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Out in the Open
Sean Taylor's Murder: Are Athletes Being Targeted?
Aired December 03, 2007 - 20:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
RICK SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: Hey, thanks so much, Lou.
And here we find ourselves in the Orange Bowl. Legendary stadium. Five Super Bowls, Miami Dolphins, the Miami Hurricanes have played here. And this is where Sean Taylor, in his own right, became a superstar. Sean Taylor, now murdered. Sean Taylor, with four suspects who police say may have come to rob his house but somehow it ended up in this tragedy.
There is a lot to talk about in this case and one of the things that we're going to be talking about tonight is obviously what's going on in the inner cities in America with so many young African American men dying in this way.
But there is something that has suddenly become part of the national conversation as a result of Sean Taylor's death. It has to do with athletes who being targeted, or so some say. Are they really being targeted or does it have more to do with the life style? Does it have to do that so many of them don't have a firm commitment in their lives, that they don't have role models, that they have four, five children out of wedlock? That they're at the bars and going to the nightclubs and staying up to wee hours of the night.
This is an important question that we're going to be asking you as well.
But we're going starting, though, with this. This unbelievable case that had 3,000 people at a funeral today where Jesse Jackson, O.J. Simpson, Andy Garcia. So much to talk about there.
Four suspects. The shooter, police are now intimating, may have only been 17 years old. Seventeen years old. Here now, John Zarrella drilling down into this story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): As family, friends, coaches, teammates said good-bye, a clearer picture of what happened November 26th is emerging. It appears talk and timing led to Sean Taylor's death set in motion simply by accident. Boasts made by Taylor's half sister, Sasha Johnson, to the wrong people says Taylor's attorney and friend, Richard Sharpstein.
RICHARD SHARPSTEIN, SEAN TAYLOR'S ATTORNEY: She might have been speaking about Sean and his wealth. It's a sad and tragic event. ZARRELLA: Sharpstein says that over Thanksgiving Johnson, with her brother's permission threw a part at his house. Taylor wasn't there, Sharpstein says, but her boyfriend was there. That boyfriend, Christopher Wardlow is a cousin of 18-year-old suspect, Charles Wardlow.
SHARPSTEIN: Put yourself in her shoes, if you had said something to someone that unwitting led to your brother's death, how could you feel? She will be wracked with guilt for the rest of her life and not because of anything she directly did but possibly in her careless choice of friends.
ZARRELLA: It's unclear if any of the four now charged with murder were at the party. Johnson's father insists his daughter did nothing wrong.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She's 100 percent not involved at all. That question being asked is the most ridiculous question in the world. Because he loved his sister.
ZARRELLA: From sources and police reports, this is what we know, in confessions obtained Friday, two of the suspects, Eric Rivera Jr., 17, and Jason Mitchell 19 admitted going to Taylor's house to burglarize it but not to kill him. They didn't know he'd be there. Taylor had only come to town a couple of days earlier to get a second opinion on his injured knee.
CNN has learned fingerprints place at least one of the suspects at the house. Police aren't saying but they appear to know who pulled the trigger. And not everyone is in custody.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I just want to confirm that there is a fifth suspect that the police are looking for.
ZARRELLA: That suspect may have driven the getaway car. Tips led to the arrests. Sources have told CNN the takedowns were well coordinated. Mitchell was arrested while stopped at a gas station, his car surrounded. Rivera was pulled over while driving. And there are questions still unanswered. Police don't know if any of the suspects were involved in a break in at Taylor's home a week before the killing. And they don't have the murder weapon.
The attorney for Charles Wardlow says it may never be found.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't believe it will be recovered.
ZARRELLA: Why do you say that?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: From things I've heard from law enforcement and people involved with the case.
ZARRELLA: The fourth suspect is Venjah Hunte, 20. All had prior run-ins with the law. Mostly charges of possession and sale of drugs.
Wardlow and Rivera went to school and played football at Florida Christian Institute. By all accounts loved the game and were not troublemakers.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was totally shocked. I couldn't imagine knowing the two of them that they would be involved in anything like there.
ZARRELLA: But now, four young men, none older than 20, are staring at the possibility that they could spend the rest of their lives in prison.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SANCHEZ: John Zarrella is joining us now. You have been all over this story. What's the latest? What have your sources told you today?
ZARRELLA (on camera): Well, Rick, a couple of things. We found out that Venjah Hunt, the fourth, one of the four original suspects, that his attorney says he was asked to be the driver to get them over to the East Coast because none of them had drivers' licenses.
SANCHEZ: He's admitting to that. So he's putting himself at the scene.
ZARRELLA: Absolutely. Absolutely. But that somebody else, he says, then drove the car to Taylor's house. Who that somebody else is, we don't know.
SANCHEZ: Any new evidence?
ZARRELLA: The only new evidence that we know right now is that police do believe now that all four of these men may well have been the ones who went to Sean Taylor's house back on the 18th on that original break in. Not confirmed yet.
