terry moran, cynthia mcfadden and bill weir in new york city, this is "nightline," october 25th, 2011. >> good evening. well, where is baby lisa? that question has sparked an agonizing drama. a national search for a missing missouri baby that intensified today as a lawyer for the infant's parents came down hard on police, not for their failures so far to crack the case, but for their conduct towards his clients, which he calls unimaginable. police reply that these parents are not doing all they can to assist in the search. meanwhile, baby lisa has been missing three weeks as of today. here's abc's matt gutman. >> reporter: over the past three weeks, the kansas city police and fbi have been chasing literally 1,000 leads across the country to try to find baby lisa. the missing 11-month-old girl. but they keep coming right back here, to the house on north lister avenue. focusing their attention on baby lisa's parents, deborah bradley and jeremy irwin, seen here trembling with grief at a recent vigil for baby lisa. early early today on "good morning america," a family attorney skewered kansas city police for their treatment of his clients. >> the mother, who is missing their baby, sitting on the floor, trembling as the father calls 911, within an hour of that, the police are interviewing her, interrogating her, and accuse her of murder. can you imagine. they've done everything they've been asked to do. they consented to every search they've been asked to. >> reporter: but running short of viable leads and patience, the police counter that deborah bradley and jeremy irwin are not cooperating. the couple has refused to be interviewed separately by police since october 8th, nearly three weeks ago. authorities take it a step farther, saying bradley and irwin likely have the answers that could lead police to baby lisa, answers that any parent should know about their child, about their whereabouts, bedtime, schedule. but family attorneys have told abc news exclusively that they will allow police to reinterview bradley and irwin's sons. and to take dna swabs. both were home the night baby lisa vanished and breathe were interviewed by a child specialist that day. police have searched the home five times and last week police say a cadaver dog smelled human decomposition on the carpet. in the parents' bedroom. >> i'm giving you permission to walk through the house. >> reporter: the family's attorney cindy short downplayed its importance in an exclusive tour of the house over the weekend. it was a visit to a house that seemed almost haunted. little lisa's diapers still strewn on the floor. walls gouged for evidence. windowsills freshly fingerprinted. >> i think that's graphite powder. >> reporter: much had been taken from lisa's room. >> they took the crib sheets the very first time they came in with the consent of the parents. >> reporter: but in that critical room, the master bedroom, the dogs allegedly smelled death. the carpet remained. >> i thought the dog alerted on one side or the other of the bed but as you notice, as you walk around, all the carpeting is intact. that is, it was not cut out. and i personally find that surprising. >> reporter: but so far, no arrests have been made. no suspects named. there's no question that the authorities are looking at the parents as possible suspects. i think they're also looking elsewhere. they're looking at the possibility of an intruder. i think that's what's making this investigation so frustrating, is that people really just don't know what to make of it. >> reporter: and in the din of tips and sightings, 800 already fuggy cleared by the police and the fb it. investigators are retracing their steps. >> he looked at me. i looked at him. >> reporter: how big the baby? >> about the size of the one that's missing. >> reporter: going back to mike thompson, the motorcyclist who claims to have spot baby lisa carried by a man down this street just a few miles from the family's home. >> showed me a paper with six pictures on it. >> reporter: and did you pick one out? >> yeah, i picked the man that they've been showing the pictures of. >> reporter: abc news obtained the picture of that man and learned he has been questioned by police multiple times. we showed it to another eyewitness who lives just three houses away from baby lisa's parents and who claims to have seen the same thing several hours earlier. a lone man walking with a nearly naked baby in the middle of the night. do you recognize that man? >> no, i don't recognize him. >> reporter: similar sighting, very different i.d. >> i know that he was tall and slender. as far as his head, we thought he was bald, like, we seen a shiny head. >> just have to remember that eyewitness testimony is never as certain as it seems. and it can sometimes be just flat-out unreliable. >> reporter: still, no suspects and no hard evidence as the parents continue to shy away from the cameras. all that remains is the fog of mystery, seemingly as impenetrable as it was the night baby lisa disappeared. for "nightline," i'm matt gutman in kansas city. >> so, the search and the investigation continues and we'll be watching that case closely. thanks to matt gutman for that. just ahead, a series of fatal shark attacks. luckily, for our correspondent, this wasn't one of them. i'm rob jones. quicken loans closed my loan fast. and i know a thing or two about fast. i purchased 3 homes with quicken loans. i wouldn't use anyone else. there were no hidden fees and no surprises. quicken loans is a lot like me -- we're both engineered to amaze. e quicken loans is a lot like me -- emotional here? 