July 29, 1994 - Part 2
July 29, 1994 - Part 2
(12:35:48) That is the full summary of conclusions of Mr. Fiske and his panel and I thought they ought to be in the record at this point. Gentlemen, I understand that one of you has a statement to make at the outset. Mr. Monroe, you have a prepared statement so let us call on you first to make that comment and then when you've completed that, we'll go to questions by the Members. Mr. Monroe. Mr. MONROE. Thank you Mr. Chairman. Good afternoon, Senators. I am Special Agent Larry Monroe of the Federal Bureau of Investigation In March of this year, I was assigned to the Office of the Independent Counsel beaded by Robert Fiske, along with several other FBI agents, including special agent Bill Colombell, who is seated to my left. Our primary responsibility, at that time, was to investigate the circumstances surrounding the death of Deputy White House Counsel, Vincent W. Foster, Jr. At the outset of the investigation, we knew that in the early evening of July 20, 1993, Mr. Foster's body was found in Fort Marcy Park in Fairfax County, Virginia, Our investigation sought to answer three questions about his death. First, did Mr. Foster commit suicide or was he murdered? Second, if the death was a suicide, did it occur in Fort Marcy Park or had the body been moved? And third if Mr. Foster committed suicide, was it motivated in any way by concerns he may have bad about legal issues related to the Clintons' involvement in the Whitewater Development Company or Madison Guaranty Savings & Loan? We were instructed by Mr. Fiske and his legal staff to conduct a thorough and an aggressive investigation and to take all reasonable steps to resolve these questions, We are satisfied that we have done so. During the course of our investigation, approximately 125 people were interviewed, including Mr. Foster's close friends, family and the people that worked moist closely with him at the White House. These people provided valuable insight into Mr. Foster's state of mind in the weeks prior to his death. We also interviewed everyone known to have been in Fort Marcy Park on the afternoon or evening of Mr. Foster's death, including a confidential witness who first found the body members of the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department who of responded to the park, the Park Police investigators who conducted the investigation in the park, and the Fairfax County medical examiner who was present in the park. We also interviewed Dr. James Beyer who conducted the autopsy on Mr. Foster. In addition to these and other interviews, we analyzed physical and photographic evidence, a-, well as documentary evidence obtained from a number or sources, including the White 45 House. Experienced FBI laboratory technicians in the FBI laboratory here in Washington performed extensive analysis of the phys- evidence identified in this case, including the gun found in Mr. Foster's hand, his clothing, and a blood sample taken at the time of the autopsy. In addition, the FBI lab performed extensive analysis of the Park Police photographs taken of Mr. Foster's body in Fort Marcy Park and during the autopsy. The lab results are contained in reports attached to the Independent Counsel's report issued on June 30, 1994. A four-member panel of experienced and respected forensic pathologists reviewed the -results of our investigation. One member of this panel is Dr. Charles Hirsch, who is seated to my immediate right. Dr. Hirsch is the chief medical examiner for the city of New York and chairman of the Department of Forensic Medicine at New York University Medical School. Also joining Dr. Hirsch on the panel were Dr. James Luke who is a forensic pathology consultant at the FBI Academy and a project director of the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology. Dr. Donald Ray, who since 1975, has served as the chief medical examiner for King County, Seattle, Washington and who was a professor of Pa thology at the University of Washington, And Dr. Charles Stahl 1, who is a distinguished scientist and armed forces medical examiner at the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology.