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CNN Saturday Morning News
Libya Counter-Protest; Romney Releases Tax Documents; Retire FBI Agent Missing for Five Years in Iran; Missing Man's Body Found in Nebraska; Teen Locked Up for Four Years in Georgia; Closer to a Cure for Cancer; Campaigns Battle Over Medicare; Senator Rubio Tweets About Flight Delay; Emergency Landing For Romney Plane; Drone Attack Kills Three Militants; Afghanistan Surge Is Over; Plea For A Killer; Identifying Princess Doe; Apple's Mapping Software Fails To Please
Aired September 22, 2012 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
RANDI KAYE, CNN ANCHOR: From the CNN Center, this is CNN SATURDAY MORNING. It is Saturday, September 22nd; the first day of fall. Good morning everyone I'm Randi Kaye.
Fresh protests erupt across the Muslim world, keeping the U.S. on alert, but not all of the demonstrations are anti-America.
Missing in Iran, the wife of a retired FBI agent who vanished years ago is taking her plea for help to an unlikely person -- Iran's President himself.
Scientists are on the front lines of an ambitious goal to cure six deadly cancers this decade. We have an exclusive interview with some of the researchers who are taking on that incredible feat.
Anger and rage over a U.S.-made film are sparking violent protests in countries overseas for yet another day. Take a look here. This is Bangladesh. Protesters vandalized a bus and set fire to a motorcycle during demonstrations in its capital city. Many protesters were arrested. The demonstrations are all over an independently produced film mocking the Prophet Muhammad. Protests are planned in at least four other countries today.
Thousands gathered in Pakistan not to protest, but to bury some of the people killed in violent demonstrations yesterday. At least 27 people were killed and more than 100 injured in bloody clashes throughout the country.
Protesters in Libya aim their attack not at America, but at the radical Islamic group tied to the U.S. consulate attack.
Hundreds of pro-democracy demonstrators seized the group's headquarters in Benghazi overnight, demanding an end to extremist militias in Libya. Protesters moved on to a second location, but the situation quickly turned dangerous. And our Arwa Damon found herself caught right in the middle of it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ARWA DAMON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Just on the other side of this wall is the second location that (inaudible) struck tonight, but contrary to what we witnessed at the first place here, there seems to be something of a gun battle going on. We are hearing sporadic gunfire as well as other small explosions.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: It turns out the protesters were tricked and ended up attacking the headquarters of a battalion backed by the Libyan government. At least four people were killed, 70 injured in that violence.
We're learning more about what happened in the final chaotic moments for two Americans who were killed in the U.S. consulate attack. Glen Doherty and Tyrone Woods, both former Navy Seals, were in Benghazi working security. Sources tell CNN Doherty and Woods were in another part of the city when they got word that the consulate was under attack.
The men went to the consulate, rounded up the staff and recovered the body of the first victim, Sean Smith. Military officials say it was during a second, more intense attack that Doherty and Woods were killed.
The Obama campaign says Mitt Romney is still holding back critical information about his finances. Yesterday, the Republican presidential candidate released some of his tax documents, including his full 2011 tax return. It shows that he made $13.7 million last year and paid nearly two million in federal income taxes. Because Romney's income came largely from investments, he's taxed at a lower rate, 14.1 percent.
The documents also show the Romneys donated more than $4 million to charity. But they only claimed about half of that as deductions to conform with Romney's earlier statement that he's never paid less than 13 percent in income taxes over the last decade. The Obama camp is calling on Romney to release even more returns.
CNN political editor Paul Steinhauser joining us now from Washington. Paul good morning. So why isn't the Obama campaign satisfied? They wanted more taxes released and they got one.
PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN POLITICAL EDITOR: They got one but they knew that one was coming, right ever since earlier this year Mitt Romney promised he would eventually return -- put out his 2011 returns.
The Obama campaign and the Democrats Randi, they point to other nominees in recent cycles who actually put out more than just two years of tax return. They -- they also always bring up the Mitt Romney's father. When he was running for president back in 1968 put out multiple years -- many, many, many more years.
The Romney campaign tough Randi did put out a summary statement of Mitt and Ann Romney's taxes from 1990 to 2009, a 20-year period. And that summary indicates they paid taxes in all of those years and that the average rate they paid was about 20 percent, the lowest rate being 13.66 percent. And this may be a little bit of pushback against Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a Democrat, who you remember earlier this year claimed that he -- a source told him that Mitt Romney did not pay taxes in some years, so a little bit of pushback there -- Randi.
