Return to Transcripts main page
CNN This Morning
NYPD: Fingerprints, Shell Casings Tie Suspect To Shooting; Mysterious Drones Over New Jersey Raise Concerns; Bill Belichick Named North Carolina Head Coach. Aired 5:30-6a ET
Aired December 12, 2024 - 05:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[05:30:00]
KASIE HUNT, CNN ANCHOR: And some of the items he reportedly dropped near the scene of the crime now proving to be crucial clues.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JESSICA TISCH, NYPD COMMISSIONER: We were also able at our crime lab to match the person of interest's fingerprints with fingerprints that we found on both the water bottle and the Kind bar near the scene of the homicide.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNT: Law enforcement briefed on the investigation tell CNN's -- CNN that Mangione's mother reported him missing to San Francisco police on November 18. She told authorities that she'd been calling her son repeatedly but the last time that she actually spoke to him was on July 1.
When asked by police she said she had no reason to believe that her son was a danger to himself or others and that San Francisco was the last known location that she had for him.
Joining us now, former FBI special agent and University of South Florida professor of criminology, Dr. Bryanna Fox. Bryanna, thank you very much for being with us this morning.
So Mangione is still in custody in Pennsylvania. He's continuing to fight his extradition to New York. And officials do say that Mangione is the person seen in the surveillance video shooting Thompson outside of the Hilton hotel. Mangione says that they've got the wrong guy.
Here's what his lawyer said about this recently. Let's watch it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
THOMAS DICKEY, ATTORNEY FOR LUIGI MANGIONE: I still haven't seen that evidence. Lawyers need to see evidence. Those who say you have something and getting that admitted into court are two different things. The -- in fact, what we're talking about is fingerprint evidence and some ballistics. Those two sciences in and of themselves have come under some criticism in the past relative to their credibility, their truthfulness, their accuracy. (END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNT: What do you make of where this investigation stands so far? I realize this is what his lawyer is saying -- that's his job -- but when you put it all together it does seem fairly straightforward.
BRYANNA FOX, FORMER FBI SPECIAL AGENT, PROFESSOR OF CRIMINOLOGY, UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA (via Webex by Cisco): Yeah. Now, obviously, as his defense counsel that's what he's been hired to do is to try to push back against the state and make sure that the government has all of their i's dotted and their t's crossed.
And what I mean by that is that the chain of evidence was followed absolute perfect procedure. That the testing was done absolutely perfectly. It's done for their own client, but it's also done to essentially keep the balance in our criminal justice system. So we always have this presumption of innocence and that it's essentially withheld.
The other big thing is that you'd want to make sure that there is sufficient evidence to charge him. There are people that may say he looks different than the person who was, let's say, on the videotape. I've seen that on the internet. Things like that. They just want to make sure every single thing actually stands up when it's going to be admitted into court.
HUNT: So what is next here in terms of additional evidence? I mean, we obviously -- we learned yesterday about the fingerprints on the water bottle that was found on the scene as well as what we talked about there with the shell casings.
What other pieces do you see the NYPD working on here in the next 24- 48 hours?
FOX: I think they're going to have a high bar because I think there is an attempt, at least in my opinion, by this defendant that he's going to want to convince a jury essentially that even if they think that he may be responsible to essentially try to have some mercy on him because of his cause. This is called jury nullification where essentially a jury takes it a little easier on them even if there is a lot of evidence in the case.
So that means there's a high bar for the state to prove. So what that means for the state is they are going to have to put together every single detail -- essentially like a movie -- showing him leaving the hostel, going to this hotel. Having him stake out the victim. Having him shoot the victim. Fleeing, leaving -- every single moment. Because if there's any gaps in the forensics -- in what they are capturing and showing to a jury ultimately, this could be used to the defendant's advantage.
HUNT: All right, Bryanna Fox for us this morning on this just remarkable case. Bryanna, thank you very much. I really appreciate your time.
FOX: Thank you. HUNT: All right, let's turn now to this. Mysterious flying objects occupying the skies over New Jersey.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
Clip from ABC's "THE ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN": Look up in the sky. It's a bird. It's a plane.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNT: No, it is not Superman. But sightings of unexplained drones have New Jersey officials and residents on high alert.
[05:35:00]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Here's another one. Now there's two. Why are they flying around at night like this?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNT: Yikes.
The Federal Aviation Administration says people started spotting the drones in mid-November.
Law enforcement held a briefing on the matter yesterday. Two lawmakers who attended the briefing said that the aircrafts have been as big as six feet in diameter.
The New Jersey mayor telling residents it appears that the drones have been surveilling critical infrastructure, according to law enforcement.
