099. There is a $70,000 reward in connection with the missing person case of Relisha Rudd -- 202-727-9099.
Everybody, Robert Richards IV admits he abuses his 3-year-old little girl after she claims he rapes her in multiple rooms of their mansion at the tender age of just 3 years old. But tonight, even after the DuPont multi-millionaire confesses, he gets straight probation. And the judge, Judge Jan Jurden, says the 6-4, 280-pound hulk, quote, "wouldn`t fare well in jail"?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And now according a new lawsuit filed by Richards`s ex-wife, he may have molested not only his daughter but his toddler son, as well.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRACE: And then later, caught on tape, war erupts in the McDonald`s drive-through. Who`s going to jail?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GRACE: Now live to Dallas suburbs. A mom of five admits she`s drunk off at least five mojitos -- that`s rum, lime juice, club soda -- when she plows her minivan into two cars, killing two of her own children.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A crash that broke a family.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We have some people...
911 OPERATOR: OK, they`re on the way.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Firefighters work to treat a child, one of two that survived. Two others did not. Police say the driver, their mother, Crystal Suniga, was drunk. Police say Suniga admitted to drinking five mojitos that night.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRACE: Out to PIO of the Irving police department, Officer James McLellan. Thank you for being with us. How do we know she had at least five mojitos?
JAMES MCLELLAN, IRVING POLICE DEPARTMENT (via telephone): Oh, good afternoon, Nancy. Yes, that statement was made by her at the hospital during an initial...
GRACE: Oh, my...
MCLELLAN: ... interview (INAUDIBLE)
GRACE: ... stars, Officer McLellan! I`m looking at the crash. Oh! Oh! OK, it`s bad.
To Claire Cardona, reporter with "The Dallas Morning News." How did she manage to plow into two cars? Everybody, the photos you`re seeing are courtesy of Eric Sorto (ph). Claire, how did this happen?
CLAIRE CARDONA, "DALLAS MORNING NEWS" (via telephone): She lost control of her vehicle and crossed over into the yard and crashed into the two parked cars, and then eventually, the car came to a stop on the -- it rolled over and came to a stop on the driver`s side, resting against the house.
GRACE: You know, it`s hard for me to take it in, Claire and Officer McLellan, how you can knowingly drink five alcoholic drinks, five mixed drinks. I`m not talking about lite beer over ice in two or three hours. I`m talking about downing five mojitos, then put all your children in your car and go for a joyride?
What exactly is a mojito, Clark Goldband?
CLARK GOLDBAND, NANCY GRACE PRODUCER: Well, Nancy, the base of the drink is rum, six ounces of rum, according to one bartender I spoke with. We`ve also got mint leaves, simple syrup, fresh lime juice and club soda.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GRACE: With me, Sheryl McCollum, director of the Cold Case Investigative Research Institute, former state director of Mothers Against Drunk Driving. Sheryl, thanks for being with us. She was reportedly over two times the legal limit. That we know of, five mojitos. And if you`re going to admit to five, Sheryl, there`s no telling how much she really had.
SHERYL MCCOLLUM, CRIME ANALYST (via telephone): Absolutely. Five is just the starter. And if she`s double the legal limit when they tested her, if they had tested her again an hour later, it`s probably going to be going up.
GRACE: To James McLellan, Officer McLellan from the Irving Police Department. Where are her other children tonight? She had five children. Two are dead.
MCLELLAN: Yes, at the moment, one of them is still in the hospital suffering from an injury. Another one has been released and is in foster care at the moment. The third child, we don`t know his whereabouts at the moment and that`s still under investigation.
GRACE: Officer McLellan, what was her blood alcohol?
MCLELLAN: Well, bearing in mind this was an initial estimate, it was based on a screening done at the hospital, and it appears that she was approximately a .18. However, again, that`s an initial estimate that...
GRACE: And in your jurisdiction, .08 is the legal limit?
MCLELLAN: That`s correct, .08 is the legal limit.
GRACE: You know, I know we could go off on her right now. What I`m thinking about are the lives of her two children, Sheryl McCollum. They`re dead because Mommy gets drunk and gets behind the wheel, five mojitos. They`re dead.
