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NANCY GRACE

A Break in Missing Cruise Groom Mystery?

Aired May 29, 2012 - 20:00   ET

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


NANCY GRACE, HOST: Breaking news tonight. Newlyweds set sail on a dream honeymoon, when the groom, 26-year-old George Smith, disappears into the dark waters far beneath the couple`s luxury stateroom on Royal Caribbean`s cruise ship Brilliance of the Seas. But tonight, is there finally a crack in the case?

Bombshell tonight. Homemade video emerges of four men, all four meeting the honeymoon couple that night in a bar, reportedly caught on video bragging about the groom`s death just hours after his bloody fall overboard, the four having some sort of a celebration as the rest of the ship turns upside-down looking for the groom, while the new bride weeps unconsolably. At this hour, we confirm that homemade video in the hands of the FBI.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My son boarded a Royal Caribbean ship for his honeymoon and he never got off.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My brother, George Smith, went missing from the Royal Caribbean Brilliance of the Seas.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: George Smith was honeymooning...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We believe he was murdered on his honeymoon.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They conducted a full forensic investigation. They took fingerprints. They took samples from the cabin.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I did found (ph) something, OK? But I cannot tell you what we found. We did found something.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I remember coming out and being approached by these men and having them just say, you know, We -- we are looking for George, and we found blood and whatever. We now have reason to believe that there`s some blood in the room.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: That was bride Jennifer speaking out with Oprah.

Good evening. I`m Nancy Grace. I want to thank you for being with us.

Bombshell tonight. What a torpedo to the case! After all this time, homemade video allegedly emerging of four men, all four of the men meeting the honeymoon couple that night in a bar on the ship, all four reportedly caught on video bragging about the groom`s death just hours after his bloody fall overboard, the four having some sort of a celebration while the rest of the ship turns upside-down looking for the groom and the new bride weeping unconsolably.

At this hour, we confirm that homemade video is in the hands of the FBI. Are arrests pending in the murder mystery of missing groom 26-year- old George Smith? He had his whole life before him. Look at his beautiful bride. All the families unite. They have a dream wedding followed by a dream honeymoon. Here you`re seeing exclusive wedding video. This is just before he goes missing, his death remaining a mystery, we believe until now.

Why make homemade video of yourself bragging, mocking the missing groom? The FBI combing over that video as we go to air.

We are taking your calls right now. Special guest joining us Cristin Marandino with the "Greenwich" magazine, who broke this story, Cristin, the editor of "Greenwich" magazine with us live.

Cristin, thank you for being with us. This is, I know, incredible to a lot of people, but in my line of business, Cristin, you`d be surprised at how many, for instance, even serial killers keep mementos, write long manifestos about their murders, keep all sorts of items belonging to murder victims. And in this case, reportedly, four men who have long been under the focus of the FBI, apparently emerge on homemade video bragging about the death.

Cristin Marandino, "Greenwich" magazine, what can you tell us, Cristin?

CRISTIN MARANDINO, "GREENWICH" MAGAZINE (via telephone): Well, thank you for having me, Nancy. I can`t really go so far into the tape and even really as so much to say (ph) there were just very self-incriminating statements that these men made. And it is quite amazing that they would do such a thing and such a momentum (SIC) would be kept.

And it is with the FBI. And that`s really the focus of why we decided to get in the game with this story at this point, is get that out there. And the FBI does have it, and it is something that really is being looked at and is going to be a key piece of evidence.

GRACE: Major breaking news. At this hour, has homemade video emerged of four men who meet up with the newlyweds on their dream honeymoon there on the cruise, caught on homemade video bragging, mocking the death of 26- year-old George Smith, apparently later incriminating themselves in statements that they believe the couple to be millionaires? We know this isn`t true. Was this all a killing, a murder, over money they believed to be in the couple`s stateroom?

With us tonight, renowned professor of forensic science Henry Lee. Dr. Lee actually goes on board that cruise ship, Brilliance of the Seas, to take a look at the remaining evidence himself.

I want to go back to Cristin Marandino, editor, "Greenwich" magazine. Who are these four men, Cristin?

