Transcripts For WCAU Today 20160306

The country this week. Well tell you what to expect. Breaking this morning, reports that nfl superstar Peyton Manning will announce his retirement tomorrow as we head into the next chapter fresh off that super bowl win with the Denver Broncos. And polar plunge. From fallon to von to gaga and now dreyer. Dylan gets ready for a chilly dip this morning in chicago. Why shell be freezing for a reason today, sunday, march 6th, 2016. Announcer from nbc news, this is today, live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. Welcome to today on this sunday morning, im erica hill. Im craig melvin alongside sheinelle jones. Dylan dreyer in chicago for the annual polar plunge for Special Olympics. Were going do that live on television this morning. Should be interesting. That it will and a little chilly. Our top story this morning, though, is the president ial race and those Super Saturday results. Donald trump notching two more big wins in the south, kentucky and louisiana. Ted cruz, strong showing as well taking kansas and maine. Here is where the gop delegate count stands. Donald trump 392. 305 for cruz. 130 for marco rubio. And 35 for Ohio Governor john kasich. As for the democrats, Bernie Sanders won more states than Hillary Clinton, he took kansas and nebraska. Clinton meantime took louisiana. Despite her two second place finishes, clinton extended her substantial lead. Shes almost halfway to that total number needed to secure the democratic nomination. We have complete coverage of both races beginning with nbcs gabe gutierrez. Gabe, good morning. Reporter good morning. Donald trump seemed almost unstoppable after super tuesday, now, ted cruz is picking up steam and trump is calling on marco rubio to drop out. Hoping to emerge as the antitrump this morning ted cruz is soaring after Super Saturday. Were seeing republicans coalesce around our campaign because ours is the only campaign that has repeatedly beaten donald trump. The texas senator pulling off decisive victories in kansas and maine. But donald trump still the frontrunner, trouncing his rivals in louisiana and kentucky. I want to congratulate ted on maine and on kansas and he should do well in maine because it is very close to canada. Lets face it. Reporter the billionaire trying to fend off the gop establishment. Donald trump is a phony, a fraud. Reporter in the first contest since mitt romneys blistering attack. Trump skipped saturdays conservative Political Action conference or cpac and came in a distant third in its straw poll. As a party, we should come together and stop this foolishness. Marco rubio reporter marco rubio, a distant third in kansas and fourth in maine. Today hes hoping to scrape up delegates in puerto ricos primary after campaigning there overnight. We knew this would be the roughest period in the Campaign Given the makeup of the electoral map. Reporter and now hes feeling the heat in florida, his mustwin home state. Trump is leading in the polls, but cruz is upping his ground game here, trying to squeeze out rubio and make it a twoman race. Trump now calling on the florida senator to drop out. I would love to take on ted one on one. That would be so much fun because ted cant win new york, he cant win new jersey, he cant win pennsylvania, he cant win california. I won ted one on one, okay. Reporter here in florida, more than half a million republicans have already voted, either early or absentee. And, craig, as if this entire race wasnt already out of a movie, today john kasich is campaigning in his home state of ohio with arnold schwarzenegger. California governor is with him. Gabe gutierrez in jacksonville, thank you. Over to the democratic side, Bernie Sanders picked up some big wins in kansas and nebraska. Hillary clinton countered with a landslide victory in louisiana which widened her delegate lead. Nbcs Kristen Welker is in flint, michigan where the candidates debate later tonight. Good morning. Reporter good morning to you. Senator sanders was looking for new momentum on saturday. And he got it with wins in those two key caucus states. But as you point out, secretary clinton did net more delegates than she was already far ahead in the delegate count, making her still very much the one to beat. Senator Bernie Sanders. Reporter riding high off victories in nebraska and kansas, senator Bernie Sanders at a democratic dinner detroit saturday. We will win in november. If we have a large voter turnout. Reporter secretary clinton at that same dinner also had reason to celebrate, earning a victory in delegate rich louisiana. I am thrilled were adding to our pledge delegate count. Reporter punctuating her delegate lead, each candidate focused on whats ahead. Im grateful to everyone who turned out to support us. But now all eyes turn to michigan. Reporter and with michigan voting tuesday, clinton isnt taking anything for granted. Her top surrogates former president bill clinton and daughter chelsea will campaign here, sanders aides say a win in michigan would prove he can be competitive in larger more diverse states. Sanders signaling a new focus on independence. The way to the white house is to win democrats and to win independents and to make sure trump does not win independents. Reporter both candidates preparing to face off tonight at a debate