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CNN Sunday Morning
Charlton Heston Dies; Polygamist Ranch Raided; Olympic Protests
Aired April 06, 2008 - 09:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's like a flying saucer landed out there or something, like an alien culture moved in.
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T.J. HOLMES, CNN NEWS ANCHOR: He's talking about a polygamist compound that has now been raided. More than 200 people, many of the children, removed. We're live on the scent.
BETTY Nguyen, CNN NEWS ANCHOR: Violence in Iraq. Just days before a top general testifies before Congress. Is the so-called surge working or not?
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My concern is I want women to be better protected.
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HOLMES: The mother of a female Marine who was killed and her recording of a sexual assault is speaking. She's only speaking to CNN. More on her daughter and the man wanted in the killing.
From the CNN Center in Atlanta, Georgia, brining you the news from around the world. Hello to you all, I'm T.J. Holmes.
NGUYEN: Yes, good morning, everybody. I'm Betty Nguyen; we want to thank you for being here. It is Sunday, April 6, and we begin with the death of an actor.
Charlton Heston has appeared in over a hundred films and acted on every continent except Antarctica.
HOLMES: Yeah, we all remember that role. Charlton Heston, he's being rembered today for breathing life into such figures as Moses, we're seeing there, Michelangelo and Ben Hur. The 84-year-old Heston Heston died last night after a long bout with Alzheimer's disease. His family says no one could ask for a fuller life than his.
NGUYEN: Now, in later years, the legendary actor became active in conservative politics and served as president of the National Rifle Association. So, let's take a closer look at Charlton Heston with Tom O'Neil who is senior editor with "In Touch Weekly," he joins us by phone from New York.
Tom, talk to us about some of the last days of Charlton Heston. I mean, what do you know? We understood that he was dealing with Alzheimer's disease. How was he in the coming last days and weeks of his life?
TOM O'NEIL, SR EDITOR "IN TOUGH WEEKLY": Well, he wasn't fully agile in the last few years. He came down with Alzheimer's in 2002 and was cogent enough at that time able to speak publicly about it. But, gradually over the years the disease took its toll.
NGUYEN: How do you think the entertainment community, the nation, in fact, is going to remember him?
O'NEIL: I think he is up there with the icons and just like John Wayne. And I think that is an interesting parallel in many ways, that both of those men represented America and embodied America on film and embodied god-fearing nation on one hand, but yet they were almost a demonized in Hollywood because they were penalized for their conservative political points of view in a liberal town.
NGUYEN: He really had a lot of larger than life character and in fact, you know, that kind of persona kind of spilled over into real- life politics. As we know, he was president of the NRA. I mean, this is a man who was very active.
O'NEIL: Oh, yes, and he believed in the American credo, that is promised in the constitution. He would often say, for example, hey, in this country, if someone breaks into your house, you have the right to shoot them with a gun.
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Well, you know, on one hand you could -- that is based and the principles of this nation you have to respect that, on the other hand, this was a man who was renowned for his great acting talents, not just as Moses, but as Michelangelo and Andrew Jackson and a lot of huge historic figures.
NGUYEN: And just very quickly, but this -- while he is known for so much, as you mentioned an icon, this is a guy who also poked fun at himself. I mean, what, he was on "Saturday Night Live" twice, was in "Wayne's World II" if I recall correctly.
O'NEIL: Oh, right, right. He remained hip and relevant all the time. He would appeared on "Friends" as a light-hearted character. So, he was able to keep it in perspective, I think.
NGUYEN: He is definitely remembered by so many people, today. Charlton Heston, dead at the age of 84. Tom O'Neil, thanks for joining us today and giving us a little perspective on this.
O'NEIL: Thank you, Betty.
HOLMES: Also happening this morning, developments in the raid on the secretive polygamist compound in Texas. So far, 183 people have been removed from the ranch, that's near Eldorado, most of them children. Authorities have been looking for victims of possible physical and sexual abuse. And late last night they pushed their way into the most sensitive area of the compound, the temple. Our Ed Lavandera has more now from Eldorado.
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ED LAVANDERA, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT (voice over): This is the shining temple on the west Texas polygamist sect compound. Late Saturday night, authorities entered the sacred temple. Ambulances and medical support were brought in as precaution. But, law enforcement sources say they were no injuries, no violence and that investigators got inside after some sect members initially resisted.
Earlier in the day, buses full of children were brought out of the 1,600 acre ranch. State investigators say they want to pull every child out.
MARLEIGH MEISNER, TEXAS CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES: We also have four workers, as of this moment, that are in the compound and they are trying to go from building to building with law enforcement, trying to find other children that still may be in the compound.
LAVANDERA: Child Protective Service investigators have removed 183 people, including 137 children, 18 of those children are in legal custody of the state.
MEISNER: We have trained staff, special investigators who have come in from Child Protective Services offices throughout the state assisting. They are continuing to do one-on-one interviews with the women and with the children that are there, trying to obtain further information.
