they are stronger than you. thanks for joining us. larry interviews jermaine jackson. time now for anderson cooper and "ac 360." we begin with breaking news out of florida. the shocking new motive revealed in a double murder that stunned the country. melanie and byrd billings the parents of 13 adopted kids were killed by intruders dressed like ninjas. our source says the state's attorney's office believes there was more than one motive. the billings were the target of a contract hit the crime was part of a murder for hire plot. sheriff david morgan is respond og to that report. david mattingly joins us with the breaking news. >> reporter: for the first time sheriff david morgan is confirming a murder for hire

scheme is a possibility they are looking at. they have been looking at this possibility from the beginning following up on what he called uncorroborated information. all these weeks later they are still working on it and not ready to rule out the billings murder was a hired hit. >> let me state emphatically that at the onset of the billings investigation the escambia sheriff's office was in receipt of uncorroborated information to lead a person to believe this was an avenue of an investigation we should, in fact, pursue. i want to ensure the media and the citizens of escambia county we have and will continue to do that very thing. >> our source with knowledge of the investigation goes further than that saying the state's attorney's office believes murder for hire was the motivation in this case.

it is the position of the office of the state attorney that the prime mote nif this case was robbery, however, we will consider all possibilities and review any evidence concerning the issue of motive. >> david, did the sheriff say anything about motive or suspects? >> he will not say anything about motive or suspects regarding this is a murder for hire case. he does say of the eight people who have been arrested, some charged with murder in this case, as the investigation goes forward we could see additional charges come up against them. so clearly this case is not over yet. they are looking at adding more possible charges to the people they already have in custody. >> eight people arrested in the investigation. did morgan, the sheriff, say anything about whether they are looking for others? >> they are looking for others. he has been talking about this for weeks, there are two possibly more people they are

ready to arrest any time. we were expecting to see that sometime this week. we are told it may be next week. two, possibly more, this case continues to get broader as they continue to look into these different type of allegations. >> let's dig deeper with stacy hanawich. we just heard the sheriff talk about a contract hit being one of the motives. what do you make of that? >> anderson, i think most people when they heard about this, most people said the way this was carried out was more than a robbe robbery. it was blaned. the ninja style outfits. people were saying it doesn't sound like a robbery. the fact they are investigating this murder for hire is not that unusual. they are going to keep it close to the vest because they are investigating. >> keep it close to the vest as they should. the idea of a revenge killing,

what would be a possible motive for revenge killing in a case like this? >> we are not going to know anything until basically people start flipping. the woman arrested, the last one arrested for accessory after the fact. the bottom line is she is going to be the flip witness. she is going to start talking in order to get a good deal. that is why you are starting to hear this aspect because maybe some of them are starting to talk and additional charges might come down and they might be looking for additional suspects. as this progresses, as people start talking we will hear more about it. >> what is interesting and what may complicate it the same source told cnn the state attorney's office is working under the belief that most of the suspects thought they were there for a robbery that only some were plotting the hit. >> yeah. the source in what i have read the bottom line people up from the gentleman gonzalez, the shooter, knew what was going on,

the people lower were lassoed into this robbery. as a prosecutor theories do change as evidence becomes more prevalent. as people start talking especially when you have more than one person, more than one suspect, eight people, people start talking. different theories, different portions of the investigation come forward that is what you will hear in this case. the theory might change. you don't need a motive to prosecute any of these cases but people want to know why. that is why the fascination with this case. why would people do something to these people who took in all these special needs kids. >> do we know what has happened to the kids. >> it is my belief the eldest daughter agreed to take the children. she had a relationship with them. i believe that is where they are now. >> stacy honowitz, thank you for your time.

>> you can join the live chat at ac360.com. i'm about to log on myself. new information in the michael jackson investigation. jackson's possible efforts to get propofol. another delay in the coroner's report. new economic numbers have some wondering in the recession is over. also tonight, florida's python problem. tens of thousands are on the loose. we are going to take you on the hunt to round them up before they do more damage. we'll be right back. introducing the all new chevy equinox. with an epa estimated 32 miles per gallon. and up to 600 miles between fill ups. it's the most fuel efficient crossover on the highway. better than honda cr-v, toyota rav4

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tonight disturbing picture is coming into focus in the michael jackson investigation. randy kay is on the case. conrad murray was jackson's personal physician. randy joins me from laufbs. you have had some time to dig through the warrants. one doctor mentioned caught your eye? >> reporter: we learned michael jackson asked one of his former doctors for propofol two months before he died. seven doctors are mentioned in the search warrant filed after dr. conrad murray's home and office were searched. he has been jackson's personal physician since may of this year. investigators were looking for letters, notes, correspondence between dr. murray, michael

jackson and other doctors. they mentioned allen metzker. he was jackson's internist. he has handed over his files. the big news is his lawyer told us in april of this year dr. metzker went to visit michael jackson and told him "michael jackson asked him about the iv sleep medication propofol. he told michael jackson it was dangerous, potentially life threatening. sources told cnn that jackson's personal physician gave him propofol 24 hours before his death. this dr. metzker says jackson asked him for it, too. dr. metzker said hi client

prescribed under omar arnold and michael jackson. omar arnold is what we told you last night, one of the 19 yale yass mentioned in the search warrant. his lawyer told us dr. metzker thought it was his duty to protect the privacy of his client. >> there are other doctors mentioned. what is their connection to michael jackson, do we know? >> dr. arnold klein whose records have been subpoenaed. dr. klein's lawyer said he is cooperating with investigators. his las vegas dentist and beverly hills answesthesiologis randy rowan. the doctor who gave him his physical to make sure he was okay to go on tour. there is a drachlt adams lists.

we couldn't find him anywhere. the nurse that treated jackson, cherilyn lee. she told "360" jackson begged her for propofol so he could sleep. her spokesperson told us they had no idea her name was in the search warrant but is chaoticing with investigators. >> the other big news you got word that the autopsy was delayed again. what is going on? >> i spoke to the source who told me the coroner's office met with the los angeles police department and the district attorney's office and made what he called a joint decision to delay the release of the autopsy and the toxicology report indefinitely. all parties agreed to that because they need more time to gather information. they are working on what my source called follow up. i asked if it is still possible the results may be released last week. the response was "i have no

idea." >> do you know what the delay means for dr. murray? he seems to be the central focus of this investigation or the most prominent name bandied about. >> right. i spoke with his office and the spokeswoman wasn't sure what to make of it. if the delay was good or bad. she said dr. murray is awaiting the results of the investigation. she would not comment on the fact that investigators were searching his vegas properties for the shipment of the drug propofol which likely contributed to jackson's death. a third interview with dr. murray has not been scheduled even though we know they requested that over a week ago. >> thanks, randy. let's dig deeper with ms. floyd, an attorney. two months prior he asked for

