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CNN Larry King Live
The Levys Discuss Their Daughter's Disappearance
Aired August 15, 2001 - 21:00 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.
LARRY KING, HOST: Tonight, Susan and Bob Levy, trapped in a parent's worst nightmare. Their daughter Chandra has been missing for 107 days. How do they cope? And what do they want from Gary Condit, the married politician Chandra called "My man"?
Susan and Bob Levy, for the hour, next on LARRY KING LIVE.
Good evening. It's a pleasure to welcome to LARRY KING LIVE tonight the Levys. They've been on in bits and pieces before. It's nice to have them with us for the full hour on this evening's edition of the program. We'll also be giving you an 800 number during the show, in which if you have any tips regarding their missing daughter, they would appreciate hearing from you anything that you might know.
When the phone rings, do you jump?
SUSAN LEVY, CHANDRA LEVY'S MOTHER: Well, I run from one end of the house to the other.
KING: I mean, is every phone call an expectant one?
S. LEVY: I hate to say it, but no, it isn't. At times, I just know that a lot of people are calling, friends and media. And I don't jump every time the phone rings as far as hoping.
KING: Do you, Bob?
ROBERT LEVY, CHANDRA LEVY'S FATHER: No, unfortunately, not anymore.
KING: You did at the beginning, right?
R. LEVY: Yes.
KING: It's like in a kidnap case when everyone huddles around and they grab for the phone.
Right now, the phone call is not an expectant one, then?
R. LEVY: No. We wish it were. You know, that she'd say, you know, that Chandra would answer and say, "Mom, Dad, I'm OK." That's certainly what we want to hear. We keep saying that, but that's really what we want to hear.
KING: There are some who say, Susan, there's nothing worse than not knowing. Do you agree?
S. LEVY: It's very difficult. Either way, it's like having a penny on its side and you don't know which way it's going to go. And it's very hard either way. Either way, it's a living hell as a mother.
KING: Do you fear the worst, Bob?
R. LEVY: I do, you know, especially after all of this time. But I also fear never knowing, but that's worse, that's worse.
KING: All right. Let's deal with some things current, and then we'll have a major discussion about all of this.
In -- over the weekend, we've had "The Modesto Bee," "The Fresno Bee" call for the congressman to resign. Your thoughts on that, Susan?
S. LEVY: I am only concerned to get my daughter back, safely if we can and alive. And the politics doesn't enter the picture for me.
KING: Personally, do you think he should?
S. LEVY: Personally, it doesn't enter. I can't even comment. I'd just like to have my daughter home alive and have our family with Chandra.
KING: Bob?
R. LEVY: Well, really, the politics are ongoing, and you know, we have a certain opinion of Condit, but we really don't want to get involved with the politics of it.
KING: So you don't care if he quits or doesn't quit?
R. LEVY: Unfortunately, it doesn't really affect our knowing what happened to our daughter and getting her back. You know, if we could guarantee it would make a difference, we would care. But you know, he's just doing what he's doing, and that's what he is.
KING: And then he issued a statement that the paper's conclusion that his refusal to publicly disclose details is a violation of the public trust, he has cooperated with the police. Why do you think he hasn't spoken publicly?
S. LEVY: I don't know. I think he is afraid.
KING: Of?
S. LEVY: I don't know. I mean, he has his dad talk...
KING: Briefly.
S. LEVY: Briefly. And I don't understand. I can't answer for him. You need to ask him. Maybe you can invite him on the program and ask him directly... KING: He is invited. He is -- does it puzzle you?
S. LEVY: Well, certainly, it does. I have no TV and political training, and I'm up there asking the nation and asking different people in the media to help me out.
KING: Bob, what do you make of it?
R. LEVY: Well, it just makes us more suspicious. First, you know, he did...
(CROSSTALK)
KING: Like what have you got to hide?
R. LEVY: Yes, what do you have to hide? If you can't say anything, of course, you can take the Fifth Amendment. You know, if you don't want to speak to the public, well, what's -- what's going on?
KING: How about his response, though, he has spoken to the police?
R. LEVY: Yes, he has. We don't know what's been said.
KING: Do the police keep you informed?
R. LEVY: Generally. They don't really go into specific details about things that might really matter, except to say that they don't really have anything, you know, they're doing a search, search for body, search for other clues. But haven't heard anything recently.
KING: The other night you said, if Gary Condit were not in your daughter's life, she'd be here today.
S. LEVY: I said that and...
KING: What do you mean?
S. LEVY: I feel like that for some reason internally that, as a mother, that it's possible that my daughter would have graduated and she would be here with us spending the summer.
I just feel...
KING: Therefore, you have to have a scenario that thinks he's responsible? In some way -- what's your scebario?
S. LEVY: Some way...
(CROSSTALK)
KING: What's your guess?
S. LEVY: The only thing that I can say is that he mentioned he's a good friend of my daughter, and he never mentioned to me personally that there was any kind of relationship going on. But I called a specific number and asked him a specific question, and it was not told to me in a truthful manner. And then I see...
KING: So you're saying he lied to you?
S. LEVY: Yes. And then I see a man who has, first, a friend that he highly respected and regarded missing, said he would do everything to help me find her, but I see a man going out with his smiles and videotaped on the media going from his congressional meetings with his fake political smile. And just the physical action does not match a person who says that they really want to help you out.
