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JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL

Lake Drained in Search for Cousins

Aired July 17, 2012 - 19:00   ET

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


UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We`re going to take a look at this map, but I want to bring in Jane Velez-Mitchell. Jane, I`m surprised that police are looking in this area, but the family members think, "Hey, they don`t go in that area." Do you think maybe police have it wrong on this one?

JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL, HOST: Well, listen, the bikes, Ryan, were found by the lake, as well as a bag belonging to the youngest girl. So they dragged the lake, and they didn`t come up with anything. But they wanted to be 100 percent sure. That`s why they`re draining the lake.

But you raise a very good point, Ryan, is what if it`s a staged scene? This is something that experts -- and we`re going to talk to not only the family live in just moments but a bunch of experts. What if something happened before they got to that lake, and then some sinister individual or individuals placed the bikes there and the bag there to throw investigators off and to have them waste time by draining the lake, which they might have predicted they would do?

We`re going to analyze this tragic disappearance. We want to be helpful and find these precious girls. As every minute ticks by, the mystery deepens into what happened to these two young cousins.

Were 8-year-old Elizabeth Collins and 10-year-old Lyric Cook kidnapped during a bike ride in rural Iowa? They have vanished with hardly a clue. Investigators are draining the lake, as we just mentioned, and using scent dogs in their desperate search. I`m going to talk to the girls` families live next.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

VELEZ-MITCHELL (voice-over): Tonight, a terrifying mystery escalates. FBI search dogs hit on a scent from two missing girls, young cousins who vanished riding their bikes in Iowa, but investigators won`t say where the trail leads.

Tonight, why some feel this spot where the 8- and 10-year-old girls` bikes were found is an odd spot for an abduction. Could a stranger have taken them? I`ll talk one-on-one with the parents of both missing girls tonight. And I`m taking your calls.

And cops say this man just gunned down 17 people in a bar, leaving some badly injured. So why is he sauntering away holding a gun? Police say he later walked into a store and turned himself in. But we still have no idea why. Why was he lurking outside the bar? Was he targeting someone? I`ll talk to a store worker who came face-to-face with this alleged shooter.

Then in tonight`s "JVM`s Most Wanted," cops say this prominent doctor sexually assaulted almost a dozen of his patients. Just before sentencing he vanishes into thin air. Where in the world could this fugitive be? One of his victims joins me tonight as we reignite the investigation into this unsolved mystery.

And unbelievable video. Why are hundreds of teens storming a Wal- Mart? What did they do once inside? Some call this a smash mob, but is there a much safer and more fun way to capture the flash mob phenomenon?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A frantic search continues for missing cousins from Iowa.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Eight-year-old Elizabeth Collins and 10-year-old Lyric Cook were last seen leaving for a bike ride.

MISTY MORRISSEY, LYRIC COOK`S MOTHER: We`re worried. We are stressed out. We are lack of sleep.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have two missing girls, and we have no idea why.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It`s as though they disappeared into thin air in broad daylight.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Pink ribbons as a reminder of two little girls still missing.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Today the process has begun to drain Meyers Lake.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The lake slowly recedes, draining into the Cedar River.

DANIEL MORRISSEY, FATHER OF LYRIC COOK: The girls are just beautiful, you know?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This corner down here is where the girls` bicycles were found and the purse of one of the girls.

D. MORRISSEY: It`s just baffling to try to figure out the pieces to the puzzle.

TAMMY BROUSSEAU, AUNT OF MISSING GIRLS: Everybody is willing to do a polygraph test, you know. We just want our girls home.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just try to hold onto whatever hope you have.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: I`m Jane Velez-Mitchell coming to you live.

New questions tonight about whether two missing Iowa girls could have been abducted Friday during their bike ride in broad daylight. The families of little Elizabeth Collins and Lyric Cook are my very special guests tonight.

