Top Story with Tom Llamas - Thursday, February 23, 2023

Episode Date: February 24, 2023

The Alec Murdaugh trial takes a shocking turn as the accused murderer confesses to lying about his whereabouts on the night of the murder. A winter blackout in the Midwest leaves nearly a million customers without power, and a second storm targets the West Coast, leading to thousands of flight cancellations. In Florida, a 24-year-old reporter covering a fatal shooting is shot dead, and the suspected gunman is in custody a 9-year-old girl was also killed. At the U.S.-Canada border, agents report an 800-percent spike in encounters, and we investigate what’s driving migrants to brave the frozen landscape.

Tonight, the shocking witness taking the stand in the Alec Murdoch trial, the accused murderer himself. The disgraced former attorney testifying for several hours, often through tears, insisting he did not kill his wife or son. But Murdoch acknowledging he did lie to police about where he was on the night of the murder, saying his drug addiction made him paranoid. What he revealed about other lies he's told in a tough cross-examination will show you. Winter blackout nearly a million customers without power. across the Midwest as a treacherous ice storm carves a deadly path across the country. Thousands of flights canceled yet again and a second storm now taking aim at the West Coast. Al Roker is here in the house again with the forecast.

Killed on assignment, a 24-year-old reporter shot dead in his car while covering a fatal shooting near Orlando. Dramatic body camp video showing the moment the suspected gunman was taken into custody after killing a third victim, a nine-year-old girl. cameraman who survived it all now speaking out. Crisis on the northern border. We've reported extensively on the record number of migrants passing through Mexico, but tonight, top story heads north, where border agents are seen an 800% spike in encounters.

We'll take a look at what's driving these people to trek through Canada's frozen landscape and how the community is handling the surge. Plus, stuck on the tracks, the dramatic moment. A freight train slammed into a tractor trailer, how the driver is doing to take. tonight. And box office high? If the name cocaine bear isn't enough to peak your interest, this all-star cast and insane plot may do the trick. We'll take a look at the new dark comedy about a killer, drug-fueled bear, and talk to the film's writer about the real-life event that served as an inspiration. Top story starts right now.

And good evening. Tonight, disgraced former attorney Alex Murdoch, taking the biggest possible risk in a South Carolina courtroom, testifying in his own murder trial, attempting to convince a jury that he did not kill his wife and son. Murdoch taking a stand for several hours, tearfully answering questions from his own lawyers before facing a very tough cross-examination.

The legal gamble will attempt by Murdoch to explain a way key pieces of evidence presented by the state. We want to take a look right now at the three biggest points of concern. First, the question of why Murdoch changed his clothes on the night of those murders, this video showing him in a blue shirt earlier in the day. But later, when police arrive, look here. Murdoch now wearing a white shirt, notably with no blood on it. Murdo's explanation, he had taken a shower and changed earlier in the day because it was hot, and his addiction to pills and his weight made him sweat often. And then there's this critical piece of evidence, Murdoch's voice on a Snapchat video taken by his son in the dog kennel near where his son would soon be found dead.

After months of insisting he was not there, Murdoch today making a stunning confession, admitting he was in fact there, but that he only lied because his drug addiction made him paranoid, not because he did anything wrong. And finally, the question of an alibi, GPS and cell phone data show Murdoch leaving the family home not long after that Snapchat video was taken, arriving at his parents' house roughly 13 miles away. The state calling that quick trip a desperate effort to build an alibi, but Murdoch's explanation, he simply wanted to see his mother who was suffering from Alzheimer's and was not home when those horrific murders happened.

For every question Murdoch today had an answer, but the big question that remains, did the jury believe him? Our panel of legal analysts standing by to break down everything we heard today, but first, here's Katie Beck with more of that dramatic testimony. After nearly five weeks of testimony, a stunning surprise. I am going to testify. I won't to testify. The trial's most anticipated witness takes the stand. Alec Murdoch testifies in his own defense, the first questions aimed at the heart of the case.

Did you take this gun or any gun like it and blow your son's brains out on June 7th or any day or any time? No, I did not. 300 blackout such as this and fired into your wife maggie's leg torso or any part of her body no i did not quick to confront what is perhaps the prosecution's strongest evidence the video taken by paul murdock at the dog kennels placing aleck at the crime scene minutes before the murders he's told investigators he wasn't there but admits now he was lying Alex, why did you lie? As my addiction evolved over time, I would get in these situations or circumstances where I would get paranoid.

Murdoch says he didn't trust state law enforcers and regrets the lie that led to many others. Did you continue lying after that night? Did you not? But once I lied, I continued to lie, yes, sir. Emotional and crying throughout, Murdoch's testimony largely rewrites his timeline on the night of the murders, showering and changing clothes before dinner, and describing the moment he discovered the bodies, again saying he checked for signs of life. I know I tried to turn him over.

When you say you try to turn him over, why were you trying to turn him over? I don't know. I don't know. I don't know why I tried to turn him over him. Me and my boys lay face down. Later in testimony, Alec admits a long-time addiction to opioids that he stole client funds but denies being overly concerned about getting caught prior to the murders. What kind of cases did you normally do?