KING: And the next step is, what do you think, Bob?
R. LEVY: Well...
KING: What do you think?
I mean, we all -- everybody is into supposition. One, he's not speaking out or hasn't for a while. They say he might soon speak out. But what do you think happened?
R. LEVY: Well, I know he was involved with her. You know, and he -- he certainly led her on as, you know, as happened in other cases. And you know, there were certain promises made, and she believed him, although, you know, we weren't -- we didn't know about that initially.
KING: But when your wife makes a statement like, "If he didn't meet her, she'd have graduated, she'd be here"?
R. LEVY: Yes, we...
KING: A quick -- X, two plus two equals...
R. LEVY: Yes, none of this would have gone on. I mean, if...
KING: So you think he was somehow involved?
R. LEVY: Well, because he was involved with her, and she was there and waiting around and you know...
KING: So somehow involved with her disappearance. Is that your feeling?
R. LEVY: Well, I do have deep suspicions about that.
KING: You do?
R. LEVY: Yes.
KING: You do, too?
S. LEVY: I do.
R. LEVY: I don't know about him personally, but you know, everybody...
KING: You think he knows more than he said?
R. LEVY: We believe so.
S. LEVY: I believe so.
KING: We'll be right back with the Levys. By the way, the 800 number for any information is 800-860-6552, 800-860-6552.
This is LARRY KING LIVE. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KING: Lisa DePaulo's Talk Magazine story came out last week. Were you surprised?
S. LEVY: No, we knew her story was going to come out.
KING: Were you surprised at what it contained, Bob?
R. LEVY: Not really. I mean, she is a good reporter and took a lot of history. I think some of the facts weren't completely accurate.
KING: Like?
R. LEVY: Like saying that Chandra was going out with married man. Well, the policeman that she dated for a long time was unmarried. And other people were divorced. So as far as we knew, she didn't go out with married men.
KING: Were you surprised at that, that she wrote that?
S. LEVY: Oh, yes, but I'm not surprised how things get twisted with the media. I've seen it time and time again.
KING: So you think Lisa had it wrong? The only married man she dated to your knowledge is the congressman?
S. LEVY: To our knowledge. Well, as far as the police officer, whom we knew, he was not married. And another one was divorced, but you know, things get twisted sometimes.
KING: Of course, it certainly questions her morality as well, right?
R. LEVY: Yes.
KING: The article certainly...
S. LEVY: Sure.
R. LEVY: And I can understand that, and maybe she heard that from someone else. And you know, she's an excellent reporter, so you know...
KING: Did it pain you to read it?
R. LEVY: Well, just because the pain in general of what is going on. You know, our daughter is so private, to see everything in the news magazines and TV, which are good honest reporter, and some of the other magazines, the expose magazines, I hope she's really embarrassed by it -- we hope she's alive.
S. LEVY: She's a very private person.
R. LEVY: But she would never like to see anything like that. It's just not her at all.
KING: When you see them, you go to the supermarket, your checking out, in line, and the headlines say, "Chandra did this," or "Chandra was there," how do you -- what...
S. LEVY: Well, it's overwhelming. I know my daughter is a private lady, and it hurts. Some of the supermarkets, some of them are courteous enough to put a cover over the -- like Stars and Inquirer and magazines like that. And I have to say, yes, I even buy those magazines -- not every week -- but to see what's going on and see their take on everything. And it's very painful.
Anyone who is a parent that loves their children will feel a pain, regardless of whether they read the magazines or not.
KING: But conversely, it also keeps attention on the case, which is the one thing parents of lost children don't have.
S. LEVY: Right.
R. LEVY: Absolutely, and they've done some good investigation. I mean, they brought some things out that wouldn't have come out if those magazines hadn't investigated or hadn't brought it out. So we have to be thankful to them.
S. LEVY: Right.
KING: Did you that she was having an affair? There was a phone conversation. Dr. Levy, you are heard on videotape -- I think on December 13 -- talking about your congressman friend.
R. LEVY: Yes.
KING: What did you know then?
R. LEVY: Well, we knew that she was seeing a congressman, that he had arranged for her to do certain things, such as go to the inauguration, and she would not tell us who. She would absolutely keep it secret.
KING: So then you had to know she was dating?
S. LEVY: Somebody. R. LEVY: We didn't know who.
KING: But you had to figure it was romantic or why not tell you?
S. LEVY: Well...
R. LEVY: Yes, it was romantic... KING: It would be logical to tell you if it were a congressman who was just her friend, right?
S. LEVY: Well, she had inaugural seating area -- you know, special area. And then she went out that evening to one of the parties which was VIP, but she went out with her own friend.
KING: Yes.
S. LEVY: And she didn't go out with anybody as a senator...
KING: But you knew if she wouldn't tell you who it is that something was going on.
S. LEVY: Well, we kind of figured that something was going on, but although she said that often young people get tickets to various things -- you know, interns and people.
KING: Did you try to not face it, do you think?
S. LEVY: At that time, I didn't even think about it.
KING: Didn't even think about it?