SANCHEZ: Really?
ZARRELLA: But there is growing evidence that they ...
SANCHEZ: So this was the second time they may have tried this.
ZARRELLA: Will have been the second time.
SANCHEZ: That's fascinating. How did they get the bead on these guys so fast? What was it, three or four days?
ZARRELLA: Three or four days. They had incredible tips and a lot of speculation that there's supposedly a fifth suspect out there as we know. And perhaps it's that fifth suspect who is the one who has been leading police and gave the police the original tips.
SANCHEZ: Did they know him? Had they met Sean personally? Do we know that?
ZARRELLA: From what our understanding is, none of them had ever met Sean Taylor.
SANCHEZ: Do they know if they have found the gun yet? Have they found that at least as evidence is concerned?
ZARRELLA: Interesting, no. Have not found the gun. And as the attorney told us, probably won't. And you know what? These suspects are right now probably coming across Alligator Alley on their way back to Miami. And it is very likely that that murder weapon may well have been dumped somewhere along Alligator Alley and may never be found.
SANCHEZ: John, stick around, because we might be getting back to you.
Deb Feyerick has been working on a fascinating story for us as well. Often when something like this happen, we have a tendency to MySpace pages to find out if these guys have a MySpace ad because it turns out that people all over the country have them.
Look at what we found. Take a look at these pictures. This is fascinating. By the way, you won't find these anymore, they have taken them down, since we at CNN were quick enough to record them so we can show them to you.
But they say a lot about these suspects. It really reveals them in many different ways and Deb could be coming long in just a little bit and she's going to be talking about that.
Before we do anything else, let's go now to Fort Meyers, that's where attorney Wilbur Smith is standing by. Counselor Smith represents Eric Rivera, the 17 year old that we've been talking about and also Jason Mitchell. Counselor, thanks so much for being with us.
Did your client, Eric Rivera, have a gun? Because reports in the "Miami Herald" today and those things that the police seem to be intimating is that he may have been the trigger man. How do you respond? How does he respond?
WILBUR SMITH, ERIC RIVER AND JASON MITCHELL'S ATTORNEY: Well, reports all over the media have placed him as the shooter. I'm not going respond to anything that my client said to me. For our purposes at this point, it's rather immaterial. Because what we have been trying to do is desensationalize this case out of respect for the Taylors. So eventually we can have serious discussions with the state attorney about the direction this case should take.
SANCHEZ: OK. Well, let's be fair, then. And ask you point blank, what is your case going be? What are your clients telling you? Do you know at this point how will you plead?
SMITH: In most cases, no matter how serious they are, there are discussions between the prosecutor's office and the defense attorneys where you try to reach agreement so the case is resolved without going to trial.
In a small percentage of cases, the state won't negotiate at all. But we've taken the position that our client when the time comes is going to tell the absolute truth. Law enforcement is going to know everything that happened and as a result of that, we think that the case can be resolved quickly. Now, if that doesn't happen ...
SANCHEZ: It's interesting that you would say that because police are again intimating that they have a couple of confessions in this case. It sounds like you're saying your client is going come clean and say what he needs to say and be as honest as possible. I want to ask you about the confessions a little bit more. Stay with us if you would, counselor Smith, we're going to be talking about that in just a little bit.
Also those of you at home, we want you to go to our Web page if you possibly can at cnn.com/rick. The question is, Are athletes being targeted in the United States or are they inviting the problems they seem to be getting into?
This is a very important part of the discussion that we want to have with you. Also, we're going to be bringing you the very latest on confessions and then this, went to the funeral today. Unbelievable. Really. Not a dry eye in the house. Here's a moment now from that funeral. We'll be right back.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CAROLINA GARCIA, SEAN TAYLOR'S GIRLFRIEND'S SISTER: I would also like to thank you, Sean, thank you for loving my sister the way you did. Thank you for the integrity and humbleness you never failed to show. It's a funny think how God always seems to take the special ones too soon. He clearly needed you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: Welcome back to the Orange Bowl, we're right near downtown Miami. This is obviously a historic stadium. A lot of news coming out of this story.
As a matter of fact, it's happening as we speak. Police are now telling us that they're driving the suspects all the way from Palm Beach down to Miami, that they should be here sometime tonight. They're talking now about there possibly being a fifth suspect. We're trying to nail that down and there is new information also as to whether or not police are going to be able to gather more evidence.
You heard the conversation we had just moments ago with John Zarrella about them looking for the gun to obviously be able to use as physical evidence. Let's talk now to another attorney. This is attorney Michael Horning. He represents another one of the suspects. He represents Venja Hunte. Counselor Horning, thanks so much for being with us, sir. Appreciate it.
MICHAEL HORNING, VENJA HUNTE'S ATTORNEY: Thank you very much.
SANCHEZ: Have you had any conversations with your client?