MARANDINO: The four men -- that there`s three Russian-American men who have been come to known (SIC) in the story as the Russians, and then there is another gentleman who befriended them on the cruise ship from California by the name of Josh Askin.

GRACE: It`s my understanding there are the Russian guys and then Josh Askin.

MARANDINO: Right.

GRACE: Now, to your understanding -- with me, Cristin Marandino from "Greenwich" magazine -- they meet up with the honeymooning couple for the first time on the cruise ship. And it`s my understanding that a new theory is emerging, based a lot on what the bride says, that she has no recollection whatsoever after a certain point the night before, not just drinking -- I don`t think anybody on this panel has never had a drink where you might have a hangover, you might feel bad the next morning.

But it sounds more as if she and her husband may have been slipped a roofy, GHB, gamma hydroxy butyrate, because she has absolutely no recollection whatsoever, and in fact, wakes up on -- in her stateroom on her bed in the same dress she had on the night before.

What do you make of it, Cristin Marandino?

MARANDINO: I -- I -- it is all very, very odd. And she has absolutely no recollection of the night before. And you know, for one, you would need to consume a tremendous amount of alcohol to have absolutely no recollection.

She also then did get up and go to her massage appointment, which -- you know, she thought George was out and didn`t really think much of it. The masseuse then went on to say she didn`t reek of alcohol, which, as we know, if you`re out on some bender all night long, there`s going to be some alcohol coming out of your skin, especially when you`re getting a massage.

So it just -- it doesn`t add up that there`s no recollection, that they -- the couple was also seen going from, you know, having a good time to suddenly very, very inebriated, couldn`t walk, having problems. To go from zero to 60 so quickly, it seems like there must be something else at play.

GRACE: I think you`re right. And this is the same type of story we have heard from many, many victims who have been the victim of GHB, Georgia Homeboy, date rape drug, roofy, gamma hydroxy butyrate.

Out to Pat Lalama, correspondent with Investigation Discovery, joining us tonight on the story. Pat, let`s go through the timeline. Let`s take it from the beginning. You might as well start at the wedding. Let`s see the video, Liz.

PAT LALAMA, INVESTIGATION DISCOVERY: It`s a beautiful couple, no doubt about it. I mean, have you seen two more attractive people? A lovely occasion. No reason to think there`s any problem between these two.

They`re on the ship. They`re having dinner. They go to the bar. Then they go to the casino. Or is it the other way around?

And allegedly, there was some squabbling between the two, but other people say it was nothing big. They kind of went their separate ways. And then after that, everything changes. He goes off. She goes off in her direction. People in the cabins around the area say they heard fighting. They heard thumping. They heard furniture moving. And as you know, the rest is history.

GRACE: You know, I want to go through it in more detail. Joining me right now, Beth Karas from "In Session." She covered the case very closely when George Smith went missing.

Tonight, bombshell. Is there a crack in the case of missing groom 26- year-old George Smith? Take a look at this luxury cruise ship Brilliance of the Seas. It`s one of the more elite cruise ships within the Royal Caribbean stable. On their dream honeymoon, George Smith goes missing, we learn, taking a bloody plunge to the dark waters beneath his stateroom.

Beth Karas, "In Session," thank you for being with us. Go through the timeline with me, Beth. What a bombshell tonight, Beth!

BETH KARAS, "IN SESSION": Yes, indeed. And you know, this is a huge break for investigators. The fact that these men would sit around, pass a flip camera and make these allegedly incriminating statements is a very big break for investigators because the investigation had stalled. And if it goes in the direction that it seems to be going with this tape, then there could be an arrest.

GRACE: You know, Beth Karas, you and I have -- Beth is not just a correspondent. She`s tried a lot of cases herself as a felony prosecutor.

Beth, people don`t believe it, but it happens over and over and over. Just a tiny example, you`ve got the clown killer, Gacy, who would keep mementos and actually bury mementos in the crawlspace and more, in the crawlspace of his home. You have people keeping victims` driver`s license, just -- clothing, underwear, Scott Peterson, for instance, going back and looking at San Francisco Bay.

There`s something about criminals. People would be shocked they take a video bragging about this or mocking George Smith. But it is entirely conceivable, Beth Karas.