MCCOLLUM: Yes, look, the pictures are so horrifying, Nancy. I mean, she had to be flying. And the alcohol meant more to her.
GRACE: I`m just sick about it, these two children dead because Mommy`s drunk behind the wheel.
Everyone, when we come back, a reality TV star gets a dose of actual reality as the star is dragged into court on serious assault charges. We have the video. But tonight, is there a sweetheart deal in the works? And who`s demanding $5 million?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Kelly Highland got into a physical fight with "Dance Mom" leader Abby Lee Miller. And it all happened as the cameras were rolling on the hit show "Dance Moms."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GRACE: A reality TV star gets a dose of actual reality as the star is dragged into court on serious assault charges. We have the video. But tonight, is there a sweetheart deal in the works? And who is demanding $5 million?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Kelly Hyland got into a physical fight with dance mom leader Abby Lee Miller. And it all happened as the cameras were rolling.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Can you sit here and say that my daughter looks miserable so maybe we should put Colani (ph) in her place.
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Out of the room!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hyland, along with her children that were on the show, are suing the producer. Hyland is no longer on the show but could be getting a big payday.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRACE: That`s from Lifetime`s "Dance Moms." Let`s see the video. I want to see what`s worth -- I want to hear it, too. Can`t hear it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Out of the room, girls! Out of the room!
(CROSSTALK)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRACE: That is a serious hair fight going on there. That`s from Lifetime`s "Dance Moms," but I`m not sure who really threw the first punch, who is suing who, who is charged with what, but I do know this, Alexis, senior reporter, Radaronline.com, I do know that someone is suing for $5 million tonight. Show us the parties we`re talking about, Abby Lee Miller and Kelly Hyland. Alexis, who did what?
ALEXIS TERESZCUK: So Abby Lee Miller was yelling at Kelly. Kelly claims that Abby was gnashing her teeth. As you can see, she sort of seems to be biting. So Kelly said she was afraid Abby was going to bite her, and that`s why she hit her in the face, which you can see, and then she pulled her hair. So Kelly is actually the one that did the physical assaulting.
(CROSSTALK)
GRACE: Did I hear you say she pulled her hair? I feel like I`m back on the playground in fifth grade. OK, so Abby Lee Miller says she`s afraid Kelly Hyland is going to pull her hair or Kelly Hyland says Abby Lee Miller is going to bite her?
TERESZCUK: Kelly Hyland says Abby Lee Miller is going to bite her, and she`s afraid of that, and that is why she pulled her hair and smacked her in the face.
GRACE: OK, so bottom line, there was an alleged bite going down. First of all, you better get used to the biting thing. Can I see Alexis, please? There she is. Everybody, the reason she`s glowing has nothing to do with her makeup. Alexis is going to have a baby. She`s going to have a baby. So all right. I`m going to go easy on you tonight, Alexis, just this one time.
TERESZCUK: I can take it.
GRACE: Congratulations, friend.
TERESZCUK: Thank you very much.
GRACE: (inaudible), and it gets back to the heart of this thing. This is all about their children being on this dance show, and they`re actually throwing punches, pulling hair. Who wants $5 million?
TERESZCUK: Kelly Hyland wants $5 million. She has sued the production company, and she says that she was encouraged by the producers to cause drama, to cause the fights, and that because of these fights that she was in as an adult where the fight where she hits the other one, where she hits Abby, her own daughters have been suffering, that they have panic attacks, and that ever since they were kicked off the show, they`ve had a very tough life. She also claims --
GRACE: So Kelly Hyland is the one that throws the punch and she`s the one suing for $5 million? Did I get that straight?
TERESZCUK : That`s exactly right. She`s the one.
GRACE: OK. Unleash the lawyers. Hugo Rodriguez, Trinity Hundredmark, but first, Alex McCord, former Real Housewife, host of "The Real Deal" on Star.com. Alex, weigh in. What`s going on here? How can you throw a punch, hit the other mom, and then you sue for $5 million?
