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CNN Live At Daybreak
Anonymous Tip Reports Levy Body in Fort Lee, Virginia
Aired August 02, 2001 - 08:24 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: The latest tip to Washington police on the Chandra Levy investigation came from an anonymous caller to WeTip.com, a California-based Web site.
COLLEEN MCEDWARDS, CNN ANCHOR: That's right. The tipster said that Levy's body was buried under a parking lot being built at Fort Lee, Virginia.
Susan Aguilar of WeTip.com appeared last night on CNN's "LARRY KING LIVE." Let's listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SUSAN AGUILAR, WETIP.COM: This tip came in on Sunday night. It was immediately called in to the Metro Police, also to the Metro task force, and also to the FBI. Copies of the tip were then faxed to each of those agencies, as are all of our tips that we receive.
This tip was called in by an anonymous informant. All of our tips that come into the WeTip office are absolutely anonymous. So we really have no information about who it came from. We simply are the go-between, law enforcement and the person who wants to turn in information, but wants to remain absolutely anonymous.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MCEDWARDS: And joining us now for more on this, Bill Brownell, who is with WeTip.com. He is on the phone with us from California.
Mr. Brownell, thanks for being here. What kind of information was in this tip? How much can you tell us?
BILL BROWNELL, WWW.WETIP.COM: Well, I can't give out too much information, just the fact that we did receive a tip on Chandra Levy and the information was relayed on to Washington Metropolitan Police Department.
MCEDWARDS: We're told that it did include details claiming to know how she allegedly died, how her body was allegedly disposed of?
BROWNELL: Yes, well WeTip, on our 80078 crimeline and our Internet, we receive information, hundreds of tips daily regarding many, many major crimes. This is just one of many that was relayed on to -- this department we receive crime leads... MCEDWARDS: And we...
BROWNELL: ... from all over the United States.
MCEDWARDS: We just heard Susan say these are anonymous tips, but I'm wondering what kind of work the police have to do? Is there any way that they can track the source of this tip?
BROWNELL: Well, WeTip is -- basically it allows citizens who are fearful of reprisal from drug dealers, murder suspects, violent gang members who are fearful of reprisal in some manner, to call WeTip. This is a neutral third party reporting agency and they're guaranteed total anonymity. We never know who they are.
MCEDWARDS: Well, but is there any -- is there any technical way to -- for police to actually go in and trace this?
BROWNELL: No, we've -- we have the lines set up so that when they call in it's -- they call in on an 800 number.
MCEDWARDS: OK.
BROWNELL: And so the call that we receive could be across the street from our national headquarters, it could be from Washington, it could be from Puerto Rico.
MCEDWARDS: All right. We heard police -- a former police officer telling us this morning, actually, that his contacts are telling him that the D.C. police aren't giving this too much credence and yet they're definitely giving it more credence than they give to some tips. I mean some tips are never followed up on, some are just on the face of them police know that they're not legitimate. What was it about his one that tweaked the interest?
BROWNELL: Well, because it's so high profile. You know we receive -- basically we've received hundreds of valid homicide tips and this was -- this was a three-page tip was quite articulate and it was enough information to tweak anyone's interest, but it could have come from a mentally disturbed person who just likes to use the telephone. WeTip doesn't do an evaluation of the tip, even if it's a very bad looking tip. It might be just exactly what law enforcement's looking for. We don't -- we don't evaluate the tips, we just forward them on. Again, it's a neutral third party agency.
MCEDWARDS: Anything new on the site today, Bill?
BROWNELL: Not yet.
MCEDWARDS: All right.
BROWNELL: However, with the exposure we're getting on the media, it wouldn't surprise me if we do get -- even if this tip is no good, it could give someone the reassurance that they can anonymously call in another tip or call in a lead and remain part of the woodwork.
MCEDWARDS: All right. Well, we'll be sure to keep in touch with you. Bill Brownell, thanks very much for you time this morning.
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