in flint, where sanders will likely take aim at clinton over her support of trade deals like nafta, unpopular in the west belt. Clinton will continue to paint herself as at candidate with the realistic policies and there will be no shortage of jabs for the republican contenders. Really, you just want to pull your hair out when you see that insult fest that goes on. On our worst day we will be infinitely better than the republicans on their best day. Reporter both candidates will spend much of the day getting ready for tonights debate and the flint water crisis will be a central topic with residents demanding specifics from both of the candidates and this has been an issue that has resonated all across the country, particularly with africanamericans. Erica . Kristen welker for us this morning, thank you. Chuck todd is nbcs political director and moderator of meet the press. Good morning to you. Good to see you, my friend. Good morning, craig. Good to see you. These were the first contests since romneys passionate plea for trump for folks to dump trump. We saw the piling on thursday night at the debate. How real is the possibility that these antitrump forces are starting to pick up steam and that this is, in fact, a twoman race . Well, i have to say i want a little more information. There is two ways to look at what happened yesterday. On one hand, yes, maybe this is a coalescing, maybe ted cruz has some momentum, splitting the four states and actually netting more delegates than donald trump. However, it is also four states that were closed republican contests meaning independents and democrats couldnt participate. And the one primary that cruz did caught up and did very well against trump, louisiana, was another state that touches the state of texas. So what happens tuesday . Michigan, mississippi, those are places that trumps heavily favored. If we see him struggle there, then i think it is time to connect the dots back to thursday from romney to that debate to a coalescing. But i can tell you this, i think one clear piece of evidence from yesterday is that if there is an antitrump candidate, it is cruz. Marco rubio with three thirds and a fourth, i dont think it will be him. Rubio focused on florida. But ted cruz is really focusing there too, opening a number of new offices in state, trying to steal that momentum. What happens to marco rubio moving forward . Is there something he can do between now and march 15th . You know, i dont think so anymore. I think florida is everything for him. He needed to win somewhere else, though, in this sort of in between week between the two super tuesdays and now it doesnt look like he has that opportunity at all. What hes got to fear, on tuesday, in mississippi, and michigan, john kasich has put extra focus actually on both states. What if rubio finishes fourth in both states, one week before he tries to win the florida primary . It could really zap momentum for him. I think there is a lot of pressure on marco rubio to show some life on tuesday in michigan or mississippi if he has any hope of catching trump in florida. Lets turn to the democrats quickly. Bernie sanders picking up two states yesterday, but, again, these states, like the others he picked up, largely homogenous. I want to show our viewers the delegate count now for democrats so they can see where this thing really stands. Hillary clinton with literally almost twice as many delegates as Bernie Sanders right now. Is there still even a path for sanders to victory at this point, chuck . Well, it would mean Hillary Clinton would have to collapse, he would have to win more than 60 . Were now at the point he has to win more than 60 of all remaining delegates in order to somehow capture this nomination. Yesterday was a prime example of why it is going to be so difficult. He won two states. She won one. Guess who won more delegates for the night . She did, because she won africanamericans by such a large margin in louisiana. She won the whole state by a large margin. And when she loses to sanders, she doesnt lose by the same margins he loses to her in states where she wins. This path is becoming less and less viable by the day for him. Chuck todd, thank you very much, good to see you. Well be watching when your guests this morning on meet the press, former republican president ial nominee mitt romney. Want to turn to that wild weather that we mentioned hitting Northern California. It is the start of what is going to be a big storm system, which will roll across the country this week. Well have dylans forecast in a moment. First, sheinelle has more details on the system. Yes, after a relatively dry february, march is turning out to be a very wet one on the west coast with the series of storms moving in from the pacific. It caused massive flooding in Northern California overnight, claiming at least one life. High winds up to 40 Miles Per Hour blew across Northern California from saturday into sunday, dumping heavy rains that should continue off and on throughout to the today. Trees down, Power Outages across the city of sacramento. The storm drenching neighborhoods, submerging cars and homes. Almost knee deep and it is really bad. Reporter californias highway 70 overflowing. The intense storm created a river below the highway 65 overpass, swallowing a car with two