the drug propofol. cherilyn lee asked her. clearly he seemed to be on a search. >> he is looking for it. he ultimately finds it or he ultimately finds it. that doesn't mean it is the cause of death and if it is he gets it from dr. murray. the link has to be made from a particular individual and we have to know that individual administered it. it is clear he is looking for it. it is heartbreaking he needs this to sleep. this is a hot setting drug. >> it doesn't put you to sleep. it puts you under. it doesn't allow your body to recover the way sleep does. >> i'm not a doctor but my understanding is it may not show up in the toxicology report. it may be difficult to determine whether it contributed to cause of death and then it becomes

hard to know what the manner of death was. it may be part of the reason why this is all delayed. >> it was interesting because i must say i was sort of skeptical with the nurse cherilyn lee and she was the first one to introduce diprivan and propofol into the conversation. it is popping up all the time. >> i, too, thought she was sketchy but what she has said seems to be corroborated by the facts. what is amazing is the number of health care providers that seem to be attached to michael jackson. i mean, it's incredible to me that the number of physicians he is consulting with or actively seeing. he is a relatively young man. we know he had his problems and addictions and presumably

relatively healthy, rehearsing until midnight but needs this heavy duty narcotic to sleep. very, very sad. ultimately finds it somehow if the investigators are on the right trail. >> the autopsy, the fact that the results of that are being delayed indefinitely. what do you make of that? have you heard of something like that? >> there is the possibility it is inconclusive. deeply disturbing because everyone wants an answer. we don't like inconclusive results. we may never know what killed michael jackson. i think it is more likely than not there are a number of contributing factors and they want to get it right. >> the family conducted their own autopsy. they must have the results of that. >> i have seen this in big cases with notorious and well known deceased and lesser known cases, you can have inconsistent results when the family has its

own autopsy conducted and then you have the public medical e m examexa examin examiner. >> it is not uncommon for well-known people to have aliases to get prescription drugs because medical personnel could see this person is getting prescribed something and sell that information to a tabloid. >> there is nothing to prevent the pharmacy or someone who works at a pharmacy from releasing your private information about what you are getting. if you are a celebrity or not a celebrity. you can go after them after the fact but by that time the information is out. >> it is in the computer system of a pharmacy like a big chain form si. >> if i'm your doctor and we heard metzker say this, if you have a legitimate medical need i might want to use a different name. what if you don't have a legitimate medical need?

what if you have an addiction? this is what we saw in the anna nicole smith case, though it is yet to be proved in case, three, four, five, 15, 12, 20 aliases to get medications that aren't medically necessary. that is the fine line between the privacy protection and what really can be an illegal use of aliases to get your hands on prescriptions. >> it seems clear michael jackson whether he was traveling so many different places or not did not have a centralized medical authority overseeing all his care. >> right. >> he was going from here to there, doctor to doctor and perhaps it was doctor shopping. >> look, when you are michael jackson or heath ledger or anna nicole smith or any other celebrity and you want to get your hands on these drugs, you are going to get them. even if a nurse or doctor will stand up and say no, eventually you will find a doctor who will

tell you that. you find someone who is financially compromised and i'm not saying murray is this person because i think he is being scapegoated, you are going to find that person eventually. ultimately they do that shopping and get their hands on those prescription drugs and they can be abused and they are being abused, too much. >> jami floyd, thanks for being with us. investigators trying to figure out who is prescribing what, joe johns is in florida where police are cracking down on pill mills. also ahead, is the recession actually over? new economic report that is getting a lot of attention.

coming up, the investigation into michael jackson's death.

shedding new light on prescription drug abuse. a growing net work of so-called pill mills make scoring drugs easier. first eka hill with the "360" news and business bulletin. >> three americans in iranian custody after straying across the border from iraq. a kurdish official tells cnn the three traveled through a tourist area to go backpacking. the group contacted a fourth traveller who stayed behind. they told that person they were lost and surrounded by military personnel speaking farsi. the u.s. embassy in baghdad has not confirmed the report. the house voting to limit executive pay that the nation's largest bank awarded 48 $1 million plus bonuses. senator chris dodd has an early form of prostate cancer.

the senator insisted he feels fine. he will undergo surgery after the senate adjourns next week. the seven astronauts returning to earth after 16 days in space. while in orbit they met with the six crew members on the international space station. that group of 13 set a record for the most people assembled in space. see, makes you want to go? >> absolutely. the economy may be on the mend. what the new numbers may mean. # david gergen and ali velshi join us. pythons on the loose. we go alon on the snake hunt. >> wow. >> this isn't a big one. >> this is a good ten feet. >> nah. >> oh, yeah. at least 12.

a report out today shows the pace of economic decline slowed dramatically. the gdp shrunk just 1% versus 6.4% from january to march. president obama commented on the news this afternoon. >> this morning the gdp revealed the recession we faced when i took office was even deeper than anyone thought at the time. it told us how close we were to the edge. the gdp revealed in the last few months the economy has done measurably better than we thought, better than expected. >> cautious but optimistic

nevertheless. >> consumers are not spending. are we on the road to an actual recovery? will it feel like a recovery. ali velshi joins us. should the gdp have done better? does this mean this is behind us? >> no. it is an interesting measure, it is old, march until june. let me show you the last two years of gdp the broadest measure of all economic activity. first of all, this is what the dow has done, another indicator. this is election day, november of '08. look at where we were. we were just about 9,000. march '09, the bottom of the market. we have traced this market back up and we are where we were on election day. that is one indication this market is doing a lot better. gdp is an indication. we are still shrinking this economy but a lot less than we

were before. >> let's talk about this cash for clunkers program. another $2 billion approved to keep this thing going. it's been a surprising hit, right? >> yeah. i've got to tell you, i have some penance to do. i was one of the doubters. this didn't seem like it made a lot of sense. it was putting $1 billion aside to give to people, until november, to trade in your old clunker to buy a new car. they ran out of money in the first week. the day before congress left they authorized $2 million to add to $1 billion. 40,000 people have taken advantage of it. dealers say another 200,000 people are ready to do this, anderson. this low-hanging fruit of a program that none of us thought was going to work might be one of the most successful enterprises in stimulating the economy. ford is expected to do one of its best months in a long time. >> how does it basically work?