KAYE: Harry Reid may have to reveal his sources after all on this one. But this tax return certainly the whole issue has really dogged Romney for a while. Why do you think they released the tax documents now? I mean, it was a late Friday afternoon release.
STEINHAUSER: Yes, that traditional late Friday dump here in Washington, document dump. So were they trying to hide it by doing that or maybe it's -- maybe it's just the opposite. Remember the storyline all last week was those comments by Romney on the hidden camera tape at that fundraiser, the so called 47 percent. This changes the conversation.
Also, why now? Well, maybe they want to get it out before next week when they're ramping up and they don't want the taxes to overshadow that ramp up on the campaign trail. And Randi the following week are the debates so maybe they wanted to get it out now. The Romney campaign says none of that is true they say the tax returns were done, we put them out. That's what they say.
KAYE: Well, one of Mitt Romney's Republican rivals Newt Gingrich, he actually had some advice for Romney. What did he say?
STEINHAUSER: Yes, about these upcoming debates. Remember three debates between the President and Mitt Romney. Here's what Gingrich told our Piers Morgan last night.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NEWT GINGRICH, FORMER SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: When he walks in to debate Obama he's got to be as tough with Obama as he was with me in Florida. I mean he's got to stand up. He's got to be very firm and very aggressive. And the country's got to look in and say you know? This is a guy who could be president, he's tough enough, he's clear enough, I get it. He's not in a competition to be likable. He's in a competition to be capable.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
STEINHAUSER: And Gingrich should know. Remember Gingrich won that South Carolina primary, he came down to Florida. There were two debates, including a CNN debate. Romney did very well in both of those. Romney won Florida and Gingrich started fading -- Randi.
KAYE: Yes and you know there -- he and the President are probably practicing right now as we speak, certainly leading up to these. Paul, thank you, I appreciate that.
And in a few hours, President Obama heads to the swing state of Wisconsin. He'll attend two events in Milwaukee. Wisconsin is the home state of Republican vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan, but that has not actually helped Mitt Romney there. Obama leads in Wisconsin. You see the numbers there by nine percentage points.
Paul Ryan is focusing on another swing state meanwhile today and that is Florida. He's campaigning in Miami and Orlando. Romney is fundraising today in California.
Lawmakers worked well into the night wrapping up some final business before the November elections. Senators approved a roughly $500 billion package to fund the federal government for the next six months avoiding a possible shutdown October 1st. Its passage was delayed for days over partisan bickering.
The senate also passed a measure almost unanimously that strengthens America's resolve on Iran. The nonbinding resolution enables the U.S. to pursue a policy other than containment, if necessary, to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. The one dissenting vote came from Senator Rand Paul, who argued the resolution was a de facto declaration of war.
A retired FBI agent is missing in Iran, but his wife tells CNN she is sure that he is alive and will come home.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: More than five years ago, a retired FBI agent disappeared in Iran. The U.S. government is asking Tehran for information and offering a $1 million reward for any information on his whereabouts.
Susan Candiotti spoke with his wife.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHRISTINE LEVINSON, WIFE: It's my husband. I have to take care of him. I have to get him home.
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): But after disappearing more than five years ago, Christine Levinson's husband Bob is a long way from home where he once cuddled his newborn grandson.
BOB LEVINSON, RETIRED FBI AGENT: I am not in very good health. I am running very quickly out of diabetes medicine.
CANDIOTTI: This video showing the much thinner retired FBI agent being held hostage was sent to the family two years ago. The State Department says it's unclear who's holding him.
C. LEVINSON: When we received the video, we had high hopes because we e-mailed back a number of types in order to get whoever is holding him to let us know what we need to do to get Bob home. Unfortunately, that hasn't happened.
CANDIOTTI: Levinson disappeared on Kish Island (ph) off Iran's coast in 2007, where his family says he was investigating cigarette smuggling for a private company. FBI billboards are now up in New York's Times Square in hopes that visiting delegates to the U.N.'s general assembly will see them. (on camera): What makes you think that he is still alive?
C. LEVINSON: I just believe it in my heart. I know that from the video that he has lost weight and hopefully all of his health problems are at least at bay and he will be able to get home safely to us. I can never lose hope.
B. LEVINSON: Please help me get home. 33 years of service to the United States deserves something.
CANDIOTTI: What gives you hope when you look at that video and see how he looks?
