i've been kidnapped. a shocking 911 call from one of three women missing for a dec e decade, presumed dead, now found alive. his body is ready for burial but the marathon bombing suspect may be forced to return to russia. a new threat from north korea against the u.s. and south korea. good morning. welcome to "early start." i'm christine romans. john berman has the day off. >> a lot going on this morning. it is tuesday, may 7th, 5:00 a.m. in the east. >> this is cnn breaking news. >> and we begin with breaking news this morning. three women missing for years

found alive in a cleveland home. and the three brothers suspected of kidnapping them are behind bars right now. amanda berry was one of the victims who vanished in three separate incidents between 2002 and 2004. it was her breathless 9 head of call that ended their long ordeal. >> help me, i'm amanda berry. i've been kidnapped and i've been missing for ten years and i'm here, i'm free now. >> the last time anyone saw amanda berry, she was finishing her shift at a burger king in 2003 on the eve of her 17th birthday. here's cnn's martin savidge. >> reporter: michele knight disappeared when she was 19. that was 2002. amanda berry disappeared the day before her 17th birthday. that was 2003. gina dejesus disappeared when she was 14. that was 2004. then, monday evening, a decade-long nightmare ended when amanda berry made an emotional

911 call to police. >> 911. >> help me, i'm amanda berry. >> do you need police, fire or ambulance? >> i need police. >> okay, and what's going on there? >> i've been kidnapped and i've been missing for ten years and i'm here, i'm free now. >> reporter: she made that call after she was able to look out of the house where they were being held and flag down a neighbor. >> heard screaming. eating at mcdonald's, i come outside. i see this girl going nuts trying to get out of the house. so i go on the porch. i go on the porch and she says, help me get out, i've been here a long time. so, you know, i figured it was a violence dispute. i open the door, a body can't fit through, only your hands. we kick the bottom and she comes out with a little girl and she says, call 911, my name is amanda berry.

>> did you know who that was? >> when she told me it didn't register. until i got the calling 911. i'm calling 911 for amanda berry? i thought this girl was dead, know what i mean? she got on the phone and she said, yes, this is me. the girl amanda told the police, i ain't just the only one, it's some more girls up in that house. so they go on up there, 30, 40 deep. when they came out, was just astonishing. >> reporter: police moved in, swarming the house, rescuing the women. they arrested a 52-year-old forge school bus driver who lives there, ariel castro. they also arrested his two brothers. >> they made some statements to the responding officers that gave us enough probable cause to effect an arrest. >> reporter: the rescued women were taken to a nearby hospital and checked out. a photo of a beaming amanda berry and her sister appeared on facebook. >> currently, they're safe. we're in the process of evaluating their medical needs. they appear to be in fair condition at the moment.

this is really good because this isn't the ending we usually hear to these stories so we're very happy. >> reporter: that sense of happiness and relief shared by police. >> it's a great -- it's a great day. >> reporter: and the people of cleveland. >> it's an unbelievable day. >> remarkable story, martin savidge reporting for us. we'll get new details from the cleveland department of public safety. that's happening this morning. we'll bring you a press conference live at 9:00 a.m. eastern. outrage and discuss. those are defense secretary chuck hagel's words on the arrest of a colonel on sexual battery charges. he was in charge of the air force sexual assault prevention and response program. cnn's barbara starr with more from the praeg. >> reporter: lieutenant colonel in charge of a section of the air force's sexual assault prevention and response program only since february. he made this video back in

afghanistan. >> the lieutenant colonel jeff krusinski -- >> >> reporter: he was removed from his pentagon post early sunday morning after arrest for allegedly approaching a woman in a parking lot and fondling her. it's a huge embarrassment for the pentagon which has been racked by the scandal of sexual assault. the pentagon is expected to announce an increase in reported sexual assaults in 2012. but as always, officials say it's not entirely clear if that's due to an increase in incidents or more victims becoming more comfortable in reporting what is often a crime kept silence. in 2011, there were a total of 3,192 reports of sexual assault involving service members. the issue is getting plenty of attention from congress. >> sexual assault and rape is not about the weakness of the victim, it's about power and control and the assertion of

that. and that obviously in a military context becomes an even greater problem. >> reporter: the pentagon has increased its efforts to hold perpetrators accountable. it's a establishing a special victims unit with specially trained investigators and prosecutors. it's trying to improve tracking of sexual assault reports. and now service members who report a sexual assault can more quickly transfer from their unit and away from their alleged perpetrator. defense secretary chuck hagel is also looking at overhauling portions of the military justice system so those convicted of sexual assault crimes can not so readily have those convictions overturned. barbara starr, cnn, the pentagon. >> our thanes to barbara. new developments in the boston marathon bombing. first, the funeral director who took in tamerlan tsarnaev's body says russia may be the only place willing to bury him. victims of the bombing are starting to find out how the money raised to help they will

recover will be spent. a friend of tsarnaev accused of lying to investigators has been released to care of his mother on $100,000 bail. we're live in boston with developments. good morning. >> reporter: many developments in this case, but still absolutely no resolution to what to do with the remains of tamerlan tsarnaev. sheltered by her parents and under watch by the fbi, katherine russell has kept her silence, letting one act speak for itself. as next of kin she refused to deal with her husband's burial, releasing tamerlan tsarnaev's re19s to his family and setting off a chain of events. first his body remained unclaimed in a morgue. now for five days tsarnaev's body has been in limbo at this bostoner, massachusetts, funeral home. no cemetery will accept him.

no family member has offered a solution. massachusetts governor duvall patrick acknowledged the outrage that is building. >> this isn't a state or federal issue, it's a family issue. the family has some options. i assume they will make a decision soon. >> reporter: cremation is not an option, forbidden for muz lips. the funeral home director says sending the body pack to russia could be a solution. still, it all raises turmoil for victims and families who for the first time now are learning how money will be distributed from the one fund boston. >> i'll tell you right now, whatever we do with this fund is inadequate. and everybody i suggest lower your expectations about this fund. >> reporter: at $28 million and counting, it will be a trying process to attach a dollar figure to pain, suffering, and years of recovery ahead. with many asking why the

tsarnaevs weren't stopped sooner, on monday robel phillipe was released in the care of his mother on $100,000 bond. his lawyers claim he knew of the attack. >> at no time did robel have any prior knowledge of this marathon approximatelying nor did he participate in any of the planning done by the defendant in this case. >> reporter: whether he's in custody, the questions in this investigation remains, even if they had nothing to do with this attack, what did they know before that manhunt and before one officer was killed and one severely injured? still a question investigators are looking to answer. >> absolutely. they need the answers to that. let's focus on boylston street. i see that you're right in front of the memorial where the bombing happened. it's only been open i understand for over a week now. so where are they now?

how is business in that area? >> reporter: you know, as strong as ever as boston likes to see. i have family in boston, they made a point of taking me to that street, i had dinner steps from where the bombs went off. if the point of this was to terrorize a city, that has not happened. i think you see that resilience in people here. i saw it in my family here. it's good to see. they are really getting back on are in feet here. and the businesses there really seem basically like it never happened. there is a memorial here, another memorial two blocks up the road where the bombs actually went off. and of course everyone being very respectful, very mindful of what the victims are still going through. but very happy to be back in business. >> that's great. as we're seeing, the victims are coming by now as well and meeting all the folks that are hanging out. thank you for that, we appreciate it. new this morning, threats from north korea who says it will take military action if even a single shell from u.s.

and south korea naval exercises fall wind its territorial waters. there are signs tough talk is just talk. a u.s. official says two ballistic missiles have been withdrawn from a lunch site on the eastern side of the country. south korea president park is in washington expected to meet with president obama later today. on the agency, strategy and cooperation. amanda knox said she is scared to face a new trial for murder in italy but will she face her fear and go back? she opens up about her sensational case and her personal life in her memoir "waiting toer heard." cnn's chris cuomo spoke to her one on one asking that very question about will she go back? >> will you face the trial, will you go back? >> i don't know yet. it's a really complicated question. i mean, i'm afraid to go back there. i don't want to go back into prison. i don't want them to all of a sudden do a court order when i'm there just respecting the court and going there and the

prosecution ask that i be put in preventive detention again. i was there for four years. >> could you do more time? >> could i do more time? >> could you do it, could you handle it, could you handle it? >> i'm having to handle things. i've not really been given a choice. i think people have sort of underestimated what that means and what effect that has had on me in my life. i have no choice but to face this. and i constantly ask myself, why. why me? >> from her fight against a new trial to her new book, our chris cuomo asks really tough questions. can amanda knocks convince you that she isn't the killer? watch a special interview, "amanda knocks: the unanswered question" tonight at 10:00 p.m. here on cnn. a survivor of that tragic limo fire speaks out.

