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Lawmakers Demand Answers, Action On Unexplained Drones In NJ, NY; Search Intensifies For Source Of Mysterious Drones In New Jersey; Accuser Admits She Lied About Duke Lacrosse Players Raping Her; Manhattan DA: CEO Murder Suspect May Waive Extradition. Aired 3-3:30p ET

Aired December 13, 2024 - 15:00   ET

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

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[15:00:37]

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: The search for the source of mysterious drones intensifying, as more sightings are reported in the New York area, while frustrated lawmakers are demanding federal agencies give them more details about these unexplained sightings.

Plus, she set off a national firestorm back in 2006, falsely accusing three Duke lacrosse players of rape. Now, nearly two decades later, Crystal Mangum admits it was all a lie. Why she's finally coming clean?

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: Also ahead, better and more accurate weather predictions, how artificial intelligence is shaping the future of forecasts. We are following these major developing stories and many more all coming in right here to CNN NEWS CENTRAL.

SANCHEZ: A deepening mystery unfolding in the tri-state area today. People in the New York metropolitan area are now reporting a growing number of drone sightings in their communities. This follows a wave of mysterious appearances in the skies over New Jersey, sparking major concern among residents, as well as among local and state leaders.

The White House and FBI say there is no evidence to this point that the drones pose a national security threat or have any kind of foreign connection. But that's only adding to the confusion, because so far there are no explanations as to what they even are, where they're coming from or who might be launching them.

For weeks now, the drones have been spotted over homes, critical infrastructure and sensitive government sites. Today, some frustrated lawmakers have gone from asking questions to demanding answers.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. JOSH GOTTHEIMER (D-NJ): New Jersey can't become the Wild West of drone activity. No state can become the Wild West of drone activity. I've made this very clear to the FBI, to Homeland Security, and the FAA, the agency is chiefly responsible for monitoring drone activity. They must immediately disclose more information to the public. It's totally and completely unacceptable that you have all this drone activity going on that people are seeing with their own eyes. The fact that the federal agency is responsible for briefing the public, have not come forward in a clear way, is unacceptable. There has to be some explanation to the public for all this increased activity, and they must do so now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: Thus far, the drones have managed to evade radar, as well as police helicopters. And moments ago, CNN learned that Connecticut police are tracking reported sightings of drones over Fairfield County. CNN's Polo Sandoval spoke to a leader at a private airspace security company about how investigators are trying to track these drones.

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POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: DHS and the FBI saying that thus far they have not been able to corroborate any drone sightings with electronic detection, I should say. So we did some digging into what that actually looks like and how that can actually happen. I had an opportunity to speak to a representative of Dedrone, which is a private airspace security company that basically helps their clients prevent and detect any unauthorized drone flights. That representative was telling me that there are at least four ways that you can actually detect some of these flights.

The first, using radio frequency. You can actually pick up some of that chatter, some of that - some of the signals that are sent and dispatched between the drone and the remote control on the ground. There's certainly cameras. A simple surveillance camera often does the trick, though with more advanced cases, more advanced technology as needed. Radar, we all know how that works. And then finally, acoustics. You can quite literally use equipment to listen for some of these drones, though that representative told me that that is becoming less reliable since drone technology has evolved and oftentimes these drones are much quieter.

But overall, these are the kinds of resources that authorities on the ground in New Jersey, at the state and local level, are asking the federal government to provide. In fact, on Friday, New Jersey governor, Phil Murphy, sending a letter to President Biden. And in it, not only does he express growing concern about these drone sightings, but also is asking for more federal resources to be sent to New Jersey to help them try to get to the bottom of this.

The Governor also adding that the residents in his state deserve more information, that it's not enough to simply be told that this is not a matter of any sort of public security or public safety.

[15:05:06]

They want to find out what's behind these drone sightings. And finally, the Governor's saying, expressing concern about conspiracy theories that we have seen and heard for the last several days. It was just a few days ago that there was an official that was publicly speaking out about this, saying that it was his theory that it was likely an Iranian mothership off the East Coast that was sending these drones in. Of course, the Pentagon quickly denying that claim. Back to you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: All right, Polo Sandoval. Thanks for the report. And joining us now to talk more about these mysterious drones is Michael Melham. He is the mayor of Belleville, New Jersey, which is one of the communities where numerous drones have been spotted.

Mayor, thanks so much for being with us. We do have some video that you and the Belleville Police Department obtained that I want to show our viewers and if we can go ahead and put that up. Here it is. So just tell us about what we're seeing here, where this is, where you've been seeing drones.