C. LEVINSON: I know when he looks determined, and he looked very determined to make it home safe and sound.
CANDIOTTI: Her husband has missed walking one of his daughters down the aisle. Another daughter's wedding is in February.
C. LEVINSON: His closet is still full of his clothes and I know it won't fit him anymore. And I haven't even touched his dresser. So every morning I'm reminded that the nightmare continues.
CANDIOTTI: If he is able to see this, what do you want the say directly to him?
C. LEVINSON: We will never, ever, ever stop looking for you. I miss you every day. I love you.
CANDIOTTI: The U.S. has offered no new information about where Levinson is and who's holding him. I spoke to a source with knowledge of the investigation who says quote, "There is every reason to believe based on all the evidence that Levinson is alive and well."
Susan Candiotti, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: Police have found the body of a retired firefighter in Nebraska. Charlie Dowd was traveling to visit family by Amtrak when he went missing. Authorities think that he actually may have fallen off the train. Dowd last spoke to his son when he was apparently just outside Denver. His family understandably is devastated.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JENNIFER DOWD, MISSING MEN'S DAUGHTER: He was really excited about you know the trip and this -- this is just a shocking, shocking, shocking turn of events.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: A statement from Amtrak says the case is still being investigated.
A suburban Atlanta couple charged with unspeakable crimes. It's a bizarre story that you really have to see.
And if you're leaving the house right now, just a reminder, you can continue watching CNN from your mobile phone. Take us with you. You can also watch CNN live from your laptop. Just go to CNN.com/TV.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: A horrifying story of child abuse in Georgia. Police have arrested the parents of an 18-year-old boy. They say that the stepfather had locked up the boy in a room for four years.
And Nick Valencia has been following this story. So he's 18 years old. He's not really a boy. He's an adult at this point. But how did police find him?
NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, they found him Randi, thanks to a very watchful police officer all the way in Los Angeles, California. Neighbors that spoke to CNN say that they knew about the family and they knew that they had two children, but they had no idea about the third child, and what he alleges was done to him.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VALENCIA (voice-over): It was in this unsuspecting and comfortable- looking suburban home northwest of Atlanta that 18-year-old Mitch Comber said he spent four years confined to a blacked out room, starved and abused. Comber's stepfather and mother were arrested last week after the teen was found wandering around a bus station in downtown Los Angeles, more than 2,000 miles away from home.
A security guard there spotted Comber, mistaking the disoriented and emaciated young man for a lost child.
DICK DURAN, PAULDING COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY: He weighed 97 pounds. He's 5'3. The LAPD officer said that his skin was translucent. That he was obviously malnourished.
VALENCIA: The teen told officers his stepfather drove him to Mississippi earlier this month on his 18th birthday. He gave him $200 and put him on a bus to L.A. with a list of homeless shelters, he says. But despite the years of alleged torment and torture in captivity, investigators say the teen has been talkative.
MONICA MOORE, PAULDING COUNTY INVESTIGATOR: He's very polite. Very timid. But, you know, it's surprising to me, you know, he let us in.
VALENCIA: Neighbors say they were unaware the teen even lived in the home. And investigators say his 13 and 11-year-old sisters had not seen their brother in two years. Right now his two sisters are in protective custody. A family has volunteered to care for Comber until the investigation is completed.
The teen's parents have been charged with seven counts of child abuse. They are being held without bail.
(END VIDEO CLIP) KAYE: Wow. That is something. So he is now with foster parents? This boy?
VALENCIA: He's been taken in by a family that's allowing him to stay there so long as the -- until the investigation is completed. When authorities found him, Randi, he was just completely emaciated. They said his skin was translucent and he weighed 87 pounds, just 5'3. That's why the police officer thought he was a young child that had no parents and sort of wandering around.
KAYE: But you know, as we were saying during your piece that was running. I mean you look at that house --
VALENCIA: Yes.
KAYE: -- and it's a very nice home.
VALENCIA: We've heard tons of stories over time about, you know, similar situations. But this isn't a home like where Jaycee Lee Dugard was found in Antioch County.
KAYE: Right.
VALENCIA: This is a very well-to-do area, sleepy community, suburban Atlanta. You wouldn't expect something like that to happen there. Neighbors, as I mentioned in the piece had no idea he was even alive or even existed. They had no idea he was in the home.
KAYE: So sad they had him locked up. Nick, appreciate that. Thank you.
VALENCIA: Thank you.
