The Search For Chandra Levy

June 20, 2001 10:27 AM

The Search For Chandra Levy Chandra Levy was a 24 year old intern who was about to move back to California and receive her master's when she suddenly disappeared on April 30th. The search climbed to a new level last night, when her parents returned to DC and held a press conference with their attorney...and their fingers seem to be pointing a Congressman. (more inside)
posted by jennak (21 comments total)

The Levy family says that they have knowledge that Congressman Gary Condit had an affair with their daughter. (The Post wrote a story citing anonymous sources about Chandra having spent the night at some point, but many were reluctant to make the accusation of an affair with little proof.)

The article mentions that Chandra's mother found a phone number repetedly listed in Chardra's cell phone records. When she called it, she dialed her home phone number at the prompt -- and Congressman Condit returned her call immediately. At that point, says Mrs. Levy, she asked the congressman if he had an affair with her daughter, and he denied.

What's interesting is that the lawyer representing Condit threatened libel lawsuits against the Washington Post and other news outlets....despite the fact that Condit has never denied the affair. Instead the congressman denied having "made such a statement to police, to 'law enforcement sources' or to anyone else." Such careful wording ("Levy didn't spend the night at Condit's apartment 'that night.'") is causing the Levy family and the media to raise eyebrows.
posted by jennak at 10:41 AM on June 20, 2001

Clarification regarding Chandra Levy was a 24 year old intern:
Chandra is no longer an intern, but she is still 24 years old. I just want to be as optimistic as possible.
posted by jennak at 10:48 AM on June 20, 2001

I think this story is going to get weirder before it's all done, and I am one of the believers that Rep. Condit had something to do with her disappearance. What is amazing is that there is absolutely no trace of her. She literally vanished without a trace. So maybe we won't learn anything else, but I hope for Chandra Levy's parents sake, we do find out what happened.
posted by msacheson at 10:50 AM on June 20, 2001

I really think Condit knows something, he might not be responsible but she might have told him something and he's just afraid of the bad publicity.
posted by tiaka at 10:58 AM on June 20, 2001

Levy's family has set up a web site to aid in the search.
posted by rcade at 10:59 AM on June 20, 2001

Maybe the Levy's would like to contract out the "MeFi Scooby Squad?"

Most every quote from the congressman sounds suspicious, I'm sure there is something he's not telling police.
posted by mathowie at 11:05 AM on June 20, 2001

Josh Marshall, who keep a neat politics-blog, has been doing some interesting writing about the Levy case.
posted by Mid at 11:05 AM on June 20, 2001

I concur with John Marshall -- an affair doesn't mean that Condit had anything to do with Chandra's disappearance. However, he might have valuable information about the days prior to her disappearance that he's not revealing in order to save face.
posted by jennak at 11:11 AM on June 20, 2001

Well..... Here's a cut and dried case if I ever saw one.

This intern actually called her boss on a cell phone. And may have even been to his house! Now she's missing. What more proof do we need?

Just because the police and FBI haven't been able to find any evidence linking the congressman, that doesn't mean we shouldn't assume he's guilty.
posted by y6y6y6 at 11:11 AM on June 20, 2001

Y6 -- she wasn't his intern; she worked at Bureau of Prisons.
posted by jennak at 11:15 AM on June 20, 2001

Mid, thanks for the link. That is a good blog.
posted by msacheson at 11:25 AM on June 20, 2001

"she wasn't his intern"

Oops. Sorry. It *is* safe to assume I'm a dork. I won't deny it.
posted by y6y6y6 at 11:36 AM on June 20, 2001

Done and done, y6. ;^)
posted by CrazyUncleJoe at 11:56 AM on June 20, 2001

i was actually in DC at the time that this story broke there (mid may), meeting with my brother there. it's pretty wonky. condit was mentioned pretty early on (i think the 2nd day of the story, maybe the day the story broke); he supposedly contributed $25,000 to the search fund.

i believe it was also mentioned that this isn't the first time that condit has been involved in some intrigue involving interns. pretty darn creepy.
posted by moz at 12:05 PM on June 20, 2001

Condit should be obligated to come clean about his relationship with this woman and anything he knows that might explain her disappearance. The only reason there's a cloud of suspicion around the guy is that he has behaved evasively from the moment news broke.
posted by rcade at 12:09 PM on June 20, 2001

"Condit should be obligated to come clean about his relationship"

He's been questioned by both the police and the FBI. What do you want? Can you blame him for wanting to avoid the mob mentality expressed here?
posted by y6y6y6 at 12:17 PM on June 20, 2001

From what little I've read so far, this sounds similar to Ann Marie Fahey murder in Delaware (me home state) a few years back.

I hope Anne Rule writes a book about this one, too. And Never Let Her Go, about the aforementioned Ann Marie Fahey murder, was a really good treatment of the case, and portrayed those involved with a lot of sensitivity.

(My god, I've just outed myself as a reader of true crime novels on MetaFilter. Next thing you know I'll admit that I really like Destiny's Chi- oops.)
posted by jennyb at 12:21 PM on June 20, 2001

we'll send you smiths cds to make up for the evil influences of destiny's child.
posted by moz at 12:53 PM on June 20, 2001

Excellent timeline about Chandra Levy.
posted by jennak at 2:53 PM on June 20, 2001

He's been questioned by both the police and the FBI. What do you want?

He should have contacted her family right away with the full details of his relationship with Chandra, whatever it is, and responded to the press himself instead of putting his staff and his lawyers in his place.
posted by rcade at 3:02 PM on June 20, 2001

(My god, I've just outed myself as a reader of true crime novels on MetaFilter. Next thing you know I'll admit that I really like Destiny's Chi- oops.)

jennyb--i'm guilty on both counts as well. i'll watch your back, sister!
posted by thc at 3:08 PM on June 20, 2001