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JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL

Most Shocking Stories of 2013: Jodi Arias, Politicians Gone Wild

Aired December 30, 2013 - 19:00:00   ET

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


JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL, HOST: Tonight, the most shocking, insane and wackiest stories of 2013. So many outrageous moments this year, right? And now we`re bringing you the most scandalous, most jaw-dropping stories of the last 12 months.

Good evening. I`m Jane Velez-Mitchell. Thanks for joining me. Fasten your seat belts.

We begin with the most notorious villain of the year. That`s right, Jodi Arias. The sex, the lies, the drama. The sex. We`ve never seen or heard anything like it. Hit it.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JODI ARIAS, CONVICTED OF MURDER: No jury is going to convict me.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why not?

ARIAS: Because I`m innocent. And you can mark my words on that one. No jury will convict me.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Secrets, sex, and a murder literally caught on camera, all exposed in open court on the very first day of the Jodi Arias trial.

JUAN MARTINEZ, PROSECUTOR: This is not a case of who done it. The person who done it, the person who committed this killing, sits in court today. It`s the defendant, Jodi Ann Arias.

JENNIFER WILLMOTT, JODI`S DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Jodi Arias killed Travis Alexander. There is no question about it. The million-dollar question is what would have forced her to do it.

But in reality, Jodi was Travis`s dirty little secret.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: The jury saw some graphic, naked photos of both Jodi and Travis. We can`t show you all of them.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Why doesn`t he love me for me? Why isn`t he choosing me? Why am I only a sex object to him?

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Beth Karas, you were in court and saw what happened when a forensics technology expert may have inadvertently shown us where the defense was going. You saw the photo.

BETH KARAS, HLN LEGAL CORRESPONDENT: He could not say whose photo it belonged to, but we could see a photo. And Jennifer Willmott, defense attorney, tried to have it admitted into evidence. It was objected to. But this was a photo of a large, erect penis, and that`s all that was in the photo. And it was a big one.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: The defense plays a tape of Jodi Arias and Travis Alexander having phone sex. Wow. Is it triple X-rated. In between moans, she describes his incredible sexual stamina, and he talks about his sexual fantasies. It`s triple X-rated plus.

TRAVIS ALEXANDER, MURDER VICTIM (via phone): I`m going to tie you to a tree and put it in your (EXPLETIVE DELETED).

ARIAS (via phone): Oh, my gosh. That is so debasing. I like it.

T. ALEXANDER: I`m going to tie your arms around a tree and blindfold you and put the camera on a timer while I`m (EXPLETIVE DELETED) you.

The way you moan, baby, it sounds like a 12-year-old girl having her first orgasm. So hot.

ARIAS: It sounds like -- sounds like what?

T. ALEXANDER: A 12-year-old girl having her first orgasm. (EXPLETIVE DELETED) this hot little girl.

ARIAS: You`re bad. You make me feel so dirty.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Jodi told the jury about triple X-rated fantasies she and Travis acted out. And here`s one, late at night allegedly, on her front porch.

ARIAS (on camera): He wanted to get out of the car, have me come out of the house, give him oral sex. And he wanted to (EXPLETIVE DELETED) on my face and then get back in his car and drive away without saying a single word.

MARTINEZ: You`re saying you didn`t enjoy it, did not enjoy it, correct?

ARIAS: I`m not saying that either.

MARTINEZ: Well, there can`t be a middle ground. You either enjoyed it or you didn`t, right?

ARIAS: That`s not correct.

WENDY MURPHY, FORMER PROSECUTOR: She manipulated, lied, used the media, used porn, used her image, completely disrespected Travis and his family, falsely accused him of pedophilia.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Jodi described, in graphic detail, allegedly walking in on Travis and seeing pictures of little boys in their underwear while he was pleasuring himself. We warn you: It`s graphic, but it`s what Jodi said in open court. It`s central to the defense claim Jodi was sexually degraded and abused by Travis. Listen to this.

ARIAS: I walked in, and Travis was on the bed (EXPLETIVE DELETED). And I got real embarrassed.

It was a picture of a little boy, five-ish, five, six. I`m not a good judge of age. He was dressed in underwear, like briefs.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: The moment of truth. It`s the dramatic explanation the jury has been waiting for in the Jodi Arias murder trial. Accused murderer Jodi sobs and weeps as she describes exactly what she says happened in the seconds leading up to Travis Alexander`s death, but at the very crucial moment, we`re all there with bated breath. She said, "I blacked out. I don`t remember a thing."

