Return to Transcripts main page

CNN NEWSROOM

FBI At Family Home of Suspect's Widow; FBI Watching Suspect's Recovery; Obama Picks New Transportation Secretary; Manhunt for Girl's Killer; Pro Basketball Player Comes Out: Deadly Raid Has Bob Suspect Ties

Aired April 29, 2013 - 13:59   ET

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


BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: Wolf, thank you so much.

Good afternoon. I'm Brooke Baldwin here, standing on Boylston Street as we continue this search for answers after this Boston Marathon bombing, now two weeks ago today. We're going to talk a little bit about -- next couple of hours about the parents here, what we're learning from both the Tsarnaev parents, as there had been word possibly they'd be coming here to Boston. Again, still this elder brother, the body not yet claimed from the medical examiner's office.

Also this afternoon, getting some new details from Ashleigh Banfield, who's here in Boston. Nuggets as far as what she's been learning from the Beth Israel Hospital staff, when this younger Tsarnaev, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, was taken last week to this prison medical facility in Devens, Massachusetts, just about 40 miles from where I'm standing.

But I want to begin with the wife of the elder brother, Tamerlan Tsarnaev. Her name is Katherine Russell. And so she has been questioned by investigators. We at CNN would love to talk to her. We're hearing a little bit from her attorney. And we've seen some action today outside of her parents' home in Rhode Island. So I want to begin this hour with Erin McPike in Rhode Island for us right now.

Erin, tell me what you've been seeing today.

ERIN MCPIKE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Brooke, about 12:30 today there were six FBI officials sitting in two cars outside Katie Russell's house. And just a little after that time, Katie Russell's attorneys, two of them, pulled up, parked in Katie Russell's driveway and went inside her house. And about two minutes late, five of those six FBI officials went inside Katie Russell's house, where they have not left. So FBI officials have been inside Katie Russell's parent's house for the last hour and 20 minutes. Now, of course, we don't know yet what's going on inside, doing some investigating and perhaps talking to Katie Russell, trying to get more information from her. But it's been a while now.

And what I can tell you, Brooke, also, is that FBI officials have been stationed outside Katie Russell's house for the past week or so. And they've been here around the clock. There are also FBI officials who have been stationed in neighboring areas sort of just waiting in case something happens. And we saw an incident this weekend where we saw Katie Russell's mother leaving the house, and FBI officials from nearby areas came to see her and stop her. So, Brooke, there's been a lot of action here today and in the past week or so even.

BALDWIN: Erin, let me just ask you, you know, we've all, of course, those of us who have been covering this story so, so closely here in Boston, I'm just curious if you can just take a step backward and tell me what more we know about Katherine Russell. I mean I know she attended Suffolk University here in Boston. We know that she met Tamerlan Tsarnaev in a nightclub. And in over the course of time, there was truly a change in her persona, in her behavior, in her dress. Tell me what you've learned.

MCPIKE: Well, Brooke, we've tried to talk to a lot of members of the community, but they have really clammed up because the high school where Katie Russell graduated from has basically discouraged many members of the community from speaking out. But from what we've heard, she was a very good student, very dependable, very well liked, and a popular kid. And a lot of people in this community who knew Katie were very surprised by some of the changes that they saw in her after she left for college. And, of course, they've been very surprised by all the activity that they've seen here in the last week, and, frankly, by the bombings.

BALDWIN: Erin McPike for us, thank you so much, as we're getting more and more details about this family and this picture shaping from over the course of the last couple of years. Erin for us in Rhode Island. Erin, appreciate it so much.

And, again, I'm Brooke Baldwin here in Boston, joined by my colleague -- good to see you.

JAKE TAPPER, CNN ANCHOR: Hey, Brooke.

BALDWIN: Jake Tapper standing next to me.

