sparkman missing. first of all, let me say i'm sorry for my technical issues and let me say i'm sorry for the loss of your friend and i'm thankful for you joining us here today. thank you, sir. >> thank you for having me. >> you told mr. sparkman to be careful when he was doing census work in the area in which he was eventually killed and where his body was found. what were you telling him to be careful about. >> well, he's used to the london area that's a little more populated. when he did do his census work, it's a lot more rural, isolated. a lot more places over there, you don't even have phone service. it was a general statement from a friend to a friend, hey, just be kargful when you're over there. >> were you worried about potential criminal activity in the area. were you worried about getting in a car accident and not having cell service? were you worried about people being specifically unhappy with him working for the census? what in particular made you worry about him going to that part of the

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bill sparkman. rick: he leaves behind a mother, as well, in florida, and a whole community that is missing him. thank you for coming in today. we appreciate you talking to us. new word on what could be a major medical breakthrough. researchers are testing a vaccine for aids, and the results have been positive so far. details, and what it could mean for people all across the world. if you're taking 8 extra-strength tylenol... a day on the days that you have arthritis pain, you could end up taking 4 times the number... of pills compared to aleve. choose aleve and you could start taking fewer pills. just 2 aleve have the strength... to relieve arthritis pain all day. rick: welcome back. we have a live look at pittsburgh international airport. air force one has just landed. president obama has arrived in pittsburgh for the g-20 summit. this is the leaders of the group of 20, 20 nations that get together every now and then, always in a different spot, a different city. pittsburgh is the host city this ti

more on your weather later on, but first sparkman was found hanging from his feet. investigators have not said anything just that sparkman died of asphyxiation. >>> there is a newly written code of conduct within school athletes. it ended when the dunbar coach pulled his team off the field when the players told him they heard racial statements. the new rule is found in the book of conduct. >>>-- outside glen mount elementary and middle school. >> it was a very trying and experience. it's something you never want to see happen to a child, i understand that it cracked her pelvis. >> reporter: the school zone on walder avenue is clearly posted. drivers are informed of how fast they are going. but the children think they just don't care. >> yes, definitely. they just speed through there, not caring what happens. they are just focused on where they need to go. >> reporter: the cameras may get their attention. >> people really need to be mindful and slow down. because if not they're going to pay, and it's not about generating extra revenue, it's a safety factor that's bee

the body of 51-year-old bill sparkman was discovered september 12 hanging from a tree in rural kentucky. his job took him door-to-door seeking population data for next year's report. they haven't found a link between his job and his death. >> if somebody is killed because of their employment with the federal government, it's a federal crime. >> reporter: kentucky state troopers are leading the investigation. >> this is one of those investigations that's very difficult. we are unable to rule out or discredit any of the rumors going around about this. >> reporter: sparkman worked as a substitute schoolteacher. one of his colleague's there, a former state trooper became worried for his friend's safety when the usually reliable sparkman missed an afterschool appointment. >> when he didn't show up, we knew something was wrong. we said hey, there's something bad wrong. >> reporter: he moved to the area in the '90s to work for the boy scouts of america. friends say he was looking to get a full-time teaching position when he died. brian. >> ron, thanks. >>> when we continue from pittsburgh on a

sparkman? >> reporter: friends and colleague of 51-year-old bill sparkman say they are shocked by the mysterious death of the well liked scout master and substitute teacher. >> he was so motivated and loved being around the kids so much that he went back to school and got his degree. >> i basically landed in london, kentucky. >> reporter: this is video of him for western university in salt lake city. friend and retired state worker said he knew when sparkman didn't show up for work, something was wrong. >> mr. sparkman was always where he was supposed to be when he was supposed to be. >> reporter: he said he was going door to door for the census bureau in rural clay county. acharredo warned him to be carele. >> we did some looking but when he hadn't showed up, we called the state police and they went right to work. >> reporter: sparkman was found hacking in a tree in a remote area of the daniel boone national forest. the word "fed" was scrawl on his chest. the fbi was called. >> we're working w