KARAS: Yes, it is. And I really don`t understand why they would do this, why they would make a video incriminating themselves, allegedly, having just allegedly committed a crime. I don`t know why people do it, but it is done over and over again.

GRACE: You know, Beth Karas, keep throwing in that "allegedly" every time you can...

(LAUGHTER)

GRACE: ... because we know for a fact, and we confirmed tonight before I go to air, the minutes before I go to air, the FBI does have this video and they are combing over it. And as a matter of fact, a lot of discussion right now is where a prosecution would take place since this happened on the high seas.

With us, special guest, also, Bree Smith, George Smith`s sister, Michael Jones, the attorney for the Smith family. And before I go back out to you, Ellie Jostad, for a timeline, I`m going to go to Bree Smith. And also with me Maureen Smith. This is George`s mother -- all of us meeting several times after the disappearance of George.

You know, Bree, long time no see, friend, number one.

BREE SMITH, GEORGE SMITH`S SISTER: Yes. Hi, Nancy.

GRACE: We have thought of you and your family so many, many times because you never gave up, Bree. You never gave up. You always knew there was something very, very wrong, that your brother did not leap off the side on his honeymoon, for Pete`s sake. He didn`t rock (ph) overboard. You know, when does that ever happen, that you hit a wave and someone, a grown man, just suddenly falls overboard, sitting on his patio? It doesn`t happen that way.

And Bree, remember, someone had to close the doors behind him to that cabin.

SMITH: That`s right. That`s right.

GRACE: What do you make of the emergence of this homemade video, of these guys sitting around apparently having some sort of celebration while the rest of the ship is turned upside-down looking for George Smith?

SMITH: Well, I think it`s very interesting that the men last seen with George would make these incriminating statements on the videotape. Unfortunately, we haven`t been able to see it, but we are very enthusiastic about the fact that the FBI does have the tape in its hands at this point.

GRACE: With us, Michael Jones, the attorney for George`s family. Michael, weigh in.

MICHAEL JONES, SMITH FAMILY ATTORNEY (via telephone): Well, hi, Nancy. Thanks for having us on. Well, the tape first came to our -- we found that it existed when I had some conversations with in-house counsel at Royal Caribbean, and it was part of the turnover of information and evidence that they made to us as part of the settlement that we entered into with Jennifer Hagel Smith and the Smith family, with Royal Caribbean.

And as part of one of our discussions regarding what information they had, they mentioned that they had this at the time, there was a videotape which had the -- in which the Russians sat around the afternoon of the morning that George passed away, and they discussed his death in a mocking fashion and one of them actually makes an incriminating statement regarding his death.

GRACE: From what we understand, they`re all sitting around with a big meal in front of them on this luxury cruise ship, mocking George Smith`s, a 26-year-old groom on his honeymoon, plunge into the waters, when one of them stands up and incriminates himself in the murder of missing groom George Smith.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GRACE: We are back and taking your calls. Is there finally a break in the case of missing groom 26-year-old George Smith? Joining us tonight, his sister, Bree, who never gave up. Also with us, his mother, Maureen, and the family lawyer, Michael Jones.

Straight to Ellie Jostad. Ellie, give me a timeline and tell me what we know tonight about this homemade video of the Russians.

ELLIE JOSTAD, NANCY GRACE PRODUCER: Right, Nancy. Well, let me just go over some of the quick points of what happened the early morning hours that George Smith disappeared on the cruise ship. 2:30 AM, the casino closes. He and his bride, one of the men that was with them that night and a casino manager go up to the disco. At 3:30, Jennifer Hagel Smith leaves the casino. George Smith remains behind until about 3:45, when he leaves with these four men.

Now, it`s at about 4:00 AM that a man next door says he hears loud arguing in the Smiths` room. He hears male voices. He hears someone -- at one point, someone saying good-bye, as if he`s trying to get people out of his room. And then he actually opens his door -- it`s 4:18 at this point - - and he sees three young men in the hallway.

However, after that, Nancy, he hears cabinet doors opening and closing. He hears furniture being moved around. And then it`s at 4:25 that this retired cop in the room next door and other passengers all hear this horrific thud. That`s when we believe George Smith went overboard, hitting that lifeboat canopy on his way down.