people who tried to circumvent a blockade. Water was six, eight feet deep by the time we could get into the vehicle. Took the dive team a while to follow it. Reporter the woman didnt make it. The male driver of the car was able to get out. The wet elements are expected to bring up to three feet of snow to the mountains. These Stormy Weather delays dozens of flights into San Francisco for hours and could cause more problems on the west coast today. Erica . A rough one. As we said, dylan is in chicago this morning where shell be taking that plunge to the chilly waters of Lake Michigan for a great cause. Well have more on that in a moment. But, dylan, talk to us about the Stormy Weather out west and what we can expect across the country. Well, we are going to see another couple of rounds of this wet Stormy Weather out west. But each one will get easier, id say. We had the bulk of the heaviest rain yesterday where we did get reports of eight inches of rain. We saw wind gusts in the highest peaks in mount diablo of 88 miles an hour. A wild storm system that moved in yesterday. Well see more wet weather tonight and tomorrow morning and another storm on tuesday. We are looking at additional two to four inches of rain and also another two to four feet of snow in the sierra mountains. Want to point out as the whole system moves eastward, we are looking for the possibility not of a Severe Weather outbreak, but isolated tornadoes possible through the plains, down into texas. We could see large hail and flash flooding. And we also need to focus on the rivers through the midwest as this transitions over to some heavier rain. We could end up with about three or more inches of rain with isolated higher amounts and that could lead to river flooding. More of the springtime setup where you get the severe storms and the potential a good sunday morning meteorologist Michelle Grossman. Early morning snow for some. Most of us not seeing it. Otherwise a cold day. Temperatures 45 to 48. Winds out of the northwest at 5 to 10 Miles Per Hour. Then were having a bigtime what were unanimous. 60 on monday, lots of sunshine tuesday, even warmer wednesday. 74 degrees. Were going to keep it warm on thursday and friday, although temperatures back into the sick. Friday mostly sunny 61 by saturday tracking a chance of a shower. Have a great day. And im not not talking about the lake yet, hoping dont have to go in. Well get to more on that and the Special Olympics in a few minutes, guys. Sounds good. Dylan, thanks. A report out just this morning that superstar quarterback Peyton Manning is about to announce his retirement. Espn reports the fivetime mvp and sure fire first ballot hall of famer is going to leave the game after 18 seasons. Nbc news has not independently confirmed this report. Manning expected to make that announcement tomorrow at the Denver Broncos headquarters. He goes out on top, of course, after winning his second super bowl last month. He is the nfls all time leader in passing touchdowns and passing yards. He played 14 years with the Indianapolis Colts and won a super bowl with them in 2007. In other news on this sunday morning, the coast guard is searching the seas off florida for a missing cruise ship passenger. Royal caribbeans navigator of the seas reporting a 46yearold man fell overboard early saturday morning. The coast guard is searching an area about 40 miles south of key largo, a fellow passenger reported seeing the man fall from his state room on the tenth deck. Thats 100 feet above the water. Lena dunham, creator and star of hbos series girls is in the hospital this morning. She needs surgery for a ruptured ovarian cyst. Shes been struggling with endometriosis, more than 6 million women in the country suffer from the painful condition. Dunham posted on facebook that shes lucky to have the support of the whole girls gang. A wild story out of florida to tell you about. A scuba diver who says hes lucky this morning to be alive after being sucked into a large pipe at a Nuclear Power plant. Sar sarah dahlof has more. Reporter off the aqua american waters are three submerged structures, a mystery they decided to investigate while diving last july in close proximity to the st. Lucy Nuclear Power plant. I felt a Little Current and it got quicker and i said this isnt right. He got sucked in like a noodle, just gong. Reporter he was sucked inside an intake pipe that delivers hundreds, thousands of gallons of water a minute to reactors inside the plant. The terrifying ride lasted up to five minutes. He feared he would be chopped into pieces, devoured by machinery. All i could think about is these horror movies, you know, this big turbine coming and im coming for it, you know. It is going to chop me up and kill me. I just contemplated, you know, do i pull the regulator out of my mouth and just die . Started thinking about my family, you know. How are they going to survive without me. Reporter as he struggled with those dark thoughts, light. Fish everywhere, Crystal Clear water, the sun is shining, im, like, is this heaven . Reporter the journey took him a quarter mile along the 16 foot wide pipe, from the ocean intake, to a reservoir pool on plant property. He borrowed a phone from a surprised worker and called his wife, leaving her a miraculous voice mail. Hey, its me. I got