[Bolduan:] The manhunt has intensified for a Texas teenager and his mother. The so-called "affluenza: teen, Ethan Couch, he's been missing for a week now. That's his mom on the left side of your screen. The U.S. Marshal Service is releasing a "wanted" poster and announcing a reward for the fugitive teenager, given probation after a drunk-driving incident where four people were killed. He got probation for that. The reason he's wanted now is for violating that probation after a video surfaced on social media.
[Berman:] He's on the run, apparently with his mother. Let's discuss it with CNN law enforcement analyst and former assistant director of the U.S. Marshal Service, Art Roderick. Art, this is a kid convicted of drunk driving and his mom. I don't know they run a crime syndicate, I don't know they have vast criminal experiences. Why is it difficult to catch them? Shouldn't there be signs of where they are now?
[Art Roderick, Cnn Law Enforcement Analyst:] I think they're investigating quite a few very good leads out there at this point. Once the sheriff's office referred this case over to the north Texas Fugitive Task Force that opened it up to the whole country. There's 70-plus of these same types of task forces all over the U.S. and territories. With the publicity this case has got, they do have several good leads they're investigating right now. It is kind of unusual, you're right. I mean, I've arrested career criminals that have breathed a sigh of relief because they're constantly looking over their shoulder. It's very stressful to be on the run like this. Especially when your particular case has garnered this much publicity.
[Bolduan:] Now, the mom is now listed as missing. She wanted as well along with her son. That leads us to wonder, what is the role of the father here? I know the background here is a little complicated. The parents we know the parents were divorced. They remarried and then split up again after that deadly crash. He used that now infamous defense of "affluenza." What's the role of the father here, Art?
[Roderick:] Yeah, it is very strange. Obviously, the first thing investigators are going to look at are family members. They're going to go directly to the father since he had probably the closest contact with the mother and the kid. Now, the other family members, extended family members, they're going to look at those family members and try to figure out how they're communicating with one another, if at all. I'm sure there was some type of planning to make this particular run go, so that they might have stashed some money. Sooner or later they're going to make a mistake. These are not career criminals. And I think somebody's going to come forward very shortly with here they are at this particular hotel right now. They have the vehicle out there. There's an 800 number to call, 800-336-0102, if anybody has leads on this particular case. But I think it's a matter of time at this point before they get picked up. The other interesting fact is I think the father reported that the passports of both these individuals are missing. If this case goes international, that opens up to a whole other aspect of the investigation.
[Berman:] Look, there's not a lot of goodwill for the people in the local community. There's a lot of people would like to see them caught and soon so a lot of people willing to help. What if they are abroad, what if they did leave the country, Art, what kind of trail would that leave behind? Just based on your experience, you say something's going to trip them up. What do you think it would be?
[Roderick:] I think what will trip them up is the cash, the money issue. These people aren't used to living under the radar like most fugitives that are successful at staying away from law enforcement generally do. Money will be their holdup. What's going to happen is the Marshal Service has a great financial investigations unit. They're looking at their accounts, their credit cards, anything to do with any money that's been shifted around. Now, if this case does go international, then that opens up the whole Interpol avenue where the task force would go to Interpol. There's a section of Interpol, I think it's the Alien and Fugitive Unit that sits over an Interpol hearing here in Washington that would establish a red notice. That red notice would go out to 190 member countries around the world. That red notice would allow them to be picked up if they try to enter another country.
[Bolduan:] So, they've put out this the description of this car they're looking for. They also say the passports are missing. Does that tell you the fact the car description has been put out there, does that tell you they don't yet think it has gone international or maybe they just don't really don't have a really good lead on where they could be?
[Roderick:] I think they're concentrating domestically right now. But you always have to look at the international aspect when passports are missing, obviously. Now, it's their passports, so the minute they scan those passports it will show up somewhere because they are in the National Crime Information Center right now as a wanted person and as a missing person. So, if they try to leave the country under those legal passports that should be picked up fairly quickly.
[Bolduan:] Art Roderick, great to see you, Art. Thanks so much.
[Roderick:] Thank you.
[Berman:] Coming up from us, from Donald Trump saying John McCain was a war hero to Ben Carson's story about trying to stab his friend.
[Bolduan:] 2015 was quite a year of one-liners, insults, interruptions and fabulous political intrigue. We'll take a look back at the race for the White House with the top moments in politics of the year, next.