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CNN Saturday Morning News
Autopsies Being Conducted Today On Two Decomposed Bodies In Milwaukee; Body Of 10-year-old Oklahoma Girl Found In Neighbor's Apartment; Gay And Lesbian Parents To Make Presence Known At White House Easter Egg Roll; Bear Kills Girl; McCormick Tribune Freedom Museum; Midwest Experiences Hail Storm; Troops In Falluja Face Danger; James Swanson Interview; Reptilian Thriller On Web
Aired April 15, 2006 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Now in the news, autopsies are being conducted today on two decomposed bodies pulled from a lagoon in Milwaukee. Now the remains are believed to be young boys who disappeared nearly a month ago. We're going to have much more on this in just a moment.
Also, a sad ending in the search for a missing 10-year-old girl in Oklahoma. Police say the child's body has been found in a neighbor's apartment. He's been arrested. Our Ed Lavandera will have those details in just a moment.
And take a look at this -- hail storms in Indianapolis. Whoa, that can do some damage. You can just hear it there. The area also got some heavy winds that knocked down trees and power lines and there were reports of a tornado near Lafayette.
Meteorologist Reynolds Wolf will join us in a few minutes to talk about that.
All that criticism of FEMA following Hurricane Katrina is warranted. So says the agency's own internal watchdog. The Department of Homeland Security's inspector general has completed a 218-page report. It details failures in the federal government's response to the disaster.
All right, was that an indication of all that we're going to be telling you today?
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: A lot, yes.
NGUYEN: It's been a busy morning already.
Good morning, everybody.
Saturday, April 15th, usually tax day. But because it's the weekend, a lot of folks have until Monday. Some have until Tuesday to turn in those taxes.
From the CNN Center in Atlanta, I'm Betty Nguyen.
I have done my taxes.
HARRIS: You did?
NGUYEN: Apparently, Tony has not, because he's writing down the deadline.
HARRIS: I just need a little reminder to myself. Note to self. All right, file.
NGUYEN: Yes.
HARRIS: Cut a check.
Good morning, everyone.
I'm Tony Harris.
On patrol in Falluja -- how things got so dangerous so quickly. Coming up, we'll have a report from the front lines.
One hundred forty-one years today. It was a national tragedy. Today, it's still a national obsession -- the assassination of Abraham Lincoln and the manhunt for John Wilkes Booth. And jeepers creepers -- how did I do? Was that OK?
NGUYEN: All right.
HARRIS: Snakes on the plane.
NGUYEN: Yowza!
HARRIS: Why a new movie is getting so much attention before it's even been released.
But first...
NGUYEN: Tony, it's a case that made national headlines and there is grim news this morning. Two bodies found in a Milwaukee park last night have been tentatively identified as the remains of two boys who have been missing almost a month now.
Ty Milburn of CNN affiliate WTMJ has the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TY MILBURN, WTMJ CORRESPONDENT: The people of Milwaukee are working up to some heartbreaking news this morning. Those two little boys, Dre and Purvis, who have been missing for almost a month, well, this morning they are dead.
(voice-over): After weeks of an exhaustive search, police found Quadrevion Henning and Purvis Parker's bodies at one of the first places they looked -- in a park just blocks away from where the boys lived.
NAN HEGERTY, MILWAUKEE POLICE CHIEF: Two people walking through this park discovered a body floating in the lagoon. MILBURN: The first body was found early Friday evening. The second body surfaced a few hours later. Police said the bodies were badly decomposed. Police showed family members photos of the bodies. They I.D.'d them. All this while a group of neighbors and complete strangers said prayers and held a vigil outside the Henning family house.
(on camera): Police have been here all morning long putting out police tape. They say the autopsies should be done later this afternoon.
In Milwaukee, Ty Milburn reporting.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: Even though Milwaukee police have not yet confirmed that the bodies found in the park last night are those of the missing boys, family members are expressing no doubt.
This morning, there was reaction from an uncle.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DENNIS FRAZIER, QUADREVION'S UNCLE: The whole thing finally brings closure to the families and also, at one point, it's kind of like a chess mate, you know? We were just sitting here waiting for the next move. And now that there's no more waiting, we know the outcome, the bodies have been viewed and right now we can just get ready and prepare ourselves for the next step.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Well, there is also heartbreaking news in another widely reported missing child case. The body of a 10-year-old Oklahoma girl has been found in a neighbor's apartment and the neighbor has been arrested.
CNN's Ed Lavandera has the story from Purcell, Oklahoma.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Two days of searching for 10- year-old Jamie Rose Bolin came to a devastating end Friday afternoon here in the town of Purcell, Oklahoma, where authorities discovered her body in an apartment complex not too far away from where she was last seen. In fact, that is the disturbing twist to this story.