the police have not ruled out an accident on sparkman's death. his son say the police are being disrespectful and dishonorable to his father by not ruling the death a homicide. kentucky's governor said, through a spokesman, that he's confident the police are moving as quickly as they can. how do you feel and how do you deal, really, with a despot? just ahead, a look at some possible sanctions against iran and whether they could potentially work. plus, you know those giant car dealer lots with hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of vehicles? well, since a lot of dealerships have been going out of business, communities have been struggling with what to do with all that space. now they're coming up with some fascinating solutions. details ahead. shepard: so these thieves steal a van and then use it to rob a warehouse and, of course, the come rass are rolling. our lead story on a fox trip "across america." florida. miami-dade police releasing this surveillance video of the three crooks. the men broke through two locked doors and headed straight for a

sparkman was bound. can you describe that? >> yes. i put the premise again i did not personally speak with mr. weaver, my colleague did it is my understanding mr. weaver found the body bound, duct taped, tied to a tree. we were told by law. already he was tied to the tree. he was technically hanging, but his feet were contact in the ground at the time the body was found. it is a bizarre, strange case. l.a. is not using the word "stumped" we are two weeks later and there's been no announcement of an arrest and no information other than the preliminary cause of deathes asphyxiation. >> with the confirmation the word "fed" was written across mr. sparkman's chest and the new information about the i.d. being taped to his otherwise body at the staple is leading us to worry to the fact he was a federal employee. mr. weaver said he saw an identification tag duct-taped to the neck. you have two other sources, people who say that tag was specifically his census worker i.d.? >> without getting into too much did he bail, much of the information m

of a child. >> investigators are trying to figure out whether there is a connection to the date that sparkman was killed. they believe he was killed on september 11th. >>> police and fbi agents in fairfax county say they busted a massive mortgage fraud scheme that involved as many as 200 homes worth the total of more than $100 million. people have been arrested in connection with the scheme. the masterminds found unqualified straw buyers and padded their bank accounts so they could get large home loans. and they would purchase the homes and they were torn down and rebuilt as man shunned and the homes were turned into boarding houses for a dozen or more people. >> these individuals saw a weakness. they saw the ability to milk the financial institutions, and worked on it and worked on it and they were very successful. >> the two-year investigation started when neighborhoods started to complain about overcrowding at some of the properties. the masterminds could spend up to 30 years in prison. >>> the morning rain we had is pretty much dissipated. there is the gray sky over the region. and there

a co-workers at the johnson elementary school said he had warned sparkman to be careful when working for the census. >>> this morning, the governor of massachusetts plans to name an interim successor to the late senator edward kennedy. governor duval patrick, got the go ahead from the state legislature yesterday. but has to wait 90 days for the bill to take effect. instd, patrick is declaring an emergency. >>> former alaska governor, sarah palin, has given her first overseas speech since leaving office. palin spoke to about 1,000 investors and bankers gathered at a conference in hong kong. those attending said the former vice presidential candidate appeared more moderate. did not attack president obama. and avoided major gaffes. some say palin is laying the ground work for a presidential run in 2012. >>> an exciting discovery from nasa. there's water on the moon. satellites orbiting the moon have detected large amounts of ice in the lunar soil, billions of gallons worth. that's good news for nasa's goal of future space colonies on the moon. exciting information. >>> now, it's time fo

the fbi isnvestigating the death of 51-year-old bill sparkman, and whether he was targeted because of his government work. sparkman's body was discovered hanging from a tree with the word "fed" scrawled on his chest. >>> next, we're going to turn to health news, and research that is coming face to face with the affects of aging. scientists looking for clues how lifestyle affects the aging process have found ideal subjects to study. twins, who started out looking just the same, but who have changed in different and dramatic ways throughout the years. here's john mckenzie. >> reporter: they come from around the country at least once a year. a festival of twins. identical twins. for researchers, having access to so many pairs of these genetic carbon copies is a scientific bonanza. >> we can compare the twins that have different social behaviors. and see how those factors make a difference in their appearance. >> reporter: an often glaring difference reflected in the photos of more than 200 pairs of twins. there's aging from smoking. compared to her sister, the smoker on the left has tiny

