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Hawaii's Kilauea Volcano Erupts In Dramatic Display; Top 10 Biggest Crime Stories Of 2024; Coping With Depression, Loneliness During The Holidays. Aired 3:30-4p ET
Aired December 25, 2024 - 15:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[15:30:01]
JESS PHOENIX, VOLCANOLOGIST: So fortunately, the odds of a super volcano level eruption happening in our lifetimes, they're not super high, but they're also not zero, which is why it's important that we get people who live in the shadow of active volcanoes ready and prepared in case of an eruption.
DANNY FREEMAN, CNN HOST: Okay, you've calmed my nerves for the moment, which I do appreciate very much.
You know, I just want to get your thoughts, though, Jess, we're looking at this live picture of Kilauea. I mean, it's mesmerizing. It's beautiful.
Why is this eruption so significant or fascinating to folks like yourself right now?
PHOENIX: Well, Kilauea is nature's perfect laboratory for scientists who study volcanoes because it's very accessible. You can walk right up to the rim of that summit crater that we're seeing the footage from. And it is -- it's relatively calm in terms of volcanoes on the scale of, you know, nothing to super volcano, where Hawaii's like a one.
So for the most part, that means that we can get really good instrumentation on the volcano so we can put seismographs or seismometers to take seismographs to get a sense of what's going on in the subsurface. We can measure the volcano, whether it inflates or deflates with lava magma underneath the surface. We can measure the gases, which actually are the most dangerous part of Kilauea, typically because the gases really irritate folks' respiratory systems.
So it's a really good place for us to learn and study. And it's amazing to watch when you have these eruptions where you don't have a lot of people in harms way, we can actually breathe a little bit easier as scientists and enjoy the spectacle that nature's putting on for us.
FREEMAN: Well, I love it, and I'm so glad that we had the exact right person to walk us through all of this. Because yes, it is fascinating to watch, but it's a joy that so many people can actually get a lot of benefits from it, while also it not being dangerous to populations as well. That is also key.
Jess Phoenix, thank you so much for your time on this Christmas Day. I hope you have a very merry rest of your Christmas day.
PHOENIX: Likewise, and the same to everyone else out there.
FREEMAN: Still to come, a music mogul charged, a push to free the Menendez brothers, and a CEO murdered in Manhattan. We'll look back at the top crime stories of the year. That's coming up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:36:35]
FREEMAN: 2024 brought a long list of shocking crime stories.
CNN's Jean Casarez takes us through the top ten cases that had people talking all year.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEAN CASAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Music superstars charged in criminal court, parents of a school shooter land in prison, and an insurance executive gunned down, shot in the back in the heart of New York City, all part of the top 10 crime and justice stories of 2024.
Number 10, a conviction in the murders of Abigail Williams and Liberty German.
(voice-over): Two young Delphi, Indiana, girls have an afternoon off from school in February 2017. A family member drops them off to hike at the Monon High Bridge Trail. Libby and Abby were never seen again. Their bodies were found together the next day, with their throats cut.
Libby's phone had pivotal video evidence of a suspect.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Down the hill.
CASAREZ: Local resident Richard Allen was arrested in 2022 and was later convicted by a jury of his peers.
Number nine, charges in connection to the death of a beloved actor.
MATTHEW PERRY, ACTOR: When I dance, I look like this.
CASAREZ: Matthew Perry, who became a household name on the hit show "Friends," found dead in October 2023, his body floating face down in a hot tub at his Pacific Palisades home with ketamine in his system. Five people now charged in connection with his death, including two doctors.
ANNE MILGRAM, ADMINISTRATOR, DRUG ENFORCEMENT ADMINISTRATION: Matthew Perry sought treatment for depression and anxiety, and went to a local clinic, where he became addicted to intravenous ketamine.
CASAREZ: Three of the defendants have reached plea agreements, while the other two have pleaded not guilty.
Number eight, a stunning end to Alec Baldwin's manslaughter trial.
Baldwin goes to trial following the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of his film "Rust." Prosecutors said Baldwin pulled the trigger of a prop gun during a rehearsal, but the gun had a live round, killing Hutchins.
Within two days, the involuntary manslaughter case was thrown out over withheld evidence.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Dismissal with prejudice is warranted.
