also ahead, another dan, our "gma" legal analyst dan abrams, in kansas city talking to the parents of missing baby lisa, the missouri national guard is going to join the search for her today and we'll have the latest on that investigation into her disappearance. >>> plus, this little guy is one of the things we've been fixated on this week. the crazy chimp, talk about all of the other things he can do coming up in our "fixation" segment. >>> we begin at the bottom of the world in the effort to rescue a sick american woman stranded in the south pole. a plane able to land in and the hope to rescue her soon. >> good morning to you. it will take about eight hours for a rescue plane to finally reach renee douceur at the south pole but when temperatures dip below 70 degrees and weather can kill in an instant, there are a lot of factors that could keep her stranded at the bottom of the earth. it's here amid blizzard winds, subzero temperatures and blinding snow renee-nicole douceur waits to be rescued after likely suffering a stroke. she spoke with us yesterday by phone. the tone of her voic

dan abrams in kansas city, thank you very much. we look forward to seeing your interview with the parents of labor lisa, and you can see that interview with the parents tomorrow morning right here on "gma." >>> coming up on "gma" this morning, if you want to be chased by a 1,500-pound bull, you don't have to leave the u.s. you can stay right here and do it. we'll give you that coming up that story coming up next. up next. it was an ongoing, deep pain. i didn't understand it. i found out that connected to our muscles are nerves that send messages through the body. my doctor diagnosed it as fibromyalgia -- thought to be the result of overactive nerves that cause chronic, widespread pain. lyrica is believed to calm these nerves. i learned lyrica can provide significant relief from fibromyalgia pain. and less pain means, i can feel better and do more of what matters. [ female announcer ] lyrica is not for everyone. lyrica may cause serious allergic reactions or suicidal thoughts or actions. tell your doctor right away if you have these

i'm sorry. >> reporter: this is dan abrams for "nightline" in kansas city. >> our thanks to dan abrams. we'll keep you posted on that case. >>> just ahead we'll shift gears, physical fitness, a workout that has won the loyalty of some of hollywood's most toned but does it work for the average jane or joe or terry? ♪ [ male announcer ] how could a luminous protein in jellyfish, impact life expectancy in the u.s., real estate in hong kong, and the optics industry in germany? at t. rowe price, we understand the connections of a complex, global economy. it's just one reason over 75% of our mutual funds beat their 10-year lipper average. t. rowe price. invest with confidence. request a prospectus or summary prospectus with investment information, risks, fees and expenses to read and consider carefully before investing. now with stayfree you don't have to worry. inspired by athletic wear, only stayfree has thermocontrol to wick away moisture. so you're dry and comfortable up to 8 hours. stayfree. before i started taking abilify, i was taking an antidepressant alone. most days i could put o

i'll talk with a close friend of the knox family, legal expert dan abrams on what changed and the man who wrote the book on the nightmare amanda knox has gone through. and a look inside michael jackson's multibillion dollar estate. >> it's been reported that sony tv is worth up to $2 billion and michael owns half. >> i'll talk to two of the men who knew him best. >> one of a kind. >> plus a new preview of michael's new show >> seems like a match made in heaven. >> this is "piers morgan tonight." >>> american student amanda knox walked free from an italian prison after serving four years for a horrific crime she didn't commit. her roommate was brute ale murdered in an apartment they shared in perugia. tonight amanda and her boyfriend

we'll turn now to abc's legal analyst dan abrams. this has been such a saga and the sense of a lot of americans this was an injustice from the get-go that amanda knox was railroaded. what do you make of that. >> the judge has made the right decision here. once the dna was discredited, there was no link anymore to murder. i don't see how you could have moved forward and said we still have evidence of murder. but how did she get here? well, it starts with her own statements. some of which were proven to simply be outright falsehoods. now, she would say she was coerced. she would say she was being interrogated for hours and that the authorities made suggestions to her. fair enough. if that's true, then this very well may have been an american citizen who got totally railroaded, but if that's not true and there was some truth to the statements she was making, or at least she was trying to make statements that were truthful and she got caught lying, totally different situation. >> might have brought it on herself. >> absolutely. you could

