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CNN Wolf Blitzer Reports

Authorities Investigate Anonymous Internet Tip Claiming Chandra Levy's Body Buried in Parking Lot

Aired August 01, 2001 - 20:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KATE SNOW, CNN ANCHOR: Tonight, an anonymous Internet tip that Chandra Levy's body is buried in a parking lot in a Virginia military installation. Police are taking it seriously, and are mounting a search.

Chandra Levy confided in her. And after Chandra disappeared, she turned the spotlight on the relationship with Congressman Gary Condit. We'll have a special interview with Chandra Levy's aunt, Linda Zamsky.

It's been a test of wills between the White House and the Congress.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: After a lot of labor and a lot of hard work and a lot of discussion, we shook hands in the Oval Office.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SNOW: The president reaches a deal with a key congressman on a patients' bill of rights. Is it enough to make everyone happy?

He was big and strong, a star lineman for the Minnesota Vikings.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RANDY MOSS, MINNESOTA VIKINGS: It's like he was here today, gone tomorrow.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SNOW: Korey Stringer is dead of heat stroke after collapsing at practice on a day when the temperature rose to 98 degrees. With the Midwest gripped by blistering heat, the dangers for anyone are very real.

I'm Kate Snow reporting tonight from Capitol Hill. Wolf Blitzer is off.

There are possibly significant new developments in the Chandra Levy case. An Internet tip on the alleged whereabouts of a body has authorities mobilizing to search a site at Fort Lee, Virginia. And that's our top story. Let's go live to CNN national correspondent Bob Franken in our Washington bureau. Bob, what's going on?

BOB FRANKEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: (AUDIO GAP) the D.C. police, FBI, everybody is emphasizing that this is not something that they believe is going to end the case of the disappearance of Chandra Levy, but it is something that they do believe is worth checking out.

This is a tip that they got from a Californian Web site, "Mytips.com," they and got it last night and have decided that there was enough information in this tip, three pages of single spaced writing that they wanted to check it out. What was particularly interesting was the fact that it described a parking lot near Fort Lee, Virginia.

Fort Lee, Virginia is a military base. It's near Richmond, as you can see there. It's about a two-hour drive from Washington, D.C. It's one of one, many, many tips they have gotten. And you now see video that was shot for us by our affiliate WAVY. It shows area. The tip was one that included the information, according to the tip, that Chandra Levy's body was buried in a parking lot that was under construction at or near the base.

Now there had been parking lot construction going on there, so the authorities decided they that would check it out. When the news broke they went to great pains to say that there was nothing, in fact, more to this than any number of other that they have gotten. They have checked out each and every one of these because of the frustration they have had after three months of not being able to locate Chandra Levy.

The FBI is the latest to put out a statement. I'd like to read it to you and provide some emphasis. It reads like this: "The FBI is investigation a tip that alleges the body of Chandra Levy is located in an area of Fort Lee. At this time the FBI is attempting to determine the validity of that tip. If the tip is deemed credible, appropriate investigative steps will be taken."

Now the rest of the statement is in capital letters. It goes, "At this time there are no plans to conduct a search in the Fort Lee area."

Very interesting about that because the FBI is now backing off a bit from the original reports from police, et cetera, that there were plans to in fact do a search. The FBI is now saying it's going to analyze the situation and then determine if there is reason to do a search.

Meanwhile Washington metropolitan police put out a statement too. It says, "It must be emphasized this is but another of many unconfirmed tips circulating about the disappearance of Miss. Levy." So the fact is that there is going to be at least consideration of this tip, but the Washington police do not want to raise expectations, Kate. They are just saying that this is something that they need to consider.

SNOW: OK, Bob. So they may not necessarily be looking any further than just looking at the surface and not necessarily digging in?

FRANKEN: They are going to have to decide, in fact, what they want to do. Now, one thing I also want to report, of course, the Levys, the family in Modesto, California, are represented by an attorney, Billy Martin here and a public relation's firm, a whole team as you now know.

