rachel is going to be back on monday. i'm going to be back in the morning a few hours, on my own show. melissa harris-perry. up next, "weekends with alex witt." cold-blooded. that's how police describe the late night execution style shooting of an officer in texas. the manhunt is now on for the killer. tropical storm erika left a trail of death and destruction. will it hit florida? the latest forecast next. at it again. donald trump strikes hard at his rivals now singling out a hillary clinton staff member. 10 years later, looking back at hurricane katrina and a report whether the city of new orleans could survive another similar storm. good morning. welcome to "weekends with alex witt." we have breaking news to share,

a deadly ambush at a houston area gas station. harris county deputy sheriff darren goforth was filling his patrol car when an unknown gun man came up behind and opened fire. the deputy fell to the ground and the gunman opened fire again, shooting him multiple times. >> the deputy was refueling his vehicle and returning to his car from inside the convenience store, when unprovoked, a man walked up behind him and literally shot him to death. i have been in law enforcement 45 years, i don't recall another incident this cold-blooded and cowardly. >> we're just now hearing from the sheriff's office that a quote person of interest has been voluntarily taken into custody, no word on exactly who that person is yet. the deputy was a 10-year veteran of the sheriff's department, married with two children.

the sheriff believes goforth may have been targeted solely because he was an officer. they released this photo of a suspect who fled the scene. let's bring in jim cavanaugh. with a welcome to you, you heard what the sheriff said. how rare are ambush shootings of police officers? >> well, they are rare in every day life but they do happen. we remember the two las vegas metropolitan police officers killed just a year or two ago. we remember 2009, four lakewood, washington officers killed in a coffee shop. the two nypd officers killed in their patrol car in brooklyn. they happen, ambushes of police officers do happen. this is so cold-blooded and awful, you know, everybody's praying for harris county and all of the deputies there. >> yeah. this shooting as you know comes a couple days after the highly publicized shooting of the journalists in virginia. are there parallels to be drawn here? >> actually there are because

these are people that are very public people. journalists and uniformed law enforcement officers are extremely public. everybody knows who they are in the public. now, in virginia, allison and adam were targeted by this coward, this killer, for personal vendetta, personal revenge, a lot of mental instability. we don't know the motives in harris county but it looks pretty clear that this deputy was targeted solely because he was a police officer. in the video footage you see the man walk up and the commanders told us he shot him from behind, shot him after he was down multiple times. so really looks like he was targeted because he was a police officer. and maybe had no other contact with this killer at all. >> yeah. how extraordinary is it now in this day and age we've got videos, surveillance tapes, single shots, photos rather you can put out in the public. how much does that help and are there other resources that they can use in the hunting for a

suspect? >> it did does help. as you reported that maybe harris county sheriff's department has a person of interest that might have turned himself in. it does help. a picture like that is showed to the public somebody knows that guy. and if you know him, you can recognize him. he may not be recognizable to us as strangers but a person who lives with him, a family member, a co-worker they say hey, that's joe, you know. so they can call in and help. you have an ambush of a police officer like a few years ago in kentucky on an entrance ramp to the highway the officer was ambushed and no camera, no pictures, detectives trying to find out why was that officer killed. so it's very difficult. here in a commercial area with the cameras, that's a big lead, huge for investigators to have a photograph of the car and of the killer. let's see if the person who they are talking to now is the actual one. >> that is definitely not clear at this point. jim, thank you so much. the day's other breaking

news, tropical storm erika, the storm is weakening after slamming the dominican republic. 20 people are dead, 31 missing. some 15 inches of rain caused tens of millions of dollars in damage. there is a state of emergency in florida, a day before erika is expected. residents there stock piling food and water as the state braces. steve is here with the latest on all of this. good morning to you. >> good morning. we have changes overnight to erika. she is weakening a bit. you can see the storm is now pushing off the western coast of haiti, and it's not in a friendly environment now. if a storm wants to strengthen it needs warm water and light winds, but it's getting beaten up now by wind shear and unfortunately, for the storm itself, it's going to be running over mountains later today. that will weaken the storm just a bit. you can see it's the -- sustained winds 40 miles an hour moving at 20. this storm system will