authorities say the word fed was written across sparkman's chest. officials say his preliminary cause of death is asphyxiation. the director of the census bureau says the agency is taking necessary precautions. >> we've suspended activity in those -- in that county and notified our client agencies that we've done so until we figure out what's happening. this is a very complicated matter. it isn't clear what happened, but prudence tells us that we should stop for a bit for the protection of our staff. >> officials say it's clear sparkman's death was not natural, but other possibilities are still being considered. [ inaudible ] >> i will feel you right here. i will feel you right here. >> this video got a georgia high school security officer fired. it shows how he confronted the students. witnesses say he pushed the student down and threatened him. the board of education agreed, but his firing is now under appe appeal. >>> libyan leader moammar gadhafi met with family members of the victims of pan-am flight 103. he was in new york to speak to the unit

authorities say the word fed was written across sparkman's chest. officials say his preliminary cause of death is asphyxiation. the director of the census bureau says the agency is taking necessary precautions and not gathering any survey information in the area for the time being. officials say it is clear sparkman's death was not natural, but all other possibilities are being considered. >>> well, today more rain's going to likely develop in the southeast. severe weather has left much of that region under water. fierce flooding destroyed dozens of homes and forced the evacuation of hundreds of people. let's get the latest now from nbc meteorologist bill karins. good morning to you, bill. is it a good morning for those folks down there? >> not at all, alex. rain it s on its way towards atlanta and the flooded area all week long. i don't think it will be quite as bad as monday morning into tuesday, but it's not pretty. let's take a look. first off, this map, everywhere in the red has portions of seven different states, shows you where we have flash

friends became worried with fear when the reliable sparkman, also a substitute elementary teacher, missed an appointment at school. >> when he didn't show up, we knew something was wrong. he didn't call, he didn't show up, and we said, hey, there's something bad wrong. >> reporter: the fbi joined kentucky state police, which is leading the investigation for now, to determine if sparkman was targeted because of antigovernment hatred. >> if somebody's killed because of their employment with the federal government, that's a federal crime and the fbi would take the lead in this investigation then. >> reporter: the government has since suspended door-to-door census canvassing in the area, which sparkman was conducting, until police uncover more clues. >> this is one of those investigations that's very difficult because we're unable to rule out or discredit any of the rumors that are going around about this. >> reporter: a resident near the scene said he told an investigator about ominous sounds coming from the woods days before sparkman's body was found september 12th. >> i told them he was ho

>>> no classification on bill sparkman. >> they knock on doors of saintly people and really horrible people. missing him is real for us. >> joe. heckler is the gop's new joe the plumber. why the republicans continue to embrace and elevate their fringe elements to poster boy status? sarah palin's latest attempt to prove she is up to speed on global politics. also she changed her profile picture. how do you lampoon a human cartoon? "saturday night live" took their shot last night. >> those letters don't rearrange to spell that. >> all that and more now on "countdown." >> i'm the best damn actor on television. >>> good evening from new york,

bill sparkman's body was found by a family visiting a cemetery. sparkman was gagged and his hands and feet were bound with duct tape. the word fed was written across his chest. officials say his preliminary cause of death was asphyxiation. the agency is taking necessary precautions. >> we suspended activity in that county, and notified our client agencies that we've done so until we figure out what's happening. this is a very complicated matter. it isn't clear what happened. but prudence tells us that we should stop for a bit for the protection of our staff. >> firms say it's clear sparkman' death was not natural but all other possibilities are still being considered. >> still ahead after months of improvement, disappointing housing numbers. is the economy really on the mend? also the earth opens up and swallows several cars. we'll show you more of these pictures on msnbc saturday. also some baristas in bikinis are accused of selling more than lattes. those stories coming up too. stay with us. he pringles superstack can makes everything pop! ♪ h