CASAREZ: Number seven, pop star Justin Timberlake arrested for driving while intoxicated.
Timberlake is pulled over while driving in Sag Harbor, New York. Court records alleged he was glassy-eyed with a strong odor of alcohol on his breath. He told police he only had one martini. Three months later, he pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of driving while impaired.
JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE, MUSICIAN: Even one drink, don't get behind the wheel of a car.
CASAREZ (on camera): Number six, an Illinois woman shot and killed in her own home by police.
(voice-over): Thirty-six-year-old Sonya Massey called 911 on July 6 because she thought an intruder was in her home. Deputies responded, but a dispute over a pot of hot water on the stove became the focus.
SEAN GRAYSON, FORMER SANGAMON COUNTY, ILLINOIS, POLICE DEPUTY: Huh. Away from your hot, steaming water?
SONYA MASSEY, KILLED IN POLICE SHOOTING: Away from my hot, steaming water?
GRAYSON: Yes.
[15:40:01]
MASSEY: I rebuke you in the name of Jesus. I rebuke you in the name of --
(CROSSTALK)
GRAYSON: You better (EXPLETIVE DELETED) not. I swear to God, I'll (EXPLETIVE DELETED) shoot you right in your (EXPLETIVE DELETED) face.
MASSEY: OK. I'm sorry.
GRAYSON: Drop the (EXPLETIVE DELETED) pot! Drop the (EXPLETIVE DELETED) pot!
(GUNSHOTS)
CASAREZ: Sangamon County Sheriff's Deputy Sean Grayson was fired and has pleaded not guilty to murder and other charges.
Number five, after 35 years in prison, two brothers have the possibility of freedom.
Lyle and Erik Menendez planned, plotted and executed the murders of their parents in 1989. The brothers said they acted in self-defense after suffering years of physical and sexual abuse by their record executive father.
The first jury trial ended in a mistrial, but included their sexual abuse testimony.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you recall the first time that he wasn't nice during the session?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And you were 11?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was 11.
CASAREZ: But during a second trial, the brothers were convicted. Now they say they have new evidence. And with a Netflix docudrama on the case --
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: We did it.
CASAREZ: -- as well as the sudden support of now-former L.A. district attorney George Gascon, the chance for freedom is possible.
But the new DA, Nathan Hochman, is making no promises.
NATHAN HOCHMAN, INCOMING LOS ANGELES COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY: Got to review thoroughly the facts and the law.
CASAREZ: Number four, the chief executive officer of insurance giant UnitedHealthcare gunned down in New York City.
Brian Thompson, in town for a conference, was shot and killed in the early morning hours of December 4 outside of the Hilton in Midtown Manhattan.
TISCH: It appears the suspect was lying in wait for several minutes.
CASAREZ: On December 9, the NYPD announced 26-year-old Luigi Mangione had been arrested in Altoona, Pennsylvania, while eating at a McDonald's. He was in possession of a document criticizing the health care industry, a police official told CNN.
Mangione has been charged with murder, among other counts, in state and federal court.
Mangione's attorney denies his client was involved in the killing.
Number three, a Georgia nursing student murdered on her morning jog.
Twenty-five minutes into that run, Laken Riley was killed.
GOV. BRIAN KEMP (R-GA): This community, all of Georgia and the entire country have been robbed by this inexcusable and avoidable murder.
CASAREZ: Jose Ibarra, a 26-year-old migrant from Venezuela, was charged with her murder. The trial in November brought an unemotional Ibarra and Riley's family together in the same room.
ALLYSON PHILLIPS, MOTHER OF LAKEN RILEY: This sick, twisted and evil coward showed no regard for Laken or human life.
CASAREZ: Ibarra was convicted and sentenced to life in prison without parole.
Number two, it was precedent-setting, parents of a mass school shooter on trial themselves for the deaths of the students their son gunned down.
KAREN MCDONALD, OAKLAND COUNTY, MICHIGAN, PROSECUTOR: Gun ownership is a right. And with that right comes great responsibility.
CASAREZ: Jennifer and James Crumbley the parents of the Oxford, Michigan, high school shooter, went to trial in early 2024 on involuntary manslaughter charges.
