|
Lawyer: Discovery helps exonerate Condit
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The discovery last week of Chandra Levy's remains is likely to eliminate U.S. Rep. Gary Condit as a potential suspect in her disappearance and death, his attorney said over the weekend. "I think, just by the discovery and where the remains were found tends to, I think ... exonerate Gary," Condit attorney Mark Geragos told CNN's "Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer" on Sunday. Geragos dismissed suggestions of Condit's involvement as "wild theories and speculation." A Levy family attorney suggested after the remains were recovered that the California Democrat might still be hiding something. "We do not have evidence to accuse Congressman Gary Condit of Chandra's disappearance and, now, her death, but we do have reason to believe he knew a lot more about Chandra," attorney Billy Martin said.
"Is he a suspect in our minds? He is a suspect, as is everybody else who may have had contact with Chandra. Nobody now is eliminated." Geragos said he anticipated that the grieving Levy family might "lash out" at Condit. "I've told him to just sit and take it," Geragos said. A man walking his dog discovered Levy's remains Wednesday in a heavily wooded area of Washington, D.C.'s Rock Creek Park. Police also found some items of clothing and a Walkman in the area. Police have named no one as a suspect, although investigators are exploring whether the case can be linked to two assaults in the park last summer. Ingmar Guandique, a 22-year-old laborer from El Salvador, is serving a 10-year prison sentence for the assaults, one of which occurred two weeks after Levy was last reported seen in Washington, on April 30, 2001.
Court papers filed when he was sentenced say a knife-wielding Guandique "appears to have used Rock Creek Park as a hunting ground, waiting beside popular running trails, selecting victims and stalking them." Police said they want to talk to Guandique about the Levy case. Authorities also have not ruled Levy's death a homicide, pending the results of an autopsy on her skeletal remains. A memorial service for Levy is planned for Tuesday in her hometown of Modesto, California. |
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
RELATED STORIES:
How did D.C. police miss Chandra Levy's remains?
May 24, 2002 Washington park scoured for clues in Levy death May 26, 2002 Levy's remains in overlooked area of park May 24, 2002 Levy probe looks at man who assaulted women in park May 23, 2002 Condit avoiding cameras May 23, 2002 Forensic pathologist: Analyzing Levy evidence May 23, 2002 Chandra Levy's remains found in D.C. park May 22, 2002 RELATED SITES:
LAW TOP STORIES:
Robert Blake goes to court High court allows anti-abortion protests outside clinics Father of terror victim seeks court ruling to help his lawsuit Title IX minority pushes enforcement, not change Owners of Olympic winner's training rink guilty of fraud (More) |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Back to the top |
© 2003 Cable News Network LP, LLLP.
A Time Warner Company. All Rights Reserved. Terms under which this service is provided to you. Read our privacy guidelines. Contact us. |