Search dogs picked up the girls` scent today near Meyers Lake, which is being drained right now. That`s where the girls` bikes were discovered along with their bag. But investigators will not say if the dogs` hit led them to any substantial clues.

The cousins -- we`re talking about little girls ages 8 years old and 10 years old -- were last seen leaving Elizabeth`s home on their bikes Friday afternoon. Their aunt says she taught them how to protect themselves.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BROUSSEAU: I`ve taught them, you know, if you`re approached and somebody actually grabs hold of you, drop your body to the ground, scream, kick, fight, gouge eyes, do whatever you have to do. Don`t let them get you to a vehicle. You know, I told the girls, you know, once you`re in a vehicle, the chances decrease of your survival. And so I have a feeling whoever approached them had some type of weapon, something that scared them very, very badly that made them get into a vehicle.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Were these precious girls abducted? Were they threatened with a weapon? Police said they have no evidence of foul play. In fact, they are completely baffled by this case.

Investigators and the girls` families are desperate for clues, and they are clinging to hope.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Over and over everything in my mind a thousand times and it`s impossible. I`m just trying to hold onto whatever kind of hope you have.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Call me: 1-877-JVM-SAYS, 1-877-586-7297.

Joining me tonight, the grandmother of the two missing girls, who was watching them at the time that they disappeared after riding off on their bikes, is what we`ve heard. Grandmother Wilma Cook is here with the mother of missing 10-year-old Lyric. We also have the mother of missing 8-year- old Elizabeth on the phone.

This is a gut-wrenching case. You are all so brave for coming here and talking. I know you`re doing this because you want to do everything you can to find these precious, precious girls.

So, Wilma, I`m going to start with you as the grandmother. I know this is difficult, but what were the last words that you exchanged with your precious granddaughters before they took off on the bikes?

WILMA COOK, GRANDMOTHER OF MISSING GIRLS: I told them not to be gone very long, don`t go very far. They knew that they had to be back in a very short time, because Lyric knew that I was leaving Heather`s to go back to my house where she lives in Waterloo. And I didn`t figure that they would be gone very long.

And they`ve done this before. I`ve never had a problem. They`ve never went very far. There`s no way they would have went here.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: When they`ve gone off before, how long did they usually stay out? And would they stay more in the immediate area?

COOK: Yes. It was just like where the post office used to be and a parking lot and then up and down the street, maybe a little ways down on the other side. And they`d come back and check in.

And they were always thirsty, wanted a V-8 juice or something to drink. And then maybe they`d go out for a short 10-minute ride again or something. But it wasn`t a regular basis every day that I would let them go.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Wilma, did you see them bike off? Did you see them get on their bikes and head out?

COOK: Yes. And they went to the parking lot where the post office is.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: So our question tonight, how far might Elizabeth and Lyric...

COOK: And then I went out.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: I`m sorry, ma`am. I`m going to show a map to our viewers. How might -- how far might they have gone? Take a look at this map.

The girls were last seen -- we`re talking about 8-year-old Elizabeth Collins and 10-year-old Lyric. And their bikes were found at Meyers Lake. That is the lake that is currently being drained.

Now, it`s going to take possibly up to two more days for that lake to drain enough to see what`s in there. The distance between those two spots, a little over a mile.

Now, we just heard the grandmother say they normally didn`t go this far. They stayed in the immediate area. That`s what all the family members have been saying. So I have to -- well, ask a difficult question, could they have been snatched earlier and their bikes and their bag dropped there, which would essentially mean that the scene would have been staged to make it look like they had drowned? And I`m going to put that question to Missy Morrissey, whose 10-year-old daughter, Lyric, is one of those who`s missing.

M. MORRISSEY: Sure. Sure, that could have happened. At this point we can`t rule anything out. We don`t have very many details just that the bikes and the purse were found there. So could that have happened? Probably -- I mean, it could have.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Wilma, grandmother, I want to go back to you. If these girls were indeed snatched, is there something that you would like to say to whoever may have them?

