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Tuesday, July 17, 2001

Levy's laptop computer appears to have been used May 1 to download a map that covers part of Rock Creek Park. She has not been seen since she canceled her gym membership on April 30 as she prepared to return home to California for a college graduation. She apparently sent an e-mail to her parents from the same computer on May 1, and disappeared shortly thereafter.

After a search of abandoned buildings last week, police decided to scour a section of the park, which stretches nearly 3,000 acres throughout most of northwest Washington and comes within a few blocks of Levy's apartment building in the Dupont Circle neighborhood. The part covered on Monday's search, surrounding a prominent mansion, is about two miles from Levy's apartment.

Police appear to be concentrating on a search for physical evidence in trying to solve the mystery. Last week they searched the apartment of Levy's friend, U.S. Rep. Gary Condit, D-Calif. The married Condit, who has been interviewed three times by police about the events prior to the disappearance, reportedly admitted during his most recent police interrogation that he had a romantic affair with Levy.

Metropolitan Police Department officials, including Police Chief Charles Ramsey, have implied that the 53-year-old congressman has been reluctant to provide information about Levy and their relationship. Police officials had also requested that Condit agree to a polygraph examination.

Condit's attorney Abbe Lowell on Friday told reporters that the congressman had undergone a privately administered polygraph test, which Lowell said showed his innocence in Levy's disappearance.

But Ramsey and Levy family attorney Billy Martin questioned the legitimacy of the exam and renewed calls for Condit to take a lie detector test given by police.

First Slick Willie, Now 'Slick' Gary

Martin, speaking Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press," described Condit's move to take a private lie detector test under mounting public pressure as "slippery, slick."

"I think he's acting like he has something to hide," Martin said.

Ramsey said investigators would continue to press Condit to take a police-administered polygraph but remained pessimistic.

"I think that's a waste of time, quite frankly," Ramsey said. "We'll just have to move on."

Ramsey said some areas he's "very interested in" include whether Levy, perhaps through Condit, was close to someone else who might have been involved in her disappearance, more information about Condit and Levy's relationship and "hammering down" the timeline of events surrounding April 30.

When Levy first was reported missing, Condit said he and Levy had a platonic friendship in public statements and two police interviews. He said she was a "good friend."

The Levy family has publicly questioned Condit's conduct during the investigation, saying he impeded the search for their missing daughter by not fully disclosing the nature of his relationship with her.

Police say they still hope to find Levy alive.

Investigators have been analyzing material that police and FBI personnel removed from Condit's apartment last Tuesday night, when the congressman allowed them to search his apartment without a warrant. Investigators were looking for "signs of a struggle, other types of evidence, blood, skin or tissue – things of that nature that could point to something happening that was unusual and that might all point toward foul play," Ramsey said at the time.

Police took several samples for analysis. No computer was found in the apartment.

On Wednesday, representatives of the U.S. attorney's office questioned Anne Marie Smith, a United Airlines flight attendant, about a 10-month affair she claims she had with Condit. Smith met twice Wednesday with officials at the FBI field office in Washington.

Police sources have said they also have asked three other men to take lie detector tests but did not disclose who they were and how they were connected to Levy's disappearance.

Copyright 2001 by United Press International. All rights reserved.

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