ARIAS: And he lifted me up as he was screaming that I was a stupid idiot, and he body-slammed me again on the tile.

I began to run down the hallway, and I could hear him following. I could hear his footsteps chasing me.

I remembered where he kept the gun, so I grabbed it. He got like a linebacker. He got kind of low and grabbed my waist. But before he did that, as he was lunging at me, the gun went off.

I didn`t mean to shoot him or anything. I didn`t even think it was holding the trigger. He said, "I`ll (EXPLETIVE DELETED) kill you, bitch."

There is, like, a huge gap. I don`t know if I blacked out or what. There`s a huge gap.

KIRK NURMI, JODI`S DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Do you remember stabbing Travis Alexander?

ARIAS: I have no memory of stabbing him.

NURMI: Do you remember dragging him across the floor?

ARIAS: No.

NURMI: Do you remember placing him in the shower?

ARIAS: I`m sorry, that`s no.

MARTINEZ: So it appears that your memory was faulty immediately upon your shooting him.

ARIAS: Yes, things get real foggy from there.

MARTINEZ: Problems with your memory, is it a recent vintage?

ARIAS: Define recent.

MARTINEZ: I don`t know, since you started testifying.

ARIAS: It depends on the type of memory issue.

MARTINEZ: If it benefits you have a memory issue? What factors influence your having a memory problem?

ARIAS: Usually, when men like you are screaming at me or grilling me or someone like Travis doing the same.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: The prosecutor forces Jodi -- you`re looking at her here -- to get up on the stand and physically demonstrate how she claims Travis lunged at her right before she shot him. Look at this.

MARTINEZ: Do the linebacker pose.

ARIAS: He got down.

MARTINEZ: Show me the linebacker pose. That`s what I`m asking for you to do.

ARIAS: OK. He went like that, and he turned his head and grabbed my waist.

MARTINEZ: Just like that, correct?

ARIAS: Pretty much.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: It`s all happening now up on the fifty floor. prosecutor Juan Martinez just completed his closing argument, and it was powerful.

MARTINEZ: He has defensive wounds to his left and right hand. As she is stabbing him, he is alive.

Those are the truest words that are spoken in this case, and they`re spoken by Mr. Alexander, even though he is not here, through his writings. "You," Jodi Arias, "are the worst thing that ever happened to me."

She has scammed him. Are you going to allow her to scam you?

NURMI: She didn`t say, "Dear diary, Travis ejaculated on my face today."

What happened in those three minutes? Either she was there to kill him or it wasn`t -- or she wasn`t.

A whore, slut, and (EXPLETIVE DELETED).

Premeditated murder. That`s the ultimate crime.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: I almost fell off my chair. I don`t know if it`s grounds for appeal, but I can tell you that there were gasps in the courthouse -- in the courtroom when Kirk Nurmi, the defense attorney, said most of the days he doesn`t like Jodi Arias. Listen to this one.

NURMI: It`s not even about whether or not you like Jodi Arias. Nine days out of ten, I don`t like Jodi Arias. But that doesn`t matter.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: The crowds are gathering as word has spread that the jury deliberations have begun.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It`s finally to the point where it`s their decision.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: The only thing crazier than the trial, the verdict. Keep that seatbelt fastened. We`ll be back with that in a second.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: 911 emergency.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A friend of ours is dead in his bedroom.

ARIAS (via phone): You`re bad. You make me feel so dirty.

(on camera): I love Travis Victor Alexander so completely that I don`t know any other way to be.

(singing): They might change my memory.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: We`ve heard the tawdry testimony, the triple-X-rated phone calls and looked at the disturbing and graphic autopsy photos. The case was finally in the hands of the 12 men and women ready to decide Jodi`s fate.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Murder in the first degree, guilty. Check it out.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: State of Arizona versus Jodi Ann Arias, verdict count one. We, the jury, duly impanelled and sworn in the above entitled action upon our oaths do find the defendant as to count one first degree murder guilty.

Five jurors find premeditated. Zero find felony murder. Seven find both premeditated and felony. Signed foreperson.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: I am here with Elsie Leon (ph), and perhaps she has summed it up best: "Juan Martinez for governor." That`s what the sign says. What does everybody think here? Everybody agree -- it seems like everybody agrees. Juan Martinez for governor.

DAVE HALL, FRIEND OF TRAVIS: After five years of waiting, to finally have that word "guilty" ringing in your head.