LAVANDERA: Investigators moved into the compound after receiving a tip last Monday that a teenage girl was being physically abused. The local district attorney's office tells CNN, this picture appears to be the man Texas authorities have issued an arrest warrant for. According to court documents, authorities are looking for evidence that 50-year-old Dale Evans Barlow, married and impregnated a 16-year- old girl. Barlow is on felony probation stemming from an Arizona case where he was accused of conspiring to committee sexual misconduct of a child. Barlow is also the son of a former mayor of Colorado City, Arizona. That's the town where this polygamist sect is largely based. When is members moved into Eldorado, they startled residents who watched a mysterious massive complex of residential buildings, and a temple rise from the west Texas flat land.
RANDY MANKIN, ELDORADO SUCCESS WEEKLY: It's like a flying saucer landed out there or something, like an alien culture moved in. We've spent four years now trying to educate ourselves, educate the public, as to who our neighbors are.
LAVANDERA (on camera): A law enforcement source tells CNN that Dale Barlow is not in the Eldorado area. We are also told that authorities are talking to him, but that he's not yet been arrested. Meanwhile, the "Salt Lake Tribune" quotes Barlow's probation officer as saying that Barlow doesn't know the teen girl he's accused of getting pregnant.
Ed Lavandera, CNN, Eldorado, Texas.
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NGUYEN: Mike Watkiss has joined us now with affiliate KTVK.
Mike, you've been on top of this story since the very beginning. And I understand you have new developments. But, I want to parlay into what we just heard from Ed there, that this Barlow guy may not even know the 16-year-old that he's being accused of fathering a child with?
MIKE WATKISS, KTVK REPORTER: Well, that's certainly the claim that is being made by people who know Mr. Barlow and he is a notorious character because he was convicted or at lease pled guilty to charges in Mohave County, Arizona, taking an underaged bride. Was sentenced to 45 days in jail and has to be a registered sex offender on probation for the next three years.
So, if he is indeed involved in all of this, this guy already has a criminal past, and so, it could be very bad for him once they get their hands on him. But, yeah, the pace is definitely quickened, here. We have seen probably two dozen law enforcement vehicles hot- footing it up the road to the compound through the police barricade. Perhaps the most interesting component of that is at least three of those vehicles were marked "canine search and recovery." This is the first time that we have seen police dogs introduced into this massive law enforcement operation that started on Thursday.
NGUYEN: So, what does that mean, people are hiding inside the compound? Is that what that's telling you by the fact that they have search dogs?
WATKISS: Well, they certainly -- that is what they said during a news conference, yesterday. A CPS spokeswoman said that they were fearful that some of the sect members may be hiding children on the property. So, we can only assume what the dogs are being used for. But again, this is the first time that we have seen police dogs introduced into this equation.
NGUYEN: A hundred and eighty-three people have been taken from the compound, 137 of them are of the age 17 or younger. Any idea of how many could have possibly been at that compound, I mean, way more than 183, do you think?
WATKISS: Well, it's a very secretive sect, now they are behind basically locked gates and barbed wire fences and no tresing signs, here in Texas. This is a private piece of tland they bought very intentionally to get away from the heat in Arizona and Utah. So, law officers here in Eldorado have had very minimal contact over the last four years. This is the first time that officers have gone in force on to that property and they are certainly searching every nook and croony. So, they could be squirreling children away. Those dogs may be used to try to find people out on this sprawling 1,700 acre piece of property. NGUYEN: And very, very quickly, though, you come from a polygamist background. I don't know if you've lived in any area similar to this, but do you suppose there may be, I don't know, some kind of tunnel, some kinds of way, as you say, that they could be possibly hiding people or trying to escape without people noticing?
WATKISS: Absolutely. There's no doubt. These people are builders, diggers. Most of them are construction workers. That's why they were able to build this compound. They have a long history in the construction industry all over the American southwest. Many of these polygamist groups are building suburbs around Las Vegas, Nevada, as we speak. So, these people are very accomplished builders. Could they dig tunnels? Certainly.
NGUYEN: All right, Mike Watkiss, with affiliate KTVK as developments are occurring at this hour in this story. And, of course, Mike, we appreciate your time and we will stay on top of the story and bring you, the viewer, the latest as soon as we get it.
WATKISS: Thank you.
HOLMES: All right, let's turn now to a live picture, this is happening right now. This is in London as the Olympic torch is making its way through the streets of London. A live picture we've been keeping an eye on. This relay started several hours ago, really. And as you know, the torch makes its way from Greece, where the Olympics stated, and makes its way all the way to wherever the Olympics are happening. The relay started, really, about a week ago in Athens, going to make its way on a seven-continent tour, I believe. And it is going to hit several different stops before finally landing in China where the Olympics are happening on May 4. However, even though this looks good here, you see all the security, so many people are surrounding this torch. That's because there have been plenty of protests and protesters getting involved along this route, Here are some of the pictures we saw earlier. There were scuffles, people actually tried to put out the flame with a fire extinguisher.
