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American Morning

The Search for Chandra: D.C. Police Chief Charles Ramsey is Interviewed on WUSA

Aired August 30, 2001 - 09:07   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.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: We're going to skip across town and stay in Washington to go over to the studios of WUSA, our affiliate there. You see there Washington, D.C. police chief, Chief Ramsey, now talking about the Chandra Levy investigation this morning.

(JOINED IN PROGRESS)

JENNIFER RYAN, WUSA ANCHOR: ... and that Gary Condit, some say, even avoided so many of the questions.

In saying that the interview that we saw with Condit and Connie Chung was like yours, can we assume the same: that he was evasive and didn't offer anything more than what you asked?

CHARLES RAMSEY, D.C. POLICE CHIEF: Well, he will tell you what you want to hear if you ask it properly. So it's kind of strange to describe. He does answer all your questions. But if you don't ask the exact question in the right way, then perhaps you need to go back and interview again.

But, you know, we've been interviewing a lot of people -- more than 100 people that we've interviewed. The congressman is just one of many. But the fact that we've had to interview him four times is really the result of the fact that it's been quite difficult to get information in a timely fashion that would really be helpful.

RYAN: And, again, still no suspects, including Condit is not a suspect.

RAMSEY: Right. Exactly. There are no suspects. We've made some progress in the case, but then again, nothing that is leading us any closer to finding Ms. Levy.

RYAN: So where are we? How many police officers are spending time, and how much time each day, on the Chandra Levy investigation?

RAMSEY: Well, I've got two detectives full time that are assigned to this case, same as we started off with. Durant and Kennedy are the two detectives. They're working along with the FBI and the U.S. attorney. And we are going through all the material that we have.

RYAN: I'm interested to know, Gary Condit said the media owes him an apology. In your opinion, do you think the coverage is fair and has been accurate to this point?

RAMSEY: Well, I mean, obviously this is a high-profile case. There have been a lot of things said in some of the -- especially all- news networks that get a little out there at times from people that are just speculating, that have no information at all about the case and where we are at in the investigation, and so forth.

So I guess that's just the nature of the way things are covered nowadays. As far as apologies, that's something that perhaps he feels. I don't have any ill feelings toward the media as far as any of the coverage that we've had as a department, even though some of it hasn't been very positive.

RYAN: It hasn't necessarily been positive, but you're not saying it was inaccurate. You haven't heard any inaccuracies?

RAMSEY: Oh, there have been some inaccuracies; there's no question about it.

But the bottom line is, we have need to move forward in trying to find a missing person. This isn't about spin and P.R., as far as we're concerned. We've got a case that we're very troubled by. We're trying to get to the bottom of it. And we just have to continue to press forward, because until we find out what happened to Chandra Levy, then all the rest of this is really almost fair game because there is going to be a lot of speculation.

RYAN: Specifically, can you talk about any inaccuracies in the case, anything that was glaring, in your opinion?

RAMSEY: Well, I don't want to get into too much of that because that kinds of opens the door for the other types of things.

It's mostly just speculation, some of it -- so-called experts that get put on. And I don't know how you go about become classified as an expert. That's always been a little puzzling to me as to how these folks all of the sudden become experts. But, again, everybody is entitled to their opinion. The only difficulty is that sometimes the more information you have out there that's not accurate, the more difficult it becomes, then, to really get through, to get to the meat of what's real in terms of information that you have that you can do something with.

RYAN: Four interviews so far with Gary Condit -- can we anticipate a fifth? Are there any plans there?

RAMSEY: We don't have any immediate plans for a fifth interview right now. If we need one, we will ask for one.

RYAN: Does that mean you're looking for more information or something else in the case to crop up?

RAMSEY: Well, if there's more information, that could be helpful.

But, again, he's just one of 100 people. And I think that's been lost. It looks as if we've got a very narrow investigation focused on Mr. Condit. And that's not the case. It never has been the case. He is a very high-profile individual by the nature of his job. But aside from that, he's no different than anyone else that we've talked to.

RYAN: The issue of a lie detector test got a lot of coverage. Are you still pushing for your own lie detector test, in conjunction with the FBI?

RAMSEY: Well, we had been. But we were told that that is not going to happen. So we've moved on. I mean, it's not a valid test as far as we're concerned. But we are not going to waste time trying to get someone to do a test that they don't want to do. So we are just going to move on and continue with the investigation like we have and see what happens.

RYAN: At one point, you said you felt there was a 50 percent chance of solving the Chandra Levy case. Do you feel like that today?

RAMSEY: Well, you know, I'm optimistic. I would like to think that eventually we will find out what happened to her. Obviously, the more time that passes, the more troubled we become because, you know, there are two possibilities. One is that she left on her own. The other is, she met with foul play.

It's difficult to think that she could be out there knowing all the publicity, knowing the harm it's doing to her family, and not come forward. So we're very, very concerned. But we have no evidence that would cause us to reclassify this case at this time.

RYAN: Well, you have no body; therefore, you have no evidence. And you don't have any secure leads in the case saying that somebody knows exactly what happened.

RAMSEY: Even if we didn't have a body, if we had a statement, a witness, if we had something that showed that she came in contact with an individual that might have done her some harm, that would be different. But right now, we don't have any of that either.

RYAN: Frustrated?

RAMSEY: Not frustrated. It's just unusual. But we have to keep pressing on. We can't afford to get frustrated. We have to remain professional and just continue to go through all the evidence and hope we get that one lead, that one break that will make a difference.

RYAN: OK. Let's move on now, switching gears.

In a month, we're dealing with IMF/World Bank protests. I know...

HARRIS: And we've been listening on an interview being conducted by WUSA in Washington, D.C. with Washington, D.C. police Chief Ramsey, who said much of what we have heard before about this investigation into the disappearance of Chandra Levy, saying that he's remaining optimistic. But as more time passes, they become more and more troubled about what may have actually happened to her. Let's go now to our Bob Franken, who is standing by in Modesto, California. He's been listening in as well -- Bob, good morning.

BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Leon.

And what is so interesting about what the chief had to say to Jennifer Ryan, who was the reporter from WUSA TV in Washington -- so interesting was, his really nasty remarks, quite frankly, about how Congressman Condit has so-called "cooperated" with the police, as the congressman has so often claimed.

The chief said that he would answer the questions only if the proper question was asked, that he was always very evasive, the chief would say. It was almost like covering a State Department briefing. At the State Department, if you don't ask the question that they want to answer, there will be some sort of distraction. And that's the description that the chief seemed to be giving of that.

That is why he said it's become frustrating to discuss things with Congressman Condit as the investigation has gone on. He said at the moment, however, there is no plan for a fifth interview with Congressman Condit. He went on to say -- and this is something that will hearten the Condit side -- that he is only one of 100 who has been questioned, that there has been an undue emphasis on the congressman as this investigation goes on.

Now, here in California, of course, we're looking for the congressman to get quite a bit of an idea of what his political future is when the legislature comes out with a redistricting plan either today or tomorrow, which could change his district. There have been a lot of associates who say the congressman has gone back into seclusion, no more public comments as he decides his political future -- Leon.

(HORN BLARING)

HARRIS: All right, it sounds like rush hour is about to pick up out there, Bob. We'll get back to you a little bit later on this morning -- Bob Franken in Modesto.

FRANKEN: One vehicle.

HARRIS: Hey, well, you know, it's not that big a town.

(LAUGHTER)

HARRIS: We'll see you later on, Bob.

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