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CNN Live Event/Special

The Search for Chandra: Doctor Robert Levy Addresses the Media

Aired August 01, 2001 - 12:18   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.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Take you out West to California, where Chandra Levy's parents are in their yard speaking to the press.

(JOINED IN PROGRESS)

ROBERT LEVY, FATHER OF CHANDRA: I don't know what he would do. It depends on a lot of things, I guess.

QUESTION: You hear stories. Did you hear this key story yesterday? A guy in the hardware store said...

LEVY: Yes, I heard that.

QUESTION: He said he thought he saw Chandra after the date where other people saw her. But he has no receipt and the police are not so sure if this is a true thing. Does this hurt you more than help you when you hear things like this and they come out to be nothing?

LEVY: Yes. We get our hopes up that someone has seen her or knows anything. And we don't know. But we still try to maintain hope that -- that she is alive and out there somewhere. And I appreciate everyone trying to help out.

You know, the -- the police and the FBI and the investigators and Billy Martin and the law firm, Dyer, Ellis & Joseph, have really been helpful. And Sheriff Weidman here has been helpful. And the local FBI have been helpful.

QUESTION: I want to ask about the local authorities here.

LEVY: Yes.

QUESTION: We have talked a lot about the mail that you receive, a lot of well-wishes from across the country. Apparently, there are a lot of letters from psychics from around the country.

LEVY: Yes.

QUESTION: And there was a letter that was received here over the weekend, or maybe on Monday, from a psychic that caused you or your wife to call the investigators to come over and take a look. What about that letter provoked you to want to have them take a look at it?

LEVY: Well, there's been several like that. I'm not really sure which one it is. But we just want them to take every opportunity to check things that might be valid.

I would like to repeat the number, the hot line number, because a lot of people don't have it or may not be able to get it. Sometimes it's busy. But they can get through.

The hot line is 1-800-860-6552 -- 1-800-860-6552. And the e-mail is levy@dejlaw.com. That's for anyone having information that could help us.

QUESTION: Could you repeat that?

LEVY: Yes: levy@ -- small letters -- dejlaw.com.

QUESTION: Dr. Levy, if Representative Condit would call you on the phone and say, "I'll discuss whatever you need," would that be something you would like to see happen?

LEVY: I'm not even sure now. Maybe. It depends on the circumstances, really.

QUESTION: But do you think that would be a good gesture. And if that phone rang and it was him on the phone, would you -- how would you feel about that?

LEVY: I'm not sure. We really want to hear from Chandra, someone who has her and -- it's -- I'm not sure what we could believe talking to him. It's just...

QUESTION: So you are not sure you could trust what he would say?

LEVY: I just don't know.

QUESTION: Dr. Levy, there is so much being reported about this story.

LEVY: Yes.

QUESTION: We can turn on the different talk shows throughout the day and through the evening, and this is what they are talking about. There are people who seem to be losing some faith about your daughter.

LEVY: Yes, I know.

QUESTION: How difficult is that for you and your family?

LEVY: Well, we keep the faith up -- you know, faith and prayer. And a lot of people are praying. And we home that we'll -- someone will see her and will find her alive. We've got to keep that up as long as possible, unless someone -- you know, unless we have other evidence.

QUESTION: According to the Washington, D.C. Police Department, some of the parks in the area where Chandra lives, they have stopped the searches there. What is your feelings about that?

LEVY: Well, I'm not sure that means too much, because in all the time that was taken to start looking there and doing other things, she could be out of Washington, D.C. -- could be far away. So I'm not sure that means anything.

QUESTION: How hard it -- at this point, it's been exactly three months...

LEVY: Yes.

QUESTION: ... for you to keep up your hope?

LEVY: Well, it's always been hard, but we still keep it up.

QUESTION: The chief of police in D.C. has said that even though the search for her is getting scaled back, they're saying that the investigation is far from coming to an end.

Is that reassuring to you?

LEVY: Yes. Yes, it is. Yes, it is, because they are still checking things out. So is the FBI. And we just ask everyone to keep their prayers going and their hopes. We appreciate it.

QUESTION: Your wife was telling us you get a lot of mail, that it's very nice and it's therapeutic for you when you receive it.

LEVY: Yes.

QUESTION: But she says you've also gotten some negative mail.

LEVY: Yes.

QUESTION: Does that stun you, that people would send you mail...

LEVY: No. There's all kinds of people out there. And people have their own ideas about things. And some of them are odd.

(CROSSTALK)

QUESTION: I mean, is there anything you can tell us that these people say?

LEVY: No, I don't really want to get into that.

QUESTION: How about on the positive side, though? What...

LEVY: Yes, it's all -- yes, a lot of good things, prayers and hopes and suggestions. So we'll just keep our hope up.

And thank you very much.

QUESTION: Thank you, Doctor.

HARRIS: And there we have been listening to the daily -- it's become almost a daily ritual -- the Levy family there speaking to the press in front of their home. You heard Dr. Levy there saying that even though the Washington, D.C. police have stopped their searches in the parks around Washington, they are not going to give up hope.

We'll continue to cover that story.

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