COOK: I don`t care what they done. If they hurt them, whatever, just release them. Let them go somewhere at any kind of place where they can call. Lyric knows my number, my cell phone number. Just call me. And I will get somebody to pick them up immediately. I don`t care where you`re at. And I don`t care who did this. Let somebody else deal with it. Just let...

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Heather Collins, your 8-year-old daughter, Elizabeth, is one of the two missing. You have spoken extraordinarily of forgiveness. What did you mean by that? And what would you like to say to anyone who may have taken your precious daughter and your precious niece?

Heather? Heather, can you hear me?

HEATHER COLLINS, MOTHER OF ELIZABETH COLLINS (via phone): I can barely hear you.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: OK. What would you like to say to anyone who may have taken your precious daughter and your precious niece?

COLLINS: Just what I`ve always said is, you know what? I do not pass judgment on anybody. that is for God to do. I forgive you. God has forgiven you, so I will forgive you. We just want our children brought back.

I don`t want to know who you are. I don`t care who you are. I just want them dropped off at the police station or at my house and just be seen running to my house. That`s all I want. I don`t -- I don`t care who you are. I don`t want to know who you are. It`s not -- it`s not for me to -- to judge you or for whatever reason you have decided to do this.

Obviously, you know, you have a lot of evil in you. And, you know, God will work on your heart. We are praying that God will work on your heart and just continuously put it in your brain that -- to bring the children home safely. You know, so much that it is just hurting you and you can`t deal with it anymore until you bring the girls back home safe.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It`s very difficult to picture how any kind of abduction might happen here, because you have this highway right here, major interstate. Then you have this grassy area down a hill. And then this bike path that goes parallel to the water.

The girls` bikes were found all the way on this end of this bike path. But to get out of this on the bike path, you have to go all the way around the whole lake to get to an area where you could get out. That would seem to be an unlikely spot for somebody who was trying to abduct these kids to try to get away.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: So we are trying to decipher this mystery and find out what happened to these two precious girls, ages 8 and 10, who vanished seemingly into thin air. Their bikes were found by the lake.

But you just heard a reporter saying essentially that this is an odd place for an abduction, because it would be hard to drive right up to where the bikes were found by the lake, and it would leave big tire tracks. So how would somebody force the girls from that spot to a waiting vehicle by foot?

I want to bring in Daniel Morrissey, the father of 10-year-old missing Lyric.

Thank you, sir. I know this is agonizing for you. We`re trying to make some headway and trying to understand what may have happened. Are you concerned about all the focus being on draining the lake or much of it anyway, I should say? And do you think that could be a distraction if, for example, these children had been snatched and taken somewhere else?

D. MORRISSEY: No. I think that every effort put forth is worth -- it`s just -- there`s more being done than what we could do, for sure. And anything that is done is going to be appreciated, for sure.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Let`s just set the stage and discuss what everybody was doing when the girls biked off. Now, we understand, Misty, you were working at the gas station. So what about you, Daniel? Where were you? How did you find out?

D. MORRISSEY: I was in Waterloo at my mom`s house with my son. And I was taking a nap, and my wife called and woke me up and told me that Lyric was missing.

This had just happened probably four days before, that where she was supposed to go to, you know, a certain destination and then come back, and after a while she hadn`t come back. And they went to that destination and she wasn`t there. And so things got stirred up. My wife called me then and told me the same thing, that she`s missing. And I told her to call the cops.

And they went around to drive around some more, and all of a sudden my daughter`s calling me from my wife`s phone and saying, "Daddy." You know?

So four days after that I`m getting another call from my wife and saying the same thing, you know. So I`m like what? And so she was out looking for her and I guess, you know, the police got involved and...

VELEZ-MITCHELL: I`m not -- I`m not sure I understand. Are you saying that there was an incident prior to the Friday incident?

