August 7, 2008 Conn. family "certain" Rockefeller was once German student Play video

(Brad Puffer, NECN: Boston, MA) - Federal immigration authorities say they're looking into whether Clark Rockefeller was once a German exchange student in Connecticut. Members of one Berlin, Connecticut family say they're certain Rockefeller is the man they knew as German student Christian Gerhart Reiter.

Immigration officials confirmed Thursday they have joined the investigation into the background of Clark Rockefeller, who is jailed in Boston on charges he snatched his 7-year-old daughter Reigh last month in an elaborately planned kidnapping.

Steve Savio, 39, of Berlin said Thursday he is "100 percent certain" that Rockefeller is the same person who boarded with his family in 1980 under the name Christian Gerhart Reiter at age 17.

To see a complete NECN interview with Gwenn SavioCLICK HERE

Material from the Associated Press is included in this report.