And our Don Riddell with us, from CNN SPORTS in London to tell us more about what is happening, there. This is supposed to be a celebratory and ceremonious thing, here, and it got ugly at a time for this torch relay on Monday.
DON RIDDELL, CNN INTERNATIONAL SPORTS ANCHOR: That is right, T.J. I think we knew it would, to be fair, there's been a lot of buildup to this event. The relay, as you say, is only really about a week old. It started in Olympia and came through Athens and Greece and it is bow commencing really a four-month route to the Olympics in August in Beijing. But we were expecting protests here in London. The police say they were prepared, but I think in some regards they've perhaps have been caught a bit off-guard.
We've had people just literally throwing themselves at the torch relay trying to make their point, try to really make a stand against the Chinese government and the way they've been behaving in Tibet, recently. We had the flame almost put out by a protester with a fire extinctioner. We had a protester almost grab it. The torch has been to 10 Downing Street where the Prime Minister Gordon Brown resides. And the protests in the streets (INAUDIBLE) that area were extremely vocal and there were many, many protesters, many hundreds of protesters on the street. We're only really halfway through the day, so there's certainly more opportunities for demonstrators to make their mark -- T.J.
HOLMES: And Don, I was going to ask you, said it's only halfway through. So, they've got a long way still to go with this torch and to ward off protesters. Again, we're assuming there are still some out there. Have they had to change things up a bit with the torch relay since it started this morning? Have they had to add more security? I'm sure you've seen these pictures, as well. Police officers and others surrounding whoever is carrying that touch. Have they had to change routes? Have they had to beef up security?
RIDDELL: Well, absolutely. If you look at the images of the torch when it began the relay three-and-a-half hours ago, there weren't too many police officers actually around the torch. But if you look at it now, there's a very, very heavy police presence. It's actually very difficult to police, a 31-mile route when actually protesters and demonstrators are allowed to operate in this country. So, it is very hard to do it effectively. But they certainly have beefed up presence around the torch. And they have also, in at least one instance, changed the route.
The Chinese ambassador to Britain, Fu Ying, was supposed to carry the torch in Bloomsbury Square, which was an area that many people knew about and the protests there were extremely vocal. And so they had to arrange it so that the ambassador would carry the torch through a different part of London, a much friendlier part of London towards the Chinese community and Chinatown. So, the organizers able to pare off, kind of thinking on their feet to try and get through the day as best they can.
HOLMES: And like you said, they have to get through the day. As we are seeing these live pictures, still a long way to go. And the torch is traveling, Don, with a heck of an entourage, right about now. Don Riddell for us, CNN SPORTS, in London, we appreciate you this morning. Thank you so much.
NGUYEN: And Coming up, death of a Hollywood legend. We're going to have highlights of Charlton Heston's story career both on and off the screen.
Plus this...
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: For after high school, I am going into the Marines so, I'll probably be doing that for about 20, 25 years and then hopefully after that becoming a cop.
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HOLMES: Oh, I have not seen that video until just then. Tough to watch that young lady, her dreams were tragically cut short and now, you will hear her mother speak and speak exclusively to CNN about her murdered Marine daughter.
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NGUYEN: Here's a look at some other stories making news this morning.
HOLMES: Yeah, three college students killed at this house. This is near the campus at the University of Wisconsin. Again, three students killed in the fire. Police now want to know why the students didn't make it out of the house. They say the smoke alarm was so loud that it actually woke up the neighbors. They're trying to look into now whether alcohol was involved, here.
Also, just moments ago Britain's Prince Philip was released from a hospital in London. Queen Elizabeth's 86-year-old husband was admitted last week with a chest infection. Buckingham Palace says he will continue recovery at Windsor Castle. Tomorrow's engagements have been cancelled. Others will decided on a day-to-day basis.
NGUYEN: And we are bringing you live pictures now from London, today. And look at this. The Olympic torch relay is taking place, but we have seen a growing number of protesters lining the route, waiving Tibetan flags. These are live pictures of the torch and the protests in front of 10 Downing Street. There's been at least one arrest to tell you about. Also this, one man even jumped out of the crowd trying to douse the torch.
HOLMES: It's not easy to put that thing out.
NGUYEN: Yeah, I think he used a fire extinguisher.
HOLMES: A couple of folks tried to grab it, so they were expecting protests, but as we were just hearing from a reporter on the scene, they weren't expecting all of this. So, it's been a bit much.
We will turn back to politics, now. The Republican nominee for president, pretty much know who that's going to be, John McCain, but who is going to be his running mate?
NGUYEN: Well, John McCain says he's been tossing around a few names. CNN political editor, Mark Preston, will join us next with a closer look at those possible choices.