D. MORRISSEY: Yes.

M. MORRISSEY: Yes. A week before this, Lyric and her other cousin, Tammy`s daughter, Kaylee (ph), who were in Green Briar, which is another division of Waterloo, and they went walking to the park. They were gone for an extended amount of time. We went looking for them at the park, and they weren`t there. So we called the police. They -- right when I called the police they came walking up to the house.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: So I`m trying to process all this. And you know much more about it. Please don`t take anything I`m asking personally, but is it possible that the little -- one of the little girls may have wanted to run away or been overly curious about just going off? Getting to that age where they want to just maybe take off?

M. MORRISSEY: No.

D. MORRISSEY: Absolutely not.

M. MORRISSEY: No.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Is there any commonality? Is it just a coincidence that these two incidents happened a couple of days apart?

M. MORRISSEY: I think so, yes. The first incident, you know, a week prior, her and Kaylee (ph) were just playing at the park. You know, just playing, being kids. And it really wasn`t that far away. It wasn`t -- they were gone a little bit too long, but they weren`t that far away.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Tell us about Lyric, your daughter, Misty.

M. MORRISSEY: Say that again?

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Tell us about your daughter, Lyric.

M. MORRISSEY: Oh. Lyric is fun. Lyric is a very trusting girl. She loves to play. She loves to be outside. She enjoys soccer, reading, playing on her DSI. She`s a social girl.

D. MORRISSEY: She loves school. She loves school work.

M. MORRISSEY: Yes. She even likes wrestling.

D. MORRISSEY: Yes.

M. MORRISSEY: She likes to wrestle.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Now, Daniel, police are following protocol. They have to do this. They have to look at the family and talk to the family. We understand you took -- well, first of all, Misty, you took a polygraph. When we spoke to you yesterday, you were describing how -- police have said the family`s cooperating completely. You did one. Now, tell us about your experience, Daniel.

D. MORRISSEY: I don`t know. It`s just hard to deal with. On top of everything else. You know, I don`t know -- I don`t know really how -- how to keep going. But I got to, you know?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BROUSSEAU: The girls` bikes did trail around and ended up on the south side of the lake by the interstate, which would be 380 -- I-380. The bikes were just dropped down right on the bike trail.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: OK. So the bikes were found near Interstate 380. It`s a small highway next to Meyers Lake, again, where the girls` bikes were found. This interstate could be crucial, because it leads to two major cities in Iowa: Waterloo and Cedar Rapids. Both much bigger than Evansdale. Evansdale, where this is going down, is only 5,000 people. Waterloo has 68,000. Cedar Rapids has 255,000.

So again, we`re going to talk to the family, this very courageous family. They`re doing everything they can, trying to find these precious two girls, these cousins who were good friends.

If the girls were abducted, and you have mentioned -- some family members have mentioned, they believe yes, this is a sad, horrific possibility. You know the area. Do you think that the focus should start being a little bit more on Waterloo and Cedar Rapids? Have the police told you anything about what they`ve done to check, for example, rest stops, gas stations, weigh stations, whatever?

D. MORRISSEY: Haven`t heard anything like that. I mean, they`re not -- they`re not telling us exactly how far everything`s going, where they`re going with everything. We`ve just been right here for the first three days just looking all over everywhere. And, I don`t know, we`re still here. Just kind of waiting. I don`t know. Waiting to drain this lake and see where things go.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Let me ask you, Misty. Here`s what I`m trying to get my head around. If they had gone swimming, they probably would have taken their shoes off, especially Elizabeth, supposedly, was wearing high-tops. If they had been taken, it`s very likely that the flip-flops that your daughter, Lyric, was reportedly possibly wearing would have fallen off.

Are you perplexed by the fact that there doesn`t seem to be any evidence immediately around the area where the bikes were found? Although I think it`s very suspicious that her bag was found 20 feet from where the bikes were.

M. MORRISSEY: Absolutely. And it was 20 feet away and over a fence. So it was separated from the bikes by a tall fence. We`re not sure if the gate was open at the time. The gate was open when the father, Drew, went down to identify the bikes.