S. LEVY: Didn't even think about it. I said, "Gee, this is cool, you get to go to these parties." I didn't even think about it because...
KING: When something like this happens, do you examine this -- or both of you, Bob -- your own raising, you know, the guilt concept or, "Did we do something wrong," or "Why would she be involved like this," do you examine yourself?
R. LEVY: Absolutely, you know, we think about that all of the time.
S. LEVY: Sure.
R. LEVY: You try to teach your kids, and you know, they listen or they may be stubborn and not listen, but once they're on their own or independent adults, they can do what they think is right. Unfortunately, you know, if they're misled or seduced or, you know, impressed by someone's power, especially in Congress, you know, they might do things that they wouldn't ordinarily do.
KING: Was she by nature rebellious?
S. LEVY: No, she's independent. There's a difference. (CROSSTALK)
S. LEVY: There's a difference between rebelliousness and independence. I had taught her independence. KING: So you wanted her to stand on her own and be independent.
S. LEVY: And to speak her word, too.
KING: But did you also say to her, "Don't be a Monica Lewinsky"?
S. LEVY: I apologized to Ms. Lewinsky, and I really don't want to cover that, but I might have said that in a moment of...
(CROSSTALK)
KING: ... you're sending your girl off from California to work in Washington, a young Jewish intern. I mean, there is a logical draw there.
S. LEVY: Just trying to say to be careful, but I'd rather not refer and get into that at all.
KING: But it was said, in jest?
S. LEVY: In jest, and it was not a smart thing to say, especially...
(CROSSTALK)
S. LEVY: And I apologized because I don't really want to go there.
KING: We'll leave it.
We'll be right back with the Levys. Don't go away.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KING: By the way, the reward for information leading to some finality to this is up around $200,000. The phone number is 800-860- 6552.
Let's go over your contacts with Condit. Talk Magazine reports that you called his home on the night of May 5 after getting no help from the D.C. police. Is that true?
S. LEVY: Yes, that's right.
KING: His wife answered the phone, right?
R. LEVY: I did.
KING: You called? OK.
R. LEVY: Yes.
KING: What happened?
R. LEVY: I said I'd like to get in touch with him, and then I believe he later called back, and I talked to him and told him Chandra was missing.
KING: Was that the first he knew he about it?
R. LEVY: Well, I don't know if that's the first he knew...
KING: What did he say?
R. LEVY: He said, "Oh." He didn't act too surprised or shocked. He said, "Well, she's a good friend of mine." And then he mentioned that he would get in touch with his office and try to get help for us and put up the initial reward.
KING: So he was cooperative.
R. LEVY: Yes.
KING: So when you hung up the phone, you had no reason to feel any ill will towards him?
R. LEVY: Not really. There was some suspicion. We were looking around to find out who she might be dating, since she didn't tell us. We were thinking about him and some other congressmen.
KING: Did you get on the phone?
S. LEVY: Not at that time. Later on, I made a phone call.
KING: How much later?
S. LEVY: Was it Sunday...
R. LEVY: The next day.
S. LEVY: The next day.
KING: The next day, you called him. For what reason?
S. LEVY: ... on a special number that was...
KING: Oh, you found the number on Chandra's...
S. LEVY: Well, my husband...
R. LEVY: On the cell phone bill.
S. LEVY: The cell phone bill.
R. LEVY: The cell phone bill that we got. And...
S. LEVY: Because her cell phone wasn't -- the battery wasn't charged. KING: So when you called the number, what did you get?
S. LEVY: A special number with music.
KING: And then you dialed that number.
S. LEVY: Yes.
KING: And?
S. LEVY: And I said, "Please call me back. This is Susan Levy at so and so number." And...
KING: Who called?
S. LEVY: Gary Condit.
KING: Did that shock you?
S. LEVY: It was surprising.
KING: It shocked you.
S. LEVY: What shocked me is the music.
R. LEVY: No, not at that time. I had actually -- I think I dialed that number several times before and got no answer. I didn't leave a message. Then we saw it on the cell phone bill, so we had our suspicions about it.
KING: And, Lisa reports in Talk that you didn't like the way he sounded.
S. LEVY: It's not a matter of how he sounded. It's just I asked him -- I mean, not the way he sounded, but what surprised me is the music -- the airy music, kind of like elevator, romantic music on a professional line. And then I proceeded to ask -- which I understand that that music is no longer on that line.
What surprised me is, I said, "Mr. Gary Condit, my daughter is missing and do you happen to know where she is?" And I think I remember asking him whether he had an affair with her.
KING: And?
S. LEVY: And he said, "No, I only have a professional relationship with her." I said, "Oh, what do you mean?"
"Well, she asked me about law school and about the FBI, and I suggested her to take a possible second language, and Spanish would help her in a career."
So I point-blankly asked him if he was having an affair, and matter-of-factly, he said, "No."
And then the other thing that I remember is -- I'm trying to remember; I'm blanking out now -- there was another question.
KING: In retrospect, should he have said he was? I mean, maybe he's in a embarrassing position there, I mean...
R. LEVY: Yes.
KING: ... talking to the girl's parent.
S. LEVY: He was in an embarrassing position, I imagine.
KING: But he should have told you...
