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Paula Zahn Now
Three New Jersey Boys Found Dead; Inside the Search For Natalee Holloway
Aired June 24, 2005 - 20:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: We start tonight with some breaking news.
At this hour, the bodies of three young boys missing since yesterday, 5-year-old Jesstin Pagan, 6-year-old Daniel Agosto, and 11- year-old Anibal Cruz have been found. They were all from Camden, New Jersey.
Allan Chernoff joins us right now with the very latest from the scene -- Allan.
ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Paula, a very tragic ending to a story that has been a mystery for the past two days.
As you said, the three young boys, aged 5, 6 and 11, have been found within the past hour-and-a-half, found, in fact, in the trunk of a vehicle, not far at all from the home of one of the children, at 957 Bergen (ph) Avenue, this in the Cramer Hill region of Camden, New Jersey.
Now, this search has been going intensely for the past two days. What happened was, the three children were playing outside one of their homes. One of the mothers stepped inside, she told us this morning, for five to 10 minutes merely to prepare dinner. When she came back out, the children were gone. They simply had no idea what happened to these kids.
This morning, the families were telling us, they hoped that the kids were simply lost, simply had gone for a walk and maybe didn't want to come back because they felt they might be in trouble. But, by late today, clearly, they were concerned. They were thinking, at a press conference even publicly, that they thought there might have been an abduction.
And now, within the past hour, this tragic news that, in fact, the three children have been found dead, again, found dead in the trunk of a vehicle. We understand, from our producer on the scene, that their family members, relatives, neighbors are all gathering around at the household, many tears. In fact, the police officers leaving the scene themselves had tears streaming down their faces.
The police here at headquarters instead to hold a press briefing within the next half-hour -- Paula.
ZAHN: And in advance of that briefing, Allan, have they said anything about what they think they're looking at here? CHERNOFF: Paula, during this episode, the police have been very closed-mouthed. They have said very little, indicating that they just didn't have many clues. They didn't know what was going on.
And, so, we just don't know more than what I've just reported to you, unfortunately.
ZAHN: Allan Chernoff, thank you for the update.
A reminder, that news conference will take place at 8:45. If there is any new information that comes out of it, we will bring it to all of you live.
Yesterday, the mother and father of one of those boys discovered tonight talked about their frustration with the search.
What the parents basically said, that they were aware of the fact that there were 150 police officers involved in the search. They dragged the area, a pretty wide area, around the homes, where the boys were discovered, going as far as a river to search, in case some foul play had been involved there.
Once again, we don't really know the circumstances of their disappearance, other than the fact that this story has concluded very sadly, the bodies of three young boys missing since Wednesday found this afternoon; 5-year-old Jesstin Pagan, 6-year-old Daniel Agosto, and 11-year-old Anibal Cruz have been found. They were from Camden, New Jersey. And, once again, we will keep an eye on that police briefing and bring you any updates.
We move on to our top story tonight. We are taking you inside the new search for Natalee Holloway, the Alabama teenager who disappeared in Aruba three weeks ago. A group called EquuSearch is now on the island to help look for her. They are all volunteers. And they are starting an intensive, 'round-the-clock hunt. EquuSearch has worked on more than 450 missing-persons cases and has a 78 percent success rate.
Alex Quade is embedded with them. Tonight, she has an inside look at their search for Natalee. It is a PAULA ZAHN NOW exclusive.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALEX QUADE, CNN PRODUCER (voice-over): This is what it is like to hunt for a missing person with Tim Miller. He and his Texas search team hit Aruba running, mapping out the island, scoping possible sites where Natalee Holloway may be, targeting areas for their resources and volunteers, all this today, on just their first full day in Aruba.
Miller's work began a week ago in tiny Dickinson, Texas.
TIM MILLER, FOUNDER, TEXAS EQUUSEARCH: Hello?
QUADE: Miller is usually on two phones at once.
MILLER: We're busy. And I'm going to lose the battery on this phone. And we have got nine phones ringing.
QUADE: The calls won't stop.
MILLER: Yes, get that e-mailed, because I have got a call from Aruba on the other line. OK? OK. Thanks. Bye.
QUADE: Miller quit his job to search full-time for missing people like Natalee Holloway. This call is with the head of the Aruban search team.
MILLER: I don't want, by any means, for anybody to think that we're coming over and taking over anybody's job.
Law enforcement is looking forward to us working with them.
QUADE: Miller does this because he shares an unwanted bond with Natalee Holloway's parents.
(on camera): Your daughter Laura was just about the same age as Natalee Holloway.
MILLER: And Natalee's parents and myself share something, have a missing daughter.
QUADE: (voice-over): Tim Miller knows. His daughter Laura was abducted, raped and murdered 21 years ago.