But, yes, absolutely no evidence. Doesn`t seem to be any details. It`s extremely frustrating.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

We do know that there is a way through a wooded area you could conceivably get to a road at the other end of the neighborhood. You would have to know this neighborhood inside and out to put that together. And even more so to know that these two girls might be there at that time.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We do know that there is a way through a wooded area that you can conceivably get to a road at the other end of a neighborhood. You really have to know this neighborhood inside-out to be able to put that together. And even more so to know that these two girls might be there at that time.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Where are 8-year-old Elizabeth Collins and 10-year- old Lyric Cook? We have been speaking to their family. We have a very patient panel of experts now. They`ve listened to everything. They`re going to weigh in.

We begin with Marcia Clark, former prosecutor, author of "Guilt by Degrees." what do you make out of all the information we`ve gotten so far?

MARCIA CLARK, FORMER PROSECUTOR: I kind of think right now that your theory about a perpetrator deliberately setting up a scene that makes it look as though they might have drowned in the lake makes the most sense.

And I also think that, because you have two girls, they`re young, but they`re not little babies, 8 and 10, it strikes me very possible that this is more than one perpetrator involved here. That would have been more than one perpetrator required to take control of two little girls like this and to deal with them.

They`re on bikes, as well. So they`d have to stop them, get them off their bikes and then deal with the girls in the car and put the bikes somewhere.

I wonder, though, whether they -- why they weren`t more concerned about leaving prints on the bikes or on the backpack, for that matter, because it seems very unlikely that, in the heat of the moment, they would have been able to wipe everything down, unless they were wearing gloves. But right now it does seem awfully suspicious.

It seems most -- it seems -- and I hate to say it, I really hate to say it, Jane -- But it seems most likely that this is an abduction and not just a disappearance. I really want to be wrong about this.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: I do too. This entire story is just -- it`s gut- wrenching to have to sit here and think about the possibility of these two innocents, who knows where they are right now and talking to these families so strong to hold up.

For anyone who suggests that maybe they should be weeping or crying, psychologists tell us that people go into shock. This family is in shock right now. And they are doing what they need to do to stay strong for their children.

Now, sometimes children are abducted and held close to home. We all remember the Elizabeth Smart kidnapping case. Luckily that had a happy ending back in 2002. She was 14, she was kidnapped from her bedroom by a man who had done some yard work around her family`s Salt Lake City home. He took her to his camp in the woods just three miles from her family home. Nine months later Elizabeth was discovered. Just about 18 miles from her home with this monster, Bryan David Mitchell and a female accomplice.

Mark Eiglarsh, criminal defense attorney, you`ve heard it all. What do you think?

MARK EIGLARSH, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Well, Jane, on a personal level we discuss this case around the dinner table. My oldest, two out of three kids are 10 and 8, the same ages of these two girls. And I discuss the facts of this case with my kids because I want them to know that there are people with defects in character out there who want to take children from their parents. And they need to do everything they can not to go with them. But as I`m reminding my children of this lesson, I was reminded of the words of the aunt who explained that these kids knew better. They knew to fight. They knew about stranger danger. So it really breaks my heart to think that there may be nothing you can do to stop some of these predators.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Police in this area stopping drivers, even searching trunks.

Jon Leiberman, HLN contributor and investigative reporter, what have you learned about what they`ve picked up from the scene?

JON LEIBERMAN, HLN CONTRIBUTOR: Yes, well, a few things. We were monitoring the scanner traffic in this area today. And we do know that they picked up at least two flip-flops. We`re not sure if they`re directly related to this case.

But we also know to your point, Jane, they are really trying to figure out if the bikes and the purse were staged here, if the perpetrator brought the girls and the bikes to this location. Police have also gathered up cigarette butts and soda cans and the like to do some DNA work on that found around this lake as well.

