tonight, the u.s. and capitol police and the fbi are investigating comments allegedly made by trump ally roger stone on tape threatening to assassinate house democrats. >> it's time to do it. has to before the election. we need to get the message. >> referring to democratic congressman eric swalwell and

jerry nadler. t cnn has not independently verified the tape. in a statement to media claimed they were generated by a.i. thanks for joining us. "ac 360" starts now. tonight on "360," the latest stop on the former president's road from courthouse to campaign stop and back. how it might play in new hampshire, whether he can make it lead all the way back to the white house. also tonight, what happened in the courtroom today as e. jean carroll already found guilty of abuse and defaming. a new murder charge against the long island alleged serial killer and a remarkable detail about how investigators made their case. thank you for joining us. we begin tonight with the former president wrapping up his event in atkinson, new hampshire after showing what his campaign will look like from here on out as both the republican front-runner and a defendant in multiple civil and criminal trials,

straight after last night's victory in the iowa caucuses, he flew from des moines to new york to be in court for jury selection in the penalties phase of e. jean carroll's federal defamation lawsuit. we'll talk about later what happened. from there trump flew to new hampshire where he connected his legal troubles with his political success. >> the bullshit indictments, you know what i call them? i call them -- they're biden indictments. they've weaponized the doj. they go after their political opponent. now in this particular case didn't work out so well. if i didn't get indicted all these times, and if they didn't unfairly go after, i would have won. but it would have been much closer, i tell you. i don't know if i would have made the trade. i might have liked the position we're in now, done very well. >> this isn't the first time he commuted between his political and legal worlds. it's the first time he has gotten concrete proof that it

works. iowa caucusgoers do not mind backing a candidate fresh from one trial, the new york fraud case, on his way to another. and for now, campaigning this way is entirely his choice. as you know, he does not have to be present in civil case likes the one today or that civil fraud trial, which wrapped up last week. if the former president thought it was hurting his campaign, he would be in rights to skip court. he hasn't. he has embraced his status as defendant and in his thought, defendant. >> this is the only person. this has never happened before. guy to a lot of courthouses because biden using that for election interference. >> no modern presidential candidate has ever managed to make his status as a civil and criminal defendant many times over a political and financial asset. last night, iowa voters gave it a thumb's up. a week from tonight we'll see if new hampshire voters do the same. kristen holmes is traveling with the president and joins us from

atkinson, new hampshire. what did he have to say about his opponents tonight? >> well, anderson, unsurprisingly, he spent most of the time attacking nikki haley. we have talked about how haley is trying to say that this is a two-man race despite the fact she came in third in iowa last night. however, trump's team in the state of new hampshire is a two-man race between him and nikki haley. ron desantis does not have a robust ground game here, and we have seen haley ticking up in the polls. they're doing everything they can to go after her. listen to just some of what trump said tonight. >> as you know, nikki haley in particular is counting on the democrats and liberals to infiltrate your republican primary. you know that. that's what's happening. you have a group of people coming in that are not republicans. she came in third, and she lost to not a particularly great candidate, obviously, as you have seen. she lost to somebody that beat her by about 2 1/2 points, ron desanctimonious. so i'll tell you, we have these

two people. we really got to get back on to biden and beating the democrats, and not wasting a lot of time with these two. >> so just to be clear, donald trump's campaign does not actually believe that democrats are going to come out and vote for nikki haley. in fact, they've actually been watching that registration very carefully. the cutoff was october 6th for people to switch their registration from democrat to republicans. and they have been watching. 3,000 people did, which is something they don't think can impact the race. this there is a strategy here, anderson. they're trying to hit haley with independents both conservative and moderate. one, they're attacking her on immigration. that is to shore up donald trump's conservative support. they believe that is a key issue among republicans here in new hampshire. the other thing they're putting out ads on is her position on social security and medicare. they are hoping that takes some votes away from moderates because that is something they

care about. they know that people are going to show up against donald trump here in new hampshire, but they're trying to limit how many people do. >> the former president brought vivek ramaswamy out on stage. how helpful does the trump campaign think he can be in new hampshire? >> in terms of how helpful he could be with votes, they really aren't quite sure, but they do believe that every single vote counts, and they believe that about 98% of people who would have gone out to vote for vivek, if they're going to switch their votes to anyone else in the race would vote for donald trump. now i was told two weeks ago that we had senior advisers from donald trump's team going to events in new hampshire of vivek's to see what the momentum was. of course, again, this was two weeks ago. but they clearly saw something there in terms of taking votes from donald trump. so how much this helps him, they aren't sure. but they do believe it will help them in some capacity. >> kristen holmes, thank you so much.