SHAUN ALEXANDER, FRIEND OF TRAVIS: We finally got justice. It`s been five years coming. So I`m surprised I got emotional. I didn`t expect it. So it`s amazing. And just -- my heart goes out to the family and everybody else. I`m so happy they`re finally going to get some peace from this.

ELISHA SCHNABEL, FRIEND OF TRAVIS: If you don`t forgive it`s much like taking poison, expecting the other person to die. I refuse to give that woman power into my life. She took one of my best friends. I love you, Travis.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Eight siblings, their lives shattered. Emotional problems, depression, nightmares, years of their lives lost.

STEPHEN ALEXANDER, BROTHER OF TRAVIS: I remember walking out that back door screaming, crying.

SAMANTHA ALEXANDER, SISTER OF TRAVIS: Our lives will never ever be the same.

STEPHEN ALEXANDER: I thought my brother was bulletproof.

SAMANTHA ALEXANDER: Every day will never be the same.

STEPHEN ALEXANDER: Who on earth would want to do this to him?

SAMANTHA ALEXANDER: Our poor brother`s throat split from ear to ear.

STEPHEN ALEXANDER: For what reasons?

SAMANTHA ALEXANDER: We all miss his contagious laughter. His singing voice melts (ph), his jokes.

STEPHEN ALEXANDER: I don`t want to have to see my brother`s murderer any more. He never got to live his dreams. He will never get to do that because he was so brutally ripped out of this world.

SAMANTHA ALEXANDER: Travis was our strength. We can never get him back.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Right after the verdict, she gave an interview to a local TV station and talked about how she wanted to die.

ARIAS: I said years ago that I`d rather get death than life, and that still is true today. I believe death is the ultimate freedom, so I`d rather just have my freedom as soon as I can get it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So you would actually prefer getting the death penalty than being in prison for the rest of your life?

ARIAS: Yes.

ARIAS: Until very recently, I could not have imagined standing before you all, asking you to give me life. To me, life in prison was the most unappealing outcome I could possibly think of. I thought I would rather die. But as I stand here now, I can`t in good conscience ask you sentence me to death, because of them. Asking for death is tantamount to suicide.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: That was Jodi Arias a little while ago, begging for her life, her final plea to the jury. Wait a second. What happened to Jodi Arias saying, "I want to die? Death would be the ultimate freedom?"

This is a life or death decision: to put somebody to death or not. It`s perhaps the most serious decision a human being can make in the course of their lifetime.

So let`s go to the court. It`s starting. Something is happening. Let`s just go.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: State of Arizona versus Jodi Ann Arias, sentencing verdict. We, the jury, duly impanelled and sworn in the above entitled action upon our oath unanimously find, having considered all the facts and circumstances, that the defendant should be sentenced by no unanimous agreement, signed foreperson.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Declared a mistrial as to the penalty phase.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: It`s absolute shock.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I`m shocked. I was positive that they were going to figure this out. Shocked. I feel so bad for the family. I don`t want them to have to go through this.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There is no closure here. We`re going to have to do part of this all over again.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: So it`s not over yet. 2014 could bring more Jodi drama-rama with predictions of a retrial to decide whether she lives or dies. Who knows what can happen next in that crazy case?

Up next, a different kind of kooky behavior. Here`s a hint: He`s big; he`s bad; he smoked crack; and he likes to knock people over, apparently.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROB FORD, TORONTO MAYOR: But no, do I? Am I an addict? No. Have I tried it? Probably in one of my drunken stupors approximately one year ago.

I answered your question. You ask the question properly, I`ll answer it.

Yes, I`ve made mistakes. All I can do now is apologize and move on. I don`t know what else.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Enough with the sleazification of Washington.

FORD: Cause I`m going to kill that (EXPLETIVE DELETED) guy! I`m telling you it`s first-degree murder.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mike Tyson!

FORD: I`m not an alcoholic. I`m not a drug addict.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sexually explicit online chats with a woman who is absolutely, positively not Anthony Wiener`s wife.

FORD: Have I tried it? Probably in one of my drunken stupors.

(SFX: ALARM)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Complete idiots elected who will do absolutely nothing but hold our government hostage.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Here`s a question, little Rico. Will 2013 go down in the record books as the sleaziest year in politics? We had Toronto Mayor Rob Ford`s crack cocaine fiasco; Anthony Wiener`s sexting scandal, part two; and all that congressional B.S. in between.

Here`s a look back at some of the biggest highs, or should I say lows of the year?

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Just when you thought Toronto Mayor Rob Ford`s behavior couldn`t get any more outrageous.