sparkman's body was found september 12th, hanging from a tree. the letters f-e-d, scrawled in his chest. his truck was found nearby. his computer still inside. investigators are tight-lipped about the case. >> the details of the investigation are not being released at that time, because it is an ongoing investigation. >> reporter: the census bureau has suspended door-to-door interviews in the area. and friends, co-workers at the elementary school where sparkman worked as a substitute teacher were stunned. >> he was where he was supposed to be. and he didn't call or show up. we have the same questions that everybody does. what happened to mr. sparkman. >> reporter: in an area known for meth labs and heated marijuana fields, did he knock on the wrong door at the wrong time? no one knows. >> they have no idea, either, on what was going on with this situation. why he would have been in that area. >> we just know what state police has told us. >> on several occasions, i had spoken to him about being careful when he did his home visits. when you do hom

scrawled across bill sparkman's chest was the word "fed." sparkman told his friend that he was going door-to-door in the area, and his friend, a state trooper, told him to be careful. his friend joins us on the phone now. what did you tell him? >> i just told him that i was concerned that some people -- he might be interviewing some people that would not understand that he is just gathering statistics for the government, and to just be careful. he just try to shoulders. i did not think he realized it was -- i do not think he realized that it was dangerous. i am a friend of his. we worked together in the school system. i felt that based on my experience in law enforcement that i had an obligation to tell him to be careful. jane: tell me a little bit about where you live and where this happened, and what would make you come to the conclusion that he was putting itself in danger knocking on people's doors? -- putting himself in danger knocking on people's doors? >> he was in a very short -- rural, isolated area of kentucky. most of his senses w

the victim, 51-year-old bill sparkman, a substitute teach his or her made extra money working for the census. not clear if he was trying to collect information when he was killed. but one of his friends, a former state trooper says he told sparkman to take extra care in that area. >> in the years past when he first started with the census bureau i just told him that that was a real rural area and it's isolated and he might not have phone service over there and just generally be careful. trace: we're told the fbi is also investigating whether antigovernment anger played a role in that death. the health care debate has inspired folks across the country to confront politicians but now those politicians are going after each other. tempers flair on capitol hill. criminally insane killer who escaped while on a field trip. now he is speaking out about his three days on the run, and that is next. trace: two decades ago he snapped a woman's neck, slashed her throat, burned her body and buried her. for some reason the washington state mental institution where he has spent the past two decades d

this man's name was bill sparkman. he was found dead in kentucky, most of his clothes ripped off and senseless identification tag duct taped to his body and the word "fed" written across his chest. investigators don't know who killed mr. sparkman and what the motive was. they still aren't certain it was a homicide. a lot of things playing into this right now. we do know census workers are afraid to go to work right now. the census bureau suspended door to door activity in that area of kentucky. newspapers are reporting online chatter among census workers have really spiked. they've heard all the rhetoric. they are worried about knocking on a door and maybe the wrong person showing up with the wrong idea. they've always been subjected to conspiracy theories and fringe attacks, that's for sure. the problem is, the problem, is when elected officials become innappered with this em streamist rhetoric and repeat it as if it's the way it is. minnesota embarrassment is what i call her, congresswoman michele bachmann has been p

