Closing the loop on Chandra?
posted at 9:17 am on February 21, 2009 by Ed Morrissey
Before 9/11, the big political story in the summer of 2001 was the disappearance of a young woman who worked as an aide to a Congressman in Washington. Chandra Levy’s remains were found the following year, but in the first months of her disappearance, people focused their suspicions on Rep. Gary Condit, who had had an affair with Levy. Police cleared him, though, and now it looks as though they have the real murderer in their sites — and actually, already in prison:
Media reports in Washington and California say that an arrest may be close in the slaying of the former federal intern whose disappearance ended Gary Condit’s congressional career.
WRC in Washington and KGO, KFSN and KCRA in California say D.C. police are seeking an arrest warrant in Chandra Levy’s death.
The warrant would be for Ingmar Guandique, an inmate convicted of attacking two female joggers in the same Washington park where Levy’s remains were found in 2002.
Guandique is not a new figure in this case. The Washington Post ran a series of articles on Levy’s disappearance last summer, including a lengthy article on Guandique and his crimes. He’s been high on the radar for some time, but apparently police only had enough of a case now to make an arrest.
Condit lost his re-election in 2002 over the publicity from his affair with Levy and the unresolved murder. The police insisted that they had eliminated Condit as a suspect, but the clandestine nature of their relationship kept suspicions alive. Condit certainly deserves scorn for having an affair with a young intern as a married man, but not as a murderer.
None of this brings Levy back, of course, but perhaps her family will get a measure of justice, far too long delayed.
Blowback
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look up bad timing in the dictionary, you will see a picture of Gary Condit.
custer on February 21, 2009 at 9:20 AM
Perhaps Condit should have chosen a live boy.
May Chandra find peace and her family solace.
Laura in Maryland on February 21, 2009 at 9:23 AM
Regardless, I’m glad they feel like they’ve found the right guy. Condit was not a great man, but I’m pleased he’s not a murderer.
Rest well, Chandra, and may your family be at peace.
tmi3rd
tmi3rd on February 21, 2009 at 9:28 AM
Tragic. That sure was a looooong, hot summer and FNC was relentlessly airing this story 24/7 until 9-11.
OmahaConservative on February 21, 2009 at 9:28 AM
Ge’ez,Ed… Would it kill you to include the (D) when discussing sleazy Democrat Congressmen? You know the MSM would do the same…
gridlock2 on February 21, 2009 at 9:40 AM
gridlock2,
Thanks for your comment. I was getting ready to post the same. It’s high time the right always point out the party to which a politician belongs to, regardless of whose side they are on. Someone somewhere can keep a scorecard.
rayvet on February 21, 2009 at 9:45 AM
“Sights”, not sites. Gun metaphor, not tourism.
ddh on February 21, 2009 at 9:45 AM
Good call grid. Remember how the MSM put an (R) after his name? Then explained that it meant Representative…
elifino on February 21, 2009 at 9:50 AM
Save some scorn for Ms. Levy, who had a history of going after married men, a behavior that her family appeared to condone, if not encourage. So, fie on her and them, too.
As to calling it a tragedy…I reserve that word for situations that can not be prevented, not vicious crimes of kidnapping, rape, murder.
So, was Ingmar Guandique in this country illegally? If so, why isn’t it being reported?
Blake on February 21, 2009 at 9:56 AM
He’s not a 7th grade drop out, deadbeat dad, illegal alien murderer, he’s a misunderstood undocumented worker living the American Dream.
Ted Torgerson on February 21, 2009 at 9:58 AM
There was some stupendously bad police work involved in this case, including failure to find Chandra’s remains soon enough. The police stopped their search just a few yards from where her remains were eventually found. Guandique’s DNA probably would have been found on her body or clothes had they been located soon after her death.
And yes he is in this country illegally. DC was a magnet for illegals long before they started invading the rest of the country in search of construction and factory jobs.