three political commenters. david axelrod and former trump white house communications adviser alyssa farah griffin. if you are nikki haley or ron desantis, do you have any better now about how to run against trump? >> don't do what you did. that's the idea. listen, i think that if i were haley, first of all, desantis i think is not going to put up a huge fight in new hampshire. he doesn't have the resources to do that. he is coming in to new hampshire to do a town hall tonight. it might be a smart thing to denounce the new hampshire primary in front of this audience for the benefit of south carolina voters and say we don't need liberals deciding who the republican nominee should be. and haley might want -- she had the right idea when she said new hampshire corrects iowa. she just said it too weeks too early. but there is a habit in new hampshire of trying to offset what iowa does.

and she might want to ask voters in new hampshire if they want to end the campaign, because that effectively is what they'll do if they elect donald trump. i experienced this in 2008. barack obama won the iowa caucus, and new hampshire voters could have ended the campaign right there. they said wait a sec, we think should go on a bit longer. we want to see this debate go on. i would work that if i were haley a bit. >> alyssa, do you think it's a smart move for haley to refuse to debate desantis anymore, to say i'll only debate if it's trump? >> yeah, it's the strategically wise move. she needs to say this is a two-person race. last night we thought that's kind of a bold statement if you came in third. but donald trump has been going after her on truth and that speech tonight in new hampshire. i think he thinks it's a two-person race. actually, donald trump went so far in his criticism of nikki haley actually praised ron desantis and said he is more

maga. so his team very much thinks the only threat is nikki haley and their eyes are laser focused on new hampshire. and of course she is crisscrossing the state with the popular governor chris sununu, who has always outperformed donald trump in new hampshire. so if she can reach people the way chris sununu has managed to. >> do you think vivek ramaswamy gives anything to trump? >> i think maybe he gives him a little. listen, the margins are close that that could be enough. i think it's hard to say how real his support is. >> i want to play something that nikki was asked on fox news. >> are you a racist party? are you involved in a racist party? >> no. we're not a racist country, brian. we've never been a racist country. our goal is to make sure that today is better than yesterday. are we perfect? no. but our goal is to always make sure we try and make more perfect every day that we can. >> so haley's campaign later affirmed her statement saying, quote, america has always had racism, but america has never been a racist country.

what's your reaction to that? >> i mean, what two weeks ago she was confused about what caused the civil war. i'm not surprised that she is doing this. nikki haley is not trying to be a leader in this moment. she is not even really going after donald trump. she hasn't. and so she is in new hampshire also. maybe if she was taking this tone in iowa, i could see. but new hampshire, you have moderates. you have independents. they understand the history of this country. what she said is just factually wrong when you think about the indigenous people who were moved from their land in this country, the lineage of slavery. it's offensive, especially coming from south carolina, where her claim is that she was lowering the confederate flag after nine black people were murdered by a white supremacist. to have the guts to even say that there never been any -- that this country is not a racist country is offensive, and it won't play well in the general election, if she can

even get out of it. >> david, desantis obviously is just putting everything on south carolina for now. is that smart strategically to basically blow off? >> i don't really understand where he is going in this race because he blew an extraordinary amount of money trying to win the iowa caucuses. that was his goal in the beginning. he salvaged something by taking second place yesterday, but i don't know who is going to give ron desantis money. the only theory they may have is there may be some people who want him or someone to hang around as a fail-safe if something should beset donald trump, like a conviction. but i don't think that there is time for -- i mean, those verdicts or that verdict would come so late that i don't know how he sustains this. so i think he is on a glide path out of this race. and maybe it's south carolina's closer to florida. >> it's so telling that trump wanted to be in court today where it was for jury selection, no less, in a civil case.