The drones and their proximity to some military facilities also prompting concerns. Republican Congressman Jeff Van Drew telling Fox News the drones are from a "mothership from Iran." The Pentagon shutting that down.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SABRINA SINGH, PENTAGON PRESS SECRETARY: There is no Iranian ship off the coast of the United States, and there's no so-called "mothership" launching drones towards the United States.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNT: New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy says that there is no known threat to the public, but that message seems to have done little to ease concerns.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JON BRAMNICK, (R) NEW JERSEY STATE SENATOR: This is not some sort of prank. This is not some hobbyist. This is -- whatever it is, it's people who are seriously involved in drones. We're not hearing from people who see Bigfoot. We're not seeing -- we're not hearing from people who see the Loch Ness monster. We're hearing from really smart people who see these large drones coming in -- multiple drones at a time. This is not some kind of joke. This is serious.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNT: All right, joining us now, former director of communication for U.S. national intelligence at the office of the director of national intelligence, Shawn Turner. Shawn, always great to have you on the program.
This is just remarkable.
SHAWN TURNER, FORMER DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATION, U.S. NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE, PROFESSOR OF STRATEGIC COMMUNICATION, MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY, RETIRED USMC OFFICER (via Webex by Cisco): Yes.
HUNT: I saw one New Jersey official say -- you know, it's -- they're like the size of an SUV. It would be like a Suburban flying in the sky over your house.
What do you think is going on here?
TURNER: Yeah, good morning. It's good to be with you.
You know, I understand that these drones and this whole thing is unsettling to people and that it's raising a lot of concern, but I've spent a lot of time looking at this to really try to understand exactly what you just asked -- you know, what's going on here.
I think the most important thing to say is I think there's two things. First of all, there is no Iranian mothership. I think it's important just to reiterate that. But the other thing is I look at whether or not these drones appear to represent any type of threat to the people of New Jersey or New York. I tend to agree with those who have -- who have assessed they don't appear to represent a threat. It is concerning that they are flying in areas over military installations.
But I think that what we're going to find here, and I would say this is within a matter of days and not weeks or months -- you know, we are going to get to the bottom of where these drones are coming from and who is flying them. Look, each of these drones -- they have to take off and they have to land. They don't appear to be doing anything that's out of the -- that's sort of supernatural or superhuman with regard to the way that they're operating in the sky.
So I think that what we're going to find here is, yes, there will be some individuals who are behind this. My research found that there is a lot of access to drone technology. And the market, when it comes to the ability to get these -- to build these drones is somewhat saturated.
So I know it's a nuisance and I know it's something people are concerned about, but we're going to get to the bottom of this and I think we're going to find that there are individuals right here in the U.S. who are behind this and who are going to be dealt with accordingly.
HUNT: OK. The congressman, Jeff Van Drew from New Jersey, also went on to say that -- well, let's just -- let's just watch what he said, and we'll talk about it on the other side.
TURNER: Sure.
HUNT: He talked about the fact that they should be --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. JEFF VAN DREW (R-NJ): These drones should be shot down. Whether it was some crazy hobbyist that we can't imagine or whether it is Iran -- and I think it very possibly could be -- they should be shot down. We are not getting the full deal. And the military is on alert with this.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNT: "They should be shot down," he says.
TURNER: Yeah.
HUNT: Is that a good idea?
TURNER: Yeah. You know, at this point I really don't think it is.
First of all, shooting down these drones -- we've seen some reporting that suggested they are -- they're not small. You've got to be mindful of the result of shooting down an aircraft and what happens on the ground.
But also, look, there are a lot of things that we can do from an investigative perspective to understand who is behind this, what they're up to, and to deal with this without a military-type or kinetic operation as a first option.
So look, we -- I think that at this point because these drones have not done anything to actually threaten residents or to -- we don't have any indication that they're actually collecting or surveilling anything along those lines, let the investigation continue. Let's figure out who's responsible and if we can't, then at some point we escalate our actions to deal with this and possibly putting up other aircraft as a first option before shooting these drones down.
[05:40:15]
HUNT: All right, Shawn Turner for us this morning. Sir, very grateful for your perspective. Thanks very much for being here.
TURNER: Thanks. Good to be with you.
HUNT: All right. Ahead here on CNN THIS MORNING why Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is pushing so hard to get his daughter-in-law appointed to the number two spot in the CIA.
Plus, Bill Belichick returning to coaching but not in the NFL. That's coming up in sports next.
(COMMERCIAL)
[05:45:05]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, (R) PRESIDENT-ELECT OF THE UNITED STATES: This is a tribute in honor of Bobby. I am announcing tonight that upon my election I will establish a new independent presidential commission on assassination attempts, and they will be tasked with releasing all of the remaining documents pertaining to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNT: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. secured approval from Donald Trump, now his current pick to head the Department of Health and Human Services. Now RFK Jr. is hoping to use his good standing with the president- elect to get another family member into an important role. Axios reporting that RFK Jr. is pushing for his daughter-in-law to be the next deputy CIA director.