S. LEVY: He said he would -- oh, yes, the thing that I asked him later was, "She called you awfully late. There are calls at 10 o'clock at night. And what are these calls about?"
And he says, you know -- he says, "Oh, we work late in the evenings in the office up at Capitol Hill, and we get many calls late at night at 10, 10:30 at night." That's the way he answered me.
KING: When did you start getting suspicious, Bob?
R. LEVY: Well, I knew someone who she was calling when we were back there in April was the person she was seeing. And then I saw the number on cell phone bill and our cell phone bill several times. And finally, I didn't know who it was. And of course, it's unlisted, so I finally called up Condit's office on Monday -- you know, when he said to call their office to get more information about what they could do -- and someone told me that was his number.
I mentioned that my daughter -- I think my daughter was having an affair with the congressman, and this was the phone number, and they told me that was Condit's number.
KING: And you became immediately suspicious then that he was involved in her disappearance.
R. LEVY: Yes.
S. LEVY: And he wasn't very emotional, in a sense, talking to either of us, or surprised that...
KING: Sad? Sound sad?
S. LEVY: No, very...
R. LEVY: No. He didn't sound shocked or...
S. LEVY: ... matter of fact.
R. LEVY: Just like, well...
(CROSSTALK)
KING: We'll be right back with Susan and Bob Levy. Don't go away. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KING: We're back with Susan and Bob Levy.
Your face-to-face meeting, that occurred in June, right, with Condit?
R. LEVY: Yes, I wasn't there.
KING: Where was that at?
S. LEVY: The Jefferson Hotel.
KING: And that was arranged by you and him?
S. LEVY: Actually, it took about two hours for it to be arranged, and it was arranged by Abbe Lowell and our lawyer.
KING: His lawyer and your lawyers.
S. LEVY: Right.
KING: And you met where -- in the...?
S. LEVY: In a private dining room.
KING: I know that hotel well, so I can just see it off to the right, down near the alcove.
S. LEVY: That's right.
KING: Was that a -- how long was that meeting? S. LEVY: I'm not sure if it was a half hour or 40 minutes.
S. LEVY: It seemed like a long time, but...
KING: What happened?
S. LEVY: Well, the -- we got there and, you know, they offered us water and tea, and I remember the lawyers kind of like, you know, talked...
KING: Lawyer talk.
S. LEVY: Lawyer talk. They had not worked with each other.
R. LEVY: Billy Martin and Abbe Lowell...
KING: They all know each other, sure.
S. LEVY: Right.
KING: From other scandals.
S. LEVY: Well, they were working together, I think, in the same possible law practice at one time.
KING: So then what -- he came in, or he was there?
S. LEVY: When we walked in, to the right was Mr. Condit and across from me was Abbe Lowell, and then next to me was my lawyer. So there was just the four of us.
KING: Why didn't you go, Bob?
R. LEVY: Well, I was too angry, and I wanted to ask direct questions, pointed questions. And when they set up the meeting, when Condit and his lawyer set up the meeting, they didn't want those kind of questions.
KING: What did they want?
R. LEVY: Well, just...
KING: You mean they set rules as to what could be asked?
S. LEVY: No, my husband was too emotionally distraught. He was crying, he was really upset, and we just didn't think it would be a good...
KING: What happened, in essence, at that meeting?
S. LEVY: We met him and asked him four questions. If I can remember them, I'm not sure.
KING: Generally.
S. LEVY: Generally: "When's the last time you've seen my daughter, the date?"
"Do you happen to know where my daughter is?"
"Where did you see my daughter?" "In my house," he said. I said, "Oh, your house in Ceres?" And he says, "No, in my house in Washington, D.C."
And, "Will you cooperate with our investigators in the case?" And he said, "Yes, I will cooperate fully."
And I think the other one was, "Will you cooperate with the Washington police in the investigation?"
Those were the four questions.
KING: Well, then, here's some questions to come.
Has he cooperated with your investigators?
R. LEVY: No. No.
KING: You have your own investigators.
R. LEVY: Yes.
KING: OK. And they called his office, attempt to meet with him, get information that might be helpful?
R. LEVY: Yes.
KING: And he doesn't meet with them?
R. LEVY: No.
KING: So he broke that promise to you?
S. LEVY: He said to me -- I'm going to use (UNINTELLIGIBLE) body language -- "Mrs. Levy, I will do everything to help you find your daughter."
KING: Why do you think he's not meeting with your investigators?
R. LEVY: Well...
(CROSSTALK)
KING: He certainly wants her to be found, one would assume.
R. LEVY: We would assume that.
KING: Then why not -- what do your investigators make of it?
R. LEVY: Well, they're suspicious of it. You know, if you really don't want to -- if you have something to hide, you can't cooperate because you'll incriminate yourself, and you won't want to say anything.
KING: When you left that meeting, how did you feel?
S. LEVY: Well, he wanted to give me a hug.
KING: You refused?
S. LEVY: I refused. I didn't want him to give me a hug.
KING: Take a break, and we'll be right back with more of the Levys. Don't go away.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KING: When Chandra's Aunt Linda came forward and revealed about the affair and everything in talking to Chandra, were you happy about that or not?
