On Monday, El Salvadoran immigrant Ingmar Guandique was found guilty of murdering Washington intern, Chandra Levy in 2001. After nearly four days of deliberating, the jury made up of nine women and three men, convicted Guandique of two counts of first degree murder. Levy was attacked in May 2001 while jogging through Rock Creek Park in Washington DC.
The jury could have chosen to go with the less-serious counts of second degree murder, but since they did not, Guandique will be sentenced for a minimum of 30 years in prison and a maximum of life in prison. Sentencing is currently set for February 11, 2011. Chandra Levy’s mother, Susan Levy, closely examined Guandique’s reaction as the verdict was read. Guandique, 29, wore a turtleneck and sweater to hide his gang tattoos. He stared straight ahead after the verdict was read and threw his translation headphones on the defense table before exiting the courtroom.
While Chandra’s mother called it a “miracle” that Guandique was found guilty, she states that she will always be tormented by the pain of losing her daughter. “I have a lifetime sentence of a lost limb missing from our family tree”. Superior Court Judge Gerald I. Fisher expressed his condolences to Susan Levy, prior to the reading of the verdict. The verdict proved to be a remarkable victory for the district’s US attorney’s office.
In last week’s closing arguments, defense attorneys stated that it was former lawmaker Gary Condit that acted “like a guilty man” after Levy went missing, not Guandique. However, prosecutors insisted that Levy’s slaying fits the pattern of other crimes committed by Guandique in 2001. Levy’s case proved to be challenging from the start, as there was an absence of forensic evidence that linked Guandique to her slaying. There were no weapons, no eyewitnesses, and no definite confirmation from any medical examiner on exactly what happened to Levy. There were also countless mistakes made by the police and forensic scientists, which only prolonged the investigation. That being said, jurors still felt that they had enough evidence to pronounce Guandique as guilty in the murder of Chandra Levy.
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Tags: Chandra, Chandra Levy, Crime, CSI, DNA, Evidence, Forensic, Forensic Science, identification, Law Enforcement, Levy, Murder, Mystery, National Museum of Crime & Punishment, Scandal, Story, Tragedy
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