pulled through a [ bleep ] pipe. Im okay. Reporter and connecting with her moments later. Something is telling me to pick up the phone. So i did. And it was him. She picks up. And she just goes, hello. I said, im alive. Reporter le cun filed a lawsuit alleging negligence. The Utility Company has not yet responded to the suit, but in a statement claims the diver intentionally swam into one of the intake pipes after bypassing a piece of equipment to minimize the entry of objects. He denies those allegations as well as Florida Power and lights claim that the buoy marking the area that day claimed the warning to stay back 100 feet. Meanwhile, hes savoring time with his wife and kids. Remembering how close he says he came to losing them. For today, sarah dahlof, nbc news. Can you imagine . No. No. Being the wife on the other end of the call too. Sucked into a pipe. Okay. Doesnt happen every day. Meanwhile, it is the end of an era on tv tonight. The Series Finale of pbs wildly popular Downton Abbey but will it be the last time that fans get to enjoy the drama. Kel kel kelly kobeila has more. Youre not the only one watching. While tonight is the last time youll see these characters on tv, the shows creator told me they may not be gone for good. After six seasons of ups and downs, it is time to say goodbye to americas favorite aristocrats. The world is changing. Reporter the period drama with british humor, history, and manners presenting the lady rose mcclaire. Reporter is taking its final bow tonight. It was an unlikely hit finding an audience with the real royals, our own first lady, even p. Diddy. I wasnt expecting the success we got, because i think if you expect that youre a mad person. You know. That happens very rarely in a career, if ever. Reporter the show won 12 emmys and three golden globes. Incredible considering it almost never made it to america. Remember being told by one american executive that no one in the United States would ever be interested in this idea. Reporter how wrong they were. It had something for everyone. Romance, rivalry, and a grammy with great one liners. I take that as a compliment. Reporter before long, big american names were clamoring for a role. Dont worry, im well prepared for cold baths, warm drinks and most of all the food. Reporter above all, Downton Abbey was about family, whether they lived upstairs, or downstairs. But how will it all end . Will edith ever find love . Will there be any happily ever afters . And are the doors of Downton Abbey really closing for good . The shows executive producer told me yesterday that these characters will never be back for season seven. His words. But a movie is a real possibility. But, first, of course, we have to see how it all ends tonight. The show already aired on this side of the pond. Ive seen it. No spoilers. No spoilers for you. All i have to say is bring your tissues. Oh, geez. Thank you. Thanks, kelly. I love the little one liners shes got. Remember she said, whats a weekend . We dont have weekends. Perfectly applicable. Coming up i just got that. Nice. Key players in the o. J. Simpson case speaking out more than two decades after the trial of the century. Prosecutor marcia clark, as she watched the guilty verdict slip away. Cathys gotten used to the smell of lingering garbage in her kitchen yup, shes gone noseblind. She thinks it smells fine, but her guests smell this. Sfx ding, flies, meow after cat lands music starts febreze air effects heavy duty has up to. Two times the odoreliminating power to remove odors youve done noseblind to [inhales] mmm. Use febreze air effects, till its fresh and try febreze small spaces. To continuously eliminate up to two times the odors for 30 days. Febreze small spaces and air effects, two more ways [inhale exhale mnemonic] to breathe happy. Whats that, broheim . I switched to geico and got more. More savings on Car Insurance . Yeah brofessor, and more. Like renters insurance. More ways to save. Nice, brotato chip. Thats not all, brotein shake. Geico has motorcycle and rv insurance, too. Oh, thats a lot more. Oh yeah, im all about more, teddy brosevelt. Geico. Expect great savings and a whole lot more. Not yet. Not yet pull the peach mmmm, yoplait. Still to come, a young rodeo star told she would never ride again, back in the saddle. And a sight in the sky, a hi im kristie. And im jess. And we are the bug chicks. Were a nanobusiness. Windows 10 really helps us get the word out about how awesome bugs are. Kids learn to be brave and curious and all kids speak the language of bug. s. So its about 8 27. Good morning, everyone, im ted greenberg. Another chilly morning. First alert meteorologist Michelle Grossman with the forecast. It is freezing in many spots, cold and cloudy, live view from Adventure Aquarium camera. Clouds will clear out. 37 in philadelphia, below freezing, 33 in millville. By this afternoon up to 47. Thats pretty close to normal for this time of. Mostly sunny, mild breeze, 60 degrees. Warmer on tuesday. Mostly sunny 70, 74 on wednesday. Then well bring a back clouds, chance of showers on thursday, low 60s friday and saturday. New this morning, suspected drunk driver caused two Police Vehicles to collide. In West Philadelphia police tell us an suv hit a police wagon which then bumped into a parked Police Cruiser around 4 30 this