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 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. >> that's a great word. unbelievable day. you know i grew up in this town. i had a conversation just a few minutes ago with a police officer, he's now moved up in the force. he was at my wedding. he was saying he remembers being on the beat, looking for these women, going day after day trying to find them. yesterday, he says, those are the days you train for. those are the days you pray for. they're very happy here. >> that is great. >> thanks, martin. people this morning asking whether that neighbor, charles ramsey, maybe he's eligible for a reward. this is what we know. the fbi was offering a $25,000 reward for information leading to amanda berry. we don't know whether ramsey or anybody else will be getting any of that money. but i'm telling you right now that guy did the right thing when it sounds like for ten years there may have been other missed clues, that guy did the right thing. >> we were talking about earlier that he thought this was a domestic issue, right?

and most people when there's a domestic issue, they don't want to get involved. but he did the complete opposite. and, and when you hear about the struggle that they had in order to open that door, i mean, he really at the end of the day, he deserves, he deserves a lot of recognition for what he did. >> he comes by, and kicks through the bottom of the door so that she can get out. one thing i think is interesting about that 911 call, you can hear the desperation, finally, finally she's out, and then she's told, well, we'll send a car when one is freed up. no, no, no, no, not when one is freed up, i need a car, a police car right now. >> and one of the things that she was worried about, that she said, before he comes back. >> right. so just really a remarkable story. so we're going to get new details from the cleveland police department of public safety. we're going to bring you that press conference that's happening live at 9:00 a.m. eastern. so maybes wondering how the man living on their streets could be the lead suspect in the shocking abduction of three women?

and if what they knew about his home could have helped save them. israel lugo was ariel castro's neighbor for years. he joins us now. mr. lugo, very nice to have you with us. thank you. we say that you lived in the neighborhood for a long time. how long have you lived there, and did you imagine anything like this was going on next door? >> well, ma'am, i been here for 33 years. i knew the guy for 18 years and that would be the last thing you would expect in our neighborhood. for him to have a school bus and park it off on the side of the road every day for three hours we never thought nothing of it you know what i'm saying? but -- more to see. >> you told me in 2011 you saw something kind of strange at ariel castro's house >> yes. >> and you called the police. tell me about that. >> yes. well, i -- i think back like november of 2011, there was incident when my niece my sister

was walking back, -- so i walk back over and all of a sudden i felt like a little bad so i call the police. cops come, half hour later around then like about five, ten minutes, no one answered, they look around, they can't see through the windows, so what they do usually, they get back in the squad car and they leave. >> there was a lot of commotion going on yesterday. tell us what you saw during that rescue? >> i saw it was so hectic out here yesterday everybody screaming. amanda berry holding a child. my neighbor chuck trying to get the other ones out of the house. the dispatch teams making some kind of hoax about amanda berry and everything. and i just say, they been looking for these ladies for a long, long, long time you know what i'm saying? when you mention these girls names people think that you're playing or a gag or something

but it was real thing yesterday it was real live event yesterday about that and you know what it -- if it wasn't for that man chuck, it wouldn't be no how long more -- >> i know he really is a hero in all this. israel tell me what kind of the guy is the owner of this house? you've known this suspect. what kind of a guy is he -- is he -- >> he -- ariel is -- when he moved over here it was his wife and his two daughters. and i don't know what happened. they split up. she took the kids and left. and he turned out like a little different, everything. but we would never suspect that. but my sister's always telling me, please watch the kids around him. there's something about him. i'm iffy about it. the man come out here, your nei

until you know your neighbor. >> have you ever been inside that house? >> i was in the house when i was -- way, way backs, you know, and the way i look at the house from the outside, and you could tell you know what i'm saying the windows, been like that for the past 14, 15 years you know what i'm saying and he -- i can't even explain you know what aim saying? it's like -- know it but you don't want to know it. you don't want to think it is your neighbor but it is your neighbor. that's the part that really kills me we got kids and everyone running through here. i don't want to be the next parent. >> mr. lugo, there are three men behind bars this morning. his two brothers as well. did you see them coming and going from the house often? >> i seen him and his brother as we call him coco which is the oldest one. the third brother we never seen that man walk in or out the house. that's why -- every day. i don't know how they got him

out. i don't know how they got -- i don't even know how amanda berry had a baby in there because she come out with a baby. the baby like 5 years old. and i seen that baby sunday at the park. you know. and then yesterday, this happens. >> did he ever explain who that little girl was that he was walking around with? >> a asked him sunday. he told me it was his daughter. >> mr. lugo we certainly appreciate your time this morning. thank you very much for joining us. >> thank you. >> plastic bags over the windows. creepy. the whole thing is totally creepy. we're going to continue to follow this at 9:00. there's going to be a press conference. we'll get a lot more answers we're hoping with cleveland public safety folks. all right defense secretary chuck hagel is expressing outrage and disgust this morning that the man in charge of preventing sexual assault in the air force now stands accused of committing one. lieutenant colonel jeffrey kosinski was arrested for allegedly fondling a woman in a

parking lot. barbara starr is live at the pentagon. >> good morning, christine. very high profile statements from the defense secretary but all too often sexual assault is a silent 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. >> sexual assault and rain 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 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. you know, christine, with all of these efforts by the pentagon, it looks like the statistics, the cases of reports of sexual

assault are still on an upward trajectory. >> all right, barbara starr at the pentagon. thank you, barbara. new this morning, threats from north korea, who says it will take military action, even if a single shell from u.s. and south korean naval exercises fall within its territorial waters. but there are signs the tough talk is just talk. a u.s. official says two ballistic missiles have been withdrawn from a launch site on the eastern side of the country. meantime, south korea's president park geun-hye is in washington expected to meet with president obama a little later today on the agenda, north korea's strategy, and economic cooperation. it may take weeks for investigators to figure out how a stretch limo burst into flames on a california bridge this weekend 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. she's claiming the limo driver did little to help her, or her dying friends. >> he says, i told you there's

smoke, and then the fire came out. stop the car. stop the car. then he get out from the car, he just open ed the door, that's al 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. >> the limo driver orville "ricky" brown said everything happened so fast and watching the vehicle burn with the women inside was like a nightmare. new jersey governor chris christie secretly had lap band surgery to lose weight. cnn sources confirm he was thinking about his four kids and how it was time to start improving his health. christie told "the new york post," quote, i've struggled with this issue for 20 years.

for me this is about turning 50 and looking at my children and wanting to be there for them. he also says losing weight had nothing to do with a possible bid, that it's so much more important than that. christie reportedly checked in to a surgery center on february 16th. sources told "the post" he has already lost nearly 40 pounds. >> wow. ahead on "starting point," no resting place for the deceased boston bombing suspect. why his body may have to return to russia. this might get bumpy. red hot deal days are back. don't waste another minute. it's red hot deal days. get the droid razr m by motorola in white for free. everything droid does in a compact design. or the droid razr hd by motorola in white, with google voice search that understands you the first time. just $49.99. hurry in, sale ends may 12th. powerful devices. powerful network. verizon.

