Return to Transcripts main page

ISSUES WITH JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL

Details about Jackson`s Death Emerging; Custody Deal Reached for Jackson`s Kids; Mel Gibson Accused of Attacking Photographer

Aired July 30, 2009 - 19:00:00   ET

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


(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL, HOST (voice-over): Tonight, jaw-dropping news in the fight for Michael Jackson`s kids. An 11th hour deal. Debbie Rowe, Michael`s ex-wife, drops out of the custody battle, making Michael`s mom the sole guardian. Rowe will get visitation rights, but why are both sides so hell-bent on saying it`s not a money deal?

Meantime Joe Jackson drops a bombshell, claiming that Michael had a secret love child, saying this boy, quote, "looks like a Jackson, acts like a Jackson, and he can dance like a Jackson." But will a DNA test prove he actually is a Jackson?

Then more trouble for Mel Gibson. New allegations that he attacked a photographer outside a ritzy nightclub in Los Angeles. Gibson reportedly ripped his shirt and stormed out of the club. The best part: this whole thing allegedly happened right in front of Gibson`s pregnant girlfriend. TMZ says cops aren`t buying the story, but will he be charged?

Plus cops in Boise, Idaho, pleading for help as they search for missing 8-year-old Robert Manwill. This adorable little boy has been missing for almost a week, and now cops are asking for hundreds of volunteers to help bring him home. This desperate search comes after new allegations and claims that this boy`s family has a mind-boggling criminal past when it comes to kids.

ISSUES starts now.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Starting new details about the chaos and the panic in Michael Jackson`s mansion in the hours and minutes leading up to his death. Plus, shocking new twists that could spell turmoil for the future of Jackson`s kids. At the very center of the Jackson manslaughter probe, Jackson`s personal physician, Dr. Conrad Murray.

Now an anonymous federal law enforcement source tells CNN that Dr. Murray is, quote, "the only one we are looking at," end quote. Dr. Murray`s attorney does not think an arrest is imminent, because the autopsy report has not been released. True.

Federal prosecutors may not be pouncing just yet, but that`s not stopping members of Jackson`s household staff from dishing about the doctor. This morning Jackson`s personal chef was on NBC`s "Today Show," talking about the very day Jackson died.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KAI CHASE, MICHAEL JACKSON`S PERSONAL CHEF: And at 12:10 Dr. Murray comes running down the stairs and into the kitchen stairwell into the kitchen. He comes into the kitchen screaming, "Hurry, go get Prince. Go get security."

MEREDITH VIEIRA, CO-HOST, NBC`S "TODAY SHOW": So he`s frantic?

CHASE: He`s frantic, yes. Prince goes and sees what Dr. Murray is asking at the stairs, and Dr. Murray runs back up the steps.

VIEIRA: And with Prince following him?

CHASE: Yes. Prince was downstairs.

VIEIRA: He didn`t have to take Prince to the room. We have heard stories of that. That did not happen?

CHASE: No, that did not happen.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: You`ve got to feel for those kids. As for Prince and his siblings, new questions emerging about whether Michael`s three kids will have to make room for a fourth. Rumors of a secret sun named Omer Bhatti being addressed head on by Michael`s father, Joe Jackson, on News 1.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you know if that is Michael`s other son?

JOE JACKSON, FATHER OF MICHAEL: Yes, I mean, he had another son. Yes, he did.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He looks like a Jackson.

JACKSON: Oh, yes. He looks like a Jackson. He acts like a Jackson. He can dance like a Jackson.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Oh, boy. For the record, CNN cannot confirm this is true. Further, the 25-year-old has denied he is Jackson`s lovechild in published reports. We will delve into that young man`s story, coming up.

Meantime an 11th-hour back-room custody deal delivers Michael`s children to his mom, Katherine, just as she wanted. But what about Debbie Rowe, the mom of his two oldest kids? Listen to what Katherine`s attorney told CNN News earlier today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LONDELL MCMILLAN, KATHERINE JACKSON`S ATTORNEY: We will go to the courts and be united, and this will not be about money.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Really? That`s so weird, because the joint statement issued by the lawyers for Katherine and Debbie says there won`t be any compensation exchanged, quote, "apart from the continuation of spousal support that Debbie and Michael had previously agreed to." Now, unless that spousal support is being paid in peanuts, it sounds like money to me.

So much to discuss. I want to hear from you. Straight out to my outstanding expert panel: Jim Moret, attorney and chief correspondent for "Inside Edition"; Lisa Bloom, CNN legal analyst; Curtis Sliwa, founder of the Guardian Angels and WABC Radio talk show host; Jennifer Brandt, family law attorney; and Dr. Dale Archer, clinical psychologist. But first, the one and only Harvey Levin, executive producer of TMZ.

Harvey, you have broken so many stories on this case. What is the very latest tonight?

HARVEY LEVIN, EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, TMZ: Well, the very latest is there was a meeting today between the L.A. coroner or the coroner himself, Lakshmanan Sathyavagiswaran, along with...