eventually make a turn to the north, but it looks like that will happen after it passes south florida. south florida now out of the cone, entirely. looks like that storm system will track more toward the panhandle, and you'll notice here on the tracking times, how it's slowing down a bit as well. so, by sunday morning, at 2:00 in the morning, 35 miles per hour winds off the northern coast of cuba, then makes the hook to the north so you can see it's off the coast of let's say marco island by 2:00 a.m. monday morning. then look how long it takes for it to reach the panhandle of florida. this sl thursday at 2:00 in the morning. we're going to talk about this storm not only for the weekend but through next week. and it's been throwing a few curveballs so something we'll be tracking and tracking all the changes as we go through the weekend. >> how much, steve, do you worry, can it build a lot of energy? as it heads over the water and hits land? >> that's a good question. we have obstacles the next 24 hours or so. the mountains of cuba will try

to tear this apart. it will move over very warm water. that's gasoline for the storm. so certainly some strengthening is possible. but we'll have to see if she makes her journey across cuba and survives. that's the wild card. >> thanks for the heads up. donald trump is back on the campaign trail with his speech in nash victim. you'll see right here on msnbc. it will air during our noon hour. the stop in massachusetts where trump touted his success as he slammed his opponents and took issue with how this event was being labeled. >> some of the people, many of the people coming in they can pay whatever they want, but i think they are doing something to offset the tremendous cost of food for 2,000 people. but this is nothing, this is not a fund-raiser. >> how is your money situation with the campaign? >> it's going great. i'm turning down millions of dollars for the campaign. everybody is offering me money and i don't want it. i'm turning down millions of dollars and no interest.

no interest. >> jonathan allen the chief political correspondent at box. good to see you. >> good morning. >> my question, was this a fund-raiser? does trump need money? even if he doesn't need money is it smart politically to have donors that are loyal to a campaign? >> i think it's smart to have donors, it's a measure of that loyalty that you talk about. i think it matters more to have small donors across the country. donald trump can fund his own campaign if he wants. >> was this a fund-raiser? as i understand it people when they attended had to make out a check to the campaign, or $100 cash. and then the man who was hosting the event last night said that he was paying for the the food and drinks and everything. that it was his event. . it doesn't seem to reconcile. >> the reporting on this is all over the place. it's not clear whether this was a fund-raiser or if the food --

if the money was there to take care of the food and expenses. it sort of comes in the same way when you file with the federal election commission. and so i think we'll find out when that report comes out in a couple months. >> okay. trump as you heard also took some political swipes, he took them at hillary clinton. that's the norm. he followed with an attack on a long time clinton aide saying she probably shared critical information with her husband anthony weiner and the attack drew pretty quick response from the clinton campaign saying there is no place for patently false personal attacks toward a staff member. he should be ashamed of himself and others take a moment to draw the line for once. it's embarrassing to watch, frankly. what he did, trump, what he did, fair game or cross the line? >> well, in one way it's not crossing the line in that her e-mail is being looked at by the fbi and by congressional

investigators, she has become part of the story about hillary clinton's e-mail. i think making an accusation that seems unfounded at least at this point that she was sharing classified information or critical information with her husband anthony weiner seems to be certainly beyond the pale. it was interesting that the defense of huma did not include saying that it wasn't true. >> let's move on to the democrat summer meeting in minnesota. there are comments from martin o'malley. let's take a listen to that. >> four debates and only we are told not asked before voters in our earliest states make their decision. this is totally unprecedented in our party's history. this sort of rigged process has never been attempted before. >> so, if p you take the interpretation it seems to be a direct shot at the dnc and secretary clinton. how is that message received? you think it will help his case? >> it's not received well by

hillary clinton certainly and i don't think it's received well by the dnc. you've got a situation here where you are basically really limiting the opportunity for other candidates to make their message and to get that across. particularly at a time when you've got one candidate who is dealing with this huge controversy on the side, i think obviously democratic party doesn't want to have a million debates, they don't want to look like the republicans in 2012 with too many debates but it seems like they really sort of narrowed the field here and it hurts a candidate like martin o'malley who might need to get more exposure. >> for the last week or so, lots of speculation about joe biden. tell me your thoughts. do you think he is any closser to making a decision whether he runs? >> my sense talking to people he personally wants to run but there is some ambivalence and a lot of advisers telling him it's a bad idea.