RIP Chandra.
rockmom on February 21, 2009 at 10:10 AM
Another murder by the hands of an illegal…
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/692716/posts
jbh45 on February 21, 2009 at 10:14 AM
A schoolmate and close friend was a famous detective.
He was bragging to me about his closure rate and his talent for applying the psychological tools he was trained to use in lengthy interrogations. He said his most prestigious conviction of an infamous murder, the guys were innocent but he convinced them to confess. (the D.A. was well aware of this) When I challenged his morals and ethics he posited that the guys in question were criminals anyway and “Everyone is guilty of something”. He further challenged that anyone who committed such a murder is already in jail for a serious crime or soon would be.
He was right. The murderer was at that time in the penitentiary and later confessed to the murder for which the other two men were convicted.
DNA cleared the two men and they were set free.
Beto Ochoa on February 21, 2009 at 10:15 AM
It’s always a good day when a member of our congress (or former member) really is cleared in a murder investigation.
myrenovations on February 21, 2009 at 10:18 AM
I once asked a panel of journalists what the media would owe Gary Condit, Steven Hatfill, and Jon-Benet Ramsey’s parents if they were later proven innocent of the charges the media had convicted them of.
The answer: NOTHING
There is no appeal from a criminal conviction by the media.
pilsener on February 21, 2009 at 10:18 AM
Can you imagine how painful it must have been for Chandra’s family to watch the 24/7 coverage in 2001 making a circus, a national joke, of their daughter’s murder?
I can’t imagine it. I shudder.
jeff_from_mpls on February 21, 2009 at 10:18 AM
“There was some stupendously bad police work involved in this case… The police stopped their search just a few yards from where her remains were eventually found.”
If I recall the Post series of last year correctly, it was worse than that. The DC police on the scene reported to their superiors that they had searched the area where her body later turned up.
And when interrogated in connection with the other park assaults and shown a picture of Levy, Guandique admitted to a Park officer that he had seen her in the park.
I remember that when Levy disappeared some blogger – Kaus, I think – wrote essentially “God help her if its up to the DC police to crack this case.” Very prophetic.
NCC on February 21, 2009 at 10:21 AM
He was fairly dangerous in the sense that most sex murderers will feel a sense of release and often shame, followed by, once again, a build up of the urges that cause them to do what they do. IOW, there is lag time between rapes/murders. However, this guy was back to his evil ways in a week or less.
Blake on February 21, 2009 at 10:22 AM
I don’t think it was the affair that ruined Condit as much as the perception that he was impeding the investigation with his prevarications. Most people felt, quite rightly, that he should have been more concerned about bringing the vicious killer of someone close to him to justice rather than saving his political bacon.
Anon Y. Mous on February 21, 2009 at 10:25 AM
***
It will probably be hard to prove that this ILLEGAL ALIEN (not “undocumented immigrant”) killed Ms. Levy. Her badly decomposed body was found a year after she was killed. Evidence may not be sufficient for conviction.
***
T.V. showed many police searching the heavily wooded park where she was murdered. They missed her.
***
Move along–nothing to see here. Just another ILLEGAL ALIEN murdering someone that a U.S. citizen wouldn’t murder. Let’s fix this by providing AMNESTY NOW for all the illegals here.
***
John Bibb
***
rocketman on February 21, 2009 at 10:26 AM
“And when interrogated in connection with the other park assaults and shown a picture of Levy, Guandique admitted to a Park officer that he had seen her in the park.”
I should add that the park officer did nothing with the information.
Also, the DC police had the opportunity to search Guandique’s chattels after he had been arrested for other crimes, but did not get around to trying until after they had been destroyed.
NCC on February 21, 2009 at 10:27 AM
As I remember it, Condit was less than forthcoming with the police. He helped create the mess.
Blake on February 21, 2009 at 10:27 AM
This type of law enforcement abuse has always bothered me, and I suspect it goes on quite frequently. I assume there were no penalties for either the detective or D.A. The Duke rape case was an aberration in that the lacrosse players were from wealthy families who could afford a good defense and Nifong courted publicity too much.
a capella on February 21, 2009 at 10:28 AM
At least the Post identified him as an illegal. Most media headlines I’ve seen on this story today call him a “Salvadoran immigrant.”