The truth of the matter is, according to some sources connected to the Levy family team, a lawyer in the office of Billy Martin, who is the attorney, has called the parents of Chandra Levy in Modesto, California and Linda Zamsky, who is the aunt of Chandra Levy, to whom Chandra confided that she was having the relationship with Congressman Gary Condit, that he later agreed that he was having to police investigators -- according to police sources -- that they have been contacted and told by the lawyer, quote, "there is nothing to this," meaning that he had talked to law enforcement authorities and did not give much credence to this tip.

And speaking of Linda Zamsky, she is the aunt and I spent quite a bit of time on -- talking to her today. And we will possibly have some of that conversation later. Bottom line, however, Kate, is that the police are taking a look at this but they are not ready to give it much credence.

SNOW: Bob, we will turn to that in just a moment, so stand by there. But for now, we want to go out to Modesto, California, the home of Chandra Levy, and the man that she was reportedly involved with, Representative Gary Condit. CNN national correspondent Gary Tuchman is live outside the home of Chandra Levy's parents -- Gary.

GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kate, members of the Levy family are now going through still another phase of their three-month nightmare. When word of this tip came nobody was home in this house behind me. Dr. Robert Levy was at the hospital. He is an oncologist, he was doing his job today. Susan Levy was out at dinner or at lunch, actually, with some of her friends.

A friend of the family came over to the house an adviser to the family and told us the Levys did not know about the tip. So she came here to inform them when they came home. Susan Levy drove up about three hours ago. The friend of the family who goes by the name of Kim Petersen, she is the executive director of a missing persons' foundations, told Susan Levy that there was this tip. They hugged. It was emotional. They went inside the house. An hour later they came out together.

They both came out and they went inside Kim Petersen's vehicle and then left this area. We don't know where they are. We presume they have gone to a place which is quiet where they can be a little more thoughtful. Dr. Levy usually comes home from work around this time. We think that he might be meeting his wife wherever they are right now to talk about the situation.

The Levys have talked to us virtually every day over the last three months. They talked to us this morning, once again reiterating their hope that their daughter come home. But right now they have not talked since they received this tip. They are, we think, together right now discussing this very sad situation in this three-month saga that began on May 31. It's now August 1, the daughter's still missing and they still hope that she comes home safely. They still retain that hope. Back to you, Kate.

SNOW: Thank you, Gary Tuchman, in Modesto, California. Let's go back now to Bob Franken, who of course has been covering the investigation for many weeks now. Today, Bob, as you mentioned, you spoke at length with Chandra Levy's aunt, Linda Zamsky, who first made public her niece's relationship with Congressman Gary Condit.

FRANKEN: And of course the aunt Linda Zamsky and the family have been on this roller coaster. It's happening again, as the investigation looks like its developing into something and now it looks like it may not. But in any case, we spoke earlier in the day when it appeared that the investigation was going to be winding down. So I had a lengthy interview which was aired earlier on CNN, a lengthy interview with Linda Zamsky.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FRANKEN: We're speaking with Linda Zamsky. So many people now know who you are because you have been such a part of this story. You're the aunt of Chandra Levy. Chandra Levy had confided in you and of course, after three months, she is still missing. This must be very frustrating for you.

LINDA ZAMSKY, CHANDRA LEVY'S AUNT: Very frustrating. Very upsetting, hurtful. There is not enough words to describe what our family's feeling.

FRANKEN: And now you have the police, in effect, signaling that the investigation may be waning away, may be cutting back a little bit. How do you feel about that?

ZAMSKY: We're upset. I mean we don't understand why -- they don't tell us anything and I guess if they talk to us, maybe we'd understand why. But I don't even think that would work. We want them to keep looking forever until they find her and bring her back to us.

FRANKEN: But there must be another part of you that realizes that that is not realistic.

ZAMSKY: Yes, I know that. Yes, there is another part of me. But it...

FRANKEN: So now we come to the point where I want to cover some ground and I want to ask you to talk about your conversations with Chandra Levy, your niece about Gary Condit.

ZAMSKY: Well, we had conversations starting at Thanksgiving, where she told me she was dating an older married man and I, and he was -- somebody powerful and in Washington in the government. And I said, well, who is he? And, No, I am not allowed to tell. It has to be kept confidential because it would bother -- hurt his career. And you know, and I said, listen, you know, be careful. He's married. He had -- she told me he has two kids. I said be careful, he's married and has two kids. And he's in government you know. You just have to be careful. What else did we talk about? She -- I said, how do you have a relationship with this man going out if it's such a secret and he's seen in Washington? What if you are seen together?

