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COSBY: Now to a LIVE AND DIRECT exclusive, actually, another story that we‘ve been covering quite a bit, the shocking case of a woman allegedly killed by her own employers, professional bodybuilders. Twenty-eight-year-old Melissa James was found dead in the trunk of a burning car last month in Las Vegas. World-renowned body builders Craig Titus and Kelly Ryan are facing murder charges.
The victim‘s mother, Maura James, joins me now. Also with us is Frank Curreri. He‘s with “The Las Vegas Review-Journal” newspaper. Frank, bring us up to speed. Do we know what the motive was behind this horrible crime?
FRANK CURRERI, “LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL”: No, Rita. The motive is still outstanding. I guess one of the things that makes the case interesting is that, you know, Kelly and Craig had said and alleged that Melissa had embezzled from them. They—Craig told police about a secret affair. And then, of course, Maura James has said that her daughter had ongoing tensions with Kelly and that Kelly had been flipping out and acting crazy lately and that Melissa then moved out of the house.
COSBY: What we know about this third person, Frank? Because I understand he, what, just got house arrest, which is sort of surprising, the third ones that are involved in the case.
CURRERI: Thirteen thousand dollars bail. He‘s posted bail. He‘s a free man. And of course, defense attorneys are assuming that he‘s cooperating with the prosecution. They expect him to testify against Craig and Kelly.
COSBY: Have police found any witness? What sort of tied everything together?
CURRERI: Well, right now, the case against Craig and Kelly is largely a circumstantial case. They have Anthony Gross, this third defendant, who can place dreg Craig at the scene in that remote desert with the Jaguar an hour or an hour and 10 before police get there and notice this car on fire.
And also, they have some inconsistencies in what Craig and Kelly have said. And I guess in the day after Melissa‘s body was discovered, Kelly had allegedly went to a friend and confided, Hey, my life is ruined. I bought seven bottles of lighter fluid. And Craig is—you know, Melissa overdosed. Craig told me he‘s going to get someone to rid of the body. And he said, No body no crime.
The victim‘s mother, Maura James, joins me now. Also with us is Frank Curreri. He‘s with “The Las Vegas Review-Journal” newspaper. Frank, bring us up to speed. Do we know what the motive was behind this horrible crime?
FRANK CURRERI, “LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL”: No, Rita. The motive is still outstanding. I guess one of the things that makes the case interesting is that, you know, Kelly and Craig had said and alleged that Melissa had embezzled from them. They—Craig told police about a secret affair. And then, of course, Maura James has said that her daughter had ongoing tensions with Kelly and that Kelly had been flipping out and acting crazy lately and that Melissa then moved out of the house.
COSBY: What we know about this third person, Frank? Because I understand he, what, just got house arrest, which is sort of surprising, the third ones that are involved in the case.
CURRERI: Thirteen thousand dollars bail. He‘s posted bail. He‘s a free man. And of course, defense attorneys are assuming that he‘s cooperating with the prosecution. They expect him to testify against Craig and Kelly.
COSBY: Have police found any witness? What sort of tied everything together?
CURRERI: Well, right now, the case against Craig and Kelly is largely a circumstantial case. They have Anthony Gross, this third defendant, who can place dreg Craig at the scene in that remote desert with the Jaguar an hour or an hour and 10 before police get there and notice this car on fire.
And also, they have some inconsistencies in what Craig and Kelly have said. And I guess in the day after Melissa‘s body was discovered, Kelly had allegedly went to a friend and confided, Hey, my life is ruined. I bought seven bottles of lighter fluid. And Craig is—you know, Melissa overdosed. Craig told me he‘s going to get someone to rid of the body. And he said, No body no crime.