On cross-examination, prosecutors began by pressing Murdoch on the fraud cases, where he admits he stole money from his clients and lied to them. And prosecutors suggesting all the stolen money wasn't going to fund his pill addiction. You were generating millions of dollars in fees. That was not enough for you. Would you concede that? If by concede that, you mean was I also stealing money that I shouldn't have? Yes, sir.

I agree with that. I've said that repeatedly. Katie joins us now live outside the courthouse in Waterboro, South Carolina. Katie, you've been there covering this for us inside the courtroom. Did the jury seem to have a reaction? to any of Alex Murdoch's testimony? Yeah, absolutely. It's been five weeks and over dozens of witnesses, Tom, that they have heard from. I've never quite seen them so captivated before. They were hanging on every word Alec Murdoch said on the stand.

And Alec Murdoch himself, at times, repositioning to sort of face the jury and answer the questions directly to them. At one point when Murdoch was getting extremely emotional, one juror that was sitting close by actually took a box of tissue. and pushed it toward him. Pretty incredible. Katie, and just before you go, walk us through what happens in the coming days. He's going to stay on the stand? Yes, cross-examination will continue tomorrow. The defense has indicated they have two more witnesses to call after that that will be short witnesses. But the case doesn't end there.

The prosecution has a quick rebuttal, so they can actually call experts to the stand to refute some of what the defense has presented. And then after that, they'll be charging instructions to the jury. and they will start their deliberations. So this is all outside of the sentencing phase that comes later. So this is still a ways before there's a finish line. Yeah, tomorrow's going to be another big day. All right, Katie Beck, leading us off here on Top Story. To help us break down this explosive day in that courtroom, I want to bring in now our panel for tonight.

NBC News legal analyst Camille Vasquez. She's represented Johnny Depp in the defamation case. Her first time on Top Story. So welcome to the show. And of course, Angela Senadella. She's that lawyer, Angela, on TikTok, with more than... 1 million followers and an old friend to top story. Angel, I'm going to start with you, but I want to play again what we heard in court,

sort of what I think was the ultimate moment in that courtroom when he admits the big lie about the kennel. Let's take a look at that. Mr. Murdoch, is that you on the kennel video at 8.44 p.m. on June 7th, the night Maggie and Paul were murdered? It is. Were you, in fact, at the kennels at 8.44 p.m. on the night Maggie and Paul were murdered? I was.

Okay, so for the purposes of this panel, Camille, I'm going to have you play defense. I'm going to have you play prosecution, Angela. Angela, how damaging of a moment was this, right? Because we've heard time and time again him saying that wasn't me, that wasn't my voice, that wasn't there. And then today, everything changes. It's massively explosive, Tom. It's showing that he's a liar. And frankly, all that matters about a witness on that stand is their credibility.

That's what the jury's going to be looking at. If he's admitting he lied, and note, he's not admitting he lied prior to being cornered. He's only admitting after five or six witnesses have already declared that it was his voice on that audio. Including close friends. Including defense witnesses. So he's been backed up against a wall, and now he's admitting it. So he's not really taking accountability. So, Camille, defense could sometimes be your specialty here.

Explain to me, what was the strategy here? I think the strategy is simple, right? I mean, building credibility also means taking accountability. He had to explain this. He had to say it. He's the only person in that entire. courtroom, the most important witness that can explain this lie. It's him. So he had to own up to it? He had to. Angela, does it then add up saying that he goes to the kennel? Yes, that is his

voice. He lied about this because of all the drugs. And then he goes to see his mother who has Alzheimer's. And when he comes back, oh my God, his wife and his son are dead. Did that, did that narrative, like, was he able to piece it together where it was believable? Tom, hypothetically, what is the perfect alibi? It's visiting somebody who has Alzheimer's. When you look at this man who's an accomplished lawyer and see what he's pieced together as explanations, I mean, there's a lot of holes there. You know, I don't want to compare the cases at all that you worked on with Johnny Depp and Amber Hurd. But one of your main strategies was putting Johnny Depp on the stand and it sort of won the jurors over. This is a much different case.

But there is a strategy in putting Alec Burdock on the stand and having jurors hear from him. He was crying throughout the day. Do you think the jurors were affected by that? Absolutely. Absolutely. Absolutely. I mean, having, we just heard from your reporter. Yeah. One of the jurors handed him a tissue box. I mean, clearly they are affected by his emotions.

Now, is it going to be enough to acquit him? I don't know. So, Angela, he is a lawyer, so he knows how this game is played. A lot of times he played very innocent, spoke very slowly, was very confused sometimes by the questions from the prosecutors. Was it schick, or do you think this works with jurors? I mean, this is what the jury is going to be asking themselves. Is he an actor? Is he a lawyer? Who knows to go like this?

The fact that the defense attorney took about 10 beats before giving him a tissue, letting the snot and the tears come down his face, these people are practiced. He is a pro. This is not his first time on the stand. So trying to pretend that he's just like this honest schmo who just suddenly was grieving, it's a very hard, hard thing to. Camille, two things for you. Will the I was addicted to drugs?

I was hooked on Oxy. Will that build sympathy with the jury, number one? And number two, the prosecution actually called him out because he kept referring to his son who had passed away as paw-paw. And when he's talking to police in the investigative videos, he calls him Paul. Prosecutors were trying to say that he was basically trying to play a role here, as Angela was talking about. Do you think that stuff comes out?

