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Hernandez Sentenced To Life Without Parole; The Jury Had Focus; Speaking About Hernandez Trial; Prosecutor Speaks; Iraq Military Assistance. Aired 1-1:30p ET

Aired April 15, 2015 - 13:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Does your office expect an appeal beyond the automatic essay peer view (ph)?

THOMAS QUINN, DISTRICT ATTORNEY, BRISTOL COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS: First-degree murder is the automatic appeal. Beyond that, I would have -- I wouldn't know.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you intend to fully prosecute the two other men who were charged with murder in this case?

QUINN: They're co-defendants. Their matters are coming up for review next month and the prosecution of them will go forward.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is there changes, theoretically, to the agreement now that the joint venture theory held up?

QUINN: I would say this, I don't really want to get involved in talking about the other two co-defendants because those are pending cases. You sat through the evidence in the case. I mean, that's all hypothetical. I think we want to focus on this case and the successful conclusion of it.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Anything about the judge's order asking Ursula not to cry on the stand? Something (ph) you couldn't talk about at the time when now (ph) that it's over?

QUINN: Well, I think the judge conducted a fair and orderly proceeding. I think that I see victims and witnesses become emotional on the stand throughout trials. And I think it's appropriate if it's -- if it's natural and not done that -- in a way that would detract from her testimony, it would be appropriate for her to express her emotions when she testifies.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. Quinn -

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The judge threw out a lot of evidence you guys brought. Obviously, at the time, that hurt your case. But now, going forward, that theoretically helps in the appealable issue. Now, there's -- the appealable issues are much (INAUDIBLE.)

QUINN: Well, obviously, any evidence that was excluded is not going to be the subject of an appeal. The appellate process takes care of itself. Automatic appeal first-degree murder, that's for another day. We feel that we tried a good case and presented the evidence in an appropriate and proper fashion.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you think Aaron Hernandez gets it? Do you think he got it today when that verdict was read?

QUINN: I don't know. I think when they put -- when you are taken away and they say life in prison without parole, someone's got to respond to that. There's got to - there's got to be some response but I don't know if he got it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you guys prepared for the possibility --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE) D.A. Do you have (INAUDIBLE) evidence has been garnered in the new charges?

QUINN: Suffolk has their pending cases -- has their case pending. They're dealing with it. Certainly, if this -- if there's any information we have that could be of assistance, we'll work with them.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. Quinn, can we hear from Mr. McCullough?

QUINN: You can.

WILLIAM MCCAULEY, PROSECUTOR: I don't have much to say substantively about the case, but I did just want to thank the jury for the verdict. It's obviously been a long trial and it was quite, I'm sure, an inconvenience for them in their lives to commit this kind of time. We felt like we had their attention every day, both the prosecution and the defense. They fairly considered the evidence. And they've returned a verdict that's supported by that evidence. So, we're very grateful for their commitment.

And Odin Lloyd's family, these ladies here who you saw sitting in the front row every day, they were committed to seeing this thing through and for trusting in the process and trusting in that the jury would deliver a fair verdict. And I think they're very satisfied with that. We're very grateful and actually drew strength from their commitment to show up every day and let the process play out as it would. So, I'm very grateful for the jury.

And also, as you recall, when we started the case, we had just lost our district attorney who went on to be the mayor of this great city. And I wanted to thank, again, the governor and the lieutenant governor for the appointment of Thomas Quinn. He was absolutely the right man for the job, and he was part of the team.

And it was important to keep the team intact because we had come so far working on the case and it really has been a team effort. And I'm very grateful for all the agencies that have been involved in this, and I couldn't even name them all for you. It would take too long.

Obviously, the chief of North Attleboro is here with us and the state police. But this was a multistate investigation and there was so many agencies who committed time and resources and personnel to follow up on leads for us, and our partners at Suffolk County D.A.'s office, U.S. Attorney's office, the ATF, et cetera. [13:05:04] So, good results. Just results come from collaborative efforts by agencies working together and that's what happened in this case. So, I'm very grateful for that.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Tell me about the challenge of putting all of that evidence together in a comprehensive (INAUDIBLE) way to the jury?

MCCAULEY: It -- at the end of the case, you see the district attorney's office, the prosecutors. I said this earlier inside to part of the people who were involved. A thousand hands touched this case.

And at the end of the case, we're standing here and it would have been an impossible task for me alone to have handled all the evidence trying to bring it all together. I've had great assistance, Pat Bomberg, Brian Griffin, the officers assigned to the case, Jeremiah Donovan, Eric Benson. Jennifer Purcell is someone who works in our office. She's really the one who pulled it all together for us.