. >> police are saying that 51-year-old bill sparkman died of asphyxiation. his body was found in clay county on september 12. he was found hanging from a tree with a rope around his neck and the word "fed" scrawled on his chest. the agency is taking necessary precautions. >> we've suspended activity in that county. and notified our client agencies that we've done so, until we figure out what's happening. this is a very complicated matter. it isn't clear what happened. but prudence tell us that we should stop for a bit for the protection of our staff. >> and ron mott joins us from kentucky. >> police here in kentucky continue to be baffled by the death of 51-year-old bill sparkman, a part time u.s. census worker whose body was found september 12 hanging from a tree in the daniel boone national forest. police in the two weeks since have only been able to confirm the cause of death, asphyxiation, but they have not been toward classify this death, saying it can be one of three things. a homicide, suicide, or an accident. authorities are not confirming any of the

now a man who says he was among those who found the body tells the associated breaks that sparkman was naked, bound at the hands and feet with duct tape and gappinggged. details not yet confirmed by authorities. a retired state trooper who worked with sparkman at johnson elementary school says he warned that shall in the rural area are hostile. >> i said bill you be careful when you go over into eastern kentucky to do your census work. some of the people over there may not understand that it you're just collecting statistics. >> reporter: according to the sheriff, there's only been one murder in clay county in three years. the census bureau has suspended door to door work there as authorities continue their investigation. for the saturday "early show," this is 2k5i6 browdy in new york. >>> meanwhile funeral services for annie le will be held near her hometown. le's body was found inside a wall of a yale research building several days after she disappeared. raymond clark was charged with the 24-year-old's murder. yale university is establishing a scholarship fund in le's memory. >>> mor

authorities say the word "fed" was written across sparkman's chest. officials say the preliminary cause of death was asphyxiation. the director says the agency is now taking necessary precautions. >>> we've suspended activity in those in that county and notified our client agencies we've done so until we figure out what's happening. this is a very complicated matter. it isn't clear what happened, but prudence tells us we should stop for a bit for the protection of our staff. >> officials say it's clear sparkman's death was not natural but all other possibilities are now being considered. >> that is a video that's got a georgia high school office fired. he's wearing a camera that shows how he comfonfronted a student. they say he pushed him down and threatened him. it's now under appeal. >>> let's get weather in the southeast and across the country, here is meteorologist bill karins. bill. >> good saturday morning to you, alex. we have a lot of interesting weather. we have heat out west, cool weather in the northeast. but the big story, the rain once ag

the body of 51-year-old bill sparkman was found hanging in a remote part of daniel boone national forest in clay county, kentucky. they are trying to determine the events leading up to his death. >>> new research on an aids vaccine is surprising scientists who had begun to doubt it was upon. they say an experimental vaccine has prevented infection with a the virus. it is cutting the risk by 31% in the world's largest trial of more than 16,000 volunteers. >>> there's also promising news for adults battling a common form of leukemia. two studies find that acute myeloid leukemia patients had a better chance of remission if they had two douse doses of dugs. both studies appear in today's new england journal of medicine. >>> firefighters surrounded several homes overnight in california. they are trying to keep up with a wildfire that scorched 18,000- acres. nearly 900 firefighters and 30 aircraft have been battling the blaze. >>> it's been dry there. kim, i know it has been dry here but that is about to change, isn't it? >> definitely. especially as we think of part of the weekend on saturday

sparkman that it could be dangerous for him to do census fieldwork door-to-door in clay county, kentucky. we have some news also for you this hour you will not hear anywhere else about why it is you're hearing so much about the group a.c.o.r.n. these days. it's another "rachel maddow" show, follow the investigation. and ken burns will be joining us live this hour. this next hour, frankly, is sort of like ten shows in it one. but we are starting it off with some breaking news from d.c. on health reform. some unexpected indications tonight that by this time tomorrow, we will know if there's going to be a public option for health care. we will know if americans will have the choice of a government-run public insurance plan, alongside the private insurance we can choose now. many americans believe that adding a public option to the mix of choices we've got on health care is the only way health reform will really reform anything. although the public option has been proclaimed dead many atime over the course of this debate, we have learned that it is actually very much still alive, and, in fac