Do you think people find him a fraud? And will they have sympathy because of the drug addiction? I think it's really interesting when you bring up drug addiction to a jury. because juries have likely had experiences with people that have struggled with drug addictions. Have they had the same credibility issues as well? Probably, right? And so I think it's deliberate that he is owning up to his drug addiction on purpose. Now, in terms of whether the jury is going to think he's a fraud because he's using a nickname for his son, I think it's really unlikely, right?

Speaking to police when your son and wife have just been murdered is very different than many years now later. talking about the death of his son and wife. It's a good point. A big strategy for the prosecution, a point that the motive for all of this was money, apparently. Here's what he had to say about the accusations, and he admits to this, that he stole his client's money. Let's take a listen.

I certainly was not telling her the truth. I don't know if I was talking fast or slow, but I wasn't telling the truth. Well, you ultimately convinced her that there was nothing amiss here, right? While you were stealing her money, correct? I don't know if I convinced her that nothing was amiss or I misled her, but I admit candidly in all of these cases, Mr. Waters, that I took money that was not mine and I shouldn't have done it. Prosecution also pointed out he was making millions and still stealing from clients, right? They were really paying him to be a dirtball here, if you will. But again, he admits this. He sounds sympathetic. Did it work, Angela?

No, I don't think you did at all. What we're doing is we're hearing days worth of him just saying, I lied over and over again. Literally, he's saying, I lied here, I lied there. I lied to this person, this person, this person. So if you're the jury or if you're anyone watching, why would you ever believe him? Yeah. I have to ask you, you know, the prosecution spent a lot of time on these financial crimes. And I was following, I was watching for a couple hours.

Even I got lost at times, right? And I was following pretty closely. Is this a smart strategy? Are they spending too much time on the finance part? They might be spending too much time, to be really honest. I think they don't have to prove motive, but it helps, right? It tells the story. It gives a reason why.

I think when you're appealing to a jury, you have to give the reason why. And I think, though, they might have lost the plot a little bit. Okay, finally, tomorrow, if you were the prosecution, you got to question Alec Murdoch on the stand about the kennel. Angela, what's the question you would ask him? I would ask him, why did you lie? And if it was really just about drugs, and how can we trust that you didn't lie about everything else? That's a great question.

I think I would ask him what he was doing there. Why he was there? Why did he go back? Why did he go back? Yeah. It's going to be interesting to find out what happens tomorrow and where they go from here. I think it was a stunning sort of reversal in this case

when he owned up to that. But he's on the stand and he will be back tomorrow, and maybe you guys will be as well. Thanks so much for joining us tonight. We really do appreciate it. Okay, we turn out to tonight's other top story, that deadly crippling winter storm stretching across the country, snow, ice, and wind, combining for dangerous driving conditions, coast to coast, including a 20-car pile of in California, and now a separate threat bearing down on the west heading into the weekend. Gabe Gutierrez is watching it all. Tonight, devastating snow, ice, and wind, pummeling even more of the country, this time knocking out power to nearly a million people across the Midwest.

Most of those outages in Michigan where a volunteer firefighter was killed when a tree brought down a high-voltage line. Volunteer this time here for free. He gave us life for free. In Wisconsin, authorities say snow likely caused the partial collapse of a parking garage at a shopping mall. Today, Minneapolis, under a snow emergency. Over the last few hours, we've seen a very rapid snowfall here. The road conditions are getting worse. snow totals not as high as predicted earlier in the week, still around the foot, blanketed the Twin Cities over three days. This is a big one for all coming down at once.

Like, yeah, this is a pretty big one. Coast to coast, treacherous road conditions, Portland, Oregon, recording its second snowiest day on record with more than 10 inches. This 20-car pile-up in Southern California, injuring at least eight people. A separate system now prompting the first blizzard warning since 1989 for the mountains near L.A. The nationwide weather whiplash is remarkable even for February. Across the mid-Atlantic and southeastern U.S. record heat. Unusually high temperatures as far north as Philadelphia. Having a 70-degree day is just such a welcome break. It's been a surprising winter for so many.

Gabe Gutierrez joins us now from Minneapolis. Gabe, we've been talking a lot about those flight cancellations and even some destruction by this massive winter storm. Talk to us about what the latest is where you are. Well, Tom, the snow stopped just a few hours ago, but now we're expecting bone-chilling temperatures to continue, at least through tomorrow. You see behind me, you know, folks are starting to clean up that snow and put it into big piles. But again, the forecast here brought less snow than originally anticipated, but clearly significant. Snow has ended now, but these temperatures are going to stick around for a while, Tom. And then, Gabe, what do we know about air travel?

We know a lot of flights were canceled and delayed thousands. We were talking about this yesterday. Yeah, that's right. We saw all those cancellations yesterday. And once again today, Tom, we've already seen more than 2,000 flights canceled today. Major impacts at airports like Denver and O'Hare and even Boston. And that's expected to continue the ripple effect through at least tomorrow, Tom. Gabe Gutierrez, who's been covering that monster storm all week for us.

We want to turn out Al Roker, who joins us once again in studio, Al. We've been talking about the Midwest, but now we're going to focus on the West. That's right. We've got a big, powerful storm coming in, Tom. Right now, 6 million people out west looking at winter weather advisories, winter storm watches, blizzard warnings. In fact, the San Bernardino Mountains first time, they have had a blizzard warning issued. So we are talking some really cold air coming in. You can see on the radar now snow from the Pacific Northwest into the Sierra Mountains all the way down into the southwest flagstaff, Arizona as well.