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Wow. Congratulations. I know that goes back to the O.J. Simpson case and none of us could ever pronounce it correctly.

LEVIN: Exactly.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: So I`m impressed.

LEVIN: I can say it again: Lakshmanan Sathyavagiswaran. And along with two LAPD detectives who are handling the investigation and a member of the district attorney`s office of L.A. County, as well.

And when all was said and done, there will not be a coroner`s report this week. We are told it`s delayed, and there is just more information that everybody is gathering, but we will not see it this week. It ain`t going to happen. And -- and that`s kind of the latest situation right now.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: And now we`re hearing from a federal law enforcement source telling CNN that Dr. Murray is the only target. And yet at the same time, for example, ABC News is reporting that investigators are saying that a drug cocktail killed Michael Jackson along -- OxyContin, Demerol, along with the Propofol. So couldn`t that open the door to more than one? You yourself said it could be several dozen. Why are we hearing now only one?

LEVIN: Well, when we`re talking about several dozen we`re talking about prescribing practices. We`re not talking about what directly caused his death. I take issue with the report that was -- was it CNN that`s saying there`s only one?

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, it says federal. Federal. So it could be from a DEA perspective, a federal perspective that it`s only one. And maybe the LAPD is looking at more.

LEVIN: It`s not true. They are looking for two things, Jane. Two things. They`re looking for, a, the doctor who administered the Propofol. But they`re also looking for the doctor who somehow got it from a medical facility to the home. They are really interested in both of those, and the person who actually brought it over or supplied it, if it`s a doctor, could be in a heap of trouble as well.

So we know that they`ve actually gotten in touch with drug companies. They are trying to trace these vials of Propofol. They found the manufacturer. They found the lots. They are trying -- they`re right now trying to hunt down which vials ended up in Michael Jackson`s home. So it`s not just one person who`s being targeted. So I mean it`s just not the case.

In terms of the cocktail, I am telling you all that I`m hearing, and I don`t think there`s been a final decision -- excuse me -- is that you are going to probably see almost certainly that Propofol looms as the centerpiece of what killed Michael Jackson.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Harvey, as always, so happy to have you on with all your information. And you have broken so many stories on this. Please come back real soon for another update. Thank you.

LEVIN: OK, Jane. See you.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Jim Moret, I`m trying to sort out all the conflicting stories that we`ve been getting. You hear these federal investigators saying they`re only looking at Dr. Conrad Murray, but then you yourself reported that they`re looking at 19 doctors.

We hear, yes, they`re looking for Propofol. By the same token, another network is reporting, hey, they believe a drug cocktail killed him and that there was a jaw-dropping number of different drugs in Michael Jackson`s home. Enough to wake up a zombie is how somebody put it.

JIM MORET, "INSIDE EDITION": I don`t really know that what Harvey`s saying is inconsistent with what CNN is reporting.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: OK.

MORET: The federal official may be talking about they`re only looking at Dr. Murray with respect to the homicide, to the manslaughter charge. But as you know, they`re looking at other doctors, as Harvey indicated, for these drug practices. Look at the Anna Nicole case. There`s no homicide, no manslaughter charge in that case, but there are many charges of conspiracy and improper use of prescription drugs and aliases and so forth.

And in this case, I talked to a doctor who indicates that 19 doctors are being investigated in some form or another and that there were at least 11 different aliases.

So as I`ve said for some of time, I think there are two tracks. There`s the homicide investigation, and then there`s the drug investigation. So I don`t think that they`re necessarily mutually exclusive or inconsistent.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Lisa.

JENNIFER BRANDT, FAMILY LAW ATTORNEY: Jane -- Jane, I was just going to jump in. Dr. Murray was the attending physician, so he`s the one that had the closest contact with Michael. That`s probably why he`s the prime suspect. And he was the one who was sort of responsible for what Michael was taking on a day-to-day basis. He`s the one that was monitoring all this. So that`s why they`re targeting him.

LISA BLOOM, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: And Jane, one other thought. There`s a difference between investigating someone, someone and becoming a suspect, and someone becoming charged and criminal defendant. There may have been a very wide net of this investigation. It may be narrowing down now to one primary suspect, Dr. Murray, who may ultimately be charged. You know, it`s just the way that the investigation is going.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes. And what about all of Dr. Murray`s problems? We are hearing about money problems. We`re also hearing, Curtis Sliwa, about a domestic violent past. He was arrested on a charge of domestic violence/disorderly conduct in `94 when his girlfriend accused him of having an affair and threw something at him. He allegedly punched the woman. But he was later acquitted. Should any of this even be relevant? Should we just throw that card out and say, "He was acquitted. That should have nothing to do with this"?

CURTIS SLIWA, FOUNDER, GUARDIAN ANGELS: Jane, that`s Mama drama. What guy out there hasn`t been involved in this Mama trouble? Look at Gates, disorderly conduct. The whole world has been taken in by the cops for domestic dispute one day or another.