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>> good morning christine and zoraida. as you pointed out, we had major developments in this investigation now running day after day and yet, a drama unfolding still with tamerlan tsarnaev's remains, and no quick solution insight. 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. >> now we should point out that the two kazakh students, also friends of dzhokhar tsarnaev, remain in custody. you know, in the meantime, bostonians are just getting on with it. they announced they had that charity concert may 30th. it sold out in seconds and it will add more needed dollars into that one fund boston. >> that is really great to hear. paula newton live in boston. thank you very much. ahead on "starting point" amanda knox opening up about facing a retrial in italy. >> i'm afraid to go back there. i don't want to go back into prison. >> what she says when our chris cuomo asks if she will go back. that's next.

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isn't that a lovely picture? good morning, new york. beautiful skyline. i think it's going to be 71 degrees today. and sunny. all right amanda knox says she is scared to face a new trial for murder in italy, but will she face her fear and actually go back? she opens up about her sensational case and her personal life in her memoir "waiting to be heard." cnn's chris cuomo spoke to her

one-on-one, asking that very question of whether she will go back. >> will you go 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 asks that i be put in preventive detention again. i was there for four years. >> could you do more time? >> could i do more time? if they -- >> could you do it? could you handle it? could you handle it? >> i'm having to handle things. i'm not really being given a choice. and i think people sort of underestimate what that means, and what -- what effect that has had on me and my life. and 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 asked some really tough questions. can amanda knox convince you that she is not a killer? watch a special interview, amanda knox, the unanswered questions tonight at 10:00 p.m. right here on cnn. and ahead on "starting point" we're following breaking news out of ohio. the discovery of three missing women who were kidnapped for ten years. how did the suspect hide in plain sight? we're going to talk with former america's most wanted host john walsh. today former south carolina governor finds out if voters have forgiven that infamous affair. we're live with a look at this very contested congressional race next. you're watching "starting point." i i had pain in my abdomen...g. it just wouldn't go away. i was spotting,

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welcome back to "starting point" i'm zoraida sambolin. >> i'm christine romans. we're following breaking news

from cleveland this morning. three women missing for a decade, presumed dead, found alive, and three brothers suspected of kidnapping them holding them captive are behind bars this morning. cnn's martin savidge is live in cleveland. what do we know about these brothers, martin? >> that's a good question and one that authorities are investigating right now. we know that one of them has been identified by cleveland city councilman. his name is ariel castro and he is believed to be the owner of the home, the white frame one with the american flag there where the three women were held. if you look closely at the bottom of the door, that's the screen door, you can see the section that amanda berry allegedly kicked out yesterday. and it's also where charles ramsey came into play. he was the neighbor that heard the screams, knew she was in trouble, and responded. here's what he had to say. >> 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. >> again we just want to tell you that the investigation into this very early stages, christine. three brothers as you point out, ages 50, 52 and 54, cleveland police are going to hold a news conference. the chief of police, the mayor expected to be there about an hour and a half from now. we expect to learn a great deal more as to the condition of the women, they were taken to a nearby hospital and they're said to be in fair condition. physical is one thing, mentally you have to wonder. but that's going to all come in time. christine? >> remind us how they got out of this house. she got out of this house with the help of chuck ramsey there, kicking through that door and getting out of that house.

>> yeah, i mean. and here's another question. they had been held all three of them, in one case nine years, the other ten and one for eleven. so what happened yesterday? what happened yesterday that allowed amanda to essentially get free, get to that front door, and crawl, or claw her way out of that? that is another question here. and i think the serious aspect that investigators are starting to look at is, what is the connection with these suspects? how were they all related? we know one of them was a former cleveland bus driver for the cleveland school district. and that has to raise a lot of concerns. the uncle was speeging out on piers morgan last night about the brothers. here's what he said. >> i know that the two of them [ inaudible ] used to drink a lot. and i know that they still do.

but ariel was never a big drinker. >> how were they able to keep those women held for a decade? how was it that people in this neighborhood apparently were not suspicious, or didn't know what was happening literally in their own backyards? and then, could there be more victims? that is the real question that authorities are facing this morning. christine? >> and martin one of the neighbors told us that he called police november 2011 because he heard screaming, his sister had heard screaming coming out of that house. so what other kinds of missed clues might there have been along the way. just such a -- just such a crazy story. what do we expect on this case this morning? >> well, a couple of things. i mean, one of the things that should be pointed out, we were just talking about crazy twists. there is an article that has been resurrected. it came out in a newspaper in 2004 and it was written by an ariel anthony castro. it turns out that was the son of

the man who is in custody. he was a journalism student going to bowling green university. he wrote an article about gina dejesus, one of the girls that was missing. he spoke to her mother. and then now, years later, he finds out, he says, and he's shocked and horrified that it was his father who was directly involved allegedly in her disappearance. these are the kind of threads that are coming to light out of a story that's already remarkable. >> right. >> but now is becoming almost amazing. >> the last thing i heard a little while ago from one of his neighbors mr. lugo was that one of the brothers there's the three brothers in custody hat one of the brothers he saw come and go very often. he called him coco. he didn't have his official name but this really interesting details. martin savidge live for us. >> the neighbor also said he parked and idled his school bus for three hours a day something that other reporting has shown he had been disciplined for by the school district not to bring the bus home. he would bring the bus on that street. at 9:00 a.m. we're going to bring you a live news conference in the cleveland police updating

us on the very latest in this -- in this truly amazing case. >> let's keep on talking about this. we have john walsh, former host of "america's most wanted" and an advocate for missing children. his own son adam was abducted and murdered back in 1981. thank you so much for joining us this morning. we're taking a look at this incredible photo that we're seeing of amanda berry, her sister and that little girl looking overjoyed at the hospital. so here we are, ten years, they've been missing. how shocked were you when you heard this outcome? >> first of all, i've been up all night. i am so thrilled that these three women, and very rarely do you see three women, we've been cases where there have been two, jaycee dugard kept in a backyard for 18 years, a couple of boys in illinois that were kept there by a pedophile for four years. but to see three women and a child, the child probably creation of the -- of rape or abuse of one of the perpetrators, to see them alive, i literally have been doing

cartwheels. it is just phenomenal and there are two real heroes here. amanda is a hero for seeing that tiny window when one of those three perverts weren't there, taking that chance, risking her life, risking her daughter's life, and getting to that door, and the real hero of the day is charles ramsey. i've been doing "america's most wanted" 25 years. and i ask the public to make a difference, to have the guts, don't turn your back. charles ramsay said look, i'm a black man, it was a white woman, i thought it might be a domestic abuse case. what did he do? he got up on that porch, he kicked that door in, he dragged her out of that door with that little girl and got her to a cell phone. a real hero. and it is -- it's a fantastic, fantastic ending for those families. >> yeah. >> it's just -- it's the best ending. >> it really is. john i want to listen to a little bit of what chuck ramsey and one of his other neighbors called him, describing ariel castro as someone who interacted with his neighbors freely he was the cleveland plain dealer said

