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CNN Live Saturday

Interview With Forensic Biologist Mark Stolorow

Aired May 25, 2002 - 17:17   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.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: A report now of new evidence in the Chandra Levy case. "The Washington Post" quotes sources saying knotted clothing found near her body may have been used to tie her up. CNN's Jason Carroll is live from Washington with the latest. Jason, are Washington police still downplaying this "Washington Post" report?

JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, I have to tell you, Fredricka, we were out at the crime scene out in Rock Creek Park earlier today. I did speak with an investigator who was out there. He said that he was aware of this report from "The Washington Post," but he said he could not confirm or deny the contents of it. So we're going to have to wait and see on that.

Today also, police were out there with cadaver dogs. They were searching the area down there at the park. The dogs canvassed the perimeter that's been set up. At this point, investigators say that they do have enough information to have put together a computerized map of the crime scene. They looked at where the remains were found versus where detectives believe Levy's clothes were recovered, to try and determine if Levy's death occurred in the park or somewhere else.

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SGT. SCOTT FEAR, U.S. PARKS POLICE: We went through the whole scene with a -- it's a laser unit that precisely measures out the distance between evidence and also like landmarks, things like that, that will be turned over to the investigative team, it was turned over last night, where they can use that information for any possible clues.

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CARROLL: And police have scaled back the perimeter, at least just a little bit. They've managed to open a road that goes through the park that you see there. And now we're also being told that a memorial service for Chandra Levy has been scheduled for this Tuesday -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right, Jason Carroll from Washington, thank you very much.

What kinds of clues are detectives and crime scene investigators able to extract from the evidence gathered so far in the Chandra Levy case? Forensic biologist Mark Stolorow is the executive director of Orchid Cellmark, a forensic DNA testing lab, and he joins us now from Washington. Thanks for joining us.

MARK STOLOROW, ORCHID CELLMARK: My pleasure, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Well, already D.C. Police, as you heard from Jason, won't confirm nor will they deny the "Washington Post" report of these leggings that were tied up, found near the crime scene. But say that report is correct. What kind of forensic evidence would scientists be looking for from the bone evidence that they've already been able to recover? As to whether there was any tying up of the victim?

STOLOROW: The leggings themselves represent perhaps a treasure trove of possible trace evidence, and the types of trace evidence we're talking about would be biological evidence, like blood stains or semen stains, bits of hair, broken fingernails, or types of physical evidence like paint chips, glass, particles, fibers, other types of evidence which could be linked back to the perpetrator or to the crime scene.

WHITFIELD: And then on the bones themselves, since we do know that police have gathered that, are there certain fractures or any kind of markings on the bones themselves that they would be looking for in order to determine the cause of death, or a struggle even?

STOLOROW: Certainly, yes, very much so. The bones themselves can tell a story when examined by an archaeologist or forensic anthropologist, and they would include blunt force trauma, breakage of the bone, bullet tracks, knife, an indication of cuttings that may have been created by stabbing. It's also possible that it was a soft tissue injury that led to death, and the bones will not reveal any cause of death.

WHITFIELD: So given so much time has elapsed, if there aren't any markings such as you say on those bones, then how difficult a task is this going to be in order to determine the cause of death?

STOLOROW: Well, it is difficult. But laboratories like ours, Orchid Cellmark and the FBI, have successfully analyzed DNA from hairs, from broken fingernails, from semen stains, even in cases that have been exposed to environmental conditions for many months.

WHITFIELD: So what are the possibilities, though? If they have been exposed, you know, these hair or other DNA samples in that area, if they have been exposed to the elements for such a long period of time, for a period of months, how much does that weaken the possibilities for the investigators?

STOLOROW: DNA tests will either give us the correct answer or no answer. And if there is still surviving DNA such as hair samples or broken fingernails, even after this period of time we have successfully determined DNA profiles that can be matched to murderers on more than one occasion.

WHITFIELD: All right. Forensic biologist Mark Stolorow, thank you very much for joining us from Washington, appreciate it.

STOLOROW: Thanks, Fredricka. TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com