R. LEVY: Well, we were by that time. You know, we had mentioned something on -- I think it was a TV -- an interview -- something about that, and then she came forward with the whole story. And of course we told the police, the FBI and the federal prosecutor...
(CROSSTALK)
KING: ... did.
R. LEVY: Yes. We told them all this -- everything we knew initially, you know the second week of May when we were in Washington D.C., and they told us not to go public with anything because it would hurt the investigation.
Well, it was a month later and nothing was happening. You know, they still hadn't questioned Condit. I mean, they asked him to come in and didn't find time to come in. And then he came in, and they talked to him for 15 minutes.
KING: Were you upset with Aunt Linda or not?
S. LEVY: No, with Aunt Linda. I was kind of upset that we were told not to talk about anything from the Washington police. And at that time, I think it was FBI, too.
KING: Why did they not want you to talk?
S. LEVY: I don't know -- to infringe on the investigation, maybe? R. LEVY: That's what they said, you know, not to interfere with the investigation. But, you know, it doesn't seem like it had any effect on the investigation one way or the other.
S. LEVY: Right.
KING: Had she told you what she planned to do, by the way?
S. LEVY: Linda?
KING: No, your daughter.
S. LEVY: Or Chandra?
KING: Yes.
S. LEVY: Her plan was to come home and possibly find a job and to possibly go take the LSAT and look for a job and wanted to be an FBI agent.
KING: So she wanted to become a lawyer?
S. LEVY: Lawyer or a FBI...
KING: Well...
S. LEVY: ... she wanted to do.
KING: Well, not to practice law, but to join -- she liked the criminology work?
S. LEVY: Yes, she did, and she wanted to help others. And so her plans were FBI, applying -- I don't if she ever did get to do that, I think she did -- and to take the LSAT.
KING: Have you talked to Gary since that conversation at the Jefferson?
S. LEVY: No, no.
KING: Attempted to?
R. LEVY: No.
S. LEVY: No.
KING: Do you think you he should be calling you?
R. LEVY: Well, actually, he had called us earlier, just on the phone, a couple of weeks before all this, just to talk to us on the phone. This was, like, a month or six weeks after everything was going on, you know.
KING: About? R. LEVY: Well, just to talk about things. But Sue had talked him on the phone and said she didn't really want to talk to him without an attorney being present.
KING: Why?
S. LEVY: Because I just felt an attorney needs to be present, because I don't -- I think that everything needs to be covered in a correct way and I feel like we -- it needs to be on record, and I just feel he's manipulative. I don't trust.
R. LEVY: Well, it was so late, you know. It wasn't like he came forward and wanted to tell us everything all at once and cooperate fully with the police all at once. This is, you know, more than a month later and, you know.
KING: Let me back up, were you surprised that he offered a reward immediately?
S. LEVY: I was in shock, not surprised by his offering a reward. It was just the whole initial shock, the reality of my daughter not here for graduation...
KING: So you didn't think about...
S. LEVY: ... and missing.
KING: ... why he would mention a reward?
R. LEVY: No.
S. LEVY: No. It didn't even cross.
R. LEVY: You know, it just -- we were in shock, and he's offered rewards in the past, you know, but from his congressional fund for people that are missing. KING: Or that he's -- he has a history of doing that?
R. LEVY: He's done that before.
KING: I see. So he's been interested in missing people?
R. LEVY: Well, I guess so. I don't know how many times it's been done, but you know, when people are missing from the District, yes.
S. LEVY: You know we have what's called the Sund-Carrington Foundation, and it was founded on the base -- of some missing people that, unfortunately, they were murdered (UNINTELLIGIBLE) reward and I don't know whether he has any connection...
R. LEVY: Well, he doesn't have any connection with it...
S. LEVY: ... but he has given.
R. LEVY: ... but he's offered a reward.
S. LEVY: He has offered reward money.
KING: What do you -- hope springs eternal. You have to hope.
S. LEVY: I hope my daughter is discovered.
KING: That she -- this is a lark of some kind or that she's with somebody who is not harming her, but somehow is holding her? I mean, is that the two hopes?
R. LEVY: That's the two hopes. I don't think she'll do it for a lark, but maybe she was so hurt and damaged that she's...
KING: But not to damage you in any way. I mean, if she's...
R. LEVY: No.
KING: ... she's watching this tonight.
R. LEVY: Yes. She wouldn't want to do that to us. I know that. And her brother...
KING: So eliminate that part, then we have to think she is somewhere with someone and he or she or they have taken her for some reason, and for whatever the reason, you hope that they're not harming her and she's alive. That's your only hope, right?
R. LEVY: That's our hope. That's our hopes.
KING: You fear the worst?
R. LEVY: Yes.
KING: Do you think the worst?
R. LEVY: Yes.
S. LEVY: We've tried not to, but it's there.
KING: And do you find yourself talking about her in the past tense?
S. LEVY: No. I don't want to.
KING: Bob?
R. LEVY: Not really. When we talk about things that she did, it's things that are in the past, but we still talk of her...
KING: You don't say, like, "She was a wonderful girl"?
R. LEVY: No. She -- no, we don't want to do that.
S. LEVY: No.
R. LEVY: We don't want to do that.
KING: People after a while, though.