he doesn't even have to be at the actual civil trial. he was there for jury selection. >> and let's think about this. i said this before that donald trump didn't even show up for the actual hearing to determine if he was liable for sexual assault. any man, woman, person accused of something that heinous that was innocent would show up and defend themselves tooth and nail to rectify their good name, and he blew it off and decided to do whatever he did. but he is showing up for jury selection. and i'm sure he'll show up for damages because there is money involved. how that is not resonating with voters, especially female voters is behind me. this is where the nikki haleys of the world need to take your gloves off. you're not doing this by doing this casual contrast. you need to talk about the man, the character and things everyone likely knows but tiptoes around or republican leaders just refuse to talk about. >> why do you think nikki haley is not going fully at the former president? >> she doesn't think she can win if she doesn't pull off of some of trump voters. look, he beat both ron desantis

and nikki haley like a drum last night in the iowa caucuses. so she thinks that if she is kind to him, that maybe some folks will leave donald trump. but that's not the case. they are loyal to him until perhaps you draw a contrast as to why they should say no. and if you want a republican in the white house, it is going to be really hard. it's not impossible, but donald trump is most likely going to lose to president biden because he already has. i don't see how she can think this is a long game. listen, if it is nikki haley against joe biden, you better believe the biden campaign is going to pull every single receipt for every misspoken word about race, inability to stand with women like e. jean carroll, if it becomes a general election with nikki haley and joe biden. >> nikki haley's great vulnerability is that she thinks every issue is finessable. and some issues are unfinessable. and you look like a politician

when you try. and i think that hurts her. >> allthanks. a measure of support the former presidents enjoys from his supporters and how they're showing at a cash register of a store where every aisle is aisle trump. the initial charges were chilling enough. now a new murder charge against the alleged long island serial killer. how authorities say they got the evidence for it.

so campaign memorabilia is nothing new, nor is merchandise bearing the former president's name. but in one small virginia town, they've come together in what might be called an all consuming way. a former church, now a store where cnn's elle reeve found out indictments are good for business. ♪ >> reporter: the mug shot was really hot. and this stuff lasts probably about two months, it stays really hot. but the first week the mug shot came out, so like 2,000 t-shirts. >> what's that? >> that's trump's balls. >> okay. >> reporter: whitey taylor runs a busy trump store in boonsville. a town of fewer than 5,000 people in western virginia. we visited a week after christmas with the iowa caucuses just days away. taylor predicted trump would win the republican nomination, and

then business would really boom. >> can only get these here. >> $20? >> reporter: customers were bullish too. what the super fans bought offered some insight into what they want politically. the merch is defiant, even vulgar. buyers that enjoy being mad at the state of america and think there is one guy who will fix it. when trump was indicted for all these things, did people stop buying his merchandise? >> no, they bought it more. >> reporter: why? >> because they knew it was like russia collusion. it was all made up bull [ bleep ]. he has gained a lot of people because of this administration that we have now, yeah. >> reporter: you get people coming in saying that? >> oh, yeah. they say never again will i be that stupid, you know. >> hi, welcome to the trump store. >> reporter: what have you observed what people are looking for? >> people want our economy better. they're very scared i think because of the way things are going. they feel like where we're at right now is not -- is like

stagnant. >> were you interested in politics before trump? >> yes. and, you know, it's strange, because i've always been democrat. >> reporter: really? >> yes. so i am a firm believer in believing in a person and system that's going make positive changes. i think in the past, i made some quick judgments about my voting. so i'm very more selective, and it's more thought put into it. >> reporter: why did you come in today? >> to get some trump stuff so i can advertise, and you know, support him. 0608. i lost everything i had. but i barely survived. i don't know how i did. and this is leading up to the same thing again. >> i often wonder what encourages people to be a democrat. because i don't see a lot of kindness. i don't see a lot of help for our country. and i see a lot of talk and no action. >> reporter: he got into this business at the very beginning

of trump's takeover of the republican party. taylor's a serial entrepreneur and attention seeker, and he prayed to god to guide him while selling merchandise at the daytona 500. >> god came in my spirit, he wants me to help trump. i said i'm going to order a thousand t-shirts. he said dad, that's crazy. you know how crazy you get. just order 100. i say go home or go big. all we had was a white t-shirt that said hire the vets, fire the idiots, trump 2016 on the front, and on the back it said finally someone with balls, donald j. trump. and i became known as the balls man on the tour. >> reporter: taylor opened the store in the fall of 2020 inside a 100-year-old church. after the election, the big seller was stop the steal. did crew think the election was stolen? >> there is no doubt the election was stolen, yeah. >> reporter: what did you think of january 6th? >> it was a bad thing. if you look back, you actually look at the tapes and stuff, they were led in.

