'I feel like a limb is missing': Chandra Levy's mother speaks of her pain of losing her daughter as jury finds killer guilty

By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 9:51 AM on 23rd November 2010

Ingmar Guandique found guilty of first degree murder and kidnapping
He had been serving 10 years in prison for the assault of two other women
Susan Levy said: 'There's always going to be a feeling of sadness'

The mother of murdered intern Chandra Levy has spoken of her grief as her daughter's murderer was today found guilty of killing the 24-year-old California native.

Susan Levy spoke on the steps of the Washington court house today about losing her daughter and said regardless of whatever sentence Ingmar Guandique is given, her life will never be the same.

'I have a lifetime sentence of a lost limb missing from our family tree,' she said. 'It's painful. I live with it every day... There's always going to be a feeling of sadness.'

Chandra Levy disappeared in May 2001 at age 24

Slain: Washington intern Chandra Levy, 24, was brutally murdered in Rock Creek Park in 2001

'You, the prosecutors, defense, the jury, the police, the public and individual citizens, as well as the media, both the written media and the visual media, we all make a difference,' she said. '... It makes a difference to find the right person who is responsible for my daughter's death or for anybody else's death.'

She had stared intently at Guandique as the verdict was read and several jurors wiped their eyes afterward.

Superior Court Judge Gerald Fisher told Susan Levy before the verdict was read: 'I want to extend my sympathies. I know this is an emotional moment for you.'
Guandique, 29, from El Salvador was convicted of first degree murder and kidnapping of Ms Levy in 2001 and now faces a life sentence without parole.

The jury of nine women and three men reached its verdict after 3 1/2 days of deliberations.

After they were dismissed, jurors told reporters that they had taken the time to examine each piece of evidence and consider it.

Susan Levy, mother of murdered Washington intern Chandra Levy, speaks outside D.C. Superior Court in Washington

Heartbroken: Susan Levy spoke outside the Washington, D.C. court house today and said she had a 'lifetime sentence of a lost limb missing from our family tree' about her daughter who was killed nine years ago

'We were very careful to evaluate all the evidence, and it was a decision based on everything we had,' said juror Susan Kelly, a journalist.

Jurors 'felt that we owed it to everyone involved to go through the evidence completely and find, in the end, a verdict that we would all be comfortable with and would serve all the parties involved,' said Linda Norton, an interior designer.

The verdict was a major victory for the U.S. attorney's office in the District in the challenging case as there was no forensic evidence linking Guandique to the crime scene, no murder weapon and no eyewitness.

Guandique has been found guilty iof killing Chandra Levy and faces life in prison without parole

Ingmar Guandique has been found guilty of first degree murder today of the murder of Chandra Levy - he was already in prison for attacking two other women not far from where Levy's body was found

There was also no definitive ruling from the medical examiner on what actually killed Ms Levy. Numerous mistakes by police and forensic scientists further hampered the investigation.

Lawyers had earlier made their closing arguments in the case against Guandique who had denied killing Ms Levy.

Prosecutor Amanda Hains said while holding up a poster sized photograph of the smiling woman: 'She's been waiting nine years for justice. It's been nine years, but you need to say the words 'Ingmar Guandique is guilty'.

Ms Levy's mother looked close to tears as she watched from the spectators' gallery as prosecutors brought out her daughter's clothes found at the crime scene in 2002.
Ms Haines told the jury, 'You have a roomful of corroboration' with regard to the circumstantial evidence against Guandique.

The Salvadoran immigrant was serving 10 years in prison for two other attacks on female joggers that prosecutors claim were similar to the one that led to Ms Levy's death.

Both of the women who were attacked by Guandique in Rock Creek Park in Washington testified during the trial.

Prosecutors had earlier dropped two of the six charges including attempted sexual assault and felony murder associated with that sexual assault.

But Guandique still faced first-degree murder and attempted kidnapping charges.
The Washington intern's disappearance on May 1 2001 became international news after she was romantically linked with then-California Rep. Gary Condit.

An FBI scientist testified that the ex-congressman's DNA was found on a pair of Levy's panties authorities recovered from her apartment shortly after her disappearance.

Mr Condit testified last week, acknowledging he had an affair with Levy but denying any involvement in her death.

Asked directly if he killed Ms Levy, Mr Condit responded, 'No'.

He also responded 'no' to the question of whether he had anything to do with her disappearance.

Mr Condit was asked why he never publicly acknowledged an affair with Levy.
His voice broke slightly, and he said it was 'purely based on principle.'

Levy's remains, including a skull and other bones, were found in May 2002, more than a year after she first disappeared

Remains: A skull and other human bones were found in Rock Creek Park in Washington 2002, which were later confirmed as Chandra Levy's remains

For months Ms Levy was considered only a missing person and Mr Condit was fingered as the prime suspect so police failed to follow other leads.

For eight years, the case sat as detectives and prosecutors searched for clues but then last year, prosecutors believed they had enough evidence and charged Guandique with Ms Levy's murder.

A one-time cellmate of Guandique had testified during the trial that he never heard him confess to the killing.

Former California Congressman Gary Condit who had an affair with Ms Levy had testified at D.C. Superior Court in Washington that he had nothing to do with the young intern's death

Cleared: Former California Congressman Gary Condit who had an affair with Ms Levy had testified that he had nothing to do with the young intern's death

Jurors had heard from Armando Morales, a former cellmate of Guandique, who said that Guandique had confessed to him that he tried to rob Levy and then killed her.
But the defence brought in Jose Manuel Alaniz, 28, who also shared a cell with Guandique, to discredit the testimony.

Testifying via video conference from a Missouri prison, Alaniz said that during the three months he was housed with Morales and Guandique, he never heard Guandique make such a confession.

Alaniz said the three were in the cell for almost 24 hours a day together, and even when they were taken out for brief periods of recreation, he remained within earshot of them.
But on cross-examination, Alaniz acknowledged it was possible a discussion could have occurred while he was asleep or wearing headphones.

He also admitted that Morales and Guandique usually spoke to each other in Spanish and his fluency in that language was limited.

But he said he never heard Guandique use the Spanish words for rape, kill or dead girl, or say Levy's name.

The testimony regarding the alleged confession had emerged as the most important piece of evidence in the nearly month-long trial, as the government has no physical evidence linking Guandique to Levy's death, and Guandique never confessed to police.

Prosecutors had indicated they planned to present testimony from other inmates who say they heard similar confessions, but ultimately prosecutors opted not to put those men on the stand.

Authorities said Guandique, 29, killed Levy on May 1, 2001, in Rock Creek Park. More than a month after her disappearance police searched the area for any signs of Ms Levy but did not find anything.
A year later, while walking his dog through the park, a man found Ms Levy's skull.
Police then located more of her remains and some of her belongings, including her sports bra, black tights and T-shirt. But by then, valuable DNA had long eroded.

Comment: This area was throughly searched and nothing found. Suddenly, the remains of Chandra Levy, found by a dog walker and not only that....did they not get lucky...her undergarments and valuables...but bad luck, no DNA so they just wait for the right 'patsy' to come along while protecting a member of congress, and stitch him up. Voilâ. Only in America ......

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1332095/Chandra-Levys-mother-speaks-losing-daughter-jury-finds-killer-guilty.html#ixzz16DloWYUe