Nation IN BRIEF : WASHINGTON, D.C. : Investigation Urged in Reporter’s Death

A former U.S. attorney general called for a federal investigation into the death of an investigative reporter who had been looking at alleged Justice Department corruption. Joseph D. Casolaro, 44, of Fairfax, Va., was found dead Saturday in his Martinsburg, W.Va., hotel room, with his wrists slashed. Casolaro had warned friends and family that his investigation could threaten his life. The free-lance reporter had been working on a book about allegations that the Justice Department stole computer software from INSLAW Inc., a Washington company. “I want to see a full-scale, impartial investigation led by the Department of Justice,” former U.S. Atty. Gen. Elliot L. Richardson, who represents INSLAW, said from his Washington office.