morning. Two officers and suv driver went to get checked out at the hospital for minor injuries. Today is day two of the Philadelphia Flower Show at the Pennsylvania Convention center. Yesterdays opening session absolutely packed. This years show features colorful displays of americas native flowers, plants and trees. Were back at 9 00 with 90 mince of news. More of the today show coming your way week. Im ted greenberg. We hope have you a great sunday. This guy loves me, dont you . Wait, whats that . Get him out. As i was saying, everyone loves me. I even got this got this piece of behind me now. Isnt that right, chris . Yes, sir, thank you, sir, plea pleas please, sir, may i have another. Saturday night live skewering donald trump last night and that conference with chris christie. A great sunday morning crowd here on rockefeller plaza. Shes from wichita, kansas. From wichita . Ill run over there and give her a hug. Dylan dreyer standing by in chicago to jump into that frigid lake behind her for Special Olympics. Shes excited. She is very excited. It is a great cause. Well get to dylan in a bit. It will be quick. We want to get you caught up on this sundays headlines. Lets begin with politics. Ted cruz waking up with new momentum in the republican president ial race this morning. The texas senator won saturdays contest in maine and kansas. Donald trump picked up victories in kentucky and louisiana. Marco rubio finished no better than third in all four states voting on saturday, leading trump to call on rubio to end his campaign. Every time he comes in third or fourth, he says you got to be able to win. And he has not been able to win and i think it is time that he drops out. Rubios campaign quickly rejected that call from donald trump. On the democratic side, Bernie Sanders topped Hillary Clinton, two states to one, taking both kansas and nebraska, but clinton increased her lead in the delegate count, fueled by her massive win in louisiana. And massive el nino fuld storms are triggering major flooding across california, heavy rains turning roads into rivers in this neighborhood as you can see in the northern part of the state. Dozens of flights were delayed in San Francisco the. There is more rain expected today and tomorrow. Also this morning, renew ed attention on the o. J. Simpson case, both in the headlines and on television. Much of it fuld by that riveting series on fx. Tonight, key players from the actual trial will speak out on dateline. Heres nbcs josh mankiewicz. Los angeles, june 12th, 1994, two horrific murders, defined by just three words, the o. J. Case. A collision of pop culture and legal drama that still fascinates us today. I want him to finish this day alive. Reporter a new dramatic series airing on fx, the people versus o. J. Simpson is winning ratings and review s. Actress Sarah Paulson plays one of the stars who emerged in the trial, lead prosecutor marcia clark. Were taking him to trial. Are you watching the miniseries . I am. I didnt think i could bear it, just reliving of the nightmare. Reporter the nightmare began when Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend ron goldman were found murdered in the exclusive l. A. Neighborhood of brentwood. Kris jenner, nicoles best friend, remembers getting the horrible news. I was, like, what, what do you mean nicole died . It was devastating. Reporter then came the infamous low speed bronco chase, which had marcia clark watching and seething. We looked like the biggest idiots ever. Possibly armed, use caution. It was surreal. It was could this get any worse . Reporter it did. Simpson was soon arrested and charged. We do have sufficient evidence to convict him. Reporter evidence rich in simpsons blood and dna. But the defense would undermine the prosecutions case by suggesting that evidence was tainted when gathered by a Sloppy Police department. I had had so many days of going back up to my office and feeling like, were toast. Its over. There is no way. Reporter eventually the socalled trial of the century became a case more about race than evidence. As defense attorney Johnnie Cochran preached to the jury. Stop this coverup. If you dont stop it, then who. Reporter the jury deliberated barely four hours. Orenthal James Simpson not guilty of the crime of murder. That was not justice. Reporter josh mankiewicz, nbc news, los angeles. Clark moved to private practice after that trial and started winning. Her latest book blood defense comes out later this spring. Hear more from her, kris jenner, cato okkaelin and others tonigh at 9 00, 8 00 central. Dylan dreyer in chicago, getting set to take a polar plunge into a frigid Lake Michigan. Good to see you there, dylan dreyer. Good morning, guys. This is the 16th polar plunge in chicago. And millions of dollars have been raised for the great cause, Special Olympics. Im joined by casey hogan, the president of Special Olympics chicago. This has become quite the celebrity affair. What can we expect this year . Were going to expect a lot this year. We are at a recordbreaking year with over 5,500 plungers expected to join us. We have surpassed last years fundraising goal and we have the great crew of chicago fire, chicago pd, chicago med, our local chef Graham Elliott is joining us. And you never know, there might be other surprises. Were looking