[Kyra Phillips:] Hello, everyone. I'm Kyra Phillips at the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta. Seven Marines, a Navy corpsman facing murder charges after one man's death in Iraq. New developments straight ahead. Prison corruption, sex, drugs and a gunfight. It's a gruesome scene made for a movie. We have the breaking real-life details. And wicked wind and sweltering heat fan the flames out west. CNN is live as firefighters battle the elements to save homes. LIVE FROM begins right now. Not an act of war, but allegedly an act of murder. CNN has learned several U.S. Troops will face charges in the shooting death of an Iraqi civilian in April. A news conference is scheduled at Camp Pendleton, California, in about three hours. In the meantime, let's get the latest from our Barbara Starr at the Pentagon Barbara.
[Barbara Starr, Cnn Correspondent:] Kyra, this news now breaking throughout the Pentagon as the Marines announce they will be holding that press conference within a few hours out in Camp Pendleton, California. It was expected that they will announce charges against seven Marines and a Navy corpsman in regards with the death of an Iraqi man last April a few months ago, when it is going to be alleged that the Marines murdered this man. We are told by sources the charges to be filed will include murder, kidnapping, conspiracy and larceny. These troops, the seven Marines and the Navy corpsman, have been held at Camp Pendleton and now the press conference is expected to announce charges against all of them Kyra.
[Phillips:] As we monitor that and wait for more details, Barbara, let's talk about the two U.S. soldiers found dead after the terrorists got to them in Iraq. Do we know anything more about when exactly their bodies will arrive here to the U.S.?
[Starr:] You know, there's been a bit of confusion about that throughout the day. Because tragically, of course, Dover Air Force base in Delaware, which receives the remains of those fallen on the battlefield, has numerous flights a day sometimes. There are two flights today. And in fact, it will be a flight later this evening when the remains of Private First Class Kristian Menchaca and Private First Class Thomas Tucker are expected to be returned to Dover Air Force Base for a forensic examination and then, of course, as soon as that is done, their remains will be returned to their families, Kyra.
[Phillips:] Finally, with the ongoing talk about when troops will be able to come home, there is now new word out that troops are being deployed, once again, to Iraq.
[Starr:] Right, let's explain that a bit. There was an announcement last night by the Pentagon. Twenty-one-thousand troops or so now scheduled for a rotation to Iraq beginning later this year. That is a relatively routine announcement. They get the units lined up, ready to go in case they need them. General George Casey is in town this week, here at the Pentagon, having a series of meetings on what the actual troop number levels will be by the end of the year. He is beginning to formulate those recommendations. But in order to keep the lineup there, in order to have troops ready to go if they are needed, the announcement will include a number of units from the 1st Cavalry Division in Texas. And then additionally we have been told a number of additional units, including the 3rd Corps in Texas, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, and infantry units from both Alaska and Colorado Kyra.
[Phillips:] Barbara Starr, live from the Pentagon. Thanks, Barbara. It's been a long and anxious wait at Camp Pendleton leading up to this very moment. Our Kareen Wynter is just outside the base with more on this investigation Kareen.
[Kareen Wynter, Cnn Correspondent:] Well, Kyra, before that 4 p.m. Eastern scheduled news conference, the media here at Camp Pendleton, they've been invited to sit in on a briefing that will include details on the military's justice system. That will happen in a little under an hour from now. But I can tell you, Kyra, the community is anxiously awaiting official word on what charges this will involve. Over the past several weekends, we've seen very passionate protests, Kyra, outside the gates here at Camp Pendleton. People carrying signs, shouting messages in support, in defense of their servicemen. The eight members here being held inside the brig. Seven Marines and one Navy corpsman. People were out here this last weekend, speaking out against the conditions that they call inhumane and harsh, referring to the shackles that these men were being forced to wear. Now, that was loosened on Friday, so to speak, when the military released a statement saying that they're lowering the level of restraints. Before these eight servicemen had to be shackled, wearing leg cuffs and handcuffs whenever they left their cells. Those have been removed. But we still heard an outcry here from the public, saying that they were not being treated fairly. Also, today's newspaper, the headlines, talk about just the support, Kyra, coming in from all over the country, people sending messages, people sending money to help with the legal defense. Some of those servicemen have retained private attorneys, and so they're helping to assist on that end. But again, we're awaiting word here on what charges that will include, whether all eight will be charged with the same charges CNN has learned, which include, once again, kidnapping, murder, conspiracy, larceny, and making false statements Kyra.
[Phillips:] Kareen Wynter, thank you so much. And as Kareen mentioned, we expect a news conference this afternoon from Camp Pendleton regarding the April 26 incident at Hamdaniya and more on the charges against those U.S. Marines and a Navy corpsman. CNN will bring it to you live, 4 p.m. Eastern, 1 p.m. Pacific. Shocking news for the families of two U.S. soldiers two years after they were shot to death in Iraq. In a report released today, the military says the two were murdered by Iraqi civil defense officers who were patrolling alongside them at the time. Initially, the deaths of Patrick McCaffrey and Andre Tyson, both from the California National Guard, were blamed on an ambush. No word on motive or whether any suspects have been arrested. A federal prison guard is dead. A federal agent is dead. And it all happened after a shootout at a federal prison in Tallahassee, Florida. Federal agents showed up this morning to arrest six guards named in an alleged sex for contraband ring involving women inmates. We're told one of the suspects opened fire before being shot dead himself. Besides the dead agent, a prison official was hurt. No inmates were involved in any of it. We're going to stay on that story. Law enforcement expert Mike Brooks talking with his sources. He's going to join me straight ahead. Well, reinforcements have arrived in southern Colorado. Firefighters from five states and Colorado's governor, bringing $3 million in state money. Reporter Tyler Lopez of CNN affiliate KMGH joins me now from the front lines in Fort Garland. What do you know, Tyler?