In a first-of-its-kind prosecution, the state alleged the Crumbleys bought their son a gun days before the mass shooting and didn't properly store it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Despite her knowledge of his deteriorating mental crisis, this gun was gifted.
CASAREZ: Jennifer then took the stand.
JENNIFER CRUMBLEY, DEFENDANT: There's a couple of times where Ethan had expressed anxiety over taking tests, but not to a level where I felt he needed to go see a psychiatrist or a mental health professional right away, no.
CASAREZ: With the community still overcome by grief from the four students murdered by their son, both parents were convicted by unanimous juries. They are appealing their verdicts.
And the number one crime and justice story of the year, music superstar Sean "Diddy" Combs arrested.
Combs was charged in September with sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy and prostitution-related charges.
DAMIAN WILLIAMS, U.S. ATTORNEY, SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK: Combs used force, threats of force, and coercion to cause victims to engage in extended sexual performances with male commercial sex workers.
CASAREZ: The indictment specifically notes surveillance video showing Combs beating his then-girlfriend Cassie Ventura at a hotel in March 2016. Combs apologized after CNN aired that video in May. SEAN "DIDDY" COMBS, DEFENDANT: I take full responsibility for my actions in that video. I'm disgusted.
CASAREZ: Combs remains in federal custody at the Metropolitan Detention Center in New York City. He has pleaded not guilty.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[15:45:03]
FREEMAN: Jean Casarez, thank you very much for that.
All right. Coming up, this New Year's Day, a new CNN Film examines the storied career of one of the most influential artists of all time, Luther Vandross. Here's a preview.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARIAH CAREY, SINGER: You only come across an artist like Luther Vandross once in a lifetime.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Luther said, I have a sound in my head, I got to get it out. So we went in the studio, says, okay, it goes boom, boom, boom, boom, boom. I said, this is a quirky little bass line.
(SINGING)
LUTHER VANDROSS, SINGER: It was the most exciting time in the world. My head, my heart was immersed in this business.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: His life had some extremely joyful moments.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Four albums and all of them platinum.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's really difficult moments.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He would say, god has given me everything I asked for except one person who loves me.
VANDROSS: I keep getting the feeling that the best part of my career is still ahead of me.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If we were to be able to talk to Luther as fans, we would be able to say, we just love you.
ANNOUNCER: "LUTHER: NEVER TOO MUCH", New Year's Day on CNN.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:50:11]
FREEMAN: Well, today is a time of celebration for millions of people. For many others, it's anything but. A survey conducted by the National Alliance on Mental Illness finds 64 percent of people struggling with mental health may feel even worse during the holidays.
So what can be done for anyone who is suffering during this time of year?
Clinical psychologist Dr. Jeff Gardere joins me now.
Thank you so much for talking about this important topic on Christmas day. First, just how common is this, this, this feeling of loneliness and sadness on the holiday season?
DR. JEFF GARDERE, CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST: Yeah, well, there are two things that we need to distinguish. First of all, as you said, yes, there are a number of people who do have some preexisting mental health challenges, such as depression and anxiety and may be more prone during the holiday season due to all of the stressors and the pressures of being there, of -- of mixing with other people, of even though being depressed, having to be part of different groups and dinners and get-togethers. So that makes it very difficult.
And then there's something called the holiday blues, Danny, that's, you know, much, much milder. But people feel that same sort of stress that I just talked about -- the unrealistic expectations, some of the sentimental memories, changes in diet or routine, less sunlight, maybe over commercialization of this particular holiday. So it has them feeling pretty bad, too.
FREEMAN: Well, when people feel like -- well, first, thank you for making that distinction. But the second thing is when people feel like they are alone, often they may not want to ask for help or even know how to reach out for help. What are signs that you think can help folks figure out when a friend or loved one is suffering?
GARDERE: Well, if that person is not acting like everyone else, where then? Where? They really don't have that holiday cheer, where they may be isolating themselves, where they may be more agitated, where they may have negative emotions, where they may be very anxious or worried about being able to meet those expectations, I think those are clear indicators that something is going on with that particular person.
