During the summer of 2001, then-representative Gary Condit was embroiled in a scandal about the whereabouts of Chandra Levy. Chandra Levy was a 24-year-old from California who had gone to live in Washington D.C. as part of an internship with the Federal Bureau of Prisons. She was to return to California to participate in her graduation from the University of Southern California She did not return, which alarmed her family.
During her time in D.C., she made acquaintance with Gary Condit, who was a seven-term representative and had, at that point, compiled a 28-year history in public service. Immediately upon Chandra’s disappearance, her relationship with Condit, almost certainly believed to be a sexual one, was thrust into the spotlight. The media and others speculated why Condit would want to kill Chandra Levy. The ensuing events are head scratchers and suggest impropriety with respect to the Chandra Levy case.
Police Search
Initially, a police search was set to comb Rock Creek Park, a large, urban park in Washington, D.C. where Chandra was last seen and frequented. For some reason, the police search team was ordered to only search within 100 feet of the official path. That search was fruitless.
Chandra’s apartment contained a laptop that was seized by police. When police obtained the laptop, it was handled by an officer not trained in computer data capture. The officer made mistakes causing the loss of data on the computer. It is unclear why the officer, who was not trained in this type of exercise, handled the evidence and why he did not just take the laptop and bring it to the computer IT department of the Capitol Police.
Chandra Levy’s remains were discovered a year later in Rock Creek Park, a little more than 100 feet from the official path.
This, amongst others, were improprieties of the case. This fueled and continues to fuel speculation that the government purposely obstructed the investigation to deflect blame from a Congressman.
Admission?
Gary Condit, though indirectly, strongly hinted that he was having an affair with Chandra Levy. In an interview with 20/20, he was asked whether that was the case. He did not answer directly but stated that he has made mistakes with respect to his marriage.
Based on the improprieties of the case and Condit’s de facto admission, there was much suspicion that he was the killer. It seemed that the government was protecting Condit.
Ingmar Guandique
In a bizarre turn of events, Ingmar Guandique ended up serving prison time for Chandra Levy’s murder. Guandique is an undocumented immigrant from El Salvador, who, according to a jailhouse informant, bragged that he killed Chandra Levy. He served five years in prison until that was overturned when the witness was discredited.
This still raises the question of whether Condit was the killer and the government planted Guandique as the fall guy.
Aftermath
The Chandra Levy case has not been solved. Questions remain about what happened to her and why all the strange twists. Government cover up? Did Gary Condit really kill her?
Despite all the twists, there is no evidence convicting Gary Condit. Just because he had an affair with her does not mean that he killed her. One does not logically lead to the other. Is Gary Condit guilty of bad judgment? Yes. Murder? Nothing suggests as such in any way.
Accused of a crime? Contact the criminal defense firm of Christopher Abel
(image courtesy of James Pond)