FORD: I`ll rip his (EXPLETIVE DELETED) throat out. I`ll poke (ph) his eyes out.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Wild accusations that the crack mayor is rounding out his raunchy resume with -- let`s see -- drink driving, cocaine, used prostitutes and, yes, he`s still in office.

FORD: I haven`t smoked crack in over a year. Come on.

That`s semantics.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It`s not semantics.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: His poor wife is standing by his side, looking unhappy.

Straight out to my special guest, actress Mackenzie Phillips. He initially said he didn`t smoke crack but then had to admit he did. Are we watching something sort of new, sort of a global audience looking at a man with the cameras rolling in the process of hitting a very humiliating bottom?

MACKENZIE PHILLIPS, ACTRESS: Yes, I think we are. Because, I mean, how many normal people who aren`t addicts or alcoholics say, "Well, I only do crack when I`m in a drunken stupor"?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You have to ask, who did -- who did he beat? Who lost to Mayor Rob Ford? Was he running against Charlie Sheen?

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Triple-X-rated new allegations surface about disgraced politician Anthony Wiener sexting with a 20-something-year-old woman.

ANTHONY WIENER, FORMER NYC MAYORAL CANDIDATE: I said that there were -- there were more than one woman over an extended period of time, and there were pictures out that are going to come out.

HUMA ABEDIN, WIENER`S WIFE: It was not an easy choice in any way. But I made the decision that it was worth staying in this marriage.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: The first scandal, OK. There he is. Literally caught with his pants down, taking shirtless photos like this. We`re now getting these downright dirty details about this new sexting scandal.

What makes it more shocking: Wiener decided he had rehabilitated his image enough after scandal No. 1 that he could run for mayor of New York City. And he`s still running, despite all this.

SIMONE BIENNE, RELATIONSHIP EXPERT: He is a wonderful narcissist. It`s all about a fantasy of giving him more power.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yet another politician behaving badly, and once again, it`s all caught on tape. Mayor of Monticello, New York, Gordon Jenkins busted for DUI.

GORDON JENKINS, MAYOR OF MONTICELLO, NEW YORK: Put me in jail for five years. I`ll get out in five years, and I`m going to (EXPLETIVE DELETED) tell you what the (EXPLETIVE DELETED) what you did to me. And you`re going to -- and I`m going to come back to you.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don`t really think he`s qualified to be mayor, probably.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It makes me lose respect for him, and I`m sure the people who are following him don`t want a leader who speaks that way or threatens people.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Straight out to the attorney representing this guy. Please translate, because I don`t really understand what he`s saying.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don`t think any of your guests understand. It`s a very ignorant group, honestly

VELEZ-MITCHELL: The U.S. government shutdown has infuriated Americans, demanding a game-changer. But nobody in power is coming up with a creative solution.

Since politicians refuse to do their job, you and I are going to do it for them. Tonight join me in a game of "Extreme Makeover: Government Edition."

What room of government, what agency, program, habit would you remodel?

I`m saying lobbyists. What about you?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Congress needs a total rehab.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: For an addiction to?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Corruption.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: An addiction to corruption? You are talking my language.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Coming up, the saga that is George Zimmerman, or as I like to call him, Teflon Man.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They just said he sounded (ph) dead. The person is dead, lying on the ground!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Sanford police department is conducting a fair investigation.

SYBRINA FULTON, TRAYVON MARTIN`S MOTHER: Our son was not committing any crime.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No justice, no peace. No justice, no peace.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No justice, no peace. No justice, no peace.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No justice, no peace. No justice, no peace.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you following him?

GEORGE ZIMMERMAN, ACQUITTED OF KILLING TRAYVON MARTIN: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We don`t need you to do that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FULTON: They killed my son, and now they`re trying to kill his reputation.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He`s a nice guy in a horrible situation.

FULTON: Our son is your son.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes!

FULTON: I want you guys to stand up for justice.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: George was viciously blindsided by a nose-breaking attack.

TRACY MARTIN, TRAYVON MARTIN`S FATHER: Trayvon Martin did not have a gun.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: George has never said that Trayvon touched the gun.

MARTIN: I pledge I will not let my son die in vain.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: We all know the details by now, a dark rainy night, an unarmed teen, Trayvon Martin, coming home with Skittles, is shot dead. Neighborhood Watchman George Zimmerman finally goes on trial in a case that dominated 2013.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ZIMMERMAN (via phone): Hey, we`ve had some break-ins in my neighborhood, and there`s a real suspicious guy. It`s (ADDRESS DELETED). The best address I can give you (ADDRESS DELETED). This guy looks like he`s up to no good or he`s on drugs or something. It`s raining, and he`s just walking around looking about.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK. And this guy, is he white, black or Hispanic?