Her body was discovered in the apartment of 26-year-old Kevin Ray Underwood, who lived just downstairs, 15 feet away from where Jamie Rose Bolin and her family lived in this apartment complex.
The district attorney here in Purcell says that Underwood will be charged with first degree murder on Monday and will face the death penalty. And he says this is the most gruesome crime he has ever seen. TIM KUYKENDALL, DISTRICT 21 D.A.: This is one of the most, if not the most, heinous, atrocious and cruel case that I've been involved with in my 24 years as a district attorney.
LAVANDERA: The news of Jamie Rose Bolin's death came as a devastating blow to her family. In fact, the family was brought here, to the police station, just moments after they had discovered the body in the apartment complex. Her father collapsed here. He was taken away by ambulance and family members say he has been sedated at a local hospital.
MARK CHILES, UNCLE: This happened right there in the apartment below him. And you need to know who your neighbors are. And don't let your kids get away from you, because, I mean, this can happen in a flash.
LAVANDERA: Authorities here in Oklahoma will not say how Jamie Rose Bolin was killed, nor will they go into any details as to how Kevin Ray Underwood came into contact with her. But they do say they will spend the weekend getting the necessary search warrants so they can search his apartment and car and be prepared to file those murder charges on Monday.
Ed Lavandera, CNN, Purcell, Oklahoma.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: Well, get ready, California. You don't need it, but another Pacific storm will roll in this weekend with pounding rains. Another half inch could fall. Parts of the state are already overflowing over six weeks of near constant rainfall. The governor is adding another nine counties to his state of emergency. That should speed recovery dollars.
HARRIS: All hail the Hoosiers. Look at that. That's insane.
NGUYEN: In the beginning (ph).
HARRIS: Strong spring storms attack Indiana with pellets the size of golf balls. Insurance companies will get peppered, that's for sure, with claims come Monday.
NGUYEN: You can hear the phone ringing now.
HARRIS: Yes, yes, yes. Car dings, smashed windshields, damaged roofs are everywhere. Thunderstorms, maybe a tornado, caused scattered damage to a few homes around the state. Another round of rough weather is possible through the weekend. Ohio may even get in on the action, too, we're told.
NGUYEN: It seems like it just won't stop. The stormy weather just keeps popping up here, there, everywhere. And it's usually on the weekends.
Reynolds Wolf, what is that all about?
(WEATHER REPORT)
NGUYEN: And you can depend on CNN.com for your forecast 24-7. Just type in your zip code. It's personalized here. All you have to do is put in your zip code to get the latest conditions in your area. Again, that's CNN.com/weather.
HARRIS: Let's take a look across America now.
Just how windy was it in Phoenix? You can get some idea at looking...
NGUYEN: You think?
HARRIS: Man, look at this -- this traffic camera bounce around in the breeze. Gusts up to 40 miles an hour knocked down trees and kicked up sand and dust.
NGUYEN: Well, that is good news for Oregon ski resorts. They may be able to stay open until May. An Easter weekend snowstorm could end up dumping three feet of snow in the Oregon mountains. That's good for skiers.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They're coming, Molly. They're going to do it. It's not going to be long. It's not going to be long.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: And do it they did. After two weeks lost in the crawl spaces of an old building in New York, a black cat named Molly safe and sound. Rescuers tried everything from traps to a pet psychic...
NGUYEN: Really?
HARRIS: ... cat whisperer. But they finally ended up just cutting a hole in the wall to get her out.
NGUYEN: How sweet was that? They're going to do it, Molly. They're coming.
Well, in what may sound like a story from the past, eight Midwestern states are fighting an outbreak of mumps. There are 600 suspected cases in Iowa alone. Yes, mumps. Vaccination programs have virtually wiped out the once common disease in America, but travelers may have brought this strain in from Europe.
HARRIS: The White House Easter Egg Roll is a Washington tradition. But it never got attention like this before.
CNN White House correspondent Elaine Quijano joins us live -- Elaine, good morning.
ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Tony.
The Easter Egg Roll dates back to 1878, an American tradition that is taking on some political overtones this year. Among those who lined up early to get their hands on some of the thousands of tickets being distributed today are gay and lesbian couples, parents who say they want to make their presence known.
So in a sign of unity, they're going to be wearing rainbow colored leis at Monday's event. They insist the display is simply a chance to introduce their families to the American public.
Here is Jennifer Chrisler, a lesbian mother of twins.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's what you make of it.
