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CNN NEWSROOM

Pregnant After Two Children Murdered; Texas Towns Face Tornado Cleanup; Soldier Surprises Wife, Daughter; Runners Pay Tribute To Boston; Faced With Eviction, Now Millionaires

Aired May 17, 2013 - 14:30   ET

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


ASHLEIGH BANFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Nearly seven months after a Manhattan couple's two children were murdered, allegedly by their own nanny, that couple has some very, very good news. Kevin and Marina Krim are expecting another baby, a baby boy. Marina has told the police that she came home last fall to their upper west side apartment, and discovered her 6-year-old daughter Lulu and her toddler son Leo dead in the family bathtub.

The nanny was standing nearby and in the process of stabbing herself. You can see photos of Lulu and Leo. The parents started a charity to honor their children. The nanny has pleaded not guilty to murder charges.

I want to bring in clinical and forensic psychologist Jeff Gardere. This is, by all accounts, seeing this on the front page, I want to hold up the front page of the "Daily News," our baby joy, you can see down here, the family.

I think it is heart warming for a lot of people here who have lived through this story. I personally worked at the network where Kevin Krim works, but I don't -- I can't for a moment imagine what they're going through, that the tragedy turning to the joy and how you can still try to abate that tragedy.

JEFF GARDERE, CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST: Well, they are absolutely courageous to have another child. Think about it. There are so many other parents who would be afraid. They couldn't go through the heart break of seeing a child because it may remind them of Leo or Lulu. And they have decided that they are going to continue their recovery.

Now, let's be clear, right after their children were murdered, they went to California, and stayed with relatives, and the healing began there. And then they started a long cross country trip back to the east and that was part of the healing.

BANFIELD: Is that part of the idea of getting out of the thick of the horror and getting new environmental stimuli, changing up your traditional day to day habits so these are not allied with every awful memory?

GARDERE: It is literally that time-out, but for adults, where you separate yourself from all of that stimuli that is re-traumatizing you over and over again, and getting the support of, in this case, a lot of family, and now friends as they made it back over to the east. It is great and they also started a fund for Leo and Lulu, an educational fund, to help other children. So that's all part of that healing.

BANFIELD: So about the rearing of the baby, and the surviving child, if you don't know the story, one of the children was with Mrs. Krim when this disaster was unfolding. And thus was unscathed by these horrifying crimes. Trying to deal with that child who has lost two siblings, and now adding a sibling, we have a lot of dynamics playing out here. The grown-ups, the child and the new child, and what you tell the new child as that child is growing up.

GARDERE: There are a lot of moving parts. You're absolutely correct. And I think for them it's a -- time as to how they speak to the surviving child, helping the surviving child as far as survivors' guilt, being the only one that made it, but now a lot of that survivors' guilt abates.

Because there is another child coming into the picture, and teaching the surviving child and the new child how to love, how to trust, and for these incredible parents, how to be parents again and bring more joy and a new life into the world, that this time we know won't be taken away from them.

BANFIELD: We so wish them the best, the Krim family.

GARDERE: They're wonderful people.

BANFIELD: And really, I mean, our entire news team just sort of exhaled when we saw the story this morning.

GARDERE: Finally a good news story, right?

BANFIELD: I know. Have a good weekend.

GARDERE: All right, great to see you, Ashleigh.

BANFIELD: Always good to see you. Thank you for your insight so smart.

I want to take you to Texas. Residents started cleaning up. It is a process that will be very, very taxing after more than a dozen deadly tornadoes tore through their state and now we're hearing the emotional stories of total loss and the amazing stories of survival too.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I hunkered them down in the doorway and threw a blanket over them and I got on top of them and prayed and hope for the best.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BANFIELD: So many prayers. We are live from one of the areas hardest hit coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BANFIELD: In North Texas, some relief for search crews who thought that they were going to be facing a very long and emotional day, great news to report. All seven people who were missing from Wednesday's tornado outbreak have now been accounted for, terrific news after such awful news.

At least 16 different tornadoes touched down in several counties, all around the Fort Worth in Dallas area. The outbreak lasted, if you can believe it, a terrifying seven hours. When it was all over, at least six people were killed.

CNN's Alina Machado is one of the hardest hit areas in Granbury, Texas. How did they find all of the missing? This was something that had been so concerning that it had gone on for hours. They couldn't find these people. What's the story?

ALINA MACHADO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It was very scary and very concerning for the people in the community. We heard that initially, again, people -- authorities thought these people were missing. They had not been able to find them. Two of those people who had been missing contacted authorities, actually, no, two of those people who had been missing were found by search and rescue teams.

The rest of them found out that they had been missing and they contacted authorities to tell them, I'm OK, so very good news for the people in this community who are dealing with just so much destruction and tragedy. Now we want to give you a sense, a taste of the kind of damage we're talking about.

We're right by a mobile home that was destroyed in this storm. This is apparently the roof of the mobile home. You can see it is all crumpled. That's the furnace. These are some kitchen cabinets that are now here on the front lawn.