ZIMMERMAN: He looks black.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did you see what he was wearing?

ZIMMERMAN: Yes. Dark hoodie like a gray hoodie and either jeans or sweatpants and white tennis shoes. He`s here now. And he`s just staring.

These (EXPLETIVE DELETED), they also get away. Yes.

When you come to the clubhouse, you come straight in and make a left. Actually, you would go past the clubhouse.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK. Which address is that, that he`s heading towards?

ZIMMERMAN: The back entrance. (EXPLETIVE DELETED).

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you following him?

ZIMMERMAN: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK. We don`t need you to do that.

ZIMMERMAN: OK.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right, sir, what is your name?

ZIMMERMAN: George. He ran.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right. George, what`s your last name?

ZIMMERMAN: Zimmerman.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don`t know why. I think they`re yelling "help" but I don`t know. Send someone quick, fast.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Help!

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So you think he`s yelling help?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: All right. What is your --

TRACY MARTIN, FATHER OF TRAYVON MARTIN: Not only did I lose a son, I lost a dear friend. He will be sadly missed. And I made a promise that I won`t stop.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You certainly hope as a mom, you certainly hope that your son, Trayvon Martin, would not have done anything that would have led to his own death, correct?

SYBRINA FULTON, MOTHER OF TRAYVON MARTIN: What I hope for is that this wouldn`t have never happened and he would still be here. That`s my hope.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: An explosive day in court as the prosecution`s star witness takes the stand in the George Zimmerman murder trial spilling tears and talking back. She`s the young woman Trayvon Martin was on the phone with seconds before he was shot back dead by neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman.

The dramatic testimony was very hard for Trayvon`s parents in the gallery of the courtroom to listen to.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RACHEL JEANTEL, TRAYVON MARTIN`S FRIEND: He said why are you following me for? And then I heard a hard-breathed come and say "What you doing out here?" Then I started saying, "Trayvon, Trayvon what`s going on." Then I started hearing grass and kind of heard Trayvon say "Get off. Get off."

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Then what did you hear?

JEANTEL: Suddenly the phone hung up.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: On cross-examination, Rachel Jeantel and defense attorney, Don West got into a war of words. She did not hold back her feelings towards Zimmerman`s defense attorney.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEANTEL: I had told you -- are you listening?

DON WEST, DEFENSE ATTORNEY FOR GEORGE ZIMMERMAN: Yes, ma`am.

JEANTEL: I had told you what happened to me in Clark (ph) interview I had rushed (ph) on me. Are you listening?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Prosecution`s star witness, Rachel Jeantel is opening up about her experience on the witness stand. You won`t believe what he has to say about defense attorney Don West and the social media backlash against her.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PIERS MORGAN, CNN HOST: What gave you a very hard time -- the defense attorney?

JEANTEL: Don West.

MORGAN: What is your view of him?

JEANTEL: I don`t have to say. He`s lucky I`m a Christian.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: In the background of one neighbor`s 911 call, somebody can be heard screaming and screaming and screaming, but who? Cops question George Zimmerman about those screams. Now listen very carefully to what he said and then we`re going to debate it on the other side.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You hear that voice in the background.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I`m not sure.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: 911 do you need police, fire or medical?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Maybe medical, I`m not sure. There`s someone screaming outside.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What`s the address that they`re near?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: 1211 (inaudible).

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Is it a male or a female?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It`s a male.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And you don`t know why?

ZIMMERMAN: That doesn`t even sound like me.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don`t know why.

FRANK TAAFFE, FRIEND OF GEORGE ZIMMERMAN: Very simply put when George was on his back and after being punched in the nose, all that blood, phlegm and mucus was going into the back, down his nasal passage into his throat - -

SHERYL LEE RALPH, TV PERSONALITY: Dear God.

TAAFFE: -- which created a different tonation than what he heard.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Sheryl Lee Ralph. I heard you say "Dear God".

RALPH: Listen -- "Dear God" because I`ve got to tell you that man is a miracle man. He has an answer for absolutely everything.

TAAFFE: Thank you. I try.

RALPH: Let me just tell you. We may never --

TAAFFE: I try. Just standing up for a friend.

RALPH: -- ever know whose voice that is.