but they still never should have went inside, okay? you never go in somebody's house or a public house like that. >> reporter: does that complicate what you think of trump at all, that he -- >> no. >> reporter: why not? >> definitely not. because he definitely didn't tell them go and storm the house. >> reporter: would you have any interest in running this store if trump weren't so controversial? >> i doubt it. i like his controversy. you know, we need something that we can laugh about and be happy about. there is liberals that think they can come in here and actually tell me what to do. the last was a professor from unc. she would just tell me what a great job biden is doing. i would try to tell her to leave. >> reporter: but do you not appreciate her coming in, wanting to mix it up a little bit? >> oh, i love it. but she didn't want to hear what i had to say. she only wanted me to hear what she had to say. >> reporter: you said you want to rename this town trump town? >> why not? the mill is gone. let's change. >> reporter: do you think other people support you with that? >> not really. but it doesn't really matter. it's good controversy if it

never happened. >> reporter: elle reeve, cnn, boonsville, virginia. just ahead, a deeper dive into the first day of the former president's second defamation trial, a day after his win in n iowawa and beforore new hampmps.

less than 24 hours after the president rode election denialism to a resounding victory in iowa, he is in his second defamation trial involving e. jean carroll, today if any believed the 2020 election was stolen. two of them said yes. just one of many noteworthy moments on the opening day of a trial that included an appearance by the former president. as you know, not required to be there, but it is part of his campaign now. plus, more comments by the judge to perspective jurors that as a legal matter, quote, it has been determined already mr. trump did sexually assault ms. carroll. carroll, who testifies tomorrow is seeking $10 million for defamatory statements made by the president in 2019. joined now by kara scannell who was at the courthouse today as well as elie honig and criminal defense attorney joey jackson. so what was it like in court, kara? >> today begins with jury

selection. you have donald trump in there with e. jean carroll in the same room. they haven't seen each other in decades, and this has been such a major force in trump's life for the past year, with that trial last year too. they're sitting separated by one table. it doesn't appear that they made eye contact at any point. but it was certainly a moment to see them there together. now there was this judge, judge lewis caplan, really runs a tight courtroom. we saw that out of the gate with one of trump's attorneys, sparring with him. she wanted the judge to adjourn the trial on thursday so trump could attend his mother-in-law's funeral. she said i'm not stopping him from going. she said well, you're stopping him from coming here. i already ruled on this argument so we're moving on. the judge did say if trump's defense is ready to rest its case on thursday and trump is in florida, he would let him come to court on monday to testify, if in fact he does testify. >> but him testifying, what he could actually testify to is very limited. >> very limited. judge caplan put very tight

restrictions on this. let's be clear. it's already been established that donald trump sexually assaulted e. jean carroll and defamed her. and the judge said that was determined last trial. we're not relitigating that. this is only about damages. so what judge caplan said, if trump testifies, it can only be about the damages, how much harm was done to e. jean carroll. i don't know that trump would have anything relevant the say on that. and i have to appear, i appeared in front of judge caplan a lot of times. you do not mess with judge caplan. >> so the former president couldn't get up there and testify and say i didn't do this, this is wrong. >> right. >> the only other thing he could say is i feel bad about what happened? >> in a theoretical, hypothetical world. he could say this wasn't my intention, my words were misconstrued, i regret this. >> that would imply he is guilty. >> i don't think he is the guy to do that. >> joey, can you imagine him getting up there? >> no. oh, i could imagine him getting up there. i would not imagine him being

apologetic to anything else. and there are really limitations if he did as to what he would be able to say. you know, anderson, i'm struck, though, by the opening statement of his team today. basically, his attorney in terms of just the tone. it was sort of like hey, listen, be thankful trump made you famous, right. the reality is that what do we have to do with social media and mean tweets that you get on social media. if you take on a person apt to be the president, guess what? you're in the position you want to be. you're on tv all the time. emotional pain and damages, what are you talking about? i was surprised tonally with respect to how it was laid out. it was clear to me based on that that perhaps they were not playing for those jurors, but playing for those other jurors who are at home in terms of the electorate, because we do know she serves that role as hi spokesperson. >> kara, what were you taking away from the opening statement? >> carroll's lawyers, again, they were all working within the confines, the judge saying this is no a do-over.