She told me that they don't go out and much, but they spend time. Most of the time they spent together was at home watching movies, just reading the newspaper, just being together.

FRANKEN: Did she describe her hopes for the relationship?

ZAMSKY: In November?

FRANKEN: Whenever she talked to you about it.

ZAMSKY: Yeah, in November it was a very new relationship so I don't think that there was a lot of -- I know that she didn't talk to me about, oh, this is my guy for the rest of my life. She was just beginning to date him and have a relationship with him.

In April she did speak of a long-term commitment with him over five years of having a relationship in secrecy, keep it low-key and then, move past that. She said in five years, for some reason, he had something going on in politics and then hopefully have a relationship that they could come out and be together in public, get married, have a family. And -- that's what he told her.

And you know, when she was telling me this, you know, I told her be careful. I just, I always said be careful. But I didn't shut her down because she needed to talk to somebody. She obviously needed to share this information and she trusts me. So that's why she told me these things.

FRANKEN: Did she ever describe her feelings about Congressman Condit's marriage?

ZAMSKY: No. No. Only that she knew that his wife was sickly and that it was a marriage of convenience for him. So she kind of just, I think, looking back at it, I would guess that may be she thought that it was a marriage -- she discarded it like it wasn't -- he made it seem like it wasn't important to him so therefore it was not a concern of hers, It was almost like, when it was going to be -- when he was done with his political thing, he would, you know, the wife would be gone. They would split.

FRANKEN: Were you left with the impression that she was emotionally equipped at age 24 to handle the complications of this relationship with an older, more experienced man?

ZAMSKY: Well, what do you think? I think that that's kind of complicated for people to grasp.

Yes, I think that Chandra was most, more mature than a 24-year- old. I mean, she handled herself very well. She's traveled around. She's educated. I mean I had no doubt that she would be -- I didn't think she would get in the trouble. I thought possibly she would get hurt because, you know, he's a married man. And just because somebody says, oh, my marriage isn't good, I am going to leave. You just never know. Obviously, obviously going out with a single man would have been a lot safer than a married man just for her, emotion wise.

FRANKEN: She had confided in you. You were her confidant. Had she ever talked about other relationships that perhaps were similarly precarious?

ZAMSKY: Not at all.

FRANKEN: So this was the first one and I ask that because there have been some suggestions that she was a woman of the world, and you know what I mean by that.

ZAMSKY: Yes. No, absolutely not. She was not a woman of the world. She did not date 10 guys in one week. That was not her -- she didn't have time. Obviously, she's a young attractive girl and she would date guys but, other conversations we had in the past eight years that we've known each other, she's been in love a few times. And you know, she's had her heart broken. And that's it. I mean, that happens in living your life.

FRANKEN: Did she go any further in describing how the congressman described the relationship with his wife.

ZAMSKY: Just as a matter of convenience. They slept in separate rooms when they were at home in California. She was sickly, the wife. And that's why she didn't come to affairs with him. She used to, in the beginning, and that was the extent of what she shared with me about her.

FRANKEN: Now, we come to the point where police are saying, quote, "Gary Condit is not the central figure in this investigation." Do you agree with that?

ZAMSKY: I don't know. I mean, the police have to handle -- they're handling the investigation. I can't make that call. I'm not a trained police person. I'm not a lawyer. I'm not an FBI agent. So if they're moving away from him I would only have to assume that there's evidence that's guiding them away. It would be -- it would be nice for our family to know that, though.

FRANKEN: Are you saying that there has not been adequate communication between police and you?

ZAMSKY: That is correct.

FRANKEN: What do you mean by that?

ZAMSKY: I mean, we know nothing that they're doing. From the very beginning, when I gave my statement, I was told, you know, don't talk to anybody. Keep quiet. Don't talk to the media. It will hinder the investigation. And since then, I had a few conversations with Detective Durant (ph), he was most helpful. And after that they just shut down. I would call, ask questions. I wouldn't get answers or they would tell me that it's something that they are investigating, but they can't discuss it, so eventually I stopped calling because why waste the phone call, you know, to get the same answer over and over again?