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HOLMES: All right, getting ready for November. Our best political team on television is getting ready, John McCain is getting ready, but Clinton and Obama, they can't really get ready just yet. Well, McCain, he certainly can look ahead to November and possibly setting sights on who his No. 2 will be. Well, our No. 1, Mark Preston, our senior political editor, friend of our show, here on the weekend.
Sir, always good to have you with us. McCain said he's got 20 names on a list, at least. Kind of let that slip, if you will, he was kind of -- some of his folks were trying to reel him back in on that when giving that press conference. Kind of weird. But, 20 names, is there a consensus starting to build around any names -- 1,2,3,4,5 any of them?
Well I'll tell you, with 20 names there's certainly a lot of people, people are talking about. I heard T.J. Holmes is actually on that list.
HOLMES: Whoa, you got bad information, buddy.
MARK PRESTON, CNN POLITICAL EDITOR: Well, I don't know. Talk about bouncing off the ticket, young, energetic guy. A lot of people say McCain is a little older. So, I'll tell you, you know, McCain's looking probably at a lot of governors. He's looking at Mark Sanford, probably, from South Carolina, he's looking at former Massachusetts governor, Mitt Romney, you know, who he ran against, of course, for the GOP nomination, Mike Huckabee, a former governor from Arkansas, another of is opponents for the GOP nomination. He's also looking at Tim Fluente from Minnesota, he's the governor. Very young, very well liked. So, there's a lot of people on the list, right now and...
HOLMES: Mark, is it clear what he needs? You talk about needs somebody kind of younger. So, is there a type of candidate he certainly needs to have on the ticket with him?
PRESTON: I think it would be smart for him to go for somebody a little bit younger. Maybe even somebody like Charlie Crist from Florida. But, I mean, McCain will tell you that he's not going to try to pick somebody based on age, he's going to try to pick somebody who could step into the job on day one. And of course, you'll hear that from him, as well as the Democratic nominee, when they choose their running mate.
HOLMES: Let's turn to the Democrats, there. There was so much hubbub about Hillary Clinton releasing the tax returns. They finally come out, and it pays well, apparently, to be a former president. Made some $109 million, I believe it is, since the Clintons left the White House. What does this mean one way or another? Does it help a cause? Is it out there and it's over now, or is it going to be used against her some kind of way, politically? Or does it mean anything, now?
PRESTON: Well, I'll tell you what, probably the most danger is the fact that it took them so long to release these tax forms, this information. We really have not seen anything very controversial in the numbers that they released. We do know that they gave over $10 million to charity, which is a sizable sum. And the campaign will point out that that's more than most people who make that amount of money. And we know that it is very profitable to write books and to give speeches when you are a former president.
HOLMES: And let's turn to Obama, another money matter -- $40 million he pulled in. He just keeps breaking records with fundraising. Hillary Clinton had a good month, as well, $20 million, but that doesn't sound so good compared to the $40 million. How much is this going to help him in a place like Pennsylvania? Even though she's supposed to be doing so well? Can he throw money at his issue, his problem, being behind in a lot of the polls and expect that $40 million to really pay off for him? PRESTON: Well, you know, it allows him to do, T.J., it allows them to spend a lot more money on television, which we're seeing him do in Pennsylvania. It also allows him to look beyond Pennsylvania and start spending money in Indiana and in North Carolina and some of these other states that are really going to, you know, the last four or five or six that are going to come after Pennsylvania, so, it also allows him to build a ground operation in each of these states. So, having all this money is very important. It's also a yardstick that we in the media use to say, you know, how much is his campaign resonating with the American people. So, not only do we look at the poll numbers, we look at how much people are raising.
HOLMES: He is raising quite a bit, $40 million, there. Mark Preston, sir, always a pleasure to have you with us. We could talk to you all morning, but they won't let me do that, so I'm going to have to say bye, now. But, thanks again, have a good Sunday.
PRESTON: Take care, T.J.
HOLMES: All right, folks, and you can see just how the race is shaping up. BALLOT BOWL, you make the call, your chance to hear from the candidates themselves. That's BALLOT BOWL, 2:00 Eastern, right here on CNN.
Well, the child of civil rights activist, Cory Booker, followed a calling in politics. He's a mayor on a mission. See how Booker is rebuilding the largest city in New Jersey on this week's "To the Top."
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(voice over): Newark is a city known for violence. Mayor Cory Booker is working to change that reputation, one neighborhood at a time.
CORY BOOKER, MAYOR, NEW JERSEY: I'm going to be a part of one of the greatest urban revolutions this nation has ever seen.
HOLMES: With less than two years in office, Booker's plans for improvement are flourishing.
BOOKER: We identified about 15 violent places in Newark and created zones of security. We were able to increase the number of activities and programs for young people. The battle we were looking to win was to get the residences into some very safe, decent housing.
HOLMES: For eight years, Booker lived in one of Newark's rundowned housing projects and worked with residents to get it rebuilt. Now, he lives in an apartment complex to help his neighbors do the same.