but i want to bring in abc's chief legal analyst, dan abrams. dan, what is the final word on this? did an american student fall into a kind of alice in wonderland world of italian legal -- >> look, i think the court did the right thing. once the dna evidence was discredited, there was no link to the murder. with that said, amanda knox made false statements to the authorities about this investigation, significant false statements. she says they were coerced. and if they were, then, yes, it's alice in wonderland. if they weren't, then there are real reasons to question why she was dishonest with the authorities about significant matters. >> but the judge today clearly indicated what he thought. >> that's right. when looking at the totality of the circumstances, that simply was not evidence to hold her for murder. >> and could they bring her back for the civil suits that could still be tried by her former roommate? >> they won't be able to bring her back for the civil suits. in theory, if the prosecutors appeal if they can to the highest court and they win, they could ask for extradit

i want to bring in abc news legal analyst dan abrams tonight. dan, you've been watching the case so closely. so, tomorrow, we could learn if she's been 6,500 miles away from home for four years and going to return home. >> reporter: that's right. and she could be set free tomorrow. some processing and she could be going home. now, it's possible prosecutors could appeal and people talked about the possibility of extradition. the bottom line is, if she walks free, i think it's safe to say she's free. >> i want to ask what everyone is asking you, everywhere you go, what are the chances of that? >> reporter: i think there's a slightly more than 50% chance that she'll be released. with that said, there are people here who are presuming she'll be released. and saying it's a foregone conclusion. look, there is still evidence to suggest that she and her boyfriend were in the home that night. the problem is, there's not a lot of evidence, if any at all, that she was actually involved in the murder. and that's the problem that the prosecutors have. >> mor

dan abrams, thank you. and abc will broadcast a special edition of "good morning america," amanda knox, judgment day, as the ruling handed down. and abc news will break in when that verdict comes. "gma," first thing in the morning from italy. >>> we move on tonight and here in new york, demonstrators are camped out on wall street this evening as they protests now grow across several states. this weekend, there were 700 arrests as protesters tried to make their way across the brooklyn bridge. and so tonight, here, we ask, what's driving these protesters? and this is just the beginning? here's abc's t.j. winick. >> reporter: they are hundreds strong, bcalling themselves occupy wall street and speak for millions. >> anybody here has an opportunity to speak, an opportunity to be heard. >> reporter: their causes? everything from global warming to gasoline prices to corporate greed. but all here are unite bid their anger over what they say is a broken system. that serves the wealthy and powerful at the expense of

i'll talk with a close friend of the knox family, legal expert dan abrams on what changed and the man who wrote the book on the nightmare amanda knox has gone through. and a look inside michael jackson's multibillion dollar estate. >> it's been reported that sony tv is worth up to $2 billion and michael owns half. >> i'll talk to two of the men who knew him best. >> one of a kind. >> plus a new preview of michael's new show >> seems like a match made in heaven. >> this is "piers morgan tonight." >>> american student amanda knox walked free from an italian prison after serving four years for a horrific crime she didn't commit. her roommate was brute ale murdered in an apartment they shared in perugia. tonight amanda and her boyfriend rafael sollecito are free. she's preparing to fly home to the united states to rebuild her shattered life. for the latest, let's go to matthew chance in perugia. you've been out there the whole time. you were in court today. dramatic scenes. were you expecting that? you've been following this very closely for years. >> reporter: yeah, well, i wasn't quite

i want to bring in abc's chief legal analyst, dan abrams. what is the final word on this? did an american student fall into a kind of alice in wonderland world of italian legal -- >> i think the court did the right thing. once the dna was discredited there was no link to the murder. with that said amanda knox made false statements to the authorities about this investigation, significant false statements. she says they were coerced. if they were, yes, it's alice in wonderland. if they weren't, then there are real reasons to question why she was dishonest with the authorities about significant matters. >> but the judge today clearly indicated what he thought. >> that's right. when looking at the to tail of the circumstances that there simply was not evidence to hold her for murder. >> could they bring her back for the civil suits that could be tried by her former roommate? >> they won't be able to bring her back for the civil suits. in theory if the prosecutors appeal it to the highest court and they win they could ask for extradition and in the end i don't think they'd get