And so, too many people to thank. I think they know who they are. But never could have done it without -- again, we're here at the end, but there's so many people who are -- have contributed to the success of this case. And we're very grateful because we know it brings some small measure of peace to the family and the homicides are the most serious cases that we deal with. But the idea that somebody was targeted in this case, I think you heard the evidence, there were 35 people who went to that scene before anybody knew who was involved.

And they were from a variety of agencies. They were there just doing their job. Homicides, there have been a commitment by this district attorney and Sam Sutter, the prior district attorney, to fully investigate every homicide. We've done that. In this case, we've done that and other cases -- every other case.

So, I'm proud of the work that goes into these cases. Again, we never get to this result without the commitment of so many people, so I'm grateful to that.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Bill, you --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Bill --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Bill, you had -- Bill --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Bill, you've gotten to know this family very well. Is a decision like this feel personal in a way?

MCCAULEY: It's definitely personal. I have gotten to know this family. And, again, we, myself, drew strength from just the dignity and the class and the commitment that they showed to let this go out. And there's a responsibility that we have to make sure that we do everything (INAUDIBLE.) And while I'm talking about that, I just wanted to thank my family. And I know I speak for everybody else, people sell - people make sacrifices. We made a sacrifice in -- because we were committed to seeing this thing through. And, as a result, our families, wives, kids, significant others, sometimes we're not there for them. And -- but I'm very grateful to them, because they understand that we've been so blessed in our lives. And when something -- some tragedy like this happens to another family, we're committed to try and do everything we can. And that, sometimes, means we have to make sacrifices.

So, this has been a wonderful family to get to know. And Odin Lloyd, he was a special person. Everything I've heard about him, they don't make young men like that. He was -- didn't a father, that story I heard early on. About the last occasion he had to see his mother, really touched us. That he was saying, you know, happy father's day because he didn't have a father in his life and, in fact, it was his mother who raised him. And raised him to be the kind of person who was respectful and appreciated what he had. You heard his uncle, his Uncle Vaughn, say he couldn't give him anything. He wanted to earn it.

And so, he rode his bike every day to work as a landscaper. I think it was a great contrast between two young men, the defendant, who had so much, so much ability, so much talent, money, all the things that everyone thinks you need.

And then, you had Odin Lloyd who didn't want that. He didn't want that given to him. He was going to earn it. He didn't have the athletic talent but he loved football. And continued to play football and that's the kind of person he was. And so, yes, I did get to know this family and that made it easier for us to commit what we thought we had to commit to bring this result about.

UNIDENTIFIED: Mr. MCCAULEY, --

UNIDENTIFIED: (INAUDIBLE) or did you have a sense that it was going to be close when that verdict was read?

MCCAULEY: We had great confidence in the case that we put together. And any time you charge somebody with a homicide, you don't make that decision lightly. This decision wasn't made lightly. We intended to see the case through. And so, when we charged him, we believed in the case. And obviously, there was the evidence. People can -- you've heard the evidence. The jury obviously agreed with that so I'm satisfied with it.

[13:10:02] UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Say, Bill? Bill, you no murder weapon. You had no eyewitness. But you stood up there in closing arguments and pointed at Aaron Hernandez and said, he pulled the trigger. Talk to me about where your confidence in that statement comes from?

MCCAULEY: Well, I'm not going to -- I appreciate the question. It's a very good question. But we're respectful of where we are in the case. We've had one defendant who's been tried, two to go. You know, obviously, it was a circumstantial case and a joint - a joint venture that we argued to the jury. And I'm not going to say too much more because these other cases have to play out and we'll obviously --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just two more questions. MCCAULEY: You get two more.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Bill, how could --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What went through your head when you heard guilty?

MCCAULEY: It's quite a relief. It's quite a relief. And, again, part of this -- there's a personal component but what we're doing in our jobs is we're the front person and we have so many people who are counting on us to bring about a successful result. There's the family that I want to bring some measure of peace to them and some closure. But there's the team that we represent, all the people who have work so hard. And it's not something I take lightly. And so, it was quite a great relief to hear the jury, to have them acknowledge what we believe to be the case, that Aaron Hernandez committed the murder of Odin Lloyd.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Bill, looking back at the trial, how did the status as a Patriots' player impact you and present challenges to you as a prosecutor?