i do not know what the timing of that is. i'd always heard around labor day, maybe just after labor day. i don't -- i haven't heard anything that changes that sort of time frame, sometime in september. >> i guess we'll have to all wait and see. thank you so much. good to see you. >> take care. >> ten years ago today hurricane katrina with winds that reached 145 miles an hour, they roared ashore along the louisiana coast. the city of new orleans in its path. thousands were evacuated, however, thousands stayed behind. when that storm passed, more than 80% of that city was under water, more than 1800 people lost their lives. whether new orleans today could survive another storm of katrina's magnitude. >> autos and stuff. >> swamp man john grew up along the water. when this was full of trees, marsh and wildlife. >> we used to pull ourselves

through. >> now it's open water. >> we lose the football field of land coming from the gulf of mexicole every 45 minutes. >> the trees. >> nothing but trees with big canopies and full of life. >> jonathan with the gulf restoration network. >> three to four miles of wetlands we use that's a foot of storm surge we can't stop, places like homa. >> though new orleans levees are rebuilt the city is vulnerable because the natural barrier protecting it is eroding. >> whether we withstand another katrina is not the question. it's what happens when we get hit by the category 5 that's a direct hit on the city. that scares me. >> he says erosion is mostly man made. >> the oil and gas industry has done a lot of great things for the state of louisiana and for the u.s. economy. there is no question about that. but they also have done a significant amount of damage by slicing and dicing louisiana's

wetlands. we've got literally tens of thousands of miles of oil and gas access and pipe line canals in our wetlands. >> those canals when they close, they are over expose the gulf to salt water, which is deteriorating the gulf. >> lieutenant general russel honore helped rescue a decade ago. now retired he leads the green army focused in part on saving new orleans wetlands. >> look, i came in a car, i want the energy companies to do what they got to do until we form another form of energy. but it does not give them the rig right to leave a mess where they go in. >> we surveyed from the air. the straight lines are abandoned canals. they let salt water from the ocean sweep into the swamps which destroys plant life. the state has a plan to refurbish the wetlands with a heft ef price tag. and progress has been stalled because of a fight over who is

really responsible and who should pay. >> you look out and remember what it used to be how does it make you feel? >> i feel like when a native american was riding a horse and he looked at land and tears run down the side of his face. that's how i feel every time i look at this. >> that was tramain lee. what prompted the prep school teen to start crying during the reading of the verdict in his sex assault case? details coming up. so verizon made one simple plan with four sizes that you can switch at any time. small... medium. large. and extra large. if you need less data, pick small. if you need more, go with extra large. a whopping 12 gigs for $80 a month and $20 per phone. one plan, four sizes. it's the simple way to get the best network. only at verizon.

you haven't seen your bedike... in days. no, like you haven't seen a bed in weeks! zzzquil. the non habit-forming sleep aid that helps you sleep easily, and wake refreshed. because sleep is a beautiful thing. boy: once upon a time, there was a nice house that lived with a family. one day, it started to rain and rain. water got inside and ruined everybody's everythings. the house thought she let the family down. but the family just didn't think a flood could ever happen. the reality is, floods do happen. protect what matters. get flood insurance. visit floodsmart.gov/flood to learn more.

no sixth grader's ever sat with but your jansport backpack is permission to park it wherever you please. hey. that's that new gear feeling. this week, these folders just one cent. office depot officemax. gear up for school. gear up for great. bring us your aching and sleep deprived. bring us those who want to feel well rested. aleve pm. the only one to combine a sleep aid... plus the 12 hour pain relieving strength of aleve. be a morning person again, with aleve pm.

reaction to the mixed verdict in the trial of a former prep school student accused of raping a female student. a new hampshire jury found owen labrie not guilty of the three felony sex assault but of lesser

charges. gabe is joining me. good morning. what kind of punishment does he now face for the lesser charges? >> hi, alex. good morning. owen labrie faces up to 11 years in prison, it took a jury of nine men and three women less than eight hours to reach its verdict. he has to register as a sex offender. this morning owen labrie is out on bail awaiting sentencing after the jury returned a split verdict. >> guilty or not guilty. >> guilty. >> the 19-year-old who planned to study theology cried as he was convicted of a felony using a computer to seduce a minor and four misdemeanors including sexual assault. he was acquitted of the more serious felony sexual assault charges. >> the prosecution struggled based on the alleged victim's testimony to prove beyond a doubt that it was non-consensual. the misdemeanors, the other sexual charges, were largely

dependent on the victim's age, under the age of consent. >> the trial filled with agonizing testimony lasted almost two weeks. we conceal the identity of the now 16-year-old girl. >> is i was raped. i was violated in so many ways. of course i was traumatized. >> prosecutors allege labrie sexually assaulted her last year as part after ritual known as the senior salute or older students ask out younger ones, sometimes for sex. >> owen was devastated by the verdict. he hoped that the jury would acquit him of all charges. >> the defense said their encounter was consensual, they kissed but never had intercourse. >> didn't feel like the right move. >> in a letter st. paul's says the senior salute was not a decades old tradition and that behavior was never condoned. the girl's family says the