Why so cold? Well, most of these Pacific storms come in off the Pacific. Well, this storm is dropping out of Canada into the U.S., and that's bringing in Arctic air from Canada. So we're looking at record lows and low snow levels along the West Coast. Here's what we've got. Temperatures as we go on into the weekend. Reno, 20-degree low for Friday. Bakersfield into the mid-30s. Los Angeles, by Sunday, 39 degrees, Salt Lake City, in the low to mid-20s. And so here's what we're looking at, snowfall-wise, to the north. Northern California, snowfall levels as low as 500 feet. Can't rule out some snowflakes, actually in San Francisco. Bay Area Hills could see up to eight inches of snow. Then we head down south, southern California, widespread road delays in and over the mountains. And the blizzard warnings just to the north of Los Angeles, first time they've had those since 1989. And we've also got a lot of heavy rain.

Friday into Saturday, Tom, we're talking about a rapid runoff into rivers and streams. There are going to be airport delays, and there's going to be significant roadway flooding with highest totals up to 10 inches, and we're keeping an eye on something that may mean some significant weather for our area midweek next week. But we're going to continue to watch the models for that. Okay, we'll stay on top of all of that. We appreciate it. We want to turn out Ohio where new details have emerged on that toxic terrain derailment spill.

Investigators uncovering what was likely to blame for the fiery accident. This has Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg visited East Palestine today. After critics blasted him for not coming sooner, NBC's Ron Allen has more. Tonight, with the scene being cleaned up, new details about what caused the fiery derailment. Federal investigators saying a preliminary investigation shows an overheated wheelbearing likely to blame. This was 100% preventable. The NTSB says the train passed over two detectors. which showed the bearing was heating up.

By the time it hit a third detector, it was 253 degrees above air temperature, triggering an audible alarm to warn the crew, who then slowed and stopped the train. This is a community that is suffering. This is not about politics. What I care about is figuring out how this happened. The NTSB chair says there's no evidence the crew did anything wrong.

In a statement, Norfolk Southern says, our highest priority is the safety of our people and the communities we serve, adding it will continue to support the NTSB's investigation. While today, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg visited for the first time, after criticism from some residents that he should have come sooner, demanding the nation's rail operators stop resisting safety measures to cut costs. Let's give people from both sides of the aisle to the table and come to agreement on some steps that are needed, even if the rail industry is pushing back.

Meanwhile, near the crash, the figlies only come back to their small farm to check on things like their chickens. They're part of a class action lawsuit that attorneys say includes over 500 residents. I live out of my car and at my daughter's house. It's awful. I feel homeless. Why won't you come back home? Because I don't know what I'm coming home to and I'm 70 years old.

And the number of lawsuits is growing, at least it doesn't, that an attorney say could ultimately involve thousands of residents in Ohio and Pennsylvania. Norfolk Southern has said it will not comment on any pending litigation. Tom? All right, Ron Allen, Forrest, now to a story you may not have heard about. The growing migrant crisis at the border, but it's not the border you're thinking of. For months, we've been telling you about the record number of migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border. But Customs and Border Patrol say the influx is extending north.

Some migrants now traveling into Canada, then heading south into the U.S., here's a photo of one. Officials releasing images showing migrants often entire families crossing in the middle of the night in extreme temperatures. In some areas, border officials say they are seen an 800% spike in encounters compared to last year. Valerie Castro at that border tonight with the details. Tonight, a new border crisis, migrants crossing over under the cover of darkness in extreme weather. In some cases, dying. Pete Foster has watched it play out from his own home. I think it's sad. I think that'd be an awful position to put your kids and your family in crossing like that, but obviously these people don't feel they have a choice.

Foster is not talking about the southern border, but the north where the U.S. meets Canada, less than 100 yards from his front door in Vermont. How cold does it get up here? Oh, I've seen it 20 below zero. No condition to be walking through the woods at night. No, especially not with their family, you know. He's lived here for more than 20 years. there's been a noticeable change. Is there a lack of Border Patrol presence here? Last couple of years has been a real lack of agents. And I would say yes, a real lack of Border Patrol

presence. This area, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection's Swanton sector, stretches across New York, Vermont, and New Hampshire. CBP citing a more than 800 percent increase in apprehensions and encounters there from October to January of this year, compared to the same time the previous year. Turn left onto the ramp to Canadian border. Right now we're headed to an area of the border with Canada and Vermont where border patrol agents tell us it's been a hot spot for migrants making their way into the U.S. illegally. They've been crossing over through wooded areas and through some extremely cold weather over the last month. But Foster worries it's not just migrants who are crossing. He says suspicious cars are showing up in the middle of the night and also says he's seen

what he believes could be evidence of drug trafficking. Yeah, there's some serious people that come across. It's not all just families trying to get in. Swanton sector border agents documenting several cases of migrants walking into the country, bracing bitter cold while dragging suitcases and carrying children. In this case, an eight-month-old and a two-year-old. The sector's chief patrol agent Robert Garcia tweeting that during a week in early February, 105 people from eight countries were apprehended, quote, undeterred by Arctic Chill, despite regional temps dropping to minus 22. Another photo what appears to be a bare footprint in the snow.