MAYOR MICHAEL MELHAM, BELLEVILLE, NJ: Thank you for having me. So that video that you're seeing was actually shot by one of our Belleville police officers who actually is a licensed drone pilot. So he's got some familiarity with how these things move. He shot that. And what you're looking at right now is in very close proximity. Belleville borders the city of Newark and Newark, as we probably all know, Newark International Airport is right there, right in the middle of air traffic control.

So that's really running up and down Route 21 here in Belleville, which is a direct conduit right to Newark International Airport. That's why it's gravely concerning to see so many drones in the air night after night. That video was shot on December 8th, but the last two days has been a hotbed. We have been swarmed with drones over the last two evenings.

KEILAR: So a statement put out by federal investigators says they haven't corroborated any of the sightings with electronic detection. And they actually believe that many of the reported sightings are manned aircraft that are operating lawfully. Do you think that some of these reports have simply misidentified or mischaracterized drones? And you know, specifically in that video, what is it that the drone operator said, no, this is the behavior that tells me this is a drone?

MELHAM: Certainly, I mean, now that you have almost widespread hysteria because we have a lack of transparency going on here, everybody's looking up in New Jersey. So clearly there's going to be some misidentification going on. But I could tell you from my own visuals, things that I've seen out my bedroom window and things I've seen over the edge of my balcony, we are absolutely seeing drones. We are not seeing small planes. And frankly, it's been insulting to the residents of New Jersey to be told that they're just seeing things or they're all misidentifying.

We're not misidentifying. There are objects that are flying within hundreds of feet above our homes. That's not good. That's just above the sight line, just above the tree line. We know for a fact that these things are not operating the way airplanes do. Airplanes tend to glide and go from point A to point B in a direct line. These things are going up and down in elevation, they're hovering, they're moving erratically. These things are not manned aircraft. That's insulting to be told that.

KEILAR: Do you think federal officials are taking this seriously enough?

MELHAM: It depends on your perspective on that. I mean, we keep being told that these drones are hovering over our critical infrastructure. So that could be either scary or comforting. Scary if it's a bad actor or comforting if it's actually our federal government. Some out there, and I'm probably in that group, actually do believe these may be government assets that are being deployed because potentially they know of a threat, an active threat. And these might very well be government assets.

KEILAR: So what do you want from federal authorities and is part of this, the communication, that you and other mayors are getting from them? Because it seems that there's been some frustration on that front.

MELHAM: There's a lot of frustration. On Wednesday, 200 mayors were gathered for a security briefing that was unprecedented in the state of New Jersey. We left that meeting knowing next to nothing. What we're asking for is transparency. At this point, I'm not necessarily concerned with who the drones belong to. I can make that assumption. I'm more concerned with why they're out there. That's really the answer.

I think having more transparency from the administration, not being told that we're seeing things, not being told there's nothing to see here, I think more transparency would actually stop fueling the conspiracy theories that are spreading like wildfire on social media. So you're saying you think you know who owns the drones?

MELHAM: Yes, I'm saying that I'm more concerned with why they're there. I mean, you have to understand something, we were told that they're hovering over critical infrastructure. We're also being told there's no credible threat. We're also being told ...

KEILAR: So you think it's a good actor?

MELHAM: ... they don't want to take them out of the area.

KEILAR: You don't think it's a foreign actor?

MELHAM: I do not. I think they ...

KEILAR: Do you have reason to believe that it's actually then - I mean, I'm just trying to read between the lines what you're saying that maybe it's - this is U.S. government or some sort of U.S. asset, but they're not disclosing the objective.

[15:10:02]

MELHAM: I believe that. The fact they're telling us no credible threat, the fact they're saying they will not shoot them down, the fact they're saying they will not put a temporary ban in place, it's pointing to something. And that's not little green men. And it's probably not a foreign - you know, a foreign enemy.

More than likely, we do believe that these are probably our assets that are actually looking out for a potential threat. That's what we want to know.

KEILAR: All right. Mayor, thank you so much. Really, really appreciate you being on.

MELHAM: Thank you.

KEILAR: Boris?

SANCHEZ: Now to a public confession nearly 20 years overdue. The woman who accused three Duke lacrosse players of rape admits that she lied about the encounter. Crystal Mangum was an exotic dancer in 2006 when she accused the players, David Evans, Collin Finnerty and Reade Seligmann of rape, igniting a national firestorm. But a lack of evidence and inconsistencies in Mangum's account of what happened ultimately led to the charges being dismissed.

