Salvadorian man sentenced to 60 years in prison for murder of former federal intern Levy

[News_Editor]

Salvadorian man sentenced to 60 years in prison for murder of former federal intern Levy

2011-02-12 02:48:42 GMT+7 (ICT)

WASHINGTON D.C. (BNO NEWS) -- A Salvadorian man on Friday was sentenced to 60 years in prison for the 2001 murder of former federal intern Chandra Levy, the Washington Post reported.

Ingmar Guandique, 29, was ordered to serve 85 percent of his sentence (51 years) before being eligible for parole. He was found guilty of two counts of first-degree felony murder on November 22, 2010.

On May 2001, Levy, 24, disappeared in Washington D.C. Levy, a former intern with the federal prisons system was missing for over a year until her remains were found in Rock Creek Park.

It was revealed that she had an affair with then-Representative Gary Condit (D-Calif.), who was signaled as the main suspect initially. However, a former cellmate of Guandique said that he admitted the crime as well as two other attacks.

Guandique has denied the charges against him and there was no DNA evidence or eyewitnesses that linked him to the crime. However, the illegal immigrant from El Salvador admitted attacking two other women in Rock Creek Park.

The defendant's lawyers requested a new trial but Judge Gerald Fisher denied it. Fisher said the crime was horrible called Guandique a sexual predator and a dangerous person to women.

Guandique stood up before the sentenced was handed down and told the Levy family that he regretted what happed to them but claimed once more his innocence. During trial, the defendant said that his case was farce organized by prosecutors and detectives,

Prosecutors said Guandique had been involved in other incidents with women including attacking a woman at knifepoint in El Salvador before migrating to the U.S. when he was 19 years.

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