>> basically if you have a car that is old and doesn't get good gas mileage. you go buy a new car that is fuel efficient. if you scrap that car you get $3,500 or $4,500 from the government. for frugal people who don't have cars that are fuel efficient, this is tempting them to buy a brand new fuel efficient car. money for trading in your clunker and get a fuel efficient car. that is working well. >> that is good news. let's move on to the "raw politics." david gergen joins us. signs the economy might be doing better. how much does the news today help the president? he was cautious in his statement today, obviously. >> he wanted to claim credit. i think most economists would tell you it was the private sector, exports were up more, business investment is up more. but they will also say that the government helped.

probably most of the credit from economists would go to the federal reserve and ben bernanke and they have thrown everything they could at this economy and making a difference. some of the credit belongs to president obama and the stimulus program. not just the stimulus program but foreclosure program, efforts to get credit moving. in politics all these things matter less. when you are the incumbent and things start looking better you claim credit and you usually get it. >> how fair -- only $60 billion of the stimulus package has been spent. >> that is why i say economists would tell you it is a modest part of this turn around. there is probably the psychological factor that the obama folks would claim, having a new president, fresh, promising president. i do think they deserve a lot of

credit in the obama administration for making sure we didn't go over the cliff. once you start going out as president as he did today and claiming a lot of the credit for this starting to make this turn, you also make it your economy. it becomes the obama economy. so if economists are right that he faces a real danger that this growth pattern or this turn around is going to level off after a while and we are going to have a long, painful recovery without a lot of new jobs, that is going to be the obama economy and that is not good news for the president. >> where does health care stand? another house committee approved a plan to pave the way for health care reform. the senate has issues with it. how do you see this playing out? >> this has been a good day for the president. having the house go out now, three committees considering health care. they have voted health care out and recommended it to the full house. we are likely to get the full

house to vote in the fall and likely to pass. the senate remans a big problem for the president. fractious democrats remain a problem for the president. this country went back to the 1940s trying to get national health care passed. no president has gotten it to a vote on the house or the senate. president obama is about to get there. his chances of getting a full health care package done is a big drama. it is still an uphill fight in the congress. but tonight he can take comfort and find encouragement in the fact that all three house committees have passed that bill, recommended to the full house passage of a bill. they have to settle a lot of differences in the fall. >> david gergen, appreciate it. join the live chat at ac360.com. let us know what you think, do you feel the recession may be over? filling prescriptions for

suspected drug addicts. cops go undercover, make busts. massive snakes on the loose. one man's solution. the python hunter down in florida when "360" continues. hi, may i help you? yes, i hear progressive has lots of discounts on car insurance. can i get in on that? are you a safe driver? yes. discount! do you own a home? yes. discount! are you going to buy online? yes! discount! isn't getting discounts great? yes! there's no discount for agreeing with me.

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dr. conrad murray has emerged as the main focus of the investigation of the death of michael jackson.

the dea -- did any of jackson's doctors sacrifice his health and his life for money? if a patient needs a fix there is a place he or she can get it. they are called pill mills. joe johns is keeping them honest. >> reporter: broward county florida. >> pull over here. >> reporter: sheriff's detectives in a minivan listening to radio transmissions waiting for an undercover drug deal to go down. >> counting the money. >> stay here. >> reporter: they are about to arrested a local guy named matthew sullivan and selling prescription pain kills to a female undercover officer. oxycontin. not like cocaine, heroin or marijuana. they are sold by pain clinics. sullivan says he is an addict. >> what is it like living in

that life? >> it is out of hand. >> reporter: how much do you take a day? >> 20 pills, 30 pills. >> reporter: sullivan did not admit breaking the law. he got fresh prescriptions earlier in the day. >> one is from july 30. he got 112 of those. this one july 30th also, he got 150. >> reporter: people come here from all over the east coast to score pills from pain clinics. cops call them pill mills. >> this is what our sergeant called ground zero here. this is where we started getting the crowds of people coming from out of state to obtain the pills illegally here. all it took was for us to drive into work and see 80, 90 people waiting for the pain clinic to open up. >> reporter: that was two years

ago, now the dea says more than 6.5 million pills were sold here in the last half of last year and police say the clinics are making money hand over fist. in the last half of 2008, authorities say 50 of the top doctors dispensing oxycontin in the nation worked in south florida and 33 in broward county. until recent florida was only one of a dozen states with no way to monitor the sale of the drug. the state of the florida has just passed a new law to track sales of pain killers. it could take years to feel the effects. >> right now you can go to ten clinics a day. with the new system you go to one clinic once a monte and that is all you are going to get. >> reporter: the clinics will

move someplace else. why experts are pushing for a national solution to track drugs nationwide. john walters was national drug czar under president george w. bush. >> you can have a check in a database whether this person was doctor shopping, whether this was the 15th prescription and whether a pharmacist filled that prescription. >> reporter: a possible fix for a broken system, no fix at all for the addict. joe johns, cnn, broward county, florida. >> amazing to think some states don't have a system to check on that. meet the python hunter. searching for huge snakes in florida and hoping to stop the reptiles from getting more out of control. going to the dentist can be especially painful for people with a certain color of hair. can you guess? we'll tell you coming up.

in florida tonight where alligators and crocodiles lurk in the waters a dangerous predator has emerged. a burmese python more than 17 feet long was caught on the grounds of a hospital near lake okeechobee. 17 feet long. these snake cans travel more than a mile in a day. they eat just about anything. thousands of pythons are on the loose. they were kept as pets and discarded by their owners. one man is on a mission to find them. >> reporter: joe wazaluwski drives along a stretch of road that bisects florida's everglades. he is looking for snakes. one in particular. >> the next ten miles seem to be the hot spot for burmese pythons. >> reporter: a reptile expert is sanctioned by the state to hunt down and rid the glades of

pythons. an extraordinary move to what scientists believe is a threat to the ecosystem. >> it is a large predator and they are eating everything in sight. >> reporter: 20 years ago there were none here, today perhaps 100,000. no one is sure. night is the best time to catch these nonvenomous snax. that is when they are on the move. he spots something. he jumps from the truck, runs to it. >> this is not a python. it is a banded water snake? >> do i? >> he'll bite you. >> reporter: still no pythons at least not alive. there is a dead one and several more small snakes and a baby alligator, too. >> oh, man. he got hit by a car. >> two hours into our hunt suddenly he is on it. he sees one. >> yeah, baby! look at the size of this one.

>> reporter: skillfully he grabs it behind the head. he will lock it into a crate and take it to the national park blolgs to be studied and destroyed. this isn't a good one. >> that is a good ten feet. >> nah. >> at least 12. >> he doesn't get paid. it is voluntary. he knows they have to be eliminated. he has a soft spot for the reptile. >> guess what? it is not this snake's fault. he didn't mean to be here. >> reporter: when reptile breeding facilities were destroyed during hurricane jearnd. >> why don't you take this side? >> you take the head end. >> reporter: others from pet owners who disposed of them after they got too big. they can grow up to 200 pounds but this one is no longer a problem. >> one down.