They write this. "RFK Jr. has been telling people that Fox Kennedy would help get to the bottom of the JFK assassination, two Republican sources told Axios. 'RFK believes and wants -- believes that and wants to get to the bottom of it,' one of the sources said, "referring to well-worn but unproven theories that the CIA was behind the 1963 assassination of President Kennedy."
Kennedy is, of course, the nephew of former President John F. Kennedy, and he has long been vocal about his concerns about the CIA's alleged, in his case, involvement.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERT F. KENNEDY JR., (I) 2024 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: It's odd that they've not allowed them to be released because --
TUCKER CARLSON, COMMENTATOR, WRITER: What could possibly be the explanation?
KENNEDY: More than 60 years after my uncle's death -- almost 65 years -- 62 years after his death and there's -- none of the people who were implicated in that crime are alive now.
CARLSON: Yeah.
KENNEDY: The last ones have died off in the last year or two.
And so it clearly is to protect the institution --
CARLSON: Yes.
KENNEDY: -- and that's wrong.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNT: And Axios' Stef Kight joins us now to discuss her latest reporting on this. Stef, good morning.
STEF KIGHT, POLITICS REPORTER, AXIOS: Good morning.
HUNT: You know, who killed JFK, a perennially fascinating subject to all Americans. But tell us a little bit more about who is this person that RFK Jr. wants in at the CIA, and what does he want her to do when she gets there.
KIGHT: Yeah. Well, RFK Jr. has been pushing his daughter-in-law and campaign manager, Amaryllis Fox Kennedy for this deputy director of the CIA role, which would not be a Senate-confirmed position -- so usually, the president or the CIA director John Ratcliffe would just decide who is taking that top spot.
And part of his pitch as he's been making calls on her behalf is that she would get to the bottom of the JFK assassination attempts. It's very clear -- I mean, with the clip you just played -- and there are other moments as well where RFK Jr. has been very clear that he really does believe that the CIA was involved in the assassination of his uncle. He also believes that they could have been involved in the death of his father as well.
And RFK has a lot of influence in Trump world right now. Trump sees him as an example of how his base is expanding. You know, a former Democrat, a Kennedy, on his team. So Trump is going to try to make him happy.
HUNT: So what concerns are there from others? Is there any pushback to this idea from MAGA world, from more conventional Republicans, or elsewhere?
KIGHT: I mean, pretty quickly, even just on the Hill, there were clips being sent around. I heard from four different Senate Republican sources almost immediately who said a clip from Amaryllis from 2016 where she was talking about her time in the CIA -- she spent nearly a decade in the CIA -- where she was talking about some of her learnings, which included a more nuanced conversation about ISIS, saying we just need to be listening to our enemies more.
It was a pretty controversial clip -- something that a lot of Republican sources were saying was raising eyebrows and causing concerns if she is a real contender for this position.
HUNT: What else in her background would quality for -- you said she spent 10 years in the CIA. Can you say a little bit more about that experience?
KIGHT: Yeah. So she spent nearly 10 years in the CIA as an undercover agent in the early part of her career. It's something she has talked publicly about and also wrote a book about her experiences, which caused some concern at the CIA because she submitted that book to the publishers before getting prior approval from the board --
HUNT: Yeah.
KIGHT: -- and the CIA who approves those things.
So it is -- she has been out there. With the fact that she has that experience and it's something that she has been wanting for a long time, but she does have some views that Republicans are already concerned about.
HUNT: So I think we should probably note big picture that this idea that the CIA killed JFK is a conspiracy theory -- and let's just -- let's just straight up call it that -- and it's not the only theory that RFK Jr. subscribes to.
What is your sense of where he stands on the hill in terms of his confirmation hearing and the ways that senators may press him on the various beliefs that he has, including this one?
[05:50:00]
KIGHT: He really is the last big controversial pick that will have their week on the Hill next week when he'll actually have an opportunity to start talking to senators. There are certainly questions about some of the things he believes in.
But what I've been hearing most consistently from Republicans is not even some of his beliefs about fluoride in drinking water or vaccines -- while there are questions there as well -- but also his stance as a pro-abortion person. For a very long time he's been very pro-abortion rights and that's something that some Republicans are already feeling like they may be uneasy about given their stance for the past several years.
So it's going to be a tough confirmation process. Most people I talk to think he gets across the finish line in the end. But we have yet to really see the spotlight on RFK Jr. with his nomination to HHS.
HUNT: Yeah, it's a -- it's a really interesting issue because HHS does -- people don't quite realize the degree to which abortion policy is part of that department. I mean, it really can cross into -- enter into all sorts of different places and the secretary has a lot of leeway. So --
KIGHT: Exactly.
