Published in The Post-Star Aug. 20, 2002
Dominick Dunne dishes dirt in local talk
By STACEY MORRIS
MANCHESTER, Vt. -- If the expression "like attracts like" has any truth to it, it was demonstrated Friday evening at the Southern Vermont Arts Center as hundreds of impeccably attired men and women filed into the center's auditorium to hear Dominick Dunne, the well-heeled investigative reporter and Vanity Fair special correspondent talk about his latest adventures in his quest for justice.
"I've never heard him speak here before," said a perfectly coifed Linda Hoff, who lives in Vermont during summer months. "I'm here because of his notoriety and I love his Vanity Fair column."
As he's done for the past three years, Dunne spoke for nearly 90 minutes to an enthralled audience about everything from the upcoming sentencing of Michael Skakel for the 1975 murder of Martha Moxley to the nation's current scourge of corporate greed and child abductions.
"There's been a spate of kidnappings and pedophilia in my own church and every day we learn more about the guys that get their 80 million and the people who work for them lose their savings.
"All of this was going on before 9/11, but now it's at the forefront," he said. "There's this incredible moral decay."
Dunne, who lives in New York City and travels frequently, said in the months following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on our country, he couldn't help but notice a pervading anxiety in the air.
"It has changed everyone. I still feel this anxiety that began on 9/11. It's not just that we've realized our own vulnerability but there's the fear of more terrorism. The anxiety at airports is incredible."
Dunne also delighted the audience with his dryly humorous commentary on everything from O.J. Simpson and his "Dream Team" to current politics.
"Are we going to war with Iraq? And where is our mysterious vice president?" he said, leaning one elbow quizzically on his lectern. "He's in some bunker and sticks his head out every now and then."
Dunne's juiciest story came midway through the evening when he relayed to the audience a lead he received on the Chandra Levy case several months ago.
It all began with a phone call from a horse whisperer who had connections to Washington, D.C. via the Arab-equestrian world.
Originally from the United States, the horse whisperer had spent more than half his life in the Middle East where he worked with horses of sheiks and sultans.
Through a colleague, the horse whisperer learned that Gary Condit had been present at some social gatherings at the Arab embassy in Washington.
"This colleague was responsible for providing 'entertainment' for some of the men's ... nocturnal habits," explained Dunne
At one of the gatherings, Condit had confided that he was trying to break off an affair with a young woman who had grown clingy.
"She is driving me crazy," Dunne said was the sentence Condit relayed.
"Condit knew those words would be enough. It would be taken care of and he wouldn't know any details and he could pass a lie detector test."
Dunne doesn't believe that Levy was killed at the D.C. park where her remains were found. Although he had his doubts about the truth of the Horse Whisperer's claims, Dunne felt he had no choice but to go to the FBI.
"He begged me not to, he said I will be murdered," said Dunne.
When the FBI began investigating Dunne's tip on the horse whisperer, Dunne said his once eager source cut off all communication and began to change his story.
"To this day, I still have no idea what his motive was for approaching me with that information," said Dunne, shaking his head. " Was it to throw me off of the theory that Chandra Levy disappeared through a motorcycle gang (that Condit was known to associate with)?"
Dunne also commented on Michael Skakel's sentencing, scheduled for Aug. 28.
"This family once had a great fortune, bigger than the Kennedys," he said. "Since his conviction a letter from the Skakels was sent out to friends asking for money to fund the appeal. Either their fortune's gone or they don't want to put out any more money for Michael."
And then there were the inevitable queries from the audience on O.J.
When a man in the audience asked Dunne if he had seen Simpson since the trial, Dunne didn't miss a beat.
"O.J. and I don't keep in touch," he said dryly.
And although no Christmas cards are exchanged between the two men, Dunne did offer a prediction.
"There have been too many instances with him -- the road rage, the drugs, the girlfriend over-dosing," he said. "I predict that he'll end up in jail again. O.J. Simpson doesn't have the sense to go underground and live quietly. He's playing with fire."