>> yeah. >> 100,000 to go. >> unbelievable. here with us is the python hunter. joe, thanksing if being with us. are there really 100,000 of these snakes out there? >> we really can't put a number on it at 100,000 or 150,000. it is so new in the game. we flow is a lot. >> they are a danger to the ecosome. they change the entire ecosystem when a new predator is produced. are they a threat to humans? >> you know, where pythons come from, burmese pythons, there has never been a human killed and eaten by one. i highly doubt that will happen in florida in the everglades that is. >> what is -- how serious a danger are they to the environment, to the ecosystem?

>> they are a danger to the ecosystem because they are a top predator. and they will eat a lot of birds. we found a lot of different animals, mammals, birds and alligators in their stomach. people forget we have a big predator that lives in the everglades that lives for millions of years. alligators. >> how long could they have been released for? if there are 100,000 of them is that because they have mated and given birth or have 100,000 been released. >> no. no. no. probably what happened, '92 was hurricane andrew. 800 baby pythons were literally blown into the everglades. if you look at statistics, look at five, six years for them to mature and breed, we are at the third generation now. that is where these numbers are spiking. >> i hadn't realized it goes

back to hurricane andrew. what about that 17 footer? do you normally see them growing to that size? >> honestly, i didn't see a picture of the animal, but they said it was 200 pounds. that was probably someone's released pet. a wild burmese python 17 feet long is going to be under 100 pounds. that was probably a pet. >> and the snakes you send them to where? they are studied and ultimately killed? >> yeah. they are euthanized, human manly. i work with the -- on sending the animals i capture to everglades national park, they take biometric data. lengths, weights and check their stop ams. it is all for science. >> what if people have a snake they want to get rid of. obviously, they should not

release it in the wild. what should they do with it? >> please send it to a zoo, a rehabilitation center, wildlife rehabilitation center. it is against the law in florida to release 9/11 dij nous species. you shouldn't do it anywhere in the states. take it somewhere and let it be taken care of professionally. >> what is the most difficult thing about catching a python? >> finding them. catching them is the easy pard. >> with a snake that big it wraps around you. isn't that how a python kills its prey, wrapping around? >> they are constrictors. we are not natural prey. they are cryptic. one can be right next to you, 20 inches away and you won't see it. that is the problem. when the snake coiled around me that was defensive. i had it and it doesn't have

arms and legs and that is how it defended itself. >> you volunteer for this? >> yes. i don't get paid for this. >> why do you do this? >> i love snakes. >> you love snakes. >> yeah. i love snakes. there are a lot of people like me. we want to try to help this problem. we'll never get all the pythons out of the everglades. they are here to stay. hope we can manage them. >> thanks very much. stay safe. missing explosive, blocks of tnt, dynamite, stolen. later, "the shot" a lightning strike and one very lucky guy. more of his close call coming up. hotspot that provides up to five shared wifi connections. two are downloading the final final revised final presentation. - one just got an e-mail. - what?! - huh? - it's being revised again. the co-pilot is on mapquest.

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a close call for one man when lightning strikes. it is our "shot." firk erica hill.

the last of britain's troops left iraq. they had 46,000 troops. 179 brits lost their lives. hundreds of explosives are missing tonight, gone from a storage unit at a port in washington state. among the items, 96 pounds of tnt, 17 sticks of dynamite and 1,500 feet of detonation cord. some consumer fireworks. honda is expanding a recall for faulty airbags causing at least six injures and one death they can overpressurize that allows metal fragments to cut through them. the 2001 and fwu honda accords, 2001 honda civic and 2002 and 2003 acura tl models. hair color and your dentist. connection. maybe you don't see it immediately but new research

published finds redheads are twice as likely to avoid the dentist as people with dark hair why? redheads are more sensitive to pain and require more anesthesia which up their anxiety level when going to the dentist. >> do you get nye trus oxide? >> laughing gas? i think i had it when i had my wisdom teeth out. redheads require 20% more anesthesia. >> i think the laughing gas would solve everything. >> maybe you are in the wrong line of work. >> that is what you need to take from me, medical advice. >> our beat 360 winners. coming up with a better caption for a photo on the blog every day. i have only tried nitrous oxide.

an activist wearing a mock bottom and health care gown. i didn't know what a mock bottom was at first. >> there you go. >> staff winner, joe, we need health care reform, no ifs, ands or butts. cathy from ottawa, just like the beer summit, bottoms up, yes, we can. kathy, congratulations. we have seen storms this summer. one man got dangerously close and caught it all on tape. it is our "shot" of the day. so what do you think?

i think i'll go with the basic package. good choice. only meineke lets you choose the brake service that's right for you. and save 50% on pads and shoes. meineke. for tonight's "shot" look how close one guy got to getting

struck by lightning. >> is he on that roof there? >> he is on the video camera, right? >> what is that thing moving on the roof. watch. is that a person who almost got hit or the video camera guy? >> is that a person. >> i'm going to go out on a limb and say, if that is a person, i'm glad you didn't get hit but what are you doing on a roof. >> it is not a person. no one watched this video. apparently no one knows what we are looking at. >> it is a chair. >> so if you wanted to sit out

and get hit by lightning, you could. >> clearly the guy with the video camera came pretty close as well. >> he was super close. yeah. >> a little information. apparently recorded in st. augustine, florida. >> i think it is augustine. >> is it really now? >> isn't it? >> this is one of those things i should have read. >> i don't know if this is true but i thought i read on the blog it is friday. >> for the love of god it is two minutes to 11:00 on friday. >> cut the man some slack. >> all right. we are so done. coming up at the top of the hour, breaking news at to support your prostate and colon. new centrum silver ultra men's. . o. 78.

we begin with breaking news out of florida. tonight the possibility, the shocking new motive revealed in a double murder that stunned the country. melanie and byrd billings the parents of 13 adopted kids were shot to death in their home near pensacola earlier this month, killed by intruders dressed like ninjas. investigators say they were victims of robbery. our source says the state's attorney's office believes there was more than one motive. beyond robbery. the billings were the target of a contracted hit, that the crime was part of a murder for hire plot. sheriff david morgan is responding to that report. david mattingly joins us with the breaking news. david? >> reporter: for the first time sheriff david morgan is confirming a murder for hire scheme is a possibility they are looking at the in the murder of

byrd and melanie billings. they have been looking at this possibility from the beginning following up on what he called uncorroborated information. all these weeks later they are still working on it and not ready to rule out the billings murder was a hired hit. >> let me state emphatically that at the onset of the billings investigation the escambia sheriff's office was in receipt of uncorroborated information to lead a person to believe this was an avenue of an investigation we should, in fact, pursue. i want to ensure the media and the citizens of escambia county we have and will continue to do that very thing. >> our source with knowledge of the investigation goes further than that saying the state's attorney's office believes murder for hire was the motivation in this case.