If you walk over here on this side, you can see the mailbox, just laying there. And so this is also -- looks like the front door to the mobile home. There was some glass there at some point and that glass has been shredded.

Over here, if you look over here, that is a grill wedged underneath what is left of this mobile home. I'm going to have my photographer walk up here on what is left of this home, so you can get a better look at what's left. We have to be really careful because there is a lot of debris.

There are a lot of pieces of wood that have nails, long nails like this, just all over the place. You see that right there. That's the refrigerator of this mobile home. A partial wall left standing there. You get the sense of just how powerful and how much damage this tornado left.

This place is about a mile from a subdivision, which was the hardest hit area. We haven't been able to go in there, but we understand that most of the homes in that subdivision were either damaged or destroyed -- Ashleigh.

BANFIELD: It just looks as though -- I know that when you cover storms, it is so different when you're there than when you see it through the camera lens, but it looks as though that whole area has been put through a blender and it looks very windy as well. Are they worried about any further weather or are they in the clear?

MACHADO: You know, when we woke up this morning, we saw some clouds and it felt like it was going to rain. Today, it looks like things have cleared up quite a bit. But we are hearing that some severe weather, there is the potential for severe weather in the next few days.

Obviously people here are going to be closely monitoring that and keeping a close look on that as they figure out what they're going to do, survivors trying to figure out if they'll be able to get back to their homes inside that subdivision and try to salvage things before the storms had hit. We don't know when and if that will happen -- Ashleigh.

BANFIELD: And where they're going to live and everything else. I mean, there is just such a huge road ahead for them. Alina Machado, thank you for that. Be careful. That debris can be very, very dangerous.

I want to turn your attention now to some really welcome news for a change. A video that has a lot of people talking today and a lot of people smiling and a lot of people crying, a dad, who has been serving in Afghanistan for the past year, takes a mask off. Need I say more, that family is going to join me live next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BANFIELD: In St. Petersburg, Florida, a family reunion that is going to bring tears to your eyes. I just know it. Lieutenant Colonel William Adams' 9-year-old daughter threw out the ceremonial first pitch then found out she did that and it was her dad catching it at the Red Sox/Rays game. Her mom was also on the mound, didn't know a thing about it either.

Little did they know that catcher in disguise, catcher in disguise, he had been in Afghanistan for a year. When his daughter and his wife realized it was him, the hugs, the tears of joy, you can only imagine what that family was going through at that moment what a wonderful surprise.

And Colonel Adams and his wife, Dana, and his daughter, Alayna, are kind enough to join me now live from Tampa. What a great thing you did, Colonel Adams. How did you pull this off?

LT. COL. WILLIAM ADAMS, SURPRISED WIFE, DAUGHTER AT BASEBALL GAME: Well, I don't think I pulled it off, Ashleigh. I think it was -- I know it was the USO at Tampa Bay and the Tampa Bay Rays. All the work goes to them.

BANFIELD: What a wonderful surprise. Dana, Elena, you must have -- I'll use the colloquial, you must have freaked out. Tell me about it.

ALAYNA ADAMS, SURPRISED BY DAD AT BASEBALL GAME: Well, when I saw him, for a second, I couldn't believe my eyes. I was, like, wait, is that my dad? Yes, it is, and I started running towards him.

BANFIELD: What were you thinking, Dana? You were kept in the dark as well on this.

DANA ADAMS, SURPRISED BY HUSBAND AT BASEBALL GAME: I had no idea at all. And I didn't even realize until after she was running and it just totally caught me off guard. It has been very exciting and totally unexpected, and just a lot of fun.

BANFIELD: You know what, I have to be honest with you, as a TV news anchor, we have been able to be witness and take videos of a lot of these wonderful moments when children are reunited with their parents. I got to be honest with you, I tear up every time and this time is no different. And I can only imagine what it is like to be a part of it. Give me a feel for just the swelling of emotions and what you must have been thinking at that moment.

DANA ADAMS: You know, I saw them on the jumbo tron and I thought that was our surprise. And I started tearing up then and then I turned around and I just -- I couldn't even comprehend what was going on for a little while. It was awesome.

BANFIELD: Colonel, you did that, didn't you? You did a message in the jumbo tron as though you were still overseas. How did that all work out and how long had you been plotting all of this?

LT. COL. WILLIAM ADAMS: The USO contacted us last Thursday to see if we were available for the game. In Afghanistan that can be a -- a week sounds like a long time, but all the helicopters and plane rides takes a long time. It is pretty exciting to have the opportunity.

I know my most nervous part was making sure my wife of 16 years didn't figure it out because she's pretty crafty. The next thing was to make sure I catch the pitcher from this little beast and she threw it right down the middle and did her dad a favor.

BANFIELD: You're a big, tough lieutenant in uniform. You don't think the biggest battle was not to break down and weep?

LT. COL. WILLIAM ADAMS: Well, that too. But fortunately I had the mask on for most of it.

BANFIELD: That's the other thing. Dana, did you clue in before your daughter or did you have that same feeling like that cannot be who I think it is?

DANA ADAMS: She realized it first. I just was standing there in shock and it took a while to register. And then I just -- it was unbelievable. I couldn't believe it. I had no clue whatsoever.