So let's move along. The mother here, the mother of these brothers now saying she will head to the United States despite the risk of her own arrest on shoplifting charges. She is hoping to visit her only surviving son, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, who, as I speak, is sitting in this 10 by 10 foot cell recovering from his gunshot wounds at this prison medical facility in Devens, Massachusetts, just about 40 miles outside of Boston.

TAPPER: And CNN's Ashleigh Banfield is here with the latest on his condition.

Ashleigh, a source has told you that when Dzhokhar arrived at the hospital originally, he was covered in blood. What else can you tell us about that?

ASHLEIGH BANFIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, we're getting a lot of inside information and color, if you will, about that really awful night after this terrible back and forth of ordinance (ph) and gunfire with the police. When Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was brought to the Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital, my senior level hospital source says that he was covered in blood, head to toe, his face was bloody, he had a lot of field dressing on and he appeared to have lost a lot of blood.

He was only semiconscious. And also his eyes were closed. But he was aware. And that he was brought to the red zone traumatic area for immediate treatment, stabilized fairly quickly. But it wasn't until he arrived at that zone that he started to moan and make sounds. He was silent when he came to the ambulance phase, but he did make a lot of sounds like he was in great pain in the trauma area.

I asked whether there were any bombing victims within that vicinity. You know what trauma area are like.

TAPPER: Right

BANFIELD: There's curtains that separate you from -

BALDWIN: Yes, right next to you - right next to you.

BANFIELD: Right - yes. And apparently not. There were no other bombing victims in that area. However, they needed to get him out of there. So there was a lot that was done.

The FBI did not leave his side. In fact, the local police wanted to set up a crime scene right there at the ambulance bay, but the FBI, I'm told, that it was a very terse conversation. The discussion was a very quick one, I'm told. The FBI took over and said this was their crime scene and they stuck by him right away. They were even in the ER as he was being stabilized, which happened very quickly.

Then they took him right away from the ER down to get a CT scan and an x-ray and then immediately into the OR for surgery. The FBI didn't leave his side then either. They were right there all along. Not letting him out of their sight. But then it was only after that, about a couple hours, from the moment that he arrived at the Beth Israel Deaconess, then about -- within a few hours, they took him to that sixth floor isolated ICU that they shut off from everyone. No curtains with patients beside. He was alone on that wing. And that's where he spent the bulk of the week where, by the way, he apparently recovered fairly quickly.

TAPPER: And, Ashleigh, in the photograph, from right after the arrest, we see - it's a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives photograph that's circulated. He is - he's on the ground and he's being intubated. A tube is being put into his mouth to help him with his breathing. How serious were these wounds? I guess he had something wrong with his throat. We still don't -- do we know if it's a shrapnel wound or a gunshot wound yet?

BANFIELD: I asked my source and, you know, there are HIPPA laws and all sorts of things where you can't release someone's condition. But what was able to be released was, it was unclear exactly whether that was gunfire, whether that was shrapnel, or what had caused the wound to the throat and then the other serious wound to the leg as well. But those were clearly the most serious and life threatening injuries when he came in, again, with this great loss of the blood.

But the most amazing thing that my source said was that he was actually in a lot better shape than many of us thought. I told you last week that I had a senior level source who told me that he was sitting up and that he was able to write and that he'd been writing copious amounts of notes while he was in there and he was also getting mail, which is unusual. There was mail coming in addressed to him at the Beth Israel, which they, by the way, did not deliver to him.

BALDWIN: Yes.

BANFIELD: They gave it to the FBI, as you can only imagine.

One other detail that I thought was fascinating. You've been to hospitals. You know how this works. If you need to transfer someone out, and they did this in the cover of darkness, 3:30 in the morning -

BALDWIN: Right.

BANFIELD: Usually you would go to the ambulance bays and you would wheel a gurney on to that (ph).

BALDWIN: But they didn't.

BANFIELD: No. He did not get afforded that kind of treatment. They took him to a loading dock. They unloaded that particular prisoner suspect to a loading dock into what are called federal marshal transport vehicles. They're bigger than Humvees, but apparently they were there waiting for him. And that's how they got him to where he is now, Devens Medical.

