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Police Move to Arrest Suspect in Chandra Levy Case
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ShareFebruary 21, 2009 12:51 AM
ABC News' Rhonda Schwartz, Imtiyaz Delawala and Pierre Thomas report:
Police investigating the 2001 “cold case” murder of Washington intern Chandra Levy plan to seek a warrant for the arrest of a convicted felon, currently serving jail time, who has emerged as the primary suspect in the Levy case.
The suspect, Ingmar Guandique, has been in jail since approximately July 2001 for two nonfatal attacks on women in the city's Rock Creek Park in Washington, D.C., where Levy's body was discovered in 2002.
Police hope to serve the warrant before Guandique is paroled.
Officially police are not commenting on the case, but a source inside the department told ABC News that D.C. metro Police Chief Cathy L. Lanier had contacted the Levy family to update them on developments.
"The Metropolitan Police Department has no information available for release in this ongoing investigation. This case generated numerous bits of information, which we continue to follow up on," police said in a statement.
Guandique attacked a woman two weeks after Chandra's disappearance in the middle of May 2001, and another in July. The women were jogging in Rock Creek Park when he "clotheslined" them and dragged them down a hill. There was a struggle, they escaped and he ultimately was caught and pleaded guilty.
Guandique is now serving a 10-year sentence at the U.S. Penitentiary-Victorville in Adelanto, Calif., and is eligible for parole in 2011. The FBI most likely wants to close the case before his parole date, Brad Garrett tells ABC News.
Guandique was the focus of the last three parts of a 12-part series on Levy's disappearance in the Washington Post metro section last year. He told the Post then that he had nothing to do with Levy's disappearance:
"Regarding the case of the girl, Chandra Levy: I don't know anything about that case. In 2001, the FBI went to see me when I was in the [D.C. jail]. That was when I learned about that girl," Guandique said. "Before that, I had never seen her and I don't understand the reason why the police started to suspect me. ... I have nothing to do with the death of that girl. I am innocent and I am not afraid of the police investigation."
After the Post series, D.C. and FBI cold-case squad detectives reexamined their evidence. The problem had always been a lack of conclusive physical evidence to tie Guandique to the murder.
February 21, 2009 | Permalink | User Comments (51)
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Wow... so then a serial killer may be the culprit and not GC? How scary. "Clotheslining?" Scarier still. I remember this story was all the rage (until 9/11/01). Although I had pegged GC. Wow how time flies...
Posted by: Tya | Feb 21, 2009 1:40:51 AM
If it is this man I hope they can solve the case before he is let loose from prison or he may disappear. For the family"s sake, closure would be welcome.
Posted by: Elna Hughes | Feb 21, 2009 2:36:31 AM
If it is this man I hope they can solve the case before he is let loose from prison or he may disappear. For the family"s sake, closure would be welcome.
Posted by: Elna Hughes | Feb 21, 2009 2:36:31 AM
This is the type of person you keep locked up forever. He's nothing but an animal.
Posted by: Jwench | Feb 21, 2009 6:28:05 AM
Was this guy ever given a polygraph test? Why has it taken so long to arrest him? "The problem had always been a lack of conclusive physical evidence to tie this suspect to the murder." What about his DNA? Surely he left some form of his personal DNA on this young woman? Am glad they are finally getting to solve this murder!
Posted by: ninaK | Feb 21, 2009 7:50:41 AM
eligable for parole? doesn't the parole board consider strong circumstancial evidence? I thought the board could deny parole based on several facters. you don't see charles manson, or Sirhan getting out, and they are eligable
Posted by: max | Feb 21, 2009 7:56:55 AM
One problem with the DNA was that Chandra was left in the woods for so long and the evidence had deterioated. They had a good suspect all this time and now that the suspect is approaching parole they suddenly come up with some evidence.If the police have evidence now, they had it then. DC police have been sitting on their behinds until now. Having lived in the DC area for many years, I know too well about DC police incompetence and if this were not a high profile case they wouldn't even bother. The police did not find Chandra's body, a citizen did that part of their job!
Posted by: AMR | Feb 21, 2009 8:17:48 AM
And so, I suppose all the papers and tv news outlets will start issuing apologies to Condit and start right away in helping him rebuild his life and reputation? Eh......probably not.
Posted by: JP | Feb 21, 2009 8:27:00 AM
No way, an illegal alien commiting a crime!
Posted by: No way | Feb 21, 2009 8:44:39 AM
Uhh, Condit's reputation was destroyed by the revelations of his affair with Chandra Levy, his lying about it, and his failure to cooperate with the investigation. All of that was quite enough on its own. No apologies necessary.
Posted by: DP | Feb 21, 2009 8:51:06 AM
I agree with you DP. And perhaps he has been pressuring the police to "find" someone so that gets him off the hook. If they hang it on this illegal, what do you want to bet that he makes the talks how circuit?
Posted by: julesverne | Feb 21, 2009 9:14:03 AM
What's also suspicious is how Gary Condit's name was left out of the article entirely. In 2001, you couldn't read an article anywhere about Chandra that DIDN'T mention Mr. Condit's name. And now that he's almost exonerated, his name is omitted. How convenient for these "so called" respectable media outlets. Mr Condit may have been a liar, but he is not a murderer. I hope some comment posters know the difference.
Posted by: AC Rikmus | Feb 21, 2009 9:24:55 AM
ninaK:" Surely he left some form of his personal DNA on this young woman?"
Real life isn't like CSI. If they had DNA, they would be thrilled.
Posted by: jhw539 | Feb 21, 2009 9:46:16 AM
Gary Condit was proven to be a real doofus and lowlife during the sad aftermath of the disappearance of Chandra Levy. Given the amount of high profile scandals oozing out of Congress since then, I would hope the American public has the good sense to know that he should have been sent packing, whether he had anything to do with her death or not. I feel sorry for her family; there is not such thing as closure here, but it may be that justice can be served.
Posted by: DSM | Feb 21, 2009 9:48:36 AM
julesverne:" And perhaps he has been pressuring the police to "find" someone so that gets him off the hook."
This comment is simply rumor mongering bordering on slander. Our police deserve a bit more respect. Condit's done as a politician - rightfully so - and it is HIGHLY unlikely he'd have any leverage with the FBI and police to convince them to corruptly purger themselves and frame this guy. As in many other cases, a newspaper did a bunch of legwork pulling together info prompting an official review.
Posted by: jhw539 | Feb 21, 2009 9:49:28 AM
I highly doubt this case was cracked. All they have is a jailhouse witness saying this man confided in him. I highly doubt it. He may be the killer, but this case is not cracked!!!!
Posted by: milesbrown | Feb 21, 2009 9:56:05 AM
Another illegal lowlife we are supporting either behind bars or out. This guy needs to stay in jail for a long time & if/when he gets out, sent to his own slimeball country.
Posted by: tradingwords | Feb 21, 2009 10:07:27 AM
It sounds is if the had the information all along. I dont see where any new evidence or leads how brought this to the surface again. I guess all it took was getting FBI focused on crime intead of chasing prostitutes.
Posted by: ken | Feb 21, 2009 10:19:31 AM
for the sake of the family,i hope they have the right guy this 'time'.so they will have closure.
Posted by: simplecake | Feb 21, 2009 10:23:45 AM
It is easy to say anything but, police need evidence to get a conviction. The problem from the start was chandra's affair with Gary. Most people including felt he knew more than he was saying, as a married man.
Posted by: carson | Feb 21, 2009 10:39:24 AM
Where does it say the suspect is an illegal alien? Are you making an assumption based on his name?
Posted by: ellsbells930 | Feb 21, 2009 10:39:44 AM
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