he worked as' a cleveland school bus driver, lived in the house since 1992. listen to what charles ramsey that neighbor you're talking about said about this suspect. >> we say this dude every day. i mean every day. >> how long he lived here? >> i been here a year. we eat ribs and whatnot. listen to salsa music. >> and another neighbor told us that he was actually walking sunday with that little girl in a park. what about this behavior? what about this ability to sort of be out and and sort of bold boldly in the neighborhood? >> bold, cunning, sociopath. no empathy. i've hunted these guys down for years. i don't know why people are so surprised. the pedophiles, the serial killer, the kidnappers, they're not the guy under the bridge with a trench coat that looks like a troll. they just look like everybody else. and these three brothers allegedly have kept these women

for ten years. they've terrified them. they've tied them up. they've never let them get to the windows. they've never done anything but keep them there as their play toys. and i don't know why people are surprised. jaycee dugard's neighbors called the police, police came to the door, they never went in the backyard. phillip garrido violated his parole, went away for an entire month, cops didn't save jaycee dugard in the back. it's not unusual. everybody thinks well we should be able to pick these guys out by their bizarre behavior. these three brothers had these women in that house as their own personal toys, sex toys i'm sure, and nobody knew it for ten years. >> but it is that the plain sight really that kind of shocks us all. we heard amanda berry's gripping 911 call. she talks about how her captor had left, giving her that window of opportunity to make that phone call. so you have to wonder, did those windows of opportunity happen in the past? what was it about this

particular moment in time? >> i'm sure that the three brothers weren't there and amanda must have said to herself i have got one tiny window, it may cost me my life. i've talked to lots of people who've been held captive by serial killers, predators, serial pedophiles, they're terrified that it will cost them their life, that there will be punishment, but amanda must have said neither one of the brothers is here, i see people walking by, i've got to do something, and she did it and she saved her daughter's life and the two other women's lives. but it might have not -- it might have been years before that opportunity came forward. but she used it and she got out of there, and it's just incredible, and i hope and pray that these three guys get everything that's coming to them. >> and let's be here clear, we don't know what the charges will be for which of the brothers whether the police are looking at whether two of these brothers may have been accomplices, may have known something. we know that law enforcement on

the ground said two of the brothers made statements that gave them probable cause to arrest them but they the owner of that house is ariel castro, the 52-year-old brother and that is the name of the man who amanda mentioned in her call. so we're waiting to hear from authorities who they're going to what the charges are going to be what the investigation is going to look like and that's going to be about an hour and a half. so let me let me ask you this question. we know that there were bags over the windows of the house. we know that there were neighbors who knew that the man went ariel castro went in and out the back door not the front door. at one point in a ten-year captivity does he get more bold and he knows that he's groomed these women maybe so they're not going to try to escape? >> well, many, many perpetrators do that. i did a case in coeur d'alene idaho with a little girl who was kidnapped by a serial predator who killed her mother, her stepfather and her brother, marched her around for eight weeks all over the united

states, and brought her back to coeur d'alene to flaunt the fact that she had become his sex slave. 8-year-old girl, thank god a woman in denny's had seen this case on "america's most wanted" and again did the right thing and called the police. they become very bold. they become very complacent. this is their sex toy. these are the children that they created out of these relationships. phillip garrido even took the two girls out at one point. it's disgusting, but they can hide in plain sight. i've saw many of these guys that hide in plain sight and they're control freaks. and they're -- this is their game. this is their game. and they get away with it for years, until somebody observes something and tries to make a difference, and that difference is charles ramsey, because just think about it, if charles ramsey had kept walking down the street, those girls might be in there forever until those guys allegedly the abusers got sick of them and may have killed p>> and john how do we stop things like this from happening?

there are so many children who are abducted. so many stories that we covered here. how do we -- what do we need to do, what is the learning experience from this? >> there's a big learning experience from this. not too many people are mentioning michele knight because she was 20 years old when she went missing. and amanda was on the day before her 17th birthday. i love law enforcement. cops did a good job in this case. they never gave up. but i've been involved in hundreds of requests from families who said nobody looked for my adult daughter. everybody said my daughter was a runaway. amanda berry's mother told me before she passed away that for the first few hours they considered amanda a runaway and her mother said, absolutely not. there is a lesson to be learned here. ted bundy killed i don't know how many women, 27 women? every one of them was listed as a runaway, not one of them ran away. it's always, well, she was on drugs, she left her boyfriend, she went to go here. you have to take these cases of

older women and older teenage women deadly serious. because the resources aren't there so they don't exploit -- they don't use the resource because, well, they have the right to run away. but i think a good lesson will be learned here because there was an adult woman in there for ten years that people probably looked for maybe for a couple days and said oh, she probably ran away to a new life. >> john you just mentioned something that just sort of broke my heart that you, you've talked to amanda berry's mother before she passed away. i mean that's a real sad twist in this story, too, that amanda berry is going to come home and be reunited with her family but her mother who was heartbroken at her abduction will not be able to enjoy her return. tell me a little bit about her mother and her quest to find this woman. >> well, gina dejesus' mother, and amanda berry's mother, tried to have vigils to keep it alive. you know, i always say and ed smart and i collaborated to keep elizabeth smart's case alive, because the salt lake city police and the fbi believed that the carpenter they had in the jail, who died of an aneurysm,

had killed elizabeth and that her body was in the desert. they were ready to close the case. but ed smart and i didn't believe for a second that elizabeth was dead and i profiled her 17 times and wouldn't you know, we got the guy and got elizabeth back alive. so you can never give up hope. you have to keep showing these cases, and unfortunately, amanda berry's mother, who said -- and was angry, angry that her daughter was suspected to be a runaway, died before she could see her daughter brought back alive. so i think there's a lot to be learned from this case. but, of course, the best thing is that these women are alive, they'll get back with their families, and i say another thing to those families if they're listening, do not do all the shows. do not do the news shows. we told elizabeth smart that. we told jaycee dugard that. don't go on oprah. don't go on the today show. they'll all want to get you. get psychological counseling. get your child counseling. don't do it till you're ready.

don't do it till you think you can mentally handle it. that's the best way to recover from ten years of confinement, and fear of being -- either being killed or kept there for the rest of your life. >> certainly from someone who knows. john walsh, thank you so much for joining us. we appreciate it. >> glad to do it. >> and top of the hour we'll hear from amanda berry's aunt gail mitchell and later julio cost row the suspect's uncle. new jersey governor chris christie secretly had lap band surgery to lose weight. cnn sources confirmed that he was thinking it was time to start improving his health. he says losing weight had nothing to do with a possible presidential bid. and reportedly checked in to a surgery center in february. february 16th. meantime, he had previously told cnn's jake tapper that he considers lap band surgery too risky. for him. and ahead on "starting point" redemption or rejection? former south carolina governor finds out today if voters have forgiven his affair. we're live with a look at the

hotly contested congressional race. that's next. >> and buzz aldrin buzz aldrin has been to the moon. he thinks it's time you know it's time to get to mars. he joins us with his new book and what he thinks it will take to reach the red planet. you're watching "starting point." ♪ (train horn) vo: wherever our trains go, the economy comes to life. norfolk southern. one line, infinite possibilities. new beneful medley's... ...in tuscan, romana, and mediterranean style varieties.