BOOKER: I wanted to stay a part of that struggle, I want to stay close to the people who got me to where I was. Because, I do believe now, that the greatest wisdom of any community, relies within the grassroots.
I always say that my B.A. from Stanford, but my PhD on the streets of Newark.
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NGUYEN: Just ahead, a mother's anguish that will break your heart.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My concern is, I want women to be better protected.
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NGUYEN: Mary Lauderbach lost a daughter and a grandson. But now, she's speaking exclusively with CNN about her ordeal and her quest for justice.
A little later, the death of a Hollywood giant. We're going to take a look back at Charlton Heston's life as an actor and an activist.
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HOLMES: Hey there. Welcome back, everybody. I'm T.J. Holmes.
NGUYEN: Yes, good morning, everybody, I'm Betty Nguyen.
Authorities have removed 183 people from that polygamist compound in west Texas. Most of them are children. And they continue to monitor the ranch looking for victims of possible physical and sexual abuse.
HOLMES: President Bush on his way back from Russia. He met with Russia's president, Vladimir Putin, today. The two still at odds over the U.S. missile defense system based in Europe.
NGUYEN: Charlton Heston being remembered, today, for his larger than life roles on screen and off. A legendary movie star died last night after suffering from Alzheimer's for years. Heston won the 1959 best actor Oscar for "Ben Hur," but he's also remembered for the quality of life that he led.
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WAYNE LAPIERRE, EXECUTIVE V.P., NRA: He loved his family and his wife, Lydia, more than anything in the world. I mean, whenever he was on the road, he was always thinking about getting back to her. I mean, it was a true American love story. He sent her violets every, every birthday, I think, from the time he was in college with her and, I mean it was a true love story. He also loved his acting career. I mean he was a larger than life actor and he loved that profession.
He also felt it was the duty of every American citizen to speak out politically and Charlton Heston, I mean, his political career was amazing. I mean, you're right, marching with Martin Luther King in Alabama and Mississippi, leading the arch contingent with a march on Washington in '63. And he believed that, you know, the sanctity of American freedom was defined by the bill of rights and the bill of rights is what made the United States different from every country in the world and we ought to defend it.
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HOLMES: Well, Heston served as president of the National Rifle Association and the Heston family asked NRA's Lapierrem as you were hearing there, to speak on their behalf,
Well, we will turn now to a sad story a lot of you will remember. That story of the pregnant Marine killed and buried in another Marine's backyard.
NGUYEN: Well, the suspect, Caesar Laurean, is still on the run. And the mother of the victim, well, she is speaking out now. And she says her daughter's murder could have been prevented. Our Susan Candiotti has the exclusive interview.
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SUZAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT (voice over): She is a mother in pain, Mary Lauderbach visits the graves of her murdered pregnant daughter, Maria, and unborn grandson, Gabriel Joseph.
MARY LAUDERBACH, MOTHER OF MURDERED MARINE: Preparing for Easter was very hard because Maria loved holidays.
CANDIOTTI: Just a few years ago, her daughter was playing high school soccer and dreaming about a bright future. This is the first video of Maria made public.
MARIA LAUDERBACH, MARINE: For after high school, I'm going into the Marines, so I'll probably be doing that for about 20, 25 years and then hopefully after that Becoming a cop.
CANDIOTTI: Two months after Lance Corporal Maria Lauderbach was found murdered, her body pulled from a fire put in a fellow Marine's backyard, her mother is on a mission.
LAUDERBACH: My concern is, I want women to be better protected.
CANDIOTTI: Last April, 20-year-old Maria was working the night shift in an office at Camp Lejeune with fellow Marine Corporal Cesar Lauren, when she claimed he locked the doors and attacked her. A month later, Maria called her mom.
LAUDERBACH: And said, you know, mom, I have been raped. Maria, you have to report this because you have to protect all the other Marine women to make sure that doesn't happen to anyone else. She says OK, mom. So, the next day she went in and reported it.
CANDIOTTI: Corporal Laurean denied the rape. Maria Lauderbach became pregnant.
LAUDERBACH: If there are perceived credibility issues, you still must protect the person who is making those claims. You have to protect them. The problem is when someone has a perceived credibility issue, they make themselves the perfect victim.
CANDIOTTI: While waiting for investigators to finish, Lauderbach reported being punched on base by an unknown attacker and having her car keyed. Then, last December about a month before Lauderbach's due date, and a rape hearing on base, she disappeared. He roommate found a note.
(on camera): So the note said, "I could not take this Marine life anymore, so I'm going away. Sorry, for the inconvenience, Maria." Does that sound like your daughter?
LAUDERBACH: It shocked me. No, she never gave me any indication that she was leaving.
CANDIOTTI (voice over): A month later, Maria's body was dug up. Investigators say Laurean told his wife he had buried Maria under his barbecue pit, after she slit her throat. He ran. The M.E. says Maria she was killed by a blow to the head.