FRANKEN: The police say that Gary Condit is not a suspect. You talked to your niece, to Linda Zamsky, is Gary Condit a suspect in the disappearance of Chandra Levy?

ZAMSKY: I don't know if I would use the word "suspect." I think he, in not being honest about his relationship with Chandra in the beginning, that leads me to think that he is hiding something. It doesn't necessarily mean that he knows -- hiding what information that would aid us finding her.

It doesn't mean that he didn't did it, and doesn't mean he knows who did it. But he may have taken a walk with her somewhere where she mentioned, that I like place, I'd go back there and visit. And they spent a lot of time together and I am sure that there is tons of information that he has that we don't know if he has given to the police or the FBI.

And as a family, you know, if we were told that, then I -- I would -- I would guess that we would feel that, based on the information we would be given, we would come to our own conclusions.

FRANKEN: Linda Zamsky I think that it's fair to say that the entire world shares your hopes. Thank you very much for stalking with us.

ZAMSKY: Thank you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FRANKEN: I would like to point out that that interview was conducted before the news broke out, that authorities are considering a search in an area about two hours south of Washington based on an anonymous tip -- Kate.

SNOW: Bob Franken, thank you very much. On the political front a significant development in efforts to bridge the deadlock over a patients' bill of rights. President Bush says he's reached a compromise with Republican Congressman Charlie Norwood, a dentist from Georgia who has worked with Democrats on a measure which the president up until now opposed.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BUSH: After a lot of labor and a lot of hard work and a lot of discussion, we shook hands in the Oval Office about 10 minutes ago. And Charlie's going to head up to the hill.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. CHARLIE NORWOOD (R), GEORGIA: I think the people of America should be very, very grateful for the hard work he's put in, arm- twisting he's done. And this has worked out to be, I think, a great opportunity.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SNOW: The Bush-Norwood compromise would let patient's sue in state or federal court against their HMOs. It would allow lawsuits against insurance companies in state courts and law suits against employers in federal courts.

Patients could also sue for more money than the president had originally wanted. Will this compromise fly?

I'm joined now by CNN's Kelly Wallace at the White House, and Jonathan Karl here on Capitol Hill. Kelly, first to you. How important was it to the president to get this compromise?

KELLY WALLACE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Very, very important, Kate, because the White House believed, if the president could strike a deal with Republican Congressman Charlie Norwood, then that would lead to getting the support of most Republicans, if not all, and some Democrats. And that that would mean a measure would pass in the House of representatives that the president could support and could sign.

Because as you know, the president has all along said he would veto the bill which passed in Senate because he believes that would lead to too many lawsuits. So the White House now feeling very good. It believes, with Norwood's support, this measure will have the votes to pass as early as tomorrow. And then would serve as the basis for any compromise when the House and the Senate have to get together down the road to work out their differences -- Kate.

SNOW: Jon, to you. Will Charlie Norwood be able to get all of those allies onboard because earlier when we were both reporting on this, he was supposed to have a meeting with some of those allies earlier and instead he went over to the White House. They didn't even know that he had gone to the White House.

JONATHAN KARL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Exactly. And right now, as we speak, Charlie Norwood is in a room, in the Capitol talking with his partners in crime on this. His partners that he has been working with all along, Republicans John McCain in the Senate, Democrats in the Senate, Ted Kennedy and John Edwards. And also with his fellow Republican Doctor here in the House, Greg Ganske.

And they are very skeptical going into that meeting. As a matter of fact, Greg Ganske came off of the floor of the House when he heard that Norwood had announced this and he was fuming. And you could actually physically see his anger. And he accused Norwood of freelancing on this. He said that this was not a done deal, that Norwood had not consulted them ahead of time on this. So he is facing a skeptical crowd, his partners, on this.

SNOW: But these are people that Norwood has worked with for a number of years now?