at video of lady gaga did it a couple of years go, jimmy fallon has done it. You can see more ice in the lake than were seeing today. Are you surprised by the weather . This is unreal. If youre going to do the plunge, today is the day. This is unbelievable weather. Were calling it the tropical plunge. You picked a good year yourself to do it. Yes. I think al roker and i had a little control in the year we were going to do this. This is great. Were really excited to have you here too. So much money has been raised for Special Olympics. Good luck today. Thank you. And i guess good look to myself too, because youre not jumping this year, but youve done it nine times. The last nine years ive done it. Youre going to have a blast. Im looking forward to it, kind of. It is going to be fun. I think when everybody gets here and the weather in chicago is actually all right. We should top out in the 50s. All part of this warmup that is moving across the country. Were going to see springlike warmth through the northern plains, stretching into the midwest. This is all going to move east as we get into the middle of the week with temperatures topping out in the 60s and 70s. Look at that, new york city, 70 degrees by wednesday. Little further south we should top out in the mid70s. The warm air is coming, just got to jump in this lak a good sunday morning, meteorologist Michelle Grossman. Early morning snow for some. Most not seeing it. Otherwise a cold day once again. Temperatures 45 to 48, winds out of the northwest at 5 to 10 Miles Per Hour. Then a bigtime warmup this week, 60 on monday, tuesday 70, even warmer by wednesday. 74 degrees. Were going to keep it warm on thursday and friday, although temperatures back into the 60s. Friday mostly sunny, 61 by saturday tracking a chance of a shower. Have a great day. Guys, the plunge happens at 10 00 central time. So were not going to get to do it on live tv but all on the web. You want to check back later today. Al roker and i have want to hold onto it. What are you going to wear . You get some kind of warm suit or something . What is your strategy . They recommend not wearing too many clothes, though i will not be wearing a bikini by any means, but we have a tshirt and shorts plan going, al and i do. Good luck. We know youre going to knock it out of the park. The best news is, dylan, not only is it for a good cause, but it is quick. Dylan, thanks. Real quick. Up next, our sunday stories from a rodeo star back in the saddle after being told that would never happen again, to a taste for freedom for a man who spent a decade on death row for a crime he says he didnt commit. Harry smith is in the house, he visited a bird watching paradise in an unexpected place. It is all after these messages. Does the smell of a freshly bound presentation fill you with optimism . Do you love your wireless keyboard more than certain family members . Is your success due to a filing system only you understand . Does printing from your tablet to your wireless printer give you a jolt of confidence . If so, you may be gearcentric. Someone who knows that the right office gear helps you do great things. And theres one place that has it all. Office depot officemax. Gear up for great. This. I can do easily. I try hard to get a great shape. Benefiber healthy shape helps curb cravings. Its a clear, tastefree daily supplement. Thats clinically proven to help keep me fuller longer. Benefiber healthy shape. This, i can do. Find us in the fiber aisle. Only kraft natural cheese has a touch of philadelphia cream cheese, so whatever you make, is creamier than ever. The whole day to sell to the their old cart aside and buy a new one. Oops. Nanas got the kids til 9. But its only 2. Guess youll just have to see a movie. Then get some dinner. What a pity. Back with a remarkable woman who can teach us a lot about overcoming obstacles. Amberley snyder devoted her life to horses and rodeo. When a car accident tried to derail those plans, she wasnt going to let it get in the way. Reporter from the time she was a toddler, this is where Amberley Snyder has wanted to be. Happiest place for me on earth is on my horses back. Reporter a World Champion barrel racer at age of 18, amberley was living her dream. Then a car accident changed everything. I overcorrected my truck, and i was ejected and hit a fence post on the side of the road, which is what broke my back. Reporter amberley was paralyzed from the waist down. Doctors predicted she would never walk, and certainly never ride again. The very first day of therapy, when my nurse asked me what my goals are, i tell her, walk, ride, rodeo. There is not and if, there is not an and, there is not a maybe. This is what were doing. What was her reaction . She thought i was crazy. Reporter one of the biggest hurdle for amberley, wasnt getting into the saddle, it was staying there. How was her balance initially after the accident . Really bad. To the point where even if she was sitting in bed and raised her arm to brush her hair, you know, she could fall over. I had mentioned to my therapist that my balance is better on my saddle than anywhere else. Saddle in and i got on the saddle and my balance was better there. Reporter four months after her accident, she was in the saddle, on her horse. When you first got back on the horse, is it what