KAYE: Scientists announce a new aggressive plan to fight cancer. They say that in just a few years, dying from lung cancer may be as rare as dying from pneumonia.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: Dying from lung cancer, skin cancer, or breast cancer may soon be as rare as dying from pneumonia. That is the hope of doctors at the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston who say that they'll soon be able to radically lower the death rate from several cancers.
CNN chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta, got an exclusive interview with researchers at the world's largest cancer center.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. RONALD DEPINHO, MD ANDERSON CANCER CENTER: We're in a position to make dramatic impact on cancer mortality in this decade.
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: You're saying if we do everything right, in five years from now, there will be far fewer people dying from cancer, right?
DEPINHO: Correct. I think that with the existing knowledge and the application of what we now know, we can begin to see dramatic declines in mortality that would accelerate in years five through ten and beyond set the stage for ultimate control of the disease.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: I spoke with Sanjay earlier and I asked him about the specific cancers MD Anderson is talking about.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GUPTA: They are awfully confident. I spent some time with them. And I'll tell you the specific cancer but let me preface by saying Randi, you know, you almost got the sense he had the energy of when President Kennedy talked about sending a man to the moon. That they're calling this the moon shot project to sort of raise that same passion about this particular project that they've taken on.
You can take a look at the list there of the various cancers, Randi. They're big ones -- melanoma, lung cancer, the biggest cancer killer overall. You have triple negative breast cancer, for example, Randi. That's often a very difficult cancer to treat. And in many of these cancers on that list, they say within the next few years, not a long time in the future, but in the next few years, dramatically cut down mortality by more than half. And then go even further after that.
KAYE: Their intent, they say is to cure, but hasn't that been the mission really for decades now? I mean what makes them closer now to a cure than ever before?
GUPTA: Yes, you know, I asked that same question. And the man that you just heard from there, he's the president of MD Anderson, the largest cancer center in the world. He's a cancer doctor. That's an institution with more than a thousand clinical trials going on.
What he will say is look, we've been learning all along, and with the science that we know right now, we can make leaps and bounds toward getting to that cure. A quick example. We hear a lot about mapping the genome and studying people's genes, but with the science that we know now, you can find specific markers for certain cancers. And you can test for those early on in life and be able to prevent a lot of those cancers from ever occurring as a result of those sorts of screenings.
Lung cancer is one of the biggest cancer killers, again, as I mentioned, but we know how to screen for cancer but we don't know who to screen. And it's in those areas, they sound more simple, Randi, than the wonder drugs that we're used to hearing about. But it's in those areas that you could make a dramatic difference of preventing a lot of these cancers in the first place.
It's not to say that the futuristic medications and ways of using these medications aren't there. But it's really -- it's a multiple different things going on at the same time.
KAYE: Yes. You certainly spent a lot of time in their labs looking at all of the research. On what particular cancer do they think that they're going to have the greatest immediate impact? GUPTA: I think melanoma. You know, we put that one at the top of the list based on everything that we saw and spending a lot of time with these doctors. What you're looking at there is a young man who has what was known as Stage 4 melanoma. People who have dealt with cancer understand this. But it's when the melanoma has spread throughout the entire body.
Right now there's not a lot of options for someone like him. He's a minor league baseball player from the Midwest. He's a coach now. He came here and basically what he's undergoing there is the way that they're taking his immune cells -- cells from the immune system -- and then teaching them how to fight the cancer.
So they're actually harnessing the power of your body's own immune system and putting it back in the body and saying go find the melanoma and kill it. And that sort of approach has been tried in various ways before but this is one of the first times in the world that what you're seeing there is actually happening. And they have great faith in this sort of therapy.
KAYE: It's amazing. You know, I lost my mother to lung cancer, so it's incredible to see such progress being made already and such commitment.
GUPTA: Absolutely. I mean, it's a lot of money. The cancer research funds and grants have dried up, as you know. But they think $3 billion over the next ten years to reach this very audacious goal.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: And don't miss Sanjay's special report "CHASING THE CURE", that's this weekend. It airs today at 4:30 Eastern and Sunday at 7:30 a.m. Eastern right here on CNN.
The debate over Medicare heats up with both presidential campaigns blasting the other's plans. But some older voters aren't happy with what they're hearing and they're not shy about letting one candidate know it.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: The future of Medicare, it is a hot topic on the campaign trail, so where did the two presidential candidates stand on the issue? CNN's Emily Schmidt has a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
EMILY SCHMIDT, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): With 46 days until the election, political candidates focused on another number, the over 50 crowd.