i'll talk with a close friend of the knox family, legal expert dan abrams on what changed and the man who wrote the book on the nightmare amanda knox has gone through. and a look inside michael jackson's multibillion dollar estate. >> it's been reported that sony tv is worth up to $2 billion and michael owns half. >> i'll talk to two of the men who knew him best. >> one of a kind. >> plus a new preview of michael's new show ♪ >> seems like a match made in heaven. >> this is "piers morgan tonight." >>> american student amanda knox walked free from an italian prison after serving four years for a horrific crime she didn't commit. her roommate was brute ale murdered in an apartment they shared in perugia. tonight amanda and her boyfriend rafael sollecito are free. she's preparing to fly home to the united states to rebuild her shattered life. for the latest, let's go to matthew chance in perugia. you've been out there the whole time. you were in court today. dramatic scenes. were you expecting that? you've been following this very closely for years. >> reporter: yeah, well, i wasn't qu

i'll talk with a close friend of the knox family, legal expert dan abrams on what changed and the man who wrote the book on the nightmare amanda knox has gone through. and a look inside michael jackson's multibillion dollar estate. >> it's been reported that sony tv is worth up to $2 billion and michael owns half. >> i'll talk to two of the men who knew him best. >> one of a kind. >> plus a new preview of mich l michael's new show ♪ >> seems like a match made in heaven. >> this is "piers morgan tonight." >>> american student amanda knox walked free from an italian prison after serving four years for a horrific crime she didn't commit. her roommate was brute ale murdered in an apartment they shared in perugia. tonight amanda and her boyfriend rafael sollecito are free. she's preparing to fly home to the united states to rebuild her shattered life. for the latest, let's go to matthew chance in perugia. you've been out there the whole time. you were in court today. dramatic scenes. were you expecting that? you've been following this very closely for years. >> reporter: yeah, well, i wa

dan abrams talked to each of them separately. did their stories match up? >>> and ashton kutcher going solo. his wife a no show this weekend. is it another sign that one of hollywood's hottest couples is breaking up? >>> and a 3-year-old girl that gobbles up everything from cardboard to lightbulbs. when my asthma symptoms returned, my doctor prescribed dulera to help prevent them. [ male announcer ] dulera is for patients 12 and older whose asthma is not well controlled on a long-term asthma control medicine, like an inhaled corticosteroid. dulera will not replace a rescue inhaler for sudden symptoms. dulera helps significantly improve lung function. this was shown over a 6 month clinical study. dulera contains formoterol, which increases the risk of death from asthma problems and may increase the risk of hospitalization in children and adolescents. dulera is not for people whose asthma is well controlled with a long-term asthma control medicine, like an inhaled corticosteroid. once your asthma is well controlled your doctor will decide if you can stop dule

i'm bianna golodryga. >> i'm dan abrams in for the other dan. it's saturday, october 15th. >>> this morning, firefighting. considered one of the most macho jobs in the world. it's fair to ask why this firefighter is wearing this pink uniform. it's a small part how he's fighting another kind of battle. >> real men wear pink. >>> plus, on the show, "your week in three words." find out why this dog isn't getting off that coach anytime soon. >>> but we begin with the latest in the case of missing baby lisa. an anonymous donor is apparently offering a large reward for her safe return. so, where does the investigation into the missing 11-month-old stand? abc's t.j. winick is here with more. good morning, t.j. >> reporter: good morning, dan. it has to be frustrating for investigators. in the 11 days since baby lisa went missing, kansas city officials have fielded hundreds of calls about the case. but still, no real leads. friday, the fbi scoured the woods near baby lisa's home. fbi agents also combed the neighborhood with metal detectors. ending outsid

i'm bianna golodryga. >> i'm dan abrams in for the other dan. it's saturday, october 15th. >>> also this morning, firefighting. considered one of the more macho jobs in the world. so, it's entirely fair to ask why this firefighter is wearing this pink uniform. it's not a fashion statement but rather a small part of how he's fighting another kind of battle that has taken so much from him and his family. that's coming up. >> real men wear pink. >>> plus, on the show, "your week in three words." find out why this dog isn't getting off that coach anytime soon. >>> but we begin with the latest in the case of missing baby lisa. an anonymous donor is apparently offering a large reward for her safe return. so, where does the investigation into the missing 11-month-old stand? abc's t.j. winick is here with more. good morning, t.j. >> reporter: good morning, dan. it has to be so frustrating for investigators. in the 11 days since baby lisa went missing, kansas city authorities have fielded hundreds of calls and tips about the case. but still, no real lead