HORNING: I most certainly have. And the first thing that my client wanted to tell the Taylor family was that deepest condolences go out to that whole family for this unfortunate incident. SANCHEZ: We understand that your client is saying he was there and I understand this might be coming from you, so correct me if I'm wrong. That he was there. He's putting himself at the scene that night. Is that correct?
HORNING: Absolutely. But what he's also saying is he did not pull the trigger, he did not have any knowledge about what was going on that night, and did not even know where they were going. Did not know Sean Taylor, did not know that neighborhood and had no knowledge whatsoever. But he is saying that he was there. But believe me, when they gun is found, there will not be his fingerprint on it, nor did he ever have any knowledge whatsoever that a gun was involved.
SANCHEZ: So he knows then who pulled the trigger, can I take it?
HORNING: Well, no, he doesn't know. The first time that he actually knew there was even a firearm was when he heard, he was on the property, he heard two gunshots. That was the first time he even knew that there was a gun involved.
You're saying that afterward, did the guys run out to the car after the shooting had taken place. Was there not a discussion as they headed back to Fort Myers?
I don't know if there was a discussion. We discussed it today. He is adamant that he had no knowledge of the gun. The gun was fired, Mr. Taylor was killed. My client had no knowledge of who pulled the trigger.
SANCHEZ: So you're saying that afterward, did the guys run out to the car after the incident had taken place? After the shooting had taken place? Was there not a discussion with them after they left Miami and headed back to Fort Meyers?
HORNING: I don't know if there was a discussion or not. That's something that we did not discuss today when I met with my client. I can tell you that he is very adamant that he had no knowledge where they were going. He had no knowledge whatsoever of who had a gun, had no knowledge whatsoever of who fired a gun.
A gun was fired. Mr. Taylor was killed. That's a give. But my client had no knowledge whatsoever of who pulled that trigger.
SANCHEZ: So why was he going to the house then? Why did he think that he and his friends were getting into the car in Fort Meyers and driving to Miami to the house of NFL superstar Sean Taylor?
HORNING: He had no idea they were going to Sean Taylor's house. He knew they were going to the East Coast, that's all he knew. He had probably been in Dade County once or twice in his life. Had never been in that neighborhood and never met Sean Taylor prior to hearing what happened. Had no knowledge whatsoever about the location, the house or Sean Taylor. And that's why he is extremely remorseful and sends out his deepest condolences to the Taylor family.
SANCHEZ: We thank you, sir. Michael Horning, attorney for Venja Hunte bringing us up to date on some of the details. It does sound like your client is going to be cooperating with police. Unfortunately it sounds like all of them are going to be cooperating with police and some of them may be telling contradictory stories. We're going to be all over this. Thanks so much.
When we come back we're going to showing you what's going on in this funeral today attended by some two to three thousand people, the likes of Andy Garcia, O.J. Simpson showed up, making what most would have considered a surprise appearance. Some stirring words not just about Sean Taylor but about what's going on with African Americans and violence in this country by the Reverend Jesse Jackson. A huge ovation. We'll bring you all of that.
You're watching this special edition of OUT IN THE OPEN from the Orange Bowl. I'm Rick Sanchez.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROGER GOODELL, NFL COMMISSIONER: It's been a sad week for the NFL family. It's times like this that all of us struggle to find meaning in life. Senseless loss of life becoming all too common in today's society. Just in the NFL, we have lost four young men, all tragic, all 24 years old, all in the last year.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: Can you imagine? Four, all of them 24 years old, that's Roger Goodell, he's the commissioner of the NFL. He was there today speaking as well as a bevy of other people.
There's something that we did, which is very interesting, as soon as we heard about this case, we checked on the computers and we went to MySpace and we found some MySpaces pages for the suspects who are now being named by police in this case. Even some of their attorneys didn't know about these pages when we presented them with this information.
And by the way, if you want to go and look, now, the pages are gone. But we locked them in and we recorded them. So our Deb Feyerick now hosts this report on who these suspects are and how they reveal themselves in the pages of MySpace.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The four suspects charged in the Sean Taylor murder all had pages on MySpace. While that's not unusual, take a look at the pictures presumably posted by two of the young men, 19 year old Jason Mitchell on the left and 17 year old Eric Rivera Jr. on the right, both flaunting wads of cash.
Detective Eduardo Roque works the gang unit with the City of Miami police. DETECTIVE EDUARDO ROQUE, MIAMI POLICE DEPARTMENT: Most of these kids, what they want to do is portray themselves as being really bad. It's in style right now. So what they do is they'll portray themselves as one of the baddest boys in town. They live in this virtual world within their computer that they believe they can beat just about anybody.
FEYERICK: On his MySpace page, suspect Jason Mitchell posts a prison mug shot. His lawyer, who says he did not know about the MySpace page until we called tell us Mitchell was in jail for driving with a suspended license. He says the pictures and text are part of the street culture. Bragging about money, drugs, guns.