REP MIKE TURNER (R), OHIO: And this is a matter that deserves higher scrutiny.
CANDIOTTI: Lauderbach's hometown congressman, Mike Turner, wants answers from the Marine Corps including why Laurean didn't submit DNA during the investigation. The Marine Corps defends its actions as appropriate and is expected to reply to the congressman soon.
(on camera): What worries you about other women who might be raped who are in the armed services and whether they will come forward after they look at this particular case?
TURNER: They are going to be very concerned about their own safety and they're going to wonder whether or not, like Maria, if they'll feel as if they're alone in coming forward with the accusation. That fear has really have -- got to have a chilling effect.
CANDIOTTI: Authorities are still waiting for the results of the paternity test to confirm whether Cesar Laurean is the father of Maria Lauderbach's unborn baby. Charged with murder, Laurean remains on the run believed to be hiding in Mexico. Will he be caught? Authorities say the hope so, trying their best to cut off his resources.
Susan Candiotti, CNN, Dayton, Ohio.
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NGUYEN: Tragic story, and of course we'll continue to follow that for you and bring you new developments just as soon as we get them.
HOLMES: And we are following some other stories, this morning -- a hiker survived a 50-foot fall off a cliff in Colorado's National Monument Park. Rescuers eventually got her out, about 45 minutes later. Hospital workers says the 22-year-old woman is, however, in critical condition. She reportedly has at least a broken leg and several other injuries.
NGUYEN: Here's an update for you in Minnesota. A bus carrying a group of high school students flipped over on the freeway. Well, one student was killed in the accident. Dozens of others were injured. The students were on their way home from a band trip in Chicago. There's no word yet on the cause of that accident.
HOLMES: An airline has shut down. That's the fourth time in seven days we have said that to you. This time we're talking about Skyway Airlines, the latest to leave the sky. The airline cites rising fuel costs as part of the reason for the shutdown. Skyway operated Midwest connection out of Milwaukee. This is the fourth, as we mentioned, so shutdown in just the past seven days.
NGUYEN: Well, keep watching CNN, because our money team has you covered. Whether it's your job, your debt, housing, even savings. Join us for a special report it's called "Issue No. 1, The Economy." It's all this week at noon Eastern, only on CNN.
HOLMES: New fighting to tell you about in Baghdad's volatile Sadr City neighborhood. The Iraqi government says at least 20 people kill, 52 wounded. Iraqi officials say the battle is between U.S. troops and Shiite militants from Muqtada al Sadr Mehdi army. The U.S. military says it has no information about this fighting.
NGUYEN: Here's a status report, were going to get a fresh assessment of the Iraq war this week.
HOLMES: The top U.S. Commander in Iraq will testify before a senate panel. The picture he paints may not be as rosy as it could have been a month ago. Cnn's Barbara Starr reports.
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BARBARA STARR, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Thousands marching in Baghdad's Sadr City on Friday, protesting the Iraqi security crackdown, supporting Muqtada al Sadr and his Shia Mehdi army. And more fighting between government and Shia forces in the southern city of Basra. Just days before General David Petraeus testifies on Capitol Hill, he may have to adjust his plan to tell Congress the surge has worked.
MICHAEL O'HANLON, BROOKINGS INST: Well, I think the simple answer is that Basra makes everything more complicated. You know, a month ago, we could have tried to tell a story that Iraq was getting better.
STARR: Now, Prime Minister Nuri al Maliki has ordered a stop to Iraqi army raids in order to lower tensions. And Muqtada al Sadr says he''l help rid the security forces of Shia extremists. But is the lull in the violence going to last? Just days ago, the Pentagon said the Iraqi military operations proved Maliki was ready to meet the challenge.
GEOFF MORRELL, PENTAGON PRESS SECY: The Iraqi government has grown and increased in capability to the point where they now feel confident going after extremists.
STARR: But Petraeus has had to send more than 500 troops to Basra to work hand-in-hand with the Iraqis, with basic planning, reminding them to order food, water, and ammunition.
O'HANLON: Our strategy, of course, has been to minimize the western role in Basra and to hope that we can essentially help the Iraqis work it out on their own.
STARR (on camera): When General David Petraeus comes to Capitol Hill on Tuesday, this will be his first stop, the Senate Armed Services Committee hearing room. When he sits down at that witness table, one of the first questions he is going to have to answer is whether the Iraqis can work it out or whether the latest cease-fire is just putting the fighting off for another day.
Barbara Starr, CNN, Capitol Hill.
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HOLMES: As we have been talking about this morning, a film icon, a man with a presence on screen as well as off screen.
NGUYEN: We're going to take a look back at the life of Charlton Heston.
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NGUYEN: You know, his movies were often epics and his characters larger than life. Remember Charlton Heston battling the bad guy in "Ben Hur?"