Sometimes the dangerous trek turns deadly. Last year, a South Asian couple, including their two children, froze to death, attempting to cross into the U.S. from Canada near North Dakota. Their bodies were found just 13 yards away from the border. It tells me that the cartels have recognized that there's an awful lot of profit to be made coming through the northern border. and they're going to do whatever is necessary to generate that profit. And when you see numbers like this, that's clearly showing that they've seen a vulnerability. They know that there's gaps in our coverage, and they're going to exploit those gaps for that profit.

Brandon Judd, president of the union that represents border agents, says cartels trafficking everything from illicit drugs to human beings, are facilitating the path north, booking flights for a fee. The cartels facilitate the entire travel for a fee from Mexico. Mexico to Canada and then from Canada to the United States. It's all about fees, but they do facilitate the entire travel, yes. But not far from Pete Foster's home, migrants are also going the other way, walking into Canada at this unofficial border crossing on Roxham Road, taken into custody by Canadian officials hoping they'll be accepted as refugees.

The people entered in desperation, the corred on the rumors that they'd get on buses to move to Canada. First it was slow, then it started picking up. and picking up and now it's worse than ever. There's constant people either walking or personal vehicles or all kinds of taxis from cars to vans. Melissa Bishaw lives on Roxham Road. The traffic prompting her to add security measures to her home. There's one camera there, the second camera's there, and a third camera's there, and then I got a fourth camera in the back on the back porch. More than 39,000 refugees crossed into Canada last year through unofficial cross.

The majority took this path. The Canadian government now struggling to deal with the influx. It would be unfortunate to put up barricades and close rocks and road only for border crossings to open up elsewhere along the 6,000 or so kilometers of border that we have with the United States. On the U.S. side, Pete Foster just wants help, starting with more border protection. I think it'll help. I think what they have for agents here are stretched very thin.

I think it would definitely help having more agents. Valerie Castro joins us now live from Swanton, Vermont. Valerie, we can see that snow behind you. It's incredible. In some of those surveillance images, you saw how cold it was, in one case, negative 4 degrees. I guess the big question is, is CBP, is the Biden administration, is anybody going to do anything to bring more manpower up there to stop these dangerous crossings? So, Tom, the union that represents border agents says there has been a request for agents to volunteer to leave the southwest border and come here to the northern border to address the issue. We asked Customs and Border Patrol of that exact question, and they would not confirm that.

They did say that there are about 273 agents assigned to this area, but they would not address those concerns that their presence in this area is thin. You know, I've covered immigration for years. I've never seen images like this. And now watching that snowfall behind you, it's just so shocking. But I think to be fair, we should also put these numbers sort of in comparison to what we're seeing at the southern border as well, Valerie. And Tom, the numbers almost don't even compare it. The southern border, customs and border protection recorded more than 150,000 encounters just for the month of January this year. Here along the entire northern border, it was just 13,000.

Still a growing number, an 800% increase. All right, Valerie Casper, we appreciate that. Still ahead tonight, killed on assignment. A reporter killed and his photographer shot while covering a homicide in Orlando. We told you about this last night. That photographer now speaking out from his hospital bed, what he says about the moment they came under fire. Plus, the freight train crashing into a tractor trailer in New York.

You see it right there. What we're learning about the driver who was trapped on the tracks. And the Aussie media fallout continues. The charges just announced against the company's founder after he raised tens of millions of dollars from investors. And what happened? Stay with us. Top story just getting started on this Thursday night. Okay, we're back now with an update on that deadly shooting spree in Orlando that left three people dead, including a 24-year-old journalist and a child. Tonight, one of the victims speaking out, Plus, new video from the moment the suspect was finally taken down.

Watvanegas has this one. Tonight, the Orange County Sheriff releasing body cam footage of the arrest of Keith Moses, the 19-year-old suspect, accused of a deadly shooting spree in Orlando. A three victims killed, including a news reporter and a 9-year-old girl, two others critically wounded. Three-in-mobile gunshot windfalls in the highway of street area. The first killing happening Wednesday morning where authorities found 38-year-old Natasha Augustine dead from a gunshot wound. Officials say the victim was an acquaintance of the suspect. Hours later, a news crew covering that incident was ambushed in their car, deputy say.

The gunfire killing 24-year-old Spectrum News 13 reporter Dylan Lyons and critically wounding cameraman Jesse Walton. I just happened to catch a bullet, but he kept shooting at me, so I ducked behind the wheel in my car. and he walked forward and shot into my car and ended up striking my reporter. Authorities say the suspect then fled the scene and entered a nearby home. Deputies say he then opened fire again, killing a nine-year-old girl

and critically injuring her mother. The suspect was arrested a short time later. We recovered a Glock 40, a semi-automatic handgun from inside of his pants. That gun was still hot to the touch. meaning it had just been fired. Moses is now charged with first-degree murder. All right, Guadvanegas joins us tonight from Orlando, Guad.

I know you have some new reporting on how police took down this madman. Tom, that is correct. So the Orange County Sheriff today informed during a press conference that when that shooting happened, targeting that news crew, witnesses told the officers that arrived how the suspect look in which direction he went in. We know that the suspect then moved on to the home where he shot a mother and killed the nine-year-old girl. And officers were able to arrest him soon after that happened. As you heard mentioning that the gun that they recovered on the suspect was still hot when they detained him, Tom. Yeah, and, well, talk to me about how that community is doing.

