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CNN Live Today

Washington Police Vow to See Chandra Levy Matter Through to End; Interview with Scott Fear, Ted Williams

Aired May 23, 2002 - 14:00   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.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Going to begin this hour again with the Chandra Levy matter and a vow by Washington police to see it through to the very end.

At the moment, it all appears to depend on the remains and related items found yesterday, about 13 months after Chandra Levy disappeared.

Bob Franken broke the story just about two hours ago, on this show, yesterday. He's back in D.C. Frank Buckley is out in Modesto.

Let's start this hour, again, with Bob Franken there in Rock Creek.

Hey, Bob, good afternoon.

BOB FRANKEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Bill.

And it may be more than just the remains, but also as important, where they were found.

There is a coincidence, to use the words of one investigator, that is going to bear some checking out. About the same time that Chandra Levy disappeared last summer, there were two assaults against women joggers in this section of Rock Creek Park.

A man was convicted for them. His name is Igmar Varkius (ph). That's not a name that the police are confirming, but other sources have told us that is his name. Serving 10 years for those assaults.

They happened in this area.

Joining us now is a spokesman for the park police, which was responsible for that case. Sgt. Scott Fear. Let's talk a little bit about that. There is now new interest in this case, is there not?

SGT. SCOTT FEAR, U.S. PARK POLICE: There is. Since this has happened, people are looking into those cases.

FRANKEN: Tell me a little bit more. Why?

FEAR: Sure. Back in May of 2001, a subject grabbed a woman from behind, a female jogger, and produced a knife. The female struggled very quickly and was able to get away.

Later, in July, a very similar thing happened. A female jogger -- the subject grabbed the female from behind. A struggle ensued. The female quickly got away. And 45 minute after that attack, the United States Park Police caught the subject and he was convicted.

FRANKEN: Now, of course it's important to point out here that Chandra Levy disappeared at about that time, on May 1st, and as a result your investigators are doing what?

FEAR: We have turned over all our information on that case over to Metropolitan to help them and assist them anyway possible. They have the information from those cases, and they are looking into that.

FRANKEN: Have you had any reaction from them about the significance of this?

FEAR: That's part of their investigation, so I don't question them on those things.

FRANKEN: Officials are saying that as a result of these "coincidences", quote/unquote, this is something that bears very close watching. Is that your impression, as a policeman?

FEAR: As I said, we had those two cases. We got the conviction on the subject. We turned that information over to Metropolitan Police Dept. and I know that they are going to look into everything as thoroughly as possible.

FRANKEN: The investigation has been going on for over a year, and of course the park police are involved. This has always been a primary area. Have you turned over other leads to the police as a result of the fact that you do have jurisdiction here?

FEAR: Specifically on the Chandra Levy case? Whenever we receive any calls or anything that might have any connection to do with that, we would contact Metropolitan Police Dept. immediately. We would give them any information that could possibly help or assist Metropolitan Police Dept.

FRANKEN: And that, of course, is what happened in this particular case.

And we're being told by investigators -- I know you're not going to confirm it, that this is something that they're taking quite seriously.

And, of course, one of the charges that Congressman Gary Condit, who became such a central focus in this case, has made is that too much of the attention was being paid to him, even though there was no real reason other than his relationship with Chandra Levy.

His attorney has criticized the police for in fact not doing a more thorough job, not acting quickly enough.

Now there is this break that is considered significant, at least something that is promising, as the discovery of Chandra Levy's remains -- as sad as that is, might at least yield some clues as to why it is that she came to the fate she did -- Bill.

HEMMER: Another twist probably would be a surprise, given this story.

Bob, thank you. Bob Franken in Rock Creek.

About 2,000 miles away now, in Modesto, let's get to Frank Buckley, who is tracking things from outside the Levy home.

Frank, Hello, again.

FRANK BUCKLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Bill.

The Levys, we are told, are beginning the process of preparing for a public memorial here in Modesto today.

They dispatched family attorneys to scout various locations around town. One that is being considered for a memorial for Chandra would be the Convention Center in downtown Modesto, which could accommodate up to 2,500 people. A sheriff's department spokesman saying that he believes that if in fact that is the location that is selected, that they would in fact fill it up.

In this community, around town, flags are at half-staff. Businesses, also, at City Hall, where the flags will remain at half- staff until Friday.