school has not done enough to address what they call a toxic culture. >> on behalf of the victim herself she is left here with her head held high. it's a step in the right direction even if it's not complete justice for her. >> as a verdict was read the girl sat in the front row, also in tears, held tightly by her parents. this drew national attention to the issue of sexual assault in high school but the lives of two teenagers are now changed forever. >> certainly are. okay. thank you so much. hillary clinton is taking a break from the campaign trail today one day after she and her rivals spoke before the dnc summer meeting and at a time of growing speculation whether vice president joe biden will join the race. you've been traveling a lot, nice to see you at your post. good morning. what did the democrats hear? >> reporter: thanks, alex. nice to be back at my post. look, secretary clinton's main goal on friday was to convince

the party that she's still the strongest candidate in 2016, she also tried to tamp down all of that buzz about vice president joe biden that you mentioned. alex, there were plenty of fireworks all around. it was an energized hillary clinton in minneapolis reassuring democrats that despite the e-mail controversy, she still is the party's best bet. >> that's what's at stake in this election. whether our country keeps moving toward opportunity or whether republicans get another chance to rip away the progress. >> whatever happened to the tradition of open debate? >> it was an ang gr i former maryland governor martin o'malley who accused the party's leadership of fixing the game. >> four debates and only we are told, not asked. this sort of rigged process has never been attempted before. >> earning a chilly hand shake with party chair debbie wasserman schultz. bernie sanders also chastised

the party. >> we need a movement which takes on the economic and political establishment, not one which is part of that establishment. >> but after taking off the points of his liberal agenda his reception was much warmer. for clinton's part she skipped over her party's rivals and launched some of her sharpest attacks yet at the republican front-runner. >> trump actually says he would do a much better job for women than i would. now, that's a general election debate that's going to be a lot of fun. >> reporter: as for vice president joe biden, he was not at that event. but of course he is still mulling a decision about whether to get into this race for his own part a lot of democrats watching him very closely to see what he's going to do. i am told, alex, the decision is still several weeks away. >> understandably so giving

everything he is considering and the timing with his family tragedy. thank you so much. coming up your money headlines including the milestone facebook achieved this week. plaque psoriasis... ...isn't it time to let the... ...real you shine... ...through? introducing otezla, apremilast. otezla is not an injection, or a cream. it's a pill that treats plaque psoriasis differently. some people who took otezla saw 75% clearer skin after 4 months. and otezla's prescribing information has no requirement for routine lab monitoring. don't take otezla if you are allergic to any of its ingredients. otezla may increase... ...the risk of depression. tell your doctor if you have a history of depression... ...or suicidal thoughts, or if these feelings develop. some people taking otezla reported weight loss. your doctor should monitor your weight and may stop treatment. side effects may include diarrhea, nausea, upper respiratory tract infection, and headache. tell your doctor about all the medicines you take,

and if you're pregnant or planning to be. ask your doctor about otezla today. otezla. show more of you.

esurwhich means fewer costs, which saves money. their customer experience is virtually paperless, which saves paper, which saves money. they have smart online tools, so you only pay for what's right for you, which saves money. they settle claims quickly, which saves time, which saves money. they drive an all-hybrid claims fleet, which saves gas, which saves money. they were born online, and built to save money, which means when they save, you save. because that's how it should work in the modern world. esurance. backed by allstate. click or call.

mixed signals, rising water and face first. join me to break it down. regina lewis, good morning. >> thanks. >> let's get going. whatsh mixed signals on the economic front? >> people don't know what to think. you ask about consumer confidence they say hey, going forward i'm reasonably confident. some indicate highest since january. you ask about sentiment, that's down. maybe i don't feel so great. some of that the way the the questions are worded or the time frame. particularly in this environment where people are seeing stock tickers with lots of red, hearing lots about what's happening in china and the backdrop of a presidential election which depending on who you listen to we're either off the rails or making progress. that's a head fake. at the end of the day consumers

look at their paycheck and the value of their home. if you look at gdp also reported you'll see that construction is way up, so builders are really taking a flyer here. i don't know about in your area i see new developments and people need to see those homes filled with big cars in the driveway, big appliances in the kitchen and families contributing to the economy for this to lift all boats. >> you make a good point. what about the rising water to talk about? >> go figure. for something that is free from the tap we're willing to spend on water. in fact, sales up 7% and if you look at the time frame of 2000 to 2014, water sales nearly doubled. we're talking about bottled water here. from a business standpoint that's interesting. because it now makes nestlely behind coca-cola and pepsi which control two thirds of the

