Guest: Scott Epperson, Louise Pennell, Teutul Jr., Paul Teutul Sr., James
Walker, Stacey Honowitz, Linda Allison, Art Wood
JOE SCARBOROUGH, HOST: Tonight‘s top headline: A private investigator says he has got the goods on Joran. He says a 16-year-old girl is ready to go to authorities with a story about Joran van der Sloot that could lead to important information about Natalee and keep this guy locked behind bars for a long time. We are live in Aruba with that and all the late-breaking details.
Plus, American groom George Smith IV, missing nearly two months, and for that long, we have been trying to get answers from the cruise line. Well, tonight, we get a response to some of our questions, but are we any closer to solving the case of the missing honeymooner?
Welcome to SCARBOROUGH COUNTRY, no passport required, only common sense allowed.
ANNOUNCER: From the press room, to the courtroom, to the halls of Congress, Joe Scarborough has seen it all. Welcome to SCARBOROUGH COUNTRY.
SCARBOROUGH: Hey, thanks a lot for being with us tonight. Greatly appreciate your time.
Now, we have got a lot of ground to cover tonight. And we are going to the chopper shop later on. You are not going to want to miss this. We are going to visit with the Teutuls. They‘re the family behind the runaway hit TV show “American Chopper.” We are going to see what makes those bikes run and what makes those men fight.
And startling new allegations about Olivia Newton-John‘s missing boyfriend and his finances. Some are asking tonight whether he had a reason to disappear.
But first, classes began today at the University of Alabama, my alma mater. Natalee Holloway was supposed to be there. Obviously, she is not.
But, meantime in Aruba, we are going to tell you about an encounter in prison with prime suspect Joran van der Sloot.
For the very latest, let‘s go to NBC‘s Michelle Kosinski.
Michelle, tell us what happened in the prison today and why we can only show our viewers some of the footage that you were able to gather.
MICHELLE KOSINSKI, NBC CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Joe.
Well, yes, we went to the prison today with the sole purpose of doing an interview with the director of prisons. And we were happy to get that. He sat down with us, talked to us for a long time, and really gave us some interesting information about what the jail is like and specifically what it is like on a day-to-day basis for suspect Joran van der Sloot.
Well, at the end of the interview, the warden asked us, hey, do you want to see a jail cell? So, we said yes. Our photographer asked, while we are with you, do you mind if we roll tape as we walk? And the director said, sure, this is my territory. While you‘re with me, you can roll tape all you want. He asked us if we wanted to see the women‘s section. We did.
After that, he asked us if we wanted to see the juvenile section, and, without thinking, of course we said yes. And then, once we got in there, into the guard area behind glass, we found ourselves standing directly in front of Joran van der Sloot in his jail cell, with his two cell mates in there with him.
So, we weren‘t expecting to see him at all, and we did. And while we were standing in there, we had our camera. He did see us. The warden then asked us, do you want to step outside and approach his jail cell? And when we did, we were able to ask him a couple of things, have a few words with him. He was very calm, very polite. He answered our questions very succinctly. He said he couldn‘t talk much.
And, basically, I asked him, how are you doing? Are you doing OK in there? And he said, yes, he was. He never asked us to leave or tried to hide or anything like that. But the problem was, later on, his attorneys challenged this in court. He basically said not that we didn‘t have permission to be filming inside the jail, but that Joran didn‘t give his express permission to be shooting him on videotape.
And the judge ruled that, yes, we should not be using that video of Joran—Joe.
SCARBOROUGH: Michelle, Michelle, what was he like? Was he—was he
did he seem relaxed? I understood that he was kind of kicked back reading a book in there. Talk about what you saw of this young man.
KOSINSKI: Yes, he was.
Well, it was a quiet area. All of the inmates were inside their cells. It was very dim in there. They can sleep during the day if they want. They can watch TV. They are not always locked up, but this was a period of time when they were.
So, Joran was sitting there in a chair reading a paperback book. His legs were propped up on a chair, and he was looking up at us from time to time. We were only in there for a couple of minutes. One of his cell mates was sitting next to him, also very quiet. And another guy you could hear was in the shower. So, the place was calm.
They do have some freedoms in here, because they are considered juveniles in the prison system until they are 23 years old. The only thing that changed for Joran when he turned 18 was that his parents could no longer visit him every day. Now it‘s once a week.
But the warden told us interesting. He said that Joran‘s father had called and asked if Joran could have some extra time exercising, could he have some extra hours spent in the yard playing football and that sort of thing, you know, basically asking for some special treatment. And the warden told him, no, he is going to be treated just like everybody else in this jail.
SCARBOROUGH: Let‘s talk about some of these other women that are talking—that may be coming forward. If Joran is kicked back, relaxed, reading a book in his jail cell, he may not be in the coming weeks, because we understand other women may be making some charges against him.
What can you tell us about that?