a statement from the state's attorney office doesn't corroborate it. it reads -- it is the position of the office of the state attorney that the prime motive in this case was robbery, however, we will consider all possibilities and review any evidence concerning the issue of motive. >> david, did the sheriff say anything about motive or suspects? >> he will not say anything about motive or suspects regarding the idea that this was a murder for hire case. he does say of the eight people who have been arrested, some charged with murder in this case, as the investigation goes forward we could see additional charges come up against them. so clearly this case is not over yet. they are looking at adding more possible charges to the people they already have in custody. >> eight people arrested in the investigation. did morgan, the sheriff, say anything about whether they are looking for others? >> they are looking for others. he has been talking about this for weeks, there are two possibly more people they are ready to arrest any time. we were expecting to see that sometime this week. we are told it may be next week.

two, possibly more, this case continues to get broader as they continue to look into these different type of allegations. >> let's dig deeper with stacy honowitz. the veteran prosecutor with the florida state's attorney's office. she joins us now. we just heard the sheriff talk about a contract hit being one of the motives. what do you make of that? >> anderson, i think most people when they heard about this, most people said the way this was carried out just seemed to be a little bit more than a robbery. it was planned. the ninja style outfits. they practiced the month before. generally people were saying it just doesn't sound like a robbery. the fact they are investigating this murder for hire is not that unusual. they are going to keep it close to the vest because they are still investigating. >> keep it close to the vest as they should. the idea of a revenge killing, what would be a possible motive for revenge killing in a case like this?

>> we are not going to know anything until basically people start flipping. the woman arrested, the last one arrested for accessory after the fact. the bottom line is she is going to be the flip witness. she is going to start talking in order to get a good deal. that is why you are starting to hear this aspect because maybe some of them are starting to talk and additional charges might come down and they might be looking for additional suspects. we are going to have to wait and see. as this progresses, as people start talking we will hear more about it. >> what is interesting and what may complicate it the same source told cnn the state attorney's office is working under the belief that most of the suspects thought they were there for a robbery that only some were plotting the hit. >> yeah. the source in what i have read the bottom line people up from the gentleman gonzalez, the shooter, knew what was going on, the people lower were lassoed into this robbery. as a prosecutor theories do

change as evidence becomes more prevalent. as people start talking especially when you have more than one person, more than one suspect, eight people, people start talking. different theories, different portions of the investigation come forward that is what you will hear in this case. the theory might change. you don't need a motive to prosecute any of these cases but people want to know why. that is why the fascination with this case. why would people do something to these people who took in all these special needs kids. >> do we know what has happened to the kids? >> it is my belief the eldest daughter agreed to take the children. that's the best place for them. she had a relationship with them. they were her brothers and sisters. i believe that is where they are now. >> stacy honowitz, thank you for your time. >> thank you. >> you can join the live chat at ac360.com. you can share your thoughts with

erica and i and other viewers. i'm about to log on myself. new information in the michael jackson investigation. jackson's possible efforts to get propofol. another delay in the coroner's report. new economic numbers have some wondering if the recession is over. we'll check the facts for you. also tonight, florida's python problem. tens of thousands are on the loose. it's hard to believe. we are going to take you on the hunt to round them up before they do more damage. we'll be right back. (announcer) introducing new tums dual action. this tums goes to work in seconds and lasts for hours. all day or night. new tums dual action. bring it on. new tums dual action. how about a swim? i'm a little irregular today. don't you eat activia? for my little issues? they're not that bad. summer's no time to put up with even occasional digestive problems. believe me, once they go away, it's amazing how good you feel. announcer: activia is clinically proven to help regulate your digestive system in two weeks.

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tonight disturbing picture is coming into focus in the michael jackson investigation. randy kay is on the case. conrad murray was jackson's personal physician. randy joins me from los angeles. you have had some time to dig through the warrants. one doctor mentioned caught your eye? >> reporter: we learned michael jackson asked one of his former doctors for propofol two months before he died. seven doctors are mentioned in the search warrant filed after dr. conrad murray's home and office were searched. he has been jackson's personal physician since may of this year. investigators were looking for letters, notes, correspondence between dr. murray, michael jackson and other doctors. they mentioned allen metzker. he was jackson's internist.

he has handed over his files. investigators have not questioned him and have not asked to. the big news is his lawyer told us in april of this year dr. metzker went to visit michael jackson and told him "michael jackson asked him about the iv sleep medication propofol." he told michael jackson it was dangerous, potentially life threatening. and could not be used outside a hospital. sources told cnn that jackson's personal physician gave him propofol 24 hours before his death. here we see a pattern. just about two months before his death, this dr. metzker says jackson asked him for it, too. a lawyer for dr. metz kerks r said his client prescribed under omar arnold and michael jackson.

omar arnold is what we told you last night, one of the 19 aliases mentioned in the search warrant. his lawyer told us dr. metzker thought it was his duty to protect the privacy of his client. >> there are other doctors mentioned. what is their connection to michael jackson, do we know? >> dr. arnold klein whose records have been subpoenaed. asked about his name in the warrant, dr. klein's lawyer said he is cooperating with investigators. his las vegas dentist and beverly hills anesthesiologist randy rosen. his client got a visit by the chief investigator and records were taken. the doctor who gave him his physical to make sure he was hlty enough to go on his final tour. he is also mentioned. we tried to reach out to them for comment. our calls were not returned. there is a dr. adams listed. we couldn't find him anywhere. the nurse that treated jackson, cherilyn lee. she's mentioned in there as well.

she told "360" jackson begged her for propofol so he could sleep. her spokesperson told us they had no idea her name was in the search warrant but is cooperating with investigators. >> the other big news you got word that the autopsy was delayed again. this time indefinitely. what is going on? >> i spoke to the source who told me the coroner's office met with the los angeles police department and the district attorney's office and made what he called a joint decision to delay the release of the autopsy and the toxicology report indefinitely. all parties agreed to that because they need more time to gather information. they are working on what my source called follow up. i asked if it is still possible the results may be released last week. the response was "i have no idea." >> do you know what the delay means for dr. murray? he seems to be the central focus of this investigation or the most prominent name bandied

about. >> right. i spoke with his office and the spokeswoman wasn't sure what to make of it. if the delay was good or bad. she said dr. murray is awaiting the results of the investigation. she would not comment on the fact that investigators were searching his vegas properties for the shipment of the drug propofol which likely contributed to jackson's death. a third interview with dr. murray has not been scheduled even though we know they requested that over a week ago. >> thanks, randy. let's dig deeper with ms. floyd, an attorney. anchor of "in session." this dr. metzker says two months prior he asked for the drug propofol. cherilyn lee said three months he asked her.