ALEX MCCORD, FORMER REAL HOUSEWIFE: She`s mad because she got fired. She is trying to publicly shame Abby and the production company, and I don`t think it`s going to work. Because if Kelly wins her case, she will set a precedent that could bring down reality TV. Because in --
GRACE: Oh, dear lord in heaven. You mean an end to reality TV? Lions and tigers and bears, oh no!
MCCORD: Here is what, in every contract it says you can`t sue. No matter what they do to you, you can`t sue.
GRACE: Even if you attack another dance mom.
MCCORD: Correct.
GRACE: So if she wins, it could be the demise of reality TV. With me, Alex McCord, former "Real Housewife" and host of "The Real Deal" on Star.com. Back to the lawyers. Hugo Rodriguez. That`s from Lifetime`s "Dance Mom. " You`re not really as pretty as Alex McCord, but I`m going to go to you anyway. Trinity Hundredmark, you`re not part of that conversation because you`re tres glam. Hugo, so she is the one that throws the punch, she throws the punch, and she sues for $5 million.
HUGO RODRIGUEZ, ATTORNEY: I like it. Why not? We see this every day. It is helping them, it`s boosting everything. We`ll see, it will be settled in a confidential agreement. We won`t even know about it.
(CROSSTALK)
GRACE: You`re talking out of your let`s say ear. Trinity Hundredmark, let`s talk about the real law, not Barnum & Bailey over here who says bad press is good press. Trinity, she is the one that throws the first punch. How does she have a leg to stand on to sue for $5 million?
HUNDREDMARK: Well, if I were defending her, first of all, who hasn`t watched the show and wanted to smack Abby in the face? That`s sort of part of watching the show. She incites things. She makes people angry, and she`s getting in her face, gnawing at her. She is right there in her face. It is reality TV, but we do know that there`s a lot of reality TV that is scripted, and we don`t know how much of this she was told to do, and then she is kicked off the show, and her girls are the ones (inaudible).
GRACE: Both of you in my mind, are barking up the wrong tree. Alex Teresczuk, senior reporter, Radaronline.com, the story is, in criminal law, anyway, and this applies to certain civil cases as well, for it to be coercion or somebody made you do a criminal act, you have to be in fear for your life in order for the coercion defense to work. I don`t think it`s going to work here. I don`t think she was in fear for her life by the producers of "Dance Moms."
TERESCZUK: She wasn`t, and in fact, this suit was filed months after the incident took place. This happened back in November, and she just filed the suit now. She`s asking for $5 million.
GRACE: $5 million, and ooh, ow, she pulled that weave but good. OK, sweetheart deal in the works, $5 million demand. That is what`s going on with reality TV tonight. Everybody, coming up next, Robert Richards IV -- he is the DuPont heir, mega billionaires, the DuPonts. This guy admits that he sexually abuses his three-year-old little girl after she tells that he rapes her at the tender age of 3 in multiple rooms of their DuPont mansion. But tonight, even after this guy confesses, he gets straight probation. The judge say the 6`4``, 280-pound hulk, quote, "would not fare well in jail."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And now, according to a new lawsuit filed by Richard`s ex-wife, he may have molested not only his daughter, but his toddler son as well.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GRACE: Robert Richards IV, the DuPont heir of the billionaire DuPont family admits he sexually abuses his three-year-old little girl after she claims he rapes her in multiple rooms of their mansion at the tender age of just three years old. But tonight, even after the DuPont family heir confesses, he admits he raped the three-year-old girl, he gets straight probation. The judge, Judge Jan Jurden, says the 6`4, 280-pound hulk, quote, "wouldn`t fare well in jail." Well, you know what, Judge Jurden? You need to be thrown off the bench. And the DuPont heir, Robert Richards IV, you need to go to jail. And while we`re at it, Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden, that`s Vice President Joe Biden`s son is the Delaware attorney general, this happened on your watch, man. You brought these charges claiming you`re going to crack down on child predators, and tonight a rich man walks free after he admits he raped his three-year-old little girl!
