The man previously convicted in the death of Federal Bureau of Prisons intern Chandra Levy 15 years ago is expected to be released.
Ingmar Guandique was convicted in 2010 on two charges of felony murder, despite a lack of hard evidence, and sentenced in 2011 to 60 years in prison. In June 2015 he was granted a new trial, set to begin Oct. 11, 2016.
However, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia said Thursday that prosecutors have moved to dismiss the case charging Guandique in Levy’s death.
Instead, prosecutors will seek to have him deported.
“Pending action by the Court, Mr. Guandique will then be released to the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, where he faces removal proceedings,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office said in its Thursday statement.
The statement added that the dismissal of charges was because prosecutors could no longer prove the case against Guandique beyond a reasonable doubt due to “recent unforeseen developments that were investigated over the past week.” The statement did not elaborate on the developments.
Levy, a 24-year-old California native, disappeared in May 2001. Her skeletal remains were found in Rock Creek Park in May 2002.
Levy’s disappearance became national news after a police investigation revealed she was having an affair with then-Rep. Gary Condit, who was married. Condit, a California Democrat, was later ruled out as a suspect.
Authorities then linked Guandique, an illegal immigrant from El Salvador, to the disappearance of Levy. Guandique was already serving 10 years in prison after being convicted of assaulting two other women in Rock Creek Park around the time of Levy’s disappearance.
Despite having no eyewitnesses or DNA evidence, a jury found Guandique guilty in November 2010 on two charges of felony murder in Levy’s death due to the testimony of a jailhouse informant. That informant had said Guandique had confessed to killing Levy, but Guandique’s attorney said the circumstances around the testimony were problematic and thus was granted a new case.