JENNIFER CHRISLER, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, FAMILY PRIDE COALITION: It's not at all a protest. This really is about gay and lesbian families taking their kids to a great American tradition. You know, there are a lot of voices right now talking about gay and lesbian families and we think it's really important that our voices be heard, since we are those families and we are the ones raising those kids. And one way to do that is to identify ourselves when we participate in events like the White House Easter Egg Roll.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
QUIJANO: Now, while Chrisler says this is not a protest, she is the executive director of the Family Pride Coalition, a group that certainly has voiced its displeasure with the Bush administration in the past, specifically against Education Secretary Margaret Spellings, who last year criticized a PBS kids' show for depicting families that included lesbian parents.
Now, as for the White House, the only comment officials here are making is to say that all families are welcome to attend the Easter Egg Roll -- Tony.
HARRIS: CNN's Elaine Quijano at the White House.
Elaine, thank you.
NGUYEN: Well, Tony, it is out there somewhere.
HARRIS: What?
NGUYEN: But it may never be caught. We're going to get you an update on that search for a killer black bear in the Tennessee hills today.
And then there's this...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We've been getting shot at quite a bit over here to the west.
(END VIDEO CLIP) HARRIS: Bad company for Charlie Company on patrol in Iraq. Every day is risky business for the militias.
NGUYEN: You want to feel it, touch it, sense it, heck, even enjoy it. A new museum is all about freedom. Our guest will fill us in on the rest of this, what the museum is all about and how you can get in on the action.
You're watching CNN SATURDAY MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Good morning again, everyone.
Our top stories now.
Autopsy results may be ready in a few hours in Milwaukee. The bodies of two children have been found in a lagoon. Police believe the remains are two missing boys, 12-year-old Quadrevion Henning and 11-year-old Purvis Parker. The friends disappeared nearly a month ago.
Indiana woke up to hail damage this morning. Spring storms raked the central part of the state, with waves of ice pellets, also known as hail, gusty winds, maybe a tornado and some scattered damage reported.
NGUYEN: Well, they're looking for a lush, vicious bear. Authorities admit that they may never find the black bear that mauled a family in Tennessee's Cherokee National Forest.
Our Rick Sanchez has details of a deadly attack in a report from "ANDERSON COOPER 360."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RICK SANCHEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Ranger Dan Hicks has spent years telling people that black bears generally don't attack people. Now, working just a mile from a deadly assault, he's telling a different story.
(on camera) You're perplexed by this?
RANGER DAN HICKS, SPOKESMAN, CHEROKEE NATIONAL FOREST: Yes, definitely. Definitely. Because it goes against what I've been telling the public for a long time.
SANCHEZ (voice-over): It happened to a mother and her two children. They, along with seven other sightseers, were visiting Benton Waterfall in Cherokee National Park. They didn't know it at the time, but there was a 300-pound bear lurking behind a fence, as Ranger Hicks illustrates.
HICKS: The bear did cross over that fence and then just went straight for the 2-year-old and just literally picked the 2-year-old up by biting him in the head. SANCHEZ (on camera): Wow!
HICKS: He just -- and he's holding this baby in the air.
SANCHEZ (voice-over): Forty-five-year-old Susan Cenkus managed to save Luke, her 2-year-old, and got the bear to maul her instead. Her injuries so severe she went into shock. The question is, where was her 6-year-old daughter?
HICKS: The little girl's body was found 100 yards from the waterfall.
SANCHEZ: In fact, it wasn't until paramedics arrived 20 minutes later that they found the little girl. And the bear was hovering over her, guarding its fallen prey.
(on camera): The little girl, it sounds like, just made a run for it, because she was so frightened about what she had just seen.
HICKS: Exactly.
SANCHEZ: And she thought maybe she'd be able to get back to her car?
HICKS: You know, there's no telling what she was thinking. But I think she was wanting to get away from what was happening.
SANCHEZ (voice-over): Elora, the 6-year-old, was killed. Her condition, as explained by this veteran ranger, just too horrible to detail. Her 2- year-old brother is doing remarkably well, even though he suffered puncture wounds that penetrated his skull.
DR. GREG TALBOTT, ERLANGER MEDICAL CENTER, PEDIATRIC INTENSIVE CARE UNIT: He was alert when he arrived here, but anxious about the medical care environment, obviously frightened and today somewhat irritable. And he's just, you know, gotten out of the operating room and is on some pain medication. And so I would say he's doing about as well as you can expect.
SANCHEZ: Doctors say the mother is awake and alert.
DR. VINCENT MEJIA, ERLANGER MEDICAL CENTER: She is still facing significant future operations for her soft tissue injuries, upper extremities and lower extremities. But other than that, she's doing well.