MILLER: When I would walk out to the killing fields where Laura's body was found, only a couple miles from here, you know, I would walk. I would walk up to the cross that I made for her. And I would literally hear a little voice over my left shoulder when I was leaving that would say, dad, don't quit. Please don't quit.
QUADE: He doesn't slow down, despite a heart attack in February. Four hours before the flight to Aruba:
MILLER: And get word to him that these dog people...
QUADE: The cadaver dogs still need certificates. The dive boat sonar still needs insurance. Miller and his advance team almost miss the flight to Aruba. On board, still too much planning to sleep, logistic calls, even during layovers.
MILLER: Yes. I want to have both of them, because they have got two boats for us.
QUADE: His team is not getting paid to do this.
MILLER: Laura is giving me the strength and the courage to do what I do.
QUADE: Landing in Aruba, the focus is 100 percent Natalee Holloway.
MILLER: We're already doing recon work, flying over. QUADE: Miller gets everyone together in what you might call a secret strategy room. He talks with U.S. Consulate members and detectives.
MILLER: We've got helicopters up today.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
QUADE: He talks with Natalee's parent and their attorney, Vinda DeSousa. Later, they meet with the Aruban police chief and report back to the group.
MILLER: And we have got to green light to do whatever we need to do for one reason, and that's to take Natalee home. I feel very, very optimistic that we are going to take Natalee back to Alabama, where she belongs.
QUADE: Tim Miller, his volunteers and cadaver dogs are now working literally 24 hours a day until they find her or until they run out of donated funds to keep searching.
MILLER: We got some tough days ahead of us. We got some real emotional days ahead of us. Let's set our plans and let's go to work and let's find our girl. So, what we need to do now is go find her.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ZAHN: And they are doing that with a great deal of passion. That was Alex Quade reporting for us tonight.
Joining me now from Aruba, EquuSearch founder Tim Miller.
Tim, good of you to join us. I know you have had an exhausting day. Did you make any progress today?
MILLER: Well, Paula, thanks for having me on tonight.
ZAHN: Our pleasure.
MILLER: I think we did make some progress today.
I have met with the chief of police today. He is very involved in this. We are working this as one community. Again, EquuSearch is not taking the search over.
We do have areas of interest right now. I can say that. The rest of our members just got off the plane a few minutes ago. We have got a spot where we are putting the boat in, in the morning with sidescan sonar. We have got other areas that we are getting the ground searchers in and the dogs in, too. And we just, you know, want to do everything that we can do to bring this to a close and everybody go back home. But I don't think anybody's going to go back home without Natalee.
ZAHN: Tim, when you say you have areas of interest, you mentioned your targets at land and at sea, are you weighting one theory at this moment more heavily than another?
MILLER: Well, you know what? It all needs to be eliminated. If we could pinpoint the spot, we could find her and get it over with.
So, there's areas of interest. And I think, with the -- you know, the new people over here and fresh attitudes -- and, I mean, everybody is real optimistic. Everybody has got a lot of adrenaline right now. And, you know, of course, there's not any guarantees that anything's going to happen, except that we are going to give it our very, very best effort.
And, I mean, this poor family, what they have been going through for 25 days, I don't know how much longer they can hold on. And the least we can do is be here for them and put every effort into this. And I anticipate this is going to turn into another large search again.
Natalee has turned into America's child. And we need to bring her back home.
ZAHN: Tim, Natalee's family has been frustrated that the prosecution has not released what they consider critical information. Do think the information you got today from investigators is really new?
MILLER: Well, you know what? We're not -- really not involved with the investigation.
And even when I meet with a detective, and he might want to bring something up, I let him know, listen, I don't want to know anything about the investigation, only areas of interest, because, if anything leaks on this investigation, it is not coming from us. And we will certainly not do anything to hinder this investigation.
So, our job over here is to search. I know law enforcement is -- you know, they are doing everything they possibly can. In fact, you know, our chief of police here has worked every day, 25 days also. And, you know, I have spent time alone with him. I can see the frustration in his eyes. He is really taking this to heart. This is more than this island losing tourists. I mean, he is really attached to this case.
And, you know, his heart goes out to the family. But, you know, he's professional, too, and has to run the investigation. And I can understand the family's frustration. I went through that my own self. And, number one, let's let them do their job. We are going to do our job. We are going to bring this whole community together for one reason. And that is to take Natalee home.
ZAHN: And, Tim, I know how important this is for you to work as a team. What kind of expertise do you think you will specifically provide that was not on the island of Aruba that might help unlock this case?
MILLER: Well, I think that, you know, we have got some dogs that are more than capable of doing their job, if there is something to find.
I think that this boat with the sidescan sonar is a very important tool. I mean, we can scan 800 feet deep in the water and 300 feet radius around the boat. We have got our own divers that are going to be on the boat, also, in case we see something of interest. And there's a lot of tough that we are going to be checking out. And, you know, hopefully, we can take this little girl home.