And the reality is -- and that`s why this case is so heartbreaking, the reality is if these two little girls are in the water, then they`re not alive. But if they have been abducted, chances are they are still alive. So we need to find out where these girls are.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes. And, again, my thought is what child goes in for a swim wearing high top sneakers? Let`s show you the description. You mentioned flip-flops. The older girl is believed to be wearing purple flip-flops -- purple flip-flops.

Now, I want to go back to Marcia Clark. Your thoughts when the father -- it was kind of jaw dropping, he said this had happened just several days earlier that I believe it was the oldest girl who was with another cousin stayed out too late and the police were called just a few days earlier. Your thoughts on that?

CLARK: You know, I think that kids stay out as late as they can, Jane. We were talking about this in the makeup room about the fact that we were out until all hours of the night and day, all day long; we would be out for eight hours at a time. So to have little kids out there playing, it`s summer. What do we expect them to do? They don`t like to come home. It`s fun to be outside.

I don`t draw sinister conclusions or any conclusions really from the fact they were out late earlier a night before in the summertime. They`re out playing. I get it. In this particular instance they were just out during the day.

(CROSSTALK)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes, but it`s interesting. I don`t know. It`s just a wild coincidence that cops are called, there`s just a gap of a few days, one child twice. It`s an odd coincidence.

I want to go to the phone lines. Jim, Idaho, you`ve been very patient. Your question or thought, Jim, Idaho.

JIM, IDAHO (via telephone): Ys. I noticed on your map earlier that it looks like there`s a highway between the -- where the girl disappeared and the lake. Can you tell me anything about that highway?

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Jon Leiberman?

LEIBERMAN: Yes. 380 is a major concern. It connects Cedar Rapids with Waterloo. And as you can see, it is within spitting distance of this lake. So clearly that is a major concern because it gives a quick getaway route if these girls were indeed abducted. Despite the fact it`s on the other side of the lake, it still gives a quick and easy out.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Nancy Grace has more on this developing story at 8:00 p.m. Eastern -- Nancy.

NANCY GRACE, HLN HOST: Jane, on the radar tracking crime and justice. We go live in Cedar Falls suburbs and the search for two little girl, cousins just 8 and 10 years old, Jane, vanishing on a morning bike ride from their grandmother`s. New evidence located.

To California, cops say a jilted lover angry over her ex`s new girlfriend kills him, Jane, by dousing him with boiling hot water.

And to Lubbock, was a twisted love triangle motive for murder in the shooting death of a doctor, Jane?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The first officers arrived on scene approximately two minutes after the shooting started. They found several individuals who had been wounded.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All you see was sparks and people ducking and glass busting.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We do have a suspect in custody at this time. He was one of the leads that came in on crime stoppers.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Tonight, mystery and unanswered questions. Cops say one man sauntered into a Tuscaloosa, Alabama bar and shot 17 people. Why? Cops believe the gunman was targeting somebody inside the bar, but who?

Cops say this man, Nathan Wilkins, calmly walked into the Cooper Top bar last night and opened fire with a military-style rifle wounding 17 people, five of them seriously. One very creepy part, cops say this is Wilkins walking out of the bar, spotted on surveillance video, calmly ambling across the parking lot holding his rifle. He`s not even trying to walk fast.

Cops sent us his mug shot. Look at him. He`s smiling like he just won the lottery. He turned himself in this afternoon about an hour away from Tuscaloosa in a very unlikely place.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHIEF STEVE ANDERSON, TUSCALOOSA POLICE DEPARTMENT: He went to a business in Jasper and told the individuals at that business who he was and that he was sought here in connection with the shooting.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: And joining us now exclusively on the phone is Ken Barfield, the owner of that FedEx store where Wilkins surrendered ending a massive manhunt. First of all, hats off to you, Ken, for handling this one. Oh my gosh, that`s what I call handling a difficult package.

What happened? This guy walks in and what does he say to you, Ken?