R. LEVY: Yes. You know, it's been so long, that we -- you know, we can't help thinking like that, you know. It's just been our gravest -- you know, so long.
KING: I know about daddies and daughters.
R. LEVY: Yes.
KING: Were you always close, Bob?
R. LEVY: Yes. Although later on, of course, she didn't want to tell me, you know, her private life.
KING: Daughters don't do that with daddies.
R. LEVY: No, they don't. If we tell them, you know, what to do and, you know, what not to do, to stay away from people.
KING: How is your boy holding up?
S. LEVY: It's hard. He is trying to go on to school normally.
KING: How old is he?
S. LEVY: Nineteen. He has tremendous faith. But it's hard.
KING: Is he in school?
S. LEVY: He's at home at school, he was going to go away to school, but now he's not.
KING: So he goes to school, but lives at home?
R. LEVY: Yes. He's going to go to the local JC again.
KING: He had planned to go to regular four-year college.
R. LEVY: He planned to go away...
S. LEVY: Right.
R. LEVY: ... back East.
KING: How about your practice?
R. LEVY: Well, I went back to work after about three weeks and...
KING: Is it hard for you? You're dealing with death, right?
KING: You're an oncologist?
R. LEVY: Yes.
KING: A lot of your patients die.
R. LEVY: A fair number do. But it's hopeful, because a lot of them are cured and we're just following up or they're in remission.
KING: Do you bring thoughts of Chandra with you to work?
R. LEVY: Yes.
KING: We'll be right back with more of Susan and Robert Levy.
Don't go away.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KING: The Levys are our guests.
What, Susan, did you make of the story of that Pentecostal minister Otis Thomas and his daughter?
S. LEVY: It's a story all right.
KING: Do you know him?
S. LEVY: Yes.
KING: Yes? Do you believe him?
S. LEVY: I believe that his story was real even though he says it wasn't. It's my gut feeling -- even though the FBI says that it's a story.
KING: About his daughter being involved with . . .
S. LEVY: Yes.
R. LEVY: Yes, we don't know how that came about. It was just -- whether he was just -- he says he was making it up and it was just coincidental that it was about Condit. But I don't know . . .
KING: What do you make when you see like Ann Marie Smith? Did you see her on this show?
R. LEVY: Yes.
KING: All right. Do you relate that . . .
S. LEVY: I think she was courageous to come up and talk. And I respect her courage to come out in the open.
R. LEVY: And other women have come out also to help corroborate, you know, what was going on with our daughter, the type of affair that was going on. And we appreciate their courage in coming forward and telling what they know.
KING: Is this your first trip to Los Angeles since all of this?
R. LEVY: Since . . .
S. LEVY: Yes.
KING: Of course, she would have graduated USC . . .
R. LEVY: Yes, and we were going to come here.
KING: . . . which is 20 minutes from here. S. LEVY: Right. And as we were driving down here I was thinking to myself how painful this is to come down here for the interview and not having gone to my daughter's graduation.
KING: Is she the kind that would have missed her graduation?
S. LEVY: I don't . . .
R. LEVY: No, absolutely not.
S. LEVY: No, she wouldn't have . . .
R. LEVY: She really was -- she was looking forward to going, to seeing her friends out here.
KING: She tells Aunt Linda -- we all feel with you, Bob.
You don't cry as easily, right?
S. LEVY: It's stomach ties and stomach aches and other things. I cry.
KING: And a nervous laugh . . .
S. LEVY: Yes, I smile. That doesn't mean I'm really smiling. But I do cry internally. And it comes out, unfortunately, in health issues.
KING: April 29, she tells her Aunt Linda -- this is Chandra, it's a message she leaves -- "My internship is over. I'm packing my bags, and in the next week or 10 days, I head home for a while. Don't know what I'm going to do this summer, but I have some big news. Call me."
What do you guess that was?
R. LEVY: I don't know.
KING: We hear stories of pregnancy. Do you buy any of that?
R. LEVY: No.
KING: Well, how would you know? But you doubt it?
R. LEVY: I doubt it. I think she would tell us. And she'd have no particular reason to hide it from us, more than anyone else.
KING: Also, "big news" sounds happy.
R. LEVY: Yes.
KING: And I don't think someone pregnant with a married man would be happy, so what do you gather, what do you think that is?
R. LEVY: Well, she might have thought that he was going to leave his wife and settle with her, or you know, get a divorce like, you know, a lot of single women going with married men might believe.
Or she was looking forward to a new job, or she had prospects for something in D.C.
KING: Were you hurt that she would say this to Linda and not to you?
S. LEVY: No, because I figured that sometimes young women have a special aunt or a special person who they talk to, a girlfriend. And I remember growing up, I had my own Aunt Ruthie, who is now 80, and I would tell her a lot of things before maybe my own mom.
So, I figured that she had that special kind of relationship.
KING: Is Chandra a good daughter?
S. LEVY: She's a -- I can't say good or bad, judgmentally. She's my daughter, and she makes her own ...
(CROSSTALK)
R. LEVY: ... good daughter.
KING: Was she easy to raise? Was she difficult? Were her teenage years tough? S. LEVY: Well, we every child is a little rebellious in growing up, but I would say she was not any different than any other child.