ZAHN: Tim, you just used a phrase. You said, if there is something to find. Are you pessimistic about where this might end up?
MILLER: Well, I'm optimistic we are going to do everything we can do. It would be very, very hard to walk off this island without Natalee. So, I mean, we are bringing, more than anything, a lot of determination to the table here. And, as long as we got that and we got positive attitudes, I think we are going to do well.
ZAHN: Well, your sense of purpose is all the more remarkable because of what you have been through personally. And I know how appreciative the family is of your help. And thank you so much for your time tonight. Good luck to your whole team.
MILLER: OK, Paula. Thank you so much.
ZAHN: Once again, that was EquuSearch founder Tim Miller who joined us.
Still to come tonight, the latest on the suspects in the Holloway case and a look at some of the legal issues in the investigation.
Also, an early-morning interview that turned into a real eye- opener.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ZAHN (voice-over): Hollywood's "Top Gun" fires away.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "THE TODAY SHOW")
TOM CRUISE, ACTOR: Matt, Matt, you don't even -- you're glib.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ZAHN: Riled about religion, mixing it up with the media.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "THE TODAY SHOW")
MATT LAUER, CO-HOST: Clearly, you have done the homework. And you know the subject.
CRUISE: And you should. And you should do that, also.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ZAHN: Tonight, Tom Cruise's war of the words.
And the end of an era among the believers. The Reverend Billy Graham begins his last U.S. crusade.
BILLY GRAHAM, EVANGELIST: Some people ask me, what is my number one prayer? I said, lord, help me.
ZAHN: When PAULA ZAHN NOW continues.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ZAHN: Five men are now being held as suspects in Natalee Holloway's disappearance, but, so far, none has been formally charged. Tomorrow, they will all go before a judge in Aruba and it's expected that the prosecution will ask that they remain under arrest.
Here with me now to look at some of the legal issues involved in this very complicated case, attorney and Court TV anchor Lisa Bloom.
Good to see you.
LISA BLOOM, COURT TV ANCHOR: Hi, Paula.
ZAHN: How are you tonight?
BLOOM: Just fine.
ZAHN: So, what is up with this judge? He is the father of one of the original suspects arrested for this alleged crime.
BLOOM: Well, and he's -- the Aruban officials are saying he is suspected of being involved with Natalee's disappearance. And I think we have to take them at their word. That is highly suspicious.
ZAHN: So, that is much more than being -- alleged to be involved in a cover-up of his son or in some way manipulating his son's answers to the police.
BLOOM: I think so, I mean, if you take a words at face value.
Look, under Aruban law, they could detain him merely to question him. But they have said they suspect him being involved in Natalee's disappearance. Now, no one places the judge with Natalee on the night of his -- of her disappearance. But Natalee was with the son. The father is now in custody. I think, putting it together, perhaps he disposed of the body, God forbid, if indeed she is deceased, something of that nature.
ZAHN: The stories are so convoluted about her disappearance. I know that the prosecutor's spokesperson would reveal very little information to us the last time we spoke with her.
BLOOM: Right.
ZAHN: But it is clear that just about everybody in this case has lied so far. BLOOM: Well, that's right. And I think the most important piece of information is Joran changing his story, the last person seen with her on the night that she disappeared, to say...
ZAHN: Now, this was a young guy apparently in the car with two brothers.
BLOOM: Right.
ZAHN: He's in the back seat with Natalee.
BLOOM: Kissing.
ZAHN: First, they say they were kissing. And they -- at first, they said she was dropped off at the Holiday Inn.
BLOOM: That's right.
And the story changes to, she was dropped off at the Marriott. Now the story from Joran is, he left her alone on the beach in a foreign country in the middle of the night at about 2:00 a.m. And why? Because she wanted to be left there. That's a story that nobody can believe, Paula.
Why on earth would he do that? I don't care if she passed out. I don't care if she begged to be left alone on the beach. There is no way that any responsible person would leave a young girl on the beach alone in the middle of the night. It just doesn't make any sense. And I think that is why he is being held. His father is now dragged into it. His friends are dragged into it.
And I think, tomorrow, everybody will be held over, because there is clearly reasonable suspicion just based on that and the changed stories alone.
ZAHN: Do you think we will ever find out who was responsible for the disappearance of Natalee Holloway?
BLOOM: Oh, I do, because the Aruban authorities have so much power to interrogate and to continue to hold these suspects, far more than they could under American law.
And everybody hopes that Tim Miller and all the EquuSearch people find Natalee. But I think the best hopes are through the investigation. These are the people that saw her last. Somebody has to crack under this intense questioning and say something that is going to help the authorities find her.
