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American Morning
FBI Changes Strategy in Search for Chandra Levy
Aired July 19, 2001 - 09:03 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.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: A shift to tell you about in the Chandra Levy case. The FBI is transferring its part of the investigation to a different unit. And police continue to scour Washington parks today. So far, though, they've found no clues in their search for the missing intern.
Our national correspondent Bob Franken is following the investigation. He is in Washington, with the latest.
Bob, good morning.
BOB FRANKEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Daryn.
It's very important to point out that the FBI is not the lead agency here. That continues to be Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police. But the FBI, because it's taken as long as it has, has made an internal change.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FRANKEN (voice-over): Sources tell CNN that the FBI has moved its part of the probe into the disappearance of Chandra Levy from its Washington office that deals with the immediate investigations to a unit that specializes in cases that may take a long time to solve.
That unit is expected to take a fresh look at a case that has produced few clues to date. The transfer occurs more than 11 weeks after the 24-year-old former intern disappeared, and after a frenzy of news coverage, fueled by Congressman Gary Condit's relationship with Levy.
The investigation is still led by the Washington metropolitan police, which continues to fan out in an intensive search through parks around Washington.
It was a computer site visited by Chandra Levy that led authorities to Rock Creek Park near her apartment. After three days of searching here and in three other wooded areas around Washington, investigators are no closer to finding her. But they plan to continue for at least another two weeks.
Sites connected to the Rock Creek Park area were just among those Levy visited on May 1, the day after she was last seen. Investigators say she also logged onto travel sites, including Amtrak and Southwest Airlines, and newspapers including "The Washington Post", "Washington City Paper", and "The Modesto Bee."
On Capitol Hill, cameras once again followed Congressman Condit's every move, as he attended a second day of Agriculture Committee meetings. But the media crush has nearly overwhelmed Condit since his return to work may have crossed the line.
QUESTION: Is this strategy going to hold for you?
FRANKEN: A rule rarely enforced by police bars camera crews from moving while they shoot in and around the Capitol. In an effort to restrict access to their boss, Condit's staff wants the regulation enforced. And the organization that governs TV coverage of the House of Representatives is expected to decide by week's end.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
We are seeing the day four of the search at Rock Creek Park. These are the recruits from the police academy who will once again fan out as they try to cover the 2,800 acres of that park alone, trying to look for some sort of evidence into the disappearance of Chandra Levy.
It's not the only place that is being searched in the Washington area. This is a 2,800-acre park, as I said, in northwest Washington. To the southeast are several parks, areas that the police say could be places where if there was a body -- and I emphasize the word "if" -- it could be dumped there.
They're also searching abandoned buildings.
They've intensified this entire investigation because of frustration. It is now day 80 -- if I could say it that way. Chandra Levy is still missing -- Daryn.
KAGAN: Bob, if we could put that map back up, maybe you could explain to our viewers where Chandra Levy's apartment is, in terms of these places that are being searched.
FRANKEN: Nowhere near these locations. These are in the southeast section of Washington, D.C. Her apartment was about a mile from Rock Creek Park, which is why there's been such an emphasis there, number one. Number two, that's what showed on the Web site. Number three, it is an area where physical fitness people, like Chandra Levy, who was very much into jogging and other exercise, would go to run. That's why there's been such an emphasis on the park you're seeing here.
Those other areas are just areas where somebody who might be a criminal sometimes would operate. For instance, if the theory is that she might have been taken somewhere, that's why they would go look in southeast Washington and areas like that.
KAGAN: Just because of their remoteness, if nothing else.
FRANKEN: That's right.
KAGAN: Bob Franken, in Washington, D.C., thank you so 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