She was at least -- she never did drugs.
KING: You know that?
R. LEVY: Yes.
S. LEVY: I know that for a fact. She did not do drugs. And she learned to respect education, and at first in junior high and high school, I had a few years of -- it was tough because I don't think she was mature enough to understand how important education was.
And she looked like she was lazy and didn't care, but she changed her whole attitude.
KING: Did she date early?
R. LEVY: Well, not any earlier than other girls. I mean, I think she -- when she was a teenager, like, ...
S. LEVY: Fifteen?
R. LEVY: ... she went out on escorted dates or, you know, just to a movie or something, maybe 14, 15. And then she did date boys her age.
S. LEVY: Yes.
KING: You knew the cop?
R. LEVY: Oh, yes.
S. LEVY: Oh, yes.
KING: You like him?
S. LEVY: Yes.
R. LEVY: Oh, yes. He's a good guy.
S. LEVY: He even took me helicopter riding around.
KING: Well, why did that not develop?
R. LEVY: He was older. He was like in his late 20s, and later, when she was, like, 17, 18. S. LEVY: He wanted to work on his career and becoming a pilot. And changing ...
KING: Have you heard from him?
S. LEVY: Not since this happened.
KING: No? S. LEVY: That's interesting.
R. LEVY: No, I, I don't ...
S. LEVY: No.
KING: Why not? What do you think?
S. LEVY: But I know ...
R. LEVY: I don't know.
S. LEVY: ... she wanted to -- he says, "Go on. Get your degree."
R. LEVY: I don't know if he's called us or sent us a letter, I'm not sure ...
S. LEVY: No, he hasn't.
R. LEVY: ... I don't recall.
KING: Where does he live?
R. LEVY: I'm not sure.
KING: In your city, though.
S. LEVY: He used to live at Oakdale, but I don't know where he is now.
KING: We'll be right back with Bob and Susan Levy. Don't go away.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KING: By the way, the Levys also have an e-mail address. That's levy@dejlaw.com. That's levy@dejlaw.com. And the phone number for information, 800-860-6552. The reward is up around $200,000.
Where's the investigation right now? What are police -- where are we right now, this minute, October 15th?
(LAUGHTER)
KING: Except not October. Of course, you know fall is hot. August is ... R. LEVY: I hope we know something by October, we pray.
KING: Where are we? Well, what are the police telling you?
R. LEVY: Well, I haven't talked to them recently, you know. They, of course, their spokesman speaks on TV and says they don't know anything. They're back at square one, and they really don't have any leads.
They searched everywhere they can search.
KING: What was it like for you looking at the search?
S. LEVY: Oh, it's horrible. Just painful.
KING: You want them to fail.
S. LEVY: Well, want them to fail, and also, I sometimes think that they nonchalantly walk the grid and really, not really looking -- I mean, that's kind of how I feel.
R. LEVY: I know, I mean, I know a lot of people are out there, a lot of cadets, and you know, that was that was very late ...
(CROSSTALK)
KING: ... tried.
R. LEVY: Well, in a way.
KING: You don't think.
R. LEVY: I mean ...
KING: Are you unhappy with the Washington, D.C. police?
R. LEVY: Well, we wish a lot of things had been done a lot earlier.
S. LEVY: They should have, really, earlier.
R. LEVY: Really a lot earlier, like getting the tape from the building. That's, you know, that was, that would have been helpful. If they carried tape that showed people going in and out ...
KING: It was erased, right?
R. LEVY: Yeah.
KING: They didn't treat this as a crime quick enough for you ...
S. LEVY: No.
KING: ... they still haven't, ...
R. LEVY: No ... KING: ... right. It's still a missing person...
R. LEVY: Missing person under suspicious circumstances. So it's a little different than a lot of missing people are. Thank goodness, for a lot of missing people, you know, it's not the same type of thing.
KING: Most get found.
R. LEVY: Most get found. KING: Ninety-eight percent, come back, get found. Right?
R. LEVY: Yes. There are spouses who run off or custodial removal of children. And the other several percent are people like us, unfortunately, and, you know ...
KING: So, would you say this investigation is at ...
S. LEVY: It's not over, ...
R. LEVY: It's not over.
S. LEVY: ... in my opinion.
R. LEVY: And, and then ...
KING: What about your own investigators?
S. LEVY: It's not over.
KING: Are they on to something?
R. LEVY: We hope. We hope. They, they, you know, they have things they're following, as do the FBI and the Washington police. And the Washington police aren't stopping just because they're not searching the woods.
Although some other things, you know, that could be searched around D.C., you know, we get a lot of calls and letters from psychics and visionaries and people who have dreams and wonder about the Potomac. You know, like a real, you know, searching the Potomac, because of, you know, the way people can be ...
KING: Have you talked to psychics, too?
S. LEVY: I don't -- the last one I talked to was Sylvia Brown.
KING: And what did she say?
S. LEVY: She called my house. I really don't want to get into that. All ...
KING: Did it disturb you?
S. LEVY: Oh, yes. Of course, it disturbed me. And I also worry about how many people are taking advantage, financially -- she, not that -- she didn't ask for any money.