No, you throw the book out on that. You look to his financial condition. He was in need of money. He was being paid $150,000. That`s a lot of scarole (ph) to put an intravenous needle into the arm and watch an intravenous bag unload anesthesia into Michael Jackson. Turn the tube on and turn it off. So obviously, he was a procurer; he was a drug pusher.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, let`s just say he hasn`t been charged with anything yet and he says he`s cooperating with investigators and essentially did nothing wrong. We invite him on this show any time to tell his side.

All right. More expert analysis on the Jackson case in a moment. Do you think Debbie Rowe got a hush-hush payday in the custody deal? We`re going to talk about the custody deal next. Give me a holler at 1-877-JVM- SAYS, 1-877-586-7297. Sound off.

Then megastar Mel Gibson could be in trouble again. A photographer claims the Oscar-winner attacked him at a posh L.A. nightclub. Just wait till you hear the details.

But first, with Debbie Rowe out of the Jackson custody picture, it seems Joe Jackson got his way? Here`s exactly what he said one month ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JACKSON: We`re the family. We`ve got other kids of their size. We love those kids, and we love those kids too. Debbie Rowe has nothing to do with what we`re doing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LARRY KING, CNN ANCHOR: Deepak, you had an eerie conversation, we`ve learned, with Michael. In hindsight you now believe he was talking about Diprivan. What happened?

DEEPAK CHOPRA, FRIEND OF MICHAEL JACKSON: Very casually over the phone he just dropped in a line like, "Deepak, have you heard of this thing that takes you immediately to the valley of death and then brings you right back?"

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: The valley of death. Wow. Deepak Chopra, a friend and spiritual advisor, talking about that chilling conversation with the King of Pop.

Phone lines lighting up. Missy, Oregon, your question or thought.

CALLER: Yes. I`d like to know, his previous doctors, if anything could happen to them and if they`re being investigated at all.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes. Lisa Bloom, I mean we know that reports are Michael Jackson was used Propofol for approximately two years, and Dr. Conrad Murray only came onboard in May.

BLOOM: Yes. The other doctors absolutely can be investigated and charged with fraudulent prescription practices. If they can`t link the medication those doctors gave to Jackson`s death, they`re not going to be charged with homicide.

But as in the Anna Nicole case, they can be charged with giving medications to somebody under a fake name. That`s a felony here in California. They can be charged with giving prescription drugs to a known addict. My favorite charge, which really prevents doctors from giving drugs, even if they think it`s a good idea. If they know somebody`s an addict, they know it`s going to harm them, that`s a felony in California, as well.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right. I want to move on to the custody battle between Debbie Rowe and Katherine Jackson. Guess what, people? It is over. Michael`s mom Katherine will be the legal mom of the three kids. Smart choice.

Well, let`s listen back to what Debbie Rowe told interviewers on "The Michael Jackson Interview: The Footage You Were Not Allowed to See" in 2003.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DEBBIE ROWE, MOTHER OF JACKSON`S TWO OLDEST CHILDREN: My kids don`t call me "Mom" because I don`t want them to. They`re not -- they`re Michael`s children. It`s not that they`re not my children, but I had them because I wanted him to be a father. I believe that there are people who should be parents, and he`s one of them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Now, Dr. Dale Archer, Debbie Rowe is going to get visitation rights for the two oldest children, but a child psychologist is going to determine how that visitation should play out. So you`re the psychiatrist. How should that doctor make that crucial determination when right now these kids reportedly don`t even know Debbie Rowe is their mom?

DR. DALE ARCHER, CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST: Well, I mean, I think there are a couple of things. First of all, Debbie sold her kids for $8 million. So I have to wonder how much she really wants to be involved.

She said that it was a gift to Michael Jackson. I guess this puts a new spin to the gift that keeps on giving. And I hate to be cynical about it, but I think that it`s all about the money for her. So I`m just wondering what angle she`s going for here in terms of the visitation, when she never pushed that as an issue in the past at all.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, Jennifer brand, you`re the family law attorney. They were so insistent on saying in their statement, not a money deal, not a money deal. And but yet, if you read the fine print, it says that there is no compensation apart from the continuation of spousal support payments that have previously been personally agreed to between Jackson and Rowe. So the world "payment" is in there. It may not be new money. It may not be new money or more money, but it`s money.

BRANDT: Right. And why would spousal support continue when Michael Jackson is dead? Usually the payments would cease. So clearly, this is about money and an ongoing payment stream to Debbie Rowe. So, you know, it is about the money, but...

BLOOM: I don`t know about that.

BRANDT: But wait. Touching upon what the psychiatrist said, I think that, you know, it`s a good idea for Debbie to get involved with these children. And I think the psychologist who`s involved, that`s also a very smart idea, because he can sort of introduce this new person in their lives, in her new role.

(CROSSTALK)

BRANDT: But she is their mother and I think...

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Lisa Bloom.