>> there was so much smoke at the back of the car where one of our friends was sitting. >> hear why she says the limo driver did not do enough to help. we are outta here! finding you the perfect place. hotels.com.

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[ male announcer ] advair diskus fluticasone propionate and salmeterol inhalation powder. get your first prescription free and save on refills at advaircopd.com. welcome back. we're following breaking news this morning. three women missing and presumed dead found alive. one of the three, amanda berry, telling a 911 dispatcher she was kidnapped and she's free now. it's believed they were held against their will in a home in cleveland, ohio. all three said to be in fair condition. three brothers have been arrested in connection with this case. >> it could be weeks before we know what caused a stretch limousine to catch fire over the weekend in california killing five women in a bachelorette party, including the bride to be. this morning we're hearing from one of the four women who survived. a distraught nelia arianna, who claims the limo driver did little to help her or her dying

friends. >> a fire came out, a fire, stop the car, stop the car. then he get out from the car. he just open the door, that's all he did. i even ask the him, help me, help me. i bring out my head from the compartment, help me. i did squeeze myself over there, slide myself. please open the door, open the door. didn't do anything. >> oh my goodness. coming up, we'll also hear from the limo driver who managed to escape unharmed. we've now learned the death toll from last month's building collapse in bangladesh has passed 700. workers continue their recovery efforts of the building outside the capital city housed five garment factories. they've given up hope of finding

any more survivors and they're using heavy machinery to try to locate the bodies buried underneath the rubble. ful the victims young women making apparel destined for u.s. stores. grammy-winning singer/rapper lauryn hill sentenced to three months in prison, a year of probation, and three months of possible home confinement for failing to pay three years of federal income taxes. she'll also have to pay a $60,000 fine and any outstanding penalties and taxes she still owes. in court, hill compared her situation to slavery, given how much money she says her album sales made for other people. she'll begin serving time in july unless she appeals. a young mother in miami lucky to be alive. she and friends thought it would be fun to jump off a 76-foot bridge sunday. the water was 12 to 18 feet deep. 22-year-old jessica broke her tail bone, chipped her spine, and broke five bones in her back. >> i felt all my bones break. i started drowning.

my friend also in the water, he saved me. i'm not paralyzed, i'm alive. i'm thankful. >> miracle. she has a 7-year-old daughter. she now admits it was a bad idea. she'll be in a neck brace the next six months. >> nothing short of a miracle. a hole in one on the golf course, rare. a hole in one on the golf course in front of the president of the united states, even more rare. georgia senator saxby chambliss did that on monday. he joke with president obama, he should give the gop everything they want on entitlement reform. >> you got your hole in one, you're not going to get another one. if you like to shop online because it's tax-free, there's a change. >> i hate this story. that chees helps lower cholesterol as part of a heart healthy diet. that's true.

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welcome back to "early start." minding your business, huge rally in asian stock markets overnight. u.s. futures are mixed. we watched the s&p 500 hit another record high monday. we'll see what the day holds for us. how do you feel about paying more for online purchases that are now free of state retail taxes? >> don't like it. >> i thought so. the senate passed a bill that would allow states to charge sales tax for many online purchases. this has to get through the house. if it becomes law here's what will not be taxed. retailers in physical stores like walmart or target are

already collecting sales tax online. the new law ont apply to every purchase. if you buy a necklace or pillow it likely won't cost any more. the new law doesn't apply to digital goods. e-books, music, stuff like that. the biggest change comes to online retailers, for example amazon. it supports this law. under the current law, if a company has a distribution center in your state, you have to pay sales tax. you're already paying that in online purchases. residents of arizona, california, kansas, kentucky, north dakota, new york, pennsylvania, texas, washington, you're already paying that state sales tax when you use amazon. under the new law, the rest of the country will pay as well. finally, the sales tax you pay depends what state you live in. some taxes are exempt in certain states. alaska, delaware, new hampshire, montana, oregon, you don't have state sales tax anyway.

so not much will change for you. i told you yesterday, our latest polling is consumers don't like this. >> how soon will this take effect? >> the president has signed on to sign it. the house has to pass it. if the president signs it, it would be pretty immediate. >> there should be a big surge online, big-ticket items. >> we'll be watching those if people are going to rush. if you're buying $2,000 of whatever, you want to do that now before there's 5% to 7% tax. >> i bought a big-screen tv through amazon when i was in chicago. >> there you go. we're live in cleveland for the latest on the case of three girls missing for years, now found alive. >> one step closer to figuring out what caused that fertilizer plant in texas to explode. this is $100,000. we asked total strangers to watch it for us. thank you so much. i appreciate it. i'll be right back. they didn't take a dime. how much in fees does your bank take to watch your money?

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three women missing for a decade found alive, three brothers behind bars in connection to the case. hunt for a killer. police stepping up the search in the death of an 8-year-old california girl. we're hearinged from first time from the limo driver in the crash that killed five women in california over the weekend, while one survivor says he did not do enough to help. >> it's tuesday, may 7th. a lot going on. >> this is cnn breaking news. >> we are following breaking news from cleveland. three women missing for a decade and presumed dead found alive. three brothers suspected of kidnapping them and holding them captive are behind bars this morning. amanda berry was one of the victims who vanished in three separate incidents between 2002

and 2004. it was her breathless 911 call that ended their long ordeal. >> help me, i'm aman deberry, i've been kidnapped and i've been missing for ten years and i'm here, i'm free now. >> cnn's martin savidge has more from cleveland. >> reporter: michele knight disappeared when she was 19. that was 2002. amanda berry disappeared the day before her 17th birthday. that was 2003. gina dejesus disappeared when she was 14. that was 2004. then, monday evening, a decade-long nightmare ended when amanda berry made an emotional 911 call to police. >> 911. >> help me, i'm amanda berry. >> do you need police, fire or ambulance? >> i need police. >> okay, what's going on there? >> i've been kidnapped and i've been missing for ten years and i'm here, i'm free now.