KOSINSKI: Well, we know one young woman has gone to the FBI, not alleging a crime, but saying that she had some contact with Joran van der Sloot that made her feel uncomfortable.
A defense attorney says that two other women‘s statements are on their record, again, not necessarily alleging that he committed crimes against them, but they felt concerns about his behavior enough to tell prosecutors. Now we have this girl, who—we thought she was 17 at first. Now her attorney says, when she met with her again, it turns out she is 16 years old. We talked to her attorney directly tonight. The attorney says that she is making allegations of a crime against Joran van der Sloot, that she went to police initially, and now she is going to go to prosecutors and tell her story once again.
But her attorney has some concerns. She feels that police did not fully explore her statement when she initially gave it to police.
SCARBOROUGH: All right. Thank you so much, NBC‘s Michelle Kosinski. You have had a very busy day. We appreciate you coming on and telling us all about it.
Let me tell you something, friends. Here this guy is, he is kicked back in his jail cell, his feet propped up, reading a paperback book. It sounds like Club Med to me. But I can tell you something. I think, when you hear what we have of—I mean, this guy is not going to be relaxing for very long, because Art Wood is a private investigator down there. He works for “Diario” newspaper, and he says he has talked to the lawyer for this 16-year-old girl.
Art, what can you tell us about the young woman that may be coming forward with charges that could keep Joran van der Sloot in jail for some time? Is it a credible story? Is it a credible young girl?
ART WOOD, PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR: Yes, well, I think she is a courageous young girl.
And, you know, I didn‘t know until tonight, Joe, that this young lady did talk to the police initially. She wasn‘t trying to hide from this. It‘s just the matter of fact is that she had to go to her attorney to convince people to go to the prosecutor now. I think that it‘s great that she came forward. There‘s other young ladies out there. We want them to come forward. The girl says that she has got two friends.
(CROSSTALK)
SCARBOROUGH: Give us the young—the 16-year-old girl‘s story about Joran. What is she saying about him?
WOOD: She says that she was given a date rape drug or drugs and raped
by Joran.
SCARBOROUGH: And how do you—how do you know that information? Is that from the lawyer? Is that what the lawyer is alleging?
WOOD: That‘s from the lawyer. I tried to make arrangements to meet with the girl, but she doesn‘t want to talk to any Americans right now. She is going to go to the prosecutor, however.
SCARBOROUGH: So, Art, this is big news. The lawyer tells you that this young girl had a date rape drug given to her by Joran and then claims that he raped her. Is that what you are saying?
WOOD: That‘s what I am saying.
SCARBOROUGH: And so, if that happened...
WOOD: That‘s right, Joe. And she says that she knows—she knows of two other girls that this same thing happened to, so the prosecutor is going to have this information.
SCARBOROUGH: Are those girls going to be coming forward?
WOOD: I hop so. I am begging them to come forward.
If it‘s true, if any of these allegations are true, we need everybody to come forward.
SCARBOROUGH: I will tell you what. Obviously, it‘s just allegations, but, Art, you know, we have been hearing about this for some time. In a minute, I am going to be talking to Natalee‘s aunt, Linda Allison, who said she heard these stories on the island. And, of course, Beth Holloway Twitty has been saying from the first day she got there, she heard stories about Joran van der Sloot.
And we also had Clint Van Zandt, who works for MSNBC as an investigator, go down there. He says that that is a theory in the case.
So, my question is, does everybody on the island of Aruba basically have this as a working theory, that this guy preyed on young American girls, young European girls, young Aruban girls that came to the island?
WOOD: Well, not everybody has that theory, but I have heard it over and over again. The crowd that this boy was running with has some serious problems, Joe.
(CROSSTALK)
SCARBOROUGH: All right, Art. I want to thank—go ahead. Tell me.
WOOD: Thank you.
Well, you know, this is a 17 -- the only 17-year-old in Aruba that was allowed to gamble in the casinos. Obviously, he has been with the wrong crowd for some time.
SCARBOROUGH: All right. Art Wood, thank you so much for being with us. We greatly appreciate it.
I want to bring in right now Natalee‘s aunt, Linda Allison, and get her reaction to these shocking developments.
Linda, you know, we have had you on before. You put up this Web site. You had heard that there was a possibility that this guy was a sexual predator. And, again, they are just allegations. I want to keep repeating that, just to make sure that we treat Joran like he is innocent until he is proving guilty. But, at the same time, there‘s such a buzz on the island right now, and now we are hearing through this lawyer that the young girl is coming forward, a 16-year-old, who said Joran put a date rape drug in her drink and then raped her.
What is your reaction? What is the family‘s reaction?
LINDA ALLISON, AUNT OF NATALEE HOLLOWAY: Well, again, that‘s very encouraging to hear the news that this female has come forward.
And what does disturb me, though, is that this young lady apparently went before the police, maybe after it happened, and I guess they dismissed this and didn‘t pursue this any further. And what is alarming about that is just how maybe their mentality towards women in general there, or on the island, because I had an American female that was living there with her family there and her husband and had domestic problems, and had called the police because her husband had been abusing, physically abusing her.