you expected . The first time i got on the horse was the hardest day of my life. Reporter why . Because in that moment, i realized my whole life was different. Reporter later that year, amberley hit bottom. For eight months she didnt even want to see her horses, let alone ride them. Stubborn. I was, like, no, not doing it, not doing it. Reporter you needed your own time. Mmhmm. Reporter at one point, amberley begged her mother to sell the horses. Tina snyder refused. I said, amberley, your horses have been injured before, and you waited for them to heal. Theyre going to wait for you. Reporter the wait paid off. 18 months after her accident, Amberley Snyder returned to regular competition. The very first time we went out for a race, you want to win. The competitive nature is still there every single time i go in the arena. When shes on a horse, shes like everybody else. She gets to leave the wheelchair behind and the horse is her legs. Reporter now, six years later, Amberley Snyder is firmly back in her saddle. I had outrun myself of what i have before my wreck. Even though im strapped in and cant kick, i still can run with anyone out there. Amberleys able to saddle her horse from her chair, using an old seat belt. We cut this out of a junk card car. Reporter and a series of straps and rubber bands to hold her steady and keep her legs in place. They go around my feet and my stirrups. Reporter her horses have also adjusted to this new normal. They learned to just completely ignore my legs. They dont even Pay Attention to them anymore. Reporter as positive as she is, amberley doesnt shy away from her daily struggle. I dont think im ever going to roll over when i get out of bed in the morning and go, man, im glad im getting into that chair. You just have to shift the way you look at it. My goals have not changed. Im just giving myself a little more time in order to accomplish them. Reporter when you look at her today, what is first thought that comes to your mind when you look at your daughter . Awe. And grateful shes here. To say amberley and her mother tina are incredible would be a gross understatement. She regained some feeling in her legs. You can real more about it at today. Com. She said shes convinced it is from the riding. From the stimulation of it . She thinks it helped. Shes a motivational speaker. But shes phenomenal. And caroline gottlieb, our producer, thank you, you found us an incredible story. Were back after this. At johnsons, the products in our bath time routine Work Together like a team. The washes with the shampoos, the shampoos with the lotions. A combination designed to help improve your babys skin barrier while you stimulate his senses. With johnsons, the more you put in, the more they get out. Johnsons®. So much more™ plants may have their limits. Imagination. Doesnt with the right nourishment. Patience. Care. One day. Have you seen your garden . Itll blossom. Find low prices on the things that make easter fun and delicious. Walmart. Were back with new developments in a controversial case out of texas. Dwayne brown was sentenced to death for a crime he insisted he didnt commit. He was freed last year after new evidence was uncovered in a retired detectives garage. I visited him recently and found someone surprisingly not bitter, but thankful. Say the word freedom to a man who hasnt had it for more than a decade, and you may hear the unexpected. Freedom for me is being around things that i can actually get up and go do and i enjoy doing. It is a feeling that you cant explain. Reporter in 2003, dwayne brown was charged with murder in the shooting death of charles clark, a decorated police officer. The killing happened during a robbery at a Check Cashing store on the Southeast Side of houston. The stores clerk Alfreda Jones was also killed. Never been any signs on this case that implicates him. Never a shred of evidence, no dna, no gunshot residue. Reporter brown was convicted and sentenced to death. Spending 23 hours a day in a cell like this, 12 years in prison. When youre on death row, did you think that the day would come when you would actually get out. When youre in that place, you dont at least i wasnt thinking that far ahead. I was trying to take care of whats today, what im going to do today. And thats how i live my life every day. Day by day. Reporter his saving grace, a single piece of paper, subpoenaed phone records that proved he was at his girlfriends apartment during the crime, records that his appellant attorney said were never turned over to his Court Appointed attorney during his original trial. It would have confirmed his alibi. Turns out they were discovered eight years later, in the garage of the investigating officer. He has since retired. Last june, the District Attorney dismissed his case, saying she did not have enough evidence to convict in a new trial and set him free. Do you think you were set up . Very much so. Very much so. They were seeking a conviction at any cost. In a high profile case. And but for our work, they would have gotten away with it. Reporter nbc news reached out to the Houston Police department for comment, they emailed an audio recording of a june 2015 press conference where the police chief said the case was improperly investigated and would not comment on the evidence. The District Attorneys