market. coca-cola has vasante. they have one fifth of the water market. that's a tricky thing to manage. the margins on soda are higher. water relatively cheap. water is on one side, soda on the left side and increasingly you're pulled to water. so not only are tastes changing but there are so many choices and players getting into adding electrolytes and vitamins and celebrities in the game. so sales are on the up swing. >> remember we had water bars. that's a vogue that went out. not so much. what's face first? >> well, you know, hats off to facebook. a seminole moment for them. they passed on monday 1 billion users in a single day. that's one out of every seven people on the planet. it's also marked by high engagement numbers. you look at the total hours over 200 per user. so that's ten days out of the

year. and mark zuckerberg if you follow him on facebook the way he uses the medium i think is telling. it really does speak to the company's mission of wanting to connect people. connect economies, give people opportunities and improve society. i happen to know a lot of employees at facebook and they are proud of this moment. rightly so. >> i was going to say they should be. good to see you. survival stories from hurricane katrina, hear from two people who defied evacuation orders to help hundreds. i'm the proud dad of three messy kids. they get stains like you wouldn't believe. this tide ultra stain release and zap!cap helps me get out pretty much any stain. can i help? aww helps remove 99% of everyday stains tide, america's #1 detergent

no sixth grader's ever sat with but your jansport backpack is permission to park it wherever you please. hey. that's that new gear feeling. this week, these folders just one cent. office depot officemax. gear up for school. gear up for great.

welcome back to "weekends with alex witt." breaking news this morning a texas deputy sheriff has been killed in a gas station ambush in harris county. deputy sheriff darren goforth was filling hearsay car. the office released this surveillance photo of a suspect who fled the scene. a short time ago authorities have said a person of interest was voluntarily taken in for questioning as part of the

investigation. dara brown has been following this and has the details. what's the latest we know? >> the execution style killing was carried out friday evening outside houston, 47-year-old deputy darren goforth a father of two began filling his tank. investigators say the suspect walked up behind and opened fire. >> a male suspect came up behind deputy and shot the deputy multiple times. deputy then fell to the ground, suspect then continued over to him. and shot the deputy again multiple times as he laid on the ground. >> police released this picture of the suspect and the get away vehicle. the deputy had just completed an accident investigation but not believed in pursuit of anyone. simply stopping for gas. officials were stunned by the shooting and expect the suspect will be caught and brought to justice.

>> thank you very much for the latest on that. new developments to tell you about around the death of the two journalists gunned down on live tv in southwest virginia. allison parker and adam ward were killed when an ex-employee of the station opened fire. chamber of commerce official vicki gardner was wounded in the attack. the gunman vester flanagan later shot himself while being pursued by the police. we'll have a live report with msnbc's adam reese in roanoke in a few minutes. in the meantime, donald trump is heading to nashville, he will be speaking at a republican conference, this follows an event in massachusetts that charged supporters $100 a head. and in front of a packed room he went after hillary clinton's top aide. katy tur is in nashville with the latest. so katie, good morning. what all did he say? >> he said some pretty crazy things as he normally says or

outrageous things you want to put it that way. it was another rowdy event outside of boston. and he said calling out huma abedin, hillary clinton's adviser for her husband'santics. >> we love you, donald. >> donald trump in boston friday night greeting more than 1,000 crowdy donors. >> i don't want your money. >> and somehow insisting the event wasn't a fund-raiser despite the $100 admission and sign at the entrance to make all checks payable to donald j. trump for president. >> we have a lot of people in here. i know some people made contributions which you didn't have to do. >> trump has vowed to self fund his entire campaign. >> i'm using my own money. >> i don't need anybody's money. >> but with this fund-raiser a donation button on his website and super pac to make america great again some are questioning how independent the republican candidate can be.

>> donald trump is walking a fine line on one hand says i don't need money, i'm not going to take money but he is taking money and to some degree pursuing money. >> a worry not in the winds of those in boston who cheered as trump took pot shots at hillary clinton, and her e-mail controversy by insulting her top aide. and her husband disgraced congressman anthony weiner. >> you think there is even a 5% chance she's not telling anthony weiner now of a public relations firm what the hell is coming across? you think there is even a little chance. >> also friday night sarah palin interviewed donald trump on the conservative network one america news decrying so called media bias in reference to a perceived got cha question about trump's religion. >> what is your favorite bible verse. i listen to that going what, do they ask hillary that? >> that's a personal thing. i don't like giving that out to two people that you hardly know.