HUNT: -- really interesting to see if that'll be pushback.
Stef Kight, fun reporting. Thank you very much for being here.
KIGHT: Thank you.
HUNT: I appreciate it.
All right, time now for sports. Legendary football coach Bill Belichick will be back on the sidelines next season, just not in the NFL.
Andy Scholes has more in this morning's CNN sports update. Andy, good morning.
ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: Yeah, good morning, Kasie.
So, I mean, this is rather shocking, right? You know, after nearly 50 years of coaching in the NFL, Bill Belichick is heading to college. And I, for one, am super excited to see his press conferences with North Carolina student reporters. Good luck to those kids.
Belichick agreeing to become the next head coach at North Carolina yesterday, getting a five-year deal to take over the Tar Heels. And earlier this week on Pat McAfee, Belichick -- he talked about what his college program would look like.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BILL BELICHICK, INCOMING NORTH CAROLINA HEAD COACH: If I was in a college program the college program would be a pipeline to the NFL for the players that had the ability to play in the NFL. It would be a professional program -- training, nutrition, scheme, coaching, techniques that would transfer to the NFL. It will be an NFL program at a college level.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCHOLES: All right, we'll see what kind of players Belichick is able to get to Chapel Hill.
At 72 years old he will be the oldest coach in college football. Now, Belichick's father Steve was an assistant coach for the Tar Heels from 1953 to 1955. And no doubt, the six-time Super Bowl winner is the highest profile hire in college football history.
All right. Joe Burrow, meanwhile, speaking with the media for the first time since the news broke that he was the latest athlete to have his house broken into during a game. The Bengals' quarter back saying the whole incident certainly unsettling.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BURROW, QUARTERBACK, CINCINNATI BENGALS: I feel like my privacy has been violated in more ways than one and way more is already out there than I would want out there and that I care to share.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCHOLES: All right, NBA Cup quarterfinals wrapping up last night and there was some controversy in Houston. The Warriors were up by one in the closing seconds. Steph Curry misses the three and then it was a scramble for the ball. Well, the refs -- they called the Warriors for a foul instead of giving Houston the timeout they were trying to call. And Warriors coach Steve Kerr just could not believe it, as you can see by his face.
Jalen Green would then make both free throws to give the Rockets the lead. And then Brandin Podziemski -- he would get his shot blocked at the buzzer. The Rockets win an old-school, mid-2000s type of game 91-90. It was the first win over the Warriors in 15 games.
And here was Kerr afterwards on that controversial call.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STEVE KERR, HEAD COACH, GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS: I'm pissed off. I wanted to go to Las Vegas. We wanted to win this cup. And, you know, we aren't going because of a loose ball foul 80 feet from the basket with a game on the line. I've never seen anything like it in my life and that was ridiculous. Thank you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCHOLES: All right.
Well, Trae Young was at Madison Square Garden and that's always must- see TV. Trae and the Hawks -- huge third quarter outscoring the Knicks by 16. Then in the fourth quarter Trae the alley-oop to De'Andre Hunter, and then Trae skipping up the court. He was then rolling some dice at the end.
The Hawks -- they're going to Vegas. They beat the Knicks 108-100.
And afterwards Trae was asked about his relationship with the New York crowd.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRAE YOUNG, GUARD, ATLANTA HAWKS: It's a love-hate relationship. I mean, I've got a lot of love and a lot of hate, I guess, from them -- but I got a lot of love from them, too. So it's respect.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCHOLES: All right. So it's going to be the Hawks and the Bucks in one semifinal on Saturday in the NBA Cup in Vegas. You can watch that one on TNT, 4:30 Eastern. Then the nightcap is going to be the Rockets versus the Thunder.
And Kasie, you know we've been talking about it all week. Fingers crossed for me as a Rockets fan. This is -- this is pretty big for a young team. I'm hoping they go win that cup in Vegas.
HUNT: All right. I'll pull for them for you, Andy. Thank you.
SCHOLES: All right.
HUNT: I really appreciate it. See you tomorrow, I hope.
All right. Up ahead here on CNN THIS MORNING eyes in the sky. Weeks of unexplained drone sightings in New Jersey has the Pentagon shutting down claims that a foreign entity may be involved.
[05:55:00] Plus, moving out. The director of the FBI announces his days on the job are numbered, paving the way for Donald Trump's pick to lead the agency.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHRISTOPHER WRAY, FBI DIRECTOR: I love this place, I love our mission, and I love our people. But my focus is and always has been on us and on doing what's right for the FBI.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL)
HUNT: It's Thursday, December 12. Right now on CNN THIS MORNING --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WRAY: The right thing for the Bureau is for me to serve until the end of the current administration.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNT: By the Wray-side. FBI director Christopher Wray leaving office before the president-elect has a chance to fire him.