so don't even argue the other case. so her lawyers were saying, you know, she has been threatened ever since trump made these denials about her. she has lost her career, saying that nothing has stopped trump because if it was just 24 hours after the verdict last year that he was on a cnn town hall repeating the statements that the jury ht fod to be defamatory. and they said as of their count today, trump posted 22 times today about this case and about e. jean carroll. so they're saying what would it take to stop him, and asking the jury to fine him in damages a substantial amount, something that would stop him from doing this. >> the -- do you think e. jean carroll will testify? >> oh, yes. i think she is slated to testify tomorrow. she'll be the central witness, because she will tell the jury, and the jury is just nine ordinary new yorker, common sense people. she is going to tell them this is what these statements did to my life. this is what these statements did to my reputation. these are the threats i face.

because she has to establish both economic damages, but they're also seeking punitive damages here, meaning you the jury need to send a message above and beyond whatever dollar figure you can put on this. he needs to be stopped. he needs to be sent a message. and that's why this continuing tweeting is only going to hurt donald trump. >> how long do you think the goes on?go on for three days, maybe five days, you know, at most. but the reality is that she will testify as to the harm that was endured. and i think we saw that in their opening statement. that is heard the statement that was made on her behalf with respect to her life just being in sheer misery based upon all of the hate she is getting from the general public predicated on what mr. trump has done. so it won't be a long trial. the issue will be how much in terms of damages will be awarded. it may very well be significant. >> everybody, thanks. appreciate it. coming up, hirsh goldberg pollan had part of his hand

blown off while he was hiding with others in a bomb shelter. he was then kidnapped and is believed held in gaza along with more than 100 other people. still no movement in securing their release, but now after long negotiations, medicine might be on the way to some of the hostages. details on that next.

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there's breaking news out of israel a day after hamas released video claiming to show the bodies of two dead hostages. the kibbutz where those two hostages were taken from announced their deaths. 53-year-old yossi sharavi leaves behind a wife and two daughters. 38-year-old itai verse ski is also believed to be dead. this comes on the day that the government of qatar says it has finally brokered a deal between israel and hamas that would allow medicine and aid for the roughly 107 hostages believed to be alive as wells for gaza's civilians in desperate need. that hopefully includes care for hostages with diabetes and cancers as well as those who suffered injuries on october 7th like hersh goldberg-polin, who

was born in america. this is video from the attack of the super nova music festival he and others were attending. you can see him being forced into the back of a truck after the bomb shelter he and others were hiding in was repeatedly attacked. hersh's left hand and part of that arm is missing. they were blown off while trying to hide. this is the last any of his family and friends have seen him in this video. his father jon polin joins us now. what's your reaction to the news that this deal has been brokered to deliver some medicine to hostages? >> look, for the hostages who rely on medicines, it's good news. that being said, part of me feels like it's too little too late. it's day 102 today. the medicines are supposedly going in tomorrow on 103. after 103 days, we want our loved ones home. don't throw us a bone of getting medicines after we've been fighting for 103 days. bring our loved ones home.