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Robert Richards IV`s great granddad started the DuPont empire, but Robert is now a convicted pedophile. Why isn`t Richards sent to the slammer? Because the judge doesn`t believe he would fare well.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRACE: I`m just sick about it. This as new claims are emerging that he also abused his little boy. The little girl finally came forward to a relative and said what her father had been doing to her, that he said it was their little secret, and she didn`t want him touching her anymore. OK. Now he walks free. Have you ever heard of simonizing your car, of teflon, of kevlar, of corian tiles? All of those are either created or sold by the DuPont family. They are billionaires, and that`s a b as in brother, and this is the heir who is walking free tonight after admitting he rapes his three-year-old daughter. Chris Barrish, senior investigative reporter with the News Journal, I`m sick about it.
CHRIS BARRISH, THE NEWS JOURNAL: How are you doing, Nancy?
GRACE: Well, I`m upset. I`m very upset, because I`m a crime victim, and a crime, a violent crime reverberates in your life for the rest of your life. How is this little girl going to grow up? Is she ever going to have a boyfriend, is she ever going to get married, can she have a normal relationship? Is she going to be afraid? Did you know victims of violent crime are prone to depression for the rest of their life? They are prone to suicide. All of this is going to echo for the rest of her life because of her father, and he walked free, Chris.
BARRISH: That`s why his ex-wife filed a lawsuit last week seeking damages, both compensatory and punitive, for the rape -- for her daughter`s rape.
GRACE: Another thing I don`t understand, Chris. What are we hearing about -- there`s Judge Jan Jurden. Chris Barrish, investigative reporter News Journal. Why does the judge say this hulk -- he`s like 6`4, 280 pounds. Why won`t he fare well in jail? Why is he less able to cope behind bars than every other child rapist who goes to jail?
BARRISH: A lot of us are wondering that, and lawyers that I`ve talked to on both sides of the aisle say they`ve heard that argument made that someone wouldn`t fare well in prison if they are frail or have medical issues. And none of that applies here, although they say that child rapists are often targeted in prison, but they do have protective custody. One of the issues here--
GRACE: Name one, name me one child rapist other than a Catholic priest who met up with his -- one of his molestation victims behind bars and was attacked -- one other person who you can think of, a child rapist, jailhouse justice. I can only think of one case, and then there was a serial killer that was killed behind bars as well. Those are the only two cases I can name. Can you name one, Chris Barrish?
BARRISH: I know of none. I haven`t researched those cases in depth, but the prosecutor`s office recommended probation and offered a deal -- he was originally charged with two counts of second-degree rape, which carry 10 years mandatory prison time. So he was facing 20 years. And they offered him a deal.
(CROSSTALK)
GRACE: They can`t wash their hands of this either. I`m not leaving the prosecution out of this pot as well. They can stew right in the pot with the judge and the attorney general, Beau Biden, that brought these charges, to my understanding.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Two children in Delaware`s well known DuPont family are suing their dad for damages stemming from a sex abuse case.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He somehow managed to avoid prison time, but now his ex-wife wants him to pay up with the one thing he seems to have plenty of, money.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRACE: You can say that again. That was from NBCphiladelphia.com. They`ve got money all right. Michael Christian, about how much are the DuPonts worth? Billions of dollars?
CHRISTIAN: I think the entire family fortune has been estimated at $15 billion, Nancy.
GRACE: And now this. Everyone, for those of you just joining us, the DuPont heir, Robert H. Richards IV, 47 years old, admits he rapes his 3- year-old daughter. There are claims that he also abused his son. That`s not on the table tonight, I can`t confirm that, but the claims have been raised. But my problem tonight, in addition to him raping his 3-year-old daughter, is that Judge Jan Jurden has let him walk free, and the prosecution`s office under the watch of Attorney General in Delaware, Beau Biden, that`s the Vice President Joe Biden`s son, has gone along with this deal. Straight probation for a child rapist that happens to be tied to a $15 billion fortune. Okay, Michael Christian, where are these claims coming from that the boy was also abused?
CHRISTIAN: Mr. Richards` ex-wife, Tracy Richards, has filed a civil lawsuit against him. They are in that lawsuit, that`s the first that we found out about him. Again, as you say, Nancy, that`s not confirmed. He`s never been charged criminally with these things, but the allegations are there.