KEN BARFIELD, FEDEX STORE OWNER (via telephone): Well, basically the gentleman walked in the store. And obviously he didn`t have a package to ship with him. So I was somewhat paying close attention to him. And he just locks eyes straight in the eye and says, "Yes, I`m the one they`re looking for. I`m the one that shot 17 people yesterday in Tuscaloosa."

He`s walking towards the counter. So immediately I don`t know whether he`s coming here to create a confrontation or shoot there at FedEx or what. I`d seen some information that, you know, he maybe possibly wanted suicide by police-type deal and start shooting. So I tried not to show too much fear in the situation.

I just asked him, "What do I need? Do I call the police? What do you want me to do?" He said, "Yes". He gave me his name and called the police. Still it was on my mind whether he was getting the police there to start another shootout. So I got the dispatcher the information and I put the phone down in an effort not to try to agitate him anymore.

About five minutes went by and the police (inaudible) and he made a statement. He said, "Lucky he`s not shooting at this store." I don`t know if he was referring to the police not getting there yet or him deciding to do something there.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Ken, you don`t sound scared. I`m going to tell you something. Somebody came in to where I was standing and said, "Hey, I just shot 17 people, call the police," I would be trembling. I would be shaking.

BARFIELD: Yes.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: How did you -- you sound very calm. Were you terrified inside?

BARFIELD: Well, I was. But I didn`t let him see it. So, you know, as a matter of fact he was profusely sweating. They can go from one extreme to the other. So I just pointed to the cooler and said grab yourself some PowerAde or drink over there. You look pretty hot.

Unnerving as it was to be, I made the decision to reach out and shake his hand. I said I think it will be all right. Grab your drink and police will be here shortly.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Ken Barfield, you are a hero. Ken Barfield, oh my gosh. Now, that`s how you acted, but were you terrified inside?

BARFIELD: I was. And believe me, just more of an instinct-type thing then. And I advised him when the police get here probably a good idea not to have your hands in your pockets or anything else like that to avoid any confrontation. I`m still wondering in the back of my mind if he was drawing them there for a reason.

So I was just trying to keep him if that`s what is on his mind and make him think twice about it and then reached out and extended a hand and shook his hand. I think it will be all right. I think I`m a lot more nerve racking after the situation as opposed to during the course of the event.

So I just did what I had to do. And common sense and calm seemed to prevail. Looks like it worked out all right.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Ken, I am so, so taken with your response. Oh, my God. I got to tell you, I go to FedEx and always have a good experience and everybody seems very professional.

BARFIELD: Right.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: And now you`ve proved under the most daunting of challenges, a guy walks in and says I shot 17 people, call the police for me. And you say, you should keep your hand out of your pocket because it might look bad if you have your hands in your pocket. That is what I call, well, grace under pressure is courage. And you are a very courageous man. You are my hero. Thank you for calling in.

All right.

From one hero to another, our shocking video of the day. Check this out. A 7-year-old girl climbs out onto an air conditioner three floors above ground. And then she falls. She falls. Look at her falling from three stories. Luckily bus driver Steve St. Bernard was there and managed to catch the falling child.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEVE ST. BERNARD, CAUGHT FALLING CHILD: I ran over there hoping that she wouldn`t fall. And when I got there she was still standing there. And I just positioned myself hopefully I would catch her.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Thankfully, he did catch her. Not a scratch on her. Our hero suffered a torn tendon on his arm, but he will be ok. Hats off to you, too.

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VELEZ-MITCHELL: A surfing rescue goat is the star of our "Viral Video of the Day"; much better than being locked up on a farm.

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(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: JVM`s most wanted.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We all need to work together to bring this guy to justice because this can`t happen.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We want to help you win.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Tonight on "JVM Most Wanted" we`re hunting down a fugitive who`s been on the run for nearly a decade. California chiropractor, Steven Clifford, accused of sexually assaulting 11 of his patients including a minor. The FBI says the assaults occurred between 1998 and 2002, a decade ago.