MCCAULEY: Well, I think the district attorney hit it right on the - right on the head. This case was not about the Patriot player. This was just about a murder occurring, a brutal senseless murder and that this defendant, Aaron Hernandez, should be treated like anyone else. And we impanelled a jury, and asked those questions, can you treat him like any other citizen? And I was really grateful that I didn't think that really played into the case, the celebrity aspect of it.

And I -- again, I'll second my appreciation to you, the media, for the respect and the restraint you showed us, the family. I know you're here to do a job, but the process worked. And it worked because it wasn't -- there wasn't a circus-like atmosphere to the presentation of this case. And that was important. And I think the jurors were professional. They didn't -- they focused on the evidence. They showed up. They were serious about it. And, obviously, that shows in their verdict. So, thank you very much.

(CROSSTALK)

MCCAULEY: I'm sorry, I didn't get that.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When you arrested him, you only charged him. There were three men in the car. Why was that (INAUDIBLE)?

MCCAULEY: I'm sorry, I can't answer that question at this time. But I'm going to turn it over. Thank you very much.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Can we hear from some of the other family members? Ladies, can we hear - can we hear your reaction?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And right now, we are seeing Ursula Ward. She is the woman there in purple. And here comes Odin Lloyd's sister, his younger sister, who also spoke passionately.

OLIVIA THIBOU: I just wanted to say thank you, again, as my mom said to the jurors and to what we call our dream team, behind us, who's put so much work into seeing this through. Thank you for everyone who's reached out to us, mail, social networks, prayers. Just people letting us know that they were there for us.

As I said before, in my impact statement, it kind of doesn't feel like we're here. We're living in a dream world and then still have to face reality where it doesn't seem like Odin is not here. It just seems like a day that we haven't had a chance to speak to him. I don't think that we will ever come to grips with the fact that he's not here. Somebody that you're used to seeing every day, somebody that you're used to speaking to, someone just who calls just to say they're -- you know, what your - you know, what are you doing? I don't think that anyone can actually grasp the fact. And we'll never be able to sit and actually come to grips that he's not here. It's just, you know, another day that Odin isn't here and it's another day that family has to deal with.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I've often wondered, how are you guys staying so strong? (INAUDIBLE.)

THIBOU: Prayers. Prayers and each other. We come from a strong knit family and this has just brought us stronger together. Just to hear, I love you, every day from your mom or from your sister or cousin who calls just to let you know that, you know, they're there for you. I don't think there's any other way that we could have gotten through it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you able to give the forgiveness that your mom - is that something --

THIBOU: I'm not as strong as my mom yet. So, eventually, that time will come.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You just -

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Describe how you felt when you (INAUDIBLE).

THIBOU: Unfortunately, I - I wasn't able to sit in court when the verdict was read. I was on my way here. But it was a sign of relief. I screamed. I cried. And then the first person that called me was my sister, Shakil (ph), and the first thing she said in tears was "I love you." And that was the best feeling that we've had in a long time.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Can you talk about Shaneah's connection with your family? She's been here most of the day sitting right next to (INAUDIBLE).

THIBOU: I bring her here because I love her like she's my sister and anybody that knows, I go on vacations with her. She's not that talkative. But she's definitely a member of the family. And my mom always says her girls and her girls refers to Shakil, Shaneah and I.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Would you say this has brought you guys together?

THIBOU: Yes. And I love her because she loved Odin and I know Odin loved her. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You said she's not a talker, but I have to ask her,

how (INAUDIBLE).

THIBOU: Thank you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Olivia - Olivia, one more - Olivia, can you say anything about how Shakil felt about not being able to tell -

FEYERICK: And the family right now walking away. They have said their peace. Ursula Ward saying the thing she'll miss most about her son is his smile. The D.A. Thomas Quinn spoke. Also the prosecutor who many thought had an uphill battle on this. But so much of the evidence was circumstantial. But he said that the verdict was quite a relief.

And then you heard from Odin Lloyd's sister. Very powerful. In court she reminded the judge that since his death, both she and her sister have each had children, children that Odin Lloyd will never know. And she said, I now have to go to his grave and look at his tomb stone in order to tell him I love him.

Now joining me now is CNN correspondent Jean Casarez, who's also really been following up on this case.

And, Jean, what's fascinating is the defense tried to make it seem as if Aaron Hernandez was simply along for the ride, that he had no role in this, but it seems the jury bought the prosecution argument was that not only was he along for the ride, he was the one who was the ring leader, the one at the wheel of the car, the one who got the gun, the one also who called his friends and then essentially carried out this murder.