Levy was just another innocent American victimized by a foreign criminal who had absolutely no business being in this country in the first place. But instead of strengthening laws to keep vermin like this out of our country, we just keep waving them in. And the Democrats have now dangled even more carrots to illegals in the form of more S-CHIP benefits, and the expanded welfare, unemployment, Medicaid, mortgage assistance, etc., in the “stimulus” — all of which can be accessed by people who don’t have to produce any documentation proving they are in the country legally.
Hey Democrats, the thousands of Americans who get mugged and raped and murdered every year by illegals are “God’s children” too. When are you going to start caring about them?
AZCoyote on February 21, 2009 at 10:48 AM
Condit hurt himself badly. I recall his disingenuous public statement that ran on talk radio repeatedly(including sports shows), to the effect of:
“I am not a perfect man. In fact I’ve made a few mistakes in my life. Out of respect for my wife and the Levy family I have nothing further to say about the matter.”
EconomicNeocon on February 21, 2009 at 10:49 AM
I lived in DC when this happened and it was horrible. I also knew Gary Condit a little because my husband worked for a congressman from the neighboring district to his. I never believed some of the wildest rumors about Condit but he was a bit of a snake. I always got the feeling he was hiding something.
I wonder what would have happened if Guandique had been IDed and arrested quickly. At that time most people in the DC area were not aware of what was going on in terms of illegal immigration. This case might have triggered a crackdown that could have spared the whole country immeasurable trouble.
rockmom on February 21, 2009 at 10:53 AM
Crackdown? What kind of crackdown? The powers that be don’t care how many illegals murder and rape American citizens. Example: that poor woman in SF this summer, whose husband and two sons were gun downed on a Sunday afternoon by some illegal gang banger who had previously been in custody and sheltered by local authorities from deportation.
Blake on February 21, 2009 at 10:58 AM
Hit submit too soon. The woman I was referring to got the blow off from the local and state officials. As did the mom who was serving in Iraq whose son was also gunned down by an illegal alien that the authorities refused to deport though in custody for a gun offense. They just don’t give a shit. They might care if it is their family that is gunned down some day. But, until then, don’t count on it.
Blake on February 21, 2009 at 11:02 AM
AN ILLEGAL ALIEN!
PattyJ on February 21, 2009 at 11:31 AM
I remember when the WashPoo reported on this suspect years ago…..they hid the illegal alien fact back then too.
ex-Democrat on February 21, 2009 at 11:52 AM
I don’t remember them doing the (R) thing but once or twice. However, it was always shown as Rep Gary Condit. Same implication though — people pretty much associated it as Republican Gary Condit, not Representative Gary Condit.
This case was also another indictment against Dan Rather — He refused to carry this story for weeks, claiming that it was just rumor and he would not be a rumor-monger. CBS management finally made him carry the story because not doing so was making them look foolish (alright more foolish). Ol’ Saint Dan would have a bit more credibility if he didn’t then run with the National Guard letter the moment it came off the xerox machine.
AZfederalist on February 21, 2009 at 11:59 AM
A sitting President of the United States did the exact same thing. He was defended by the National Organization for Women for doing so.
Del Dolemonte on February 21, 2009 at 12:18 PM
I think that the US really needs some kind of reform of the justice system to deal with these trials in the media. Perhaps a start would be a stiff guaranteed minimum sentence for leakers?
18-1 on February 21, 2009 at 12:28 PM
Mary Jo Kopechne could not be reached for comment.
viking01 on February 21, 2009 at 12:40 PM
* shrug * just another ILLEGAL ALIEN doing the jobs we won’t do
Aggie95 on February 21, 2009 at 12:47 PM
Chandra Levy wasn’t a story prior to 9/11, it was the story prior to 9/11, to the point that I think the first 9/11 joke I heard (indeed on that fateful day) was that Chandra Levy must of been on one of those planes and what a break that would be for Condit.
