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American Morning

Body of Chandra Levy Found Just Over a Year After She Disappeared

Aired May 23, 2002 - 09:02   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.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Up front this morning, the body of Chandra Levy is found just over a year after she disappeared. Police have confirmed that skeletal remains discovered yesterday at the Washington, D.C. park were those of the missing intern. For the latest on the investigation's tragic turn, we go to Washington's Rock Creek Park, where CNN's Bob Franken is standing by.

Good morning, Bob.

BOB FRANKEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Paula.

And the command post bus that was seen on television yesterday has now left. The professionals are taking over. The evidence- searching team are going to be scouring the area, Rock Creek Park, right beside me, looking for more remains, looking for more clues, now that the year-long plus mystery about the whereabouts of Chandra Levy has been solved. That came of course to a sad conclusion yesterday when police officials, attracted by a call about human remains decided it was worth investigating very closely. And last night, the police chief announced that, in fact, those were the remains of Chandra Levy, who disappeared over a year ago, then 24-year-old former intern.

She had been disappeared and become the center of a huge controversy, a worldwide controversy, the disappearance did, because of the involvement that she had with Democratic congressman from California, her hometown in California, Modesto, Congressman Gary Condit, who admitted to investigators, finally, that he indeed did have a romantic relationship with Chandra Levy.

But the police had as a result of that controversy waged an intense search over the period of the summer when the controversy was raging. They had, in fact, had police cadets fan out over this area in Rock Creek Park, which is a heavily overgrown urban park in the Washington area, a very pretty area, one that had been favored by joggers, including Chandra Levy. They had searched high and low, they said, but they had not been able to turn up anything that turned out to be Chandra Levy, until yesterday.

And now comes the question, why were the police not able to find Chandra Levy? Was the possibility that the overgrowth was so thick that they were not able to find her, or was there some other possibility? It was an area that you covered, Paula, when you talked to the chief today. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHIEF CHARLES RAMSEY, D.C. METROPOLITAN POLICE: One of the things we're looking at is whether or not the body could have been placed there after the search was conducted. We just don't know. That's presuming, of course, that it was a homicide, and right now the medical examiner has yet to determine manner and cause of death.

But we have to look at all possibilities. We can tell from the state of the remains, and also the clothing, that it had been exposed to the elements for quite some time. There was about a foot of underbrush that the body was underneath, and very, very difficult and very well concealed.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FRANKEN: Investigators told us that they had no immediate clues from the remains that were discovered yesterday. But the evidence teams are back, it is their job to see if they can develop some clues.

ZAHN: It's interesting to note that the Levy's attorney said last night that they believe Gary Condit is just much a suspect as anybody else that spent time with Chandra at the end of her life. The police chief this morning saying they no evidence to suggest Gary Condit had anything to do with her disappearance, and yet he's not off the hook yet.

What's the next step?

FRANKEN: Well, the next step is, is that they are going to continue to explore the relationship between Condit and Chandra Levy, and not only that, but also to explore whether he possibly broke some laws by not being more forthcoming in helping with the investigation. Now, on the other side, Condit's representative say that he has been the victim of a terrible slander, that all he did is have this relationship. They don't even acknowledge that, but that he had this relationship with Chandra Levy, and was not guilty of anything, had nothing to do with her disappearance.

ZAHN: And the police chief said he's fairly confident, based on I guess the condition the remains were left in, I guess they probably will be able to figure out the cause of death?

FRANKEN: Well, there's some investigators who say they're not so sure, working against them is the element of time, and all the elements that have to do with time. The fact of the matter is, is that there has been quite a deterioration. That could get in the way, but they're pretty sophisticated about these things, Paula.

ZAHN: All right, Bob Franken, thanks so much.

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