>> reporter: trump also called anthony weiner a perv and something else i don't feel comfortable saying. for the fund-raiser despite what the sign said on the door, trump is adamant it was not a fund-raiser even calling telling her it was just for food and drink. he will try to reiterate that point no doubt today as well as bolster his conservative credentials trying to gain the endorsement of the national federation of republican assemblies here. >> you know, all of this, though, didn't mr. ernie boch jr. the host of the event, didn't he say that he was taking care of it and he was paying for all of the food and drink? told one reporter that. >> reporter: he did. he said that he was the one that was going to take care of the food and drink that he was hosting donald trump, that he was really pleased to have him, excited to have him. he back pedaled that a little telling some reporters that he was going to get that money back from donald trump, the campaign

was going to give him issue him a check for all of the money it received. there is also were some people invited by the campaign, people whose family members have been victims of violence by undocumented immigrants who were there on invitation and did not pay money. so some people were there without having paid. but for the most part, with everyone that we spoke with yesterday, they did donate the money, they were compelled to do so at the door and said it was worth it, frankly. >> well, we saw the sign. thank you so much. good to see you. the prep school rape trial, why didn't the jury believe it was rape, that's next. become the only thing you think about. that's where at&t can help. at at&t we monitor our network traffic so we can see things others can't. mitigating risks across your business. leaving you free to focus on what matters most.

isn't it beautiful when things just come together? build a beautiful website with squarespace. (vo) maggie wasn't thrilled when i knew it'd take some time. and her sensitive stomach didn't make things easier. it was hard to know why... the move...her food...? so we tried purina cat chow gentle... ...because it's specially formulated for easy digestion. she's loved it ever since. and as for her and ben... ...she's coming around. purina cat chow gentle. one hundred percent complete and balanced for everyday feeding of adult cats. shift without a disaster.a my bargain detergent couldn't keep up, so i switched to tide pods. they're super concentrated, so i get a better clean. 15% cleaning ingredients

or 90%? don't pay for water. pay for clean! that's my tide. is it keeps the food out. for me before those little pieces would get in between my dentures and my gum and it was uncomfortable. just a few dabs is clinically proven to seal out more food particles. super poligrip is part of my life now. bring us your aching and sleep deprived. bring us those who want to feel well rested. aleve pm. the only one to combine a sleep aid... plus the 12 hour pain relieving strength of aleve.

be a morning person again, with aleve pm. ♪ (vo) you can pass down a subaru forester. (dad) she's all yours. (vo) but you get to keep the memories. love. it's what makes a subaru, a subaru. the former prep school student accused of raping a younger student is out on bail after being found not guilty of felony sex assault charges. a jury convicted owen labrie of lesser charges. he could face up to 11 years in jail. during testimony he explained why he lied to friends about

having sex with the accuser. >> they all came up to my room. to give me high fives and you know, it was -- like i said yeah, you know, to make myself look better to these boys. you know, it was -- as i mentioned, it was uncomfortable. it was easier to go yeah, and change the subject or yeah, please don't tell anyone than to talk to these boys about you know, what had actually happened. >> is labrie's sentencing hearing is scheduled for october 29. joining me a trial attorney not affiliated with this case. good to see you. how do you interpret the verdict? >> it's a mixed verdict in what was a mixed messages case. so it's a mixed messables verdict too. it's basically saying that there was so much conflicting testimony, conflicting information about whether or not there was consent in this case, that the jury basically said you

know, we're going to have a mixed verdict and only go with statutory types of offenses because of his age he would be guilty having sexual contact and those are lesser charges. >> the defense attorney had this reaction to the verdict. let's take a listen. >> this was a very difficult case because of owen's own statements to his friends. i think the critical evidence was not the testimony of the complainant, it was the testimony of owen given when he was talking to his friends and acting like a teenager who didn't want to say that he had been unsuccessful in his senior salute. >> do you agree with labrie's attorney? is that why you think he didn't get convicted of rape? >> i think so. i think here's a kid, adult now, who is headed for divinity school. he got the character award. he presented well. we had an undermakeover. up der over i guess looking like

harry potter compared to the way at the time. he presented well and i think his testimony carried the day. they believed him to a certain extent when he said i didn't violate her. i didn't have sex with her with a lack of her consent. whether they disbelieved her they believed him on some of those. >> he will have to register as a sex offender because of the felony conviction of using a computer to lure a minor. though can't he eventually petition to remove that? >> yes. >> so weigh in on the f punishment. >> a little bit. remember, a jury doesn't know what the punishment is going to be. they didn't know that was a felony. that's meant for more adults luring children. that's what his lawyer said. will he go to prison on that as opposed to harvard, i doubt it. given the nature of that type of offense and he was targeted. can he petition early as his lawyer said he will to get it removed i think he can and probably will. >> what kind of sentencing do you think he'll get?