BANFIELD: Alayna, when we show the video of you running to your dad, and you literally jump into his arms and hug him so tightly, I can't see your face because it is buried in his shoulder, were you crying?

ALAYNA ADAMS: No. It was more like I was just like laughing and smiling. And we watched the clip earlier today and I said to my mom, she was, like, I was crying and everyone was like, no, you're not, you're just laughing because I watched over and she was laughing, not crying.

LT. COL. WILLIAM ADAMS: She had her head buried in there pretty deep. I know Dana was trying to wiggle in for some room and Alayna had her all blocked out.

BANFIELD: I'm having trouble doing this interview, every time I see the video, I get choked up. It is such a wonderful thing to see. I have to ask you, are you home for good, Colonel?

LT. COL. WILLIAM ADAMS: As good as someone in the military gets to be home for, but I'm home for this time for quite a while, so should be a year, year and a half.

BANFIELD: A year and a half, you got to go back.

LT. COL. WILLIAM ADAMS: Well, we'll see. Everything changes every day.

BANFIELD: You know what doesn't change, our appreciation for you. I'm not the only one out here who can't believe how terrific you are, and what you do and all of your colleagues who put your lives on the line for the rest of us and then have your families wait for you to come home and so just a huge thank you to you, and also to you, too, as well, for the sacrifice you made while he was overseas. Dana and Alayna and Colonel Adams, thank you so much for being with us. Thank you for your service, sir.

LT. COL. WILLIAM ADAMS: Thank you, Ashleigh. Appreciate the support.

DANA WILLIAMS: Thank you very much.

BANFIELD: So great to see you. Bye. Take care. What a great story. Great family, just wonderful.

You have heard the saying that patience is a virtue. If nobody wins the $600 million Powerball this weekend, the next drawing is set to go up to a staggering $925 million. And, yes, you did the math right. That's almost a billion. We're talking Powerball fever next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BANFIELD: In the weeks since the bombings at the Boston marathon, runners around the can country have paid tribute to the victims of that horrible crime. Some cities have even invited the Boston runners who never were able to finish that race to just come on over and compete in their events. Our Tom Foreman has more in today's "American Journey."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Across the country, ever since the bombings, thousands of runners and dozens of races have taken to the roads in the name of Boston, many wearing special signs of their support, offering respect and raising money for victims. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: After I heard what they were doing for the people that didn't finish and then I researched a little bit on what this marathon was for, it just made sense to do something because it is just something special, you know, to be part of something like this.

FOREMAN: It has been a tough year in the running community as two premiere competitions were swept up in events far bigger than any sport. The New York marathon was canceled in the wake of Superstorm Sandy.

MARY WITTENBERG, PRESIDENT AND CEO, NEW YORK ROAD RUNNERS: It is with incredibly heavy hearts today, tonight, that we share that the best way to help New York City at this time is to say that we will not be conducting the 2012 ING New York City Marathon.

FOREMAN: Boston, the most renowned marathon in the nation, ended in a national tragedy.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't understand why anyone would want to do anything like this because it is just a world sport, it is a world spirit.

FOREMAN: But other states invited those who didn't finish in Massachusetts to run in their races, offering free entries, leaving even legendary marathoners like Amby Burfoot who writes for "Runners World" and won the Boston race in 1968, feeling even stronger about the sport and its spectators.

AMBY BURFOOT, 1968 BOSTON MARATHON WINNER: We will be back more and stronger than ever next year to just literally -- next year will be a race about the spectators. It will be the runners thanking the spectators for being there.

FOREMAN: As more than one runner has noted in recent weeks, if intimidation is the goal, attacking a marathon is a bad idea because runners and those who love running are very hard to stop. Tom Foreman, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BANFIELD: I like that New York loves Boston t-shirt. Tonight, be sure to tune into CNN as we return to Boston and the images that you will never forget, the photographers that took the pictures tell their incredible stories. "Back to Boston, Moments of Impact" tonight at 10:00 p.m. Eastern.

And coming up next, America, we are on the verge of a brand-new record when it comes to the Powerball lottery. That jackpot isn't just rising. It's skyrocketing. Here's some inspiration, a man wins the lottery after a surprise and a good old cookie jar. Not kidding. Back in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BANFIELD: A suburban Chicago family was on the verge of losing their home and not anymore. All of it thanks to a very sweet surprise that they found in all places, a cookie jar, a cookie jar, that winning lottery ticket worth nearly $5 million.

Rick Cerezo was cleaning out the cookie jar that was filled with dozens of all, musty lottery tickets and started comparing the numbers against the winning numbers on the lottery web site and then --

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RICARDO CEREZO, LOTTO WINNER: I realized we had all six numbers it was that shocking moment of, whoa, can this really be? So I called my son over, and asked him to double-check this. And he looks it through and goes, yes, looks like a winner.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BANFIELD: Looks like a winner. I love that. The family says they're going to use the money, $4.8 million, to pay off their home. I think they'll have some left over. Later this hour, I'm going to talk live with the very lucky man himself, Rick Cerezo.