[Tyler Lopez, Kmgh Reporter:] Kyra, this fire's now 30 percent contained. And that's going to protect a lot of the homes that have been threatened for four days now. But the real concern here is that this fire season is shaping up to be very, very similar to what we saw four years ago in 2002. The largest wildest wildfire in state history is what we saw then, chewing some 250,000 acres. Now, the real concern is this is the longest day of the year, the first day of the season, the summer, and already our governor has been to this scene, the Mato Vega fire, to survey it for himself. And he's already tapping state funds to pay for fighting these dangerous blazes, all this taking place in just the third week of June.
[Lopez:] Governor Owens arrived at Sierra Grande High School in Fort Garland around 9, getting a brief tour of the incident command post and a short briefing on equipment.
[Gov. Bill Owens , Colorado:] We have tankers. We have helicopters, we have fire trucks all over the state. And at this point, I think we have enough equipment. I've been briefed by the fire professionals. They had a good night last night.
[Lopez:] The Mato Vega fire is now 30 percent contained. Firefighters hope shifting winds will prevent widespread torching of pine trees, as we saw yesterday. Owens went on his own ground tour of the fire line. Later today, he will authorize using $3 million from the state's Tabor Reserves to battle early season wildfires. He's also looking ahead to the fourth of July.
[Owens:] I'm going to be signing an executive order. And we're going to be doing that later today, banning open fires on state lands.
[Lopez:] More than anything, Governor Owens wants to remind everyone to be aware that this fire season has already claimed more acres than the entire 2005 campaign. Now that burn ban will apply to state lands, except for designated camp rings within state parks. He'll also sign a declaration banning fireworks on state lands and send a letter to all the counties across the state asking them, too, to ban fireworks this year. That's the level of concern we're dealing with. This fire has chewed up some 9,000 acres right now. But it's very likely to increase as we expect winds to shift in the afternoon. And that's generally when these wildfires start to run. That's the latest live in Fort Garland. I'm Tyler Lopez. Kyra, back to you.
[Phillips:] Thanks, Tyler. Well, the fire lines are getting longer in Sedona, Arizona, where a four-day-old wildfire has chased people out of their homes as it races down Oak Creek Canyon. So far, no homes have burned, but the fire is still far from contained. Reporter Tammy Leitner of CNN affiliate KPHO is on the scene.
[Unidentified Male:] From a suppression standpoint, I don't think the fire went as well as we would have liked.
[Tammy Leitner, Kpho Reporter:] The Brins fire burned up hundreds of acres, getting dangerously close to houses.
[Chief Matt Shobert, Sedona Fire Department:] The fire just behaved badly. And as a result, for safety reasons, we de-energize the power lines that run through Oak Creek Canyon.
[Leitner:] News Hawk 5 was the only news helicopter allowed into the canyon. You can see the fire has worked its way down into the canyon in at least three spots. From this view, the fire appears to be within just a few hundred yards of the homes in Indian Wells.
[Paul Broyles, Fire Incident Commander:] It's into Sterling Canyon. The prediction is that it will probably keep eating its way slowly northward unless we can pull our priorities with our aircraft, primarily helicopters, to keep that growth from happening.
[Leitner:] Their biggest fear, this fire will not stop before hitting Flagstaff.
[Broyles:] Obviously with the winds and terrain there going up Oak Creek Canyon, we could have this fire go could have that fire go all the way to the Flagstaff area. So we don't want to have that to happen. In Sedona, Tammy Leitner.
[Phillips:] Let's get straight to Fredricka Whitfield. She's working a developing story for us out of the newsroom Fred.
[Fredricka Whitfield, Cnn Anchor:] Well, Kyra, just one month after being convicted of corruption as Enron president, Jeffrey Skilling is now asking a judge to overturn the verdict and schedule a new trial, claiming in a seven-page motion Skilling, through his attorney, is saying the evidence was insufficient to sustain a conviction for conspiracy and securities fraud, just to name a few. Meantime, sentencing for Skilling and Enron founder Ken Lay is scheduled for October 23. You'll recall both of them were in court together, through that lengthy trial, both being convicted for 19 counts of securities and conspiracy and corruption leading to the fall of Enron Kyra.
[Phillips:] Fred, thanks. Straight ahead, recipe for a miracle? Well, researchers use stem cells to make a critical connection and put mobility back in a paralyzed into paralyzed mice, rather. Could it also reach for humans with spinal cord damage? LIVE FROM talks to the neurologist who led that study right after a break.