>> you and your wife rachel have been speaking out not just about your son, but the plight of all the hostages, but in particular the hostages who have medical needs, who were severely wounded like hersh was. it's extraordinary that -- i mean hamas, none of these groups have provided any details about hersh or others. have you gotten any information about your son? >> one of the things that we're told early on, anderson, is that part of the terrorism is the psychological terrorism. not only on the hostages themselves, but on us, their loved ones. and the lack of information is part of that. and so the answer unfortunately is still no. we have the video footage that you just showed, but beyond that, we dent even know if hersh is still alive. we believe he is. we hope he is. but, you know, there are roughly 25 to 30 of the hostages who we

now know are dead. and every minute of every day matters a lot. and we're going to keep on fighting until we get all of them home. >> as we mentioned, hamas released a trio video showing the three hostages held with the last video appear to show two of them who died. you talk about the psychological terrorism. the idf called it psychological torture for the families of the hostages. and i know you and rachel continue. you've talked about trying to find slivers of hope anywhere you can about hersh. are you still able to do that? >> i won't lie. every day that passes gets harder and harder. that being said, we continue to fight as hard as ever. i'm here to bring the fight back to washington. while i'm here, rachel is in davos, switzerland, talking to people there. we have gotten indications from folks in the united states, and i'll get more about this tomorrow and the next day, that they feel like all parties are

leaning in more than they have in a while. i'm going to try to figure out what that means. but we're getting some bursts of optimism. but i need more information before i can say that. and i've heard enough rumors in 102 days. so until our loved ones come back, that optimism is really just grasping for something. >> you know, the white house has said today that they don't have any new information regarding the six americans, one of whom is hersh still held by hamas. are you in contact a lot with officials in the u.s. government? do people from the u.s. government or the idf, do they keep you informed as much as possible? >> we do get informed. unfortunately, the getting informed is oftentimes prefaced with i'm sorry we have no information, but. and we get the same messages we've been getting that a lot of people in a lot of countries are working really, really hard. rachel and i talked a lot about

it, that there is a big difference between wanting something. we believe that the united states and that israel and that the other parties would love to bring home the hostages, but there is a gap between wanting and doing, and we're really continuing to push on the doing. what is actually happening? and that's going to be a big part of my message here in washington the next couple of days is enough sympathy, enough support, enough telling what's you want to happen. what is actually happening. and i'm hoping to leave here with answers in the next couple of days. >> can you talk about hersh a little bit? just to remind people about who he is? >> sure. so hersh is a fun-loving guy who embraces life. huge music fan. he was taken unfortunately from a music festival celebrating his 23rd birthday. that was after spending the summer visiting with six different music festivals in europe. he is a super curious guy, always reading. the book that is on his bed

stand now is the art of happiness with the dalai lama. he is a thinker. he likes to engage in real conversations with people. and he has a way of embracing those around him. they get to know him. they get to love him. and one of the things that's heartwarming for us is in this terrible 102-day nightmare is how many people from around the world literally reach out to us and tell us they met hersh at a festival, or they've been reading and watching videos about him, and the love we feel as a result of who hersh is the heartwarming thing that's come out of this terrible 102 day. >> jon polin, thank you for talking with us tonight. and my best to you and to rachel and your whole family. we wish you continued strength. >> thank you, anderson. thank you. coming up next, the accused gilgo beach serial killer charged with a fourth murder. details on the victim, the new dna evidence in the case and what the suspect's attorney is saying about all of it, ahead.

in a long island new york cruise missile today, rex heuermann, the suspected gilgo beach serial killer. you may recall when he was arrested last summer, authority accused him of leading a double life, alleging he hired escorts and killed them. he is charged with a fourth murder. the victim, 25-year-old maureen brainard-barnes. she vanished in 2007. her body was found three years later in the marsh not far from the bodies of three other women he is already accused of killing. each was petite. their bodies bound and wrapped in burlap. today the prosecutor said dna evidence helped connect the suspect to all four murders. here is jean casarez. >> it has been 16 years since the last time i saw my sister. 16 years since i heard her voice, because 16 years ago, she was silenced. >> reporter: silenced prosecutors say by rex heuermann. now announcing a fourth murder

charge for the manhattan architect while his estranged wife looked on. >> the defendant is charged with murder in the second degree. we charge the murder of maureen brainard-barnes to add to the already charged murders. >> reporter: they're called the gilgo four. young women all murdered between 2007 and 2010. their bodies were found close together along gilgo beach on long island in new york in 2010. heuermann was charged last july in the murders of three of the gilgo victims. melissa barthelemy, megan waterman, and amber costello. but the family of the fourth young woman, maureen brainard-barnes had yet to get their chance at justice. today, that all changed. >> this indictment marks a change in the investigation. the grand jury investigation of the so-called gil get four is over. it has been concluded. we will proceed with those cases in court. and again, we look forward to proving the allegations.