>> i think he could even get probation. might get jail. the misdemeanors don't exceed a year in jail. it would be concurrent served together, not consecutively. it could well be he gets probation. look at this, his bail of $15,000 was maintained by the judge. the judge didn't raise it as the prosecutors wanted so i think that's a lesson or message from the judge who is going to sentence him that the judge may see this as a case where it may not merit a really excessive type sentence especially because he was acquitted on the true rape felonies. >> he had his passport taken away but that's pretty standard. >> absolutely standard. keep in mind his mom had him erase e-mails with him but the judge didn't buy that not right now. >> so what kind of precedence do you think this case sets? >> wow. i think it's a culture of this senior salute and whether it meant to him they are going to hang out or to her or others and the prosecution then they would hook up for sex.

it's a real lesson. it's in high schools. this is a prep high school. elite. $56,000 a year tuition. i think the message is our institutions, high schools, colleges, need to look at rape seriously. make sure the culture is right. protect our kids. i think it's a huge message. huge high profile interest in this case and i think it will continue. >> do you think even the way the criminal case came out, is there grounds for a civil case against st. paul es in any way, does st. paul's hold responsibility? >> you know i think they talked about suing the school for that culture that they maintained. even the counselors knew about it. it was pervasive. and if they are letting this go on, putting girls names if they are number one, two, et cetera, and it's something that everybody knows about and participates in the school might well have liability. but that's a tough, tough row to hoe. >> ann, thanks so much. good to see you. katrina ten years later.

a personal story of pain, perseverance and progress. plaque psoriasis... ...isn't it time to let the... ...real you shine... ...through? introducing otezla, apremilast. otezla is not an injection, or a cream. it's a pill that treats plaque psoriasis differently. some people who took otezla saw 75% clearer skin after 4 months. and otezla's prescribing information has no requirement for routine lab monitoring. don't take otezla if you are allergic to any of its ingredients. otezla may increase... ...the risk of depression. tell your doctor if you have a history of depression... ...or suicidal thoughts, or if these feelings develop. some people taking otezla reported weight loss. your doctor should monitor your weight and may stop treatment. side effects may include diarrhea, nausea, upper respiratory tract infection, and headache. tell your doctor about all the medicines you take, and if you're pregnant or planning to be. ask your doctor about otezla today.

otezla. show more of you. welcome to fort green sheets. welcome to castle bravestorm. it's full of cool stuff, like... my trusty bow. and free of stuff i don't like. we only eat chex cereal. no artificial flavors, and it's gluten-free. mom, brian threw a ball in the house! whoa! what are you guys doing? -that's it. we're making sure nothing sticks. otherwise we gotta scrub all this stuff off. dish issues? cascade platinum powers through your toughest, starchy messes as if your dishes were non-stick. cascade. now that's clean. they don't worry if something's possible. they just do it. at sears optical, we're committed to bringing them eyewear that works as hard as they do. right now, buy one pair and get another free. quality eyewear for doers.

we are following the deadly tropical storm erika heading for cuba. it's already passed through the dominican republic killing 20 people and causing millions in damage. steve, i understand there's been a change in the forecast. what's that about? >> if you've been watching us the last couple days, you've been looking at the tracks. the tracks earlier this week were east of florida. take a look at the latest of the computer models, pushing it well to the south and the west now clearing most of the state of florida. if you're in florida right now, at least for the peninsula area you can breathe a sigh of relief. the pan happenedal still needs to watch the storm. that's especially by the time we get into the middle an latter part of next week. right now the storm is weak,

barely holding itself together. winds are 40 miles per hour, and it may not even survive its trip across cuba today. think of it as like a boxing ring. this storm is taking a lot of hits right now. that mountains of cuba may be the last blow for the storm. we'll have to track it throughout the weekend. either way it looks like it reemerges at the gulf of mexico early next week. that's when we'll have to watch the florida coastline. >> steve sosna, thank you. in remembrance of all those who lost their lives at the hurricane katrina. a day of service will begin with volunteers working on 100 different community projects. at 11:00 eastern another wreath laying ceremony will be held in new orleans' lower ninth ward. an endless number of heroes emerged in the aftermath. they include majors fay and her

