Sep 13, 2009 11:08 pm US/Eastern
Police: Body Found Inside Yale Lab Building
Le's Wedding Was Scheduled For Sunday
NEW HAVEN, Conn. (CBS) ―
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Yale graduate student Annie Le in an undated photo (left) and surveillance of Le entering her research facility on the morning of her disappearance (right).
handout/AP
Police in Connecticut say they found what they believe is the body of a Yale University graduate student hidden inside the wall of a building where she was last seen five days ago.
New Haven Assistant Police Chief Peter Reichard says the body has not been identified as doctoral student Annie Le, who has been the focus of a massive police search since she vanished in the building on Tuesday.
Earlier Sunday, the FBI was searching a Connecticut landfill. Authorities said they were "following the trash" from the lab where the 24-year-old doctoral student was last seen.
Authorities also said Saturday they have seized items that may be connected to Le's disappearance. Police sources said bloody clothing has been found hidden in a ceiling in Le's laboratory building, but the FBI would not discuss the details, CBS station WCBS-TV reported.
"I'm not going to get into specifics. The items seized are being examined to determine if there is any association," said FBI spokeswoman Kim Mertz.
Le left her office Tuesday morning -- leaving behind her cell phone, purse and credit cards -- and walked four blocks to her lab. Surveillance footage shows her entering the building, but there is no footage of her exiting.
Some 75 surveillance cameras cover the complex. Officials said they do not believe any of the tapes had been tampered with.
When she didn't come home Tuesday night, her roommate called police.
"We don't know where she is. We don't know what happened to her," said Tom Conroy, Yale University spokesman.
More than 100 local, state and federal law enforcement personnel were involved in the investigation into Le's disappearance, said Yale spokesman Tom Conroy.
"They are going frame by frame, looking at every image," Conroy said.
They examined blueprints of the building to make sure no places were missed in their search, Conroy said. Investigators also were conducting interviews and examining Le's e-mails and her computer, Conroy said.
There continues to be no evidence of foul play, Conroy said.
"We want closure with this. We need to know that the security gaps are being filled," said Yale student Thayne Stoddard.
"Keep us informed. I think that's important to let the students know what is going on," said Yale student Savannah Kleinlein.
Le was set to marry Jonathan Widawsky on Sunday in Long Island, N.Y. Widawsky is a grad student at Columbia University. Police said he is not a suspect and is assisting with the investigation.
Investigators have not identified any suspects or persons of interest as they continue to question people who were with Le in the hours before she went missing.
Widawsky and Le's family made a plea that people respect their privacy at this difficult time.
"All of us as parents can only imagine what they are going through," a Yale University spokeswoman said.
On her Facebook page, Le wrote, "Lucky I'm in love with my best friend" and noted she was getting married on Sunday.
Yale has offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to Le's whereabouts.
(© 2010 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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