Now, at the same time, his wife is discovered unconscious, passed out in the hallway in another part of the ship. She`s brought back to the room at about 4:50 AM. And then it`s not until the morning, 8:30, she gets up, goes to the appointment. At the same time, passengers start noticing blood on that awning.

After this case had kind of reached a dead end, this videotape emerges. And those men, the same men that are at the casino, at the disco that night with the Smiths, are allegedly seen on this video. It`s three of the four. The three men that are described as the Russians, are seen videotaping themselves discussing George Smith`s disappearance and assumed death, and they are joking about it. They are mocking it. And one of these men makes an incriminating statement on that videotape, according to the Smiths` attorney.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The attorney representing George Smith`s family reveals an alleged new video has surfaced showing three men joking about George`s death, which allegedly includes incriminating statements.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I lost my husband, George, during our honeymoon cruise.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He never got off, and we want to know why.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Vanished without a trace.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They knocked, no answer, went inside. Nobody`s there.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: His family believes he was murdered.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There was nothing amiss in the cabin to indicate anything.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There`s blood on the canopy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: These Russian cruise line passengers apparently under the misbelief that George Smith and his new bride were multi-millionaires, and even said so.

Joining me right now, Dr. Henry Lee, renowned professor of forensic science, who actually went aboard the cruise ship Brilliance of the Seas to investigate the discovery.

Before I go to you, Dr. Lee, isn`t it true, Ellie, that this new report we are reading about in "Greenwich" magazine describes bloody footprints and handprints as if someone tried to stand up?

JOSTAD: Right, Nancy. And it was several passengers, actually, that noticed that blood and the fact that picture we see was taken by a passenger. And they said in that bloody smear, there appeared to be marks that looked like handprints and footprints, you`re right, as if someone had fallen overboard, tried at some point to stand up and maybe hold onto the ship before eventually falling back overboard.

GRACE: Ellie, why do you keep saying as if someone had fallen overboard, when there is blood found on his bed, OK? What do you think, he`s a hemophiliac? He just started bleeding on the bed? No.

JOSTAD: Well...

GRACE: Where we can tell by the doors that someone closed those door behind him.

JOSTAD: Correct.

GRACE: He didn`t just fall. His family has never believed that!

JOSTAD: Exactly.

GRACE: And Ellie, I don`t think we know more than his family.

JOSTAD: Well, you`re exactly right, Nancy. The family has said from the beginning this wasn`t an accident, there was more at work here. They cite the fact that people heard arguing in the stateroom, other things that raise red flags.

GRACE: But Dr. Henry Lee, Ellie, on the other hand, says that he disagrees with that blood pattern assumption.

Dr. Henry Lee, you went to the ship, the cruise line, Brilliance of the Seas. What do you make of it, Dr. Lee?

HENRY LEE, PROFESSOR OF FORENSIC SCIENCE (via telephone): We investigate this whole incident and we measure that stained area. It`s about four feet. Of course, this case, we have to keep an open mind.

There are two possibilities. One, it`s an accident, he falls. Second, it`s a murder. So the murder, of course, has the possibility. And equally, it`s possible could be an accident.

That`s why we went to -- on the ship to try to reconstruct, to hopefully, found some clue to eliminate the other one, and then we can look at it as a murder. We should take a more detailed look and try to find evidence.

I`m so happy to hear that have a videotape now surfaced. It`s so important to see that the videotape or so when the videotape was taped.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JENNIFER HAGEL-SMITH, FORMER WIFE OF GROOM LOST AT SEA, GEORGE SMITH: I lost my husband, George, during our honeymoon cruise.

MAUREEN SMITH, MOTHER OF GROOM LOST AT SEA, GEORGE SMITH: My son boarded the Royal Caribbean ship for his honeymoon and he never got off.

BREE SMITH, SISTER OF GROOM LOST AT SEA, GEORGE SMITH: My brother, George Smith, went missing from the Royal Caribbean "Brilliance of the seas."