SANCHEZ: Why did the bear attack? Was it famished from a long winter or could it have had an illness of some type? Hicks suggests rabies or a brain tumor, for example. Rangers will only know if they catch the bear in one of the eight traps they've set. Not easy in this 1,500-acre section of the forest roamed by as many as 500 black bears.
Rick Sanchez, CNN, Cherokee National Forest.
(END VIDEOTAPE) NGUYEN: Goodness.
Well, that story comes to us from "ANDERSON COOPER 360." You can join "A.C. 360" weeknights at 10:00 p.m. Eastern.
HARRIS: And still ahead, a part of Colombia left crippled. Heavy rains have led to massive mudslides. That's ahead.
NGUYEN: And what kind of museum includes -- get this -- a copy of the Declaration of Independence...
HARRIS: Got you.
NGUYEN: ... along with the cover of 2 Live Crew's album, "As Nasty As They Wanna Be?"
HARRIS: What are you talking about, Betty?
NGUYEN: Yes, that's an interesting museum. We'll show you it in a moment.
HARRIS: You're making it up.
NGUYEN: I am not.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Romana Kryzanowska is a powerhouse in the world of pilates. As a protege of its creator, Joseph Pilates, she's committed to continuing his life's work.
Kryzanowska studied ballet as a young girl and an ankle injury led her to Joseph Pilates, who shared his techniques for healing the body. She continued working with Joseph and ultimately taught at his studio for about 10 years, then went on to create an international certification program called Romana's Pilates, which teaches future instructors the truest form of pilates.
ROMANA KRYZANOWSKA, PILATES INSTRUCTOR: I get a lot of people who are down and out with their thoughts, real unhappy. They can come to me for exercise. Like if you wrote to us and I thought oh, yes, I think it's better. Well, I don't teach what I can't do.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This philosophy has kept Kryzanowska, now 83 years old, at the top of the industry. As she approaches her 64th anniversary as an instructor. And the tradition continues. Her daughter and granddaughter also teach pilates, making three generations of instructors.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: So what would you put in a Freedom Museum?
The Declaration of Independence? How about suggestive lyrics from rock songs?
Well, a new museum in Chicago has those and more.
Dave Anderson is the executive director of the McCormick Tribune Freedom Museum and he is here to talk about it.
Dave, good to see you this morning.
DAVID ANDERSON, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, FREEDOM MUSEUM: Thank you.
Thanks for having us.
HARRIS: Well, how did you decide to do this museum?
ANDERSON: Well, it was -- it was quite a challenge to put it together. But our benefactor, Colonel McCormick, was the long time editor and publisher of the "Chicago Tribune" and just a big first amendment advocate, but also a guy that believed that citizens need to get involved. He served his country and we believe that this museum embodies some of his -- his beliefs and that we encourage people to understand, value and protect their freedoms, to really get involved and do something about it.
HARRIS: Is the museum actually located in the "Trib" building?
ANDERSON: Yes, we are. We are in an annex to the "Tribune," the original "Tribune" tower, immediately adjacent to it, on Michigan Avenue, the magnificent mile.
HARRIS: Yes.
ANDERSON: And so far, visitorship has been great.
HARRIS: So it's a little odd, I would think, for you have to have this museum amongst, if you're up and down that mile. There is shopping, there is, I mean, all kinds of high end stuff, and then there is this museum.
ANDERSON: Well, you know, we think it's a good fit. We think that the visitors that are here will -- from what we know and the surveys that we've done, there's an awful lot of confusion about what's in the first amendment and confusion about freedom broadly.
HARRIS: Yes.
ANDERSON: So people are down on the magnificent mile shopping, visiting all the other cultural institutions. We know that they'll feel comfortable dropping in and exploring a little bit about freedom.
HARRIS: Hey, Dave, do you have a projected audience or would you like everybody to come through? I would imagine you would.
ANDERSON: We would. We -- we're targeting a national audience. We've already had many international visitors. We think our visitorship will be somewhere between 125,000 and 200,000 visitors, perhaps a little bit more, annually.
HARRIS: Do you have any favorite exhibits?
ANDERSON: I have several. My interest is focused on the law. And there's a going to exhibit called "You Be the Judge" where visitors actually get to vote on famous Supreme Court cases about the first amendment. And they don't get real detailed facts. They get just enough to make up their mind and then they can compare their results to previous visitors and the Supreme Court, if they like.
But I think the most popular exhibit is probably our musical hit list. And that's the one where we reference some of the music that's been challenged over time. And we have 50 songs that have been challenged since 1950 through today and we explain...
HARRIS: Give us a couple of examples.