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welcome back. today is the day mark sanford finds out if voters choose redemption or rejection. the former south carolina governor is in a tightly contested race for a congressional seat in his home state two years after he left office in disgrace. cnn national political correspondent jim acosta live from charleston, south carolina, this morning. good morning, jim. we'll see how long the memory south carolinians have. >> that is the key question in this race, christine. good morning that's right. voting locations are open in the first congressional district of south carolina. and if you believe the polls, mack sanford just might pull off what was widely considered an unthinkable political comeback for the former south carolina governor. he hopes this trail leads to washington. >> i really appreciate it. >> reporter: 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 for an open congressional seat, he argues voters are more 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 sanford's baggage, his opponent elizabeth cole bert 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 one except the people of south carolina. >> reporter: she says that means she may vote against the president, even on obama care. >> it's problematic and we need to look at it. >> 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. >> would you have voted yes or no? on the background checks? >> you're talking about the background checks. i am a defender of the second amendment but we should expand background checks. >> elizabeth bush faces long

odds. considering what happened in the presidential race last november, mitt romney won this district by 18% over president obama. so it is a solidly republican district. even though this is a very tight race and the polls indicate it could come right down to the wire, campaign sources we talked to say they do expect the results to come had in later on tonight and we'll be watching. >> jim acosta, thank you. now it's time for mars. astronaut buzz al drin joins us live. there he is. look at that tie. what an awesome tie. you're watching "starting point." take these bags to room 12 please. [ garth ] bjorn's small business earns double miles on every purchase every day. produce delivery. [ bjorn ] just put it on my spark card. [ garth ] why settle for less? ahh, oh! [ garth ] great businesses deserve unlimited rewards. here's your wake up call. [ male announcer ] get the spark business card from capital one and earn unlimited rewards. choose double miles or 2% cash back on every purchase every day.

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it's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind. >> awesome with those words, buzz al drin stitched himself into fabric of american history. 44 years after the u.s. won the race to the moon, buzz al drin is making his case for a new focus, mars.drin is making his case for a new focus, mars. >> with his new book out, he makes the argument for space exploration. buzz aldrin joins us now. we're so happy to have you this morning. thank you so much. >> thank you. while you were reading that, i

thought my observation about phillip baum gagartner, one gia leap for red bull. >> so mars is a nasa priority. we also know it's a priority for you. so why is it such a priority? why should we buy into having a human on mars? >> humans on mars permanently is the objective of making humanity on earth a two-planet race. a sustaining of catastrophe here on earth and inspiration to our young people. after apollo the united states was right up there in science, technology, engineering and matt. we need that kind of inspiration and that kind of commitment can be made again when on the 50th

anniversary of the 6th and the 7th lunar landings before, maybe, the reelection of whoever exceeds president obama. and he or she will need his help now. >> i want to read something you wrote in the book. . you say america should chart a course of being the national leader of the international activity to develop the moon, but not by spending money placing u.s. government people on its surface. there's no need to spend our money on landers and other things we've done before. where do you want to see the program going now? it's all about colonizing. it's about two planets for the world. >> well, a lot more goes with that. and has to lead up to that. for example, when i submitted my choices for the future in '09, i

didn't stop flying as the board said and president bush said about the shuttle at the end of 2010. i just said let's fly the shuttle once a year. we have a big gap and it's growing. i'm not saying that that was the outstanding course to take. there were many arguments about retiring the orbiter. i'm just saying that i had foresight to say that that kbap w gap is going to be bigger than we think it is and we're going to be financing the russian space program to take our people up to $100 billion space station. that doesn't make sense for the nation that led the world so thoroughly 44 years ago. >> and you explain that very well in "mission to mars." buzz aldrin, we want this signed for our children. we're delighted to have you

here. who would have thought humans permanently on mars. thank you for joining us. >> i told my dad we were intervi interviewing buzz aldrin. he said, honey, that's out of this world. thanks, dad. ahead on "starting point," our top story this morning, i have been kidnapped. a 911 call leads to the discovery of three women missing for ten yoorz. we're live with the details a the top of the hour. governor chris christie taking a big step. that's coming up. you're watching "starting point." are twice as many people choosing verizon over any other carrier? many choose us because we have the largest 4glte network. others, because of our reputation for reliability. or maybe it's because we've received jd power and associates' customer service award 4x in a row. in the end, there are countless reasons. but one choice.

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good morning to you. >> our "starting point" today. three women found alive after a decade of captivity. the frantic 911 call that saved their lives. >> help me. i'm amanda berry. >> people are shocked over this. chris christie's secret weight loss surgery. is he getting in shape for a presidential bid? amanda knox opening up about the prospects of facing a retrial in italy. >> i'm afraid to go back there. i don't want to go back to prison. >> we have a look at that

gripping interview. and we told you about the teen surfer who survived a shark attack with a smile on his face. he's going to talk about the heart-pounding moments. "starting point" begins right "starting point" begins right now. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com three women found alive. three brothers suspected of kidnapping them and holding themg captive are behind bars. >> amanda berry was 16 at the time she was one day away from celebrating her 17th birthday. it was her desperate 911 call that brought this decade-long nightmare to an end. >> help me. i'm amanda berry. i've been kidnapped and i've been missing for ten years.

i'm here. i'm free now. >> martin savage, the last time anyone saw amanda berry, she was finishing her shift at burger king and then she was calling 911 and liberating the other women in the house. >> reporter: it's just astounding how this all happened. amanda had been missing for so long now, a decade. there have been vigils in the town and have been searching if for years. as time wore on, you know how these stories go. people wouldn't believe there would be resolution. yesterday she escapes from the house directly behind us with the help of others in the neighborhood. then it was her getting free that allowed her to rescue the two other women in the house. here's how it all went down. michele night disappeared in 2002. amanda berry disappeared the day before her 17th birthday. that was 2003.

gina dejesus disappeared. when amanda berry made an emotional 911 call to police. >> help me. i'm amanda berry. >> did you need police, fire or ambulance? >> police. i've been kidnapped and ooich been missing for ten years. i'm here, i'm free now. >> okay. what's your address. >> i can't hear you. >> stay there with those neighbors. talk to the police when they get there. >> okay. >> talk to the police when they get there. >> okay. hel hello? >> talk to the police when they get there. >> are they on there way now? >> we're going to send them.