TAAFFE: Just standing up for a friend.

RALPH: But whatever that is.

TAAFFE: We know who it is.

RALPH: Someone, and it sounds like a young voice, it sounds like a young person`s voice was screaming --

TAAFFE: How do you know that?

RALPH: -- for help. Because somebody had tracked them down, followed them and --

TAAFFE: When did you become the audio expert? The FBI couldn`t even distinguish it.

RALPH: -- that they were under attack.

TAAFFE: You work for the FBI now?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Both sides brought fire work to the courtroom for the closing arguments -- a jury of six women deciding whether George Zimmerman a neighborhood watchman is guilty of second degree murder or manslaughter for shooting 17-year-old Trayvon Martin dead.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAWN MURRAY: Animations, cut-out boards, mannequins -- a human being is dead. Trayvon Martin is dead. I think the prosecution summed it up best when they said this isn`t about standing your ground. It`s about staying in your car.

TAAFFE: What law was broken by getting out of his vehicle? There`s no law that I`ve seen in the statute.

MURRAY: Your so-called friend was a wannabe cop and he should follow instructions and not follow --

(CROSSTALK)

TAAFFE: Oh man -- you`ve been milking that wannabe stuff for a while.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: One at a time, guys.

MURRAY: If grown men will follow kids with Skittles down the sidewalks when authorities tell them not to, God forbid what happens on Halloween. The man should have left Trayvon Martin alone. We wouldn`t be having this conversation. There would be no trial, there would be no murder.

TAAFFE: Right. Ok. Haven`t we advanced this conversation past wannabe cops?

MURRAY: I can`t wait until we get a verdict so that you can stay off of TV and stop talking foolishness every night.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have a verdict? A verdict has been delivered.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: In the circuit court of the 18th judicial circuit in and for Seminole County, Florida, State of Florida versus George Zimmerman. Verdict, we the jury find George Zimmerman not guilty. So say we all, foreperson.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No justice.

CROWD: No peace.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No justice.

CROWD: No peace.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Trayvon.

CROWD: Trayvon.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Public outrage as people take to the streets over the George Zimmerman not guilty verdict. Tonight, breaking news -- Zimmerman is getting his gun back and he plans to wear it wherever he goes. Yes, the exact same gun he used to kill unarmed teenager Trayvon Martin.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Trayvon Martin.

CROWD: We are all Trayvon. Your son, our son --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Trayvon Martin did not have a gun. He had Skittles and a drink. But he is dead and George Zimmerman is free.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: George Zimmerman did not fade into the background after his acquittal. In fact some of his most bizarre scandals were yet to come.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHELLIE ZIMMERMAN, GEORGE ZIMMERMAN`S FORMER WIFE: He`s in his car and he continually has his hand on his gun and he keeps saying "step closer". He`s just threatening all of us with --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Step closer and what?

S. ZIMMERMAN: -- with his firearm. And he`s going to shoot us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: In the circuit court of the 18th judicial circuit in and for Seminole County, Florida. State of Florida versus George Zimmerman, verdict, we the jury find George Zimmerman not guilty. So say we all, foreperson.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Million were furious over George Zimmerman`s huge victory in court. Many hoped he would ride off into the sunset and just go away, at least for a little while. But Zimmerman had other plans. He did not leave Florida and he proceeded to become a breaking news story over and over again.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Stop.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Stop where you are.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get back on that --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Get him back out there.

G. ZIMMERMAN: Ok. All right.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Turn around. Walk back to me. Keep coming. Keep coming. Keep coming. Put your hands up. All right. Get on your knees. Cross your feet.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Breaking news tonight, police swarm George Zimmerman`s rental home during an explosive fight between him, his estranged wife Shellie and her dad. Shellie called 911 claiming George Zimmerman had a gun, was threatening her and her dad and that George punched her father right in the nose. Sounds familiar -- a punch in the nose. Ironically, that`s what George Zimmerman says Trayvon Martin did to him moments before Zimmerman shot the unarmed teen dead.

S. ZIMMERMAN: He punched my dad in the nose. My dad has a mark on his face. I saw his glasses were on the floor. He accosted my father.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Does your father need medical?

S. ZIMMERMAN: Dad, do you need medical? He says no, but I think he does. He does need medical. He`s shaking.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Zimmerman`s soon to be ex stood next to her lawyer and they laid out a case for why they believe George was wrong and way out of line. During a confrontation, the former neighbor watch volunteer had Monday as they divided up their shared property in preparation for their divorce.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I get a call from Shellie. He`s like oh my god, George is here. He didn`t show up by himself. He didn`t show up and watched. He showed up with a 400-pound man and a girl.

