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Chandra Levy Murder: Charges Dropped On Appeal, Defendant To Be Released [Video]

By Patricia Ramirez
Published on: 12:55 PST, Jul 28, 2016

According to federal prosecutors, charges against the previously-convicted murderer of Chandra Levy are being dismissed. Levy disappeared when she was working in Washington D.C. as a government intern in May of 2001; her remains were found just over a year later in late May, 2002. Federal prosecutors claim that they simply cannot prove the case against previously-convicted murdered Ingmar Guandique any longer due to new developments in the case.

As CNN reports, public information officer Bill Miller, who works for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, announced that the “unforeseen developments” in the Chandra Levy Murder case were discovered in just the previous week. Miller declined to provide more information as to the nature of the recent developments.

Chandra Levy was last seen alive on May 1, 2001 in Washington D.C. At the time of her disappearance, 24-year-old Levy was employed by the Bureau of Prisons as an intern. Her disappearance became the stuff of national tabloid fodder when it was uncovered that she had a romantic link to married Democratic congressman Gary Condit.

Chandra Levy’s parents were among those that discovered her romantic connection to Condit, and between the time of her disappearance and the discovery of her remains in Rock Creek Park, the congressman was extensively investigated and questioned with regard to the then-missing Chandra Levy’s location.

A link between Gary Condit and the disappearance and murder of Chandra Levy was never proven, but many conspiracy theorists believed that Levy was “eliminated” to prevent exposure of her relationship with Condit.

Ultimately, Ingmar Guandique was tried and found guilty in 2010 of robbery and murder in the case of Chandra Levy. The evidence against him, his attorneys argued, was tenuous at best. The government’s key witness in the trial that resulted in a 60 year sentence for Guandique was, himself, a convicted felon. According to the government witness, Armando Morales, the defendant told him that he had killed Chandra Levy.

Following his 2010 murder and robbery convictions, the legal team for Ingmar Guandique appealed the conviction against him, citing shoddy evidence and an unreliable, untrustworthy witness. In May 2015, the then-convicted murderer was granted a retrial in the Chandra Levy murder case. Now, in the wake of today’s announcement from federal prosecutors in the case, no retrial will occur. Rather than retry the formerly-convicted murderer of Chandra Levy, he will be released to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

“Based on today’s court action, Ingmar Guandique will enter the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and be issued a notice to appear in immigration court. Due to his previous criminal convictions, he is considered a threat to public safety, and ICE intends to maintain him in custody.”

At the time that he was charged with the murder of Chandra Levy, the defendant was already incarcerated on a 10-year sentence for for attacking two women.

Not surprisingly, the news that the murder conviction in the Chandra Levy case has been tossed out has come as a terrible blow to the slain intern’s family. According to her mother, the grief is happening “all over again.”

“[I am] totally in a state of shock. I am sick to my stomach and am having trauma and grief all over again.”

Despite the release of the only person ever charged in the death of Chandra Levy, her parents are still holding out hope that someday, somebody will be held accountable for their daughter’s murder.

“We all want our truth. I want to make sure we find out the truth. My husband and I hope that justice is found for our family.”

Susan Levy, Chandra’s mother, wants to make sure that the government continues its investigation into the murder of Chandra Levy and that her family can eventually get some answers and closure.

[Photo by Getty Images Handout]

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