TAPPER: To avoid us, the media.

BANFIELD: Right.

TAPPER: And also for his own safety, one would assume, since there had been word going out for a few days that he was probably going to be transferred.

BANFIELD: Yes.

TAPPER: And to that point, Jake, when I had that exclusive information on the sixth floor trauma unit that had been shut off to everyone, and there was just enormous federal marshal, state police and Beth Israel Deaconess and police department presence there, we did not report that it was the sixth floor for that very reason because it was such a sensitivity security wise. Now, of course, he's not there, I can tell you that it was the sixth floor. But I think it's safe to say, everybody at Beth Israel, at this point, very relieved he's gone.

BALDWIN: Yes, those families, they are like, get him out of here.

BANFIELD: Maybe they the most, you're right.

BALDWIN: Yes. Ashleigh Banfield, thank you so much.

TAPPER: Thank you so much. Great reporting.

BALDWIN: We appreciate it. BANFIELD: Thanks.

BALDWIN: Much more on the investigation, including a revelation about Misha, this Misha person, right, who apparently inspired the older suspect.

Coming up next, President Obama expected to nominate another person to his cabinet, and this time he reveals his pick for transportation secretary.

Plus, a bombshell in the sports world. An active NBA player comes out. The reaction is pouring in. We're all over it. You're watching CNN live coverage here from Boston.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

TAPPER: You're looking at live images of President Obama. He's about to nominate a new secretary of transportation. Let's listen in.

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: And it helps that we're from the same state. Ray is from Peoria. I'm from Chicago. But, you know, we both love the state of Illinois and, you know, we both get out there on the golf course and we're not that good but we don't take ourselves too seriously. You know, he is a good man and has been an outstanding public servant and a model for the kind of bipartisan approach to governance that I think we need so badly in this town.

So, Ray, on a personal level, I could not be more grateful to you for your service and for (ph) the country (ph).

RAY LAHOOD, TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY: Thank you.

OBAMA: Now, unfortunately for us, but fortunately for them, Ray is now looking forward to spending more time with his wife Kathy and their family, especially a whole gaggle of grandchildren. And so today I'm proud to announce my intent to nominate another impressive leader to carry on his great work at the Department of Transportation, the mayor of Charlotte, my friend from North Carolina, Mr. Anthony Foxx.

Anthony's life reflects the values he learned growing up in west Charlotte where he was raised by his single mom and his grandparents. I should add, by the way, that his grandmother is here and she informed me that she worked here in the White House in the Truman administration. So she is just coming back to -just coming back for a visit. And so the values that they instilled in them was to take pride in hard work, to take responsibility for your actions, to take care of your community. And over the past three and a half years, those values have helped Anthony become one of the most effective mayors that Charlotte's ever seen.

When Anthony became mayor in 2009, Charlotte, like the rest of the country, was going through a bruising economic crisis. But the city has managed to turn things around. The economy is growing. There are more jobs, more opportunity. And if you ask Anthony how that happened, he'll tell you that one of the reasons is that Charlotte made one of the largest investments in transportation in the city's history.

Since Anthony took office, they've broken ground on a new street car project that's going to bring modern electric tram service to the downtown area, they've expanded the international airport, and they're extending the city's light rail system. All of that has not only helped create new jobs, it's helped Charlotte become more attractive to business. So I know Anthony's experience will make him an outstanding transportation secretary -

TAPPER: Russia intercepted a -

BALDWIN: Hearing President Obama's next pick for transportation secretary, the mayor of Charlotte, North Carolina, Anthony Foxx.

Back here live in Boston. Want to take you to a developing story out of northern California here. This intense manhunt is underway as police are searching for the killer of an eight-year-old girl. Police in Valley Springs, California, say Leila Fowler was stabbed to death Saturday while her parents were out. Fowler's brother told police he was the one who found her and that he saw an intruder running from this house. So people in this neck of the woods are being warned to lock their doors, be on the lookout. There is extra security at bus stops, at nearby schools. An autopsy for this eight-year-old is scheduled for today.