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: George Smith, he was honeymooning --

B. SMITH: We believe he was murdered on his honeymoon.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Attorney Michael Jones claims he`s learned of the existence of an alleged tape where the three young Russian men filmed themselves mocking and laughing about George Smith`s death.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We conducted a full forensic investigation. They took fingerprints. They took samples from the cabin.

HENRY LEE, PH.D., EXAMINED GROOM`S CRUISE SHIP: I did find something. OK, but I cannot tell you what we found.

HAGEL-SMITH: I remember coming out and being approached by these men and having them just say, you know, we -- we are looking for George and we found blood and whatever. We now have reason to believe that there`s some blood in the room.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: Tonight, is there finally a break in the case of 26-year-old missing groom, George Smith? He plunged into the dark waters outside his state room. His body never found. Mystery shrouding his disappearance until tonight we learn of a story broken by "Greenwich" magazine.

Cristin Marandino with us who broke this story with "Greenwich" magazine. Ellie Jostad, Pat Lalama, Beth Karas from "In Session."

Cristin, for those viewers just joining us. This homemade video emerging now in the hands of the FBI is quite a blow, quite a break in the case, Cristin.

CRISTIN MARANDINO, EDITOR, GREENWICH MAGAZINE, BROKE STORY ON NEW VIDEO: Yes, it really is. And I mean, frankly, when we became aware of this tape, it was something that we realized we had to jump in and do this story up until this point.

"Greenwich" magazine has not really covered stories like this. But, you know, George from Greenwich, Mike Jones from Greenwich, there`s a lot of local interest and then certainly to become aware of this information and to help get it out there and really hopefully bring some resolution to this and get it out there and get attention such as -- such as this show.

GRACE: You say resolution, Cristin Marandino, "Greenwich" magazine, I say murder one arrest. That is the closure that I want in this case because you can`t tell me, Beth Karas, that this young man who marries his bride, they`re on a dream honeymoon, commits suicide or just happens to fall off the side of the ship, Beth. It didn`t happen that way.

BETH KARAS, LEGAL CORRESPONDENT, IN SESSION: Correct. And I would like to know what this incriminating statement is on the tape. It has to be something like, did you see how he went over after I punched him? Or something like that. And if you were fighting with someone up against a railing like that, I mean, that can show sort of a depraved indifference to human life. If there`s an arrest, they might argue it`s actually manslaughter, not murder.

It could also be an intentional throwing overboard, making him lose his balance, and that -- and he`s trying to struggle to get up from the canopy, and then, you know, stumbles and falls into the sea.

But I`d like to know, why this tape was in someone`s possession and it`s a good thing Michael Jones stumbled upon it in -- you know, in settling the case. Like, who were these people who had it? What were they doing with it? Didn`t they see the value in a criminal investigation?

GRACE: Well, it depends. It may have been someone -- the first that may have had it may have incriminated themselves. What about it? Out to you, Pat Lalama?

PAT LALAMA, CORRESPONDENT, INVESTIGATION DISCOVERY: It makes me wonder if someone is getting ready to rat out somebody else and has been holding this evidence and maybe the heat is on that person and they`re saying, well, guess what, here is my ace and this is what I`m going to play.

And regarding these men, you know, if you read the history of their behavior on the ship, they were thugs, they were bullies, they were loud, they had threatened one guy to throw him overboard if they didn`t get their bags quickly. There`s a history with these guys.

GRACE: And not only that, Ellie Jostad, they were accused of a rape, which Italian police just basically washed their hands off onboard. They had mistreated and abused room service so much they wouldn`t even wait on them anymore.

But what can you tell me, Ellie, about the state of his state room? What evidence was obtained from their cabin?

ELLIE JOSTAD, NANCY GRACE CHIEF EDITORIAL PRODUCER: Right. Well, Nancy, that`s one of the other big bombshells in this "Greenwich" magazine report. We now find out that the spots of blood that were on the sheets in the bedroom are, in fact, George Smith`s blood. And the family has a theory about that. If this was some sort of robbery attempt, George Smith wore a very nice, very expensive watch.

They think that someone may have tried to forcibly remove that watch from his wrist, which would have caused that blood in the bed.

GRACE: With me is George`s mother, Maureen Smith. His sister, Bree Smith. Their family lawyer, Michael Jones. I want to go to George`s mother, Maureen.