>> we're send iing them, okay? >> who is the guy who went out? 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. >> i got that here. who was his name again? what's he wearing? >> i don't know because he's not here right now. >> the police are on the way. talk to them when they get there. >> okay. >> i told you they were on the way. talk to them when they get there. >> okay, bye. >> she made that call after she was able to look out of the house and flag down a neighbor. >> i heard her screaming. i'm eating mcdonald's. i come outside seeing this girl go nuts trying to get out of the

house. i go on the porch and she says help me get out. i've been here a long time. so u figured it was a domestic violence dispute. so i open the door but we can't get in that way. it's so much that her body can't fit through. so she comes out with a little girl. she says 911. my name is amanda berry. >> did you know who that was? >> when she told me it it deny register until i got to calling 11. i thought this girl was dead. you 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 the only one. there's more girls in that house. they went up there and when they came out, it was just astonishing. >> police swarmed the house rescue iing the women.

they arrested a 52-year-old former school bus driver ariel astro and also husband two brothers. >> they made some statements to the responding officers that gave us enough probable cause. >> reporter: they were take on to a nearby hospital and checked out. a photo of a beaming amanda berry and her sister appeared on facebook. >> currently they are 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 in these stories, so we're very happy. >> reporter: that sense of happiness and relief shared by police. >> it's a great day. >> reporter: and the people of cleveland. >> it's an unbelievable day. >> reporter: as that euphoria continues to kind of subside now, the questions come to the

forefront of the investigation. many neighbors say on several instances they called authorities to the home over the years reporting suspicious activity. in fact, saying there was a girl they had seen and they told authorities it it could be related to a missing person. police apparently responded to the neighbor and say they never took it too seriously. then there's this. a neighbor said one of those little children you heard coming from inside the house, one of the suspects used to walk her around the neighborhood. when people would say, who is this? he said that's the daughter of my girlfriend. we don't know the rep relationship of the two young children in the home. just more questions that need to be answered. >> that's really something. especially since police have been digging in past years not very far from there looking for the body of amanda berry, but not looking for the alive amanda berry when there were tips from the public. is that right? >> reporter: right. just a a case in point, i know a the lot of the officers here. he said for years i would go on

the searches to try to find amanda. he would also say and he drove down this street almost daily because there was a store he without visit nearby. never knowing she was on this street in the house behind. >> all the details emerging are incredible. nice to have you there, martin savage. thank you. let's talk about this with john walsh. he's an advocate for missing children. his own son was abducted and murdered in 1981. we were having a great dialogue earlier and you want to pick up on that. these girls have been missing for a decade or more. you said it's important to remember these girls couldn't have necessarily run away. tell us why it's so hard for kidnapped children to run and what might motivate them to overcome these fears like this woman did ten years later. >> well, first of all, as you and i were talking about, over the years and 31 years since adam was murdered and i have worked with police and caught

1200 guys on america's most wanted. many guys like these creeps. if you're an older girl, 16, 17, 18 and one of women was 20 years old, police many times will assume because the vast majority of women that go missing at that age sort of run away, leave their lives. so the cases go off track, off the rails in the beginning and there isn't the intensive search and there isn't intensive media scrutiny in a case like adam, my son. so probably these guys became very emboldened by saying, we got one woman. fine, we'll do what we want with her. then they go out cruising and it becomes a game for them. i have profiled many of these guys. let's see if we can get another girl. they get another girl. the family, they allege this guy knew the dejesus family and they knew this little girl gina and

grabbed her. so now they have their play toys locked up in this house and the three of them can watch them continually, do it in shifts, have their sex slaves in the house and come back and forth and terrorize them. as we were talking about it, amanda had to have a moment, just a moment where she said this little girl, her daughter, very similar to jaycee dugard probably created because of a sexual assault or a rape. she said i'm going to go for it. he may kill me or those other women, but i have a tiny window. i want to e get out of here alive. charles was there. and i can only think if charles had done what lots of americans do, i don't want to get involved and kept walking, those women might have been in there for ten more years. >> we have these three suspects who have been arrested. we're going to find out in about

50 minutes from law enforcement in cleveland what exactly they think the relationship of these three are. was it one abductor or three. we're going to find about that. ariel castro is the one ha amanda berry said had taken her. this reminds me of the jaycee dugard story. she was snatched by a car. you're going to be with her tonight. tell me a little bit about -- of the similarities between the cases and what we can learn ab the next process, the healing for these women because of the jaycee dugard story. >> there's tremendous parallels there. in jaycee dugard's case, neighbors called repeatedly and said we had seen activity in the backyard. and phil leap give ree do was a

second offender who beat her almost to death and kept her in a storage unit and he got out on parole. if i was the sheriff in the town and he said it it repeatedly, we should have gown in the backyard. he violated his parole and probation and went away for an entire month while his psychopath wife kept jaycee in the backyard. so you have a similar situation here. you have three missing women. you have a child created by assault, by a sexual assault probably and you have neighbors calling up. why don't you go in? you have every right. go in, get a search warrant, ask. and they went inside phillip's house twice. but not any of the sheriffs that went to the house went to the backyard to save jaycee dugard. there's a lot to be learned from

this case. take these calls seriously. we're not violating civil liberties. we're talking about the fact that three women were missing. if i was the sheriff or a cop there, i would say, let me look in the backyard. do i need a search warrant? if i do, i'm going to get one. i talked to police sources last night. that's why they didn't have the press conference. they did a great job. they saddled up and went and got the perp, the first guy. then they got the brothers. they were getting permission for warrants. they were finding these guys and getting a search warrant to get in the house. i'm sure they are going to tell us in about 45 minutes that they are going to charge these guys with kidnapping. i hope illegal confinement, i hope sexual assault, i hope they throw the book at these guys. and somewhere along the way, and we have to say alleged, we're politically correct and know about the trial attorneys. we have to say they are alleged of these crimes, but it bothered me all night.

i kept saying, how could this guy have kept these three women, fed them, kept them separate, intimidated them, scared them, made sure they never got out in the yard and contacted them. makes a lot of sense if he had his brothers' help. >> it it breaks your heart. i know, john, you have been up all night long following this story. i want to give you a little good news. all three women have been released from the hospital. they are back home with their families now. so ending on that positive note. we're going to continue to follow this developing story. we'll talk with the uncle of the three suspects and get new details from the cleveland department of public safety this morni morning. we'll bring you the news conference that's happening live at 9:00 a.m. eastern. >> john walsh with us, thank you. new had this morning, we learned that chris christie had lap band surgery. doctors put a tube at the top of

your stomach to make you feel fuller faster. he says this is about turning 50 and looking at my children and wanting to be there for them. losing weight has nothing to do with the possible run for the white house. sources told the post that cr t christie has already lost nearly 40 pounds. sources telling cnn that, yep, that's about right. >> good luck. ahead on "starting point," from nightmares to panic atta s attacks. amanda knox opens up about facing a retile for murder. he joins us live with a preview of the interview. a teen surfers swims for his life after a shark bites down on his leg. >> i can't wait to talk to him. >> we'll meet this incredible teen next. you're watching "starting point." [ female announcer ] everything that goes into a lennox system