But Mitchell also posted writing, quote, "looken for a scheme" another, "tryn to get rich" and "thinking of a master plan."
In his last entry Mitchell listed his mood as, quote, "curious." That was Thursday, the day before he was arrested.
ROQUE: Some of the kids want to live this gangster life style. A lot of what is seen on videos and the games they play, so they want to portray this gangster lifestyle and they want to portray this in their MySpace.
FEYERICK: On his MySpace page, Rivera, a high school football player, is seen on a bed covered in cash with a caption that reads, quote, "This is how I sleep after a good day."
His lawyer, who also represents Jason Mitchell, dismisses the picture saying Rivera is an impressionable teenager influenced by the culture of the street.
As for the other suspects, Charles Wardlow, he had three MySpace pages, one of them covered with images of money. And Venja Hunte last logged on to his MySpace page in October.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FEYERICK (on camera): Now, MySpace would not comment on whether in fact they block any sort of content. But they did tell us they have been in touch with the Miami Police Department and that they cannot comment because this is an active criminal investigation, Rick.
SANCHEZ: You know what's fascinating about this, you and I were talking before you came out here. Their lawyers didn't know about these MySpace pages?
FEYERICK: No, allegedly they were taken by surprise. When we called them to ask to comment on the pictures, they were a little take aback, because clearly there could be something in those pages that could possibly make it difficult for them when it comes to trial.
SANCHEZ: What's your take on it? I mean, what do you think this reveals about these suspects?
FEYERICK: It's hard to say. Because there's a lot of bragging that goes on the street. They want to appear tough. They want to boast about their exploitations, whether it be money or drugs or crime or sex. And this is a way that they lure women. And the women are attracted to this.
So what they're putting on their MySpace page may not exactly represent exactly what's going on in their lives. They're a lot cooler online than they are in person in some of these cases.
SANCHEZ: At the very worst, criminal. At the very least, certainly materialistic.
Deb Feyerick, thanks so much for that.
By the way, as I look around I see there's some things going on here. We've got a lot coming your way.
Richard Sharpstein, who is the attorney of course for Sean is going to be joining us in just a little bit. He is standing by on the sidelines.
Also, we're going to be bringing you the report of what happened today inside the stirring funeral with so many important guests.
And then this story that our own Dan Lothian has prepared for us. It's a story about why young athletes are being targeted in the United States. Or are they? Are they actually inviting the crime?
It's an important conversation. We want you to get in on it. We'll have it for you. Vote at cnn.com/rick. Cnn.com/rick. We are at the Orange Bowl. And we've is got a lot more coming your way. Stay with us. A lot of developments.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: Well, he was not a guy who was out looking for trouble, was he?
GARREL WILDS, SEAN TAYLOR'S COUSIN: No, Sean wasn't looking for trouble. Sean was a totally different person on and off the field. He was very aggressive on the field. Off the field, he was very friendly.
SANCHEZ: And he didn't really have any problems to speak of, right?
WILDS: No, sir. He didn't.
SANCHEZ: Not a blaze, anyway, right?
WILDS: No. No. He really turned his life around from where he thought of some problems in that area. It was just some unfortunate run-ins that he had.
(END VIDEOTAPE) SANCHEZ: That was my conversation with Sean's cousin. In fact, there were a lot of conversations that were going on out there today. And a lot of the conversation was about what's going on really in two aspects.
One of it is, what's happening with African-American young men in the United States? Why are they just targeted in general? And then another one about why athletes are being targeted. And this has as much to do just from the conversations at his funeral today with a lack of role models, with a lack of self-respect in many ways, with some things that also play into the fact that materialism has become such a part of our society. And especially with some athletes and even at television show that we are going to be telling you about in just a little bit.
But this goes back to the question that we've been asking you all day. Are athletes actually being targeted, or are they bringing it on themselves because of their lifestyle? Here now, Dan Lothian.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAN LOTHIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice-over): Chicago Bears' star kick returner, Devin Hester is used to be targeted on the field. But now like many other pro athletes, he tells me he's feeling like a target off the field too.
DEVIN HESTER, CHICAGO BEAR'S KICK RETURNER: We have the money, you know, and the nice things. So I always say, right now we're being targeted. You know, it's starting to happen more than it usually did back in the days, but now it's hard right now. You know, just going out in public, and since they recognize.
LOTHIAN: And Sean Taylor's murder just shines the spotlight on this growing problem. This summer, New York Knicks' center, Eddy Curry and his family, are bound with duct tape and robbed inside their Chicago. Minnesota Timberwolves' forward, Antoine Walker and his family, are held at gunpoint. Their car, money and jewelry stolen. And it happened to recently retired NFL wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson while in a barber shop three years ago.
KEYSHAWN JOHNSON, FORMER NFL PLAYER: I look up and I got a gun put to the side of my head in front of my daughter and my son. I had made it. I became a target.
LOTHIAN: But sometimes it's because these athletes are running with the wrong crowd or hanging out in bad places. Something Hester is very aware of.