I mean, this is clearly just a horrific series of events. You have several families involved. You have a little girl who has died now. And you have a journalist who was just doing his job on assignment when he was gunned down for no reason here. How is everyone there doing tonight? Of course, Tom, three people dead. And then, of course, with the local news community here, we spent a day outside the hospital talking to some of the local crews here in Orlando. In fact, last night when one of our colleagues from the local NBC affiliate was reporting on this, she met with the fiancé.

She spoke to the fiancé of the reporter that died. She said they embraced. And moments later, she had to go live on air and cried on air. This is how emotional it's been for the community. We've also heard from the company that imploded that reporter's spectrum news saying that Dylan Lyons was someone that was motivated, a professional who was living the dream, and Orlando adding that he will not be forgotten, Tom. An incredibly sad story all around. Okay, Gwad, we thank you for that. When we come back, the dramatic confrontation in New York, a man racing to stop a thief from taking his car.

Look at this, only to be thrown off the hood. We'll have an update on his condition tonight. All right, we're back now with Top Stories News Feeding. We begin with the shocking car theft caught on camera here in New York. New video shows a man in Queens running up to his SUV and jumping onto the roof, excuse me, as thieves drove away in it. He was then thrown from the car just seconds before it crashes into a fire hydrant and flips. Batman was rushed to the hospital and is still in critical condition.

Two of those suspects, though, have been arrested. A truck driver, lucky to be alive tonight after his tractor trailer became stuck. stuck on train tracks in New York. New video shows the moment of freight train slammed into the truck that was carrying titanium piping. This happened in Haberstraw about 40 miles north of New York City. The driver was able to get out of the truck moments before that crash. No one else was heard. And an update tonight on the founder of Embattled Media Company, Ozzy, arrested today, I should say, on fraud charges. As prosecutors say Carlos Watson, misled prospective investors about everything including the company's revenues, business projections, and the size of its audience,

As we've reported on top story, the digital startup raised tens of millions of dollars from investors before shutting down amid reports of deceptive business practices. Okay, we want to head overseas now to the escalating violence in the Middle East. Air strikes and rockets over Israel's border with Gaza after a deadly raid in the West Bank. The clash is coming as U.S. lawmakers, including Senator Mitch McConnell, traveled to Israel to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Raf Sanchez, on the ground with the latest. The skies of Gaza lit up with Palestinian.

The Palestinian rocket fire and Israeli airstrikes today. Just hours after Israeli troops stormed into the city of Nablis in the occupied West Bank on Wednesday. The raid conducted in broad daylight meeting resistance from an angry crowd of Palestinians hurling rocks and fireballs. The Israeli military says it was disrupting an imminent attack by terrorists from a group known as the lion's den, surrounding them in a house, and when they refused to surrender, destroying it with a rocket. 11 Palestinians killed in the raid and hundreds more injured, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. Several of the dead were militants, but others were civilians, the ministry says. This, the moment a Palestinian nurse realizes his own elderly father is among the dead.

And Israel's military say they are investigating this video, that NBC News has verified with people familiar with the location and timing of the incident, which appears to show that a Palestinian man shot in the back as he runs away. The Palestinian Authority calling the raid a massacre and the State Department voicing concern. We recognize the very real security concerns facing Israel. At the same time, we are deeply concerned by the large number of injuries and the loss of civilian lives. Violence in the West Bank now at its worst in 20 years, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. And this morning in Gaza, Palestinian groups firing rockets into Israel.

Most were intercepted. Israel's Air Force striking back against what it says were Hamas militant compounds. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is showing no signs of backing down in the face of questions and criticism over the deadly raid, telling his cabinet, we have a clear policy to strike terror powerfully and to deepen our roots in our land. Hours after the airstrikes Netanyahu giving new administrative powers over the West Bank to one of the most far-right members of his coalition government and openly defying the Biden administration. This month, approving Jewish settlements in the West Bank previously considered

illegal, even under Israel's own laws. Today, meeting with a delegation of Republican U.S. senators showing their support for Israel, led by minority leader Mitch McConnell. Expected to also meet Democrats led by Chuck Schumer, who are also in Israel. It all comes as Netanyahu faces ongoing mass protests over his plans to weaken Israel's judiciary. He says it's a badly needed reform to curb activist judges. But critics warned the move could fatally undermine Israeli democracy. The Palestinian Authority hemorrhaging credibility with its own people and losing security control in parts of the West Bank.

Now, with Palestinian anger rising, gunmen on the streets, and Israel holding its hard line, fears the worst may yet be to come. A tense situation playing out there. Raf joins us tonight from Tel Aviv. So, Raf, historically, the U.S. has always played an active role. and try to settle these disputes. Do we know what the Biden administration is doing right now? Well, Tom, big picture, there really is no plan.

You speak to Biden administration officials. They are very pessimistic about restarting Israeli-Palestinian peace talks. They're very pessimistic about one day getting to a two-state solution where you have an independent Palestinian state alongside a secure Israel. But in the narrower sense, they do have a plan to try to strengthen the power. Palestinian security forces. And the American hope is if the Palestinians can take on these militant groups themselves, the Israelis will stop raiding cities like Nablis, and that might buy some quiet, at least in the short term. Tom.

