CHANDRA KILLING NOT A RANDOM ATTACK: D.C. DETECTIVES

NY Post ^ | May 26, 2002 | NILES LATHEM and ANDY GELLER

[SarahW]

WEll, she could have been bound with the leggings, and strangled with a rope garrotte.

[hoosiermama]

If you haven't found in yet:
http://www.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0108/02/lkl.00.html

[hoosiermama]

Is this our VInce? Found in google search?

The Gary Condit saga is gearing up to run at full speed. A "business partner" of Gary Condit's bodyguard/driver, Vince Flamini, has contacted FOX News and divulged that after racking up thousands upon thousands of dollars of debt on a video distribution business he received death threats from Vince Flamini, who he says was thrown out of the Chicago mafia for running his own prostitution ring himself and not including his bosses in on the action. The bodyguard may be seeking out attention by doing news interviews to protect himself from a hit attempt by a Chicago "crew", thinking that the fame and publicity will help him.

[Pegita]

Thanks for the Condit no show report, fxrdeb ... I assume the hometown newspapers are on the Condit Watch, also, especially this Tuesday.

[Pegita]

Congressman John Kasich (R) Ohio, elected in 1982, announced his retirement in 1999. He briefly considered a run for President. I don't have the information on the one from Florida .. anyone else?

[hoosiermama]

More on the body guard

Condit’s former longtime aide, Vince Flammini, taught the congressman to ride and introduced him to Hells Angels’ leaders, investigators said.

Really nice guy?????

[Howlin]

oh, lord......that's not very heartening, is it?????

[alloysteel]

Chandra Killing Not a Random Act.

Another news flash.

The Sun Rises in the East.

[MozarkDawg]

... one from Ohio, who both suddenly retired last election? Were they still chumming with Condit when this happened or had they already taken their leave?

Kasich didn't *suddenly retire* last session, he announced he'd retire his seat to run for president, then gave it up when Bush was GOP shoo-in.

He appeared on the FOX channel several times when the "Where's Chandra" story hit, not one word about his friend, support or sorrow. I read a newspaper piece some time ago wherein the reporter was asking him questions on several topics ... when Kasich was asked about his friend Gary, he replied, "No comment," and immediately changed the subject.

He still does a weekend spot on FOX from time to time, stories, not live interviews. I wonder when/if someone will ever ask him if his friendship with Condit continues, or will he pull his, "It's hard to maintain friendships when you're no longer in Congress" line.

[MozarkDawg]

I don't have the information on the one from Florida .. anyone else?

Was that Joe Scarborough? If so, he did suddenly retire, claimed the typical, "I want to spend more time with my family" that these guys use -- he does have young children, so he may very well have been stating truth. But his retirement came as a surprise to me, and it was announced when we were smack dab in the middle of the Chandra-missing story. I have no idea what he's up to now.

[hoosiermama]

Once upon a time, the phrase "investigative reporter" actually meant something. It usually involved hard work, possibly even mentation. Now, it seems, they just make stuff up. Especially on the Fox News Channel, where an uninitiated viewer could easily think she/he had tuned in Comedy Central. It's "Chandra-Chandra-Chandra" with the occasional "Condit is just like Clinton" thrown in. Given our media's 24/7 obsession with the Gary Condit "scandal", you might assume that there is a real dearth of hard news to pursue.
In reality, there is indeed a news story percolating out there. The story bears remarkable and ironic similarities to the Condit/Levy story. Both involve Congressmen, rumors of infidelity, and the fate of a younger female subordinate. The details are so similar as to remind one of two alternate universes. The difference between the two stories? First, in the Klausutis case as not in the Levy case, there is a real body, very dead. Second, the Klausutis case involves a Republican.
The story had a brief flutter in the Northwest Florida press, which ran a few very short stories on Lori's death. With the exception of the Northwest Florida Journal, they were of the "Aw-what-a-shame/ nothing-to-see-here-move-along-now-folks" variety. But nationally, this mysterious death earned a mere one paragraph mention in The Washington Post's NATION IN BRIEF column: "FORT WALTON BEACH, FLa. - Lori Klausutis, a 28-year-old office worker for Rep. Joe Scarborough (R-Fl), was found dead in the congressman's district office. Police said preliminary findings from the medical examiner's office showed no foul play or any outward indication of suicide."
Unbelievably, that was it. The story was simply dropped. A young female employee of one of Florida's Congressmen had died unexpectedly in the Congressman's office. There were no witnesses to her death and the cause of death was not apparent. Klausutis' boss, Joe Scarborough had recently resigned from Congress prematurely and unexpectedly, amid rumors about his marital fidelity and soon after a divorce. He had also abruptly resigned as publisher of the Independent Florida Sun, claiming that resigning from Congress and as publisher was necessary to spend more time with his sons.
Such circumstances make one pause. Sick to death of the clear bias of the corporate owned media, and suspicious of the odd nature of this death, we began to dig for answers. The more information we discovered, the more unlikely, and the more newsworthy the story became.
Here are the facts. Lori Klausutis had a seemingly happy life. A devoted husband who listed on his online homepage "being married to Lori" as one of the honors he enjoyed, a new home in Niceville and a Catholic congregation where she was a cantor and in whose choir she sang, were some of the elements of the Good Life she enjoyed. Her husband, Dr. Timothy Klausutis, did research and development for the munitions group at nearby Eglin Air Force Base, where he presumably made a good livelihood. Although Lori hailed from the Atlanta, Georgia area where she had attended school, there were numerous family members in the area. According to her obituary in the Fort Walton Daily News, Lori had served as President and, later, Treasurer, for the Emerald Coast Young Republicans and as a aide to Congressman Scarborough, she was active during the Florida recounts. A former neighbor, Barbara Cromer, said "Every morning, I would see her run while I walked. We'd wave to each other as we passed. I loved Lori so much. She was wonderful. She was a kind, generous person, so sweet.