ANDERSON: We do. Let's see, Elvis had some Christmas music that was challenged back in the '50s just because it was thought to be too suggestive. There's a fair amount of music, Lenny Kravitz, "I'll Fly Away," was one of about 100 songs that was banned by a large radio station.
HARRIS: Get out of here.
ANDERSON: Yes. It was...
HARRIS: No, really?
ANDERSON: It was I'll fly away and it was basically felt to be too related to flying and the disconcerting feeling that that gave people after 9/11.
HARRIS: Wow!
OK, that's...
ANDERSON: Really interesting stories.
HARRIS: No, it really is.
And what's been the response so far?
ANDERSON: The response has been great. Everybody that's walked out of the museum has really loved the interactive component of it. We try very hard to stay balanced and let people make up their own minds, and we do that through these interactive games and programs where people hear some facts, then they get to vote, get to decide for themselves.
HARRIS: Right.
ANDERSON: And they especially love their opportunity, at the end of the exhibit, to leave their voice and image behind, expressing their thoughts on freedom.
HARRIS: Dave Anderson is the executive director of the McCormick Tribune Freedom Museum.
It sounds like -- it sounds like a great walk through. I can't wait to see it myself the next time I'm in Chicago.
Dave, good to talk to you.
Thanks for the time.
ANDERSON: Thank you.
HARRIS: OK -- Betty.
NGUYEN: It's really pretty fascinating.
Well, this is, too. It may be the most notorious murder in American history. We're talking about the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. He died 141 years ago today. And coming up, we'll talk to the author of the best-seller, "Manhunt."
Also, a day in the life in Iraq. We'll take you there and talk to U.S. Marines patrolling the very dangerous streets of Falluja.
But first, more storms hit the Midwest overnight. We're on alert for more severe weather today. Your forecast straight ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Now in the news, we may soon know the identity of two bodies found in Milwaukee. Police believe the remains are those of two boys, one 11, the other 12. The friends vanished almost a month ago. The bodies were discovered in a lagoon. We'll have the latest on that.
An Oklahoma D.A. says the murder of 10-year-old Jamie Rose Bolin will be a death penalty case. Police say a body believed to be the girl's has been found in Kevin Underwood's apartment. Now the suspect lives near the Bolin family.
The Afghans say U.S. and Afghan troops killed 41 Taliban in a fierce firefight. Six afghan police officers were also killed. Taliban insurgents have launched a number of bold attacks with the arrival of spring.
You want to duck and cover because Indiana could soon get more of this. Take a listen. That's the sound of hail, my friends. Strong storms pelted the central part of the state with large hail, some the size of golf balls. Gusty winds, perhaps a tornado, ripped through several homes in the Indianapolis area.
HARRIS: Look, we keep -- the question why is this going on? Why is this going on? Well, it's because we're in that season where you've got out of winter, in the spring and the systems are colliding and they're doing --
NGUYEN: Exactly. It happens every year. We should get used to it. But who's ever prepared for a storm, hail like that, golf ball size, is that right?
(WEATHER REPORT)
NGUYEN: We're talking a little too much here.
HARRIS: Reynolds thanks.
NGUYEN: What are those lottery numbers? That's what I need though. Talk to you soon.
HARRIS: The military today raised the casualty count from this week's mortar attack in Falluja. Officials now say two Marines were killed and 22 wounded. CNN's Arwa Damon is imbedded with reservists in Falluja and takes on a patrol that turned very dangerous very fast.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ARWA DAMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Charlie company hits the stresses of Falluja, a city with a tough reputation.
MAJOR VAUGHN WARD, US MARINE CORPS: And just have the Marines get to know the AO (ph) better. They're new here and try and engage the local populous, try and find people and see what their attitudes are, what's been going on. Have they see insurgent activity in the area? We've been getting shot at quite a bit over here to the west.
DAMON: For this Marine reserve unit, it's a mission like any other day, except it's Friday a Muslim holy day and often picked for insurgent attacks.
UNIDENTIFIED SOLDIER: The foot patrols have been getting engaged a lot more than the mobile convoys have. It's a easier target to go after.
DAMON: And this unit has seen increased violence in the last week, including a heightened threat from snipers. Since the massive
NGUYEN: Well, apparently we're having some technical difficulties with that. We'll try to get you that story a little bit later in the day. We want to go global now as we call it. There's a desperate search today in Colombia. Waves of mudslides buried the region around the Pacific port town of Buena Ventura. At least 10 people are known dead. Dozens are missing and the toll is sure to climb. Officials count at least 20 slides since Wednesday alone.