Shellie doesn`t want to press charges. Everything is calmed down. We can go our separate ways. We`re not going to talk about it anymore. It`s a divorce. The only thing that Shellie wants out of this ending of this relationship is for it to end with a whimper and not a bang. That`s what she wants. She does not want there to be this kind of drama. She doesn`t want to be here.

She doesn`t look happy. She`s not happy. Shellie Zimmerman wants this relationship to end with a whimper and not a bang.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: What the heck does that imply? Does that imply that she`s afraid of a bang? That she`s afraid that George Zimmerman is dangerous? Shellie says George threatened her and her dad with a gun before punching her dad in the nose. She said she used this now infamous iPad to record the confrontation but then George smashed it over his knee and used a pocket knife to try to destroy it after he was hit with it in the back.

Zimmerman has been arrested again. This time the former neighborhood watchman is accused of pointing a long gun at his girlfriend and barricading himself inside her house. He`s behind bars right now.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What`s going on?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He`s in my house breaking all my (EXPLETIVE DELETED) because I asked him to leave. He has his freaking gun breaking all of my stuff right now. No, this is not --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Ok.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I`m doing this again? You just broke my glass table. You just broke my sunglasses and your put your gun in my freaking face and told me to get the (EXPLETIVE DELETED) out. This is not your house. No. Get out of here.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Ok. Where is his weapon at?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He just put it down.

G. ZIMMERMAN: My girlfriend has, for lack of a better word, gone crazy on me.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Where is she now?

G. ZIMMERMAN: Outside with the police.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Ok. The police is already there? Why are you calling? What happened?

G. ZIMMERMAN: I just want everyone to know the truth.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Teflon George does it again. Florida prosecutors announcing moments ago they will not -- they will not charge George Zimmerman in that domestic dispute with his girlfriend last month that we were all talking about.

You remember, Samantha Scheibe called 911 saying George Zimmerman had broken a table with his gun and had also pointed it at her. He was arrested on suspicion of aggravated assault, battery and criminal mischief. But since then the girlfriend has had a big change of heart. She told investigators, never mind. Forget about it. I don`t want to charge him. Without her cooperation they`ve concluded there is no case.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JON LEIBERMAN, HLN CONTRIBUTOR: The moment the charges were dropped George Zimmerman can now possess guns again, he now doesn`t have a GPS tracker on him and, of course, he doesn`t have a stay away order from this woman.

MARK STARLING, RADIO REPORTER: This guy is like a Teflon dodge. He can dodge pretty much anything that gets thrown at him and somehow or another he comes out smelling like a rose every time.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: So George escapes again. We will be watching him carefully in 2014.

Next the butt selfie seen round the world -- just one reason Kim Kardashian is our wackiest celebrity of the year. Kimye`s wildest moments -- next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KANYE WEST, SINGER: Have you seen that girl, Kim Kardashian?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They`re the most over the top people in Hollywood.

KIM KARDASHIAN, REALITY TV STAR: He gets on his knee. And I`m just like -- I was shaking the entire time.

WEST: For me to say I wasn`t a genius, I would just be lying to you and to myself.

KARDASHIAN: This is my big like middle finger to the world. I look so hot. I am back.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Rico, I know you`re a star, but all eyes on have been celebrity power couple Kanye West and Kim Kardashian this year. The ranting rapper proposed to Kim with a 15-carat rock. She gave birth to their daughter North West then debuted her post-baby body naked in Kanye`s music video. Let`s be real, 2013 belonged to Kimye.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(MUSIC)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: I was flipping through the channels. And I just stumbled upon Kanye West.

WEST: For me you know, I`m a genius and there`s no other way to word it.

PETE DOMINICK, COMEDIAN: I`m a stand-up comedian and I`d like to say on national television, Jane, I`m a creative genius.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, if you`re going to say it then I`m going to say it, too. I`m a creative genius. Anybody -- Michael, you want to join in.

DOMINICK: I want to call you out, Jane because you said --

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Have you seen the new video?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I haven`t.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I haven`t.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Have you seen the new Kanye video?

Another week, another ridiculous diatribe by Kanye West; this time the rapper is publicly blasting upscale brand Louis Vuitton for their extremely high prices. Give me a break -- Kanye. You are the king of conspicuous consumption.