Meanwhile, the family is still coming to grips with this incredibly tragic loss. The girl's mother tells CNN, quote, "we are devastated. She didn't deserve this. She was so full of life." CNN's Paul Vercammen has more now from the Valley Springs area.

Paul.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAUL VERCAMMEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's a rural community on edge.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They had the helicopters going over our house last night.

VERCAMMEN: A place where doors often go unlocked, now bolted shut.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm sure a lot of families last night locked all their windows, locked all their doors for the first time.

VERCAMMEN: A killer is on the loose. The killer of an eight-year- old girl, Leila Fowler. Police say she and her 12-year-old brother were home alone Saturday afternoon when he says he saw an intruder leaving the house. The boy called his parents, who called 911. He then found his sister stabbed, severely wounded. She later died. Since then, police have been running down leads, but have no specific suspects.

CAPT. JIM MACEDO, CALAVERAS COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE: We're searching, you know, extensively into attics and storage sheds. It is a difficult area to search. It's real remote. The grass is tall right now.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So there are a lot of empty homes and outbuildings around here. There's a lot of huge rock croppings where somebody can hide in.

VERCAMMEN: Authorities have combed the home and the neighborhood for evidence.

MACEDO: We did collect some fingerprints during that search and we also collected what we believe to be DNA. Those prints and that DNA will hopefully be processed within the next week.

VERCAMMEN: There will be an added police presence today at schools and bus stops in the area. As one resident said, this kind of thing just does not happen here.

Paul Vercammen, CNN, Calaveras County, California.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BALDWIN: Coming up next, a bombshell in the world of sports. An active NBA player tells "Sports Illustrated" that he is gay. We will talk live with the managing editor of the magazine about how this whole revelation went down.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

TAPPER: Welcome back to CNN.

Word is spreading fast in the sports world that the NBA's Jason Collins is gay. He came out of the closet today. "Sports Illustrated" has the exclusive story. That's Jason Collins, a beaming Jason Collins, under a headline reading "The Gay Athlete." He writes, quote, "the recent Boston Marathon bombing reinforced the notion that I shouldn't wait for the circumstances of my coming out to be perfect. Things can change in an instant. So why not live truthfully?"

A little more about Jason Collins now. He's played 12 full seasons in the NBA. He finished in the past season with the Wizards in Washington, D.C. They're not in the playoffs. And come July 1st, he'll be a 7 foot tall free agent. Kobe Bryant tweeted approval today of Collins coming out, as did Chelsea Clinton, who studied at Stanford when Collins played there on a team with his twin brother Jarron. Even the White House is out with a statement that reads, quote, "we commend him for his courage and support him in this effort and hope that his fans and his team support him going forward."

With us now from New York, Chris Stone, managing editor of "Sports Illustrated," which, as we said, broke the Collins story. Collins is currently on an NBA roster, but that could change come July when he becomes a free agent. So he's the first. I guess the first question is, is he necessarily even going to be an NBA player next season?

CHRIS STONE, MANAGING EDITOR, "SPORTS ILLUSTRATED": Oh, I think he will, Jake. I mean he's certainly determined to play next season. And we have a story that's running on our website, si.com, this afternoon with a comment from Doc Rivers, one of his former coaches, who fully expects that Jason Collins will be in the NBA next season.

TAPPER: Doc Rivers, of course, the coach -

BALDWIN: Here in Boston.

TAPPER: Here in Boston. He used to be a Celtic as well. I'm sorry.

BALDWIN: No, I'm just - it's quite a story. I read the piece in "SI." And let me just back up and ask, do we know why now? Why this timing? And why to you all at "Sports Illustrated"?