ZAHN: It's interesting, though. The most specific information we have gotten is from the mother of one of the suspects and the wife of now the brand new suspect, her husband the judge.
(CROSSTALK)
BLOOM: That's right. And you have to wonder why some of the witnesses' family members are going to talk to the press and say that their sons have changed their stories. But, nevertheless, there are a lot of different family members speaking to the press, speaking to authorities.
And the Aruban law which enables them to continue to hold these suspects, the five men in custody, almost indefinitely, for six months, that is a long, long time. As I said, I think somebody is going to crack.
ZAHN: Do you have any sense of how good this prosecution team is?
BLOOM: Well, I think the prosecution team probably knows what they are doing. They are certainly using all the power they have under Aruban law.
They have done an extensive and thorough search. I think we have to be a little bit concerned that it seems like it was perhaps a little bit too late getting started, a couple of weeks getting started really in earnest. But now they are using every available tool that I can see under Aruban law to continue to search, continue to interrogate these suspects.
ZAHN: Well, we appreciate your update.
BLOOM: Thanks, Paula.
ZAHN: Have a great weekend.
BLOOM: You, too.
ZAHN: Lisa Bloom, always good to see you.
Coming up, actor Tom Cruise tells the world what he knows.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CRUISE: I know that psychiatry is a pseudoscience.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ZAHN: Know what? A lot of people are wondering tonight what has gotten into Mr. Cruise. He was supposed to be talking about his new movie. And this is what he ended up talking about. We will check it out in a little bit.
And a little bit later on, the red-hot actress who is getting even more attention than the return of the love bug. Maybe it has something to do with the weight gain, weight loss, the Hollywood cycle.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ZAHN: We have a new development to tell you about tonight in a story that we reported last night. A military judge today stopped the rape trial of a former U.S. Air Force Academy cadet because a civilian rape counselor won't turn over her records.
Jennifer Bier counseled the woman who says she was assaulted. Then the military court demanded to know what was actually discussed during their one-on-one counseling. Such records are private in civilian courts, but not in the military's. Bier could end up going to jail for refusing to cooperate.
Although the rape case against the former cadet won't go forward, he still faces a charge of indecent assault involving another woman. But prosecutors now say they will appeal that ruling.
For the rest of the hour's news, let's turn to Sophia Choi at Headline News.
Hi, Sophia.
SOPHIA CHOI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, there, Paula.
Recapping that heartbreaking discovery in Camden, New Jersey, the bodies of three young boys finally discovered inside the trunk of a car just outside their home. There had been an intensive search since they vanished on Wednesday night. One parent collapsed at the discovery. Even city-hardened police shed tears when the bodies were discovered, a tragic end to three young lives.
Thunderous explosions and a spectacular inferno erupted today in South St. Louis, Missouri. And, amazingly, all 70 workers managed to get out of this plant that processed explosive industrial gases. Red- hot iron cylinders soared into the sky, along with bursts of smoke and flames. No word yet on the cause.
The government will review testing methods for mad cow disease after a second cow in the U.S. tested positive for BSE. The brain disease, which can be transmitted to humans, was missed in an American test, but detected by a British laboratory. The government says the beef did not reach consumers, though.
And, in Paris, sketches of Pablo Picasso's young mistress are being sold by the secret lover herself. Genevieve Laporte was 20 at the time. The artist was in his 70s. The drawings could bring her more than $2 million.
And, Paula, that's just for 20 of those sketches. Apparently, she has got a lot more locked up in a safe.
ZAHN: Now, we understand why she might part with them at this time in her life.
CHOI: Right.
ZAHN: But it is kind of sad that she's willing to give those up, huh?
CHOI: Well, yes, it is. But she says she wanted to tell people about the real Picasso, that he was respectful and tender. And she feels like these sketches will do that. ZAHN: Very good. Sophia, see you in about 30 minutes from now.
Still to come here, what's with Tom Cruise and all that finger- pointing? Stay with us and watch an interview spin out of control
And then a little bit later on, the young actress who is turning heads and stealing the show from Herbie the love bug.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ZAHN (voice-over): She is known by some as the woman who broke up the Beatles. By others as a misunderstood artist with a passion for world peace. An avant-garde superstar in her own right, Yoko Ono married John Lennon in 1969 and gave birth to his son, Sean, six years later. She was by her husband's side when he was gunned down outside of their New York City apartment building in 1980.
Since his death, Ono has remained active in causes she views as keeping Lennon's spirit alive. In 2003, she started the Lennon/Ono Grant for Peace which is awarded to people who benefit the human race.
YOKO ONO, MUSICIAN: It's the type of thing that John would have approved, and he would have loved to see happen. And I thought it was very important that this award is created.