REPRESENTATIVE PAUL RYAN (R), VICE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: Life at 50- plus, I'm not quite there yet, but I'm told that can happen before you know it.
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: Medicare and Social Security are not handouts. You've paid into these programs your whole lives.
SCHMIDT: Medicare and Social Security are big issues for what AARP says are its more than 37 million members. A CNN/ORC poll this month asked likely voters who would best handle Medicare?
Fifty-four percent said Mr. Obama, 43 percent sided with Mitt Romney. Republican vice presidential nominee, Paul Ryan told the crowd he believes Romney-Ryan would strengthen Medicare, a campaign promise that received this response.
RYAN: The first step to a stronger Medicare is to repeal Obamacare because it represents the worst of both worlds.
SCHMIDT: The Obama campaign has said the plan Paul Ryan advanced in congress would cost seniors more. President Obama said via satellite he didn't mind the word Obamacare arguing it strengthened Medicare.
PRESIDENT OBAMA: In fact, the health reform law we passed has already saved more than 5.5 million seniors and people with disabilities, nearly $4.5 billion on their prescription drugs.
SCHMIDT: Another September CNN/ORC poll asked voters over 50 about president Obama's job performance, 46 percent approved and 50 percent did not. It's a higher disapproval rating than younger voters reported, and a reminder that winning over older voters may help decide who wins the next four years. In Washington, I'm Emily Schmidt.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE: Florida Senator Marco Rubio had a tough time getting back to Washington last night. Seems his American Airlines flight was delayed, so he used the extra time to tweet all about it.
He wrote American air says maintenance problem, yet suddenly group of new passengers boarding. Holding plane to get connecters on from delayed flight?
Then saying delaying flight for maintenance to squeeze connecters to older flight, oldest trick in the book, feel bad for the crew. Someone at the airline apparently saw it and tweeted back afterwards saying this, thanks for your patience, Marco.
We hope you have a great flight. Rubio, by the way, is headed back to Washington to vote on a spending measure to fund the government through next March. Rubio made in time to vote against it, but the measure passed 62-30.
Well, it could have been worse for Rubio. He could have been on Ann Romney's plane. That flight was forced to make an emergency landing after an electrical issue caused the cockpit to fill with smoke. Here's what it sounded like.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have an electrical issue here and we are going to declare an emergency. We'll probably need assistance here. We've got smoke in the cabin. We're going to see the severity of it and we'll let you know. We're going to request fire trucks, please.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: The charter flight landed safely and no one was injured.
At least three militants are dead in a U.S. drone attack in Datta Khal in the area of North Waziristan. Two missiles hit a vehicle being used by local Taliban leaders. Officials say two other militants were injured in that attack.
The surge of U.S. troops in Afghanistan is officially over. Officials are saying it has been a success, if all goes according to plan, there will be a withdrawal of the U.S.-led international military force by the end of 2014.
Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr has the details.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PRESIDENT OBAMA: As commander in chief, I have determined it is in our vital national interest to send an additional 30,000 U.S. troops to Afghanistan.
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The president in 2009 announcing a surge of troops into Afghanistan. Now those troops are on their way home and the military is saying mission accomplished.
BRIG. GEN. ROGER NOBEL, ISAF/AUSTRALIA: The surge has effectively covered and enabled the training and fielding of the Afghan National Security Force and is an amazing outcome in and of itself.
STARR: This is why the administration says it worked. The number of Afghan forces has more than doubled to 340,000. The U.S. believes surge troops pushed the Taliban out of southern strongholds long enough to let the U.S. train new Afghan units and get them into the field.
Over 80 percent of operations in the south now are led by Afghans, but it's come with a heavy cost. More than 1,100 U.S. troops killed. More than 12,000 wounded in that time. Behind all the numbers, deep problems remain
The Taliban still has plenty of fight left. One week ago, 15 insurgents breached the U.S. and British base in Southern Afghanistan, killing two U.S. Marines and destroying six aircraft.
And many joint U.S. and Afghan combat patrols, the backbone of the war, have been stopped because of the disturbing number of NATO troops that have been killed the year by Afghans in military uniforms, many believe to be disgruntled troops. There are fundamental questions about those Afghan forces.