Members of this community have followed this case very closely. For more than a year, they have supported the Levys. They are coming to grips with Chandra's death while continuing to have the Levys in their thoughts.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm happy for the Levys, that they found out what really did happen with their daughter, because if I was in their place, I think it would be a relief to know.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There are still lots of questions out there, and a lot of people speculating, and I don't want to speculate, but everybody will definitely be following this story. At the same time, everybody puts their hearts and prayers out to the Levy family, because it's just -- it must be devastating.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BUCKLEY: The Levys have not made any public statement since learning of their daughter's death. We do not expect them to say anything today either. A spokeswoman coming out earlier today, saying that the family will remain inside the family home here. They are in mourning. They will not be speaking to the press -- Bill.

HEMMER: Frank, thank you. Frank Buckley in Modesto, again. Congressman Gary Condit maintaining the low profile he has kept throughout this case. While never named a suspect by police, Condit remains a key player in the investigation, and police say they may want to talk with him again.

Condit released a statement yesterday after the remains were found. Reading that quote now:

"Congressman Gary Condit and family want to express their heartfelt sorrow and condolences to the Levy family. The Levy family will remain in our prayers."

Ted Williams, a former D.C. homicide detective -- he's in Washington to talk more about the investigation. Good afternoon, Ted, nice to see you. Thanks for coming in.

TED WILLIAMS, FMR. D.C. DETECTIVE: Thanks for having me.

HEMMER: First things first -- what do you make of this report with Bob Franken and the D.C. police and this man who was picked up last summer?

WILLIAMS: Well I think it's rather interesting. My problem, though, and my concern is, why is this information just coming out? If they had somebody fitting that kind of an M.O. that was out there in the park, perhaps attacking women, and knowing full well that Chandra was possibly at that time out in the park, it seemed to me that they would have acted on this a lot sooner.

But, having said that, I think it's good, because certainly, now, if in fact they can get some physical evidence form that crime scene or that scene -- I don't know if it's a crime scene -- it is more likely than not that they can now match up the DNA of the individual that they have in jail with whatever DNA they possibly get from that scene.

HEMMER: Ted, go back to your previous point, though. Perhaps it's possible -- police looked into this factor, and maybe it just was not made public. Is that not a possibility?

WILLIAMS: Well, you know, it is certainly always a possibility, but I find it, again, and I hate to be redundant, rather troubling that it's just coming out.

What I found, unfortunately, among law enforcement agencies, is that it's like the left foot now knowing what the right foot is doing.

And sometimes they don't share information, and maybe on this occasion they didn't share this information earlier, and perhaps they did, and maybe they kept it under wraps, hoping that they could find some remains of Chandra, if she had died.

And now maybe they'll try to connect the dots.

HEMMER: Ted, let's go back to last night. I heard you were on a program here on CNN and talking about how you felt that early on, anyway, the way the police handled Gary Condit did not help this investigation. Why not?

WILLIAMS: Well, you know, Gary Condit was a member of the United States Congress, and quite naturally Congress pulled the purse strings for the District of Columbia Police Force. And as a result of that I think they initially handled him with kid gloves. I think if they could do it all over again, that they would have not handled him the same way.

HEMMER: What about this story, then, Ted, about the possibility of re-interviewing him? Is that a good idea, or is that all for naught right now.

WILLIAMS: Look, I really firmly believe that at this junction, what is needed is to put Gary Condit before a grand jury, and even now, at this late date, the fact that he's a lame duck congressman, it is more likely than not that he would take the fifth amendment before a grand jury. And at this juncture, it's more likely than not that he may or may not talk to the police. I doubt if he's going to talk to them, in essence.

HEMMER: Let's get away from Condit for a moment. Is it possible, Ted, is it possible that the remains found will reveal no clues about how and when and where she died?

WILLIAMS: The sad commentary is that there is always that possibility in light of the fact that what you have there, skeletal remains, at this junction. And from those skeletal remains, there is only so much that a forensic pathologist can do with them.

Now, it is my understanding that they brought in a forensic anthropologist, and what that person is going to try to do is to actually determine the actual place in which she may have come -- the actually place in which she may have actually died.

HEMMER: Quickly, here -- how is this investigation changed now, knowing it's almost 13 months later? How much does that hurt when you're trying to find a conclusion here, and answers?

WILLIAMS: Well, it hurts when you are looking at the actual evidence that you are having to work with. It would have been good if they would have had some tissue from the body, and that would have helped them formulate a cause of death.

Unfortunately, they do not have that, and they have their work cut out for them. As simple as that.

HEMMER: Indeed.

Ted, thanks. Ted Williams, from Washington.

WILLIAMS: Thank you.

HEMMER: Appreciate your thoughts today.

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