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CNN Saturday Morning News
Dr. Laura Schlessinger Faces Personal Crisis
Aired December 21, 2002 - 09:03 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: First up this hour, radio talk show host Dr. Laura Schlessinger is used to giving advice, but today she's facing her own very personal crisis. Beverly Hills police say they found the body of a woman believed to have been murdered in the apartment belonging to Dr. Laura's mother.
Let's get the latest from Jim Moret, who is following this story from Los Angeles.
So it sounds like they're not quite sure yet whether this is indeed her mother? I thought they were certain.
JIM MORET, CNN CORRESPONDENT: No, they're not certain, because an autopsy was indicated that this person in the apartment died of an apparent homicide, but because the body was so badly decomposed, they're going under the assumption that the woman found here earlier this week by Beverly Hills police was in fact the estranged mother of Dr. Laura Schlessinger.
But police are not able to confirm that and probably won't be able to do so until later this week. However, Dr. Laura, who, as you indicated, is a nationally syndicated radio talk show host heard on some 315 radio stations by 12 million listeners every day, did acknowledge on her radio show that it was, in fact, her mother.
Police were called here earlier this week by a neighbor of 77- year-old Yolanda (ph) Schlessinger because they had not seen her in several weeks. That prompted authorities then to make the call to the house. They discovered the badly decomposed body of a woman who police say they believe to be or are going under the assumption is the mother of Dr. Laura Schlessinger.
Dr. Laura, on both her Web site, drlaura.com, and to her listeners yesterday released the following statement, quote, "I am horrified by the tragic circumstances of my mother's death, and so sad to learn that she died as she chose to live, alone and isolated. My mother shut out all her family out of her life over the years, though we made several futile attempts to stay connected. May God rest her soul."
Fredricka, as you indicated, Dr. Laura dispenses advice to all of her listeners every day. However, in a "Vanity Fair" article on the radio talk show host in 1998, it indicated that she had been estranged from her mother for some 14 years. In a "People" magazine article some years earlier, Dr. Laura was quoted as saying her mother, quote, "had a great deal of negativity in her life." Again, police going under the assumption the woman found in this apartment was Dr. Laura's mother. They will have more details as the week goes on.
Now back to you.
WHITFIELD: All right, Jim Moret, thank you very much. Good to see you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired December 21, 2002 - 09:03 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: First up this hour, radio talk show host Dr. Laura Schlessinger is used to giving advice, but today she's facing her own very personal crisis. Beverly Hills police say they found the body of a woman believed to have been murdered in the apartment belonging to Dr. Laura's mother.
Let's get the latest from Jim Moret, who is following this story from Los Angeles.
So it sounds like they're not quite sure yet whether this is indeed her mother? I thought they were certain.
JIM MORET, CNN CORRESPONDENT: No, they're not certain, because an autopsy was indicated that this person in the apartment died of an apparent homicide, but because the body was so badly decomposed, they're going under the assumption that the woman found here earlier this week by Beverly Hills police was in fact the estranged mother of Dr. Laura Schlessinger.
But police are not able to confirm that and probably won't be able to do so until later this week. However, Dr. Laura, who, as you indicated, is a nationally syndicated radio talk show host heard on some 315 radio stations by 12 million listeners every day, did acknowledge on her radio show that it was, in fact, her mother.
Police were called here earlier this week by a neighbor of 77- year-old Yolanda (ph) Schlessinger because they had not seen her in several weeks. That prompted authorities then to make the call to the house. They discovered the badly decomposed body of a woman who police say they believe to be or are going under the assumption is the mother of Dr. Laura Schlessinger.
Dr. Laura, on both her Web site, drlaura.com, and to her listeners yesterday released the following statement, quote, "I am horrified by the tragic circumstances of my mother's death, and so sad to learn that she died as she chose to live, alone and isolated. My mother shut out all her family out of her life over the years, though we made several futile attempts to stay connected. May God rest her soul."
Fredricka, as you indicated, Dr. Laura dispenses advice to all of her listeners every day. However, in a "Vanity Fair" article on the radio talk show host in 1998, it indicated that she had been estranged from her mother for some 14 years. In a "People" magazine article some years earlier, Dr. Laura was quoted as saying her mother, quote, "had a great deal of negativity in her life." Again, police going under the assumption the woman found in this apartment was Dr. Laura's mother. They will have more details as the week goes on.
Now back to you.
WHITFIELD: All right, Jim Moret, thank you very much. Good to see you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