You know, at the time we were covering this, I couldn`t connect because I didn`t have children. Now that I have my twins, a boy and a girl, I can`t imagine what you have been through during this, Maureen. What is your response to this homemade video apparently of these Russians plus one American bragging?

M. SMITH: Well, I -- good evening, Nancy. I do not know the contents of the tape. I`m really very, very excited that it has surfaced. But there have been other red flags besides the video. Josh Askin was known to be saying on the ship that they ordered a great deal of room service, and that was their alibi of where they were when my son -- just went on in the cabin. But Royal Caribbean, (INAUDIBLE), the room service attendant, did not -- no room service was sent to that room that night. Their alibi is blown. Why have there been no arrests?

GRACE: You know, their alibi was blown because of the way they had treated room service, Pat Brown.

Pat Brown, criminal profiler, author of "Only the Truth." Pat, I can`t wait to hear what you`ve got to say about this video, this homemade video that could crack the case wide open, Pat.

PAT BROWN, CRIMINAL PROFILER, AUTHOR OF "ONLY THE TRUTH": Well, it`s a great thing to have because obviously they don`t have enough physical evidence at this point to prove that this was a homicide. Hopefully on the tape there is something like that. But I`m a little -- I`m just going to step back from it because we`re talking about incriminating statements.

Is that true or are we talking about callous statements? There`s a big difference and I don`t know yet what that incriminating statement would be which has to be something to the effect of we committed a crime or I committed a crime.

GRACE: Unleash the lawyers, Brent Brown, former Atlanta police officer, CEO of Chesley Brown Companies, Holly Hughes, defense attorney, and lawyer John Manuelian, defense attorney, L.A.

First of all, to you, Holly Hughes, weigh in.

HOLLY HUGHES, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Well, I`m thinking exactly what Pat Brown is. These guys are obviously bratty kids, their punks, their troublemakers. It doesn`t make them murderers. The fact that they`re callously making fun of an obvious tragedy, whether it`s accidental or whatever happened in that state room doesn`t mean it measures up to murder.

Just because they`re saying horrible, rude things, it`s not necessarily confession. I think if it was a confession, we`d have seen arrests by now.

GRACE: You know, yes, I appreciate that, Holly Hughes. But John Manuelian, we all know from having tried cases that confessions come in many forms. And if -- when that Russian stood up and reportedly acts out what happened at the time of George Smith`s death, to me, that`s a confession, Manuelian.

JOHN MANUELIAN, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: It`s an exculpatory statement. And Nancy, you know what that means, it means that it goes against the self-interest and it might point to the fact that he killed these -- killed Mr. Smith. So it will be used in court. It`s not hearsay. It`s an admission and it`s coming in.

GRACE: Brent Brown, former cop, CEO, Chesley Brown Companies. Brent, every confession isn`t like on TV where the person sits down and goes, OK, I confess like at the end of "Murder, She Wrote." First I did this, then I did that, and then you caught me. It doesn`t work like that, Brent Brown. So Holly Hughes can go on and on about it`s not a confession. Well, it may very well be, Brent.

BRENT BROWN, FORMER ATLANTA POLICE OFFICER, CEO, CHESLEY BROWN COMPANIES, INC.: That`s true. I mean it comes in all shapes and sizes, as you`ve said. It could be a confession just by admitting to other parties there. It doesn`t have to be in front of law enforcement.

There`s plenty of evidence in this case. I think it`s a great timeline. We`ve got a retired police officer next door. I assure you his timelines are correct. You put all the evidence together, this could be the one final piece that makes an arrest.

GRACE: Yes, the icing on the cake.

Joining me right now clinical psychologist Dr. Patricia Saunders. Why take video mocking the murder victim, Pat?

PATRICIA SAUNDERS, CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST: Well, I think the mere fact that they took videos of themselves is really telling psychologically. The parallel to what you were saying before, the way solitary killers will retain tokens or mementos so they can relive the experience and go through the control and (INAUDIBLE). To me this is a group predator where they`re bragging and doing the same thing.