JEAN CASAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And that is really the definition of a circumstantial case, right, because they had the text messages, they had the telephone pinging, they had the video surveillance inside the house that we see now that jurors believe that he was holding that gun.

You know, early on in this case, one of the jurors was dismissed because she said, there's not a murder weapon and without a murder weapon I can't convict someone. Well, this jury today said they didn't need that murder weapon. That they looked at the other evidence and that was all they need.

Deb, I also want to tell you that while Aaron Hernandez was being sentenced, we got word from the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office, because it's not over yet for Aaron Hernandez, and there was a trial date of May 28th for this double murder that he's been charged with in Boston. They are now continuing that date, but they also say, in the next few weeks, in the coming days, they will announce a new date for Aaron Hernandez to be tried on double murder within the commonwealth of Massachusetts.

FEYERICK: And you know, Jean, that's so interesting because the double murder, some people say that, in fact, one of the reasons Odin Lloyd may have been killed was because he knew about Hernandez's role in that murder. It's going to be very interesting to see how that case plays out as well.

There's going to be a lot more on Aaron Hernandez tonight on CNN. And thank you, Jean Casarez. Tonight on CNN, "Downward Spiral: Inside the Case against Aaron Hernandez." That will air tonight, 9:00, right here on CNN.

I'm Deborah Feyerick. Thanks for sticking with us. Wolf Blitzer picks up right after a quick break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:21:11] WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, I'm Wolf Blitzer. Wherever you're watching from around the world, thanks very much for joining us.

We start with news on Iraq and fight against ISIS. It's day two in Washington for the Iraqi prime minister. Yesterday he got a promise of humanitarian aid from President Obama. Today he's hoping for something more substantial from the Pentagon, weapons. His request comes as a key city in Iraq, Ramadi, moves closer and closer to becoming the next victory for ISIS as they prepare to capture the capital of the Anbar Province just 70 miles from Baghdad. Arwa Damon is our senior international correspondent. She's joining us now live from Baghdad.

How close is Ramadi, based on everything you're hearing, Arwa, right now, to falling and how devastating would that be for the Iraqi military and the Iraqi government, a huge embarrassment as Haider al Abadi, the prime minister, happens to be in Washington this week?

ARWA DAMON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: A huge embarrassment perhaps, yes, Wolf. But also, at the same time, it underscores what it is that he is asking the United States for, and that is more military support, more coalition air strikes, and much more assistance.

We were out in Anbar province today. We were actually trying to reach Ramadi. We coordinated our trip with the deputy head of the provincial council. We were unable to reach the city because in the morning ISIS had assaulted from the east. And speaking to the deputy provincial council head, he was begging for help. He was saying that the city was going to fall within hours.

And we came across a mass of refugees, Wolf. I don't even know how to put it into accurate words. The expressions on their face, that of complete and total shock. They were trying to cross a bridge from Anbar province that would put them into Baghdad province. This is a bridge that you are not allowed to cross in vehicles. Everybody was on foot. A lot of people piling their belongings, their children, into these metal carts.

An old woman who was sitting inside one of these carts, as we approached her she just began sobbing saying, ISIS assaulted us. ISIS forced us from our homes. Another man that we spoke to clutching his two little children and they brought nothing with them because they ran out so quickly because he said ISIS commandeered his home for a fighting position. They placed a sniper on his roof and he just grabbed his kids, grabbed his wife and ran out. Masses of people trying to flee this latest onslaught.

Ramadi almost entirely under siege at this stage. Commanders, officers, police chiefs, tribal fighters, all of them, Wolf, asking, begging for reinforcements, begging for more coalition air strikes. None of which have arrived in a significant way at this stage. And if that assistance does not arrive, Ramadi, yes, we are being told, could fall very shortly.

Those who are there still fighting to try to push ISIS out. They cannot hold out indefinitely, especially not at this stage. Military assistance must arrive otherwise we're going to see many more refugees being forced to flee. These areas that ISIS is moving into, Wolf, in Ramadi, they are not areas that have already been vacated. They are areas where people are living, where children are living. And without military assistance, a lot of lives are going to be lost at this stage, not to mention the city itself as well, Wolf.

BLITZER: Arwa, what an awful situation unfolding there in the Anbar province in Ramadi, given all the history of all the American troops who lost their lives in the original battles over a decade. The billions, hundreds of billions of dollars the U.S. spent. So tragic to see what's going on right now. What a waste - what a waste indeed for so many people as they look back on what's going on right now.