KARL: Yes. And as a matter of fact, today, before they knew about this meeting as a matter of fact, Ted Kennedy came out and said that he has absolutely full confidence in Charlie Norwood to negotiate this. Here is what Ted Kennedy said right before they came out and announced this deal. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. EDWARD KENNEDY (D), MASSACHUSETTS: He has all of our complete confidence and he has kept us abreast to these and he has demonstrated time in and time out his strong commitment to the patients in this country.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KARL: Now as they say up here in the Capitol, he may want to revise and extend his remarks. We understand that Senator Kennedy will be out and he is feeling much more skeptical and not liking this deal, what he has heard of it so far, that Charlie Norwood has struck with the president.

SNOW: Kelly, what turned this around? What convinced Charlie Norwood to go along with what the White House wanted?

WALLACE: According to senior White House aides, Congressman Norwood was at first reluctant to sort of go along without the support of Congressman Dingell and Ganske. But in the end, this aide saying it's really the president's powers of persuasion, saying, if you want to get a bill, and as you know, Congressman Norwood has been working on this measure for six years, the president saying, if you want to get a bill, we have to work together, saying that if you don't work together, he would veto the bill that would come out of the House, and veto the bill that would come out of the Senate. There would be no patients' bill of rights.

So, in the end, Congressman Norwood appears to feel that this was really the only way to get a measure out of the House and eventually out of both chambers with the president's signature.

Of course, Kate, President Bush also saying that he would veto these bills. A veto would be very politically difficult for this president, so this White House definitely searching for a compromise to spare the president from making that veto down the road.

SNOW: Jon, very quickly on another subject, there's something else going on right now in the Capitol on energy. Another priority for the president. What is the latest on that?

KARL: Absolutely. The House right now going over, as we speak, voting on the president's energy plan. So far the president's plan prevailing on this. As a matter of fact, the House struck down by more than 100 votes in an attempt by Democrats to impose strong fuel- efficiency standards on sport utility vehicles and that was knocked down. What we are expecting tonight is a vote on that drilling on that Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. People on both sides of that debate expecting that could pass tonight. SNOW: Drilling in Alaska.

KARL: Yes.

SNOW: Thank you, Jonathan Karl, Jonathan Karl and Kelly Wallace at the White House, as well.

SNOW: The stifling summer heat gets more dangerous. It's turned deadly, on a pro-football practice field. And Britain awaits word on the health of the queen mother. Coming up, what landed her in the hospital.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SNOW: Welcome back.

Blistering heat in the Midwest has claimed the life of a pro football player. Korey Stringer with the Minnesota Vikings died today of heatstroke. The 335-pound offensive tackle collapsed yesterday during practice. Temperatures at the Vikings practice site in Mankato, Minnesota have been in the 90s this week. The death has Stringer's teammates in shock.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DENNIS GREEN, VIKINGS COACH: We have lost a brother, a teammate and a friend. It has been very tough on our football team. The reason we're here is to let the public know how much we love and care about Korey Stringer and what he's meant to us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SNOW: The National Football League is reviewing its training camp rules in the wake of Stringer's death.

Britain's Queen Mother is resting in a hospital tonight, after she was admitted for severe anemia. She received a blood transfusion. Her daughter, Queen Elizabeth, says her mother needed good rest more than anything else. The Queen Mother celebrates her 101st birthday this weekend.

And tonight on the Leading Edge, life is wonderful. That from the man who received a totally-contained artificial heart one month ago. One of the patient's doctors says the man is doing "remarkably well," and has been off a ventilator for a week.

The experts watching the Code Red computer worm say it has infected more than 100,000 machines since last night. It's led to the Defense Department shutting off public access to many of its sites. Still, security experts say efforts to stop the worm may have slowed its spread. And we'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SNOW: Please stay with CNN throughout the night. At the top of the hour, more on the search for Chandra Levy. Up next, Greta Van Susteren. She's standing by to tell us what she has. Greta?

GRETA VAN SUSTEREN, HOST, CNN'S "THE POINT": Kate, Katherine Harris, secretary of state in Florida, is back into the news. The media spotlight is on her. We will tell you why. We will talk with the tragedy from the Minnesota Vikings. All tonight -- Kate.

SNOW: Thanks, Greta, sounds good.

That's all the time we have for tonight. Thanks very much for watching. I'm Kate Snow in Washington. "THE POINT WITH GRETA VAN SUSTEREN" begins right now.

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