And so, it's really important that we be able to reach out and ask them what's going on. It may be, again, part of the holiday blues. It may be their depression kicking in, but certainly more than anything else, it's important to not just leave them alone and just think -- well, they'll go ahead and get through it. It's really important to connect with them during that holiday season.
FREEMAN: That's very well said.
You know, one of the things that when reading up on this was interesting is that many people, including the surgeon general, they're warning that in general, our society is facing an epidemic of loneliness even beyond the holidays. Do you think this is getting worse?
GARDERE: Yeah, I think it's something that we've been dealing with since the pandemic, but it has continued. Part of that is because we are so caught up in our social media. I mean, it's not necessarily such an evil thing, but when we are over spending and over abundance of time on social media, thinking that we have all these social media friends, but were not having that person to person face to face contact with people. I think that tends to make us even more isolated and lonely, even though we may think the solution is to be online and to connect with people in that way.
There's -- there's just no substitute for actually being in a room with a person, especially the people who are close to us.
FREEMAN: Yeah. Well said. And if you see something, especially with your loved one, say something. It's important.
GARDERE: Absolutely.
FREEMAN: Doctor, Dr. Jeff Gardere, thank you so much. We'll leave it there. I hope you have a wonderful rest of your holiday day and week.
GARDERE: Thank you. Happy holidays.
FREEMAN: And if you or someone you know is struggling at this time of year, the 988 lifeline is here. Counselors are available to talk. You are not alone, that's for sure, especially this time of year.
We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:58:18]
FREEMAN: Before we go, here are a few more holiday messages from our men and women serving around the world, in the U.S. military.
VALENTINA UMBACIA, U.S. AIR FORCE: Hello. I am Trini Umbacia, and I'm currently in the United States Air Force at basic military training on the Lackland Air Force Base, Texas. I am from Tampa, Florida, and merry Christmas and happy holidays.
(SPEAKING SPANISH)
I can't wait to see you guys at graduation.
MAJ. REBECCA CHEMAN, U.S. ARMY: Hi. I'm Major Becky Cheman with U.S. Army, NATO in Sembach, Germany.
And I would like to wish all of the Chemans in Buffalo, New York, a very merry Christmas. Love you all.
PETE HERNANDEZ, U.S. AIR FORCE: Hello, I am trainee Pete Hernandez. I'm currently at U.S. Air Force basic military training joint base, San Antonio, Texas. Lackland.
I'm from Yuma, Arizona, and man, happy holidays. Love you mom. Love you dad. Love you brother.
Hey. Merry Christmas to everybody for coming up, and I can't wait to see you at my graduation.
SGT. TIERRIA LOFTON, U.S. AIR FORCE: Hello. I'm United States Air Force Technical Sergeant Tierria Lofton, stationed with the 380th Intelligence Squadron in Okinawa, Japan. This is my family. Zaire, India and Malaya. We wanted to wish a very special holiday season to all of our friends and family in Columbus, Mississippi.
COL. JOHN SHERMER, U.S. ARMY: Hi. My name is Colonel John Shermer from the NATO Rapid Deployment Corps, Italy, currently in Stavanger, Norway.
I just wanted to take a quick moment to say merry Christmas to the family and friends we have in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Billy and Janice, you know, the greater family that is out there in Tennessee. Merry Christmas, and to everybody else out there in Chattanooga as well.
COL. PILY RESTREPO, U.S. ARMY: Hi. I'm Colonel Pily Restrepo, the commander for the area support group Kuwait.
SGT. MAJ. ANDREW BROTT, U.S. ARMY: And I am command Sergeant Major Andrew Brott, ASG senior enlisted advisor.
RESTREPO: From our family here in Kuwait to all our family members back home, and to you and yours, we want to wish you --
SOLDIERS: Happy holidays!
RESTREPO & BROTT: Patton's own.
SOLDIERS: Always forward.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FREEMAN: Love that. So thankful for their service.
I'm Danny Freeman in New York. Thank you so much for joining me today. To those who celebrate, merry Christmas, happy Hanukkah.
I'll be right back here tomorrow morning at 5:00 a.m. Eastern on "CNN THIS MORNING".
But now, "ANTHONY BOURDAIN: PARTS UNKNOWN" coming up next.