ZAHN: Yoko Ono is now 72 years old, a senior citizen with a hippie sensible. Her song "Every Man, Every Woman" hit the charts in late 2004. Yoko is also collaborating with former Beatles Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and George Harrison's widow, Olivia, to create a new Cirque Du Soleil show at the Mirage in Las Vegas.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ZAHN: Boy, is Tom Cruise getting a lot of attention these days. Some of it unwanted and only some of it is because of the new film "War of the Worlds." First, there was his jumping episode on Oprah's couch to proclaim his love for Katie Holmes.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TOM CRUISE, ACTOR: I know.
OPRAH WINFREY, TV PERSONALITY: Have you ever felt this way before?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ZAHN: Next came a stop on Jay Leno's "Tonight Show" to undo some of the Oprah damage. Well, but after this morning, who knows.
On "The Today Show," the actor's Cruise-control seemed close to be out of control. As Jason Carroll shows us.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Call it the two sides of Tom Cruise. There's superstar Cruise, the one who smiles, smooches and graciously signs autographs for adoring fans. And then there's the emotional Cruise.
CRUISE: Matt, I'm asking you a question.
CARROLL: The Cruise who aggressively challenges reporters who ask him about his religion: Scientology.
This morning, it was the "Today Shows" Matt Lauer who got a tongue lashing. He asked Cruise about his criticism of Brooke Shields for going to therapy and taking medication for postpartum depression. Brooke Shields recently told Paula Zahn she had been at the point of suicide.
BROOKE SHIELDS, ACTRESS: It just seemed like it would never get better the light would never come in my heart again.
CARROLL: Scientologists don't believe in prescribing medication for mental ailments or in psychiatry. Their book, "What is scientology" calls the profession simply another case of an emperor with no clothes. We talked today a church spokesman who told us, "I think pschyciatry is dangerous. Psychiatry wants to control people. In scientology, we believe people don't need to be controlled." Cruise just as adamant.
CRUISE: Before I was a scientologist, I never agreed with psychiatry. And then when I started studying the history of psychiatry, I started realizing why more and more I didn't agree with psychiatry.
And as far as the Brooke Shields thing is look, you have got to understand, I really care about Brooke Shields. I think here is a wonderful and talented woman. And I want to see her do well. And I know that psychiatry is a pseudoscience.
CARROLL: Brooke Shields told "The London Times," Tom should stick to saving the world from aliens.
But Cruise didn't appear to be concerned about offending celebrities or doctors who prescribe drugs like Ritalin to children diagnosed with attention deficit disorder.
CRUISE: Do you know Ritalin -- do you know now that Ritalin is a street drug? Do you understand that?
CARROLL: The difference is...
CRUISE: No, Matt -- Matt, I'm asking you a question. Matt, I'm asking you a question.
MATT LAUER, TODAY SHOW: I understand there's abuse of all of these things.
CRUISE: Now, you see -- here's the problem. You don't know the history of psychiatry. I do.
CARROLL: Cruise didn't stop there. He appeared to get a little testy when pressed further.
LAUER: I'm just saying. But aren't there examples where it works?
CRUISE: Matt, Matt, Matt, you don't even -- your glib. You don't even know what Ritalin is. If you talk about chemical imbalance, you have to evaluate and read the research papers.
LAUER: I'm not prescribing Ritalin, Tom. And I'm not asking anyone else to do it. I'm simply saying, I know some people who seem to have been helped by it.
CRUISE: But, your saying -- this is very important.
LAUER: I couldn't agree more.
CRUISE: And you know what, you are here on "The Today Show," and to talk about in a way of, saying, well, isn't it OK and being reasonable about it when you don't know, and I do.
CARROLL: The American Psychiatric Association suggests Cruise's statements are potentially harmful.
DR. JAMES SCULLY, AMERICAN PSYCHIATRIC ASSOCIATION: I would hope that most people who have a medical illness get their advice from properly trained health care officials such as psychiatrists or physicians.
CARROLL: So, of the two sides of Tom Cruise, which one do fans prefer? Buzz on the Internet and the street...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think he's a little crazy.
CARROLL: Has some wondering.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think that he's probably been a little brainwashed.
CARROLL: What's up with Tom?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There's new woman in his life every year. And that's certainly works as an anti-depressant. But we all can't function that way.
CARROLL: No matter, Cruise is enjoying every unpredictable moment.
CRUISE: I like suspense. I like to feel suspense. I like to feel that excitement. You know, and I'll feel that before I start a movie. When you feel that kind of butterflies and that tension. You know, it is not terror, it's that suspense, you know, how is this going to turn out?
CARROLL: So he'll keep laughing, whether or not the world laughs along with him.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ZAHN: And that was Jason Carroll reporting.
Tom Cruise's latest antics are providing a lot of material for jokers and comedians on the Internet. Take a look at this.