>> reporter: heuermann has continued to maintain his innocence and pleaded not guilty to this new charge. >> again, he said i'm not guilty of these charges. he is looking forward to fight these charges. >> reporter: 25-year-old brainard-barnes disappeared in 2007. >> losing maureen has become a wound that never truly heals. it remains a part of me. >> reporter: prosecutors say brainard-barnes was left restrained by three leather belts. a female human hair was recovered from the buckle of one of those belts. that single hair underwent sophisticated dna testing that resulted in a link directly to heuermann. >> it was 7.9 trillion times more likely to have come from someone with the identical genetic profile as asa. we believe these dna results are significant. >> reporter: prosecutors say heuermann's now estranged wife also was not home during the time of brainard-barnes' murder.

a credit card statement found during a search of heuermann's storage units hear from their daughter was found at costello's. so phone records further confirm rex heuermann's family was out of town when all the murders took place. the indictment says that rex heuermann also used burner phones during this time, with billing records showing that, quote, between july sixth and ninth, 2007, there were 16 interactions between this burner phone and brainard- barnes cell phone, her cell phone had no further activity until 2007. two outbound calls were made from her cell phone on that day, quote, checking her with no from a southside location near the long island expressway. >> is there any sense of what this accused killer, what is

his defense going to be? >> it'll be aggressive because his attorney had a laundry list of things. we never knew this. he said for a year and a half, before rex heuermann was arrested that he was surveilled, every day and every night. and he said that he's seen all the documentation and every day and every night he would take the train in new york city, go to his architectural firm, be with his family on my and sit on his front porch. he also said when he was arrested, on fifth avenue in july of this last year when he went into the vehicle, that it was equipped with audio and video and it was recording and he said that his reaction was stunned, disbelief, didn't understand what was happening. additionally he will attack the dna, the dna process of testing and when they did these searches of the home, he says they didn't even wear gloves at

some point. cnn's town hall with governor ron desantis. we will take a look at what voters are saying.

we are a few minutes away from the cnn town hall. governor desantis and the other candidates are focused on the granite state with the states primary a week away. >> from a cold i i to a snowy new hampshire where voters are in the final frigid stretch of their primary. >> how long have you been voting in new hampshire? >> all my life. >> you think what happened in iowa will happen here. >> it's a strong possibility of yes. >> former president trump swept 98 out of 99 counties and i, some field, it'll be more of

the same in the granite state. >> there's a lot of people who won't come out and say that they are going to vote for him but will vote for him. >> the question is, how the dynamic will play against nikki haley, who has jumped in recent polls, some show her within single digits of the former president. she pulled well with moderates which new hampshire has a lot of and she's trying to position new hampshire's primary as a two-person race to voters. voters like gary, who says, he's done with trump, for now. >> i believe in honesty and i watch all these things that are going on with him right now, and i have to believe it's kind of true. i am looking for an alternative republican to run against joe biden. i'm leaning toward nikki haley. >> but he needed a crucial

bottom line. >> i ruled him out in the primary but you know, if he were to win the nomination, he would be rolled back in. >> you were surprised by the result in iowa? >> i didn't think he would have that clear momentum. >> kevin clark voted for trump in 2016 wanting a change. >> we got a bigger change than i think anybody expected. >> years later he wants a change ago but this time, from trump. >> i think new hampshire people judge things on their own. they don't go by polls and they don't decide important elections by anything other than they think is best for the country. >> some trump voters are confident he will win. >> you can feel it. there's no doubt in my mind. >> other independents are still making up their mind. >> i'm not sure. it'll be interesting to see. >> to see whether it is more of the same or a legitimate

challenge to the former president. the countdown is on, rain, sun or snow. >> it's a much different voting environment here in new hampshire than it is in iowa, a lot more moderates for who nikki haley has pulled more popular with but also independents or and declares, there able to provide a boost and haley has used all of that including a third placed finish in iowa to claim that it's a two-person race while ron desantis is looking for any inroads he can as he started his day in south carolina, both with a pretty steep hill to climb. the cnn republican presidential town hall with ron desantis starts now.