HESTER: And make sure you hang out with the right people and the right person. You know, you don't want to be put in those situations.
LOTHIAN: But former secret service agent, J.A. Lasorsa --
JOSEPH LASORSA, SECURITY CONSULTANT: I was assigned permanently for President Reagan.
LOTHIAN: Now a security expert in south Florida, says many other high net-worth athlete drop the ball.
LOTHIAN (on camera): They're not interested in security, many of them.
JOSEPH LASORSA, SECURITY CONSULTANT: Many of them feel that they're entitled to have this denial attitude, this denial syndrome, if you will, that it's not going to happen to them.
LOTHIAN (voice-over): He says their flashy lifestyles attract attention and sometimes criminals.
LASORSA: You're baiting them. You're telling them that this is what I have. Come and get me.
LOTHIAN: Since Taylor's murder, Lasorsa has sent out this letter to two well-known pro athletes who requested help, consulting with them on everything from creating a safe room to securing the perimeter of their homes.
LASORSA: They have the ability to pay for it, and so many of them don't.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SANCHEZ: You know, you and I were talking a little while ago, Dan, and I'm fascinated by this show you told me about. I don't know what network it's on, but it's called "Crib"?
LOTHIAN: Right. "MTV Cribs."
SANCHEZ: And what do they -- they show their stuff off? Now, where is this world?
LOTHIAN: Exactly. Essentially, it's inviting the cameras into your home to show them your whips, as they call them, your wheels, your cars...
SANCHEZ: Right.
LOTHIAN: They lay out their $100,000 cars, $40,000, take them into the bedroom and say, hey, look at all my jewelry. Look at all the nice, fancy things I have.
SANCHEZ: And these are athletes as well?
LOTHIAN: These are athletes, entertainers in general.
SANCHEZ: Right.
LOTHIAN: But the big problem that some of the safety experts see here is that you are really inviting troublesome sometimes, with shows like this or other reality shows, where you're inviting the public in and you're showing them your privacy and perhaps it might be egging someone on who might be thinking about doing some bad things.
SANCHEZ: Stay right here for a minute. I want to bring someone else in. Jemele Hill, she writes for ESPN.com. She's been writing about this very topic as a matter of fact, and she's been good enough to talk to us today. Jemele, are you there?
JEMELE HILL, ESPN.COM COLUMNIST: Yes, I'm here. How are you doing?
SANCHEZ: Because I wanted to ask you, are the athletes bringing this on with their lifestyle? Because look, let's face it. When you have three or four children out of wedlock, when you're out in South Beach or whatever bars you're going to all over the country until late at night, when you don't have a stable life style, don't you invite this kind of stuff?
HILL: Well, I think that's kind of a stereotype because not every athlete who's been a victim of crime fits that particular description you mentioned. Some of them were really just -- were just innocent targets. I mean, you know, Phillip Buchanon, another athlete --
(CROSSTALK)
SANCHEZ: As in the case of Sean Taylor. I agree with you. In fact in Sean Taylor's case, what's interesting is Sean Taylor was just simply a guy who seemed, at least all the evidence we got right now at this point, right?
LOTHIAN: Right.
SANCHEZ: Seemed to be a guy who was minding his own business and it happened to. It just so happens because of what happened to him, it's begun this discussion that you and I are having right now.
HILL: Yes. I mean, some athletes, they are flashy. And you guys mentioned, MTV Cribs. I had one NBA player, very well known. He told me that he would not -- that's the reason he wouldn't go on "Cribs" is because he didn't want for everybody to know what kind of cars he had, what kind of things he had in his own. And so, it's a very real fear on their part.
But some of them as you say, they do invite trouble, hanging out in nightclubs. They have a lot of jewelry, that sort of thing. But there are also some. You know, you have to remember, we have so much public information about athletes. We know their salaries. We know how much they take home. We know where they are. We know their schedules. And a lot of ways, they're the easiest target in the book.
SANCHEZ: And yet, interestingly enough, they seem to very much want to keep to themselves once they get to that level. Don't they? Go Dan. You start us off on this.
LOTHIAN: Well, they do. I mean, they have their close friends, and they want to say close to their friends. But there's also that element, and I do agree with her that not everyone is doing this.
SANCHEZ: Of course. Of course. It's a hasty generalization. LOTHIAN: You are targeting. We talked about in the piece. There are those who are targeted. There are those, though, who are also putting themselves out there. But, yes, I mean, this is a situation where you have some of them who surround themselves, are very tight.
SANCHEZ: Right.
LOTHIAN: Do not invite the public in. But as we see, sometimes they invite the public in. Family members bring someone else in, and it can lead to trouble as well.
SANCHEZ: Hey, Jemele, as you look in, how big -- Dan was just talking about something that I think is significant. Why is it so difficult for them to be able to separate themselves from the fellows that they hang out with in high school or before that? Most people grow up and become something different. Why is it so difficult for so many, not all, professional athletes to do that?