clearly he seemed to be on a search. >> he is looking for it. he ultimately finds it or he -- at least all indicators he ultimately finds it. that doesn't mean it is the cause of death and if it is he gets it from dr. murray. the link has to be made from a particular individual and we have to know that individual administered it before charge cans be filed. it is clear he is looking for it. it is heartbreaking he needs this to sleep. this is a hospital setting or at least a clinical setting drug. >> it doesn't put you to sleep. it puts you under. it doesn't allow your body to recover the way sleep allows your body to recover. >> i'm not a doctor but my understanding is it may not show up in the toxicology report. >> right. it leaves the blood pretty quickly. >> it may be difficult to determine whether it contributed to cause of death.

and then it becomes hard to know what the manner of death was. it may be part of the reason why this is all delayed. >> it was interesting because i must say i was sort of skeptical with the nurse cherilyn lee and she was the first one to introduce diprivan and propofol into the conversation. it is popping up all the time. >> i, too, thought she was sketchy but what she has said initially seems to dove tail with what has come out and seems to be corroborated by the facts. she may become a key player. what is amazing is the number of health care providers that seem to be attached to michael jackson. i mean, it's incredible to me that the number of physicians he is consulting with or actively seeing. he is a relatively young man. we know he had his problems and addictions and presumably relatively healthy, rehearsing until midnight but needs this heavy duty narcotic to sleep. it's incredible. very, very sad. ultimately finds it somehow if

the investigators are on the right trail. >> the autopsy, the fact that the results of that are being delayed indefinitely. what do you make of that? have you heard of something like that? >> there is the possibility it is inconclusive. deeply disturbing because everyone wants an answer. we don't like inconclusive results. we may never know what killed michael jackson. everybody keeps saying we are going to get that result. we may not. i think it is more likely than not there are a number of contributing factors and they want to get it right. >> the family conducted their own autopsy. they must have the results of that. >> i have seen this in big cases with notorious and well known deceased and lesser known cases, you can have inconsistent results when the family has its own autopsy conducted and then you have the public medical

examiner. >> it is not uncommon for well-known people to have aliases to get prescription drugs because medical personnel could see this person is getting prescribed something and sell that information to a tabloid. >> there is nothing to prevent the pharmacy or someone who works at a pharmacy from releasing your private information about what you are getting. if you are a celebrity or not a celebrity. you can go after them after the fact but by that time the information is out. >> it is in the computer system of a pharmacy like a big chain pharmacies. >> if i'm your doctor and we heard metzker say this, if you have a legitimate medical need i might want to use a different name. what if you don't have a legitimate medical need? what if you have an addiction? this is what we saw in the anna nicole smith case, though it is yet to be proved in case, three, four, five, 15, 12, 20 aliases

to get medications that aren't medically necessary. that is the fine line between the privacy protection and what really can be an illegal use of aliases to get your hands on prescriptions. >> it seems clear michael jackson whether he was traveling so many different places or not did not have a centralized medical authority overseeing all his care. >> right. >> he was going from here to there, doctor to doctor and perhaps it was doctor shopping. >> look, when you are michael jackson or heath ledger or anna nicole smith or any other celebrity and you want to get your hands on these drugs, you are going to get them. even if a nurse or doctor will stand up and say no, eventually you will find a doctor who will tell you that. you find someone who is financially compromised and i'm not saying murray is this person because i think he is being scapegoated, you are going to find that person eventually.

people like michael jackson have a certain amount of power in our culture in our society. ultimately they do that shopping and get their hands on those prescription drugs and they can be abused and they are being abused, too much. >> jami floyd, thanks for being with us. investigators trying to figure out who is prescribing what, joe johns is in florida where police are cracking down on the so-called pill mills, the clinics that made florida magnet for addicts scoring prescription medications. also ahead, is the recession actually over? new economic report that is getting a lot of attention.

coming up, the investigation into michael jackson's death. shedding new light on

a decades old problem, prescription drug abuse. a growing net work of so-called pill mills make scoring drugs eeier than ever. >> first erica hill with the "360" news and business bulletin. >> three americans in iranian custody after straying across the border from iraq. a kurdish official tells cnn the three traveled through a tourist area near the iranian border to go backpacking. the group contacted a fourth traveller who stayed behind. they told that person they were lost and surrounded by military personnel speaking farsi. the u.s. embassy in baghdad has not confirmed the report. there is more backlash over the fat cat wall street bows ins. the house voting today to limit exec pave pay for firms with over $1 billion in assets. the nation's largest bank awarded 48 $1 million plus bonuses. senator chris dodd has an early form of prostate cancer.

appearing at a news conference the senator insisted he feels fine. he will undergo surgery after the senate adjourns next week. the seven astronauts aboard the space shuttle "endeavour" returning to earth after 16 days in space. while in orbit they met with the six crew members on the international space station. that group of 13 set a record for the most people assembled in space. see, makes you want to go? >> absolutely. >> i knew it. is it finally over? new signs the economy may be on the mend. what the new numbers may mean. david gergen and ali velshi join us. pythons on the loose. we go along on the snake hunt. >> wow. >> this isn't a big one. >> this is a good ten feet. >> nah. >> oh, yeah. at least 12.

there are new signs the recession may be over. a report out today shows the pace of economic decline slowed dramatically. the gdp shrunk just 1% versus 6.4% from january to march. president obama commented on the news this afternoon. >> this morning the gdp revealed the recession we faced when i took office was even deeper than anyone thought at the time. it told us how close we were to the edge. the gdp revealed in the last few months the economy has done

measurably better than we thought, better than expected. >> cautious but optimistic nevertheless. while the free fall appears to be over, consumers are not spending. the pain may be easing but are we on the road to an actual recovery? will it feel like a recovery. ali velshi joins us. should the gdp have done better? does this mean this is behind us? >> no. it is an interesting measure, it is old, as you mentioned from the second quarter of this year, march until the end of june. let me show you the last two years of gdp the broadest measure of all economic activity. first of all, this is what the dow has done, another indicator. let's go back to election day, november of '0 #. look at where we were. we were just about 9,000. march '09, the bottom of the market. we have traced this market back up and we are where we were on election day.

that is one indication this market is doing a lot better. gdp is an indication. we are still shrinking this economy but a lot less than we were before. >> let's talk about this cash for clunkers program. another $2 billion approved to keep this thing going. it's been a surprising hit, right? >> yeah. i've got to tell you, i have some penance to do. i was one of the doubters. this didn't seem like it made a lot of sense. it was putting $1 billion aside to give to people, until november, to trade in your old clunker to buy a new car. they ran out of money in the first week. the day before congress left they authorized $2 million to add to $1 billion. 40,000 people have taken advantage of it. dealers say another 200,000 people are ready to do this, anderson. this low-hanging fruit of a program that none of us thought

was going to work might be one of the most successful enterprises in stimulating the economy. ford is expected to do one of its best months in a long time. >> how does it basically work? >> basically if you have a car that is old and doesn't get good gas mileage. you go buy a new car that is fuel efficient. you get a voucher for the dealer. if you scrap that car you get $3,500 or $4,500 from the government. for frugal people who don't have cars that are fuel efficient, this is tempting them to buy a brand new fuel efficient car. money for trading in your clunker and get a fuel efficient car. that is working well. >> that is good news. let's move on to the "raw politics." senior political analyst david gergen joins us from boston. signs the economy might be doing better. how much does the news today help the president? he was cautious in his statement today, obviously. >> he wanted to claim credit.

