Police Frustrated in Search for Chandra Levy
NATALIE ALLEN. CNN ANCHOR: First, the search for Chandra Levy. In an extensive press briefing you may have seen live here on CNN, Washington's police chief said detectives have questioned 99 people in addition to California Congressman Gary Condit. The Condit factor, says the chief, is a complication, and Levy's whereabouts still a total mystery. Among those interviewed both by the FBI and CNN is Condit's former driver. And CNN's Bob Franken joins us now from Washington with all the latest news on this one -- Bob?</s>BOB FRANKEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Natalie, they say that some of the people they've questioned are of more interest to them than Congressman Gary Condit. But of course, it is Condit who has been the focus of this in the media at least. Condit, who has been linked romantically, repeatedly with the 24 year-old former Washington intern, Chandra Levy. She was not an intern for Congressman Condit. She was an intern for the Bureau of Prisons. But as I said, been linked romantically with Congressman Condit. That has been denied repeatedly. The police chief, Charles Ramsey, appeared on local radio station this morning and then held a news conference outside that radio station to talk to reporters about this case that has gotten so celebrated, particularly because of the questions about the relationship with Congressman Condit. And as this has spread, to questions about other relationships the Congressman may or may not have had. For instance, one with a flight attendant who has come forward and said that she had romantic relationship. All of this has become very frustrating for the police chief.</s>CHARLES RAMSEY: It's a heck of a leap, in my opinion, to move from a relationship that one may or may not have had with someone else to a disappearance of specific person. I'm not trying to find a flight attendant. I'm trying to find Chandra Levy -- two different people. And I just can't go in there and try -- we're not the sex police here. We're trying to investigate a missing person.</s>FRANKEN: Nevertheless, police and FBI agents have interviewed some of the people who have been linked romantically with Congressman Condit. They explain that they're trying to get come clues, for instance, on how the Congressman might treat people with whom he has a relationship, and whether that might have contributed to a state of mind of Chandra Levy. Now, one of those who has been interviewed by the FBI is a fellow named Vince Flammini, who lives in California. He worked for about 10 years as the driver and person who did a bunch of stunt work, as somebody described it, for Congressman Condit. Flammini says that he in fact had personal knowledge that Congressman Condit knew the flight attendant, Anne Marie Smith, and says that he did talk to the FBI. The FBI confirms that there was an interview, gives no details about what was contained in that interview, but here's Flammini's version.</s>VINCE FLAMMINI, CONDIT'S FORMER DRIVER: I even told the FBI that. I said - they asked me, "What do you think happened to Chandra? Did Gary kill her?" I said, "No, Gary wouldn't kill her," I said, "not in a million years." But I says, "He would drive her to the brink of making her think that he loved her so much that she couldn't handle it." She might have been weaker than people think.</s>FRANKEN: It is extremely important to point out here that the police say that do not consider Congressman Condit a suspect in this case. They say that there's no evidence of foul play, that he is just somebody of course that they're interested in because he clearly knew Chandra Levy. It should also be pointed out that the Congressman let Flammini go from his job about nine months ago. While Flammini denies that there's any revenge factor, he does say that what he is hoping to do is to help locate Chandra Levy. And we should remember as this story spreads by - like top seed, that the final things to remember is this, this is about an investigation into the disappearance of a 24-year-old woman, Chandra Levy. She disappeared nine weeks ago. Nobody knows yet where she is -- Natalie?</s>ALLEN: All right. As far as the career of Mr. Condit, if this case goes on and on, Bob, and no suspect is named, it continues a missing person, considering that Condit did cancel appearances yesterday, has his office suggested whether he plans to -- just to continue on as usual in his role?</s>FRANKEN: His office has not suggested anything otherwise. Obviously it was a departure from his tradition to miss those parades. There have been a variety of explanations for that, that he was worried it would be a distraction and that he had conflict that came up. So obviously, this is not routine, but his office continues to say nothing about his making any sort of public statement, that is to say, a televised statement. There have been some that have come out on paper, printed statements, but nothing on television. His office says that as much as possible, he's going to continue to do his duties as he has.</s>ALLEN: All right. Bob Franken on the case in Washington. TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com