ZAHN: I don't know whether we're supposed to laugh at that or not. Is Tom Cruise's star close to burning out? Joining me now is film critic Tom O'Neill of "In Touch" weekly magazine and Goldderby.com. Always good to see you.
TOM O'NEILL, FILM CRITIC: Same here, Paula.
ZAHN: Is this guy blowing himself up or what?
O'NEILL: We are seeing a career suicide from Hollywood's No. 1 star. It fascinating to watch, isn't it?
ZAHN: Why would the industry's most bankable star allow for this to happen to him?
O'NEILL: Because he doesn't know. When he had Pat Kingsley as his publicist, the No. 1 in samurai, strong arm publicist in Hollywood, managing his career, she didn't let him out of the box. And he was able to retain some mystery and allure. And this kooky side of him we're seeing now was kept in check.
Well last year, as many people know, he appointed his sister, who had been a PR chief with the film studios, to manage his career. She's letting Tom do whatever he wants. And we're seeing how crazy these stars really are.
ZAHN: But what has sparked this? Here he has a very important movie coming out. He doesn't even talk about the movie during any of these interviews.
O'NEILL: There is good reason for that, Paula.
ZAHN: Which I'm sure Mr. Spielberg is pretty unhappy about it.
O'NEILL: There is one big problem that will explain all of this within the next 72 hours. And it is the fact that this movie is supposed to be terrible. Not just good, but, unworkable.
ZAHN: But how do we know that? The critics haven't even seen it yet.
O'NEILL: Right. They are not letting the critics in until Monday night, which automatically tells you there is a problem. They normally never do that unless it is really bad movie. They made the journalists who have gone to the premieres sign confidentially agreements. I have spoken to several people who were at the premiere in New York the other night and they said, it doesn't work.
Now, if it...
ZAHN: They violated they're agreements. They shouldn't have told you that.
O'NEILL: I know.
ZAHN: Why believe them? They're liars.
O'NEILL: They're not saying it's really, really bad. But they're saying it is a disappointment. If that is true, Paula, this would be -- if other reports are true, the single biggest bomb in Hollywood history.
ZAHN: Because you're talking over what, $120 million plus production...
O'NEILL: No, that's what they've confessed to. There are reports that came out today it could $230 million. That this is the most expensive movie ever made. Could be Spielberg's only bomb. And that that's what's fueled this desperate -- Tom is desperate. You can see it in his face. The relationship isn't believable. His behavior is ridiculous. This man has a problem. And what it is, his career could be crashing.
ZAHN: But, Spielberg hasn't produced any bombs. I mean, how bad can this be?
O'NEILL: But the expectation level is so high.
Here's another factor, the way films are structured financially now, is that they give gross points, instead of net points, to the star. There is one report that Spielberg and Tom are dividing up 35 percent of the gross points on this film. If that is true, how is Paramount and Dreamworks going to get their money back? So, suddenly, we heard just a month ago that Paramount had put Mission Impossible 3 on hold. It begins filming July 17, because they were so concerned about Tom.
You see, behind the scenes, there is this desperation going on in Hollywood. And we are seeing the Tom personally side of it.
ZAHN: We have 25 seconds left. So, let's separate the bomb the movie, if that's what it ends up being, from everything else that is going on with Tom Cruise. Is it just the talking about scientology and psychiatry, is that going to alienate fans?
O'NEILL: Absolutely. We saw a poll come out today. Already, 61 percent of the people think less of Tom. I think once this Matt Lauer things gets replayed a few more times there is going to be real rage building up against this man. He's in big trouble.
ZAHN: Were you outraged when you saw it?
O'NEILL: I was. And I want him to apologize to Matt. I think he was totally out of line. And Brooke Shields, while he's at it.
ZAHN: Good to see you. Thanks for dropping by tonight. Have a great weekend. Come back and tell us about the movie on Monday.
This weekend, a lot of New Yorkers aren't heading to the movies, but to a revival. And that's because of a very special preacher.
Coming up, we're going to take you live to what the Reverend Billy Graham says will be his last U.S. Crusade.
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BILLY GRAHAM, REVEREND: I will preach 45 minutes or an hour, hour and a quarter. Today, I've turned -- made it much shorter.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GRAHAM: ... groups of people that were praying. There were some Koreans and they were praying...
ZAHN: A moment in history, tonight. Here in New York City, the start of what's almost sure to be his last crusade, for the man so many have called: America's preacher, the reverend Billy Graham.
Let's listen in.
GRAHAM: And I want to talk from that verse of scripture. Jesus was preaching and teaching and the people were following him, but he would not commit himself to them. They wanted to follow him, they wanted to be near him, but he wouldn't commit himself to them and he needed not that any should testify, for he knew what was in man. He knew that something was wrong with human nature.
ZAHN: Our own Alina Cho is in the crowd among thousands of people, many who have cued up for more than 12 hours to get a peek at the minister.