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offer ends june 14th. and download our free lennox mobile app. ♪ lennox. innovation never felt so good. woman: what do you mean, homeowners insurance doesn't cover floods? [ heart rate increases ] man: a few inches of water caused all this? [ heart rate increases ] woman #2: but i don't even live near the water. what you don't know about flood insurance may shock you -- including the fact that a preferred risk policy starts as low as $129 a year. for an agent, call the number that appears on your screen. 16-year-old michael adler was surfing in central florida over the weekend when he felt a sharp pain on his left foot.

the surfer thought it was something innocuous, but it turned out a shark bit him. >> he was treated by a stranger who put a turn kit on him. he also had four tendons repaired. michael adler joins us now live from florida. it's so nice of you to tell us about this. so walk us through that day. what happened? you're riding a wave, you're off your board and then you got crunched. >> yeah, i just kicked off on my last waves and as soon as i went to get on my board, i felt the shark clamp down on my foot. and at that point, i got pretty scared. so immediately i put it it above water and started paddling in. >> when did you realize the severity of your injury?

>> i mean, i looked back and saw some blood as soon as it happened. i didn't think it was anything bad because i still had all my e toes. but then i saw a pretty big gash, but i never thought it would be that bad. >> did you know it was a shark right away? >> yeah, as soon as it it did a little head shake when it had my the foot, i knew it was a shark. >> is there a moment when you have to pull your foot out? what do you do when a shark has your foot? >> i pulled it it out a little bit, but i'm sure if it it wanted to, it could keep my foot in there. i think it it kind of let me go too. >> so the doctors are saying you were able to keep your foot because of a man on the beach. at the time neither you or your friends knew who helped you. have you met this man to say thank you? >> no, i'm very grateful for the guy, but we tried tracking him

down, but we couldn't find him. no one really knows who he was. but i know -- i asked him how he knew how to do all this stuff and he said he was ex-military. >> you are one lucky young man. so you're never getting in water again? >> of course, not. when i was sitting there, i could see the perfect waves breaking. i really wanted to go back in. >> how old are you? >> i'm 16. >> what is your mother saying about all of this? >> well, when i called her, she wasn't that mad. i just thought i needed a couple stitches. i didn't even think i was going to go to the hospital or anything. >> it's so nice to meet you. >> nice to meet you too. >> you look great and have been smiling since the beginning so we wish you well. >> thank you. >> enjoy the surf of.

ahead on "starting point," amanda knox facing the reality she could go back to an italian prison. >> i'm afraid to go back there. >> what she says when chris asks if she'll go back for the retrial, next. these mr. clean guys, they're like a clean team.

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amanda knox you have never seen before six years after the death of her then roommate in italy, her legal troubles are still not over. will she go back to italy for her murder retrial? our chris cuomo and here with a preview of that interview.

i want to know how you fell about her. a lot of people say she's cold. >> i think she's put into a situation where she's forced to think about every word she says. her behavior was construed against her very harshly early on so she's worried about being natural. what she says, what she wears, what she feels, what she doesn't feel. when you get into that cycle, it's not uncommon to be contrived in their behavior. i think you see that. one of the moments in the interview, when someone pauses before an answer, we very often edit that out because we want to get to their answer. but the pause is instructive because it's her process. she has to think first. how do i want to come off, i don't want to be seen as a killer again even though i'm just trying to be natural. it's difficult to be her in this situation. >> do we have any previews of the interview? >> we better.

let's play some of the interview. >> 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 the prosecution ask that i be put in preventive detention again. i was there for four years. >> could you do more time? >> could you handle it? >> i'm having to handle things. i have not really been given a choice. and i think people sort of underestimate what that means and what effect that has had on me and my life. i have no choice but to face this. and i constantly ask myself why? why me? >> so here's something important

to understand. why did we do this? there was a big abc special. i understand how well they do it. it was a well-laid out special. after that there are new questions. there are old questions rem remaining. amanda knox wanted and what we were happy to provide was an opportunity to deal with those. this season just a retelling of the entire story. it's the inflection points that make people doubt her account. that make people believe that she's guilty. it's a different dynamic. it's much more of a pointed set of questions as to why people still don't believe her. she welcomed that opportunity and she did not shy from anything i asked. >> there are quite a few points that people point to that say, look, we think she still looks suspicious in this. >> not kind of. people are divided and that's being generous. who cares? the legal process is also now subject to everybody's public opinion when you only know pieces of things. that's part of the reality of our culture right now.

but the case is big. the retrial is going to happen. what does it mean for her? we don't know. but she wants to live the rest of her life and people are open to judgment about her. so we asked her the questions that we believe will help her get over this situation of at least having given her best case to the people who will judge her. >> we have been watching it it all morning. the snippets are great. looking forward to understanding better. appreciate it. >> we're going to watch that special interview tonight at 10:00 p.m. here on cnn. ahead on "starting point," we're following breaking news out of ohio. the discovery of three missing women who were kidnapped for ten years. how did the suspects hide in plain sight? we'll hear from one of the surviv survivors of the horrific limousine fire. her shocking accusations against the driver coming up. staying active can actually ease arthritis symptoms. but if you have arthritis,

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i'm zoraida sambol. >> and i'm christine romans. three women found alive after a decade of disappearing without a trace. they are of the out of the hospital this morning and have been returned to their families. three brothers suspected of kidnapping and holding them captive are in police custody. martin savage is in cleveland with more. >> reporter: authorities have closed off the street now in front of the home where these three women apparently were held for up to a decade or more. it's believed that what's going to happen as they push the media away is that more investigative teams are going to come in. not just local authorities, but federal authorities are taking a part in this investigation. the real question here is were those three women the only victims? could there be other victims? other missing people's cases that are somehow connected to

that innocent-looking house behind us? they don't know. it's also being said that dogs are going to be brought in to search a nearby vacant lot. what connection or why? again, authorities aren't saying. but in the meantime, there's a the lot of celebration. the fact that these three women who when they were abducted were teenagers have been found alive and well goes against most of the odds and most of the thoughts of people who had searched for them for so many years. they are in the process of being reunited with their families. three suspects are in custody. the questions as to where the case turns next, well, there are a lot of them. and right now they are just beginning that investigation. martin savage, cnn, cleveland. >> our thanks to martin there. let's talk more about this with ed smart. elizabeth was kidnapped but was found nine months later. you have a very unique perspective here. what are these girls going to be going through? >> you know, i think they are

going to be trying to find their new place. i'm sure that they wonder how they are going to be accepted by their families and how they are going to move forward and what does this mean to the people that kidnapped them. but to be free at this point is just -- i mean, three miracles. what a wonderful opportunity for them to be reunited with their family. i remember when i said to elizabeth, i said, did you ever think that you would get away? and she said, yes, dad, but i didn't know if it would be years down the road. so here we are with three women who have been away from their families for a significant period of time. i hope they have a chance to just kind of step back from the media and rebonding with their families and finding their new place in life.