Arwa, be careful over there.

[13:25:01] I want to continue our conversation on the turn of events -- horrible turn of events in Iraq. The request - the latest request by the Iraqi government for additional military assistance. The prime minister is here meeting with the president, Haider al Abadi.

Joining us from New York is Bobby Ghosh, our CNN global affairs analyst, managing editor of "Quartz." Joining us from Los Angeles, the former Delta Force commander, our global affairs analyst, retired Lieutenant Colonel James Reese.

Colonel, you just spent a month in Iraq. Where is the Iraqi military? They were trained by the United States. The U.S. left billions of dollars of hardware there. And they simply are M.I.A. They can't even - they can't even protect their own people in the Anbar province in Ramadi? What happened to the Iraqi military?

LT. COL. JAMES REESE (RET.), CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: Well, Wolf, right now the Iraqi military that was - has the ability to do the work was used initially, you know, up in Tikrit and they're right now engaged up in Hawiga (ph), which is sitting between Tikrit and Kirkuk. And also now with the Baji (ph) attack at their major, you know, oil refinery up there in Baji, which is a critical piece of infrastructure for the Iraqis.

You know, out in al Anbar, I mean we all know, we've watched this for years out there, with the Sunnis out there, the Sunni triangle, you know, we've got the U.S. forces that are out there in al Anbar province doing the training out at the air fields out there. One of the biggest issues right now that I see is, that Arwa just reported is, and we watched this for last month, what ISIS was doing, they have literally cut off, they're attacking from the east, which literally puts a barrier now between Baghdad and blocks off the rest of the Anbar province. So the reinforcements that are able to come in from the east, from Baghdad and other areas, is now cut off, which may just - makes a major concern, which is going to have to have the coalition put in some major bombing in there to allow reinforcements to get in there if they can. But right now, the Iraqis just have so many people going in different directions, they have to pick a main effort and go that way.

BLITZER: You know, but, Bobby, here's the problem - one of the problems I see, and I've spoken to a lot of military analysts on the situation in Iraq. The Iraqi military is a huge military. They've got at least 300,000 troops. Half of them, though, don't show up. They simply run away. And then when they do show up, they can't even deal with a few thousand ISIS fighters who come in. They take control of a huge city like Mosul, 2 million people there. They abandon all their U.S. military equipment. ISIS troops are now driving around in left behind U.S. Humvees and armored vehicles and tanks. Why should the U.S. provide more military equipment to an Iraqi military that is M.I.A.?

BOBBY GHOSH, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: Well, there's clearly a huge gulf in motivation. The ISIS fighters are fighting for, however perverted it is, a cause and are willing to die. The Iraqi military, as we saw last year, didn't even have faith in their own leadership, in their own government, and didn't have much to fight for.

As Colonel Reese just pointed out, there is now a corps in the military that is capable of taking the fight to ISIS. We saw that in Tikrit. The challenge now is to grow that corps. It's not - there's clearly not enough. Even that corps that took Tikrit needed American air support, needed Iranian on the ground support, need Shiite militias to help them. But that corps needs to be now made larger, more and more training. There is no shortcut. And the trouble is, of course, that for every success like Tikrit, there is always the possibility that ISIS will swing in a different direction and make a grab for another piece of territory and take away the momentum that the Iraqi military was being built. It's not going to happen any time soon, but that training exercise has to be - has to continue otherwise there literally is no other way out.

BLITZER: Here's one of the concerns that a lot of U.S. military planners have suggested to me, Colonel Reese, and as I said, you were just there for a month, you know the situation. That if the U.S. does go ahead and provide more Apache helicopters, battle tanks, Humvees, other equipment, sophisticated equipment to the Iraq - they don't know if it's going to wind up in the hands of the Iraqi military because so much of that U.S. military equipment has already been abandoned. Are you confident that the U.S., if it does sell or provide such hardware to the Iraqi military, it will be secure and not wind up in the hands of ISIS or Shiite militias, or Iranians for that matter, who are very close to the government there in Baghdad?

REESE: Well, Wolf, one of the issues right now, there's no question the American advisors that are there have a great ability. Right now, you know, they're up in Taji (ph), they're down in Besmya (ph) doing some great training, especially with some of the sophisticated weapons, both on air and, you know, your tanks and your big weapons systems.

[13:29:55] But again, one of the things we have to take a look at is, is while we're going through this training, like Bobby said, we've got to build a corps. We've got to continue to put up.