WEST: Giving designs of Fendi (ph), over and over and getting our designs knocked down, brought the leather jogging pant six years ago to Fendi. And they said, no.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And they said, no. How many more (EXPLETIVE DELETED) have you done seen with --

VELEZ-MITCHELL: My suggestion to Kanye. Just do what I do. Vent in front of the bathroom mirror at home. It`s safer.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I mean Kanye is a genius. If you look at it, he`s already won 21 Grammys. We are living in Kanye`s world.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Has Kanye West become the new Tom Cruise?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I didn`t think of that. Actually -- yes. Maybe a little bit. He`s really professing his love for his woman. I love it.

(MUSIC)

WEST: Have you seen that girl, Kim Kardashian?

VELEZ-MITCHELL: She`s only giving 10 percent of her eBay charity sale to the Philippines.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She could be giving a little bit more away.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: 10 percent is really not much.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Why is she such a big deal?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The booty.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: The booty?

Well, we`ve been seeing a lot of Kim lately and last night we saw a whole lot more.

KARDASHIAN: I look so hot. I am back.

DOMINICK: I agree with the President of the United States. This guy`s a jackass, and his wife -- Kim Kardashian is talentless.

WEST: It`s like people are so, so dated and not modern. It`s like -- there`s no way a Kim Kardashian shouldn`t have a star on the walk of fame. It`s like --

VELEZ-MITCHELL: He`s really upset about this.

KARDASHIAN: This is my big, like, middle finger to the world.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: She was so affected by the criticism of her weight gain that it hurt her soul. Hmm. Soul or ego, Kim?

SIMONE BIENNE, BEHAVIOR EXPERT: Oh my goodness. And also Jane, you are breaking news, because Kim Kardashian has a soul. I didn`t know that until now.

KARDASHIAN: I always want to feel good about myself.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: I don`t know whether to laugh or cry. Kim says she wants to live a private life. So what did she do? She just announced her engagement to Kanye by posting a picture of her massive 15 carat rock on Instagram. The hypocrisy is beyond mind-boggling. Did she cancel her hit reality show? No, apparently she didn`t do that. She must have made it clear to her man Kanye that she wanted to live a simple, modest life.

KARDASHIAN: I opened my eyes and I look up. And I`m like oh, where are we? We`re in the middle of a baseball field. He gets on his knee. And I`m just -- I was shaking the entire time.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Tonight`s buzz, wild new video shows superstar Kim Kardashian trying to outrun the paparazzi. The traffic is bad enough without you, Kim Kardashian.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KARDASHIAN: Can you come here? Give us a second. I`m so nice to you all the time -- yes, we are. Yes we are -- just like you film me every day.

DOROTHY LUCEY, SOCIAL COMMENTATOR: She can`t go to the bathroom. She can`t take a pee without the paparazzi.

WEST: The way paparazzi talk to me and my family is disrespectful. Don`t ask me a question about something you saw in the tabloids. Don`t try to antagonize me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Stop complaining. Your life is a joy. Everybody would love to have the life you have, Kanye.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WEST: People say, oh, he`s arrogant. And he says like No, I`m like the most influential person in fashion of the past eight years.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: We are conducting a psychological analysis today of the new Kanye West video "Bound 2".

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It`s deeper than him just having sex on a motorcycle.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just imagine if everyone walked around naked.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: That`s scary.

Seth Rogen and James Franco have done a parody.

I do not know if I would get naked on a motorcycle and re-enact that video. I`m sorry.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think the hairy back is the highlight here.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, my gosh. What is this world coming to?

WEST: You`re going to love me? You`re going to hate me, but I`m going to be me.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: He stopped me in my tracks. I guess you`re right. Maybe he is a creative genius.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: It`s been a wild year full of both joy and horror. We watched the surreal monstrosity of the Boston Marathon bombing, revealed the worst in human nature. But we also strangers make a wish come true for a five-year-old boy, Batkid, battling leukemia.

As for me this year, I`ve been blessed to be allowed by HLN to follow my passion and report on abuses to voiceless animals. I want to thank you personally watching at home for having the courage to bear witness to these difficult but important stories.

I also want to thank my amazing staff for their dedication, creativity and plain, old hard work, and brilliance. I want to thank my 97-year-old mom for her intelligence and spirit.

My wish for 2014 is that we take care of our own families but also expand our circle of compassion to include all earthlings -- fellow human animals and non-human animals. As Gandhi said, "The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated."

Here`s wishing you a peaceful and compassionate successful 2014. Right, Rico?

END