STEPHEN BIDDLE, GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY: The troops know what their officers really care about, and if the officers are more worried about siphoning fuel off into the black market than they are in planning a patrol that will keep the troops alive, the troops see this and they aren't willing to risk their lives under those circumstances.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
STARR: The cost of America's longest war continues to mount, about $430 billion so far, about $7 billion every month. Barbara Starr, CNN, The Pentagon.
KAYE: New evidence is threatening to halt the execution of a Pennsylvania death row inmate, scheduled to die less than two weeks from now. Details on the complex case straight ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: Attorneys in Pennsylvania are making a last ditch effort to save a killer's life, but their time is running out. Terry Williams, now 46 years old, is scheduled to be executed on October 3rd.
He was convicted of beating Amos Norwood to death back in 1984, but his attorneys now say that Williams was sexually abused by the man, something jurors would have liked to have known.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There was no information at all brought out about any sexual abuse, whether he was a child or from the two victims. There was nothing at all brought out about that.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Now that I know about the sexual abuse and all that, that's why I'm doing this video. Because I feel bad that this person is on death row and there was evidence or other things that we should have been told about.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: Let's bring in CNN legal contributor, Paul Callan. Paul, good morning. First of all, how unusual is this case? I mean, you have a convicted killer now trying to avoid the death penalty for killing a man who he says sexually abused him for years.
I mean, some might say the victim deserved what he got and that Terrence Williams should not be put to death. What do you think?
PAUL CALLAN, CNN LEGAL CONTRIBUTOR: It's a case that a lot of people have rallied around including the former attorney general of Pennsylvania, saying that Williams has been treated unfairly, that this claim that he was sexually abused should have been revealed to the jury.
So is it an unusual case? In some respects, it is. You know, death penalty opponents rally around certain kinds of cases, cases that have a compelling narrative, a compelling story about the person being executed.
And certainly, this sexual abuse angle that the jury didn't know about makes this a very, very unusual and interesting case. KAYE: So on Monday, the state failed to reach an agreement for clemency. On Thursday, another hearing ended without resolution. So what would be next now?
CALLAN: Well, as it travels through the court procedures, a number of things can happen. It can wind up with the Pennsylvania governor, who of course could grant clemency. It could -- although the parole board has acted against that, there's a court decision involving that.
They could go back out into the federal system again and certainly before the individual ever gets executed with the death penalty, the Supreme Court takes another look at it. So we can expect this would wind up in front of the Supreme Court again, even briefly.
Sometimes they just say all right, we're going to look at it, and they reject the stay. So I think we've got a lot of things coming up and you're not going to see an execution in early October probably.
KAYE: You know, I want to point out that Norwood's own widow has even asked for the execution to be called off, the victim's widow in this case. But those pleas by her and by so many others, 360,000 people have signed a petition. They're just not being heard. How much time do you think attorneys have left to do their work and get this done?
CALLAN: Well, they are coming into the home stretch on this, so they've got a lot of work to do. I think they're facing tough arguments. Now we haven't talked about the other side of the case.
Here's the other side of the case, Randi. Prosecutors say this is nonsense. He could have raised this claim in 1984 at his trial. Williams testified at his trial.
Not only did he not say that he was sexually abused by the victim, who by the way, was beaten to death with a tire iron in a cemetery, but Williams said he wasn't even there at the time of the crime.
Now, of course, the claim is being made not only was he there, but he had previous been sexually abused. And by the way, there's a claim that he stabbed another man to death and the jury heard about that during the sentencing phase of the case.
So people don't get sentenced to death in cases that aren't very, very serious cases here so there's another side to this case as well, and a judge has got to look at it.
And say was the jury acting properly and with enough information in 1984 when all of the evidence in the case presumably that was available at the time was heard.
KAYE: I want to ask you about another case, another bizarre story also having to do with the death penalty from Ohio. In this case, you have a convicted murder, Ronald Post. He's also been on death row, by the way, since the 1980s.
His attorneys want his execution delayed because they say that he's too obese. They're arguing that lethal injection could be torturous and lingering death for the nearly 500-pound man. Have you ever heard of anything like this, Paul?
CALLAN: Well, this is right up there. Yes, he weighs over 400 pounds. Actually when I first looked at the case, I was thinking it was an electric chair case and he couldn't fit in the chair. Believe it or not, there have been cases involved whether you can fit in the electric chair.
There has been one other case involving an obese convict who tried to avoid the death penalty saying his obesity would render it cruel and unusual punishment. Here's the claim. They won't be able to find a vein to inject. This is not an electric chair case.