HILL: Well, it must be said, for Sean Taylor didn't necessarily fit that description. But other athletes, I think what it is is that...
SANCHEZ: Right.
HILL: ... these guys, some of them they bring along with them. They feel like they owe them. You know, Allen Iverson has talked about how when he was away in prison, how there was so many guys in the neighborhood that looked after his family, and he felt indebted to those same people. And a lot of athletes, they feel like, you know, hey. This was the guy when I was young I needed some money, he gave me $20 here, $50 here. So when they make it big, they feel like they owe these guys and they need to bring them along with them.
SANCHEZ: Yes.
HILL: However, some of them just simply need to cut ties and realize that they can't allow someone else's lifestyle to bring down what they have earned and what they have gotten on their own.
SANCHEZ: Jemele Hill, always a pleasure talking to you. Thanks so much for the spirit of discussion.
Always good talking to you, Dan. It's really nice in these digs, here, huh?
LOTHIAN: Yes, it's very nice.
SANCHEZ: Sitting around at the Orange Bowl...
LOTHIAN: That's right.
SANCHEZ: ... makes you feel like a little kid wanting to track and field. We're going to be right back.
Will this case stick? Is there going to be enough evidence in this case? We're talking to prosecutors and defense attorneys and Richard Sharpstein, the attorney as well for Sean. We'll be right back. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: There's another part of this story that's extremely important, and that has to do with the culture of south Florida. You have a very prosperous Hispanic middle class, but you don't have an African-American middle class.
But somehow these two youngsters, and here's where it's interesting. Sean, in high school, met a young Cuban girl named Jackie Garcia, the niece of the actor, Andy Garcia. And they developed a love affair, which was just one of the many themes that was talked about today during this emotional funeral.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's not always the quantity of life, but rather the quality of life. Sean is gone, but he would never ever be forgotten.
SANCHEZ (voice-over): In a packed university arena, thousands gathered for Sean Taylor. Reverend Jesse Jackson broke the somber mood calling the funeral a celebration of life.
REV. JESSE JACKSON, RAINBOW PUSH COALITION: Put your hands together. Express our celebration, show your love.
SANCHEZ: He also delivered a message to all Americans, to stop the violence.
JACKSON: The American house is on fire. We've become much too violent. We've accepted violence as the norm. It is the norm, but it is not natural. It is uncivilized. It must be rejected.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Heart.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Passion.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Respect.
SANCHEZ: The Washington Redskins, many with tears in their eyes, came to say good-bye to their teammate.
DAN SNYDER, WASHINGTON REDSKINS OWNER: Sean was our first draft choice. How many times God must have looked down and said man, I made a great football player.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There is nobody in the NFL that played with more heart.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I thought when he came to the Redskins, I was his guardian angel. And the way the events went, as God would have it, he turned out to be one of mine.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sean, thanks for being a great, great competitor. You never gave up on a play.
SANCHEZ: Sean's agent, Drew Rosenhaus, seemed uncharacteristically emotional when he talked about how Sean grabbed a machete to defend his fiancee and child.
DREW ROSENHAUS, SEAN TAYLOR'S AGENT: And appropriately, Sean, thanks for being a hero and giving your life to protect Jackie. And Jackie --
SANCHEZ: Jackie Garcia, Sean's high school sweetheart and fiancee couldn't bring herself to speak. Her sister, Carolina, spoke for her.
CAROLINA GARCIA, JACKIE GARCIA'S SISTER: Thank you to my sister for showing me what it's really like to love somebody.
SANCHEZ: Had he lived, Sean Taylor may have made it to the NFL Hall of Fame. His family says as a man, Sean was already there.
MICHEL OUTAR, SEAN TAYLOR'S UNCLE: Look. If there was a Hall of Fame for being the best person, the very best person, he'd be in that Hall of Fame, too.
JAZMIN TAYLOR, SEAN TAYLOR'S SISTER: All I want to see is his smile one more time. He had the best smile in the world. And if you saw it, it will automatically make you smile.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm going see my friend again one day in heaven. God bless you Sean, I love you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SANCHEZ: You know, it was amazing being there. The entire football Washington Redskins football team walked in. Some of the biggest guys you've ever seen before, and just about every single one of them had a tear falling down their cheek. It was quite a day. Two hours of raw emotion.
Two gentlemen now, who knew Sean as well as anybody. Richard Sharpstein, his attorney, not only an attorney but a friend of Sean, a friend of the family. Antrel Rolle, star defensive back in his own right for the Arizona Cardinals. Recently had a game with three interceptions which you probably had because everyone seems to have noticed that. You grew up, played ball with Sean since you guys were kids. You were quoted recently as saying that you thought he was scared of something. What was he scared of?
ANTREL ROLLE, FRIEND OF SEAN TAYLOR: Not necessarily scared. You know, I mean, being in a position that he was in, being in a position that you know they were all in --
SANCHEZ: Yes.