>> reporter: she made that call after she was able to look out of the house where they were being held and flag down a neighbor. >> heard screaming. i'm eating my mcdonald's. i come outside. i see this girl going nuts trying to get out of the house. so i go on the porch. i go on the porch and she says, help me get out, i've been here a long time. so, you know, i figured it was a missing violence dispute. so i open the door. we can't get in that way. how the door is, it's so much that a body can't fit through, only your hand. so we kick the bottom. she comes out with a little girl. and she says, call 911. my name is amanda berry. >> did you know who that was when she said that? >> when she told me it didn't register. until i got to calling 911. i'm calling 911 for amanda berry? i thought this girl was dead, know what i mean? and she got on the phone and she said, yes, this is me.

the girl amanda told the police, i ain't the only one, there's more girls up in that house. they go up there 30, 40 deep. when they came out, was just astonishing. >> reporter: police moved in, swarming the house, rescuing the women. they arrested a 52-year-old former school bus driver who lives there, ariel castro. they also arrested his two brothers. >> they made some statements to the responding officers that gave us enough probable cause to effect their arrests. >> reporter: the rescued women were taken to a nearby hospital and checked out. a photo of a beaming amanda berry and her sister appeared on facebook. >> currently, they're safe. we're in the process of evaluating their medical needs. they appear to be in fair condition at the moment. this is really great because this isn't the ending we usually hear to these stories so we're very happy. >> reporter: that sense of happiness and relief shared by police. >> it's a great -- it's a great day. >> reporter: and the people of cleveland. >> it's an unbelievable day.

>> incredible but a lot of questions. that was martin savidge reporting for us. we'll get new details from the cleveland department of public safety. we'll bring you that press conference live at 9:00 a.m. eastern time. >> for a kidnapping case like this, often stirs up disturbing memories for other high-present file kidnapping victims. >> reporter: she is the angelic face of abducted children who survived hell on earth. elizabeth smart. unwaveri unwavering, determined. after brian mitchell was sentenced to life in prison for abducting and raping her for nine months. >> i would once again just like to express my gratitude to everyone that ever prayed for me, that ever searched for me, that ever put in time thinking about me, that made an effort to help bring me home. >> reporter: coming home has happened before in the cost of cases. >> when i was 11 years old i was riding my bike near my home and kidnapped by a stranger.

>> reporter: shawn hornbeck lost his childhood. >> held captive for 4 1/2 years. >> reporter: when devlin abducted another boy it was a critical break when police found both boys. hornbeck has launched a missing children foundation. >> see something, say something. >> this is jaycee dugard. >> reporter: kidnapped at age 11, held for 18 years. by philip garrido and his wife nancy in northern california. garrido fathered two children with his victim. dugard lived as a prisoner in plain sight until a local police officer's suspicions tracked her to a secret backyard compound. >> if you see something that looks wrong or amiss, speak out. it might be wrong. but you might save someone's life. >> reporter: dugard's mother told piers morgan joy and heartache follow a kidnapped child's return.

>> nothing is normal after something like this happens to you and you have to accept that fact and move forward. >> reporter: these survivors moving ahead after living lives once frozen in fear. it may take weeks before we know what caused a fire in a limousine that killed a bride to be and five women at her bachelorette party. this morning we're hearing from one of the four women who survived. and nayla arianna said the limo driver did little to help her dying friends. >> then a fire came out. a fire, stop the car, stop the car. then he get out from the car. he just open the door, that's all he did. i even asked him, help me, help me, because -- i bring out my head from the compartment, help me. i squeeze myself over there and

slide myself. please open the door, open the door. he didn't do anything. >> we are also hearing from the limo driver. he escaped the flames unharmed and says watching the vehicle burn with the women inside was a nightmare. here's dan simon with his side of the story. >> in this situation, you always -- you always would feel that you could do more. you could have done more. i don't know. you know, it's just -- everything happened so fast. >> reporter: visibly tired and distraught, limo driver orville brown tries to explain the tragic circumstances behind the fire that killed five of his passengers saturday night. he had a total of nine women in the vehicle. including 31-year-old narisa. she was to travel to her native philippines next month to be married. the group, all nurses, had come together for a bachelorette parties. >> one of the ladies knocked on the par mission and she said,

smoke. i figured that she was asking if she could smoke a cigarette. >> reporter: then brown begins to smell the smoke and hears a frantic call from the women. he stops his car in the middle of the san mateo-hayward bridge. >> as soon as i pulled over, one of the ladies hops through the partition. i unlock the door, open the door. the lady hops through the partition. and at that time, there's two cars, one in front of us, i believe, one in back of us. these guys are trying to help. >> reporter: within seconds he says the entire car had burst massachusetts flames. brown could only guess what had caused the fire. >> i'm really not sure. i know it wasn't gas-related. and the car didn't blow up. it just engulfed in flames. i smelled carpet. i smelled wiring. i smelled plastic. i mean, to me, in my opinion, it probably was electrical. >> reporter: investigators say it will take several days to determine the cause. meanwhile, the county coroner says this about the victims who were unable to get out.

>> one could say they were getting away from the fire, that's why they were in the front, toward the partition. you could also probably say they were trying to get out as well. >> reporter: brown says he doesn't know what he could have done differently. he had this message to the vict victims' families. >> i'm sorry personally. and my heart goes out to you. i feel for you. i wish there was something that i could tell you because i know you guys are -- are grieving. as well as i am. >> reporter: brown had only been a limousine driver for two months. prior to that he drove commercial vehicles and airport shuttle buss. we should point out this particular limousine was authorized to carry eight or fewer passengers. of course we know it had nine. but authorities haven't set whether or not it plays any significance into their investigation. dan simon, cnn, san mateo, california. >> investigators say they're making progress in the stabbing death of 8-year-old laila

fowler. blood-sniffing dogs arrived from washington and searched the girl's home in valley springs, california. the sheriff's department reaching out to the community for help. >> we started a recanvassing effort. and that effort was to hopefully develop new witnesses or to refresh people's memories on what they may or may not have seen last saturday. >> police hope that new evidence analysis in the department of justice crime lab will help lead them to laila's killer. >> the investigation into the cause of the deadly plant explosion in west texas will take longer than originally thought. it was supposed to be xlee completed by the end of may but it may take until mid-june, they say. so far, firefighters have ruled out four potential causes for that blast including weather and natural causes. the explosion killed 14 people, damaged dozens of structures, in that very small town. coming up, a crucial election day in south carolina today. this was a nail-biter. will mark sanford win political redemption?

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let's get started at capella.edu good morning new york city. 52 and sunny. later it's going to be 71 and sunny this afternoon. >> isn't that fantastic, two days in a row, perfect weather. >> i love it, we'll take it. >> this is the day mark sanford finds out if it will be redemption or rejection. the former south carolina governor is in a tight race two years after leaving office in disgrace. cnn national political correspondent jim acosta caught up with the candidates in this high-stakes race. >> i really appreciate it. >> reporter: mark sanford has been to political hell and back. after his extra marriage affair became synonymous with the appalachian trail, the former south carolina governor knows redemption is in sight. >> i don't know whether i win or lose. but i'm at peace with where i

am, of that larger notion of you go out, thigh as best you can, and the final verdict is in the good lord and the voters' hands. >> reporter: locked in a tight race he argues voters are interested in solutions than the sa lation details of his mistress turned fiance who showed up at one campaign event, or legal battles with his ex-wife. do you think the voters are over it when it comes to your past? >> i don't think the media will ever be over it. that to a degree goes with the job. it's been about my personal failings, all well-chronicled. >> reporter: sanford has tried to change the subject, warning his loss would be a victory for nancy pelosi. wasn't that goofy to debate a cardboard cutout of nancy pelosi? >> no. people got it. it was totally serious. >> reporter: his opponent elizabeth colbert bush has a shot at winning this

conservative district. she insists she'll be an independent voice in washington. >> no one tells me what to do except the people of south carolina's first congressional district. >> reporter: colbert-bush says that means she may vote against the president, even on obama care. >> we need to look at it. when we're looking at -- >> you'd vote to repeal it? >> repair it. >> reporter: when asked about gun control she appeared to draw a blank on the senators backing the measure. would you vote yes or no on background checks? >> oh my goodness. >> the amendment that would have -- >> you're talking about the background checks? okay, i am a defender of the second amendment. but we should stay on background checks. >> reporter: the newspaper here endorsed colbert-busch, calling her a tannic for sanford fatigue. plil play out later today when voters head to the polls. cnn, charleston, south carolina.

michael jackson's face tattoos. and new information on how many drugs were in his system on the day he died. vivid, vivid testimony in court coming up. mine was earned in djibouti, africa. 2004. vietnam in 1972. [ all ] fort benning, georgia in 1999. [ male announcer ] usaa auto insurance is often handed down from generation to generation. because it offers a superior level of protection and because usaa's commitment to serve military members, veterans, and their families is without equal. begin your legacy, get an auto insurance quote. usaa. we know what it means to serve.