GRACE: You know what`s interesting, Patricia Saunders, is the alleged rape that happened onboard "Brilliance of the Seas" on that same trip where the same people are suspected and investigated was reportedly on video, too, Patricia.

SAUNDERS: Well, there you go, Nancy, that these guys are taking the self-aggrandizing pictures of grossly criminal activities to prove themselves to be masterminds, to be macho. We don`t know.

GRACE: Everyone, a quick freak.

The "Family Album" is back showcasing your photos from iReport. Here are Mississippi friends, the Grosjeans, Paul, Debbie, Amber, Nick, love music, Alabama football, Memphis basketball, and their dog Robert.

Share photos through iReport family album at HLNTV.com/nancygrace then click on "Nancy`s Family Album."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HAGEL-SMITH: I lost my husband, George, during our honeymoon cruise.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: On board a ship where a potential murder had taken place --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Police came onboard. They conducted a full forensic investigation.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Did we just saw he`s somewhere else on the ship.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That night I think there`s been a cover-up.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They took fingerprints.

HAGEL-SMITH: I can`t remember anything from a certain time period. That is extremely haunting to me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: We are taking your calls. Tonight, is there finally a break in the case of 26-year-old George Smith, the missing groom, who apparently took a plunge into the dark waters beneath his own luxury state room on his honeymoon.

Joining us tonight, his sister, who never gave up, Bree. The family lawyer, Michael Jones, and George`s mother, Maureen Smith.

Bree, when you learned that there is actually video of these three gentlemen, the three Russians, apparently bragging about George`s death, mocking him, making fun of him, Bree, what is your scenario of what happened that night?

B. SMITH: Well, we believe that it may have been a robbery gone wrong, Nancy. There were a lot of rumors on the boat that my brother had up to $50,000 in his state room. We don`t actually believe that was true, but what matters is that other people may have believed that was true.

GRACE: And the wife, the young bride, she apparently is passed out in one of the -- the ship`s corridors. They`re out, they`re dancing, they`re drinking, and then suddenly everything goes sideways. It`s almost as if something took over. Many people believe it was either a ruffi or GHB, gamma-hydroxybutyrate, and she has no recollection of it. In fact, a cruise ship employee carries her to the room and lays her in the bed.

She has no recollection whatsoever. Somebody finds her in the hallway just sitting there passed out, right?

B. SMITH: Well, it is very strange, Nancy. Jennifer`s lack of memory is definitely unsettling, but we know that when she did come back from Turkey, the FBI did take a hair sample so we`re hopeful that if she was, in fact, drugged, that the FBI would know that.

GRACE: And, also, the theory that they had $50,000, they had just come from their wedding, and a lot of people gave them cash, gave them checks at the wedding, and somewhere in the night they surely told these Russians that they were newlyweds, they`ve just come from their wedding.

What do you make of the fact that there was blood which has tested positive to be George`s in his bed?

B. SMITH: We`re not surprised, Nancy. We`ve known from day one that this was no accident. This was a murder. And we believe with the new evidence that surfaced we are one step closer to finding out who murdered my brother, and it`s just a matter of time before the culprits are behind bars.

GRACE: Bree, how do you get -- it`s like hurting cats. How do you get all these parties back into one courtroom? Isn`t one of the Russians actually doing time in federal pen right now for something else?

B. SMITH: Well, it`s our understanding that he actually has now been released from the Florida State Penitentiary for the drug trafficking, so he is now a civilian out of jail.

GRACE: OK. That`s not good.

Michael Jones, how do you get jurisdiction over all these guys?

MICHAEL JONES, ATTORNEY FOR FAMILY OF GROOM LOST AT SEA, GEORGE SMITH: I think that right now the -- what we`re interest trying to do is get this case transferred to the New York FBI`s office because there`s really no basis for venue and jurisdiction in Connecticut any longer.

GRACE: Unleash the lawyers. Holly Hughes and John Manuelian, what about it, Holly?

HUGHES: What they`re seeking to do at this point, Nancy, because two of these young men are New York residents, is get it transferred back into the New York U.S. Attorney`s Office so that they then have jurisdiction to issue arrest warrants.

GRACE: Got it. John Manuelian, what about the fact that it happened on the high seas?