GRACE: Unleash the lawyers. Trinity Hundredmark, why is this guy, he`s 6`4, 280 pounds, he has no known physical or mental infirmities, why is he less likely to fare well behind bars than every other child rapist? What`s so special about him, other than he`s rich?
HUNDREDMARK: Nancy, I don`t know why the judge made that in her ruling, but listen, we don`t know what went on in that courtroom, we don`t know what the mitigating circumstances were. He was originally charged with two counts that were much higher charges, and the prosecutors chose to reduce them. It seems as if the incidents were alleged to have occurred a number of years before the child had an outcry. All those things go towards him being more innocent. That`s why the prosecution probably did less.
GRACE: Being more innocent? He pled guilty. He admitted in court that he did it.
HUNDREDMARK: He pled guilty to lesser charges.
RODRIGUEZ: I don`t condone what Mr. Richards did, I don`t condone it, but the state made an offer of a plea agreement of one count to fourth degree sexual assault with a recommendation of probation, and he and his counsel accepted it. If there`s a beef, it`s with the state attorney`s office and the state attorney general.
GRACE: Everyone, when we come back, caught on tape, war erupts in the McDonald`s drive through. Who`s going to jail?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I didn`t know if he was going to get out of the car or not. My heart dropped. I didn`t know what to think.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: McDonald`s, a trusted purveyor of classic American fast food for decades.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I didn`t know if he was going to get out of the car or not.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But outside of a Florida golden arches, police say a senior citizen experiences road rage after he perceives a driver cuts him off in the drive through.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRACE: Now to upscale Winter Haven, Florida, caught on video, war erupting in the McDonald`s drive through. Who`s going to jail? To Noam Laden, WABC. Noam, what happened? Why did this guy get out and start throwing punches, hitting this lady in the face?
NOAM LADEN, WABC: Howard Wilson is his name, 71 years old. He thinks that this woman, Brittany, has cut him off in the drive through lane in mcDonald`s and he has this Big Mac attack, and he runs and rages towards her car.
GRACE: Joining me right now, special guest, Chief Gary Hester with the Winter Haven Police Department. You have got a beautiful, beautiful jurisdiction there, Chief Hester. What happened in the McDonald`s drive through? What bee got into this guy`s bonnet?
CHIEF GARY HESTER, WINTER HAVEN PD: It`s a wonderful community. Unfortunately (inaudible) this past Saturday night, where he felt like he was cut off in the dual drive through that merges into a single pick-up lane. He exited his vehicle and approached the passenger side, yelling and cussing and using racial slurs. Fortunately for us, we had a witness who videoed the entire event on her cell phone. And we were able to capture that and were able to actually apprehend the suspect.
(CROSSTALK)
GRACE: Oh, man, this is the last time I`m going to change my order in the McDonald`s drive through, Chief Hester. Explain.
GOLDBAND: You guys have all seen these new fangled drive throughs, they`re called double drive throughs. Take a look. Boom, boom, when you merge here, that`s where the problem occurred. He believed this gentleman apparently that one woman should not have gone in front of his car first.
GRACE: Chief Hester, has he been banned from McDonald`s? I can only hope.
HESTER: I don`t know if he`s been banned from McDonald`s, but he`s been put in the county jail.
GRACE: That`s even better, Chief.
(CROSSTALK)
GRACE: I`ll tell you one thing, Chief Hester, you better bring him coffee the way he likes it. You got it?
Let`s stop, everybody, and remember American hero, Army Specialist Eric Lembke, just 25, Tampa. Combat engineer, Bronze Star, Purple Heart, National Defense Service Medal, remembered as a free spirit, dedicated to what he loved and believed in. Mother Dorothy, brother Robert, widow, Nashal (ph). Two children. Eric Lembke, American hero. And a special good night tonight to super fan, Jimmy, college freshman studying communication, never misses the show. Thank you, friend.
Everybody, Drew up next, the parents accused of starving their child. I`m signing off now. I`ll see you tomorrow night, 8:00 sharp Eastern. And until then, good night, friend.
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