HARRIS And it is day 10 of a general strike in Nepal. This demonstration ended in violence today. Police attacked the marchers with tear gas and canes, and the protesters responded by throwing rocks. The activists are demanding the restoration of democracy 14 months after Nepal's king sacked the government and seized complete power.
A Chinese hospital is claiming the country's first successful human face transplant. Doctors say the operation was performed on the man whose face was disfigured by a bear attack. The patient received a new cheek, upper lip, nose and an eyebrow from a single donor. NGUYEN: Amazing what they can do. Well, you've heard of movies that generate buzz, right? Well this flick has hiss if you know what I mean. It slithers into theaters this summer. But snakes on a plane is already a hit. Snakes on a plane? What kind of movie is that?
HARRIS: And it was the biggest manhunt in U.S. history following the assassination of President Lincoln. Why it was such a pivotal moment in our country's history. Straight ahead on CNN LIVE SATURDAY.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Like many recreational golfers, Californian Chris Savarese grew tired of hitting errant shots into the woods.
CHRIS SAVARESE, FOUNDER & PRESIDENT, RADAR GOLF: I tend to spray the ball a little bit off the tee and thought it would be nice if someone could come up with a way to find golf balls more quickly.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That was in 1993. Eleven years later his stroke saving technology hit the market.
SAVARESE: Winter golf is a findable golf ball system. We implant a microchip in the center of the ball and using a handheld device that transmits an RF signal, the microchip acts as a reflector and reflects that frequency back. The range of detection is 30 to 100 feet.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: At $250 for the device and a dozen balls, it won't fit every budget. The radar golf has received stellar reviews. "Fairways & Greens" magazine calls it quote, the greatest golf advancement of the fledgling 21st century. One of their competitors is Visiball, glasses that help you locate your ball visually by blocking out excess light.
SAVARESE: What makes our product unique is that if it's very deep in bushes or under leaves or grass you can still find it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So while radar golf may help you lower your score, it can only go so far.
SAVARESE: The balls that go in the water are goners.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: We want to take you back to Iraq now. We have that report from CNN Arwa Damon. She's embedded with reservists in Falluja and takes us on a patrol that turned very dangerous very fast.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ARWA DAMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Charlie company hits the stresses of Falluja, a city with a tough reputation.
MAJOR VAUGHN WARD, US MARINE CORPS: And just have the Marines get to know the AO better. They're new here and try and engage the local populous, try and find people and see what their attitudes are, what's been going on. Have they seen insurgent activity in the area? We've been getting shot at quite a bit over here to the west.
DAMON: For this Marine reserve unit, it's a mission like any other day, except it's Friday, a Muslim holy day and often picked for insurgent attacks.
UNIDENTIFIED SOLDIER: The foot patrols have been getting engaged a lot more than the mobile convoys have. It's a easier target to go after.
DAMON: And this unit has seen increased violence in the last week, including a heightened threat from snipers. Since the massive operation to take back Falluja from insurgents in 2004, most residents have returned to their devastated city and with them the insurgents, not in large numbers, but enough to cause trouble. This Friday, residents are out. Children are happy to see the Marines always easier to win over than the wary adults. So far things are going well, but things going well in Iraq can be deceiving.
A shot rang out that seemed to come out of nowhere that wounded one Marine, the streets that for the last hour had appeared calm and friendly within seconds turning hostile. The Medivac team arrives within minutes. The mission has changed. Find the shooter. Everyone wearing khaki pants and black shoes is searched. A Marine saw a man fitting that description running away.
Warning shots are fired to stop a fleeing taxi, the insurgents' favorite getaway car. More men are searched. One is tested for gunshot residue. The results are negative. And it's becoming frustratingly more apparent that the attacker has fled. Good news, word comes that the wounded Marine's injury is non-life-threatening. The men begin to relax, but out here is no place to let down your guard.
SGT. JULIO FELICIANO, U.S. MARINE CORPS: It's hard to stay focused just to let you know when something happens like that it's for real. They're everywhere. They can look at you and you've got to stay alert 24/7 all the time.
DAMON: One Marine says jokingly, are you ready for the death run as they dash across the main road back to their base. Arwa Damon, CNN, Falluja, Iraq.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: Top stories now. We're awaiting autopsy results on the bodies of two children found in a lagoon in Milwaukee. Police believe the remains are those of 12-year-old Quadrevion Henning and 11-year- old Purvis Parker. They disappeared nearly a month ago.
Authorities have set traps in the Cherokee National Forest. They're hoping to capture a black bear that mauled a family. The bear killed a six-year-old girl and maimed the child's mother and two-year- old brother. And severe weather in Indiana. Damage is reported today from hail, strong winds and perhaps even a tornado. Forecasters say the area could get more of this later today.
