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American Morning

D.C. Medical Examiner to Hold Press Conference on Chandra Levy

Aired May 28, 2002 - 09:05   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.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: And now on to the Chandra Levy investigation. We are told the Levys remain in seclusion at their home, where they basically have been since they got the news that their daughter's remains were found in a park in the metropolitan D.C. area.

A close friend of the Levys described them as "numb." They say Mr. Levy hasn't stopped crying since he heard the news. This, as police authorities are expected to release some autopsy results later today.

Let's turn to Bob Franken, who is standing by at the D.C. police headquarters, to see if this might, in fact, happen today.

Good morning, Bob.

What have you heard?

BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Paula.

We've been told by D.C. police that they have been notified by the medical examiner of the District of Columbia, Dr. Jonathan Arden, to expect a news conference in a little under 2 1/2 hours -- as a matter of fact, at 11:30 Eastern this morning, at which time the first findings will be announced.

These will not be complete findings if it follows the normal course of events. But there should be a determination whether, as investigators expect, Chandra Levy was murdered and whether this was a homicide. It will be a huge surprise if he does not designate it at such. Then comes an investigation that will try and determine the manner of death, to use the police term. That is to say, some of the specifics that probably would not be determined at this preliminary stage.

Remember, it was less than a week ago that the remains were found in Rock Creek Park after more than a year since the disappearance of Chandra Levy, the 24-year-old former Washington intern, who became such an international story because of a relationship, an acknowledged relationship, between her and the Congressman from her hometown, Gary Condit.

Gary Condit has remained silent about this, expressing only condolences to the family. He is hoping, according to sources close to him, that the subsequent investigation will exonerate him. But the first step of this investigation since the finding of her remains is to determine whether it should go from what the police call "a death investigation" to a homicide investigation. That's what we will find out officially in a little over two hours -- Paula.

ZAHN: Bob, I know you described a lot of steps here, but what is the expectation? Do investigators believe they will be able to figure out whether Chandra Levy was there all along or if perhaps the body was put there long after her murder?

FRANKEN: That is the type of thing that they probably will not be able to determine this morning. What they will be able to determine -- apparently have determined -- is whether, in fact, she died of some sort of natural cause, which is highly, highly not believed, or if, in fact, she was a murder victim. That's what we're going to have announced this morning.

ZAHN: All right. Bob Franken, thanks so much for the live update.

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