. >>> let's bring in our gma legal analyst, dan abrams. what do you make of this relationship between the police and the parents. >> the fact that the police came out and said they're not cooperating anymore. that's a huge statement. of course, everyone when they hear that presumes, oh, my goodness, the authorities must have had a really good reason for that. meaning the relationship, really must have ended between them. the fact they're talking again, is really important, because, you can't rule them out without them cooperating. they can sugarcoat it. but the bottom line is, authorities first want to rule out that anything happened with regards to the parents while they're continuing the investigation else. >> the mother told me that the police accused the her of killing her own child. >> they probably shouldn't have done that. my guess is deny that. that's not productive. if you think this person did it, you want to get as much information as possible to help build your case. so, that's not productive. >> although, one could argue that

let's bring in our gma legal analyst, dan abrams. what do you make of this relationship between the police and the parents? >> you know, the fact that the police came out and said they're not cooperating anymore is a huge statement because, of course, everyone when they hear that presumes, oh, my goodness, the parents must be involved in some way. so the authorities better have had a really good reason for saying that. meaning the relationship really must have better have ended between them. the fact that they're talking again is really important, because you can't rule them out without them cooperating. and they can sugar coat it all they want, but the bottom line is the authorities first want to rule out that anything happened with regard to the parents while they're continuing the investigation elsewhere. >> but the mother told me that the police straight out accused her of killing her own child so how can they have a good work relationship after that kind of accusation? >> if they did that, they probably shouldn't have done that

abrams, a little reporter of nbc, and a website called media hype. there was, if you will, a golden age of john benet ramsey and laci peterson and court tv changed to something else and because of the horrible cases, casey anthony and conrad murray, they're making a comeback. >> michael jackson trial act these days? i mean, things are really-- >> i think when the public is interested in a trial you're going to get rather large ratings. and the pictures in this trial entered as evidence were extraordinary. and when you had a five foot nine inch michael jackson, 126 pounds at death. a doctor on trial who could go to trial for many, many years, i think it qualifies as news. >> showed the body online, and horrible, horrible. >> i agree with cal, i was horrifying. >> if you don't know the outcome, that gives it-- like sports. >> and reality tv. >> amanda knox became a great american drama for a while. >> and casey anthony's lawyers, but thr ey're the girls next door and i thought, boy, not a-- >> from tv standpoint. cheap to produce and produce good ratin

we ask abc news legal analyst, dan abrams, whether amanda knox is still in legal jeopardy. >> the prosecutor, it sounds like he's going to appeal. if they win on appeal, i can't see an extradition occurring. i think amanda knox is safe at home. >> and knox should be safe at home in seattle, where hundreds of friends have been waiting for her return. >>> coming up on "good morning america," complete coverage from our team in italy and seattle, as amanda knox heads home. >>> and turning, now, to presidential politics. and what our new poll says about some potential matchups for next november. the poll finds president obama with razor-thin leads against republican front-runner mitt romney and new jersey governor, chris krity, who is still considering whether to get in the race at all. for more on this, we're joined by abc's john hendren in washington. good morning, john. >> reporter: good morning, rob. those matchup numbers are not overwhelmingly positive for the president. but the poll overall is downright horrible. our poll finds that 37% of americans believe the president will be elected. wh

dan abrams, thanks very much. robin? >>> just in time for flu season, there's a major study that says flu vaccines are less effective than previously thought. there are major implications for those most at risk, especially the elderly. how well prepared are we for a flu pandemic? let's bring in health and medical editor, dr. richard besser to talk about this. you and other doctors have been saying, get your vaccine, get your flu shot. now we're hearing this. what should we do? >> we have. this is a big study. it comes from a top group at the university of minnesota. what they did was combine all of the flu studies that have been done over the past 44 years to say how well does this vaccine work? i think people will be surprised because it doesn't work as well as we'd like. the flu shot is only 59% effective in adults 18 to 65. the flu mist vaccine, the one we give to a lot of children, does better. 83% effective in children 7 and under. but in the elderly, the group we're most concerned about, the data isn't good enough