Give us a sense of what the reaction of the crowd is to, what is presumed to be, his last appearance here in New York during a crusade.
ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Paul, certainly an enthusiastic crowd, an emotional crowd; at times, up, clapping their hands, dancing. You're talking about a revival, but in some ways, it seems like a rock concert.
You know, Billy Graham is here for, what he is calling, his last crusade in America. It is an emotional time for him. He is very frail, he is 86 years old, suffering from prostate cancer and Parkinson's disease. He walks with a cane. He suffers and is hard of hearing.
This message that he is giving tonight is really about faith and only faith. He has said she not going to talk about politics and remember, Paula, he is coming back to the place where he began it all in 1957, where he gave that 16-week, stunning revival where 2 million people came out and many of those people are coming back, tonight -- Paula?
ZAHN: Alina Cho, thanks so much. A man who's ministry has touched so many, not only members of the public, but has played a pivotal part in a number of U.S. presidencies along the way. Billy Graham, preaching here in New York, tonight.
We are moving up on just about 14 minutes before the hour and you know what happens at the top of the hour: Larry King will starting his show. Hi, Larry. Who's with you tonight?
KING: Hi, Paula. You look sensational, tonight.
ZAHN: You are so nice. I've had the 102 fever, for the last two days. So, that was a very nice compliment.
KING: It's a great color for you.
ZAHN: Thank you.
KING: Anyway, this dilemma of Aruba continues and tonight we'll investigate it fully with all aspects: Relatives, a prominent attorney, a prominent prosecutor, Mark Klaas, whose daughter was taken and killed, some years back. It's all about Aruba, with your phone calls, at 9:00 Eastern -- Paula. Have a great weekend.
ZAHN: You, too and we hope they ultimately get a break in that case. We watched one of the rescuers tonight talk about how tough this mission is . Look forward to you show.
Thanks, Larry.
KING: Thanks, Paula.
Still ahead: Our "People in the News" profile -- one of Hollywood's hot actresses talk about the pressure to look perfect.
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LINDSAY LOHAN, ACTRESS: ... the only reason for why they want to be thin or how they get that way. I'm healthy and I'm not an idiot and I have people around me that would say: Hey, stop it.
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ZAHN: I barely recognized her in that photo.
Coming up: Lindsay Lohan -- learning the ways of Hollywood and coping with the pressures enormous of stardom.
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ZAHN: Well, the folks at Walt Disney have introduced us to some memorable young women through over the years. From Annette Funicello to Hayley Mills to Britney Spears. Now, add another name to that list: Lindsay Lohan. She's currently staring in the love-bug remake, "Herbie: Fully Loaded." But she's also branching out. And she happens to be the subject of tonight's "People in the News" profile. Here's Kyra Phillips.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JAMIE LEE CURTIS, ACTRESS: You think my life is perfect?
LINDSAY LOHAN, ACTRESS: You couldn't last one day in my high school.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): By 2003, with three Disney movies under her belt, 17-year-old Lindsay Lohan had made her mark as one of Hollywood's youngest stars. But by her 18th birthday, Lindsay would transform from freckled-faced teen to sexy stand-out actress.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Shut up!
L. LOHAN: I didn't say anything.
PHILLIPS: It would be her role in 2004's "Mean Girls" that would catapult Lohan to serious stardom. In her first film foray away from Disney, Lindsay landed a new audience.
LEAH ROZEN, "PEOPLE" MAGAZINE: "Mean Girls" was a very smart comedy, that I think worked both for the teenagers at whom it was intended, and also for adults. And Lindsay Lohan was terrific. I mean, she carried that movie.
PHILLIPS: Lindsay also struck a cord off-screen. She released her first full-length album, "Speak," in late 2004. With songs like "Rumors," Lindsay's record peaked at number four on the Billboard 200. And Lindsay's romantic life had the media buzzing. Lindsay was hot and heavy with the 24-year-old "That '70s Show" actor Wilmer Valderrama. And the paparazzi didn't miss a beat. A high-profile romance, a smash movie and a hit album. Lohan was becoming a media darling.
But by her 18th birthday, the press was more intrigued with her figure than her career. Provocative photos in magazines like "Rolling Stone" and revealing red carpet arrivals had the tabloids speculating about breast augmentation, a claim Lohan denied.
And if Lohan wasn't getting enough tabloid attention, her father's endless brushes with the law put his daughter back on the gossip pages. Michael Lohan had been convicted of seven criminal charges in 2004, including an arrest for attacking his brother-in-law with a shoe at a family party.
Attorney Bruce Smirney (ph) represented Lohan for a domestic dispute in 2002. And though the two have become friends, he says he doesn't understand Lohan's recent actions.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Knowing Michael the way I do, I think he has an anger problem. He's impulsive. He doesn't think before he acts.