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welcome back to "early start." here are your top stories. three women missing for a decade have been found alive in a home in cleveland. all of them vanished in separate incidents between 2002 and 2004. three brothers are now in custody suspected of kidnapping and holding them prisoners. michael jackson had a long list of prescription drugs in his system when he died including several anti-anxiety medications. the numbing cream lidocaine. and enough of the anesthetic propofol for someone who had just had major surgery. so says a toxicologist with the l.a. county coroner's office.

he testified at the civil trial brought by jackson's mother against a concert promoter. testimony included details of the family's efforts to get jackson to quit drugs. we learned from the doctor who conducted the autopsy jackson had several face tattoos. his lips tattooed pink. his eyebrows tattooed black. and he had a black tattoo along his hairline to apparently blend in better with the wigs he wore. he confirmed jackson had a skin pigmentation disease that had some areas of his skin appear light, others dark. we're waiting on the verdict from jurors right now in the arias trial. after four months of testimony, people obsessed with the case are worried what they're going to do when it's over. here's cnn's ted rowlands. >> reporter: on verdict watch outside the courthouse in phoenix along with the cameras and microphones. spectators obsessed wait to hear from the jury. >> hopefully a verdict soon. hopefully a good verdict.

>> reporter: arias, accused of planning the brutal murder of her ex-boyfriend travis alexander, says she killed him in self-defense. across the country, people have been watching every salacious moment of the trial like a television soap opera. a direct mail production manager in washington, d.c. -- >> i'm addicted. i get home and immediately turn my tv on, turn my computer on. >> reporter: gina olsen watches any way she can, even when she's at work. >> even when i'm on the phone. good thing i can multi-task. i'm doing important stuff, talking on the phone, but i'm also listening. wait, hold on a second, and i'm listening. i know that's a good part. i'm sorry, i had computer problems. >> reporter: ap reporter brian scoloff co-wrote "killer girlfriend: the jody arias story." >> people come off work to be a part of this. they say watching it on tv, watching it online wasn't enough, they want to see the

jury's face, to see reaction in the courtroom. for better or worse, it's become like a daytime live soap opera for them. >> i don't know what i'm going to do when this is done. >> reporter: jurors have been deliberating for more than 7 1/2 hours without reaching a verdict. they will be back at it at 10:00 this morning. ted rolands, cnn, phoenix. >> interesting dilemma. coming up, imagine if your mistake led to millions. the lottery winner who hit the jackpot thanks to a one-dollar opes. even those held elsewhere, giving her the confidence to pursue all her goals. when you want a financial advisor who sees the whole picture, turn to us. wells fargo advisors. who sees the whole picture, turn to us. by earning a degree in the field maof counseling or psychologyth from capella university, health. you'll have the knowledge to make a difference in the lives of others. let's get started at capella.edu.

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welcome back to "early start." trending, she turned a $1 mistake into a $14 million lottery jackpot. every week a single mother of four from santa ana, california, would go to her local cvs and buy $4 worth of power ball and a $1 super lotto plus. she put in $6, got an extra super lotto plus ticket, which turned her into an instant millionaire. she'll use the winnings to buy a house, travel, and visit her parents in vietnam. also trending this morning, stars from the stage, screen and runway. heidi klum rocked the red carpet. harry winston diamonds. gisele bundchen wore a little black dress, with husband and patriots qb tom brady. look who made their red carpet debut. twood and lindsay vaughn hand in hand last night.

now taking to the red carpet. they look like a bride and groom. sure looked like a wedding. turns out honey boo-boo's parents may have walked down the aisle. can you believe it, for money. >> i'm shocked. >> the "chicago sun-times" reports mama and mike sugar bear thompson were paid a six-figure bonus to hold saturday's ceremony. according to the paper honey boo-boo's parents hadn't thought about getting married until show producers said it would get them big ratings and extra cash as well. episodes are set to air in july. head to cnn.com/trends. >> and honey boo-boo's parents getting hitched, the president's commencement speech, lindsay being lindsay. cute, late-night laughs. >> lindsay lohan told piers morgan in an interview she's only done cocaine four times in the her life. and to her credit it was under her parents' supervision. so i think that's very good. yeah, yeah.

she also told piers morgan she's never taken heroin or lsd. she's taken jewelry but never heroin or lsd. >> president obama spoke at ohio state's graduation and told their students it is their responsibility to make the world a better place. wait, isn't that literally your responsibility? >> mama and sugar bear met in an online chat room nine years ago. and they made love so sweet it gave us a honey boo-boo. and now at long last they've been joined in holy matrimony. i'll be honest when mama june cut the macaroni and cheese cake i cried like a terrible baby. the bride wore this. from the ted nugent collection. this is why the groom isn't allowed to see the bride before the wedding.

>> low blow. "early start" continues right now. i've been kidnapped. a shocking 911 call from one of three women missing for a decade and presumed dead now found alive. the breaking details coming up. an air force officer in charge of the sexual assault prevention program arrested on sexual battery charges. and his body is ready for burial but the marathon bombing suspect may be forced to return to russia. good morning to you. welcome to "early start." >> i'm christine romans. john berman has the day off. it's 6:00 a.m. on the nose in the east. >> this is cnn breaking news. >> our breaking news this morning, three women found alive in a cleveland home a decade after vanishing without a trace. the three brothers suspected of kidnapping them behind bars this morning. amanda berry was 16 when she became one of the victims who disappeared in three separate

incidents between 2002 and 2004. it was her breathless 911 call that ended their long ordeal. >> help me, i'm amanda berry. i've beenkidnapped, and i've been missing for ten years, and i'm here. i'm free now. >> martin savidge live from cleveland for us this morning. martin the last time anyone saw amanda berry she was finishing her shift at a burger king in 2003. this was one day before her 17th birthday and then she was gone. martin? >> right. and now we stand, christine, in front of the home where those three women were found yesterday. amanda berry was the one who managed to escape and the two other women were rescued. it's a hard-working neighborhood. one that is unaccustomed to miracles. yet they know that yesterday they had three of them. michele knight disappeared when she was 19. that was 2002. amanda berry disappeared the day before her 17th birthday. that was 2003.

gina dejesus disappeared when she was 14. that was 2004. then, monday evening, a decade-long nightmare ended when amanda berry made an emotional 911 call to police. >> help me, i'm amanda berry. >> do you need, police or ambulance? >> i need police. >> okay. and what's going on there? >> i've been kidnapped, and i've been missing for ten years, and i'm here. i'm free now. >> okay. what's your address? >> [ bleep ] [ bleep ] >> huh? >> i can't hear you. >> it looks like you are calling me [ bleep ] >> i'm across the street using the phone. >> okay. stay there with those neighbors -- >> okay. >> thank you. okay. talk to the plisz when they get there. >> okay. hello? >> yes, talk to the police when they get there. >> okay. we're going to send them as soon as we get a car open.