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[ male announcer ] upgrade to first class investing technology... at e-trade. >> announcer: "nightline" continues from new york city with terry moran. the circumstances were terrifying. a 32-year-old american was scuba diving in australia over the weekend when his friends suddenly saw the ocean surface break into a storm of bubbles. the diver was killed and the culprit? a great white shark, possibly responsible for two other fatal attacks in the last two months. such attacks only add to the fearsome rep of sharks but some marine biologists say that's a bum rap. tonight, abc's john berman goes "into the wild." >> reporter: skin-like armor, teeth like razors, eyes like steel. they are the ocean's top predators. nothing on earth is tougher. well, almost nothing. what's tougher? a high school teacher or a shark? >> oh, definitely a high school teacher. >> reporter: valerie gaynor, a biology teacher in florida, swims with sharks. big, scary-looking sharks. >> they completely ignore you pretty much. >> reporter: promise? >> promise. i promise. they'll ignore you. >> reporter: that's a lot of faith to put in someone you just met, but we did. >> nice to meet you. >> reporter: we joined valerie and her husband near cancun, mexico, got on a boat with them and motored 20 miles out to sea, to what might be the world's busiest shark feeding ground. at least for one type of shark. >> last year i did the sharks with, you know, the ones that people say are the scariest. this one, i wanted to do the largest fish. it's an amazing -- they are so gentle. they're the gentle giants of the sea. they're incredible. >> reporter: whale sharks are more than incredible. they're the largest fish in the sea. measuring up to 41 1/2 feet, weighing 47,000 pounds. they're big but harmless. they basically only eat plankton and tiny fish eggs. >> ready? one, two, three. >> reporter: which is the only reason i agreed to try snorkeling, which obviously i'm not very good at. so, we're chasing these things -- >> yes. >> reporter: what are they thinking? >> what are they thinking? i don't know that they notice we're there. other than the fact that there's somebody in an orange life vest chasing me. >> reporter: so when it looks like it's about to swallow me whole, it's just a coincidence. you can get within inches of these swimming dinosaurs, literally feel their movements through the water. needless to say, the experience is awe-inspiring. >> right under us! are you feeling that right under us? oh, it's amazing. >> reporter: but for valerie, who's been diving almost four years, this is more than just a hobby. it's a lesson plan. and an educational philosophy. what's a high school teacher doing in the ocean swimming with sharks to begin with? >> basically, i want to bring an adventure to the kids. they get to go every summer when i do this, then they get to go on the adventure as well. >> reporter: her husband j.d. films all these underwater encounters, which they do all on their own dime, by the way. >> now, whale sharks actually follow plankton blooms or spawn. >> reporter: valerie brings the videos back to class. you better believe when your teacher swims with sharks, you listen. so, it gives you street cred? >> absolutely. >> reporter: serious cred. >> yes. >> reporter: this is a true labor of love for valerie. love for education and, yes, sharks. are you scared of them at all? >> um -- i would basically go in with any type of shark. >> reporter: sharks don't scare you? >> no. >> reporter: in fact, she's worried about the plight of sharks all around the world. these creatures, which have roamed the deep since the time of the dinosaurs, are dwindling. that's the message that valerie brings to class every day. >> my dream would be that we conserve them so that they're here for generations. and right now, because of what we're doing, with the shark fin trade industry and -- we're depleting them out, millions of sharks every year. >> reporter: despite the recent attacks off the coast of australia, valerie says she's never had a run-in or even a close call with a shark. they don't want to eat humans, she says. in fact, scientists say dogs kill more people every year than sharks do. >> i see it smiling. and it's happy. and it's just living its life like all of us. >> reporter: the shark is smiling at you, you think? >> sometimes. i like it when they turn their eye, too. >> reporter: it's no surprise valerie was voted her county's teacher of the year last year. >> i love the spark. when the spark goes on, off, in the kids' eyes and they say, wow! i can't believe you did that! are you kidding me, miss gaynor? this is incredible! >> reporter: we should all have teachers willing to brave sharks for us. you're -- not to mix admit tors here but in an appropriate way. you're chumming the water? >> absolutely. absolutely. i'm bringing them in. >> reporter: this is shark bait. the sharks are shark bait for the students. >> absolutely. absolutely. >> reporter: and it's working. >> it's working. >> reporter: i'm john berman for "nightline" off the coast of cancun in mexico. you've learned a thing or two. this is the age of knowing what needs to be done. so, why would you let something like erectile dysfunction get in your way? isn't it time you talked to your doctor about viagra? 