Jurors in the trial of Ingmar Guandique, accused of killing federal intern Chandra Levy, will begin their fourth day of deliberations Monday. The D.C. Superior Court jury of nine women and three men deliberated for more than 15 hours over three days last week without reaching a verdict.
Guandique, a 29-year-old illegal immigrant from El Salvador, faces two counts of first-degree felony murder in Levy’s death.
He is accused of attacking Levy, a 24-year-old Federal Bureau of Prisons intern, while she was jogging in Rock Creek Park in May 2001.
Levy’s disappearance made national headlines until the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks because she was romantically linked with then-U.S. Rep. Gary A. Condit, D-Calif.
Condit was initially considered a suspect in Levy’s death, but police say they no longer believe he was involved.
A man walking his dog found Levy’s remains in Rock Creek Park in May 2002, and Guandique was charged in the case last year.
Because of decomposition, there is no DNA evidence in the case.
The jurors have only sent one substantive note since deliberations began Wednesday, asking on Friday about the definition of assault.
They asked whether there is a legal definition of assault, which is an element of the felony murder charge related to kidnapping Guandique faces.
Judge Gerald I. Fisher told the jury that an assault meant Guandique used force or violence to injure or attempt to injure Levy, did so on purpose and had the apparent ability to injure Levy. He said that any physical injury, no matter how small, could be considered an assault.
Prosecutors’ case against Guandique is built largely on testimony from a jailhouse informant and two women Guandique was convicted of attacking in Rock Creek Park around the time of Levy’s death.
Armando Morales, one of Guandique’s former cellmates, testified that Guandique confessed to attacking Levy but did not know she was dead.
The two women — Halle Shilling and Christy Wiegand — described the attacks they suffered in the park. In closing arguments, prosecutors stressed the similarities between those assaults and Levy’s slaying.
Deliberations are scheduled to resume on Monday morning.