Bad taste I know, but, I was watching CNN.
bongo on February 21, 2009 at 2:01 PM
IF Hussein gives them all Amnesty, can they babysit for his children or his mother-in-law?
christene on February 21, 2009 at 2:09 PM
I hope they find the murder, Ingmar or whomever.
And I hope she rests in peace.
And I point this out: Condit’s only actions should have been full and open cooperation. Instead, he tried to cover up his cheating ways when a woman he knew was murdered. He put himself first (not his wife or kids–if they had been first, he wouldn’t have cheated in the first place).
Condit was sleaze personified. He abused his family. He abused the concept of marriage, he abused the public trust and he abused his public position.
I hope he is selling used cars in a lot full of pot-bellied, sweaty-backed men with mayonnaise stains on their crotches, who get around the car lot on golf carts. And I hope that lot closed down because it was selling union-made Chryslers.
Montana on February 21, 2009 at 2:54 PM
So, where does Gary go to get what little reputation he had back?
The media apply the same tricks to everything.
Blast out in as emotional appeal as possible what few things are known about a situation. Twist into as shocking or repulsive a story as possible. Find the nearest individual connected to the story or get a leak from a money-grubbing feckless policeman/prosecutor (there seem to be so many) who’s motives are suspect about the individual and then spotlight that person who was totally unprepared for the onslaught.
Modern day witch hunt complete with pillory and stocks and after it all blows over the accusers go on with nary a penalty and the accused at best gets exile.
although it’s wrong, I cannot bring myself to condemn anyone who punches a reporter/cameraman and wrecks the camera.
jcw46 on February 21, 2009 at 4:56 PM
‘Hussein’ isn’t the only one with an amnesty fixation. Both parties stink on this issue; don’t act so pissed. Our party nominated the ringleader of the last amnesty debacle, Backdoor John McCain. You put up someone with his track record to represent your party in a Presidential election, despite him having very little personal appeal as a candidate, you must believe in his positions. Therefore, the GOP is pro-amnesty. Get on the train. We need to get these poor people out of the shadows.
austinnelly on February 21, 2009 at 6:15 PM
He is a Democrat so it should be no problem getting his so called reputation back.
Dasher on February 21, 2009 at 8:46 PM
Gee I hope they can catch the guy. Hell, he’s already in friggin jail. He should be easy to find.
johnnyU on February 21, 2009 at 10:16 PM
Just when all heck breaks loose we have to re-hash this…What, is Hotair competing with Nancy Graceless now?
Christine on February 22, 2009 at 12:13 AM
Since when do topics and interests have to meet with your approval?
Blake on February 22, 2009 at 5:47 AM
If only Gary hadn’t paid his taxes – he’d be in the cabinet by now.
Fuquay Steve on February 22, 2009 at 8:04 AM
If he’s an illegal we have got to put Geraldo on the case. Oh wait, he’s on the Haleigh tragedy – harassing the family in Fla. Can he do both? (Roger, it saves payroll).
Fuquay Steve on February 22, 2009 at 8:15 AM
Saw an interview – by Geraldo – last night with her parents, who still refuse to even consider acknowledging they did Condit any disservice, much less apologize. This on a show where Geraldo was actively attempting to crucify the father in the Florida missing child case. The more things change – the more they stay the same.
PJ Emeritus on February 22, 2009 at 12:07 PM
The case would not have been cracked at all had Chandra’s parents not hired retired homicide detectives to search the scene of the crime and find the evidence the DC police didn’t. The sorry fact is that the DC police don’t even investigate some murders at all. However, they do have police on the payroll who search the public trash bins for illegal trash and write people tickets if they drop a FedEx envelope in one for who knows what reason. So, the lesson here is that if you are a drug dealer rubbing out a rival gang member, don’t leave his body draped over a city trash bin or you’ll have the DC trash police on your ass.
Tantor on February 22, 2009 at 9:27 PM