ROLLE: Being in, you know, NFL player, you know, elite player. You know, I mean, you know you're targeted. You know what I mean.
SANCHEZ: You mentioned -- you mentioned some former friends may have been targeting him.
ROLLE: I never said that.
SANCHEZ: You never said that? So you were just misquoted when you say that.
ROLLE: Yes.
SANCHEZ: So what do mean when you say that you're targeted?
ROLLE: For example, I mean, you know, what took place. I mean, Sean -- would he be the type of guy that you know you would normally look at and say, I want something that he has.
SANCHEZ: Yes.
ROLLE: If you didn't know that Sean was in the NFL, you would never just, you know, assume that just by, you know, his appearance.
SANCHEZ: But he wasn't -- you're not in any way in any shape or form saying that he was bringing this on in any way, right?
ROLLE: No.
SANCHEZ: He wasn't looking for it?
ROLLE: Absolutely not.
SANCHEZ: But did he have enemies? Did he have guys who were kind of jealous of him or wanted to get what he had?
ROLLE: I mean, I'm quite sure he does. I mean, I'm sure that I do. I'm certainly he did. You know what I mean. Just being, you know, where we're from, there's not too many guys, you know, made it, you know, to that level being where we're from. You know, in the down south.
SANCHEZ: That's interesting. Counselor Sharpstein, do you feel like there was a threat over Sean for some reason, that something's going on?
RICHARD SHARPSTEIN, TAYLOR'S FAMILY FRIEND: Rick, I don't think there was a threat. He was targeted because of his wealth. His generosity opened up his home to people. But no, not personally.
SANCHEZ: But he did have that one incident, right? He had that one incident where he was charged with brandishing a gun? It's just that one time, right?
SHARPSTEIN: He never had a gun, Rick. He proved he never had a gun. Other people had the guns. He was the victim in that case, not them.
SANCHEZ: And the other stuff they had said about him. It just seemed like it was kind of silly, actually. They said that he spit on somebody or that he was -- I mean, this is all -- this is what happens when you play football.
SHARPSTEIN: I knew Sean since he was 15 years old. My wife Janice and I knew him. He played high school at Gulliver. He was a warm, kind, sensitive, incredibly gracious type of person. He would never invite violence into his life.
SANCHEZ: And great family, by the way. I mean, I met his dad and his family. Unbelievable.
SHARPSTEIN: His father Pete is the rock of Gibraltar.
SANCHEZ: I know. And that relationship between him and Jackie.
SHARPSTEIN: Jackie -- it's a love affair like Romeo and Juliet. It's beautiful.
SANCHEZ: You said, I'm going quote you now. Right? I'm going to read from sportsillustrated.com. This is you, Antrel. "He really didn't say too much, but I know he lived his life pretty much scared every day of his life when he was down in Miami because those people were targeting him. At least, he's got peace now." Did you say that?
ROLLE: Absolutely.
SANCHEZ: What did you mean?
ROLLE: You know, when I said people are targeting him, that's not necessarily saying people as targeting him to take his life. People are targeting him to rob him. I'm saying people are targeting him to, you know, hoping that they catch Sean driving drunk.
SANCHEZ: Yes.
ROLLE: Hoping that they catch spitting out a window. Hoping that they catch him litter. You know what I mean.
SANCHEZ: So as an athlete, what are you -- you're in the same position. What do you do as an athlete to protect yourself against, as you say, being targeted?
ROLLE: Do exactly what he started to do last year.
SANCHEZ: Just a quiet life.
ROLLE: Shy away from everyone. In order for you to change a life, in order for anyone's world to change their life, you have to, you know, you have to escape from the things that you're used to. You have to get out of things that, you know, out of your normal habits. It could be family members. It can be friends. It can be whoever it needs to be.
SANCHEZ: Yes.
ROLLE: In order for you to get away and stay away from the life that you had before, I'm not saying it was a bad life, but he wanted to, you know, remake himself. SANCHEZ: Have you turned that corner, by the way? Are you doing that, if you don't mind my asking?
ROLLE: You know, I mean, absolutely. You know, there's a million things I have learned, you know, in the past couple of years.
SANCHEZ: You grew up fast in the NFL, don't you?
ROLLE: Yes, absolutely. You know, it's like a life changing overnight.
SANCHEZ: Antrel Rolle, Richard Sharpstein, my thanks to both of you for being here.
SHARPSTEIN: Rich, thanks for talking about this.
SANCHEZ: Really appreciate it.
When we come back, we'll tell you about our poll that we've been taking tonight. And then the case itself, is there already enough evidence? Is this the kind of case that will stick? We're going to talk to some of the experts. Stay with us. From the Orange Bowl, this is --
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SANCHEZ: All right. You're looking at our signal here at the Orange Bowl. You're also going to be getting some new pictures we just got coming in. We told you that we expect developments on this story. We now have video coming in of three of the four suspects being brought back, extradited from Fort Worth into south Florida. There's the video, compliments of WFOR, one of our affiliates here in south Florida. Obviously, it's a case that's been generating a lot of interest.