And there, in front of this police officer, he had grabbed her by the hair and had thrown her down to the ground. And when she looked at the police officer and asked for help, he just said it wasn‘t his problem, that that was between the two of them. And, so, yes, that does upset me that nothing was done before now, and hopefully that she can go to the prosecuting attorney and get something pursued on this as well.
SCARBOROUGH: Well, you talk to this private investigator. I know you heard him talking. And he said—you know, he said also that this young woman had gone there before, but also talked about the fact, again, that this is the only 16-, 17-year-old kid—I am talking about Joran van der Sloot now—who was able to go around and gamble on the island.
He was given a free pass into Carlos ‘n Charlie‘s. His father is calling, asking if he can play football out in the yard more, given—asking the jailers to give him a longer recess. It sounds like this kid got away with just about everything, and some people would suggest that maybe he got away with murder because he is so well-connected in Aruba.
Are you and the family getting more and more angry every day at the breaks this kid has been given in this investigation and even before Natalee arrived on the island?
ALLISON: Well, and we had heard all along, while we were there on the island, about what special privileges he had had, by going to the casinos, when you should be 18 to be able to gamble at these casinos. But he obviously was allowed to go into those places, as well as drinking.
His mother had said to my brother that the legal drinking age is 16, but it‘s my understanding that it‘s 18. And there are just so many things that you can go back and look at where he had unlimited rights to go into these places and supposedly Carlos ‘n Charlie‘s carded people, but he must have had his own pass to go in another area to be able to go in and buy alcoholic beverages.
And, of course, the situation there at the prison, where he is asked his father, who is in the legal system, asking for special favors, for his son to be allowed to go out and play football and do other things. And...
SCARBOROUGH: Unbelievable, yes.
ALLISON: I just find it just really amazing.
SCARBOROUGH: It‘s amazing. It‘s despicable. It‘s disgusting.
That‘s what it is.
Linda Allison, stay with us. We are going to have a lot more of the latest on the search for Natalee. Also, coming back, we are going to be talking to Stacey Honowitz about it.
Then, two months later, the cruise line is finally coming up with some answers. But I personally think it‘s too little too late. I will read you their answers to the questions I asked and let you decide.
Then, we take you where very few have ever been before, inside the chopper shop, with the fighting family from “American Chopper.” You are going to want to see this.
This is a big night in SCARBOROUGH COUNTRY. And we are just getting started.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SCARBOROUGH: Here we go again, Tropical Storm Katrina gathering strength tonight, bearing down on Florida‘s crowded southern coast. I hear it‘s supposed to come up to Pensacola. Lord, protect us. We are going to show you the latest track when SCARBOROUGH COUNTRY returns.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SCARBOROUGH: Joran van der Sloot sits in an Aruban jail awaiting his fate, as more women could possibly be coming forward with stories of alleged sexual misconduct.
Back with us is Linda Allison. And we also want to bring in Florida prosecutor Stacey Honowitz.
Linda, let me begin with you first.
You know, this kid, we understand today he is sitting in his jail, reading a paperback. His legs are kicked up. It‘s like Club Med. He knows his dad has told him, no body, no crime. Don‘t talk, you walk free.
And yet, tonight, tonight, you got to be feeling pretty good that this kid may be in jail for a long, long time, if women start moving forward, and that—won‘t that force him to start talking about what really happened to Natalee?
ALLISON: You know, I don‘t know if we will ever get the truth out of this young man. You know, it just seems to frustrating to listen day after day, that he refuses to talk. He refuses to do any kind of response to any of the questions that the interrogators have.
Obviously, when you hear the news that he puts his hands over his ears, just—it‘s just shows his arrogance and his unwillingness to cooperate with the police.
SCARBOROUGH: But, Stacey, he may be arrogant tonight, but, if these other women come forward, then police officers have—police—the prosecutors have a reason to keep him in jail, knock him around in the legal process, and, all of a sudden, daddy‘s plan for him just to shut his mouth doesn‘t wash, does it?
STACEY HONOWITZ, FLORIDA ASSISTANT STATE ATTORNEY: Well, one thing you have to remember, Joe, that, even if these other women come forward, if they file separate charges, then he can be held on that, but that might not have an impact on this case.
You would hope that maybe hearing that there‘s other charges maybe pending or these other women are coming forward, that he might break. But I got to tell you something. Sitting in as long as he has—he only has until September 4 -- he probably is not going to speak about Natalee‘s case. But I will tell you something. It‘s interesting now that these women are starting to come forward.
And, certainly, if they file charges, if they go to the prosecutor and there‘s reason to hold him, then he will stay in jail, if they find these witnesses, these victims to be credible.
SCARBOROUGH: And the thing is, his father, again, has said, don‘t talk. That‘s what we hear.
HONOWITZ: Right.