MANUELIAN: Well, I think they can bring it to their venue, they have the right to bring the venue to Manhattan, and it won`t really make a difference where the murder actually occurred. I think the procedure is going to be the same, it`s not going to affect the investigation or the prosecution in this matter.

GRACE: Back to the reporters. Cristin Marandino with the "Greenwich" magazine who broke the story about this homemade video, apparently taken from a cell phone of the three Russians bragging, joking about the death of 26-year-old American George Smith.

Also with us, Ellie Jostad, Pat Lalama, and Beth Karas.

Beth Karas, what do you make of it and what is next?

KARAS: Well, I think next will be to see whether they can -- you know, what they can do with this incriminating statement. Is it consistent with what they know about the forensic evidence, whatever was said that, well, we were in a fight and I pushed him overboard. Yes, that`s consistent with that. So I don`t know what the statement is but they`ll have to see if it matches up with everything else.

GRACE: Right.

KARAS: If so there may be an arrest.

GRACE: And, Ellie, it doesn`t have to necessarily be, as I was arguing with the defense lawyers early, an outright statement where you do a signed confession on videotape with your Miranda rights. Number one, it wasn`t made to a cop, so Miranda doesn`t apply. Number two, it`s on the high seas so there are different rules and regulations. But it can be just that, mocking George Smith, re-enacting what happened. Talking about the actual murder, Ellie.

JOSTAD: Well, that`s right, Nancy. And these three, four men, the three Russians and a fourth, they`ve come under scrutiny before, and they were all questioned repeatedly. Now there are reports especially here in Greenwich magazine that some of them failed polygraphs or they were inconclusive.

GRACE: That`s right, Pat Lalama. What about the failed polygraph?

LALAMA: Well, that says a lot. And I`m going to tell you, as a journalist, I feel the emergence of an arrest, an arrest coming. I just get that instinct.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Mystery disappearance. George Smith.

HAGEL-SMITH: I lost my husband, George.

M. SMITH: My son boarded Royal Caribbean ship for his honeymoon and he never got off. And we want to know why.

B. SMITH: We believe he was murdered.

M. SMITH: Just disbelief. It was just disbelief.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You`re onboard a ship, where a potential murder had taken place.

HAGEL-SMITH: Has some very valuable information.

B. SMITH: We`re just hoping for answers.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: Welcome back. We are taking your calls. Is there finally a break in the case of missing groom, 26-year-old George Smith? And I`m going to take this opportunity to go back to his sister, Bree, who absolutely never stopped fighting for justice.

Bree, I know you haven`t seen the video of the three Russians mocking George, making fun of him, standing up and making self-incriminating statements about his murder. What I`d like to know, when you speak out to violent crime victims right now, when you hear about this evidence, how does it make you feel? Does it -- does it re-open the wounds, or does it galvanize you to keep going forward?

B. SMITH: Well, I think it makes me pleased that we never gave up. You know? After almost seven years a lot of people thought the case was cold, that there never would be arrests. But this shows to people, this shows to other crime victims that you should never give up, that, you know, if you try hard enough and if you have people with you that help you, there may be arrests one day, and a case just because it`s old does not mean it`s cold and finished. So keep fighting.

GRACE: You know, the -- it`s disgusting to me, it`s reprehensible that they are making fun of your brother, making fun of George Smith and his death. But you know what? Thank god they did.

B. SMITH: Right.

GRACE: Because now it`s caught, because they`re idiots, it`s caught on a cell phone video that the FBI are reviewing right now. Thank you, Bree.

B. SMITH: Thank you.

GRACE: Let`s stop and remember Army Specialist Dane Balcon, just 19, Glendale, Arizona, killed Iraq. Bronze Star, Purple Heart, Combat Action Badge, National Defense Service Medal. Wanted to enlist since age 3. Loved playing drums and air soft. Leaves behind mother, Karla, stepbrother, Larry, brothers Grant and Quinn.

Dane Balcon, American hero.

Thanks to our guests but especially to you. Stay tuned for "DR. DREW" coming up.

Everyone, I`ll see you tomorrow night, 8:00 sharp Eastern, and until then, good night, friend.

END