PHILLIPS: CNN contacted Michael Lohan for an interview, but according to his lawyer, a gag order prevented him from speaking about his family.
Despite her family problems, in 2004, Lindsay kept a strong front, defending her father.
L. LOHAN: You know, my dad is a grown man, and he's gone a little overboard with some of the things he says. But I love him, and he's my father.
PHILLIPS: But as her dad's troubles continued, Lindsay became less understanding.
MICHAEL FLEEMAN, "PEOPLE" MAGAZINE: She used to be very forgiving of him, but as he started making more and more shrill allegations, Lindsay now basically doesn't want to have anything to do with her father.
PHILLIPS: In 2005, Lohan was in trouble again. In February, he was arrested for DWI after crashing his car into a pole. Citing his recent criminal history and the court's previous leniency, Lohan was sentenced to up to four years in jail.
Family drama aside, Lindsay could not escape from the media spotlight. Barely dating a few months, the gossip pages were hot with the story of her breakup with Valderrama. And after her highly publicized breakup, the rumor mill began to portray Lindsay as a Hollywood party girl.
FLEEMAN: One week in April, we saw her at a different club every night of the week. When she's filming a movie, she is out very late. She is club-hopping all the time.
PHILLIPS: While filming her latest movie, "Herbie: Fully Loaded," Lohan spent five days in the hospital. The gossip pages implied too much partying.
FLEEMAN: How many times can her publicist say, yes, she's got a cold or, yes, she's working out, or yes, she's just a little bit tired? People care about her. They really want things to work out for her. They want her to be healthy, they want to see her in movies.
PHILLIPS: Despite the rumors, Lindsay says her sick leave from "Herbie" was due to pure exhaustion.
L. LOHAN: They can say it was drugs or anything they want. Because that's what I was hearing, or meningitis, or whatever. You know, it's -- when you get tired -- I'm 18. And I'm still growing. And my body can't handle, like, going out, and then working and doing all that stuff.
PHILLIPS: And the tabloids still haven't finished with Lohan. By early 2005, Lohan had transformed from busty redhead to wafish blond. The press chastised the new, svelter Lindsay. Did she have an eating disorder?
FLEEMAN: She lost a lot of weight in a very short amount of time. And this was all around the time that she was working very hard on movies and partying very hard in clubs. I think there's a real concern there among audiences that her lifestyle may be getting close to being out of control.
PHILLIPS: According to camp Lohan, rumors of an eating disorder are a big fat lie.
DINA LOHAN, LINDSAY'S MOTHER: He's a little girl. We're not big-boned. And she lost 15, 20 pounds in the hospital. And when she came out, she liked how she looked. And when you're that age, you know, you have to find your own space.
L. LOHAN: Everyone has their own reason for why they want to be thin, how they get that way. And I'm healthy, and I'm not an idiot. And I have people around me that would say, hey, stop it, that I can trust and that I will actually listen to.
PHILLIPS: Too thin or too busty? Party girl or worn out actress? With the media circus that surrounds Lohan and her family, will her personal life continue to overshadow her career? Can she transcend the gossip?
FLEEMAN: Lindsay herself says that her dysfunctional family has actually weirdly helped her career. And she knows that these problems off camera just add to the heat of her career.
PHILLIPS: Despite the sometimes-harsh press, Lindsay Lohan has never been more popular, and the child star turned teen actress takes the glare of the spotlight like a pro.
L. LOHAN: There's a lot of misconceptions and there will be. And I understand that. But don't believe what you read. I just make sure that people that I'm with -- they know the truth and I know the truth. And as long as I'm happy, that's all that matters.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ZAHN: But where did all those freckles go? That was Kyra Phillips reporting for us tonight.
Coming up next, we'll be right back with the latest on that breaking news story out of Camden, New Jersey. Please stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ZAHN: Finally, we want to update you on this hour's breaking news story, and it was not the way any of the 150 searchers working around the clock wanted it to end. Three young boys, missing in Camden, New Jersey over the last couple of days, were found dead this afternoon. Five-year-old Jesstin Pagan, 6-year-old Daniel Agosto and 11-year-old Anibal Cruz were last seen on Wednesday, their bodies discovered in a trunk of a car. As you can see here, police have cordoned off the area. They have covered what they believe to be -- well, they're not calling it a crime at this hour, but the scene, with white sheets. We are told that the grim discovery was made by one of the boys' fathers. He was described as jumping away, screaming and sobbing, as you might imagine, after that horrible discovery. A large crowd quickly gathered, with much the same reaction as one of the boys' young father.
Police have now sealed off the whole area, and covered that car that you saw a little bit earlier, with sheets. So they will hold a briefing for reporters a little bit later on tonight.
That wraps it up for all of us here. We hope you all have better news this weekend. See you Monday night.
END
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