SCARBOROUGH: Don‘t talk. Don‘t say anything, and you are going to get out on September the 4th.
But if he has to stay past September the 4th and he has to stay there indefinitely, isn‘t there a way to turn up pressure on him and say, hey, listen, kid, you are going to be sitting in jail a long time. Forget what daddy is telling you, because this ain‘t just about Natalee anymore. It‘s about a lot of these other women coming forward. And, all of a sudden, does that give them any leverage at all to start trying to get information, not just on Natalee, but on these other cases? They strike a deal, so he starts talking.
HONOWITZ: Yes, absolutely. I mean, you hear that all the time.
Certainly, if somebody is sitting in custody and he thinks he is going to get out on a certain date and, all of a sudden, new people start coming forward, and there‘s the likelihood that new charges are going to be filed, you would hope that you could put the pressure on, you could try to strike some kind of deal. If you talk about this case, we might not charge you with the other ones.
So, you can hope that that could happen. And, in this case, the idea that these other women are coming forward is something for people to really keep their eyes open for. And, certainly, it‘s interesting information for the prosecutors.
If they thought that, going into this, they weren‘t going to have anything by September 4, now, certainly with these other women making these claims against him, they might have a shot. We don‘t know if it‘s going to happen, but putting pressure on somebody who is already in custody, knowing they are facing other charges, could be a key to cracking someone.
SCARBOROUGH: No doubt. It at least is better than September 4 coming and going and this Dutch boy walking.
Stacey, thanks for being with us.
Linda Allison, as always, greatly appreciate you being here with us tonight.
ALLISON: Thank you, Joe.
SCARBOROUGH: All right.
Now, tonight, our investigation into the disappearance of newlywed George Smith IV from Royal Caribbean‘s Brilliance of the Seas continues.
And, today, the cruise line responded. We have been asking Royal Caribbean to come on the show for weeks and answer questions about Smith‘s disappearance and the investigation that followed, I would say the shoddy investigation that followed.
Last night, we asked Royal Caribbean chairman Richard Fain to come on SCARBOROUGH COUNTRY and talk to me. Well, today, Royal Caribbean again declined to have Mr. Fain or anybody else in their company appear on our show and said that Richard Fain was not available. But they did send us a written response. I want to go through it, and I am going to read it in a minute and let you know about it.
But, before I do, let me bring in maritime attorney James Walker.
James, thanks for being with us.
Why won‘t Mr. Fain come on SCARBOROUGH COUNTRY and answer some of these questions? What is he afraid of?
JAMES WALKER, MARITIME ATTORNEY: Well, Mr. Fain has resisted giving any depositions in any of the civil cases that are filed against the cruise line. He has a press relation team that is very skilled in carefully selecting certain words and certain information they want to release.
SCARBOROUGH: All right. But what are they scared of?
WALKER: Mr. Fain doesn‘t want to come on...
SCARBOROUGH: What are they scared of?
WALKER: Well, they are scared of sitting in this type of environment and having to interact with you or with any other guests to discuss the issue of crime on their ships.
This particular cruise line has literally hundreds of incidents of crime each year on their ships. They don‘t want to talk about it. They want to portray a happy image of a carefree vacation. They don‘t want to talk about the hard facts.
SCARBOROUGH: Well, let me read you part one of their response to us.
They said—quote—“As soon as we determined George Smith was missing, we immediately secured both the Smiths‘ cabin and the metal overhang where what appeared to be blood was found. The metal overhang was cleaned only after Turkish authorities completed their forensic investigation and released the area at approximately 6:00 p.m. that night. The Smiths‘ cabin remained secured for several weeks”—end quote.
cleared by 6:00 p.m., and yet the FBI didn‘t get a chance to investigate.
Go through that. I mean, that doesn‘t square up with what we have heard from other guests. How do you respond to that?
WALKER: Well, that is an incredible press statement, if that‘s what you are saying it is. This is the first time I have heard this.
Number one, the Turkish police officers cannot legally release a crime scene like that. The FBI has concurrent jurisdiction. They‘re the primary law enforcement body that has jurisdiction over this. They have the right to have their own forensic team. The FBI, of course, has the reputation of having the best forensic people in the world. It is incredible that you would have a U.S. citizen, potentially being a victim of a crime on a ship primarily run by a company in the United States, where the cruise line would defer to a Turkish police officer that has really no control over the scene.
(CROSSTALK)
SCARBOROUGH: So, you are saying the FBI—you are saying the FBI had a right, had jurisdiction to go on and inspect the scene. And yet they scrubbed it after the Turkish authorities came on the scene, and you are saying that‘s improper.
WALKER: Sure, that‘s a problem.
The cruise line and actually Mr. Fain, since you brought his name up, the CEO of Royal Caribbean Cruises, has written an open letter to the American public several years ago, in which he said, come on our ships. There‘s no crime. But if there is a crime, we will report it to the FBI.