husband richard griddle serving as corps officers. when the storm hit, they ended up feeding and caring for nearly 400 people near the french quarter. despite the rising water inside that building and the constant threats from all leaves, they were all rescued from the building's rooftop five days later with major richard brittle. welcome both of you and thank you so much for your time. i want to speak be you first major brittle, what do you recall most about those five days? >> very dangerous, but we had a lot of people and we did get them fed as much as we could and water, but the thing is, it was just a lot of pressure trying to keep everybody together. >> lieutenant brittle, sadly your father died of

complications from a parasite that he likely contracted while wading in the water to rescue flood victims. how did your father sacrifice during those five days to inspire you to join the salvation army as an officer. >> just his passion for people and his love for helping others spoke volumes. it wasn't overnight, but it slowly worked on me and just his perseverance and just being there for people who needed help. >> major brittle, i understand you lost your house, lost all your possessions to that storm. what do you make of the progress over the last decade there in new orleans? >> well, what i see is a bigger and better new orleans, people coming back strong. i think the city is going to be a great asset in the future. the people here are really wonderful. >> is it about the spirit? is it locals that have been

involved, federal government officials? who do you think the most responsible for rebuilding that city? >> i think it's the people with the help of the government and other agencies. i think the people have a really, really strong courage to go on. and it's revealed in what they're doing. >> major brittle, i understand you moved to houston in the days before the storm, but you lost your new orleans home to the storm. talk about your situation then and what you make of the progress now. >> we did evacuate sunday around lunchtime. it was hard leaving my parents here, but it was good in the fact that we knew they were here taking care of others, and just wanting to get back to new orleans and see it rebuild. i spoke to my wife on the phone the other day and i told her i forgot how beautiful this city was. this place is beautiful, and the

people here are just -- they're going forward and not looking back. >> major brittle, your son spoke about your late husband, but i'm curious how you remember him and what you would like others to most remember about him. >> well, he had a strong personality to lead us all and keep us safe. i think he is actually a who are row in the things that he did to keep us safe and alive. >> i think he is, too. i'm sure there are many hundreds who join you in that considering he was the last one out of that building, the last one to be evacuated keeping all those people safe, including you, during those fateful days. thank you for your time. best of luck. i know it will be difficult, perhaps, but hopefully interesting and heartwarming day as you see the progress there ten days later from hurricane katrina. >> thank you for having us. that is a wrap of this hour of "weekends with alex witt." join me for a two-hour edition

of the show at noon eastern. straight ahead, smart political talk on "up with steve kornacki." jonathan capehart sitting in for steve. to folks out there whose diabetic nerve pain... shoots and burns its way into your day, i hear you. to everyone with this pain that makes ordinary tasks extraordinarily painful, i hear you. make sure your doctor hears you too! i hear you because i was there when my dad suffered with diabetic nerve pain. if you have diabetes and burning, shooting pain in your feet or hands, don't suffer in silence! step on up

and ask your doctor about diabetic nerve pain. tell 'em cedric sent you.

so, i tried depend last weekend. it really made the difference between a morning around the house and getting a little exercise. and i tried a baking class. one weekend can make all the difference. only depend underwear has new confidence core technology for fast absorption and the smooth, comfortable fit of fit-flex™ protection. take your weekend on with a coupon at depend.com so, what did you guys they think of the test drive? i love the jetta. but what about a deal? terry, stop! it's quite alright... you know what? we want to make a deal with you. we're twins, so could you give us two for the price of one? come on, give us a deal. look at how old i am. do you come here often? he works here, terry! you work here, right? yes... ok let's get to the point. we're going to take the deal. get a $1000 volkswagen reward card on select 2015 jetta models.

or lease a 2015 jetta s for $139 a month after a $1000 volkswagen bonus. remembering katrina ten years later. good morning. thanks forgetting up with us this saturday morning. ten years to the day since hurricane katrina hit the gulf coast. we'll be going to new orleans throughout the show to join the city in marking the anniversary. mayor mitch landriew, actor wendell pierce and others will be joining us. there are reports out of houston at this hour of a sheriff's deputy who was gunned down from behind while refueling his patrol car at a gas station. we'll bring you the latest on the search for the suspect. plus the latest from the campaign trail. bernie sanders, hillary clinton, donald trump and a whole lot more.