FBI dismisses Internet tip about intern's body

WASHINGTON--The FBI on Thursday discounted an anonymous tip to anInternet site alleging that Chandra Levy's body was buried under aparking lot near a Virginia military base 130 miles south ofWashington.

The FBI investigated the tip that alleged the missing intern wasburied near Fort Lee, an Army training base south of Richmond, saidMary Johlie, an FBI spokeswoman in Richmond.

"The FBI, in concert with Fort Lee officials, have determined thatthere is no site on or around the Fort Lee military base thatcorresponds with information provided in the anonymous tip," Johliesaid in a statement.

Police who have investigated Levy's disappearance in Washingtonhad asked authorities at Fort Lee to search the site, but the FBIannounced late Wednesday there no search would be conducted until thetip was investigated.

Police said the tip, which came from a California crime tip Website, was just one of hundreds of leads being pursued since Levydisappeared three months ago.

Terry Gainer, Washington's No. 2 police official, said policerequested the search after some information in the tip about thepurported location of Levy's body--a parking lot--and a descriptionof construction in the area checked out.

"We called down there and confirmed obviously that there's a FortLee, Va., that there's construction and there's a parking lot,"Gainer said.

"This is a little better than a tip like, 'I had vision last nightshe is in dark water,"' he said. "There is more specificity. And itis geographically accurate. But that is not necessarily unusual."

Fort Lee is a 5,000-acre Army training base about 30 miles southof Richmond.

Levy, 24, of Modesto, Calif., came to Washington last year for aninternship at the federal Bureau of Prisons and was last seen April30.

Police have interviewed Rep. Gary Condit (D-Calif.) four times.Condit, who is married, acknowledged in his third police interviewthat he had an affair with Levy, according to a police source. Policesay he is not a suspect in her disappearance.

Washington police Sgt. Joe Gentile said WeTip, a Californiaorganization that accepts crime tips and passes them on toauthorities, faxed the anonymous tip Tuesday night.