And look what happens here.
SCARBOROUGH: Yes. That‘s certainly...
WALKER: They don‘t let the FBI conduct an investigation.
SCARBOROUGH: Certainly hasn‘t happened.
Let me go through the rest of this. Royal Caribbean also addressed the issue of crew members at the Smiths‘ door, which we reported here the other night: “Our security officers responded to Mr. Hyman‘s complaint about loud partying shortly after he called. They knocked and, not hearing any noise and not having any reason for concern at that point, did not enter the Smiths‘ cabin.”
Now, a passenger in the next cabin, of course, told them that something terrible was happening next door. And yet they decide not to enter because they hear nothing? Does that make sense to you?
WALKER: Well, it‘s incredible that a press statement would say that a security officer had no reason for concern.
Listen, one of the couples in the adjacent cabin was telling the security representatives, go into the cabin. Something is wrong in there. The eyewitness accounts are indicating perhaps a violent struggle. What do you mean don‘t go into the cabin? You can‘t knock on a potential crime scene, have no one answer, and just turn and walk away. Someone could have been injured.
SCARBOROUGH: And so they do absolutely nothing.
Why would they do that? I find it hard to believe that any security operation would get a call from somebody concerned, actually, on both sides, saying they were concerned, saying that something was going on, and they send a couple of security guys. They knock on the door, and then do nothing? Is that the M.O. for cruise lines?
(CROSSTALK)
WALKER: That‘s a situation we see quite often, many passengers complaining about the security officers on these ships not being particularly interested.
They are certainly not trained. They are not the type of security detail that you would see here in the United States. It‘s remarkable that they would admit that they had their employees at the scene of a potential crime and they did nothing. That‘s just—it‘s incredible.
SCARBOROUGH: You know, Jim, we are going to stay on it. I greatly appreciate you being here and clearing up some of these things.
I got to tell you, I agree with you. If you are called, if you are a cruise line and you think something bad is happening next door, you call security, they come knock on the door and then they turn around and walk away at the same time that a possible death, a possible murder occurred, man, that is serious, serious stuff.
Thanks for being with us, James. As always, we greatly appreciate it.
Coming up next, we shift gears, go inside “American Chopper,” the hot new show that everybody is talking about.
And new questions also about Olivia Newton-John‘s lost love. Question tonight, did he have a reason to disappear?
Stay with us. That‘s when SCARBOROUGH COUNTRY returns.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, “AMERICAN CHOPPER”)
PAUL TEUTUL SR., “AMERICAN CHOPPER”: I‘m responsible, right, wrong, or indifferent. If somebody don‘t like it, there‘s the door.
All right. And if they can‘t find it, I will find it for them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCARBOROUGH: Family values, “American Chopper”-style. We are going to take you inside the shop of that American cultural icon next.
But, first, here‘s the latest news that you and your family need to know.
(NEWS BREAK)
SCARBOROUGH: New questions about Olivia Newton-John‘s lost love, who vanished off the coast of California. Tonight, many are asking, did he have a reason to disappear?
Welcome back to SCARBOROUGH COUNTRY. That story in just minutes.
But, first, what do you get when you take a family, you put them in a bike shop, and then you document all their ups and downs on video? Well, the answer, of course, is “American Chopper,” the Discovery Channel‘s breakout hit show. The Teutul family, Paul Sr. and Jr. and Mikey, along with their co-workers, make custom motorcycles. We are talking really primo stuff here. And the cameras are always there as the family does what a lot of families do, fight. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, “AMERICAN CHOPPER”)
PAUL TEUTUL JR., “AMERICAN CHOPPER”: Listen, there‘s no following week. We are never not under pressure.
PAUL TEUTUL SR.: Listen, you are (EXPLETIVE DELETED) the most inconsistent, unreliable person in this (EXPLETIVE DELETED) shop.
(CROSSTALK)
PAUL TEUTUL SR.: And if you were a (INAUDIBLE) example to these guys, they would all be the same way you are. But you know what? I don‘t let that happen. I don‘t let that happen.
(CROSSTALK)
PAUL TEUTUL JR.: Listen, tell it to someone—tell it to someone who cares.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCARBOROUGH: Now, let‘s bring in Paul Teutul and his son, Paul Jr. They are, of course, the stars of “American Chopper,” which premieres on Discovery Channel—this season, premieres on Discovery Channel next Monday.
Gentlemen, welcome to the show. Greatly appreciate you being here.
Hey, let‘s start by talking about the choppers you are sitting on right now. What are they?
PAUL TEUTUL JR.: These two bikes, we actually built for one of our shows. I built the bike I am sitting on and my father built the bike he is sitting on, and we did it to raise money for the military. We did the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Foundation and the Fisher House Foundation, two really good charities to raise money for the military.
SCARBOROUGH: Why has this become really a cultural phenomenon? You got—I mean, you guys have almost made the Harley seem passe. Now people that are really into biking want a custom-made chopper from you guys or Jesse James on the West Coast. What‘s the deal?