NGUYEN: Well, it was an act of violence that shocked the nation and triggered the largest manhunt in U.S. history, 141 years ago today Abraham Lincoln died, hours after being shot the night before by John Wilkes Booth.
For almost two weeks after the assassination, Booth managed to elude hundreds of soldiers, police and civilians. James Swanson has written "Manhunt, the 12-day Chase for Lincoln's Killer." He's in Washington with some fascinating details. We thank you for being with us today Hello.
JAMES SWANSON, AUTHOR, "MANHUNT": Hi. My pleasure.
NGUYEN: You have been obsessed with Lincoln's story, his assassination, since you were 10 years old. Why?
SWANSON: Even before then. I was born on Lincoln's birthday and when I was a little boy my parents gave me Lincoln comic books, children's books and souvenirs from the Lincoln sites, but it really began when I was 10, this interest in the assassination.
My grandmother who is a veteran of the old Chicago tabloid newspaper scene and knew a great story when she saw one, gave me a somewhat unusual gift for a 10-year-old boy, a framed engraving of John Wilkes Booth's derringer pistol, the one he used to killed Abraham Lincoln. And framed with that engraving was a clipping from the "Chicago Tribune" from the morning of April 15th, 1865, the morning that Lincoln died.
I remember as the boy reading the headlines, the president shot, is dying, secretary of state Seward stabbed to death in his bed. And I got to the end of the story and it said Booth ran out the back door and someone had clipped it with the scissors so I didn't have the complete story. And I remember even as a boy thinking I've got to read the rest of this story.
NGUYEN: It piqued your curiosity. Your book though, we've got to talk about this, because it is written in touch detail from the time line down to the steps that Booth took, down to the play and the minutes that were left and you go through what he was thinking and how much time he had left before the assassination. Why such an attention to detail?
SWANSON: Because I wanted to take the reader back in time and make the reader of the book feel exactly what it must have felt like to live in America at that time. I really tried to have put the reader in the saddle with Booth so that you met everyone he met, you experienced everything he experienced.
I really wanted my book to be a time tunnel or a time transport that would take you right back to the greatest week in American history, the week the north won the civil war and the south surrendered and the worst week in American history, the day Lincoln was shot. And then these 12 days, incredibly when the entire nation couldn't figure out why this lone assassin escaped, one man on a horse had escaped from thousands of pursuers and the American people demanded to know why.
NGUYEN: It's really fascinating because this was a time when you don't have live television like we have today where things are instantaneous. He was on the run as you talk about, these 12 days and people were following this. I mean before they were focused on the war and then all of a sudden attention shifted to Booth. And Booth wasn't just a nobody. This was a man who was a star in his day, correct?
SWANSON: Yes, he was 26 years old, one of the top stars of his generation, like a Brad Pitt or a Matt Damon or someone like that.
NGUYEN: Really?
SWANSON: Women and men would stop in their tracks when they saw him on the street. He was considered one of the most handsomest nine America. He was wealthy. He was popular. He had many friends and yet he also had a very angry political side. He was furious that Lincoln had, in his view, oppressed the south, ended slavery, killed hundreds of thousands of young southern men on the battlefields. And John Wilkes Booth determined that Lincoln had to be punished like a tyrant.
And Booth viewed Lincoln like we might view Caesar or a tyrant from ancient history. And Booth wanted to punish him. It was an act of vengeance and also a hope that the south might be inspired to fight on. Of course Booth's preeminent motive was fame.
Even when he was a boy, he had decided he had to do something that would make him great in history. He was certain that if he murdered Abraham Lincoln, the great tyrant, he would become not only a southern hero, but in time a great American hero.
NGUYEN: So calculated. And while you tell the story through the eyes of Booth, you say it's really a tribute to Lincoln. There's a story within the story.
SWANSON: Exactly. Even though you're with Booth much of the time and see the world through his perspective and the manhunt through his eyes, I do shift also to the pursuers and how they were thinking of Booth. I look at the story through the eyes of the American people and what they thought. Because in the end, even though you've spent 12 days with Booth, I don't want the reader to think that Booth is the hero of the story or my hero. The hero of the story is Abraham Lincoln.
Booth was a racist and a murderer and he killed our greatest president. Lincoln is the hero of my story. And even though Lincoln leaves the book in the first third and he's not there for the final acts, I really wanted the spirit and memory of Lincoln, his patriotism, his sacrifice and honor to pervade the book. So I hope when you get to the end of the book, you'll realize that Abraham Lincoln is the great hero of this story, not his murdered.