i think most economists would tell you it was the private sector, exports were up more, business investment is up more. but they will also say that the government helped. probably most of the credit from economists would go to the federal reserve and ben bernanke and they have thrown everything they could at this economy and making a difference. some of the credit belongs to president obama and the stimulus program. not just the stimulus program but foreclosure program, efforts to get credit moving. in politics all these things matter less. when you are the incumbent and things start looking better you claim credit and you usually get it. >> how fair -- only $60 billion of the $787 billion of the stimulus program has actually been spent. it is hard to say it is a stimulus plan because they only spent $60 billion of it? >> that is why i say economists would tell you it is a modest part of this turn around. there is probably the

psychological factor that the obama folks would claim, having a new president, fresh, promising president. i do think they deserve a lot of credit in the obama administration for making sure we didn't go over the cliff. once you start going out as president as he did today and claiming a lot of the credit for this starting to make this turn, you also make it your economy. it becomes the obama economy. so if economists are right that he faces a real danger that this growth pattern or this turn around is going to level off after a while and we are going to have a long, painful recovery without a lot of new jobs, that is going to be the obama economy and that is not good news for the president. >> where does health care stand? another house committee approved a plan to pave the way for health care reform. the senate has issues with it. how do you see this playing out? >> this has been a good day for the president. having the house go out now,

three committees considering health care. they have voted health care out and recommended it to the full house. we are likely to get the full house to vote in the fall and likely to pass. the senate remans a big problem for the president. fractious democrats remain a problem for the president. if you are president obama tonight you can at least say this. this country under a variety of presidents back to the 1940s have been trying to get national health care passed. no president has gotten it to a vote on the house or the senate. president obama is about to get there. his chances of getting a full health care package done is a big drama. it is still an uphill fight in the congress. but tonight he can take comfort and find encouragement in the fact that all three house committees that have been considering have passed that bill, recommended to the full house passage of the bill. they have to settle a lot of differences in the fall. >> david gergen, appreciate it. join the live chat at ac360.com.

let us know what you think, do you feel the recession may be over? filling prescriptions for suspected drug addicts. cops go undercover, make busts. we'll take you along. massive snakes on the loose. i find this story hard to believe. one man's solution. the python hunter down in florida when "360" continues. [ male announcer ] preparation h cream. burning, itching, plus maximum strength pain relief, on contact. the most complete relief, from preparation h. pain relief on contact.

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if a parliament needs a flix is probably a place he or she can get it. pill mills, joe johns is keeping them honest. >> reporter: broward county florida. >> pull over here. >> reporter: sheriff's detectives in a minivan listening to radio transmissions waiting for an undercover drug deal to go down. >> counting the money. >> stay here. >> reporter: they are about to arrested a local guy named matthew sullivan and selling prescription pain kills to a female undercover officer. oxycodone pills. not like cocaine, heroin or

marijuana. the pain pills are prescribed by doctors and they are sold by pain clinics. sullivan says he is an addict. >> what is it like living in that life? >> never ending. it is out of hand. >> reporter: how much do you take a day? >> 20 pills, 30 pills. >> reporter: sullivan did not admit breaking the law. he got fresh prescriptions earlier in the day. before they arrested him. >> one is from july 30. he got 112 of those. this one july 30th also, he got 150. >> reporter: people come here from all over the east coast to score pain killers from legal pain clinics. cops call them pill mills. police say it all began here at this pain clinic that has closed down and relocated. >> this is what our sergeant called ground zero here. this is where we started getting

the crowds of people coming from out of state to obtain the pills illegally here. all it took was for us to drive into work and see 80, 90 people waiting for the pain clinic to open up. >> reporter: that was two years ago, now the dea says more than 6.5 million pills were sold here in the last half of last year and police say the clinics are making money hand over fist. in the last half of 2008, authorities say 50 of the top doctors dispenses oxycodone in the nation worked in south florida and 33 in broward county. until recent florida was only one of a dozen states with no way to monitor the sale of the drug. the state of the florida has just passed a new law to track sales of pain killers. which should make it harder for people to abuse the system. it could take years to feel the effects. >> right now you can go to ten clinics a day.

it's illegal but you can do it unless the police follow you. with the new system you go to one clinic once a monte and that is all you are going to get. >> reporter: keeping them honest because there are several other states with no monitoring system, the clinics could move somewhere else. which is why some experts are pushing for a national solution to track drugs nationwide. john walters was national drug czar under president george w. bush. >> you can have a check in a database whether this person was doctor shopping, whether this was the 15th prescription and whether a pharmacist filled that prescription. >> reporter: a possible fix for a broken system, no fix at all for the addict. joe johns, cnn, broward county, florida. >> amazing to think some states don't have a system to check on that. meet the python hunter. searching for huge snakes in florida and hoping to stop the reptiles from getting more out of control. going to the dentist can be

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in florida tonight where alligators and crocodiles lurk in the waters a dangerous predator has emerged. a burmese python more than 17 feet long was caught on the grounds of a hospital near lake okeechobee. 17 feet long. these snake cans travel more than a mile in a day. they eat just about anything. thousands of pythons are on the loose. they were kept as pets and discarded by their owners. one man is on a mission to find them. >> reporter: joe wazaluski drives along a stretch of road that bisects florida's everglades. he is looking for snakes. one in particular.

>> the next ten miles seem to be the hot spot for burmese pythons. >> reporter: a reptile expert is sanctioned by the state to hunt down and rid the glades of pythons. an extraordinary move to what scientists believe is a threat to the ecosystem. >> it is a large predator and they are eating everything in sight. >> reporter: 20 years ago there were none here, today perhaps 100,000. no one is sure. night is the best time to catch these nonvenomous snakes. that is when they are on the move. he spots something. he jumps from the truck, runs to it. >> this is not a python. it is a banded water snake? >> do you want to pick him up? >> do i? >> he'll bite you. >> reporter: still no pythons at least not alive. there is a dead one and several more small snakes and a baby alligator, too. >> oh, man.