PAUL TEUTUL JR.: You know, I think it‘s—I think it‘s just a combination of the family dynamic and motorcycles.
You know, I think that people have always admired motorcycles. And it only made sense when we started doing these theme bikes, you know, people just started really getting into it. I think that there was somewhat of a surge as far as an interest in bikes. And then, when our show came out, it made it OK for just about anybody to ride.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, “AMERICAN CHOPPER”)
PAUL TEUTUL SR.: It‘s bad enough that this tooth is killing me. But then I got to listen to all this drilling. And numbnuts over there is whistling Dixie. I don‘t know what the hell is going on over there.
PAUL TEUTUL JR.: So how are you feeling, pop?
PAUL TEUTUL SR.: I will be doing a lot better when I am done with this (EXPLETIVE DELETED) tooth bull (EXPLETIVE DELETED).
PAUL TEUTUL JR.: Come on over here. I will fix your tooth for you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCARBOROUGH: Talk about the show. What are we going to see this season that we didn‘t see last season?
PAUL TEUTUL SR.: We are doing a few things different this year. One of the things—you know, we got good shows coming up. We have already done, I think, four or five shows that are already in the can.
But one of the new things that are coming up is, we are going to be doing four shows that are going to be called the dream builds. And, basically, you know, they have put—on the Web site, you know, people have sent in tapes of themselves and the reason why they would like to be a part of this. And, you know, I forget—there‘s 100-plus-thousand people, but we are going to pick four people that, you know, that we are going to build a bike for.
SCARBOROUGH: Paul Sr., this—again, this has been the love of your life for a long time. But how has all this success changed your life? Has the business become so big that the thing that you have loved for 30 years now has really turned into a business? Do you still have time to go out and ride much, or are you just on top of this business empire day in and day out?
PAUL TEUTUL SR.: You know, in the very beginning, it was—when we were limited to the amount of people that we had—we started out with just three people a couple years back.
And now I employ 70-plus people. So, you know, that‘s made life a lot easier for me. But, you know—and then there‘s, you know, the whole adjustment thing. But I think, at this stage, I think I am starting to enjoy life again. And, you know, I have never lost—I have never lost the ambition for building and riding motorcycles. It‘s still something that I have a passion for, and I think that, you know, that will always continue.
SCARBOROUGH: Hey, Paul Jr., talk about this show. Obviously, people love watching you and your dad go at it, love watching Mikey just sort of stumble around. Is that all an act, or do you just turn the cameras on, and what we see is how you guys live when the cameras are off?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, “AMERICAN CHOPPER”)
(CROSSTALK)
PAUL TEUTUL JR.: I have been here every night we had to stay and every Sunday for a month when you weren‘t here, so don‘t tell me I have a mentality that I don‘t work.
PAUL TEUTUL SR.: Don‘t ever (EXPLETIVE DELETED) tell me time things, as far as you putting in more time than me, because it will never (EXPLETIVE DELETED) happen.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PAUL TEUTUL JR.: Yes.
You know, basically, what you see is what you get. And I think that‘s what makes the show so great, and that‘s what comes across so genuine about our show. And I think partly that‘s why people are still watching. I mean, we have great characters on our show. And the beauty of the characters are is, they are real people. And so, you know, I think that, you know, with Michael and Vinnie and my father and me and the way we carry on, people get to see what our everyday life is like. And I think they appreciate that.
SCARBOROUGH: Paul Sr., I will ask you the same question. Is that why your show is such a huge success, that people love—I mean, people love being able to get a glimpse into some fascinating people‘s lives, and see them go after it? If they are mad, if they‘re angry with each other, they go after it. If they are having a good time, you see that part of it, too.
PAUL TEUTUL SR.: You know, again, I think it‘s like Paul said. You know, I don‘t think we look at ourselves as characters, but, evidently, we are, you know?
(LAUGHTER)
PAUL TEUTUL SR.: And people—people appreciate that, and they appreciate the genuineness of it. And, you know, it‘s like you said. I think that—I honestly think that our show is probably the only real reality show that is out there today, because, you know, there‘s no script in our show.
So, you know, it‘s like you said. It is what it is. And these guys are here six days a week filming, and they—they just become part of the picture here. So, in actuality, we don‘t even know that they are here most of the time. So, if there‘s an explosion, you know, nobody is restraining themselves because of the cameras, holding back or letting go, because it‘s pretty obvious that, you know, we don‘t realize that the cameras are there.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SCARBOROUGH: All right, more family fun with the Teutuls when we come back. And I am going to ask how they managed to make outlaw bikers out of guys like me. You are not going to believe the answer.
And, later, the mystery deepens, troubling questions about the disappearance of Olivia Newton-John‘s boyfriend. We have got late-breaking details coming up when SCARBOROUGH COUNTRY returns.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SCARBOROUGH: Get your motors running. We are still on the road with the guys from “American Chopper.” It‘s the cult sensation from the Discovery Channel.