Also it will be hard to figure out how much of the drugs to give him and it will be a lingering death. Yes, there have been claims like this. I don't think this one is going to fly.
He might have other reasons to have the death penalty set aside, but the fact that he's overweight, I don't think that's going to get too far with the courts.
KAYE: Yes, apparently he's tried to lose weight and now they're saying that he shouldn't be put to death because of this. All right, Paul, nice to see you. Thank you.
CALLAN: Always nice to see you, Randi. Thank you.
KAYE: Enjoy your Saturday. Fredericka Whitfield and the legal guys take up the execution case next-hour as well.
It is a murder mystery that's baffled police for decades, the case of Princess Doe. Now a breakthrough may have authorities closer than ever to cracking it.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: It is a murder mystery that has baffled police for decades, the case of Princess Doe. In 1982, her body was discovered beaten beyond recognition in a cemetery in New Jersey. This is a sketch of what investigators believed she may have looked like.
Police determined she was between the ages of 14 and 18, but that's all they've known until now. Thanks to breakthroughs in forensic science, they may be closer than ever to actually cracking this case.
Lieutenant Steven Speirs joins me now. He's been trying to identify Princess Doe since 1999. Lieutenant, good morning. When we spoke to you several months ago on this case, you had sent off some hair samples from Princess Doe's body in the hopes of finding out some new information about her. Were you successful?
LT. STEPHEN SPEIRS, WARREN COUNTY, NEW JERSEY PROSECUTORS OFFICE: Yes, yes. Good morning, Randi, thank you for having me back.
KAYE: Good morning.
SPEIRS: We had the results back from the isotope testing on the segments of hair. Now, although it doesn't give us a precise location of origin, it did tell us some pretty amazing things.
We know that from 10 months to seven months, that she lived in a particular region of the United States, which they refer to as region one, which covers a good portion of the northeast and some of the Midwest.
And then at approximately seven months to five months, what we discovered is that she was definitely transient. She went from one particular region of the United States to another, which is region two.
And for the last five months, she was in region two of the United States, which puts her in the northeast area. Now, we also -- this is something we didn't discuss when I was here before.
Her tooth -- one of her teeth was sent to another lab for isotope testing and that tapes were able t o provide us with some more informative information about her earlier years.
And that along with the hair samples, we determined that there's a potential she could have come from the Midwest area, meaning, quite honestly, Arizona is what we're doing now.
KAYE: It's fascinating when you talk about a hair sample. How does it work? I mean, you're just testing the DNA from that hair sample that's able the pinpoint where she has been and where she might have been from?
SPEIRS: Well, it's not DNA. It's elements, oxygen and a few other elements that are in the hair, which are in the water and the soil in particular geographical areas of the United States so basically consuming the water, consuming food from those areas, deposit these elements in her hair same thing with the teeth.
KAYE: And the same thing with the tooth?
SPEIRS: Exactly the same thing with the tooth. The good thing about the tooth is younger years, her more informative years, there's more of those elements present. And we're able to say with a reasonable amount of scientific certainty. This is the area she grew up. We're kind of leaning towards the Arizona area.
KAYE: Well, I know one of the big challenges for you when we spoke about this case originally was that nobody came forward to say, I'm missing my daughter, I'm missing my sister when she first was found. So since putting this information out there, have you gotten any new leads? Anybody calling in, anything like that?
SPEIRS: Yes, thank you. As a result of our first airing on July 14th and with the exclusive on the composite, we've had a number of phone calls, a number of tips and leads.
Again, going back to the isotope very quickly, we know for sure that she was not foreign born. She was definitely born in the United States, which was something we were concerned about in the beginning stages. But now we've gotten phone calls from three separate individuals in the Long Island area. When they saw the pictures of the composite as well as the picture of the clothing, three separate people told us they bought the exact same dress from a dress store in the Long Island area. And we have been focusing our efforts in the Long Island area as well.
KAYE: And this happened in New Jersey. So that would be not too far away. You're still pretty hopeful. You think you're getting closer?
SPEIRS: Absolutely getting closer. And the more we get exposure, again, on this case, the more tips and leads we are getting. So we've also got some calls in from some other tips where we potentially have an individual who was missing from the Connecticut area, which is not too far off from the Long Island area. So it just keeps coming in and every tip we get, we keep going forward and trying to follow it as best we can.
KAYE: Well, I know you've been working on it a long time. We wish you luck and keep us posted. Stephen Speirs, thank you.