BLOOM: I think everybody is awfully harsh on Debbie Rowe. You know, a lot of people these days are surrogate mothers or sperm donors. And it seems to me that`s what she was. And as long as she felt that the kids were OK with Michael, she was OK with them having a single parent, that being Michael.

BRANDT: I think that...

BLOOM: The circumstances happened after he died. Now she`s getting no additional money. She`s coming slowly back into their lives, but she just can`t win. Everybody still says it`s about the money. I think that`s harsh.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right.

BRANDT: She`s getting a continuing stream of money that which she wouldn`t otherwise be entitled to upon his death. It really should stop. It should stop.

(CROSSTALK)

BLOOM: A lot of kids get money after the divorce.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Isn`t it dangerous to...

BRANDT: But not upon a death.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: ... this woman who was Ms. Rowe, oh, now she`s mom? I mean...

ARCHER: Absolutely. It`s a -- it`s a terrible idea. She didn`t want anything to do with these kids for the last several years, and now all of a sudden she wants to come back and be a mom? I will tell you...

BLOOM: It`s never bad to come back and try to be part of a child`s life.

ARCHER: I will tell you that the worst thing...

(CROSSTALK)

ARCHER: The worst thing that these kids have faced throughout this entire ordeal is the fact that their mother abandoned them for money. That`s what they`re going to have to face for the rest of their lives.

BLOOM: That`s how you characterize it.

ARCHER: All of a sudden she wants to get back involved in their lives. Why?

BLOOM: Because the father died. That`s a big change of circumstances.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right. It`s Lisa`s turn now. You made her point.

ARCHER: A mother does not give away her kids and all of a sudden because the father died say, "Oh, I want to get involved now." Any good mother wants to be involved with kids.

BRANDT: That`s not true. I disagree. I disagree.

BLOOM: If you were the father, you wouldn`t have feel the same way. A lot of fathers are absent, and then they try to come back into the children`s life.

ARCHER: If I was the father, I would feel the same way. Any good father would feel the same way, too. You don`t just give away your kids and...

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Curtis Sliwa -- Curtis Sliwa`s beret is about the fly off, because he wants to say something.

SLIWA: Let me tell you something. Just make sure when Debbie Rowe visits it`s a paparazzi-free zone. Do you see how she goes out of her mind when the paparazzi are around? Do you think these kids should be subjected to that woman we saw arguing with the paparazzi? Make sure it`s a paparazzi-free zone.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right. Excellent panel. Stand by. You`re coming back in a little bit.

Mel Gibson in hot water after a night out. Sound familiar? A man claims the star attacked him, but cops reportedly aren`t buying the story.

Then, 8-year-old Robert Manwill missing almost a week. I`m going to tell you about the massive efforts the cops are unleashing to bring this little boy home. Let`s hope it works.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: In tonight`s "Spotlight," actor Mel Gibson, out partying it up with his pregnant girlfriend, got into it with a photographer. It happened last night at a swanky Los Angeles club. The man trying to get a shot of the actor and his date claims Gibson pushed him and tore his shirt open.

The site Hollyscoop.com posted this photo of Gibson`s accuser with his shirt torn wide open, but witnesses told cops he did not leave the club that way with his shirt torn.

According to TMZ, police just aren`t buying this guy`s story, and they don`t plan to charge the Oscar winner. So what really happened? Let`s get some answers.

Joining me now, legal analyst and entertainment reporter Russell Wetanson. He is the founder of Popsquire.com.

What do you think went on? It`s a murky story.

RUSSELL WETANSON, ENTERTAINMENT REPORTER: It`s definitely a murky story, Jane. I guess the question is to batter or not to batter for this former "Hamlet" star. You know, it really is a bit murky.

Here if you look at the different reports, we know a few things. Mel and his girlfriend, Oksana, showed up to the club, and they were having a good time, and then there were some people who wanted to take his picture. Then you cut to someone filed a police report for battery. What happened in between seems to be quite murky, and what -- those details will depend on whether any further action is taken.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, I think part of the problem is Gibson`s past and his history of scandals. Let`s call it that. Who can forget the infamous DUI arrest in 2006 when he gave his infamous anti-Semitic tongue lashing to a cop.

And then three years later, this devout Catholic is getting divorced, and he`s out on the town with his pregnant, much younger girlfriend. Any celebrity can be a target, but doesn`t this kind of behavior make him particularly vulnerable to Hollywood voyeurs?

WETANSON: That`s right. I mean, Mel Gibson, as you`re referring to, has definitely been a source of controversy in the past. And here we have one of the big issues here, is was Mel Gibson drinking? Because as we know in the past he`s struggled with that addiction.

So here, and I talked with the reps from Hollyscoop who broke the story. And they said that the group he was with was definitely toasting throughout the night, but no one could really confirm what was in those glasses.

So that would be something that I definitely would want to know. But look, at the end of the day, this was someone, according to these reports, who was sent by another reporter to go get Mel`s picture, even though Mel had denied requests to have the picture taken.