R. LEVY: No, no. She didn't. And that's another ...
S. LEVY: But it ...
R. LEVY: ... and other people don't. Most people -- psychics -- are people, good people, trying to help. And they have their visions, and they believe in them, and you know, perhaps there's some that truly know. But, unfortunately, in most cases that we've seen, they're all, all wind up being quite vague.
And, you know, you can't really go there. They say somewhere in the Potomac or somewhere in a water area.
KING: Have you ever heard from any of Condit's friends or family?
S. LEVY: No, and ...
KING: Expressing dismay.
R. LEVY: No. But the Reverend Condit, at the...
(CROSSTALK)
R. LEVY: Yes, the Reverend Condit, at his son's rally, did say a prayer for us and for Chandra. And we really appreciate that. We really do. But we haven't heard from anyone else in his family.
KING: What did you think of that rally?
S. LEVY: No comment. I think he should have come talk at his own rally. Why is his father doing all his talking?
KING: We'll have our remaining moments with the Levys, and we'll review some things.
Don't go away.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KING: We're back with the Levys.
KING: I guess you're happy the Fort Lee thing turned out to be nothing.
R. LEVY: Yes.
KING: Because that could have only have been a body. There was nothing ...
R. LEVY: No.
S. LEVY: Well, the whole thing was just terrifying.
R. LEVY: We were crying, our son was comforting and other, you know, other friends were around. It was just, you know, we go through that, but on the other hand, not knowing for a long period of time, you know, is just ...
KING: Worse.
R. LEVY: Just worse.
KING: Should Congressman Condit come forward, come on a program, talk to people?
S. LEVY: I think so.
R. LEVY: Well, I don't know if he's able to, you know? And it's ...
KING: Meaning?
R. LEVY: I mean, you know, there's a Fifth Amendment right, so you may not ...
KING: That's like saying you're implying that he's involved, and if he's involved, he's not going to talk.
R. LEVY: Well, that's, you know, I can't say that, but certainly, you've heard of some of his actions.
KING: You have suspicions of that.
R. LEVY: Yes.
KING: You do.
S. LEVY: When my husband said anyone who knows anything out there ...
KING: Well, you're entitled to your suspicions.
R. LEVY: Yes, we are. We are.
KING: Anyone -- I could be suspicious of that wall. You're entitled.
S. LEVY: Anyone who has any information out there, be it congressman or anybody else -- anybody, anywhere in the United States that knows, and you get up in the morning, and you look yourself in the mirror, and you know something, you know the truth -- to come forward and share that truth and help us as parents.
KING: Would you like to talk to his wife?
R. LEVY: Well, you know, she has my sympathy in certain ways, but certainly everyone needs to be talked to. Everyone that's, you know, is ...
KING: Would you like another meeting with him -- lawyers present?
S. LEVY: I think that might be helpful. I don't know what it'll lead to.
KING: Would you go to this one, Bob?
R. LEVY: Under certain circumstances. You know, if questions weren't limited, you know, like the other ones.
KING: Well, you'd want to ask him what, then?
R. LEVY: Well, the same thing that would be done in an appropriate lie detector test.
KING: You didn't think his lie detector test was appropriate.
R. LEVY: Well ...
KING: You'd have a lot more questions.
R. LEVY: Oh, yes. And, you know ...
KING: It can only be yes or no answers on a lie ...
R. LEVY: Yes, and a proper lie detector test would be given by the police and the FBI, and you know, that would be the right thing to do.
KING: So what goes through you when you see him?
R. LEVY: Well, we try not to think negative thoughts because we're all human beings, and you know, he's certainly done a good job as a congressman for the district, not that someone else couldn't do it, but, you know, he has. But, you know, we know from, you know, what's come out that, you know, and his involvement with our daughter that, you know, we're not admiring him at all.
KING: When you see him, Susan, do you see Chandra?
S. LEVY: I see a man -- well, I haven't been seeing him, except for re-runs, you know. I don't say necessarily I see Chandra, but I see someone who just has this smile that doesn't match what's in the heart and unanswered questions that I have.
KING: Hasn't been caring enough?
R. LEVY: Well, he has a lot of knowledge, and clearly, he hasn't shown real concern about her or about us.
KING: And does that surprise you?
R. LEVY: No.
KING: Does not surprise you?
R. LEVY: No. No. From everything that's come out, it doesn't surprise us at all.
KING: You mean from what you apparently have learned about his personality?
R. LEVY: Yes.
KING: Do you think it's the case he's only interested in himself? R. LEVY: Well, his actions speak for themselves.
KING: Are you at all any way optimistic?
R. LEVY: It's hard to be optimistic, but we have our faith, the faith of our friends, you know, and good people -- have a lot of supportive letters and calls and you know ...
S. LEVY: It's an uphill battle.
R. LEVY: It's an uphill battle, but we have, you know, we have people of all faiths -- Christians, Jews, Muslims, Sikhs, Hindus, Buddhists, people in (UNINTELLIGIBLE) religion, everyone, you know, praying for us and with us. We really appreciate it.
KING: Thank you, Susan.
S. LEVY: Thank you.
KING: 800-860-6552, levy@dejlaw.com for any information that you may have.
Thank you very much for joining us for Susan and Bob Levy. I'm Larry King. Good night.
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