>> it's interesting. we were speaking with john walsh earlier. he said his advice in these cases when we're so lucky to have someone who has been kidnapped found alive is to enjoy the homecoming, but there's hard work as you unpeel that onion of the horrors that happened. what's your advice to the families? you think they should stay out of the media spotlight and they need significant counselling? what would you say from your experience is the most important piece of advice you can give? >> you know, i think one of the most important things are we have no idea what these women went through. but it's so important for them to know that what happened to them was not their fault. usually their captors make them feel some type of guilt, some type of responsibility. heaven only knows what kind of

nightmare they have lived for the past ten years. but that this was a segment in their life and they have their entire lives in front of them. you know, to make sure that justice does occur. that these kidnappers don't have the opportunity of doing this again to somebody else. their life is in front of them. put this behind and move forward. i hope that they just have a wonderful time with their families. i will never forget having elizabeth home. we got up that night and tried to -- we were pinching ourselves is this real? and her comment to us, mom and dad, i'll be here in the morning. you know, how those families must be rejoicing and what a blessing, an absolute blessing for them to be back with their families. >> i want to talk about judgmen judgments. this is something your daughter experienced. people can say things like why don't these girls run away? even though they are scared for their life. talk to us about that and how

you helped elizabeth cope with folks who had that mentality. >> you know, there are a the lot of comments that can be made about them. why was this the first time? why didn't they get away before? but really when you find out what kind of manipulation, and usually it is pure manipulation by the captors with the survivor or victim, it is so important to understand that they did not choose to have this happen, but the fact that they would try to say, you know, i'm going to kill you, i'm going to kill your family and put that responsibility on them to control them. that's something that's horrendous. i've heard over the years people say, well, they were out in the parking lot riding their bike or they were doing this or doing that. why didn't they scream? why didn't they get away? the fact remains that they were

definitely being controlled. i mean, in elizabeth's case, there were times when elizabeth was faced with here a police officer is right in front of her. she's being held by the hand and has been previously not only threatened but brought back. if you try this, i'm going to kill you. i have people out there that are going to get your family. and the manipulation of these predators is amazing. and to think that, here elizabeth is standing in front of this police officer and during the testimony of the trial this police officer said, well, i probably would have done the same thing if this happened all over the again. they are absolute amazing manipulators in how they can talk their way out of situations. so i think that it's important

to understand that what has happened to these three women was not their fault. there needs to be this unconditional love and consideration for them. give them the space to reunite with their families and to try to heal and find that new normal in life. >> elizabeth must be aware of the story because it is such a big story and something that happened to her. how is she feeling about this? >> you know, just thrilled. to hear that three more young women have been found, they are back with their families, to know they are no longer being held by these monsters. you know, it's a wonderful thing. >> ed smart, we're so glad you can bring us your perspective this morning. such a big story, thank you, ed. >> we're waiting for the press conference to happen at 9:00 eastern. we're going to bring it it to

you live. stay tuned for that. ahead on "starting point," now that those women are free and at home with their families, what happens next? we're going to talk more with john walsh. you're watching "starting point." ♪ to more efficient pick-ups. ♪ wireless is limitless. ♪ from tracking the bus. ♪ to tracking field conditions. ♪ wireless is limitless.

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back to our top story. three women finally back with their families this morning after being held in captivity for ten years. we're going to continue our conversation with john walsh, former host of "america's most wanted." his own son was murdered and abducted in 1981. thank you for staying with us this morning. i want to talk about the connection between families. because there are reports that gina dejesus's family knew ariel astro's family and his son wrote a story about the kidnapping. the son was quoted by a local news reporter saying about this situation. this is beyond comprehension. i'm truly stunned right now. so that was his son. who said he was stunned by this.

how often do you see a connection between the families? >> it's not unusual. i'm sure this guy, as it has been reported, that they lived in the same area. this guy is a musician. he knew the family. he probably ran across this beautiful girl and became obsessed with her. i have done tons of cases where people see a child they like or color of of hair is right or the age is right or the sex is right and they became that child's stalker and become obsessed with him. i'm sure his son is appalled. everybody from the parents of jeffrey daumer wrote me because he was a suspect in adam's abduction and murder for five minutes. it took 27 years to solve that case. it was a serial rapist who died in prison. but daumer's parents said we are so sorry our son turned out to be such a horrible person. i'm sure this boy that wrote the article years ago was hoping

that this girl would be found alive. i imagine right now he's going through hell and thinking could my father and my uncles be the kidnappers and jailers of these people? i'm sure he can't even fathom it. >> i want to play something for you. we talked to a neighbor, somebody who has known ariel castro for 18 years. you made a good point. these kind of guys are not in a trench coat underneath a bridge somewhere. they are living in your neighborhood. list listen. >> i've been here 33 years. i knew the guy for 18 years. that would be the last thing we would expect in our neighborhood. we're like a big old family right here. for him to drive a school bus, we never thought that. it's a good thing that the girls are home. >> what do you think about that

characterization of the neighbor? he did have trash bags over the window. we never would have suspected it, but he did have trash bags over the windows. >> remember ted bundy? everybody said what a charming guy. almost all except one of the women. i think he murdered 29 women. not one of them were runaways. people who knew him said he can't be a serial killer. these guys hide in plain sight. the first guy i caught brian mitchell raped 17 women and the got out of prison and on parole he killed two people. he was the first capture on "america's most wanted." he was the fbi's ten most wanted. he escaped from five life sentences. guess what he was doing? he was running a shelter for the homeless. a sociopath was hiding in plain sight.

i don't know why people are so surprised. these guys know what they do is so reprehensible that they function like nothing is wrong. and people buy it. >> there are reports that one of the girls was finishing her shift and called home and said somebody is going to pick me up. it ended up being an older gentleman that she got into the car with. how often are these abductors people that the children know? >> many, many times. i said earlier that 80% of crimes against children are perpetrated by the trusted authority figure, the soccer coach, football coach, the jerry sanduskys, the catholic priests. people can't believe it it. there are people who have access to the children. i'm sure she thought i'm getting a ride home pr somebody in my community. i don't need a ride, mom. she didn't know she was going to ten years imprisonment by a pervert who lived down the street. it's not unusual.