>> no, i need them now before he gets back. >> all right we're sending them, okay? >> okay. >> who's the guy who went out? >> his name [ bleep ]. >> all right. how old is he? >> he's like 52. >> all right. >> i'm amanda berry. i've been on the news for the last two years. >> okay. i got that here. i already -- what was his name again? >> [ bleep ] >> and -- >> what's he wearing? >> i don't know because he's not here right now. >> when he left what was he wearing? >> [ inaudible ] >> all right the police are on their way. talk to them when they get there. >>. >> i told you they're on the way. talk to them when they get there. >> thank you. >> she made that call after she was able to look out of the house where they were being held, and flag down a neighbor. >> i need my mcdonald's. i come outside.

i see this girl going nuts trying to get out of the house. so i go on the porch, i go on the porch, and she says help me get out. i've been here a long time. so, you know, i figured it's a domestic violence dispute so i open the door and we can't get in that way, because how the door is, it's so much that a body can't fit through only your hand. so we kick in the bottom and she comes out with little girl and she says call 911. my name is amanda berry. >> did you know who that was when she said that? >> when she told me it didn't register until i got the call to 911, i'm calling the 911 for amanda berry? i thought this girl was dead. you know what i mean? and she got on the phone and she said yes, this is me. the girl amanda told the police, i ain't just the only one. it's both girls up in that house. so they go on up there, you know, 30, 40 and when they came out was just astonishing. >> police moved in swarming the

house, rescuing women. they arrested a 52-year-old former school bus driver who lives there, ariel castro. they also arrested his two brothers. >> they made some statements to the responding officers that gave us enough probable cause to affect their arrest. >> the rescued women were taken to a nearby hospital and checked out. a photo of a beaming amanda berry and her sister appeared on facebook. >> currently they're safe. we're in the process of evaluating their medical needs. they appear to be in fair condition at the moment. this is really good, because this isn't the ending we usually get to these stories so we're very happy. >> reporter: that sense of happiness and relief shared by police. >> it's a great -- it's a great day. >> reporter: and the people of cleveland. >> it's an unbelievable day. >> reporter: and that is absolutely right, christine. i mean, the spirit in this town right now you could say the people were happy, that wouldn't cut it. they are absolutely jubilant.

they realize that events like this do not happen. i'm from cleveland. my phone last night blew up, my facebook account was just flooded, everybody in cleveland was saying you have to be here. we believe in miracles, and now they've come true. >> wow. >> standing on the street here you realize that is exactly right. it's a wonderful day. but still we should point out, many questions. the happy ending is really only the beginning of what is going to be a long, difficult investigation. >> oh, yeah. focusing on the homecoming but the horrors behind that door are something that those young women investigators will have to start going over. let me ask you one question. the primary -- ariel castro the two brothers do police say they think all of these guys were together what is -- three suspects or one suspect? can you explain that to me? >> yeah, well, you know, one suspect is believed to be the owner of the home and that's the one that's been named ariel castro. the other two authorities have not named. it's the connection here, we're trying to work that through. we're anticipating there's going

to be a news conference scheduled for 9:00 eastern time. and we expect that the mayor, the chief of police, could be a lot of questions answered there. we also know that much of this neighborhood remains off limits and there's a reason for that. because, one, a lot of federal help is coming. this investigation, as they say, just starting. and also they're bringing in search dogs. they won't say why. christine? >> okay, thanks so much, martin savidge in his hometown of chief and. we're going to get new details from the cleveland department of public safety this morning. we're requesting to bring you that news conference live, 9:00 a.m. eastern. >> just an incredible story. six minutes past the hour. an air force commander who was supposed to be in charge of preventing sexual assaults has been accused of committing one. defense secretary chuck hagel reacting with outrage and disgust to the charges brought against lieutenant colonel jeffrey krusinski. cnn's barbara starr is following this developing story for us. she is live at the pentagon. good morning to you, barbara. >> good morning, zoraida. well, a comment from the pentagon, indeed, about a high profile case. but this often, sexual assault,

often a silent sexual crime that happens every day in the u.s. military. lieutenant colonel jeffrey krusinski had been in charge of a section of the air force's sexual assault prevention and response program only since february. he made this video back in afghanistan. >> this is lieutenant colonel jeff krusinski from nato training mission afghanistan. >> reporter: he was immediately removed from his pentagon post after being arrested early sunday morning for allegedly approaching a woman in a parking lot, and fondling her. it's a huge embarrassment for the pentagon, which has been racked by the scandal of sexual assault. the pentagon is expected to announce an increase in reported sexual assaults in 2012. but, as always, officials say it's not entirely clear if that is due to an increase in incidents, or more victims becoming more comfortable in reporting what is often a crime kept silent.

in 2011, there were a total of 3,192 reports of sexual assault involving service members. the issue is getting plenty of attention from congress. >> sex seoul assault, rape, is not about the victim, it's about power and control, and the assertion of that. and that obviously, in a military context, becomes an even greater problem. >> reporter: the pentagon has increased its efforts to hold perpetrators accountable. it's establishing a special victims unit, with specially trained investigators and prosecutors. it's trying to improve tracking of sexual assault reports. and now, service members who report a sexual assault can nor quickly transfer from their unit, and away from their alleged perpetrator. now, this lieutenant colonel, his case apparently, is being handled by a local police department because the allegation came outside of his pentagon duties. however, hagel is looking at overhauling the military justice system so when someone is

convicted of a sex seoul assault crime, that conviction cannot be so readily overturned as some have in the past. zoraida? >> all right. barbara starr, live at the pentagon for us. thank you. new developments on the boston marathon bombings. the funeral director where tamerlan tsarnaev's body was taken say russia may be the only place willing to bury him. meanwhile victims are starting to find out how the money raised for them spent. and a friend of dzhokhar tsarnaev accused of lying to investigators is free on $100,000 bail. cnn's paula newton live for us this morning. >> good morning, christine. many developments in this case. but still no resolution about what to do with the remains of tamerlan tsarnaev. he, still, this morning, is in a funeral home in a suburb of boston, and nowhere for the body to go. still sheltered by her parents, and under constant watch by the fbi, katherine russell has kept her silence publicly. letting one act speak for

itself. as next of kin, she refused to deal with her husband's burial, instead releasing tamerlan tsarnaev's remains to his family. and setting off an absurd chain of events. first his body remained unclaimed in a morgue, and now for five days, tsarnaev's body has been in limbo at this worcester, massachusetts, funeral home. no cemetery will accept him, no family member has offered a solution. massachusetts governor deval patrick acknowledged the outrage that is building over this. >> this isn't a state or a federal issue, it's a family issue. and the family has some options. i assume they will make a decision soon. >> reporter: cremation is not an option forbidden for muslims. but the funeral home director says sending tsarnaev's body back to russia could be a solution. still, it all raises more turmoil for victims and their families who, for the first time now, are learning how money will be distributed from the one fund

boston. >> i'll tell you right now, whatever we do with this fund is inadequate. and everybody i suggest lower your expectations about this fund. >> reporter: at $28 million and counting, it will be a trying process to attach a dollar figure to pain, suffering, and years of recovery ahead. with many asking why the tsarnaevs weren't stopped sooner. on monday, robel phillipos, a friend of dzhokhar tsarnaev who was accused of lying to investigators, was released in the care of his mother on $100,000 bond. his lawyers claim he knew nothing of the attacks. >> at no time did robel have any prior knowledge of this marathon bombing. no did he participate in the -- any of the planning done by the defendant in this case. >> reporter: meantime, christine, the two kazakh students also charged remain in custody and the lingering

questions from this investigation are still katherine russell, the three suspects who have now been charged, what did they know? did they have any communication with the tsarnaev brothers? and could they have stopped what really was an out-of-control manhunt, and one death of a police officer, the injury of another, so many questions here. christine? >> all right, paula newton live for us this morning in boston. >> 21 minutes past the hour. new this morning threats from north korea who says it will take military action if even a single shell from u.s. and south korea naval exercises fall within its territorial waters. but there are signs the tough talk is just talk. a suz official says two ballistic missiles have been withdrawn from the launch site on the eastern side of the country. meanwhile south korea's president is in washington expected to meet with president obama later today. on the agenda, north korea strategies and economic cooperation. up next a survivor of that deadly limo fire speaks out. >> there was so much smoke in the back of the car where one of

our friends was sitting. >> hear why she says the driver of the limo did not do enough to help the women get out of that burning car. and a woman jumps 76 feet into water just 12 feet deep and somehow she lived. you're looking at her there to tell us all about it. hear from her coming up. i'm on expert on softball. and tea parties. i'll have more awkward conversations than i'm equipped for, because i'm raising two girls