So this person perhaps should have backed off. And we don`t know, really, what happened, but it may have been Mel being overprotective of his pregnant girlfriend, and you can see that being a reasonable act.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes, it does get old if a big star is there and says, "No, I don`t want a photo." And then the reporter/photographer hands the camera to someone else and says, "You try. You`re closer." That`s obnoxious, let`s face it.

So it certainly entitles you to have some reaction. Now, ripping his shirt, no, but, then, again, police are apparently questioning that story.

And as far as the old drinking thing, I`m a recovering alcoholic with 14 years sobriety. I go to nightclubs all the time. Some are saying, well, should he even be in a nightclub? Of course. If he`s drinking soda. I mean, if he was out partying every single night, you could raise that question. But people are going to go out, and it`s just a question of whether or not they`re drinking alcohol. That`s the real question.

WETANSON: I think that is the question. And the question here is what really happened, because people within the club need to corroborate the story. Did an altercation really happen? Did Mel Gibson shove him or tear his shirt? In which case that would technically be a battery.

But in most situations this is something that really wouldn`t go very far. If no one was injured, this doesn`t seem to be something that the city attorney`s office or the D.A.`s office would really get involved in.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes. And I`m just looking at all these fabulous pictures of Mel out there. A controversial guy but a great artist, great actor, and I`m sure we`ll see more of him.

Russell, thank you.

Big-time developments in the Michael Jackson case. Are cops tightening their grip on Dr. Conrad Murray? We`ll tell you more, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Jaw-dropping news in the fight for Michael Jackson`s kids. Debbie Rowe, Michael`s ex-wife, drops out of the custody battle making Michael`s mom the sole guardian. Rowe will get visitation rights but why are both sides so health-bent on saying this is not a money deal?

Plus cops in Boise pleading for help as they search for missing 8- year-old Robert Manwill; asking for hundreds of volunteers to help bring this adorable boy home, this after new allegations that this child`s family has a mind-boggling criminal past.

But first, startling new details about Michael Jackson`s life exposed by former members of his household staff; plus what the future holds for Jackson`s three children in the wake of shocking news about a possible fourth sibling.

And that 11th-hour deal giving Michael`s mom full custody of the kids; Debbie Rowe, meantime gets continued spousal support and visitation. How`s that going to work?

According to published reports the two oldest don`t know Debbie is their mom but take a listen to what Katherine Jackson`s attorney told CBS News.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are Michael`s kids aware of what`s going on around them?

LONDELL MCMILLAN, KATHERINE JACKSON`S ATTORNEY: They certainly are aware that it`s a big deal in that their daddy has passed. They read the news on the Web, in the reports.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: How is it possible then that Prince and Paris, 12 and 11, had no idea about Debbie Rowe being the one who gave birth to them if they`re on the Internet? We`ll talk about that.

Meantime, a former personal chef of Michael Jackson who has previously spoken about Dr. Murray`s alleged cache of oxygen tanks which might have been used while administering Propofol spoke to ABC News about marks on Michael Jackson`s body.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Did you ever notice marks on Michael Jackson`s body?

DOUG JONES, MICHAEL JACKSON`S FORMER CHEF: Close to his elbow area there was like a -- like a scar.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Like was it on this side of his arm? On the backside?

JONES: I did notice it, but I left it alone.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Straight back out to my outstanding expert panel: I`m so delighted to have Jim Moret, attorney and chief correspondent for "Inside Edition;" Curtis Sliwa, founder of the Guardian Angels and WABC Radio talk show host; Jennifer Brandt, family law attorney; and Dr. Dale Archer, clinical psychologist and psychiatrist -- psychiatrist.

And the phone lines are lining up. Rose, Virginia, your question or thought, ma`am.

ROSE, VIRGINIA (via telephone): Hi, Jane. Thanks for taking my call.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Thanks for calling.

ROSE: I`m just wondering if the police have entertained the thought that this was a planned death between Michael Jackson and his doctor.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Whoa. I`m going to throw that one out to Jim Moret, that hot potato.

JIM MORET, CHIEF CORRESPONDENT, "INSIDE EDITION": Thank you for that one, Jane. I appreciate it.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: I know you can handle it.

MORET: Yes. From all accounts, Michael Jackson wanted one thing and one thing only. He wanted to proceed with his concert. And the reason why isn`t just for the money, even though the money was a big deal for Michael Jackson because he was swimming in debt.

He wanted to show his children why so many people loved him. He wanted to perform for them. He had 50 concerts lined up over nine months.

No, I don`t think Michael Jackson wanted to die. I think that those around him believed that he was really trying to stage a massive and successful comeback.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Now, there are so many issues to get to tonight. A lot of breaking news here.

Since Michael Jackson`s death, rumors have swirled about his alleged love child Omar Bhatti (ph). Now Joe Jackson, Michael`s dad has made a shocking claim on News One about 25-year-old Omar. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you know that as Michael`s other son?