And their motto, well, the same motto that is in my household, real bikes, real fights, real man hugs. And, because of them, guys that look like me are hitting the open road. I asked them how it felt to inspire bobos and yuppies. This is what they said.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PAUL TEUTUL JR.: You know, I think that—I don‘t know. I think it is great for the industry. You know, whatever you want to call them, they are buying bikes. And I think it‘s great across the board. It‘s great for us.
And, you know, I think people get into biking for all different reasons, but I think, for the most part, they stick with it if they love it. So, you know, hopefully, this will be a continuous thing, and for the next generation, it will be good.
PAUL TEUTUL SR.: Yes, I think for the people that—for the, you know, that were enthusiasts back in the day, and then they had their families, and, you know, had to kind of give it up, and being inspired now today, to be able to come back and do it again is pretty interesting because, you know, those are the people that were probably truly enthusiasts, and now they are back doing it again, because I think they have been inspired by our show.
SCARBOROUGH: How has life changed for you guys? Can you walk down the street without being mobbed?
PAUL TEUTUL SR.: No, no.
PAUL TEUTUL JR.: No.
(LAUGHTER)
PAUL TEUTUL SR.: That‘s—I think that that‘s the...
(LAUGHTER)
PAUL TEUTUL SR.: But that‘s a good thing, you know?
SCARBOROUGH: Yes.
PAUL TEUTUL SR.: I think that, for us, you know, life is not the same anymore, not that it‘s not good. It is good.
But, you know, the thing that you do lose is, you lose your privacy. And, you know, it‘s—no matter where you go, you know, there‘s not too much time that you can just spend without interruption, you know?
SCARBOROUGH: Yes.
Hey, Paul Jr., does your dad ever look at you, like in the middle of a working day, and you have got all this success coming your way, and does he ever say, hey, you little punk, you don‘t know how hard I had it; you are on easy street now because of me? You ever hear that from him?
PAUL TEUTUL JR.: I hear it. I think that the show took the both of us to come to this level of success.
So, but, you know, he had the backbone, and, you know, he made it happen in the beginning. The show is the chemistry between me and him. And now we have achieved this level of success. I was hearing that before we had the show.
(LAUGHTER)
PAUL TEUTUL SR.: Hey, and he will hear it—he will hear it after the show, also.
(LAUGHTER)
SCARBOROUGH: Yes, I use that line on my oldest son all the time. I just—I didn‘t know if you guys heard it, too.
PAUL TEUTUL SR.: Oh, yes.
SCARBOROUGH: Well, talk about the favorite—your favorite bikes that you guys have built. They‘re not your favorite, but let‘s talk—but, obviously, you do these theme bikes. Is there one that stands out in your mind that you really poured your heart into, and, when it was done, you really felt like, man, I have accomplished something great here?
PAUL TEUTUL SR.: Yes.
I think, you know, we both have our own—you know, in actuality, I think the first bike was the fireman bike that really had a big impact on probably us and, you know, anybody else that was involved with 9/11. And, for me, it was the POW bike, because that had a big impact on the veterans and stuff like that. So, you know, just speaking for myself, you know, I did the POW bike, so, you know, for me, that‘s—that was my favorite bike, you know?
SCARBOROUGH: Paul Jr.?
PAUL TEUTUL JR.: You know, it‘s tough.
We have done a lot of bikes. I think that the fire bike, for me, you
know, it touched so many people‘s lives, and it was such an important thing
for me to do. You know, we really wanted to pay tribute to the firemen
that died in 9/11. It hit so close to home. So, I would have to say that
that bike stands out most to me.
And then the Black Widow, as far as—the Black Widow was one of my favorite bikes as far as fabrication. And it was also the first bike we ever did for our series. So, those two bikes are pretty much it.
But, man, every single bike that we build has its own meaning, you know? Some are less than others, but, you know, they all have their own place.
SCARBOROUGH: Hey, thanks a lot. Really appreciate it. And good luck with the new season.
PAUL TEUTUL SR.: Thank you very much.
PAUL TEUTUL JR.: Thank you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SCARBOROUGH: And coming up next, the latest on this missing boyfriend of Australian singer Olivia Newton-John, tonight, shocking new details. Did he have a reason to disappear?
And, later, 13 years after Hurricane Andrew decimated South Florida, Katrina is coming into shore. We are going to have an update on where she is heading when SCARBOROUGH COUNTRY returns.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SCARBOROUGH: The mysterious disappearance of Olivia Newton-John‘s long-time boyfriend, Patrick McDermott, is getting stranger by the day.
McDermott went on an overnight fishing trip on June 30 and he hasn‘t been seen—he hasn‘t been seen or heard of since. His wallet, his car keys, his passports, they were all left on the boat.