he got hit by a car. >> two hours into our hunt suddenly he is on it. he sees one. >> yeah, baby! look at the size of this one. >> reporter: skillfully he grabs it behind the head. it instantly coils around his arm. he will lock it into a crate and take it to the national park biologist to be studied and destroyed. first we have to untangle it from his arm. this isn't a good one. >> that is a good ten feet. >> nah. >> at least 12. >> he doesn't get paid. it is voluntary. he knows they have to be eliminated. he has a soft spot for the reptile. >> guess what? it is not this snake's fault. he didn't mean to be here. >> reporter: some are believed to have gotten here when reptile breeding facilities were destroyed during hurricane andrew. >> why don't you take this side? >> you take the head end. >> reporter: others from pet owners who disposed of them after they got too big. they can grow up to 200 pounds

but this one is no longer a problem. >> one down. >> yeah. >> 100,000 to go. >> unbelievable. here with us is the python hunter. joe wasaluski, thank so much for being with us. are there really 100,000 of these snakes out there? >> we really can't put a number on it at 100,000 or 150,000. or 50,000. it is so new in the game. we really don't have an idea. we know there is a lot. >> they are a danger to the ecosystem. they change the entire ecosystem when a new predator is introduced. are they a threat to humans? >> you know, where pythons come from, burmese pythons, there has never been a human killed and eaten by one. i highly doubt that will happen

in florida in the everglades that is. >> what is -- how serious a danger are they to the environment, to the ecosystem? >> they are a danger to the ecosystem because they are a top predator. and they will eat a lot of birds. we found a lot of different animals, mammals, birds and alligators in their stomach. on the other hand, people forget we have a big predator that lives in the everglades for millions of years. alligators. >> how long could they have been released for? if there are 100,000 of them is that because they have mated and given birth or have 100,000 been released? >> no. no. no. probably what happened, '92 was hurricane andrew. 800 baby pythons were literally blown into the everglades. if you look at statistics, look at five, six years for them to

mature and breed, we are at the third generation now. that is where these numbers are spiking. >> i hadn't realized it goes back to hurricane andrew. what about that 17 footer? roaming around a construction site. do you normally see them growing to that size? >> honestly, i didn't see a picture of the animal, but they said it was 200 pounds. that was probably someone's released pet. a wild burmese python 17 feet long is going to be under 100 pounds. that was probably a pet. >> and the snakes you send them to where? they are studied and ultimately killed? >> yeah. they are euthanized, humanely i work with the -- on sending the animals i capture to everglades national park, they take biometric data. lengths, weights and check their stoch ash avert

stomach and see what they have been eating. it is all for science. >> what if people have a snake they want to get rid of. obviously, they should not release it in the wild. what should they do with it? >> please send it to a zoo, a rehabilitation center, wildlife rehabilitation center. it is against the law in florida te reese lease nonindigenous species. you shouldn't do it anywhere in the states. take it somewhere and let it be taken care of professionally. >> what is the most difficult thing about catching a python? >> finding them. catching them is the easy part. finding them is the hard part. >> with a snake that big it wraps around you. isn't that how a python kills its prey, wrapping around? >> they are constrictors. we are not natural prey. they're really cryptic. one can be right next to you, 20 inches away and you won't see it. that is the problem.

when the snake coiled around me that was defensive. i had it and it doesn't have arms and legs and that is how it defended itself. >> you volunteer for this? >> yes. i don't get paid for this. for ? >> yes. i don't get paid for this. >> why do you do it? >> i love snakes. >> you love snakes. >> yeah, i love snakes. you know, there's a lot of people like me out there. we want to try to help this problem. we want to try to help it out. we'll never get all the pythons ut of the everglades. they're here to stay. hopefully we can manage them. >> joe, i appreciate you're out there doing what you're doing. thanks so much. stay safe. >> you're welcome. >> coming up next on the program, missing explosives. blocks of tnt, dynamite and more stolen. authorities asking for your help to recover them. a lightning strike and one very lucky guy. when you think about all the credit card products,

we're number one in fraud protection. the fraud team does a terrific job protecting the customer's interest and providing them with security. total security protection is a feature that comes with all of our credit cards. if there is a fraudulent purchase, anything that you are unaware of, we have a guarantee that we'll refund those funds to you. we don't expect you to pay for something you did not buy. it gives customers a piece of mind knowing that, you know what, if i lose my card the bank is going to take care of me with total security protection.

coming up, a close call for one man when lightning strikes. tonight's "shot." erica hill with the 360 bulletin. the last of britain's troops left iran today. at the height of the war, uk had 46,000 troops in iraq. hundreds of explosives belonging to state and federal agents are missing tonight. gone from a storage unit at a port in washington state. among the items? 96 pounds on tnt.

17 sticks of dynamite and 1,500 feet of detonation cord. also consumer fireworks. the etf is investigating. honda is expanding a recall due to faulty airbags. those airbags are suspected of causing at least six injuries and one death. the issue here, the defective airbags can overpressurize, allows metal fragments to cut through them and injure or kill passengered. the models include 2001 and 2002 honda accords. 2001 honda civics. and 2002 and 2003 accra tl models. hair color and your dentist. connection? maybe you don't see it immediately. get this. new research published in the journal of the american dental association finds redheads are twice as likely to avoid the dentist as people with dark hair? why? turns out redheads are more sensitive to pain and require more anesthesia whichxiety leve going to the dentist.

>> what about night ro sockside? >> laughing gas? >> yes. >> when i had my wisdom teeth out i had it. >> it's incredible. >> crazy stuff. apparently redheads in some cases require 20% more anesthesia. >> they should give the laughing gas before they give the anesthesia. >> maybe you're in the wrong line of work. >> exactly. yeah. that's really what you need to be taking from me is medical advice. next, 360, daily challenge for our viewers to come up with a better caption than we can come up with for a photo we put on the blog. by the way, i only tried night ro oxide in a dental setting. petitions lawmakers on capitol hill for health care reform. i didn't know what a mock bottom was at first. >> there you go. you probably wish you still didn't know. >> we need health care reform, no ifs, ands or butts.

viewer winner, just like the viewer summit, bottoms up. yes, we can. >> good one, cathie. >> congratulations. beat 360 t-shirt on the way. we've seen a lot of storms this summer. one man got dangerously close and caught it all on tape. i think i'll go with the preferred package.

good choice. only meineke lets you choose the brake service that's right for you. and save 50% on pads and shoes. meineke. for tonight's "shot," wicked weather. how close one guy got to getting

struck by lightning. take a look. >> did you see that roof there? >> he's on the videocamera, right? >> what's that thing moving on the roof? watch. is that a person up there? >> oh, i guess so. yeah. >> that the person who almost got hit or the videocamera guy? >> is that a person? >> i'm going to go out on a limb and say if that's a person, i'm glad she didn't get hit. what are you doing on a roof? >> no one seems to have actually watched it. >> apparently not. >> fascinating piece of video. you don't think it looks like a person? >> no, it's not a person. nobody watched this thing before we aired it. no one knows what we're looking at. >> if we watch it enough times, maybe we'll figure out it's a chair. if you wanted to sit out there and get hit by lightning, y