Return to Transcripts main page

American Morning

The Search for Chandra: Investigation Expands

Aired July 12, 2001 - 10:06   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.
STEPHEN FRAZIER, CNN ANCHOR: The search for Chandra Levy expands in new directions at this hour, both in terms of geography, where it's expanding, and history, where it's going back. Washington police say they will search abandoned buildings near the apartments of Ms. Levy, Mr. Condit. And as with the search of Condit's apartment, they will be seeking signs of foul play there.

Also today, a second round of interviews for Anne Marie Smith, the flight attendant who claims to have also had an affair with Condit. That list may be growing, too.

CNN national correspondent Bob Franken joins us now from Washington with the latest on all this -- Bob, good morning again.

BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning. And every day this story grows like weeds grow. Let's start first with the Pentecostal minister, Otis Thomas, who lives in the Modesto area of California, which is the home district of Congressman Gary Condit and Chandra Levy. Reverend Thomas was a gardener for the Levy family, but he has been interviewed by the FBI. He is a Pentecostal minister interviewed by the FBI because of his claim that his daughter, seven years ago, when she was 18, had a romantic relationship with Congressman Condit.

Now, the "Washington Post" reports that he had told this to Susan Levy, Chandra Levy's mother. But there is on his door in Washington -- in Ceres, California, which is near Modesto, on the door of his residence is a letter, a letter to the media that was signed by somebody who took the signature of Jennifer Thomas.

It reads in part, "I will tell you that I never knew Mrs. Levy's daughter. I never met that congressman who's involved in all of this." It also goes on to say I don't even know how both me and my father got mixed up in this. We don't know anything so stop calling us and stop showing up at our door." That was what was on the door out there in Ceres, California.

Now, Abbe Lowell, who is the attorney for Congressman Condit, was asked to comment on this through a spokesperson. The response is we will not comment on every tabloid case.

You are seeing Congressman Condit as he left his apartment just a short time ago heading into the Capitol, presumably. Of course, he is surrounded by cameras wherever he goes. As for the report on the Reverend Thomas, reporters caught up last night with Chandra Levy's mother, Susan Levy.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SUSAN LEVY, CHANDRA LEVY'S MOTHER: To be in this situation is surprising enough and shocking enough and I just, it's surreal. That's all I can say. I want my daughter home and I want her alive and I want the truth to come out and that's all I can tell you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FRANKEN: Now, of course, there are any number of developments. Many have to do with the negotiations between the Washington Metropolitan Police and Condit's lawyers. One of the matters is a lie detector test. Abbe Lowell, Condit's lawyer, said he would discuss with investigators whether the congressman would agree to a lie detector. Those negotiations are going on. They are really quite difficult negotiations, as they try and come to agreement on the scope of the questions that could be asked, who would administrator the polygraph, that type of thing. But the discussions are going on.

Another matter, a search of abandoned buildings in the northwest Washington area, where both Condit and Chandra Levy had their apartments. Police say they are going to try and find abandoned buildings and when they find them, when they think it's appropriate, they will take in what they call their cadaver dogs, so-called because they're looking, quite frankly, for bodies. It's just an expansion of the search, say police. But of course they are looking for foul play in the same way that they will take those same dogs as soon as they can set this up out to landfills in the Washington, D.C. area, also looking for evidence of foul play.

Of course, with the permission of Abbe Lowell, Condit's attorney, police searched Condit's apartment night before last and after about three and a half hours of searching, we're told that they came up with very little material, a couple of specks of something. It could have been paint, it could have been blood, and also a few clothing items, a jacket, a cap, a couple other things like that.

Investigators are now trying to determine whether it is even worth turning that material over to the FBI crime lab to see if they need analysis. As I said, that was a search of Condit's apartment but of course it comes 10 weeks after Chandra Levy disappeared.

One other matter, Anne Marie Smith. She is in Washington. She is once again headed to the U.S. attorney's office here, after spending six hours plus there yesterday, discussing her charge that Congressman Condit asked her to sign a false statement, a false sworn statement. She claims that she had a romantic relationship with the congressman. He says that he did not try and get her to sign a false statement about that. That is what is being discussed with the U.S. attorney's office, to see if there is any legal action that is necessary.

Lest I forget, Stephen, Chandra Levy is still missing after 10 weeks. FRAZIER: You haven't forgotten anything, Bob. That was a lot of ground to cover. But let me ask you, if you would, please, to connect the dots on one of the items you brought up. In light of the congressman's acknowledgement that he did have a romantic relationship with Chandra Levy, what is the value to police now of these latest revelations of young Jennifer Thomas and her father, Otis Thomas?

FRANKEN: Well, I should point out, first of all, that Jennifer Thomas has not been available to the FBI, only her father is. I should also point out that we've quoted police sources as saying that Congressman Condit had acknowledged the romantic relationship. Sorry for such detail, but I think it's important here.

Now, in answer to your question, police say that if, in fact, these were romantic relationships, that there might be some sort of pattern that the congressman conducts himself in such a situation that might have created a state of mind for Chandra Levy. That's why they're so interested in discussing with the people who were involved. They're also interested right now in discussing Chandra Levy with just about anybody who might have some information about her disappearance. That's why they do it.

Of course, on the other side, the Condit supporters who say that this is really dealing in irrelevance. Not only the police, but more importantly, they say, the media.

FRAZIER: A lot to keep track of and you're doing a good job of it. Bob Franken in Washington, thank you very much.

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