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welcome back. it could be weeks before we know what caused a stretch limousine to catch fire, killing five women in a bachelorette party in california, including the bride-to-be. one of the four women who survived says the limo driver did nothing to help her and her friends. >> he didn't want to listen, there is smoke and the fire come out. stop the car. stop the car. then he just opened the door, that's all he did. help me, help me, because bring out my head from the compartment, and help me, so i could squeeze myself over there and slide myself.

if he open the door. open the door, he didn't do anything. >> we're also hearing from the limo driver himself. cnn's dan simon has his side of the story. >> in this situation, you always -- you always would feel that you could do more. you could have done more. i don't know. you know, it's just -- everything happened so fast. >> reporter: visibly tired and distraught, limo driver orville brown tries to explain the tragic circumstances behind the fire that killed five of his passengers saturday night. he had a total of nine women in the vehicle. including 31-year-old narisa. she was to travel to her native philippines next month to be married. the group, all nurses, had come together for a bachelorette party >> one of the ladies knocked on the partition and she said, smoke. i figured that she was asking if she could smoke a cigarette. >> reporter: then brown begins to smell the smoke and hears a frantic call from the women. he stops his car in the middle

of the san mateo-hayward bridge. >> as soon as i pulled over, one of the ladies hops through the partition. i unlock the door, open the door. the lady hops through the partition. and at that time, there's two cars, one in front of us, i believe, one in back of us. these guys are trying to help. >> reporter: within seconds he says the entire car had burst into flames. brown could only guess what had caused the fire. >> i'm really not sure. i know it wasn't gas-related. and the car didn't blow up. it just engulfed in flames. i smelled carpet. i smelled wiring. i smelled plastic. i mean, to me, in my opinion, it probably was electrical. >> reporter: investigators say it will take several days to determine the cause. meanwhile, the county coroner says this about the victims who were unable to get out. >> one could say they were getting away from the fire, that's why they were in the front, toward the partition. you could also probably say they were trying to get out as well. >> reporter: brown says he doesn't know what he could have

done differently. he had this message to the victims' families. >> i'm sorry personally. and my heart goes out to you. i feel for you. i wish there was something that i could tell you because i know you guys are -- are grieving. as well as i am. >> reporter: brown had only been a limousine driver for two months. prior to that he drove commercial vehicles and airport shuttle buses. we should point out this particular limousine was authorized to carry eight or fewer passengers. of course we know it had nine. but authorities haven't said whether or not it plays any significance into their investigation. dan simon, cnn, san mateo, california. 19 minutes past the hour. the death toll is now up to 700 in last month's building collapse in bangladesh. workers continue their recovery efforts at the building which housed five garment factories just outside the capital city of dhaka. they've given up hope of finding

any more survivors there. they're using heavy machinery to try and locate bodies that are buried underneath all of that rubble. grammy winning singer rapper lauryn hill sentenced to three months in prison, a year of probation, and three more months of possible home confinement for pailing to pay three years' worth of federal income taxes. she'll begin serving time in july unless her lawyer appeals. a young mother in miami is frankly lucky to be alive. she and some friends thought it would be fun to jump off a 76-foot high bridge sunday. there it is. the water below was just 12 to 1 feet deep. 22-year-old jessica broke her tailbone, she chipped her spine, she broke five bones in her back. >> i felt all my bones break, and i started drowning. but my friend that was already in the water, she saved me. i'm thankful. >> wow. she's lucky.

she now admits this was a pretty bad idea. she's going to need a neck brace for the next six months. just ahead on "early start" two of the biggest mortgage lenders in the u.s. under fire for allegedly not helping struggling homeowners lower their mortgage bill. oh, yes, they agreed with the government that they were going to -- they were going to stop the shenanigans and the new york attorney general says huh-uh, it's still happening. what does this mean for bank of america and wells fargo and for you when we come back? are you still sleeping? just wanted to check and make sure that we were on schedule. the first technology of its kind... mom and dad, i have great news. is now providing answers families need. siemens. answers. water,

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"minding your business" this morning. what a run. the s&p 500 is up 13.41% so far this year. look at that. that's already this year matches the gain for all of 2012. >> bravo. >> 13.41%. a monster rally in asian stocks overnight. u.s. futures are slightly higher this morning. big banks promised, they

promised they'd clean up their act and help struggling homeowners. but the state of new york says two big banks still aren't playing 100% by the rules. new york's attorney general says bank of america and wells fargo flagrantly violated legal obligations to protect homeowners, putting them at risk of foreclosure. the attorney general claims b of a and wells fargo didn't acknowledge applications to refinance in time. in other cases new york says the banks didn't notify borrowers about problems in their applications, and then didn't give them time to fix those problems. plus, failing to make decisions about loan modifications within 30 days. new york's attorney general says it has 339 documented cases. bank of america says, and i'm quoting here, it has provided relief for more than 10,000 new york homeowners through the national mortgage settlement, that totals more than $1 billion. now that settlement was reached in february of last year. five of the largest mortgage servicers agreed to pay $5 billion each to adopt new reforms to, to, the mortgage practices. this was meant to end

shenanigans in how these mortgages are, are refinanced or modified or the whole process. and these attorney generals are very i mean they're holding these banks to the fire. they want this cleaned up. >> and they should. >> bank of america says it's done a whole lot of, whole lot of, of good. new york says not enough. >> one thing we need to know? >> how does 1900 sound for the s&p 500? >> oh. >> that's the guidance reportedly from the electric andary market forecasters barrenny and associates. it would be another 17.5% from here if that guidance were to happen. it would be a lot higher. >> wow. 26 minute past the hour. up next we're live in cleveland for the very latest on the case of three girls missing for years. they are now found alive. plus, how a case like this stirs the emotions of other kidnapping victims, as well. that's coming up. [ female anno. it's the most powerful thing on the planet. love holds us in the beginning. comforts us as we grow old.