Now as part of a podcast interview, she's asking for forgiveness.

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CRYSTAL MANGUM, ACCUSER IN DUKE UNIVERSITY RAPE SCANDAL: I testified falsely against them by saying that they raped me when they didn't and that was wrong. And I betrayed the trust of a lot of other people who believed in me and made up a story that wasn't true, because I wanted validation from people and not from God. And that was wrong when God already loved me for who I was.

Regardless, I didn't need to seek validation from Him because I already had validation from Him. I just didn't know it and I hurt my brothers. And I hope that they can forgive me. And I want them to know that I loved them and they didn't deserve that. And I hope they can forgive me. And that I hope that they can heal and trust God and know that God loves them and that God is loving them through me. Letting them know that they're valuable and that they didn't deserve that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: Just moments ago, North Carolina governor, Roy Cooper, who was the state attorney's general at the time of the case, spoke about the new confession and why he dismissed charges back in 2007.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. ROY COOPER (D) NORTH CAROLINA: As attorney general, it was important for me to take that case from the local prosecutor, do an investigation to find the real truth. It is why I dismissed the charges and took the extra step to declare those players innocent of those alleged crimes. That's why I did that.

(END VIDEO CLIP) SANCHEZ: Joining us now is KC Johnson, a history professor at Brooklyn College and the co-author of the book, "Until Proven Innocent: Political Correctness and the Shameful Injustices of the Duke Lacrosse Rape Case."

KC, thank you so much for being with us.

What did you think when you heard this news?

KC JOHNSON, HISTORY PROFESSOR, BROOKLYN COLLEGE: It was an extraordinary development. In one way, as we just heard from Gov. Cooper, it wasn't a surprise. The state of North Carolina had officially declared the accused students innocent long ago, but Crystal Mangum had never publicly admitted that she had lied for, you know, for the first time. I don't think anyone expected this coming. And so in many ways, it brings a final resolution to a case that never should have been brought in the first place.

SANCHEZ: So, nearly two decades after the charges were dropped, the young men are now adults. How do you think this case altered their lives and how do you think this apology lands with them?

JOHNSON: Yes. You know, to the first question, anyone can just go on to Google and their names are permanently associated with this event, even though, again, the allegations themselves were completely unfounded. The extraordinary amount of publicity this got 18 years ago and the relatively much less publicity that it got after the government or the now-Governor announced the innocence declaration. In that respect, there was, you know, there a significant approach.

I think in some ways, this was a - it was a welcome acknowledgment that the accuser lied.

[15:15:01]

This was an odd case, as we heard from Gov. Cooper, that the primary villain in this case was the then-Durham District Attorney, Mike Nifong, who committed all kinds of ethical improprieties. But Mangum admitting that she lied, I think, pretty much brings an end to anyone who would claim that something happened at Duke in 2006.

SANCHEZ: You raised a significant point there because there were several factors beyond the false accusation that exacerbated this situation, including that DA who was disbarred because of his actions in the case. Arguably, the university's response as well kind of painted these young men in a negative light. I wonder what you think can ultimately be learned from this.

JOHNSON: To me, the core lesson of the Duke lacrosse case is the danger to avoid a rush to judgment, but also a willingness to be open to new facts that contradict your viewpoint. One of the problems with the La Crosse case is that for people at Duke, professors, even the Duke administration, their argument was that this had to be true because it served their broader interests, and they were unwilling to look at the massive amounts of exculpatory evidence that came in as the case proceeded. SANCHEZ: KC Johnson, we very much appreciate your perspective. Thanks so much for joining us.

JOHNSON: Thank you for having me.

SANCHEZ: Still to come, UnitedHealth Group CEO speaking out on the anger at the insurance industry that surfaced since one of its top executives was murdered on a Manhattan street. We'll also have the latest on the case against the alleged gunman.

Plus, this could be a landmark ruling for reality TV. The labor board says that participants on a hit Netflix show, "Love is Blind," aren't just contestants looking for love, they're actually employees. What it could mean for reality TV?

And later, going where no sake maker has gone before, how a Japanese company plans to brew the beverage in space.

All that and much more coming up on CNN NEWS CENTRAL.

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SANCHEZ: The accused killer of UnitedHealthcare's CEO may be extradited to New York sooner than expected. Twenty-six-year-old Luigi Mangione has been fighting the process after officers arrested him in Pennsylvania, about 280 miles west of where Brian Thompson was killed on December 4th. A short time ago, the lead prosecutor in the case said that Mangione may waive extradition.

