[Collins:] Want to quickly show you these pictures and let you know that we are watching this story for you. Congressman William Jefferson's arraignment hearing will be taking place this morning. It began, we believe, a few minutes ago. It was supposed to start at 9:00. This is a shot, of course, of U.S. District Court in Alexandria, Virginia. You'll remember he was indicted earlier this week in a bribery investigation involving business deals that he had to try to broker in Africa. Sixteen counts against him. We will continue to watch the story for you.
[Harris:] Is Israel trying to make a peace deal with Syria? An Israeli newspaper reports on a secret offer. For details, let's go live now to CNN's Ben Wedeman in Jerusalem. Ben, good to see you this morning. So, what is Israel offering? And is the offer a serious attempt to get an agreement with Syria?
[Wedeman:] Well, basically, Tony, what's happened is that, according to an official quoted in a very prominent Israeli newspaper, the Israeli prime minister, Ehud Olmert, is offering to return the entirety of the Golan Heights, which were occupied in the 1967 War, in exchange for full peace with Syria. But I just got off the phone with a spokesman for the prime minister's office who says this is a bit of media frenzy, it's a bit overblown, and that really if there are any contacts going on, they really haven't reached that point. The spokesman told me that Syria, they believe, is interested in peace talks. But not actually in peace Tony.
[Harris:] So how likely is it that Syria will actually consider the offer such that it is?
[Wedeman:] Well, the interesting thing is that actually over the last few years, the Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad, has made some very public proposals for a resumption of the peace talks between Israel and Syria which were cut off in the year 2000. The question is, do they really want it? Now, Israel, for instance, wants as sort of a precondition for these talks or part of the talks, that Syria cut its ties with Iran, stop its support for Hezbollah and Hamas. And given that there's not really anything for Syria to go to beyond that, it's questionable whether this really is just a rumor of peace, rather than peace itself. And what's interesting, Tony, is that just three days ago, the Israeli army conducted a war exercise in which they simulated an attack on a mock Syrian village. So they're talking peace, but it looks like everybody, both the Syrians and the Israelis, are maybe preparing for war Tony.
[Harris:] Well, we know you'll get to the bottom of it for us. CNN's Ben Wedeman for us this morning. Ben, thank you.
[Collins:] A young husband, a father, now a murder suspect. Edwin Roy Hall is being held this morning on $5 million bond, charged with first-degree murder and kidnapping in the death of 18-year-old Kelsey Smith. As the investigation deepens, new details now are emerging about the suspect. CNN's Ed Lavandera reports.
[Ed Lavandera, Cnn Correspondent:] Around this Kansas City neighborhood, Edwin Hall is known as "Jack". He moved here with his wife and young son a few months ago.
[Unidentified Female:] He didn't really speak to anyone or say anything to anyone. And we didn't know him well or anything.
[Lavandera:] And someone going by the name "Jack" on this MySpace Web page looks just like Edwin Hall. This is the Web site photo. This is Edwin Hall's mug shot. This "Jack" lives in Kansas City, just like Edwin Hall, and both have a wife with the same name. If this is Edwin Hall's MySpace page, it paints a disturbing picture of the 26-year-old man accused of kidnapping and killing a teenage girl. He calls himself a sweet, troubled soul who likes eating small children and harming small animals. His heroes are Batman and his dad, even though he calls him "the bastard". And one of his favorite movies is "Strangeland"...
[Unidentified Male, "strangeland":] Where is my daughter?
[Lavandera:] ... a 1990s horror movie about a schizophrenic killer who lures teenage girls over the Internet and tortures the daughter of a police detective. Kelsey Smith's father has had a long career in law enforcement. Investigators say Edwin Hall kidnapped Kelsey Smith from this Target store Saturday night. Police say this surveillance tape shows Hall's pickup truck entering the parking lot soon after Smith arrived. The video then shows Smith being forced into her own car. On Wednesday, Smith's body was found in the woods. But at this point, it's not clear if Edwin Hall even knew Kelsey Smith. Those closest to the teenage victim are wondering why she was targeted.
[John Biersmith, Kelsey Smith's Boyfriend:] When did you first see her? Was it just random? What was going through your mind?
[Lavandera:] Cameron Migues lives next door to Hall. His call to police led to Smith's arrest.
[Cameron Migues, Edwin Hall's Neighbor:] "I saw the picture," she goes, "and it looks just like our neighbor." And we both just kind of laughed it off at first, and then when I saw the picture of the truck...
[Lavandera:] Until that moment, Migues says Edwin Hall was just a friendly, normal guy. Ed Lavandera, CNN, Dallas.
[Harris:] And still to come in the NEWSROOM this morning, accused of hiding $90,000 of bribe money in his freezer, a Louisiana congressman in court to answer corruption charges. A live report ahead in the NEWSROOM.