the victim, bill sparkman, was found earlier this month hanging by a rope from a tree. he had the word "fed" scrawled in marker across his chest. authorities still trying to determine if sparkman was murdered or if he killed himself. >>> a federal judge has ordered authorities to release the father of a man charged with plotting an explosion in the united states. 53-year-old mohammed zazi is charged with lying to investigators, but he is not charged in the alleged bomb plot. his son, 24-year-old najibullah zazi is accused of scheming for a year to detonate homemade bombs in the united states. today, a grand jury handed up serious charges against him. nbc justice correspondent, pete williams, joins us. what is the accusation against the zazi son here? >> reporter: well, these are terrorism charges a week ago, he was arrested and charged with lying to the fbi. now, he is accused of a conspiracy to set off bombs, or in the arcane language of the federal statutes, to use a weapons of mass destruction. we also learned today new details about what investigators say he was doi

. >> sparkman was pursuing a college degree, hoping to become a full-time teacher. a pulitzer winning columnist passed away. the former speechwriter died yesterday. assistants said he had been diagnosed with chancer. sapphire served as a special assistant to president nixon and later joined the white house speech writing team. he spent more than 30 years writing for the op-ed pages of the "new york times" and won a pulitzer in 1978. william sapphire was 79 years old. meanwhile, director roman poa laski has been arrested and faces possible extradition to the united states. he admitted to having sex with a 13-year-old girl in california back in 1977. he fled the u.s. in 1978 before he could be sentenced. he was taken into custody at the airport on saturday as he flew in to receive an award at the zurich film festival. the victim is among those calling for the case to be thrown out saying he was treated unfairly. swiss officials say he can contest his detention in a swiss court. >> the time is now 5:26. it's 55 degrees on tv hill. coming up in the next half-hour of 11

census worker bill sparkman. hands and feet bound, the word "fed" scrawled or carved into his chest, reports the sentinel. but law enforcement officials have announced few details saying the 51-year-old either died accidentally, by suicide, or was murdered. >> we can confirm the fact he was found with a rope around his neck and that rope was looped over a tree, his feet were on the ground, so he did die of asphyxiation. we do know that. how that came about we're not sure. >> reporter: friday the census director explained why door to door data collecting is is being suspended in the rural area where sparkman's body was found. >> it isn't clear what happened, but prudence tells us that we should stop for a bit for the protection of our staff. and then we've redoubled efforts on safety, the safety training we give our interviews nationwide. >> reporter: as police continue to investigate his death, people here in laurel county remember bill sparkman, who also worked as a part-time substitute teacher, for overcoming a

now, sparkman was a boy scout leader working part-time as a census field worker. a witness who found the body told the associated press, it was a murder because sparkman was found gagged and his hand and feet were bound with duct tape. this week, thousands of american muslims came to capitol hill for the first national prayer rally and organizers say the point was to let america know there are muslims to support our country, but the event was not without controversy, many people including some prominent christians say that islam has not been a religion of peace for some time now. here now with more is fox news religion correspondent lauren green. on that point, i mean, what are theologians saying about this event and what are their concerns when they look at the religion of islam? >> well, first of all, one of the theologian's concern was what you saw on the capitol was a term of islam and you made the point that theologians says that islam has not been a religion of peace, and since 1662 says it's not a religion of peace, it's been spread by conquest not by peace

the body of bill sparkman was found hanging from a tree in a remote area near the daniel boone national forest in rural kentucky. officials say the word "fed" was scrawled on his chest. investigators want to know if he was targeted because of his job. the census bureau has suspended interviews now there until the investigation is complete. >>> still ahead on news4 at 4:00, a warning for parents this afternoon. a popular pain reliever for children has been recalled. >> and for moms-to-be, news that staying in shape isn't just good for you. >> a man is behind bars after a long police chase with a 3-year-old child in the car. >>> welcome back. veronica johnson here in storm center 4. temperatures across the area nice and arm. 84 degrees d.c. 84 in frederick. thisime tomorrow about ten degrees cooler. we are going to be bacinto the 70s across the area. let's take a look at the satellite and radar view over the last few hours. we've got a weather front that moved through. it is just south of the area meandering around us. there could be a brief shower coming through later tonight after midni