JOE JACKSON, MICHAEL JACKSON`S FATHER: Yes. I knew he had another son. Yes, I did.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And he looks like a Jackson.

JACKSON: Oh, yes. He looks like a Jackson, he acts like a Jackson, he can dance like a Jackson.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Maybe he`s the future of the family.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don`t know. I can`t say that yet until I see it happen.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Wow. CNN has not been able to confirm this. 25- year-old Omar denies that he is Michael`s son. He says they were good friends despite the fact that he had lived at Neverland ranch.

Let me ask this of Jennifer Brandt. Omar was sitting in front of Michael Jackson`s memorial alongside the family. If this 25-year-old aspiring rapper is Michael Jackson`s son, does he have a shot at getting a share of Jackson`s estate?

JENNIFER BRANDT, FAMILY LAW ATTORNEY: Absolutely. He could share in the estate as part of one of the children, especially if the will provides for all of the children to be covered by it.

Unfortunately I think we`re seeing Joe Jackson just being his promoter self again and hoping that maybe this child is Michael Jackson`s child and looking toward his great dancing and his abilities to be maybe the next Michael Jackson. So I think we have to wait for the DNA results before we start deciding whether or not this child is really Michael`s child.

(CROSS TALK)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Curtis Sliwa, I was very, very taken by the fact that he started immediately talking about this guy`s dancing abilities. That`s always a bad sign when it`s Joe Jackson.

CURTIS SLIWA, FOUNDER, GUARDIAN ANGELS: Not only that, Joe Jackson Sr. had plans for the Jackson 3, right, as you know and then got iced out. So now he`s saying that kid Omar from Norway, he could be the new Jackson 1. And, remember, "I got a record company and I got a boot camp for hip- hop monsters out there" and this kid`s a rapper who can dance and he is a Jackson.

Man, this guy is constantly promoting 24/7, 365.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, you know, he did it right after Michael Jackson died. They asked him about his son`s death and he started talking about his record label.

SLIWA: Yes with Al "Slim Shady" Sharpton right next to him, the new family advisor looking for the cheddar, the dead (INAUDIBLE).

VELEZ-MITCHELL: You know, listen. He`s an unintentionally comic figure. But these poor kids, they`ve been so gracious and strong throughout all of this.

Dr. Dale Archer you just heard the attorney for Katherine Jackson say they go on the Internet. How could they not know Debbie Rowe is their mom?

DR. DALE ARCHER, CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST: I find it hard to believe that they don`t know. And I think that, again, the hardest thing that they`re going to face in this entire ordeal is the fact that she essentially abandoned them. And for a mother to do that is unbelievable, unheard of. And for a child to have to deal with that is just very, very difficult.

So I would be very suspect of any motive she had now for coming back into their life -- I don`t think it`s because she wants to be their mom all of a sudden. I think it`s for some type of financial gain.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Now, Michael Jackson`s personal chef -- this is another subject here -- spoke to the "Today Show" this morning about seeing oxygen tanks used by Dr. Conrad Murray. Listen to this one.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You have said that when he would come downstairs when you`d first see him in the morning, he would be carrying oxygen tanks.

KAI CHASE, MICHAEL JACKSON`S PERSONAL CHEF: I saw sometimes the oxygen tanks he would carry downstairs.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Did you wonder what that was about?

CHASE: Of course.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This was something nobody else in the household spoke about.

CHASE: No, no. No one spoke about that at all.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right. She says nobody spoke about it. Another example of how Michael Jackson was surrounded by these enablers who didn`t even question the sight of oxygen tanks in his home.

Jim Moret, if there are manslaughter charges and this goes to trial how much weight will these witnesses in the home have?

MORET: I think they`ll have a lot. I mean these are people who can tell you what the ordinary occurrences were in the house.

And listening to that chef, she said things were out of the ordinary that day. She didn`t see the doctor at 9:00, 9:30 for breakfast like she usually did. And he came down about 12:05 to 12:10 she said screaming for Paris -- or rather for Prince.

That`s odd because 12 minutes later we heard the doctor on the phone on 911 trying to revive Michael Jackson with CPR. Why wasn`t he doing it then? What happened in that 12-minute period? What happened in the hour before that? When did Michael Jackson -- when did he fall conscious? When did the doctor notice him?

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Now this dove tail with what Deepak Chopra said to Larry King last night about the possible results of Michael Jackson`s toxicology report and if Propofol, that powerful surgical knock-out drug, would even show up.

This is interesting. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DEEPAK CHOPRA, MICHAEL JACKSON`S FRIEND: The problem is that -- and you should ask Sanjay this -- that even the toxicology report could be inconclusive because the drug has such a short half life, disappears from the blood. It gets into the tissues, fatty tissues and the brain, and unless they took that, they were actually looking for it in the beginning, the toxicology report may not help at all.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: So Dr. Dale, reports say Dr. Murray waited 30 minutes to call 911 and then insisted on working on Michael Jackson in his home with paramedics for 42 minutes before taking him to the hospital. Hypothetically is it medically possible to stall the analysis of a body if one wanted to get the Propofol out of the patient`s system by the time he got to the hospital?