SPEIRS: Thank you for having me back. Thank you.
KAYE: CNN NEWSROOM starts at the top of the hour. Fredricka joins us now. Fred, you're in Washington in the bureau today.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, ANCHOR, CNN'S "NEWSROOM": I am. That's right. Big weekend in Washington. Lots going on. There's been the Congressional Black Caucus this weekend and other events, big book fair happening in the middle of the mall.
And I decided, why not be in Washington this weekend? No, just kidding, it's not that simple. All right, Randi, we have a lot straight ahead this afternoon beginning in the noon Eastern hour.
Well, how about the idea? Should you get the DNA from cheek swabs to be put into a statewide database? It's at the root of a case. And this swabbing takes place before you've been charged with a crime. Our legal guys take a swipe at that case straight ahead.
And then mobile payments, you know how difficult, I guess, Randi, it was for some of us to get used to the idea of using your ATM card at the same time, it was kind of liberating, too?
Well, how about now you don't leave the house without your cell phone. And we're not talking just to not miss a phone call or an e-mail, but instead this would be your form of payment.
KAYE: That would be so weird.
WHITFIELD: Do you like the idea? It's already happening in some places around the world.
KAYE: Yes, it's pretty strange, though. But, sure, it's convenient.
WHITFIELD: I know. It might be convenient, but then, of course, people are going to worry about identity theft. Does it make it more accessible to those up to no good?
We'll talk about that, kind of a worldwide sweep and whether it would be a mainstay here in the United States. Would you use your cell phone to make payments on all things?
And then Jewel, you remember, the singer, right? Well, you know, she's had quite the trip around the world in terms of her life. She's now a mother of that cute toddler there. She's married to a rodeo rider. She's still writing music.
And now, call her on author. She's got a book, a children's book called "That's What I'd Do." We're going to talk about the inspiration behind that children's book. Clearly her son is an inspiration.
But what else kind of provoked her to write this kind of rhythmic melody in the form of a book? She's going to reveal that and read a couple of passages. It's really very sweet.
KAYE: If she could put that voice in a book, I'll read it. That sounds great.
WHITFIELD: Well, then you'll be a reader. You'll be a fan.
KAYE: Fredricka, thank you. We'll see you at the top of the hour.
WHITFIELD: All right, all that straight ahead. Thanks so much.
KAYE: Apple's mapping software is not a hit with users. We'll tell you why people are complaining about it.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: It is the first day of fall and to mark the occasion, we have a challenge for you. Go outside and use your smartphone to take a picture and then upload it to CNN I-Report by using one of CNN's mobile apps.
The only requirements are that the photo be horizontal and be unfiltered. We'll be showing the best ones later on today and tomorrow so check back to see if yours was chosen.
Apple users are not pleased with the company's new mapping software. The new system replacing Google maps has misplaced landmarks and roads. Jim Boulden finds out why.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JIM BOULDEN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): After all the complaints that Apple's new mapping service does not live up to the Google maps it replaces, I borrowed an iPhone with the new operating system, IOS 6 and took it for a walk.
(on camera): Our building, in fact, is in the right place, but down here -- the bar that closed here a year ago is still listed. Well, listed sometimes. Sometimes this new place is listed. That's what's confusing. (voice-over): That's part of the problem apparently. Apple is melding data from various sources and some of it is just plain wrong.
(on camera): It says here this is the cinema in Westfield in Stratford City clearly not here. In fact, the cinema is eight miles east of here.
(voice-over): Social media is full of examples of streets in wrong places or spelled wrong, landmarks or towns missing, airports in Irish farm fields, on and on and on.
Apple said in a statement that it appreciated all of this feedback it's getting from customers and that it's working hard to improve the map app.
Well, at least the Apple store on Regent Street is in the right place. So what do enthusiasts lining up to buy an iPhone 5 have to say?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Not the least bit concerned. When I want to go to London and according to the newspapers today, it takes you to London, Ontario, that's no great concern to me. I'd be happy to end up in London, Ontario.
BOULDEN (on camera): You can upgrade to IOS 6 with older iPhones and iPads as well. No thank you for now, Apple. I'll stick to IOS 4. I love the phone, but I love street view as well. Jim Boulden, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE: CNN NEWSROOM continues with Fredricka Whitfield. Hi, Fred.
WHITFIELD: Hello to you. All right, thanks. Have a great rest of the day, Randi. See you again tomorrow morning.