HOLMES: Yeah, the legendary actor, though, died last night. CNN's Brooke Anderson, now, looks back at a half century of highlights.
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BROOK ANDERSON, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Most people knew Charlton Heston as the actor who played God's right-hand man.
CHARLTON HESTON, ACTOR: Behold his mighty hand!
ANDERSON: The man who would play larger than life characters on the big screen says his love of acting grew out of his lonely childhood. Known for his strong screen presence and his chiseled good looks, he is ton was a natural as the handsome hero. In 1959 that distinction and the movie "Ben Hur" won him the Oscar.
HESTON: Who are you?
ANDERSON: A rarity in Hollywood, his film career endured more than half a century. From Technicolor epics to science fiction, that granite carved profile intimidated opponents with a glare or few choice words.
HESTON: Get your stinking paws off me you damn, dirty ape.
ANDERSON: His talent commanded respect and conveyed integrity on the big screen and the small one. It allowed him to hone his craft.
HESTON: Oh my god!
ANDERSON: Heston boasted he'd acted on every continent except Antarctica. He was the longest serving president of the Screen Actors Guild. Later, he diverted his attention to conservative politics and fought the forces of gun control. After four people were killed in a school shooting in Jonesboro, Arkansas, Heston took command of the declining National Rifle Association and turned it around with what became a polarizing phrase.
HESTON: From my cold, dead hands!
ANDERSON: Tom Selleck called Heston a friend and mentor. The two appeared in the 1976 war drama "Midway."
TOM SELLECK, ACTOR: You know, when Chuck started heading up the NRA it put a face to an organization that whether you people disagree with it or agree with it had been effectively demonized for quite a few years.
HESTON: Let me make one more point that I forgot.
ANDERSON: Heston was used to taking a stand. In the '60s he disagreed with segregation, supported Dr. Martin Luther King and campaigned for civil rights. In 2002, the man who had lived his whole life in front of the public, told America about his private battle, he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's.
HESTON: I'm neither giving up nor giving in. I believe I'm still the fighter that Dr. King and JFK and Ronald Reagan knew. But, it's a fight I must someday call a draw.
ANDERSON: Friends say Heston and his wife Lydia, whom he married when their careers were just beginning, planned to confront the disease together.
TONY MAKRIS, HESTON FAMILY FRIEND: They've dealt with a lot and they'll deal with this as they have done the other things, holding hands, very much in love with their heads held high.
ANDERSON: In 2003, Heston was given the Medal of Freedom, America's highest civilian honor.
GEORGE W BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Charlton Heston himself has become one of the great names in film history. Charlton Heston has left his mark on our country as an artist, as a citizen, as a patriot.
ANDERSON: Actor or activist, Heston loved the power he had with the crowd.
HESTON: Thank you for everything, not only now, tonight, but on through all the years. It's been a wonderful run. I'm going to miss you.
(APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: And what a career. He appeared in over 100 films and acted on every continent, except Antarctica. HOLMES: Not a lot of film going on down there, so you can imagine. But still, it just let's you know he got around all over the place, all over the world. And yes, a lot of people remembering him, fond memories, as well. He lived a full life as his family said.
All right, we're going to turn to a little sports last night. A lot of you might have been watching. I was a bit disappointed. I waited all year and we had blow outs.
NGUYEN: But your team got in.
HOLMES: I was happy with the outcome. Memphis, yes, but yeah, some of the favorites. Memphis wasn't really a favorite, faltering a bit last night.
NGUYEN: Now, it is just a two-team show. Kansas and Memphis in the title game. We're going to take you live to San Antonio to find out what happened.
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NGUYEN: It's now time to check in with Howard Kurtz in Washington to see what's ahead on CNN's RELIABLE SOURCES.
Hello, Howie.
HOWARD KURTZ, RELIABLE SOURCES: Hello, Betty. Coming up, John McCain basks in a warm media glow during this biography tour. Whatever happened to tough questions? While the press pounces on the Clintons for the sin of making plenty of money. Movie critics becoming an endangered species as more newspapers drop them. We'll talk to a blogger who says good riddance, people can read the reviews online, instead.
Plus my guided tour of Washington's glittering museum, as a good journalist (INAUDIBLE) glorify the profession. That and more ahead on RELIABLE SOURCES.
NGUYEN: Can't wait to see inside that museum. I've been wanting to check that out. Thank you Howard, see you soon.
KURTZ: Thank you.
HOLMES: All right, we waited all year for this. All four No. 1 seats get to the final four. First time, in the history of this tournament, they get there and what do we see? Blowouts. Kansas, Memphis the only ones left standing. CNN SPORTS, Larry Smith, still standing this morning after what we saw last night.
Larry, are people shocked, are they disappointed, are they what, there in san Antonio?