[hoosiermama]

Then, on Friday, July 20th, the body of Lori Klausutis, 28, was found slumped next to a desk on the floor of Florida Republican Congressman Joe Scarborough's Fort Walton Beach office where Lori had served as a constituent services coordinator since May, 1999. Her body was found around 8:00 a.m. on Friday morning by a couple arriving for an appointment. She had been dead for some time. A second employee, who would have normally arrived for work at around the same time, was away on vacation. Police cordoned off the area for investigation, later announcing that there was no reason to suspect foul play, nor were there signs of suicide.
Scarborough's office released a statement several hours after the discovery: "My staff and family are greatly saddened by the loss of Lori Klausutis. I know Lori will be missed by the thousands of citizens who regularly contact my office to seek assistance with a variety of problems. May God grant Lori's family the grace, comfort and hope that will get them through this difficult time."
The Congressman returned to Florida that same day, and his office was quick to point out that it was not unusual for him to fly home for the weekend. There was a great deal of ambiguity over whether Lori had suffered past medical problems. Scarborough's press secretary, Miguel Serrano, made mention of health problems in Lori's past, but could not be more specific. In response, Fort Walton Beach Police Chief Steve Hogue is quoted as saying "That's part of our investigation, checking into her medical history." Associate Medical Examiner Dr. Michael Berkland said "She had a past medical history that was significant, but it remains to be seen whether that played a role in her death". Soon after a member of the immediate family rejected out of hand that Lori had any significant medical problems. She was, in fact, quite an athlete, having recently run an 8K with a very respectable time and she belonged to the Northwest Florida Track Club.
The results of the mandated autopsy, however, were deemed "inconclusive" by Dr. Berkland, who ordered more specific toxicology tests. These results were expected by the middle of the following week, around the first or second day of August. Dr. Berkland commented at the time "This turns over several puzzle pieces in the case of her death and reveals more of the picture". Welcome to the Wheel of Fortune.
Michael Berkland, it turns out, has a very interesting background himself. Recently relocated to Florida, it is a matter of public record that Dr. Berkland's medical license in the state of Missouri was revoked in 1998 as a result of Berkland reporting false information regarding brain tissue samples in a 1996 autopsy report. Berkland does not deny the charges. It's also a matter of public record that he was suspended from his position as Medical Examiner in the State of Florida in July, 1999. Quincy, he's not.
Repeated requests to Dr. Stephen Nelson, Chairman of the Medical Examiners Commission, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, have failed to verify that Dr. Berkland's suspension was lifted and that his licensure and disciplinary record are clear at the present time. Dr. Nelson was appointed Chairman of the Commission by Governor Jeb Bush.
As for Lori Klausutis, rumors began to swirl as time passed with no resolution to the case, rumors that included whispers of suicide, some emanating from inside the Beltway. Family members, angered at what they considered unfair and exploitive coverage wrote the editor of the Northwest Florida Daily News, Ralph Routon, saying "For those who knew Lori, the thought of suicide, as your published reports suggested, is absolutely unthinkable. Suicide was contrary to her faith and being. She did not suffer from seizures, nor did she have a history of medical problems." Meanwhile, the final report has been issued that Lori died as a result of a blow to the head because an undiagnosed heart condition caused her to collapse and fall, hitting her head on the desk.
The initial reports from the Medical Examiner's office denied any trauma to the body that would indicate cause of death. But Berkland acknowledged on Monday, August 6th, that Lori had sustained a "scratch and a bruise" on her head and that his original denials were to prevent undue speculation about the cause of death. "The last thing we wanted was 40 questions about a head injury", he said. And so, what we have here is the death of a healthy young woman who died of a blow to the head and a lie from the Medical Director's office about this blow which was quite obvious to the naked eye. They then had to go search for some reason why she might have "fallen" and hit her head. And they have found an "undiagnosed cardiac arrhythmia". But a number of questions remain to be answered, and we have requested opinions from Dr. Nelson, the Chairman of the Medical Examiners Commission.

