Chandra Levy Case Reopened; Judge Holds Hearings Behind Closed Doors

By Sami K. Martin , Christian Post Contributor

January 25, 2013|10:55 am

It's been 10 years since Chandra Levy's body was found disposed of in a Washington park. Now the murder case has been reopened, with new information being presented to Superior Court Judge Gerald Fisher behind closed doors.

Ingmar Guandique, the man convicted in 2010 of murdering Levy, has been summoned to Fisher's courtroom for a hearing on Feb. 7. It's unknown exactly what the new information discovered by defense attorneys is, but according to USA Today, it "could undercut the testimony of a prosecution witness."

Defense attorneys for Guandique and prosecutors have already met twice behind closed doors and will now present their information to Judge Fisher in February. USA Today's parent company has asked that all records in the Levy case be unsealed under the First Amendment so that more information will be made public.

Levy's disappearance in 2001 caused a national sensation. She worked for congressman Gary Condit of California at the time, making her a public figure. Rumors surfaced that the two were involved in an affair and that Condit had something to do with her disappearance, which he adamantly denied. He was never formally charged with her disappearance and quietly left politics after losing his second campaign.

Police arrested Guandique and, in 2010, he was found guilty of her murder even though prosecutors had no physical evidence linking him to Levy. Their argument, then, was that evidence had been destroyed and Levy's attack matched a pattern of other attacks committed by Guandique.

Prosecutors also relied on testimony provided by Guandique's inmate, who claimed that he admitted to killing Levy. Guandique was then sentenced to 60 years behind bars, which he is currently serving.

The case's reopening has not even brought new news to Levy's parents; they have not been briefed on the latest information.

Guandique is a "convicted rapist and an illegal alien, but if he's innocent of murder, he shouldn't be in jail for it," Levy's father, Robert, told KGO-TV in San Francisco.

"Our concern is that we are without our daughter. We hope they don't let a rapist and murderer out because of some technicality," Robert told USA Today.