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three women missing for a decade found alive and three brothers behind bars in connection to the case. hunt for a killer. police stepping up the search in the death of an 8-year-old girl in california. and we're hearing for the first time from the limo driver in the crash that killed five women in california over the weekend, and why one survivor says he did not do enough to help. >> welcome back to "early start" i'm christine romans. >> and i'm zoraida sambolin. it is tuesday, may 7th. 30 minutes past the hour. we're following breaking news from cleveland this morning. three women missing for a decade and presumed dead found alive.

and three brothers suspected of kidnapping them and holding them captive are behind bars this morning. the break in the case, victim amanda berry's frantic 911 call to police. >> help me, i'm amanda berry. >> do you need police, fire or ambulance? >> i need police. >> okay, and what's going on there? >> i've been kidnapped and i've been missing for ten years and i'm here, i'm free now. >> we're going to send them as soon as we get a car open. >> no, i need them now before he gets back. >> all right we're sending them, okay? >> okay, i'm amanda berry. i've been on the news for the last two years. >> just incredible. cnn's martin savidge is live in cleveland for us this morning. martin, what's the latest on the investigation? and how did these girls finally escape? >> good morning, zoraida. i mean, what an amazing story. we've had so much bad news in the news of late, and now this wonderful story of three women

that have been missing, and in some cases their families perhaps had wondered, now they are being reunited with them after a decade, in some cases, or more. the investigation. where does it stand? well, it is only just beginning. we've got three people that are now in custody. one of them is the owner of the home, that's the white frame building that is behind me. and that's ariel castro. and his two brothers. ages 50, 52 and 54. but what police are clearly wanting to find out, this is both on the federal and local level, is were those three girls the only victims? is there more to this? are there other missing persons that could be accounted for here? where does it lead them? the happy ending is really just the beginning. charles ramsey is the man who played significantly in this, because when amanda berry was kicking her way, literally, out of the house behind us, he was the one that came to her aid. this is how he described it. >> her screaming, eating my mcdonald's, i come outside. i see this girl going nuts trying to get out of the house. so i go on the porch.

i go on the porch and she says, help me get out, i've been here a long time. we see this dude every day. i mean every day. >> how long you lived here? >> i been here a year. we eat ribs and whatnot. listen to salsa music. >> charles ramsey is a man who many are going to remember in many different ways. this is still trying to figure out exactly how was it that these three men were able to hold these women for so long, in this neighborhood, without people becoming aware, and questions like that and many more, not to mention reunions with family members. that is all that lies ahead. zoraida and christine? >> that is the big question. we also want to know more about the castro brothers. what can you tell us about them? >> and that is the real question here. who were they? how were they able to operate? last night on piers morgan the uncle of these men spoke out and he described them somewhat. here.

>> i know that two of them used to drink a lot. i don't know whether they still do. but number of big drinkers. >> aerial castro, he's the man listed as the owner of the home kept a very low profile, and often when he would show up at the house he would drive behind the 40e78 and enter through the back door. there were seldom any lights ever seen on. all of that gave many people the impression that it was actually an abandoned home that he would come and check on now and then. no one realizing there were three women, at least, inside, two children, as well, living a nightmare. >> and martin, we're hearing this morning, too, about this crazy connection with castro's son in an article that he wrote when one of the girls went missing. what can you tell us about that? when you think this story

cannot even develop farther and stranger, castro, he is the son of the man one of who's being held in custody. the owner of the home. he was a journalism student in 2004, going to bowling green university. he wrote an article about one of the missing girls, gina dejesus. actually spoke to gina's mother. and then let me just quote you the last line that was in the piece, almost everyone feels a connection with the family and gina's disappearance has the whole area talking. he says he was totally unaware that it was his father that was allegedly involved in the disappearance. it is just mind boggling development. >> i'm sure that will be another interesting person to talk to. one last question, how are the girls doing this morning? do we know? >> well, we know that, you know, they're in stable condition. and we saw some photographs of them last night. they looked joyous. and so i think that overall, their physical health is probably good. it is going to be determining, you know, where they stand mentally. how are they going to be reunited? we know that horts want to talk

to them, federal and local. that's probably going to happen today. >> martin savidge live in your hometown of cleveland. thank you. we're going to get new details from the cleveland department of public safety this morning. we're going to bring you that news conference live at 9:00 a.m. eastern, right here on cnn. the cleveland kidnapping case calls to mind other high profile abductions. many of the victims in those cases helped themselves by helping others get through the trauma. more now from cnn's kyung lah. >> reporter: she is the angelic face of abducted children who survived hell on earth. elizabeth smart. unwavering, determined. after brian mitchell was sentenced to life in prison for abducting and raping her for nine months. >> i would once again just like to express my gratitude to everyone that ever prayed for me, that ever searched for me, that ever put in time thinking about me, that made an effort to help bring me home. >> reporter: coming home has happened before in the worst of child abduction cases. >> when i was 11 years old i was riding my bike near my home and

kidnapped by a stranger. >> reporter: shawn hornbeck lost his childhood. to kidnapper michael devlin in missouri. >> held captive for 4 1/2 years. >> reporter: when devlin abducted another boy it was a critical break as police tracked devlin to his apartment and found both boys. hornbeck has since launched his own missing children foundation. >> see something, say something. >> this is jaycee dugard. >> reporter: you know her by this picture, jaycie dug ard, kidnapped at age 11, held for 18 years. by philip garrido and his wife nancy in northern california. garrido fathered two children with his victim. dugard lived as a prisoner in plain sight until a local police officer's suspicions tracked her to a secret backyard compound. >> if you see something that looks wrong or amiss, speak out. it might be wrong. but you might save someone's life. >> reporter: dugard's mother told piers morgan joy and heartache follow a kidnapped

child's return. >> nothing is normal after something like this happens to you and you have to accept that fact and move forward. >> reporter: these survivors are moving ahead. after living lives once frozen in fear. kyung lah, cnn, los angeles. 38 minutes past the hour. investigators say it could be several more weeks before we could find out what caused a stretch limo to burst into flames last weekend in california. it killed five women that were headed to a bachelorette party, including the bride-to-be. and this morning we're hearing from one of the four women who managed to get out alive. a distraught woman claiming the limo driver did nothing to help her or her dying friends. >> he didn't want to listen, there is smoke and the fire came out. stop the car. stop the car. then he get out from the car. he just open the door, that's all he did.

i even asked him, help me, help me, because -- i bring out my head from the compartment, help me. i squeeze myself over there and slide myself. please open the door, open the door. he didn't do anything. >> so next hour we will also hear from the limo driver or ville "ricky" brown. he escaped the fire unharmed and says watching the vehicle burn with the women inside was like a nightmare. investigators in northern california say they're making progress now in the search for 8-year-old leila fowler's killer. fbi blood sniffing dogs monday searching the home in valley springs, california, where the little girl was found stabbed to death late last month. a local sheriff's department is also reaching out to the community for help. >> we started a recanvassing effort. and that effort was to hopefully develop new witnesses or to

refresh people's memories on what they may or may not have seen last saturday. >> police hope that new evidence analysis in the department of justice crime lab will help lead them to leila's killer. amanda knox says she's scared to face a new trial for her roommate's murder in italy, but will she face her fear and go back to italy? she opens up about her sensational case in her memoir "waiting to be heard." our chris cuomo spoke to her one-on-one. here's what she told him about her private pain. >> how many nightmares will you wake up in prison? how many nightmares will you get the phone call the united states has decided you have to be sent back? it's not double jeopardy? >> i mean, i had a panic attack on saturday, two days ago i had a panic attack. >> when you say panic attack you don't mean a moment of doubt, right? >> no.

i -- i sit in my hotel room and cry so loud until the security calls the room, because the person next door has heard me crying. >> getting help for that? >> no. i don't know if -- it's really hard for me to talk to people about it. it's like as soon as i allow myself to cry, i can't stop. >> you can watch chris cuomo's special interview "amanda knox: the unanswered questions" tonight at 10:00 p.m. right here on cnn. >> all right coming up on "early start," a crucial election day in south carolina today. will former disgraced governor mark sanford, will he win political redemption? details on a very tight race, next. before global opportunities were part of their investment strategy... before they funded scholarships to the schools that gave them scholarships... before they planned for their parents' future needs and their son's future...