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ALVIN BRAGG, MANHATTAN DISTRICT ATTORNEY: Indications are that the defendant may waive, but that waiver is not complete until a court proceeding, which my understanding from court officials in Pennsylvania cannot happen until Tuesday. So until that time, we're going to continue to press forward on parallel paths and we'll be ready whether he is going to waive extradition or whether he's going to contest extradition.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: Let's discuss with CNN Senior Law Enforcement Analyst, Charles Ramsey, who led the police forces of Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia. He's now a partner at 21CP Solutions.

Chief, thank you so much for being with us. I'm curious what you make of what DA Bragg said there, and he went on to say that once extradition happens, he and his teams are moving forward to the next step. I imagine that would be an indictment, no?

CHARLES RAMSEY, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: It will be. I mean, you know, extradition is going to happen, it's just a question of when. And right now, as we speak, they're continuing to piece together this case. They've got a very strong case with forensic evidence. They've got evidence taken from him with his own writings about his plans on, you know, executing someone from the health care industry, Mr. Thompson. They've got a very, very strong case.

So it's going to move forward. It's going to move forward fairly quickly. He could very well fight extradition, but that fight's not going to last very long because New York eventually will get him back in the state, and they will proceed to charge and move forward with a trial.

SANCHEZ: When he was charged, it struck me that in New York he was charged with second and not first degree murder. And now we're learning why legal analysts say that first degree murder in New York requires specific aggravating circumstances, including an intent to commit terrorism. Given the evidence you've seen so far, is there a strong chance that this murder charge could wind up getting upgraded to first degree?

RAMSEY: Well, it might. I mean, I'm not that familiar with New York law, but the bottom line is even with second degree, I think it's 25 to life. And as far as I'm concerned, if convicted, this individual will and should spend the rest of his life behind bars.

SANCHEZ: Now, some of the search warrants are for the backpack and his cell phone, which were discarded or found abandoned. Does that kind of evidence typically need a warrant?

RAMSEY: Absolutely. You want to make sure you want to cover all the bases. I mean, this is a case - it wasn't a murder, suicide or anything like that. So detectives knew right off the bat eventually they would catch this person and there would be a trial. You have to be very careful with how you gather evidence. And getting a search warrant is certainly something that's legally required to make sure that you've done things properly, unless there's an immediate threat or reason why exigent circumstances, why you would conduct a warrantless search.

[15:25:08]

There was no need for a warrantless search in this particular case.

So they really covered things, I think, the way they should have. They've done it properly, whether it's the backpack, trying to get into the cell phone, perhaps trying to lift prints out of the hospital where he was staying, the room where he was staying, if there's any computers or anything like that in a home or residence where he once stayed. I mean, wherever they go to try to collect evidence, they're going to do it with a search warrant now and that way it'll stand up in court.

There was one development today that I think may alter some of the thought, some of the thinking about his motive. And that's UnitedHealth Group revealing that Mangione isn't a client of the insurer. There's actually a note allegedly found on Mangione in Pennsylvania that said this, quote, "United is the fifth largest company in the United States by market cap, behind only Apple, Google and Walmart. It has grown and grown." How does the fact that United didn't serve the suspect impact this investigation? It appears that he didn't have a personal vendetta against them.

RAMSEY: Well, I mean, maybe Mr. Thompson was a symbolic target, but it's not going to have any effect on the case. I mean, this was cold blooded murder. We saw it on video. We have forensic evidence that proves that he was there at the time. I mean, it is what it is. And so they've got all this other stuff swirling around and certainly defense attorneys will be trying to use whatever they possibly can.

Bottom line, this guy is a cold blooded murderer. He is in jail and he needs to stay in jail. And for those people that somehow empathize with him, I think they're absolutely pathetic. This guy, you know, yes, he has a story. Go to any penitentiary in the United States and find people convicted of murder. They got stories, too. And I bet it doesn't include wealth or any other privilege in their life. But guess what? No story should end in murder. This guy is a murderer. Nothing more, nothing less and he needs to be in prison.

SANCHEZ: Powerful words from Chief Charles Ramsey. Appreciate the time, sir. Thanks so much for joining us today.

RAMSEY: Thank you.

SANCHEZ: Coming up, an unannounced visit to Iraq. Secretary of State Antony Blinken there as the United States grapples with the implications of the collapse of the Syrian Assad regime. The story and many more up next.

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