NGUYEN: That's the message. Quickly in reading this, 141 years ago on this day, Lincoln passed away. What lessons can we learn from this? SWANSON: I think a few lessons. I think the most important one was one that Lincoln himself said that no single assassin, no one man can overturn our way of government, can overturn our democracy. John Wilkes Booth hoped that he could change the course of the war, topple the United States government, because he fought not only to kill Abraham Lincoln, but also the secretary of state that night, also the Vice President Andrew Johnson. And I think ultimately the lesson is that Lincoln's values prevailed, liberty, democracy, freedom and that the assassination by John Wilkes Booth could not change the course of our history
NGUYEN: It is a fascinating book, truly. James Swanson, author of "Manhunt," the 12-day chase for Lincoln's killer. Thanks so much for spending a little time and sharing your insight with us today.
SWANSON: Thanks, it's my pleasure.
NGUYEN: Tony.
HARRIS: Sounds like a good read.
NGUYEN: It is. Lots of detail, vivid detail.
HARRIS: Still away, how do I segue to this?
NGUYEN: This is totally different.
HARRIS: Hi, everyone, snakes on a plane.
NGUYEN: What?
HARRIS: And all over the web it seems.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: CNN LIVE SATURDAY is coming up at the top of the hour. Fred's joining us with a preview.
HARRIS: Good morning, Fred. Good to see you Fred.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Hello. Happy holidays. We don't see each other again tomorrow. That's happy pre-Easter. We've got a lot coming up. Bad drivers and dramatic car crashes. All of it caught on tape thanks to dashboard mounted cameras. These same cameras are being used to save lives. We'll explain how.
Also Lance Armstrong has won the Tour de France a record seven times. But will he ever race again? I'll ask an insider about that and the biggest bike race in the world. All coming up in the noon hour. Got the inside scoop.
NGUYEN: Good stuff right here. Thank you, Fred.
HARRIS: Stick around, snakes alive. And they're on a plane?
NGUYEN: Oh. HARRIS: Yes.
NGUYEN: Scary.
HARRIS: It's a nightmare for a lot of us. And it's turning out to be a movie marketer's dream. The film is months from release but it's creating a huge buzz, or should that be hiss on the Web. Brooke Anderson reported this story to "PAULA ZAHN NOW."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BROOKE ANDERSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A reptilian thriller is slithering throughout the worldwide web. It's called snakes on a plane and legions of fans have been bitten by its campy appeal.
BRIAN FINKELSTEIN, SNAKESONABLOG.COM: The title itself is obviously so kind of simple and audacious it tells you exactly what you're going to get from the movie from day one.
ANDERSON: "Snakes on a Plane," a movie from New Line Cinema, stars Samuel L. Jackson as an FBI agent traveling on a plane full of both passengers and yes deadly snakes. Jackson says he was sold on the title alone. And that seems to be the consensus of web-based fans.
The film, which isn't scheduled to strike theaters until August, barely has an official Web site. But it's the blogs that have caught the attention of news organizations, including NPR, "the Washington Post," the "Chicago Tribune" and the "Hollywood Reporter."
By doing a simple web search you can find many fan tributes to snakes on a plane, music videos. Mock film trailers, T-shirts, hats, posters and comedy routines. The online phenomenon was sparked by a blog created by Josh Friedman that featured a made-up line of dialogue for Sam Jackson.
Before long, snakeaholics demanded it be included in the film. When New Line reassembled the cast for additional shoots, the expletive laden line was added taking the film from PG-13 placement into R-rated territory.
BORYS KIT, THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER: This is one of the first times that I know of that a studio has gone in to add scenes because of a groundswell of fans clamoring for certain things to be in this movie.
ANDERSON: New Line, own by Time Warner which is also the parent company of CNN, says it was not behind the online hype for the movie but it hopes to see it continue. The studio told CNN quote, we're delighted that fans have taken an early interest. We plan to build on the growing buzz over the next few months.
To that end, New Line contacted snakes fan and Georgetown University law student Brian Finklestein about the unofficial marketing he's doing through his web site snakesonablog.com. FINKELSTEIN: All they said to me is that they're aware of what's happening online and they heartily endorse it. But they are in no way in control of it. They don't pay me for example, although I kind of wish they would.
ANDERSON: Snakes on a plane has already lifted off the runway and sunk its fangs into the Internet. But will it soar to box office heights? Brooke Anderson, CNN, Hollywood.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: Oh, man.
NGUYEN: Creepy crawlies.
HARRIS: Be sure to join Paula Zahn weeknights at 8:00 Eastern, 5:00 Pacific right here on CNN.
NGUYEN: And if that doesn't keep your attention CNN LIVE SATURDAY will. Fredricka Whitfield is up next right after this break. Have a great day, everybody.
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