And here with the very latest is Louise Pennell. She‘s foreign correspondent for Seven Network Australia, who has been closely following the case.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LOUISE PENNELL, SEVEN NETWORK AUSTRALIA: Well, what we do know is that Olivia Newton-John has canceled appearances to promote her new album, which is due out next Thursday.
Olivia has remained silent with regard to Patrick McDermott‘s disappearance, although we already know that she has employed the services of high-profile detective Gavin de Becker.
As far as an update on Patrick McDermott, what we now know is that, just weeks before he went missing, a court ordered that he pay outstanding child care payments that he was due to pay for his teenage son. And, in those same files, we also know that his ex-wife alleged that he had an anger management problem and that he, in fact, had insulted her—assaulted her, rather.
Also, we know that he had a life insurance policy of about $100,000 that is due to be paid to his son if McDermott dies or is presumed dead. So, all this evidence is leading to the fact that Patrick McDermott in no doubt was in financial difficulties and could have possibly staged his own death.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SCARBOROUGH: All right. Thanks a lot, Louise, obviously a big, big possibility. I mean, it‘s a possibility, but we just don‘t know.
With us right now, though, on the phone is U.S. Coast Guard Chief Warrant Officer Scott Epperson. We also have Stacey Honowitz back with us.
Scott, let me start with you.
SCOTT EPPERSON, U.S. COAST GUARD: Good evening.
SCARBOROUGH: Obviously, a lot of speculation out there tonight, but that‘s obviously not for you to be concerned about. Tell us about the search. Do you have any leads?
EPPERSON: Right now, basically, the Coast Guard is still treating this as a missing-persons case. All the media interest that has occurred here in the past couple days has brought on some leads that our investigators are following.
I am not sure exactly what those leads are, but they are following up with those and seeing if things—you know, if they lead anywhere. To date, there has been nobody that has come forward with any information about actually seeing him get off the boat or anything like that.
SCARBOROUGH: I was going to ask you, do you have any credible evidence or do you have any information at all that he may have chosen to stage his own disappearance?
EPPERSON: Not that we have seen so far.
SCARBOROUGH: All right.
Let me bring you in, Stacey Honowitz, and ask you about what you have heard and seen of this case. It sounds like, you know, there are troubling developments here. What is your take on it? What is your read?
HONOWITZ: Well, everybody has got different theories. But, Joe, this is typical in any kind of missing-persons case.
What you have to do, you hear the story, first of all, of the person missing and then you dig. You dig for some dirt, and you are hoping, when you investigate, that some of the background can give out some clues. So, in this case, what is happening is—and why the media has it, of course, is because he is tied to celebrity, as opposed to any other missing person, but it‘s treated the same way.
You go back into his life and you find out if there was anything troubling in his background, such as the financial difficulties, the child support payments, the allegations against the wife. And you hope that, in digging down and in finding any of this information, it can lead you to clues. It‘s just the same thing with the prosecutor that was missing in Pennsylvania.
You know, it came to light because he was a high-profile prosecutor. You go back in the history to see, were there any cases, anybody that was an enemy against him? Because you have different theories. You have homicide, suicide, staging his own death, and abduction. And you hope, like I said, that some information will lead you to resolving this case. And, right now, nobody knows what‘s going on.
SCARBOROUGH: Scott, if people have any information, what should they do to help you guys out?
EPPERSON: They can go to our Web site and go to our—the press release that deals with Mr. McDermott. And there‘s a phone number on there. The phone number for, just for sake right now, is 310-732-7344. If you do have credible information, go ahead and call that and leave a message. The investigators will get back to you.
SCARBOROUGH: All right, very good.
And, of course, we have www.uscglosangeles.com up there. If you have any information on this case, please make the phone call or go to that site. Greatly appreciate you being with us, Scott Epperson and Stacey Honowitz. Appreciate it. We will be following this story throughout the week.
Now, tonight, Southern Florida is bracing for a major tropical storm or hurricane. It‘s right offshore, and we are going to show you the latest track of Katrina. That‘s coming up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SCARBOROUGH: Tropical Storm Katrina is gathering strength, bearing down on Southern Florida, should be a hurricane when it hits landfall. We are tracking the storm. We will give you the latest coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SCARBOROUGH: Florida is bracing for the worst once again, as an end-of-summer storm threatens the southern coastline. Tropical Storm Katrina is expected to strengthen into a hurricane and make landfall on Friday. Katrina could dump at least a foot of rain on my already waterlogged home state.
Southeast Florida alone was hit by two hurricanes last year. And, so far, the threat from Katrina doesn‘t seem to be that big of a threat. We are going to be tracking it coming up.
But, right now, that‘s all the time we have for tonight. “THE SITUATION WITH TUCKER CARLSON” starts right now.
Tucker, good evening, sir.
TUCKER CARLSON, HOST, “THE SITUATION”: Good evening, Joe Scarborough.
(CROSSTALK)
CARLSON: Waterlogged, but beautiful, still. Thanks.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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