20 million men already have. with every age comes responsibility. ask your doctor if your heart is healthy enough for sex. do not take viagra if you take nitrates for chest pain, as it may cause an unsafe drop in blood pressure. side effects may include headache, flushing, upset stomach, and abnormal vision. to avoid long-term injury, seek immediate medical help for an erection lasting more than four hours. stop taking viagra and call your doctor right away if you experience a sudden decrease or loss in vision or hearing. this is the age of taking action. viagra. talk to your doctor. see if america's most prescribed ed treatment is right for you. [ 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. jobs, jobs, jobs. since he was inaugurated president obama has spent billions of taxpayer dollars in an effort that was supposed to create millions of jobs. now the president is under attack by critics who say all that effort hasn't created a significant number of jobs. it's cost too much too. brian ross looks at two jobs that have received billions in government loans and asked, what have they done with it so far? >> reporter: in the wake of the bankruptcy of solyndra and the loss of taxpayer month there's been a look at other start-up green companies that have received similar loans. in particular two electric car companies that in total represent a billion-dollar bet with taxpayer money. cars the obama administration says represent the future of the american road. they're sleek and expensive. this is the karma, half electric, half gas car. the creation a famed european designer henry fisker. the first fisker car off the line went to leonardo dicaprio. the other startup cars come from tesla. all electric. its roadster cost $109,000, and and its celebrity champions include arnold schwarzenegger and george clooney. but beyond the hype and the cool are serious questions about whether the billion dollars of taxpayer money the obama administration has invested in electric car startups are worth the risk. it is a major goal of the president. >> we can break our dependence on oil with biofuels and become the first country to have a million electric vehicles on the road by 2015. >> reporter: in the case of the fisker car, it was only last week that the first 40 of them were delivered, two years behind schedule. with fisker himself giving "nightline" a first look. >> it almost looks like a super car even though it's a four-door sedan. the price is just under $100,000. >> reporter: expensive. >> it's expensive but it's got 400 horsepower. >> reporter: it's a luxury ride. but the range on battery power is only 32 miles, according to the epa. though fisker maintains it is closer to 52 miles. fisker says the car's style makes it different than other green cars. >> we want people to get excited emotionally about environmental friendly car. >> reporter: the decision by the department of energy to give fisker a half billion dollar plus loan came with the promise that it would produce a smaller version car in delaware, creating 2,500 jobs in vice president biden's home state. >> this is seed money that will return back to the american consumer in billions and billions of dollars in good, new jobs. >> reporter: but so far, the only cars being made have come off the line at this plant in finland. something the u.s. government knew would be the case when the loan was approved. fisker says while the company makes sure it only spends its taxpayer money in the u.s., it could not find any affordable place in the u.s. to assemble its first line of cars. >> we're not in the business of failing. we're in the business of winning. so, we make the right decision for the business. >> reporter: that's why you went to finland? >> that's why we went to finland. >> reporter: the company says it employs 700 designers and engineers in the united states. the decision to assemble the car in inland was not received well bill auto workers we talked with at an occupy detroit rally last week. >> the work should be done here, not in finland. >> reporter: now, republicans in congress are questioning why the department of energy approved the loan in the first place, knowing in advance fisker would assemble his first cars in finland, not the u.s. >> i think when department of energy found out they couldn't do it in america, that was time to pull the plug. >> reporter: as to the other electric car startup getting huge taxpayer dollars, tesla, almost another half billion dollars, it plans to build 20,000 vehicles a year at a plant it bought in california. now being prepared for production to start next year. tesla's future depends on the success of this car, a family sedan called the model s, being seen here for the first time in tesla video from a test track. priced at around $57,000, it, too, is styled to compete with luxury cars like the bmw and mercedes. >> while expensive, there is a very robust market. >> reporter: these are cars for wealthy americans. not for average americans. >> well, i don't know how you define wealthy. >> reporter: tesla's vice president o'connell says the car will revolutionize auto-making. >> this is the mother of all batteries. >> reporter: the big, flat battery that goes under the car provides a range of almost 300 miles before needing a charge. but some industry analysts including the auto columnist at "fortune" magazine say tesla's business plan doesn't work. >> the numbers just don't work, brian. unless tesla gets more cash they're going to be in bad shape. >> reporter: in fact, in tesla's most recent filing with the securities exchange commission, abc news and the center for public integrity found this statement. that the company expects continuing losses for at least the foreseeable future. if you don't make a profit, how will you repay the loan? >> we will make a profit. that's the plan and we're executing to it. >> reporter: despite what you said to the securities exchange commission. >> despite what we said to the securities exchange commission. >> reporter: the bottom line is that by their very nature, all these startup companies bring great risk. so, it's a gamble every time the taxpayers' money is put on the board. nothing is guaranteed, except that there will be winners and there will be losers. terry? >> that's for sure, brian. thank you. finally tonight, late news, violent clashes in oakland, california. police there using tear gas to disperse occupy wall street movement protesters who reportedly tried to return to the city hall area after being evicted from an encampment there earlier in the day. dozens of people were arrested. tune into "good morning america" tomorrow morning for complete coverage of that clash. we're alys