bill sparkman was found dead hanging from a tree with the word fed hanging on his chest. authorities are investigating. >>> on call is a major development in the fight against aids. for the first time ever, scientists say a new vaccine is showing promise. thousands of volunteers in thailand found they cut the risk of hiv by 31%. they say a lot of work remains but say the glitter of hope is very promising. >>> at least 21% of the area have the aids virus. and blair underwood is opening a new center and he stopped by to talk about it. >> we can't afford not to talk about it. the gay community has done an excellent job of gaining knowledge. we need to let people know, you can't just talk about it any more. it is an affe nerves. >>> the trial involving john travolta is underway. two people are accused of trying to extort $25 million from him. not long after his 16-year-old son died. lauren green reports. >> reporter: john trolta and kelly preston were back in the bahamas on sunday. they are the witnesses in the trial of thtwo men accused of trying to extort $25 million from t

worker may have been the victim of foul play fueled by anti-government sentiment. 51-year-old bill sparkman was found hanged from a tree in rural kentucky nearly two weeks ago. the word fed scrawled on his chest. his family does not mow if he was in the remote area for the census. >> i have no idea either on what was going on with that situation and why he would have been in that area. >> it is unclear what exactly caused sparkman's death. an autopsy is pending. >>> the maker of tylenol has announced voluntary recall of several versions of the pain reliever. the recall involves specific lots of 21 liquid varieties of children's an infant's tylenol. the reason? possible bacterial contamination of an in-agreed yent in the formula. they were manufactured from april to june in 2008. >>> this morning aids researchers are reporting the first ever successful trial of a vaccine against hiv infection. the study actually tested two vaccine combination. the trial was conducted in thailand with more than 16,000 test volunteers. the results, 31% reduction in the rate of hiv infection. scientists believe

bill sparkman's body was found hanging from a tree in a remote area near the daniel boone national forest in rural kentucky. officials say the word "fed" was scrawled across his test. they want to know if he was targeted because of his job. the census bureau suspended interviews in that area. >>> california governor arnold schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency in the ventura area today. the fire is being fueled by the hot, dry santa ana winds. so far it's 40% contained. firefighters hope to have it fully under control by saturday. >>> coming up, a massive mortgage fraud scheme in fairfax county. officials say may have involved 200 properties worth more than $1 million. >>> plus a major economic announcement that could bring 1,200 jobs to fairfax county. >> and bob will look at that forecast. he assures us fall is on t >>> d.c. mayor adrian fenty revealed a new play ground and soccer field and called the $800,000 project world class. the new field is artificial and includes a new asphalt running track, as well. kids got a chance to kick around the ball. they kicked it around with d.

. >>> authorities say bill sparkman died by asphyxiation. they won't say much else. his body was found hanging from a tree with the word fed scrawled across his chest. ron mott joins us with more on this. ron, what did he say and what do authorities believe this man was targeted of? was it because he was work iing for the government and antigovernment hatred? >> reporter: that's the key question people are asking here. he was a door-to-door person. his census computer was found in his vehicle almost two weeks ago. two weeks ago tomorrow. police are not confirming things in the media. the newspaper says they have unconfirmed sources inside the state police giving this information. one of the things is whether in that part of kentucky, southeastern, rural kentucky. here is what they said about temporarily suspending door-to-door canvassing in that area. >> this is a very complicated matter. it isn't clear what happened, but prudence tells us we should stop for a bit, for the protection of our staff. >> reporter: a lot of mystery and intrigue here in this case. one thin

