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American Morning

The Search for Chandra: Congressman Condit to Meet With Police a Second Time

Aired June 22, 2001 - 09:08   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.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Congressman Gary Condit met for the first time last night with the parents of missing Washington intern Chandra Levy. The parents are asking police to treat the case as something more than a missing persons investigation.

CNN national correspondent Bob Franken with that.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WILLIAM MARTIN, LEVY FAMILY ATTORNEY: If he's available, Dr. and Mrs. Levy and I would love to talk with him.

BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Congressman Gary Condit made himself available. Sources tell CNN that Thursday night he had his face-to-face meeting with Robert and Susan Levy, along with their new Washington lawyer/investigator, William Martin. The meeting was held at a private location and no details were immediately available.

The Levy's are in an ever more desperate search for their missing daughter, Chandra Levy, the 24-year-old former Bureau of Prisons intern, who disappeared more than seven weeks ago. The Levy's have made it clear they believe the persistent reports that Condit had a romantic relationship with their daughter. Condit's spokesmen have repeatedly denied any romantic relationship.

MARTIN: We will not go into any detail on what that relationship is. The congressman has indicated that they were friends. As a friend, we reiterate, please come forward, please meet with the police, please tell anything that you can regarding Chandra. We have no further comments.

FRANKEN: It was a day of meetings for the Levy's. They pleaded with police to intensify their effort, to officially reclassify it from a missing persons search to a criminal investigation. But officials turned them down.

CHIEF CHARLES RAMSEY, METROPOLITAN D.C. POLICE DEPARTMENT: We have nothing to show that this is anything other than a critical missing person. But we would be remiss in our responsibilities, and certainly we would be doing a less-than-thorough investigation, if we didn't look at every single possibility that exists. FRANKEN: Investigators are retracing their steps. They are still trying to arrange a second interview with Condit. Among other questions, police say, they want to ask about the congressman's relationship with Chandra Levy.

"If there is any new information I can provide," said Condit, "I will do so without hesitation."

Now, Condit will also have to contend with the Levy's separate investigation.

MARTIN: We hope that during the investigation we can really find out the depth of that relationship -- what it was.

FRANKEN: But with all the controversy, this case is still someone's daughter who has been missing for more than seven weeks and her parents' desperation to find her.

SUSAN LEVY, CHANDRA LEVY'S MOTHER: As you know, we, as parents, are very heartbroken as we don't know where our daughter is. But I believe and I continue to hope and pray that she will come back to us alive.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FRANKEN: Now, as for the meeting between Condit and the police, it's a second interview, of course, Miles, they still have not arranged it. There have been phone calls back and forth. Schedules are very, very cluttered right now, but there is some indication that there's going to be an effort to try and have that interview today -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: Bob Franken in Washington.