Investigator Discusses Letter, Clue in Search for Girl Missing Since 1984
LOU WATERS, CNN ANCHOR: While much of the country focuses on the missing person case of Chandra Levy, in Washington, D.C. -- a case that's gone on for almost three months -- investigators in Florida are hoping for a break in a missing person case that dates back 17 years. Fifteen-year-old Colleen Orsborn disappeared in 1984. No body ever was found. Recently, the girl's family received an anonymous letter from a writer who claimed to be the child's killer. The envelope carried a Manchester, New Hampshire, postmark. The letter begged forgiveness and gave a location in Daytona Beach where the girl's body allegedly was dumped. An investigator for the Volusia County Sheriff's Department, in Florida, Steven White, is on the phone from Daytona Beach. Inspector, thanks for joining us. First of all, what do you make of this letter that was received back in February?</s>STEVEN WHITE, VOLUSIA COUNTY, FLORIDA, SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT: I'm giving it full credit. I believe that the man or woman who wrote the letter had some information about the family and the victim.</s>WATERS: Do you believe that the person who wrote the letter is the killer?</s>WHITE: I would have to say yes, at this point. We're assuming right now that everything in the letter is true, and the person who wrote it did what he say or she said. We're just acting as if it is a true lead, and we're going to treat it as a homicide until we know different.</s>WATERS: We have the information that in the letter it was revealed where Colleen's body was. I assume that that didn't get you anywhere?</s>WHITE: The problem with the information is that it was so vague it was hard to find a starting point or good reference location. The river itself is eight miles long in a heavily-wooded and dense area. Without a specific starting point to narrow it down, the search would go on forever, without any results.</s>WATERS: Have you established a Florida-New Hampshire connection, why this letter would be coming from there?</s>WHITE: We are just assuming, at this point, that the person who composed the letter is currently in New Hampshire.</s>WATERS: And the New Hampshire authorities, as I understand it, said the letter gave them some clues. What clues are they talking about?</s>WHITE: The clues they are looking at at this point were that it was someone who has probably had a change of life either through a treatment program or religious, and they were looking towards organizations and programs that dealt with changing live style.</s>WATERS: You are referring to alcoholics and Alcoholic Anonymous, the 12-step program.</s>WHITE: Not specifically. Some people have made mention because the man wants to make amends. But it could be he found religion.</s>WATERS: But something like that may be going on.</s>WHITE: Something may be going on like that. That's a distinct possibility.</s>WATERS: Has it crossed your mind that this could be a hoax. We understand you had another suspect at the time, a man named Christopher Wilder -- that this man perhaps may have been a friend of Wilder and picked up some information that he is now throwing at you?</s>WHITE: It's always a possibility, but until we confirm that it is a hoax, we are treating it as real.</s>WATERS: I understand you're also appealing to the letter writer to give you some more information. How are you appealing to the person?</s>WHITE: In conjunction with the family, a letter was written appealing to him to help the family with closure and to find a specific location where we can recover Colleen's body so that the family has closure.</s>WATERS: If the letter writer should be watching CNN right now, what message do you have for him or her?</s>WHITE: The family appreciates the efforts made; however, they are just not complete enough. We need a specific location to recover their sister.</s>WATERS: Steven White, we thank you so much -- Volusia County Sheriff's Department lead investigator in the Colleen Orsborn story. TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com