Ralph Sanchez tonight from Tel Aviv for us. Raff, we thank you for that. Not a top story's global watch, and we begin with a coal mine collapse in China. Surveillance footage shows the moment a massive wall of debris rushed down onto people and vehicles below. You can see the video right here. You can see all that dirt and mud coming. down, rescuers digging through all the rubble in search of nearly 50 missing people, but other landslides have hampered that search. The cause of this collapse is still under investigation. And in Peru, days of heavy rain leading to multiple landslides, and one of them was caught on camera. New video shows the slide of rocks and dirt falling onto a highway. Covering cars parked below.

Luckily here, Noah was hurt, but dangerous storms have led to at least 20 deaths across the country this month. And Pope Francis canceling speeches and appointments today as he battles with what the Vatican called a bad cold. The Pope also did not participate in the traditional Ash Wednesday procession after he was heard repeatedly coughing during services. The Vatican says the pontiff, who had part of one lung removed,

is expected to be okay. Okay, coming up on the one-year anniversary of the war in Ukraine, we investigate how the Russians are surviving those massive sanctions. Kier Simmons now, with an exclusive look after this break at the Russian border, where American pickups are being sold for nearly

$200,000. We'll explain why after the break. We're back now in one year into the war in Ukraine. Punishing sanctions from the West have turned the Russia-Georgia border into a hotbed of economic activity. Trucks lining up to ferry goods, including brand-new American cars through an increasingly busy mountain pass, all as China strengthened as their financial support of President Putin.

Kier Simmons has this exclusive. If you want to know how the Russian economy is surviving amid punishing Western sanctions, you might tell you. come here. We're just across the border in Georgia, and it's lined with trucks. President Putin's supply line. Brazil. You're going from Turkey to Russia, to Moscow? He's carrying Xerox printer ink, he says. Since Putin's invasion and unprecedented western sanctions, satellite images, along with international trade data, show this mountain pass

becoming much busier. That's not surprising. At the outset of the war, Russia dropped most import restrictions on things like cars. The Russian border is about 25 miles that way, but the police tell us they've closed the road because of an avalanche risk. Business has stopped, but only temporarily. Hello! Then, hidden in the snow, a stunning discovery.

Two brand-new American ram pickups. American cars, American trucks. It was never driven, he says. Take a look at this. It's still got the protection on the dashboard. Look, they're brand new. Where are they going? To Moscow, he tells me.

The men tell us they've sold both vehicles for around $170,000 each. They say they are moving cars every week. Does it matter that there's a war on? Where is that war, he asks. It doesn't matter for us. We obtained one of the vehicle ID numbers and asked the manufacturer who told us it was legally sold to a private customer by an authorized distributor in Abu Dhabi, that they cannot prevent that customer from reselling

it, and the company complies with all U.S. and international sanctions. And it's not only Georgia, satellite images also show lines of trucks on the roads to Russia from China. President Putin and China's top diplomats meeting yesterday, pledging to strengthen ties. China already provides crucial economic help to Russia. Back in Georgia, the road reopens, and we pass a construction site where China is helping build a new tunnel through the mountain. The half-billion-dollar project was started before the Ukraine invasion. But the plan will be more trade with Russia. Clearly not every country wants this to be the end of the road for Moscow.

And despite all the sanctions, Tom, Russia's economy is predicted by the IMF to actually expand this year, if only by 0.3%. percent. Tom? Kear Simmons for us, Kier, we appreciate that. When we come back, we're going to switch gears in a big way. Back here at home, I'm sure you've heard of the new movie Cocaine Bear. But did you know the real story

that inspired it includes drug trafficking, 32 kilos of cocaine, and a faulty parachute? How those drugs got into the bear's paws. Next. Eddie! The bee! Help! What is this?

What is it doing? I have... Don't like this. Please stop. There you go, girl. There you go. There you go. It's like cocaine Christmas. That was a clip from the new comedy horror film titled Cocaine Bear.

The name alone will grab anyone's attention. And the plot is even crazier. But as Gotti Schwartz explains, it was inspired by real events, sort of. A bear did cocaine. It's a story that seems like it could only come from the minds of Hollywood. No, no, no, no, don't eat that. Don't eat that. Let's see what kind of effect that has on. The new film Cocaine Bear, directed by Elizabeth Banks,

and starring an impressive ensemble cast, including the late Ray Leota in one of his final roles, is about a massive black bear that ingests a duffel bag worth of comedy. cocaine in 1985. A lot of cocaine was lost. I need you to go and get it. What's even more wild, it's based on real events. While a drug-fueled bear did not go on a murderous rampage, like it does in the film, a 175-pound black bear was found dead in a Georgia forest in 1985 and the cause of death,

a cocaine overdose. Millions of dollars worth of cocaine dropped from the sky early today. Those drugs apparently dropped by convicted. drug smuggler Andrew Thornton, who authorities say was attempting to lighten his plane as he tried to fly $15 million worth of cocaine into the U.S., a story that was covered by NBC's nightly news when it happened. Police found more than 70 pounds of cocaine wrapped in football-sized packages in an Army duffel bag the shootist was carrying. Thornton then reportedly jumped out of the plane with a faulty parachute and was found dead in a residential neighborhood in Knoxville, Tennessee. Well, when I got up from the team to the window, I saw him lying on that. That rock there and his parachute was behind him.