these guys are manipulators. they are good at it. kids are trusting. especially when they think, well, i sort of know the guy. >> this is a parent's worst nightmare. what do you tell your kids to do if someone tries to take them, even someone they know? >> first of all, fighting is the good thing. i don't think that amanda had a chance to get away from this guy or gina. i just think that, you know, they have the lures. everybody knows i lost the puppy. you really have to sit down with your children. you have to say this is 2013. there's bad guys out there. here's the rules. it's the buddy system. if you're scared, call 911. if you're nervous, don't be afraid to make that call. don't get in a car. if somebody grabs you, fight the guy right there. start screaming or you're going

to wind up in a house for ten years. there's so many things to do. i'm involved with great call. they have a five star button, safety device you can hit and it's a two-way -- you can talk back and forth two ways. they have trained operators. i just think that people don't believe it could happen to them. >> you're absolutely right. >> they don't believe it can happen in the hamptons or in beverly hills. >> this is a necessary conversation. i want to ask you to hang on. we're going to bring in the uncle of the castro brothers who are in police custody suspected of kidnapping these young women. thank you for joining us today. can you tell us your reaction when you heard that your three nephews are in police custody? >> the reaction was a terrible reaction. unbelievable. >> ariel astro, in particular,

can you tell us a little bit about him? >> he grew up with a nice, beautiful, happy kid. he was a musician. he played instruments. e loved happy life. he came from a good family. i'm sure he was raised right. the only thing that he might have been living a double personality. >> did he have a family? did he have children? we know he had a son. we heard maybe he had a daughter. tell me about ariel astro's family. >> yes, he had a beautiful family. however, he had differences with his wife some years ago. they separated. she went to live in another

state. i understand she passed. but the family was always beautiful. >> when was the last time that you saw ariel, that you spoke with him? >> i would say about five or six years. he use d to come to my place of business on the corner. he was a very happy go-lucky guy. >> julio castro, thank you for joining us. trying to shed some light on what's happening here. want to bring in john walsh again. you heard from the uncle of the men in custody. came from a nice family, haven't spoken to him in a few years. he was a decent guy. he has children. >> but i do want to add there was the neighbor who we spoke to earlier. he said to him don't leave the children alone.

there was a gut feeling she had. so kind of these two sides we're looking at here. what's your take on that, john? >> you know, about a year ago you were covering jerry sandusky who molested multiple boys. picked kids from dysfunctional families. no one wanted to believe that he was a child molester, that he was a pedophile, that he was doing it in plain sight. he was taking disadvantaged children into the locker room and saud miezing them. it didn't come out until one 16-year-old boy was brave enough to say this is not the revered coach that you think he is. he's a pedophile. he's good at it it. he's a sociopath and then ten other guys came out, grown men. and people go, oh, my god. they function, they are good guys. but guys like this guy hate women. if they have been in divorce, they look at women as sex toys.

they weren't raised -- they don't have the same philosophies like good men like i was taught to respect women and shelter them and look out for them. these guys are sociopaths. i bet he and his brothers thought, isn't this unbelievable? we have our own sex toys tied up. nobody knows they are there. we go on with our lives. aren't we having great fun? never thinking ab the consequences, never thinking about the families. this is a sociopathic behavior. >> we're waiting for the press conference to begin. we're going to learn more about the suspects. we know the three young women have been returned to their families. john walsh, thank you. we're back in 60 seconds.

that's it r for "starting point." carol costello has news coverage of the cleveland department of public safety news conference at 9:00 a.m. eastern. updating us on the three

kidnapped ohio women who have been found. >> thanks to you both. good morning to all of you. thank you for joining us this morning. i'm carol costello. this is a special edition of newsroom. police in cleveland, ohio, will hold their first news conference on a horrifying story that's still unfolding. here's what we know. a daring escape tleeds to rescue of three women. all three vanish more than nine years ago in separate disappearances. all three were justin teens at time. michele knight was just 19. amanda berry went missing in 2003 on the eve of her 17th birthday. it was berry who ultimately led them all to freedom. this is berry at the hospital last night with her sister and a young girl who reportedly escaped from the house along with her. amanda berry is in the middle there. police came and rescued the other two women after the desperate call to 911.

>> 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. >> this morning all three women are out of the hospital and they are back with their families. in the meantime, fbi agents have lockedsearching the home where there were held. we're covering the developments for you and waiting on the nusz conference to begin. martin savage joins us live in cleveland. hi, martin. >> reporter: hey, carol. it appears that authorities are coming in to do more searching and there's been talks of dogs being brought in. >> i wanted to talk to you about the 911 call.

more than one women told me the dispatcher did not seem all that caring. he he did not stay on the phone with amanda berry until police came. what are neighbors saying ab the 911 call. ? >> reporter: there was a woman who said the same thing. she was livid with the 911 operator because she felt that it it didn't sound like the operator was taking it seriously. it also didn't sound like he one aware that amanda berry was. this moment arrives and it sounded like this person didn't believe them. now i'm not a professional, but they are trained in a different manner. and sometimes in their professional responses that they give, it may not sound like they are caring, but authorities would tell you we do care. that call is going to be reviewed.

>> 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. >> okay, and what's your address? >> [ bleep ] it looks like you're calling me from [ bleep ] >> okay, stay there with those neighbors and talk to police when they get there. >> okay. hello? >> okay, talk to the police when they get there. >> okay. are they on their way right 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 mean like -- >> who's the guy you're trying -- who is the guy who went out? >> his name is ariel castro. >> okay, how old is he? >> he's like 52.

and i'm amanda berry. i've been on the news for the last ten years. >> okay, i got that, dear. and you say what was his name again? >> ariel castro. >> and is he white, black or hispanic? >> hispanic. >> what's he wearing? >> i don't know 'cause he's not here right now. that's why i ran away. >> when he left, what was he wearing? >> who knows. >> the police are on the way. talk to them when they get there. >> i need -- okay. >> i told you they're on the way. talk to them when they get there. >> all right, okay. bye. >> reporter: a lot of people listening to that phone call and they go, wait a minute, this young lady sounded like she was in deep distress, why was the operator acting that way? it's going to be looked. but three young ladies are back reunited or in the process of with their families. that can't be overlooked. that moment is going to be

savered even as the questions come. >> there are questions already coming. not just about the 911 call, but also about the investigation itself. some people say they did call police to veg the house where they were held for so many years. tell us about those allegations. >> reporter: talking to neighbors here in this community, they say on at least two specific incidents over the years past, there were times that authorities were called. they were notified that there was something suspicious going on. it didn't look right. there was a young lady that didn't belong that maybe was being held against her will. police responded and knocked on the door for eight minutes. after hearing nothing, left. another call, they went to the backyard. lots of dogs barking, but neighbors say nothing was done. here's the sentiment in this community. this is the tough side of cleveland. had it been a