This is breaking news now. Three of the four suspects being brought in. We don't know who they are. We don't know who the fourth is that's not there. And we should remind you as well that there may be still a fifth suspect out there, that police are saying they're hoping to possibly get a move on within the next couple of days.
All right. Let's talk about the case, and what's going to happen with these three suspects and the fourth as well. Joining us, Pam Bondi. She's a prosecutor. She's joining us from Tampa. Also from West Palm Beach, Michelle Suskauer. She's a defense attorney. And also Dr. Helen Morrison, a forensic psychiatrist.
Pam, let me begin with you. Is there any possibility in this case that -- because part of the details are that apparently Sean came, grabbed a machete and was heading toward the suspects that they could use perhaps, self-defense to lessen the charge?
PAM BONDI, FLORIDA STATE PROSECUTOR: No way. They were in his came. They broke into his home. They committed a home invasion, and other Florida law, we have something called "felony murder." It's first degree murder if in the course or commission of a home invasion someone is killed.
So, no. There's no chance of a lesser on that. Sean Taylor was protecting his family, his home, and they can all be considered guilty of first degree murder. Also because we have the principle theory in Florida, which means it doesn't matter who the trigger man is. If they all participated in it, they can be considered to have done exactly what the trigger man did.
SANCHEZ: It sounds like the O.J. Simpson case. It's funny that O.J. Simpson was at the funeral today.
Michelle, let me ask you.
MICHELLE SUSKAUER, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Yes.
SANCHEZ: What if and there's also a possibility of this according to police and investigators, that they actually shot through the door so they didn't know what they were shooting at. Would that matter?
SUSKAUER: Oh, yes. I think it would matter if they're talking about mistake. And really, Rick, a lot of this is going to shake down as to where was everybody? What did they know? And obviously, just like Pam said, we do have the felony murder rule in Florida, but one person may have been the only one to know that he had a gun. Where some of them standing outside, standing inside? Where some of them in the car? Did one person just stay in the car? There are so many different issues, so I think that does make a difference.
Also, I'm sure they're talking to a lot of these boy's friends, and that also is going to come into play. Was there a plan ahead of time?
SANCHEZ: Right. In fact, and they're talking about each other as well, and one of them is only 17 years old.
SUSKAUER: Absolutely.
SANCHEZ: But let me get over to Helen. Helen, I don't know if you got a chance to see this MySpace ads that we got a hold of before they took them out. Let's go ahead and put one up if we can now, Will.
This is Jason Mitchell's MySpace page, and he talks about trying to get rich, trying to get the low down. Apparently, he's talking about a lot of extremely materialistic things like he's got a master plan, he says. In fact, that's a direct quote. What do you make of that as a forensic psychiatrist?
DR. HELEN MORRISON, FORENSIC PSYCHIATRIST: Well, essentially that there wasn't any passion involved in this. This was planned. He didn't exactly just decide to walk up to this house. This seemed to be methodical. It seemed to be extremely detailed, and it seemed to have a motive of at least robbery.
This was not an unfamiliar person to some of these individuals. One of them helped mow the lawn. One of them was invited to a party at the house.
SANCHEZ: Yes.
MORRISON: So it's not as if this was just a stranger. This was well thought out.
SANCHEZ: Yes, but they did. We don't know if there's a direct connection to Sean as to whether or not they really knew him. There may have been more of a connection to the property as this case develops.
Pam, let me go back to you if I possibly can.
BONDI: Yes.
SANCHEZ: There's a 17-year-old involved in this case. Eric Rivera is his name. And it looks like, at least according to some of the preliminary information, that he may have been the one with the gun. Will he be charged as an adult? And will they be able to get either a death sentence or life sentence on him?
BONDI: Good question. Yes, he will absolutely be charged as an adult. I assume they will all be indicted by a grand jury, first degree murder. Because he is 17, he's the only one who is not eligible for the death penalty. Because if he is the trigger man, it's doubtful the other three, they will seek the death penalty on the other three if they were the actual triggermen.
SANCHEZ: Wow.
BONDI: But, yes. At this point, three out of the four are eligible for death, and they are all looking at life in prison.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Absolutely.
SANCHEZ: Pam Bondi, Michelle Suskauer, Dr. Helen Morrison, our thanks to all three of you...
BONDI: Thank you.
SUSKAUER: Thank you.
MORRISON: Thank you.
SANCHEZ: ... for taking time to join us tonight with your expertise. The question that we've been asking tonight is, are athletes being targeted suddenly or are they inviting the problems because of their lifestyles?
We want you to answer this, and you have been at CNN.com/Rick. Your responses when we come back. Stay right there and we'll bring you the results of our "Quick Vote."
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