Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live At Daybreak

The Search for Chandra: New FBI Unit Joins Investigation

Aired July 19, 2001 - 08:06   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.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Now the latest in the search for missing intern Chandra Levy: It has been 11 weeks since she disappeared. And the trail seems to be growing cold. So a new FBI unit is joining the investigative team.

The latest on this: CNN's Bob Franken, who has been working this story.

Bob, what sort of cases typically go to this long-term unit?

BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Cases that have not been solved immediately. The investigators normally operate on a premise that they're going to solve something quickly. When that doesn't happen within the FBI, it switches to another unit that is more long range.

Now, remember, the FBI is not the lead agency here. The investigation is being conducted primarily by the Washington Metropolitan D.C. Police Department with the assistance of the FBI. And it's important to remember that distinction, because these decisions emanate from the D.C. police officials, including the one to continue a search of the wooded areas around Washington -- in particular, Rock Creek Park, which is an area near where Chandra Levy had her apartment, which showed up on her computer. We are waiting, in fact, for the search to begin for a fourth day.

This is from yesterday, the video that shows that it's really a treacherous area. It's an area that is very heavily wooded. They are looking inch by inch to see if they can find anything that would lead to the result of ending this case and finding out where Chandra Levy is. It's one of four or five areas in the city that are similar that, right now, is being searched by police recruits from the police academy.

As I say, this was, you know, the result of information that came from the computer that Chandra Levy was using. We expect to get more information from that same session on May 1, the last time that anybody had any trace of where Chandra Levy was. We are expecting to find out, for instance, what restaurant she was looking up on the computer, and also further information about travel plans in the hope that somebody found her.

So that is all expected later today. But the switch within the FBI is just a matter of emphasis. It is not a large change. And it's just, after a certain period of time it becomes more long range -- Carol.

LIN: All right. Are we wrong in assuming that, because the switch has been made within the FBI, that there is less and less hope that she is likely alive, or simply that this could take months or even years to solve?

FRANKEN: Well, missing person cases oftentimes take a long time.

As a matter of fact, police officials will say that sometimes the person never turns up. So they can't really draw any conclusions. It's just, it has reached a period of time where there's a whole different dynamic that goes into an investigation. And this is the unit that specializes in this.

LIN: All right, thank you very much, Bob Franken, reporting live from Washington on every nuance in these cases.

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