[MozarkDawg]

Unbelievably, that was it. The story was simply dropped. A young female employee of one of Florida's Congressmen had died unexpectedly in the Congressman's office. There were no witnesses to her death and the cause of death was not apparent. Klausutis' boss, Joe Scarborough had recently resigned from Congress prematurely and unexpectedly, amid rumors about his marital fidelity and soon after a divorce.

I also had completely forgotten this episode -- thank you very much for your post. I had only heard the story of this young lady from FR, never heard a TV broadcast at all. Now that you refresh my memory, yes, I did find it extremely suspicious, his *all-of-a-sudden* resignation right when this young lady dies.

So, the old adage "Birds of a feather" -- Condit and Scarborough?

[hoosiermama]

Yesterday, We posted a list of possible scenerios that happened to Chandra (5 total) plus (6) COndit. we eliminated all but one. That she was killed by a sociopath other than COndit. The post on Vince Flammini are ther simply to show the Condit surrounded himself with "sociopathic" problems.
BIRD OF A FEATHER DO stick together.
Makes me wonder is the afore mentioned gentlemen were those spoken of in the "Sex CLub"????One a congressman, the other congressman running for the presidency?

[ET(end tyranny)]

Wasn't there a connection between Chandra's appartment or manager and California? And the California connection had some sort of connection to Condit?

I vaguely remember this, but do not recall the exact connection. This is why I kind of brought it up earlier. I was wondering about the landord somehow being 'in' on things.

[ET(end tyranny)]

I also researched this story last night, this guy was sitting in jail when Levy came up missing. He was went on trial during the first 10 days of May 2001 and was found guilty. It is funny how the MSNBC article did not mention that this guy was caught and was sitting in jail when Levy came up missing. It should have never been put in the Levy report they did as it simply means nothing to the Levy case except the fact that other murders have taken place in the park. It just goes to show you that these reporters are not checking into the facts the write.

This is something tha I hope the Levy attorney's know!

[hoosiermama]

ET, Apparently these questions have been asked since last July. Found this on the "Where is Chandra>>>?SIght

Where oh where has the building manager/s gone? Can anyone please tell me the name of the building manager at Chandra apt. building? Allegedly she was a woman from California, managing the building in Washington. She was a former employee of Congress? I did read her name in one article in the news.
Anyone help me out? Then i guess she quit or was fired just when the investigation (of Chandra's disapperance)started. She refused both the landlord (lesser), Denis Edeline and the Levy's request to have Chandra checked on and the apt. searched? Where has this lady gone? She is allegedly known to Condit. Do i have the story straight?
The building manager and the security guards were well aware that Edeline,the Levy's and the police were concerned with Chandra's

Maybe she disappeared for her own safety?

[ET(end tyranny)]

Going to try a few searches on Denis Edeline, hoping to find the woman's name.

[ET(end tyranny)]

Maybe she disappeared because she was told to disappear.

[hoosiermama]

HERE'S MORE FROM THE MODBEE.COM SIGHT:

The investigators also checked out the door locks and eyehole that the security-conscious Levy was known to use religiously. Safety was important to Levy and to her parents, one of Levy's landlords said Tuesday, and this priority became apparent from the first time Levy saw the apartment.
"She really wanted (the apartment), but she first wanted her parents to see it, because they were concerned for her safety," recalled the landlord, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The landlords now live in the Bay Area, and once worked for former North Coast Rep. Doug Bosco. They had considerable fixing up to do once the Washington police had finished with the apartment after being called in to find Levy. The carpet had been yanked up; black fingerprint dust was everywhere and a carpenter was needed to repair some of the damage.

I think this is who the apartment was leased from (Dennis Ed.)NOT the manager of the building.