. >> we'll have dan abrams to talk about that. >>> plus, the runaway wife. why a 25-year-old fled warren jeffs' polygamist cult. why she was desperate enough to go on the run. >> took a lot of courage to do that. >>> also, taylor swift. she is here live. so many fans in times square cannot wait for that. they've been lining up all night long. got here at 4:00. they were running around. >> it will be worth the wait. taylor swift, coming up. >>> let's get to the stunning day in the trial of michael jackson's doctor. conrad murray's defense backing away from a key theory on how jackson died. and an expert prosecution witness placing the death on murray. jim avila is in los angeles with the latest on this. good morning, jim. >> reporter: good morning, robin. it was a tough day all over for the defense. first, a bombshell of their own, conceding that one of the major pillars of their case, set before pretrial hearings, that michael jackson actually swallowed the fatal dose of propofol makes no medical sense because studies show drinking the anesthetic won't kill

. >>> let's bring in our legal analyst, dan abrams. this is pretty compelling stuff. to see a man with a baby at midnight and 4:00 a.m. >> let's start with the fact that eyewitness testimony tends to be notoriously unreliable. that's number one. and number two, deborah bradley says that the baby was wearing clothes. and this is all accounts of a baby with just a diaper on. with that side, the consistency of these two accounts is interesting. the fact that there is a man in this neighborhood, oddly and in a seemingly out of place way, walking with a baby, is interesting. >> middle of the night. >> that's right. but police also have investigated this. they haven't ruled it out. it's an interesting development. it's an important development. but i don't think we can necessarily say -- >> the reports of this handyman is one of the first things they looked into. >> that's right. i assure you, when we hear in the report that the woman's been interviewed four times, the authorities would say, we have been looking into this. again and again and again. and so far, they're not

. >>> let's bring in our legal analyst, dan abrams. three, key facts on fingerprints. no on michael jackson. yes on conrad murray. and a mystery print. >> fingerprint evidence can be confusing. if you find a fingerprint, that means someone was there. if you don't find someone's fingerprint, it doesn't necessarily mean the person wasn't there. while sometimes in cases we see someone say, aha, there's no fingerprint. that proves he wasn't there. that doesn't prove anything, the fact there was no fingerprint. but the fact that conrad murray's fingerprint was there is significant. the fact that jackson's weren't, it's not irrelevant. but it's not going to be as positive. remember in the o.j. simpson case, again and again they would attack the evidence. who were these other people? whose fingerprints were they? is the defense going to claim that a whole cadre of people came into michael jackson's bedroom to administer propofol? >> the case that the defense made in questioning the whole investigation. >> i think they made a little bit of headway. i don't think this is the st

. >>> let's bring in our legal analyst, dan abrams. this is pretty compelling stuff. to see a man with a baby at midnight and 4:00 a.m. >> let's start with the fact that eyewitness testimony tends to be notoriously unreliable. that's number one. and number two, deborah bradley says that the baby was wearing clothes. and this is all accounts of a baby with just a diaper on. with that side, the consistency of these two accounts is interesting. the fact that there is a man in this neighborhood, oddly and in a seemingly out of place way, walking with a baby, is >> middle of the night. >> that's right. but police also have investigated this. they haven't ruled it out. it's an interesting development. it's an important development. but i don't think we can necessarily say -- >> the reports of this handyman is one of the first things they looked into. >> that's right. i assure you, when we hear in the report that the woman's been interviewed four times, the authorities would say, we have been looking into this. again and again and again. and so far, they're not drawing any c