STONE: Well, I think, you know, let's be clear, he doesn't want to be the bearer of any sort of battle flag here. It's a much more - it's much simpler, more personal reason. He wants to have a family. He wants to -- he wants the same life that his twin brother Jarron has. And, you know, this is a secret that he's kept for a very long time. He didn't even inform his brother that he was gay until late last summer. So, so much for twin telepathy.

TAPPER: Right. The other thing -- we should point out, of course, he's not the first professional athlete to come out of the closet as gay. He's not the first current professional athlete. But what he is, is he is the first U.S. male in one of the big four sports.

BALDWIN: Uh-huh.

STONE: Correct.

TAPPER: And, Chris, explain to people why that is significant.

STONE: Well, I think, you know, I realize that's a lot of qualifiers there, but, you know, the fact is he's -- nobody has come out before him, which probably speaks to a culture of homophobia that exists there that doesn't exist in other sports arenas. So I think we ascribe a little bit more significance to this just because it has been this long and that he is, in fact, the first after all of these years.

BALDWIN: OK, Chris Stone with "Sports Illustrated." Chris, thank you so much.

TAPPER: Congratulations on the scoop.

BALDWIN: Yes, it's a great piece. And it's been interesting, we've done a lot of these stories because there were - you know, there were talks that maybe a gay athlete would be coming out in the NFL and part of that piece in talking to a CBS Sports reporter said, you know, that the fear is the backlash from the fans. It's not so much in the locker room, but it's the fans. But if you read this piece, you know, Jason says, I've been booed before, you know, I can handle this. So, again, this is -- this front cover of "Sports Illustrated."

TAPPER: You know, it's interesting, actually, the reaction on Twitter, the only thing I've seen, and I'm sure there are others out there who are being much harsher, but the only thing I've seen from conservatives that's critical at all is, so what, who cares?

BALDWIN: Right.

TAPPER: Whereas five years ago, 10 years ago even, though Twitter wasn't there, the reaction from people who disapproved of homosexuality for religious reasons or whatever I think would have been a lot harsher but now it's just, why are we still talking about this?

BALDWIN: Yes. Some people -- some --

TAPPER: I'm saying the critics.

BALDWIN: Yes, the critics for sure.

Coming up next, a conversation with two imams from here in Boston. These are actually the two imams we talked to on Friday. We wanted to bring them back because, in case you didn't hear, Congressman Peter King has now said that the Muslim community needs to give answers about extremists. So these two imams will be joining us right here to react to that, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

TAPPER: Welcome back to CNN. I'm Jake Tapper here with Brooke Baldwin. BB.

BALDWIN: BB.

TAPPER: We call her BB, live in Boston for CNN's special coverage of the investigation into the Boston terror attacks.

Today -

BALDWIN: Now --

TAPPER: Go ahead.

BALDWIN: Today, I was just going to say, the search for answers turns to the home of Tamerlan Tsarnaev's widow, Katie Russell. CNN was watching as five FBI officials entered her family's home in Rhode Island this afternoon.

TAPPER: And this as the surviving suspect, 19-year-old Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, is sitting in a 10 by 10 foot cell at a federal prison camp and medical facility 40 miles outside of Boston. CNN has just learned that Dzhokhar arrived in bad shape, covered in blood, his eyes shut, semiconscious, bleeding from gunshot wounds to his head, neck, legs and hand. That's, of course, at Beth Israel Deaconess Center.

BALDWIN: Right.

TAPPER: We're talking about when he was first arrested. His mother now telling CNN she plans to visit her son in prison despite her own risk of detainment on shoplifting charges if she returns to the U.S.

BALDWIN: Right.

TAPPER: And new revelations today about a secretly recorded phone call in which she was heard vaguely discussing jihad with someone thought to be her oldest son Tamerlan.

BALDWIN: Which then, of course, brings us to the -- closer to the Russia connection and a deadly raid in the forests of Dagestan. Take a look. Russian special forces killing two members of a jihadist group during an early morning raid. CNN's Nick Paton Walsh has more.