office declined to comment. We shouldnt be in a Justice System where it takes eight years of work from a number of lawyers, probably over a Million Dollars in probono fees and expenses and those types of things to exonerate one man. Cant be what the system is all about. But thats what it took here. Reporter browns daughter kiara was 2 years old when her father went away. What has it been like having dad back . It has been amazing. Hes strict. But hes not strict. Hes like a cool dad. Reporter what is he strict about . Boys . One thing that strikes me about you, youre not angry. You smile. It is the strangest thing to me. How is that . How are you not mad at the world . I dont have a word for it, i dont have an answer for it, im just enjoying myself. Im doing the things i like to do. And under texas law, people wrongly convicted, theyre entitled to 80,000 a year. Browns legal team petitioned the state to approve roughly about 973,000. The state has until april 7th to respond. Thats remarkable story. Hes a remarkable guy. You would be surprised how happy he is about life. A great story. Craig, thanks. Up next, an amazing display in the skies over nebraska after this. Earning unlimited cash back on purchases. Thats a win. But imagine earning it twice. You can with the citi double cash® card. It lets you earn cash back twice. Once when you buy and again as you pay. Its cash back then cash back again. And thats a cash back winwin. The citi double cash card. The only card that lets you earn cash back twice on every purchase with 1 when you buy and 1 as you pay. With two ways to earn, it makes a lot of other cards seem onesided. When your cold makes you wish. You could stay. In bed all day. You need the power of. New theraflu expressmax. New theraflu expressmax. The power to feel better. Look at this sweet face. So sweet. Ok, were going to need a napkin gooey, flaky, happy. Toaster strudel. One day a rider made a decision. The decision to ride on and save money. He decided to save money by switching his motorcycle insurance to geico. Theres no shame in saving money. Ride on, ride proud. Geico motorcycle, great rates for great rides. This morning on sundays with harry, something to get you in the mood for spring. Good morning, harry smith. Good morning. Feeling a tiny spring is a couple of weeks away, but i saw cr crocuses in central park and they reminded me of something we shot, we got to see a couple of years ago too, a great seasonal migration that happen right in the middle of the country. Interstate 80. If youre on it, you race through places like carney, nebraska. But this time of year it is hard not to notice the birds here. Yes, those are birds in the sky. Thousands and thousands of snow geese migrating northward, slowing down for a rest. Talk about a roadside attraction. 20 million or so birds would be offended to hear nebraska referred to as a flyover state. The birds and their ancestors have spent every spring here for several thousand millennia. These are sand hill cranes, mike forsbe forsberg, a photographer, author and conservationist has been watching the cranes for more than 20 years. It would be like missing christmas. Reporter this is good. This is really good. Revered since ancient times, mike says the graceful elegant birds dance sometimes because theyre nervous, sometimes because theyre in love. And sometimes because they just like to dance. But the best time to watch them is at first light, with the golden moon in the western sky, you can barely see the birds, and you sure can hear them. The cranes spend the night on the bank and the sandbars of the plat river and as day break comes, the birds get louder and louder, building to a dramatic crescendo, a wakeup call the likes of which you have never heard. Crane lovers come from all over the country, and all over the world, to visit audubons rose sanctuary. Lynn hobsa cant wait to see the birds up close. Youre all pumped up. I am. I cant help it. Reporter we used to say you know its spring when the swallows return to capistrano. Now, you know its spring when the cranes return to carney. So mike forsberg, the photographer, he sent me this picture, which well put up on the screen, that was taken just last week. Oh, my goodness. The migration has started already. So if youre in the middle of the country, get to the plat river and be awed. Thank you, harry. Thanks, harry. Tune into meet the press this morning. Chuck will have more on the Super Saturday results and hes speaking with mitt romney. Dont forget to check out our facebook page. Dylan dreyer, the polar plunge. Whoo for the Special Olympics. Go singing i just cant wait to meet you, sweet child youre on the way, im filled with expectation, and youre growing everyday. instrumental marco rubio had a very, very bad night. Personally id call for him to drop out of the race. Decision 2016 republican candidate donald trump wants to narrow the Playing Field while his closest competitor ted cruz is gaining momentum. Today were getting in that last bit of cold weather before were treated to a springlike warmup. 37 degrees as we take a live look at boathouse row. Good morning, everybody. Welcome to nbc news today. Im ted greenberg. 9 00 a. M. On this sunday morning. Thanks for being with us. Nbc 10 meteorologist Michelle Grossman in the weather center