But the story doesn't end there. The bear, which authorities say was found near 40 open drug packages, was taxidermied and is currently on display at the Kentucky Fun Mall in Lexington, Kentucky. We have people coming from all over the world to see this famous cocaine bear. Nicknamed Pablo Escobar, the tourist attraction even has its own merch and is available for holiday photos. And the bear's popularity even higher now thanks to the film. We should go.

Goddy Schwartz, NBC News. All right, we thank Gotti for that great report. For more on how this news story from the 80s inspired a horror comedy film. We're very lucky tonight to be joined by the writer of Cocaine Bear himself, Jimmy Warden. Jimmy, thanks so much for joining Top Story tonight. We appreciate it. So talk to me about how you got the idea to write this film because it sort of came out of nowhere, I think, for a lot of movie fans. And when we saw the previews and the trailers, a lot of people thought this was a joke, but it was actually real.

And the crazy thing was it was actually a real event. Yeah, I mean, I came across the story online a few years ago, and I couldn't get the idea out of my head. It was just too crazy not to write and expand on. So I decided to kind of take a little bit of a departure from the true story and just make it centered around the bear doing cocaine in the woods and mulling people. Yeah, that was really the genius of the film, if you will, right? because you could have focused on maybe the drug trafficker who jumped out of the plane and died,

but she decided to focus on the bear. Why? Yeah, I mean, I think that maybe I could leave I should leave the true crime aspects to other writers and podcasts and documentaries and stuff. The thing that really interests me was just how plausible in nature of the true story was of cocaine falling out of the sky into a bear's den, so to speak. and then it actually ingesting it. How long did it take you to write the screenplay, and were you literally laughing out loud at some of the scenes you were coming up with? I don't know if I was laughing out loud

while I was just typing away on the keyboard, but it took me, you know, a couple months to write, and then I sent it to a producer friend of mine, Brian Duffield, and he set it up through Lord Miller and Universal, and it was kind of just a rocket ship after that. And you actually called it Cocaine Bear, right? That was your idea for a title. Yeah, I mean, I never thought that anybody was going to make the movie,

so I was like, let me just go wild in my head and do, you know, entertain myself first and foremost and hope across my fingers that other people would get some enjoyment out of it as well. What was that conversation like, though, when the film finally got greenlighted? I mean, were you shocked? Yeah, again, I never thought that it was going to get made, but it was only until those creative parts. that I just mentioned, and Universal came on board, and then Liz Banks came on board,

where I was like, oh, this is actually happening. It could be a real thing. And thank God, they believed in it enough to make it a reality. And so Elizabeth Banks directs, and just from the trailer, because I haven't been able to see the film just yet, the acting is great. The screenplay, obviously, is hysterical. How much of it was your sort of imagination and how the bear sort of interacts and what the bear would do versus Elizabeth Banks, I know it's a collaboration, but I was just curious because a lot of the funniest scenes or the craziest scenes, if you will, involve the bear high on cocaine. Yeah, I mean, I thought of a lot of those scenes in advance when I was writing the script, but a script is just a document, so it takes a whole team of people to collaborate and make the bear look real and interact with the environment because that was all CG. So that's thanks to the people at Weta and then also Elizabeth Banks for just taking it home.

I mean, she did an incredible job on it. So this is sort of a different type of question. The film is rated R, right? It's a comedy horror film. That is clear. It's called cocaine bear. My question to you is to quote the late and famous and great Rick James, cocaine is a hell of a drug.

This movie has so much buzz. A lot of people are going to watch this, want to watch this film. including kids what's your message to parents I mean should this be a strict R rating should you be over the age of 17 18 years old to watch this film just because you know there's gonna be curious kids they're gonna want to watch this no I think that once you see the movie you can tell that our objective was never to promote drug drug use or anything like that in fact it was quite the opposite I think that you know people under the age of 17 can see this movie

under, you know, maybe some supervision, or if their parents let them go or take them to the movie and they'll be completely fine. You'll find that there's some sweetness to it as well in like sort of a Spielbergian amblin sort of nature. You're blowing my mind right now, Jimmy. This movie sounds so good. I do want to ask you, there's some rumors. There's possibly a sequel in the works. I have no idea if that's true or if that's just internet speculation. But is this something you're thinking about, something you're actively working on? No, I mean, it's been so fun. to watch the internet sort of pitch ideas on the sequel or spin-off. It's a blast to see what they

come up with, like, you know, Cocaine Shark, which is actually sort of the behavioral story that happened sort of recently. But, you know, I've heard PCP pigs and marijuana, Mirkat. So I kind of leave that to the internet to think of on their own. And when it comes to a sequel for Cocaine Bear, I don't necessarily want to get too far ahead of myself. I'm just trying to enjoy the moment. Yeah, enjoy the ride, man. It is definitely a film that everyone's talking about. It could be cocaine bear versus shark-nato.

You never know what could happen. It's universal, so you never know. Jimmy, thank you so much for joining Top Story tonight. Good luck with the film. We all look forward to it. And we want to thank you for watching Top Story tonight. I'm Tom Yamis in New York. Stay right there.

More news on the way.