Friday, July 29, 2016

Ingmar Gaundique; (Chandra Levy case): Bulletin: 'Unforeseen developments': Political Blog The Daily Kos on ' truly bizarre turn in the much-publicized Chandra Levy murder case that dominated the news media fifteen years ago, in the summer of 2001...Chandra Levy's convicted killer may be released to El Salvador after prosecutors drop charges."...Washington Post story (link): " "No eyewitness, forensic evidence or medical cause of death linked Guandique to Levy’s death."


"In the midst of the amazing political events going on, there comes a truly bizarre turn in the much-publicized Chandra Levy murder case that dominated the news media fifteen years ago, in the summer of 2001. The storyline of a young intern involved with married California Congressman Gary Condit who disappeared in early summer was irresistible to the then-maturing cable news industry, and the print media followed suit.  We heard about little else all that summer, until the events of September 11 tore the story off the front pages for good. Chandra’s body was found almost a year later in Rock Creek Park, where she frequently went jogging.  A Salvadoran immigrant named Ingmar Gaundique was eventually charged with the crime, convicted and sentenced to life in prison. Now comes that news that all charges against Guandique have been dropped.  The prosecutors cited “recent unforeseen developments that were investigated over the past week” I can’t deny that I will be waiting with great curiosity to hear more about these “unforeseen developments." (Daily Kos); /ˈks/ is an American political blog that publishes news and opinions from a liberal point of view.[
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2016/7/28/1553777/-This-is-weird-Chandra-Levy-case-takes-a-bizarre-turn
 
For extensive  background on this case see  Wikipedia entry at the link below: "Chandra Ann Levy (April 14, 1977 – c. May 1, 2001) was an American intern at the Federal Bureau of Prisons in Washington, D.C., who disappeared in May 2001. She was presumed murdered after her skeletal remains were found in Rock Creek Park in May 2002. The case attracted attention from the American news media for years. The police investigation revealed she was having an affair with Congressman Gary Condit, a married Democrat then serving his fifth term representing California's 18th congressional district, and a senior member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. Condit was never named as a suspect by police and was eventually cleared of involvement. However, after a cloud of suspicion was raised by the intense media focus on the missing intern and the later revelation of the affair, he was not re-elected in 2002, with the Levy issue cited as a contributory factor. The circumstances surrounding Levy's death were unclear for eight years. On March 3, 2009, D.C. authorities obtained a warrant to arrest Ingmar Guandique, an illegal immigrant from El Salvador. He had been convicted of assaulting two other women in Rock Creek Park around the time of Levy's disappearance. Prosecutors alleged that Guandique had attacked and tied up Levy in a remote area of the park and left her to die of dehydration or exposure. In November 2010 Guandique was convicted of murdering Levy; he was sentenced in February 2011 to 60 years in prison. In June 2015, Guandique was granted a new trial and in March 2016, the date was set to October 11, 2016. On July 28, 2016, prosecutors announced that they would not proceed with the case against Guandique and would, instead, seek to have him deported.
 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chandra_Levy

See Washington Post story on the decision allowing Gaundique a retrial  at the link below: "No eyewitness, forensic evidence or medical cause of death linked Guandique to Levy’s death. Instead, prosecutors asked female joggers to testify about two previous attacks at knifepoint in Rock Creek Park, for which Guandique pleaded guilty in 2002 and was sentenced to 10 years in prison."
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/crime/retrial-in-chandra-levy-murder-case-scheduled-for-march/2015/06/12/4bb8a646-1126-11e5-a0dc-2b6f404ff5cf_story.html