found hanging near a tree near a kentucky cemetery has prompted an fbi investigation. 51-year-old bill sparkman was found hanging from a rope with the word fed scrawled across his chest. the fbi is trying to determine if he was the victim of anti-government sentiment. >>> and crews in southern california are battling a wildfire that has grown to more than 25 square miles. so far it scorched more than 16,000 acres and ranchers and orchards in ventura county. the fire is 40% contained right now and thousands of georgia residents are making insurance claims for flood damaged homes and cars. the atlanta journal constitution reports that 60,000 claims have been filed so far and insurance companies are expecting even more. >>> coming up, an extraordinary break through in the fight against aids. the world's largest vaccine trial has just produced some surprising and very promising results. >>> later, president obama is second guessing his own strategy for afghanistan. that is the word and hear what some leading republicans have to say about it. i wish i knew then what i know now. get what dermatologis

. >> officials say it is clear sparkman's death was not natural but all other possibilities are being considered. >>> a late night commute takes longer than expected for a group of passengers in suburban washington, d.c. ten passengers were trapped inside a metro station half an hour late saturday night in alexandra, virginia after the station manager locked up before the last train arrived. one passenger used his cell phone to contact the police who later arrived to free them. >>> a new development in the story of two couples united by a big mistake. the fertility clinic transferred frozen embryos into the wrong woman. car carolyn savage carried the baby. they plan to give her to the biological parents. the baby said to be in good helt. >>> after a break more weather across the southeast. fourteen georgia counties have been declared disaster areas. president obama has declared parts of georgia by ordering federal assistance to help with the effort. for more across the country, here is meteorologist bill karins. >> good saturday morning to you, alex. we've got a lot of interesting wea

the 51-year-old bill sparkman was a part time census fieldworker and a teacher. investigators say the body was found two weeks ago and had had the word "fed" scrolled on his chest. the fbi and state police are investigating this crime. >>> a grand jury indicts a man accused of beating a woman at a cracker barrel restaurant in georgia. gigi barnett is live with more. >> reporter: police say the suspect kicked and punched the victim in front of her young daughter. troy west reportedly screamed racial slurs as he attacked tasha hill on september 9th. police say he became enraged when hill told him to be careful after he nearly hit her 7-year-old daughter while opening the door. >> i know that with all the prayers and all the support, i have no fears, i know that justice will be served and i wish that on no one, on no one's child. i just -- i'm just -- i'm overwhelmed. >> reporter: west now faces one felony count each of aggravated assault, false imprisonment and first degree cruelty to children. back to you, denise. >> thank you, gigi. >>> cracker barrel issued a st

bill sparkman, a 51-year-old part-time census field worker, also a single father who survived nonhodgkin's lymphoma and held down two jobs while pursuing a teaching degree, this man was found on september 12th hanging from a tree in a remote part of the daniel boone national forest, which is in rural southeastern kentucky. this law enforcement source did not tell the associated press what was used to write the word fed on the victim's body. according to a report in a local newspaper last week, president obama's appointed census chief notified census employees about this killing, telling them their colleague was, quote, the victim of an apparent crime. another executive at the census bureau told the associated press that law enforcement informed the agency that this was, quote, an apparent homicide. fbi spokesman david

the fbi is investigating whether foul play was involved and whether sparkman's death was related to a census work or not. >>> to georgia now where vice president joe biden is touring the flood damage in the northern part of the state today and meeting with families left homeless by this week's deadly storms. biden's visit comes one day after president obama issued a disaster declaration which gives federal assistance to some of the hardest hit countries, counties, that is. more rain is forecast for the weekend and the state. the national weather service issued a flood watch for metro atlanta to the north georgia mountains. >>> several aid organizations, meanwhile, are helping the victims of flooding. to find out how to help out, go to cnn.com/impact. you'll find a list of agencies providing aid to those in need, there are plenty. >>> firefighters have stepped up their efforts to contain a wildfire in ventura krlt, california. the hot, dry winds hampering their efforts have died down and a break in the low heat and humidity also helped there. the fire started on tuesday near a mulch pi