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redemption or rejection? mark sanford gets his answer today. the former south carolina governor is in a congressional race that's too close to call just two years after leaving office in disgrace. cnn national political correspondent jim acosta caught up with the candidates in a race that is attracting now national attention. >> mark sanford has been to political hell and back after his extramarital affair became synonymous with the appalachian trail, the former south carolina governor knows, redemption is in sight. >> i don't know if i win or lose, but i'm at peace with where i am, you go out, try the best you can and then the final verdict is in the good lord and the voter's hands. >> reporter: locked in a tight race he argues voters are

interested in solutions than the salacious details of his argentinean mistress turned fiancee who showed up at one campaign event, or his legal battles with his ex-wife. do you think the voters are over it when it comes to your past? >> i don't think the media will ever be over it. that to a degree goes with the job. it's been about my personal failings, all well-chronicled. they're out there. people know about them. >> reporter: sanford has tried to change the subject, warning his loss would be a victory for house democratic leader nancy pelosi. wasn't that goofy to be out there debating a cardboard cutout of nancy pelosi? >> no. people got it. people got it. it was totally serious. >> reporter: because of san ford's baggage, his opponent elizabeth colbert-busch has a shot at winning this conservative district. the sister of comedian stephen colbert, she insists she'll be an independent voice in washington. >> no one tells me what to do except the people of south carolina's first congressional district. >> reporter: colbert-busch says that means she may vote against the president, even on obama care.

>> it's problematic and we need to look at it. i mean, we're looking at -- >> would you vote to repeal it? >> we need to repair it. >> reporter: when asked about a recent vote on gun control she appeared to draw a blank on the senators backing the measure. yes or no would you vote against? >> on? >> on the background checks. >> oh, my goodness. >> on the amendment -- >> the background checks? okay. i am a defender of the second amendment. but we should stay on background checks. >> reporter: the newspaper here endorsed colbert-busch, calling her the tonic for, quote, sanford fatigue. just how tired the voters are of the former south carolina governor will play out later today when the voters head to the polls. jim acosta, cnn, charleston, south carolina. >> our thanks to jim. 47 minutes past the hour. next on "early start," controversy over a high school tradition where the boys vote on who they think is the sexiest girl. why the school can't seem to shut this down. oh, hi there bill.

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called may madness that pits female high school classmates against each other to determine who is sexiest. girls are encouraged to quote look their finest while the voting is going on. this has been going on at usaquah high school. police say there's not much they can do about it. last year they threatened to arrest the organizers because of negative comments. this year the organizers skirted around that. they're limiting access about who can post and what they can write. but you can see why parents and -- >> we have -- >> yeah. >> crazy story. 51 minutes past the hour. new jersey governor chris christie secretly had lap band surgery to lose weight. he told "the new york post" he was thinking of his four kids and how it was time to start improving his health, as well. christie told the paper, quote, i have struggled with this issue for 20 years and for me this is about turning 50 and looking at my children and wanting to be there for them.

he says losing weight had nothing to do with the possible presidential bid but it's so much more important than that. christie reportedly checked in to a surgery center on february 16th. the operation included placing a tube at the stop of his stomach which restricts the amount of food he can eat making him feel fuller much faster. sources told "the post" he's already lost nearly 40 pounds. >> we just had jets coach rex ryan on who lost 115 pounds and kept it off for a year with the same kind of surgery. "post" reporting rex ryan had talked to the governor about this process. >> it's always nice to check in with other people who have had it to see what they've went through and how they adjusted. >> good luck. >> of course, it's all kind of -- that's "early start" i'm christine romans. >> and i'm zoraida sambolin. you will lose 3 sets of keys 4 cell phones 7 socks and 6 weeks of sleep but one thing you don't want to lose is any more teeth. if you wear a partial, you are almost twice as likely to lose your supporting teeth.

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>> >> good morning, i'm christine romans. >> i'm zoraida sambolin. our "starting point," breaking news we're following. three women found alive after a decade of captivity. their incredible escape and the frantic 911 call that saved their lives. >> help me, i'm amanda berry. i've been kidnapped, and i've

been missing for ten years, and i'm here. i'm free now. >> that was the call that changed everything. we're going to talk with family members and neighbors who are in shock over the discovery. then an air force officer charged with sexual battery and attacking a woman. but get this, he's in charge of the sexual assault prevention program. how did he end up in that position of power? and north korea issuing a new threat this morning. warning they'll take action if even a single shell from u.s. and south korean naval exercises falls in its water. but could the north actually be backing down? it's tuesday, may 7th, "starting point" begins right now. we begin with our breaking news this morning. three women who vanished without a trace a decade ago now found alive in a cleveland neighborhood, not far from where they were abducted. and the three brothers suspected of kidnapping them all behind bars this morning. >> amanda berry is one of the

victims who disappeared in three separate incidents between 2002 and 2004, it was her frantic, breathless 911 call that brought the ordeal to an end. >> help me i'm amanda berry. i've been kidnapped and i've been missing for ten years and i'm here. i'm free now. >> martin savidge is joining us live from cleveland this morning. the last time anyone saw amanda berry she was finishing her shift at a burger king in 2003 on the eve of her 17th birthday. no one was ever expecting to see her alive again, martin. >> no, they weren't. i mean, that was -- she was leaving her job at burger king. she said she got a ride home and that was the last that anyone had heard or seen until yesterday afternoon. the house in the background with the flag, that is the house in question here. if you look carefully at the front porch you can still see the section of the bottom of the door that was kicked away which is how amanda berry managed to make her mistake and it was the fact that she got out that she was able to notify authorities

and then the cries of the other two women took place. truly a miracle. michele knight disappeared when she was 19. that was 2002. amanda berry disappeared the day before her 17th birthday. that was 2003. gina dejesus disappeared when she was 14. that was 2004. then, monday evening, a decade-long nightmare ended when amanda berry made an emotional 911 call to police. >> help me, i'm amanda berry. >> do you need, police or ambulance? >> i need police. >> okay. and what's going on there? >> i've been kidnapped, and i've been missing for ten years, and i'm here. i'm free now. >> okay. what's your address? >> [ bleep ] [ bleep ] >> huh? >> i can't hear you. >> it looks like you are calling me [ bleep ] >> i'm across the street using the phone. >> okay. stay there with those neighbors --

>> please help me. okay. >> thank you. okay. talk to the police when they get there. >> okay. hello? >> yes, talk to the police when they get there. >> okay. we're going to send them as soon as we get a car open. >> no, i need them now before he gets back. >> all right we're sending them, okay? >> okay. >> who's the guy who went out? >> his name [ bleep ]. >> all right. how old is he? >> he's like 52. >> all right. >> i'm amanda berry. i've been on the news for the last ten years. >> okay. i got that here. i already -- what was his name again? >> [ bleep ] >> and -- >> what's he wearing? >> i don't know because he's not here right now. >> when he left what was he wearing? >> [ inaudible ]. >> all right the police are on the way. talk to them when they get there. >> i told you they're on the way.

talk to them when they get there. >> thank you. >> she made that call after she was able to look out of the house where they were being held, and flag down a neighbor. >> i hear her screaming. i'm eating my mcdonald's. i come outside. i see this girl going nuts trying to get out of the house. so i go on the porch, i go on the porch, and she says help me get out. i've been here a long time. so, you know, i figured it's a domestic violence dispute so i open the door and we can't get in that way, because how the door is, it's so much that a body can't fit through only your hand. so we kick in the bottom and she comes out with little girl and she says call 911. my name is amanda berry. >> did you know who that was when she said that? >> when she told me it didn't register until i got the call to 911, i'm calling the 911 for amanda berry? i thought this girl was dead. you know what i mean? and she got on the phone and s