LARRY SMITH, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: You know, a lot of all of that, T.J. We expected two power-filled matchups, instead we got two powerful teams. I was four rows behind the Memphis coach, John Calipari and these games were so intense, at one point he shouted at one of his assistants to shut up. But, his Memphis Tigers continued their impressive late season run. Boy, they looked really powerful, athletic, they're in your face all the way through.
Chris Douglas Roberts scored 28 points, the all-American, as they overpowered UCLA 78-63. Point guard, Derek Rose added 25, as the Tigers send the Bruins home from the final four for the third year in a row without a title.
Game two was all Kansas, most of the time. The Jayhawks built a 28- point lead before a bewildered North Carolina team figured out what was going on and finally got it together and stopped taking those horrible jump shots every time down the court. The Heels made a furious second half comeback, that falls within four, but still it was all Kansas in the end, 84-66 to set up the first championship matchup of No. 1 seeds since 1999.
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DARRELL ARTHUR, KANSAS FORWARD: We was fine with being the underdog in the last No. 1 seed, which was kind of my plan. Playing like the 10 in the nation, we just came out with unbelievable energy and I was flying around the place and we do what we have to do to win the game.
DERRICK ROSE, MEMPHIS GUARD: With the team that we have, it's hard being -- and I know that if a team don't fire, just at the beginning of the game for a couple of minutes or throughout the game, we was going to find a way to win somehow because that's what we do. And we're just a great team.
PENNY HARDAWAY, PLAYED AT MEMPHIS 1991-1993: Now that the Coach (INAUDIBLE) has come in the last three years, they (INAUDIBLE) and now the finals. Now Memphis is like the dukes and the North Carolina and the Kansas's and UCLAs.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SMITH: Memphis great, Penny Hardaway was here taking in all the fun and he'll be here tomorrow night, too. I talked to him after the game and he said he is loving his Tigers in the title game. We talked about the historic history of this final four, first time ever all four No. 1 seeds. Well, tomorrow night will be the first time that a No. 1 seed beats two other No. 1 seeds to win a championship. So, more history to be written, here in san Antonio. T.J., back to you.
HOLMES: And has the buzz been about that North Carolina/Kansas game? Everybody knows Kansas was looking good coming into the tournament. But North Carolina was looking real good too. The way they lost, people have got to be shocked. 40-12, was the score, at one point before they made the comeback, but people got to be shocked by the way North Carolina, the overall No. 1 seed was beaten down.
SMITH: Yeah, they really were. Well, a couple of things, I thought Roy Williams should have called a time-out to stop the bleeding, so to speak. But, Carolina kept shooting jump shots. When they finally went inside, down in the last five minutes of the half, they scored every time, either a bucket or a free-throw. So, but it was just way too late -- too little, too late for them. And as a result, they're going home.
HOLMES: All right. I know you are not going home until it's all over, is that right?
SMITH: That's right. That's right.
HOLMES: Well, enjoy your time there in San Antonio. Good to see you. Appreciate your being with us this morning, Larry.
SMITH: All right, OK.
NGUYEN: Good game.
HOLMES: Memphis.
NGUYEN: What are you going to do when it's all over, though, T.J.?
HOLMES: I don't know, I'll get some rest, probably.
There was a big surprise for a New Hampshire family to tell you about.
NGUYEN: Yeah, a healthy, bouncing baby, but it's not what mom and dad had planned for.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: Well, a New Hampshire couple enjoying April Fool's Day because there was a surprise for them. A 7 pound 14 ounce baby, born on that Tuesday, but that is only part of the story.
HOLMES: Yeah, of course, the lady knew they she was having a baby. That wasn't a surprise, but she didn't plan on the baby that she got.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KELLY BRESNAHAN, NEW MOM: The baby was born and the doctor asked me -- what did you say you were having? I said I'm having a girl and she said, this is not an April Fool's Joke, but it's a boy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: How did that happen?
HOLMES: I don't know. But, the ultrasound was five months into the pregnant, it said that she was having a girl. So, apparently somebody missed a little something. She prepared for a daughter's arrival and, of course, she packed the nursery with pink.
NGUYEN: Pink stuff. Well, mom and dad say they are thankful for a healthy baby boy, but they now have a hard time calling him Kevin because the baby was going to be Kelsey. I think they'll get over it.
HOLMES: When his friends get a hold of that story when he gets in grade school.
NGUYEN: They're going to call him Kelsey. HOLMES: Oh.
NGUYEN: And he made CNN, nevertheless. OK, well there are plenty of viral videos on the Web. You know, they're all over the Internet, all of a sudden, like this one of Reverend Jeremiah Wright. We're going to pull that up. There it is. It's coming up on RELIABLE SOURCES. Howard Kurtz will talk about these videos versus the news.
HOLMES: Also, on the 40th anniversary of the assignation of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., CNN begins and in-depth look at life in America. Martin Luther King, III, joins Wolf Blitzer today on LATE EDITION to talk about his father and the future. But first, we got a check of the morning's top developments.
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