Citing “new information that the government received within the past week”, prosecutors have dropped charges against Ingmar Guandique in the 2001 murder of Chandra Levy.
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Mr Guandique was convicted of Ms Levy’s murder in 2009, but granted a retrial past year.
Citing the “interests of justice” and “recent unforeseen developments that were investigated over the past week”, the USA attorney’s office for the District of Columbia said that Ingmar Guandique, convicted of Levy’s murder in 2010, would be turned over to immigration authorities for deportation.
Prosecutors did not elaborate on the developments, but said they felt they could no longer prove their case beyond a reasonable doubt. “Accordingly, the Office will not proceed with the retrial of Mr. Guandique”, said a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s office in Washington, D.C.
Levy was an intern with the Federal Bureau of Prisons when she disappeared on May 1, 2001. Her disappearance became a national story when police initially suspected former California congressman Gary Condit, who was having an affair with Levy at the time.
Prosecutors argued her death fit a pattern of attacks Guandique committed on female joggers.
Following his conviction in 2010, Guandique was sentenced to 60 years in prison.
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A jury found Guandique guilty in November 2010 on two charges of felony murder in Levy’s death. He was granted a new trial past year after his lawyers said a key witness lied to the jury. Gandique was scheduled to be retried in October.