He pleaded no contest to three of the 17 counts against him. But he vanished into thin air before he could be sentenced to prison. Now he could be anywhere in the world.

Straight out to a very courageous woman, Kim Mares, one of Steven Clifford`s victims and I know this is tough to talk about, but please set the stage. Tell us what this man did to you.

KIM MARES, VICTIM OF STEVEN CLIFFORD: Thanks, Jane, for having me on. I actually went in for a chiropractic appointment and the appointment ended where he had assaulted me and I left immediately.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: You had said something about it was so violent that you were afraid to move and you thought that your neck was going to be snapped. Tell me about that.

MARES: Well, I think it`s a fear of going to a chiropractor for me. And I was terrified because I thought if I had moved he was going to break my neck. And I think you just go into a survival mode. And you just kind of disconnect from what`s going on. I just wanted to get out, basically and got out alive and best as I could.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: And now we find out that you`re not the only victim. In fact, we found that out a long time ago. And he was going to be sentenced to prison, but he vanished.

Steven Clifford. Now, let`s give you a description -- 5`10, 165 pounds, strawberry blond hair, blue eyes, scars on his lower arms and forearms from severe eczema or psoriasis. Possibly in a 2002 metallic tan Dodge truck that may be towing a white camper.

I want to go to Special agent in charge, Herb Brown, FBI; you`ve been investigating this case. I understand this guy likes to drink so he may be an alcoholic for all we know. He enjoys going to night clubs. He speaks some French. He`s armed and dangerous possibly. And at one point he was spotted in Baja, Mexico?

So first of all, I want to say anybody who has information, we want you to contact us or call the number on your screen, call the FBI. My gosh, just pick up 911. Anybody will help you out with this.

But what about this issue that he was down in Baja about, what -- six years ago and he was spotted there?

HERB BROWN, FBI: Yes, Jane. That`s correct. And first and foremost, thanks for having us on the program. It is a great service for this long- term investigation. He was spotted in Baja, California. And more importantly he wanted at one point in time in 2006 actually to surrender to the FBI. Unfortunately, that didn`t happen.

And our latest information indicates he might be living in San Felipe Beach in an RV in Baja, Mexico.

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VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right, take a look at that -- Molly. We have asked you to send us your pet videos and photos and look at these gorgeous creatures, ok. Diamond and, well Sahara -- look at these guys, isn`t that beautiful?

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VELEZ-MITCHELL: Ok, I don`t get it. We know that this fugitive was spotted in Mexico, in Baja, California in 2006. We know what he looks like. We know what he might even be living in, some kind of camper. Jon Leiberman, HLN contributor and investigator. First of all thank you for bringing us this story, we want justice for Kim Mares and the other victims of this man. But why didn`t they catch him in 2006?

LEIBERMAN: Well, this guy is slippery. He is a convicted sex offender and these guys don`t just stop doing this and get day jobs, they continue hunting innocent prey. And that`s why we need to track him down, 11 innocent victims here including Kim need justice.

And I want to point this out Jane. Before these cases in California even happened, we learned that he actually had his chiropractor license suspended in Oregon over allegations of sexual misconduct. He is a terror, a predator and needs to be stopped.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: JVM`s Most Wanted.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We all need to work together to bring this guy to justice because this can`t happen.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We want to help you win.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: This guy was a chiropractor, the woman that we have on tonight who was courageously speaking out about how she was sexually assaulted said she trusted this man and he attacked her sexually in his office and she thought he was going to snap her neck.

Kim Mares, we want justice for you, let`s go out to the assistant district attorney in charge of this case. Christopher Catran (ph), what are you doing? He could be anywhere in the world.

CHRISTOPHER CATRAN, ASSISTANT DISTRICT ATTORNEY: He could be. You know, locally we have limited resources, but fortunately, the FBI had stepped up to assist us, to hope to get him back for justice.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, he likes to drink, he likes to go to night clubs, he will be caught. Keep your eye out.

Nancy next.

END