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CNN Live At Daybreak

Levys Hire New Attorney as Search Continues for Missing Daughter

Aired June 20, 2001 - 07:05   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.
COLLEEN MCEDWARDS, CNN ANCHOR: The parents of a missing 24-year- old California woman are in Washington this morning. Dr. Robert and Susan Levy hope that an attorney there will help in the seven-week-old search for their daughter.

CNN national correspondent Bob Franken is covering the story for us in Washington and joins us now.

Bob, I understand you've just got off the phone with this new attorney. What can you tell us?

BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The attorney's name is Billy Martin -- William R. Martin, somebody who those who followed the Monica Lewinsky matter might remember. Mr. Martin represented Monica Lewinsky's mother during that summer when she was appearing before the grand jury.

Her mother, Marcia Lewis, in fact had a very hard time when she was appearing before the grand jury. And Billy Martin, who you're seeing right now accompany Mrs. Lewis, was the attorney who was brought in to sort of protect her from all that was going around -- swirling around her during the Monica Lewinsky matter.

But it is not because of experience in intern matters why Billy Martin has been hired. I spoke with him. He's out of town this morning. I spoke with him just a while ago, and he reminded me that when he had worked in the U.S. attorney's office here in Washington, he had headed the homicide unit. And he says that it is his expertise in investigations which has caused the Levys to hire him. He says that they wanted someone to investigate who understand these matters, who can hopefully get some answers. And he went on to say: There is an answer to this mystery and we're hopeful we can help the Levys find their daughter or at least get answers to what happened.

I asked him also about Congressman Gary Condit. Condit, of course, has been linked romantically in many reports to Chandra Levy, the missing intern. Condit's office has repeatedly denied that there was a romantic relationship. When I asked Billy Martin about this, all he would say is no comment at this time.

Now, the Levys are in Washington. They avoided reporters here when they departed from their plane last night. Late in the evening, they were picked up at the ramp. Police escorted them to their hotel. They're under instructions, I've been told in the last several days, instructions by Billy Martin not to say anything. The question arises: When will they actually meet, because Martin is out of town right now? And when will they have the news conference? We had been told it might be today. Now that is in question -- Colleen.

MCEDWARDS: All right, CNN's Bob Franken bringing us up to date -- thanks very much.

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