ARCHER: Not in this case because interestingly Propofol has a medium to longish half life but a short duration of action. The difference is this -- half life is how long it takes for a drug to be halfway gone out of the body after a dose is given. Duration of action is how long the drug`s effect lasts.

In this particular case, Propofol binds to receptors in the brain and puts you to sleep but it only stays there very shortly and then it washes off and actually settles in other tissues, so the key here would be that the effect would be gone, but the drug would still be in the body. So any type of analysis going forward if it looks at tissues would find the drug.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, I have to say that we`re just scratching the surface here.

Everybody, fantastic panel. Please come back.

You know, it`s not just Michael Jackson. Millions of people across America are struggling with addiction. I did.

In my new book, "I Want" I reveal the details of my personal battle with alcoholism and how I got sober. This is a recovery memoir due out this fall. You can preorder your copy right now by clicking on cnn.com/jane; look for the pre-order section.

I got sober 14 years ago. I thought all my problems were over; I was totally wrong. I had to face a slew of other issues that popped up. I`m going to lay it all out in my book. I`m sure you can relate to some of them or maybe you know somebody who can. There are some shockers in there.

Up next on ISSUES, unbelievable news as the baby ripped from a mother`s womb is believed to be found alive and cops nab the suspect.

And adorable 8-year-old Robert Manwill still missing with no breaks in the case; cops preparing a massive search. Will it turn up any leads?

Call 1-877-JVM-SAYS. Weigh in.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Cops preparing a massive dragnet to find 8-year-old Robert Manwill. Are they running out of time? We will analyze it.

But first, "Top of the Block" tonight.

Good news to report in an otherwise sick, demented, horrific story. There aren`t enough adjectives for this one.

In an unbelievable twist, a baby believed to be ripped from the womb of its mom was found alive. The baby`s mom, Darlene Haynes was 8 months` pregnant when she was found dead Monday, the fetus cut out of her body.

Yesterday the cops arrested a suspect in this sick demented act; 35- year-old Julie Corey (ph), a so-called friend of the victim. Corey allegedly told her friends she delivered the baby late Thursday night and by Friday she was showing the baby off.

The cops said Corey then arrived at a homeless shelter with the baby and told workers there she was the mother. Corey was charged with being a fugitive from justice. Bond set at $2 million.

That is tonight`s "Top of the Block."

As the frantic search for an adorable Idaho boy ratchets up, many are looking for clues in the criminal history of his fractured family. I will explain in a moment.

8-year-old Robert Manwill was last seen leaving his mom`s Boise, Idaho home Thursday night. After six days of searching and no sign of the little boy, authorities are now begging for help.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DEPUTY CHIEF JIM KERNS, BOISE POLICE DEPT: The Boise police department is asking for volunteers to help us in a one-day push in our search for young Robert. The search will be conducted this Friday, July 31st.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: In the wake of yesterday`s stunning revelations about many of the adults in Robert`s life having a criminal history, some are looking there for answers.

Court records reveal that Robert`s mom is on probation for fracturing the skull of Robert`s infant half brother. Mom`s boyfriend has served jail time and is court-ordered not to be alone with Robert`s half sister.

Meantime the boy`s dad, who has done nothing wrong himself, has already lost a 4-year-old son stabbed to death in 1993 by his first wife. Is that why Robert`s aunt told the press butt out?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRISH BURRILL, MISSING BOY`S AUNT: I just want to again say that we are a united family. We appreciate the press keeping our privacy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: So is the family`s criminal past even relevant? Cops say there is absolutely no evidence of foul play in Robert`s disappearance and that the family is cooperating fully. But should the cops preemptively let the media know of this family`s criminal past or does that unfairly throw suspicion on them?

What do you think about all of this? Give me a holler.

Straight out to my outstanding expert panel: still with us, Dr. Dale archer, clinical psychiatrist; and joining us, Mike Gaynor, retired NYPD detective and president of East Coast Detectives; and Kiersten Throndsen, reporter with CNN affiliate, KBCI in Boise.

Kiersten, what is the very latest?

KIERSTEN THRONDSEN, REPORTER, KBCI, BOISE, IDAHO: The latest here is that the volunteer citizen search was actually called off today. They just took a day off.

But we want to reiterate the search for little 8-year-old Robert Manwill is far from over. What has been happening today is organizers and police are really gearing up for what they`re calling a one-day push in this search.

They`re asking for upward of 1,000 volunteers to come out tomorrow, walk three-hour shifts. They`re also urging folks to wear green or little green ribbons to show support for Robert and Robert`s family.

Now, we`ve been talking about the search is really focused a mile and a mile and a half radius from where Robert was last seen. What`s happening tomorrow, though, is they`re expanding the search. Exactly how far, police aren`t saying. They say it really depends on how many volunteers come out and how much area they can search. Some of those efforts were actually done last night and today.