dan abrams, thanks very much. robin? >>> just in time for flu season, there's a major study that says flu vaccines are less effective than previously thought. there are major implications for those most at risk, especially the elderly. how well prepared are we for a flu pandemic? let's bring in health and medical editor, dr. richard besser, in on this. get your flu shot. get the vaccine. now, what do we do? >> this is a big study that comes from a top group at the university of minnesota. what they did was combine all of the flu studies that have been done over the past 44 years to say how well does this vaccine work? i think people will be surprised because it doesn't work as well as we'd like. the flu shot is only 59% effective in adults 18 to 65. the flu mist vaccine, the one we give to a lot of children, does better. 83% effective in children 7 and under. but in the elderly, the group we're most concerned about, the data isn't good enough to say how well it works. >> what if you're over 70. >> they didn't have the da

. >>> let's more from our legal analyst, dan abrams. robin just said it. that judge ain't playing. she is very tough. but how common is this for people to skip their probation? >> it's not uncommon. but the amount of times that lindsay lohan has done it is uncommon. >> nine times. >> can you imagine if you're her lawyer? that's the worst position to be in. my client blew it off nine times. how do you explain that? this is a turning point. a tough position to be in for the lawyer. so, lindsay lohan has got to start delivering. the lawyer will sit her down and say, this is serious. this is real. if you don't start fulfilling your requirements, you're going to go back to jail. >> has until november 2nd. that's the next hearing. she has to do 16 hours of community service before then? >> at least. at the morgue. and that's the worst place to get community service. of anywhere you can go. she's cleaning up after autopsies. you can imagine why she doesn't want to do it. but the reality is, she's got to do it if she wants to avoid jail time. >> the judge knows that the whole country is wa

. >>> let's bring in our legal analyst, dan abrams. this is pretty compelling stuff. to see a man with a baby at midnight and 4:00 a.m. >> let's start with the fact that eyewitness testimony tends to be notoriously unreliable. that's number one. and number two, deborah bradley says that the baby was wearing clothes. and this is all accounts of a baby with just a diaper on. with that said the consistency of these two accounts is interesting. the fact that there is a man in this neighborhood, oddly and in a seemingly out of place way, walking with a baby, is interesting. is very interesting. >> middle of the night. >> that's right. but police also have investigated this. they haven't ruled it out. it's an interesting development. it's an important development. but i don't think we can necessarily say -- >> the reports of this handyman is one of the first things they looked into. >> that's right. i assure you, when we hear in the report that the woman's been interviewed four times, the authorities would say, we have been looking into this. again and again and again. and

. >> joining us is the attorney for the family, joe tacopina and our legal analyst, dan abrams. will you allow the police to talk to the half brothers this week? >> absolutely. some of the logistics were an issue. i've been reading and hearing a lot of things about cancellat n cancellations of meetings. it's been wildly inaccurate. >> set the record straight. it seemed like on friday the police were set to talk to them. >> one of the issues that i'm having is that we're laying too much, with all due respect to you, all to the media. this is a search for an 11-month-old missing baby. we have parents devastated and grieving. note fieing the press every time we have a meeting set up is not something advantageous. i will tell you there will be every necessary interview will be had. with law enforcement. i've had a good dialogue with the fbi in this regard. >> with that in mind, i would wonder why they wouldn't want to do it earlier. every day that passes, memories fade. if the only goal is to find this child, you would want to get them in there last week and the week before. >> they

we'll bring in legal analyst dan abrams now. so many more twists and turns. you saw the cadaver dog getting a hit. what do you make of that? >> it's indicative of a deceased body. it's not infallible. doesn't mean they have the proof they need to move forward. they can be used in investigative phases and the trial itself. this is far from the end of the question. >> is it a little odd for the family's lawyer to allow a camera crew into the family's home like that? >> it's a little odd. they have to balance, not antagonizing the police too much with trying to respond to what the public is seeing. when the grounds for a search warrant are the fact that these dogs detected a dead body, that's not good for your client. and i think that it's smart of the attorneys to have some sort of public response. does that public response need to be showing the entire house? no. i think it's dangerous for the family attorneys to say, loong, they only took six items. it's not like a shopping trip. you don't go in and say, if i like the store, i'm going to take out a lot of ite