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Breaking News

Police Call Off Woodland Search for Chandra Levy

Aired July 31, 2001 - 13:33   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.
LOU WATERS, CNN ANCHOR: There's another new development in the Chandra Levy case.

Bob Franken checks in from Washington -- Bob.

BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Lou, the Washington, D.C., are about to announce that the search of the woodland acres around Washington -- thousands of acres -- that has been going on for two weeks plus the first two days of this week this morning, about 2 1/2 hours ago, at about 11:00 a.m. Eastern, was finished. The officers -- really recruits from the police academies here -- have spent the last two weeks plus looking in the wooded areas, looking for evidence of foul play with Chandra Levy.

The police say that the search is over for now. There have been any number of conversations with police officials who say that when this search was over, that would sort of mark a scaling back of the investigation. The search was concluded at 11:00 a.m. Eastern this morning. Again, the emphasis will be on the term "for now," meaning, of course, that if there is some evidence, that they need to look somewhere to retrace their steps, they could return.

As evidence that the investigation, however, continues, FBI investigators and Washington, D.C. police investigators, just a short while ago, interviewed a keymaker at a hardware store in downtown Washington, who claimed to reporters that he had seen Chandra Levy after April 30, the last time police were aware that anybody had seen her. The detectives now are analyzing what it is he had to say, to see if they can give much credence to it -- Lou.

WATERS: We have the Levy's out every day -- shortly past lunchtime here on the East Coast -- keeping this story alive. Is there any evidence that they're being effective in this regard?

FRANKEN: Of course, they have all along tried to keep the intensity of the interest high, and of course, that's what brought in Congressman Gary Condit, who finally admitted to police investigators, according to sources, that he had had a romantic relationship with Chandra Levy. The Levy's talked about that today. Susan Levy, Chandra Levy's mother, said that she had a conversation about that with her daughter. Are they going to be able to keep the momentum going, to keep this as highly in the public eye as it has been?

There are some people who believe that things are beginning to dwindle a bit, but we've believed that before, only to have the investigation really flame up again and demand high public interest.

WATERS: Bob Franken will be there whenever we need him -- reporting from Washington.

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