(CROSS TALK)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right. They`re searching -- I don`t mean to interrupt you but I want to cover some points here. Excellent update on this planned massive search.

Mike Gaynor, unprecedented in size and scope; a thousand people. But you know what`s odd? Is that having covered these stories for many year, usually the discoveries, the crucial discoveries happen quite by accident.

MIKE GAYNOR, FORMER NYPD DETECTIVE: Absolutely. And this search is not a search looking for a runaway child at this point. This is the worst type of search. They`re looking for a body.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes. Well, we hope and pray that he defies the statistics and they find him ok because that has happened.

In recent cases that we`ve covered here on ISSUES even though most people had said what you`d said, we find children alive. And that`s why we do these stories, Dr. Dale Archer, in the hopes that somehow we jar somebody`s memory and we provide a clue.

Now, already 120 sex offenders in a two-mile radius of the boy`s home have been interviewed. Dr. Archer, it boggles my mind that there are 120 sex offenders in a two-mile radius of this boy`s home. What is wrong with America?

ARCHER: Yes. I mean, I think yes -- that`s shocking. But, you know, I want to address the fact that I think the past of these three individual adults is very, very really relevant.

You have a mom who fractured a young child`s skull and ended up doing 29 days in jail and had to pay a $75 fine. You had a father whose wife at the time stabbed their child to death in the heart.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Now, let`s be clear.

ARCHER: It was ten years ago. You`re right. I understand. But my point -- and then you have a boyfriend who was prohibited from being alone with Robert`s stepsister.

The key is that like attracts like. And personalities like this tend to cluster together. So this really has a potential to be a disaster of epic proportions. It`s a perfect storm for abuse. I think the search has got to start with interviewing these three because I am just very, very afraid that that`s where the answers...

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, we don`t want to -- we don`t want to cast aspersions without knowing anything. We never assume in journalism. These people haven`t been charged with anything. And authorities say the family is cooperating.

We certainly would love to hear from them. They`re invited on our show any time.

Mike Gaynor, do you think -- quick question, we`re about to go to break -- they have done polygraphs on these family members?

GAYNOR: Well, if they haven`t they`re probably going to. I`d like to exclude the father at this time, at least put him on the side. It`s the mother and the mother`s boyfriend that the police would probably be most concerned with at this time.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: You`re absolutely right. The dad`s done nothing wrong. Panel, stand by.

More on the frantic search for little Robert Manwill in just a moment -- stay right there.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BURRILL: This is Robert`s bear that has always been close to his heart. And our family would love to reunite them together. Please do what you can to help.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: As a little Idaho boy`s family begs for his safe return, cops are pushing for 1,000 volunteers to join the search tomorrow.

Back with my fantastic panel. Phone lines lighting up. Kristy, Florida, your question or thought ma`am?

KRISTY, FLORIDA (via telephone): Well, my question or, I say thought is, it seems to me whenever it`s a missing child, you always look at the family first. I don`t understand how their criminal backgrounds, especially in this, case would be irrelevant.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, I don`t think they`re irrelevant. Kiersten, you`re the reporter on the scene. What are cops saying about this family?

THRONDSEN: Really not much. We have tried to ask police about the criminal records of mom and boyfriend and they say it`s off limits right now. They`re not going to go there.

In fact, the aunt addressed the media today on those stories that have come to light in the last few days. And she said they stand by police that that`s not the focus of the last five, six days. That their focus is bringing Robert home and that this has been very hard on the parents.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes. But those are two not mutually exclusive necessarily. I mean, every time we have a story like this, the first thing everybody says, don`t focus on the family, focus on bringing the child home. We don`t know if those two issues overlap.

My question to you, Mike Gaynor, why do you think the courts allowed the mom to have extended visitation with this young boy? He`d spend the summer with her when she has this history involving the young half brother?

GAYNOR: Well, generally speaking family courts especially are inclined to keep children with families, mothers, especially. And unfortunately sometimes they make a mistake in judgment.

We don`t know if that`s the case here at this particular time. But of course, every detective that`s involved in a case like this must look at the family to learn more about the child.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: The mom, Dale Archer, said she didn`t want her boyfriend alone with her daughter. No reason given. The boyfriend`s an ex-con. This is all boggling my mind but the boyfriend ...

GAYNOR: Yes. It`s a big red flag there.

ARCHER: Yes. I think that it`s boggling my mind too. And I think that the problem is that once a parent commits abuse like she did to that other child, no child should be allowed to be with that individual.

So Child Protection should have stepped in and said no, you cannot only not have the one you abused, you cannot have any of your kids with you until we`ve done a complete investigation.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Thank you to my fabulous panel. Let`s pray we find this child alive.

Remember to click on cnn.com/jane. Preorder your copy of my new book, "I Want." You`re watching ISSUES on HLN.

END