Report: Levy may have been strangled

Levy's remains were found in a Washngton, D.C. park in May.

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Washington's chief medical examiner believes Chandra Levy may have been strangled, but does not have conclusive evidence that strangulation was the cause of death, The Washington Post reported Saturday.

The 24-year-old's remains were found scattered in a remote Rock Creek Park in May, more than a year after her disappearance.

Dr. Jonathan L. Arden told the Post that he found damage to her hyoid, a small U-shaped bone in the upper neck, but the bone was not broken.

"A young person could be strangled and not have it show in the bones," the newspaper quoted Arden as saying.

Levy's death was ruled a homicide, but authorities have not determined the cause of death. Law enforcement authorities are reportedly focusing on employees and frequent visitors to the park, as well as people arrested for crimes in or near the park.

CNN NewsPass Video    •  Chandra Levy case a homicide  MORE STORIES   •  Chandra Levy death ruled a homicide   •  Attorney: Condit would welcome police interview   •  Transcript: Chandra Levy's brief life remembered  RESOURCES   •  People in the News: Chandra Levy   •  Fact Sheet: Chandra Levy's remains found   •  Timeline: Disappearance and investigation   •  Key players   •  Map: Rock Creek Park in Washington, D.C.

Investigators suspect that Levy was sexually assaulted, because the leggings discovered with her remains were turned inside out and each leg was knotted, the Post reported.

Levy was last seen in Washington on April 30, 2001, shortly after she completed an internship with the U.S. Bureau of Prisons. She had been planning to return home to Modesto, California.

The search for Levy drew massive publicity largely because of her connection to Rep. Gary Condit, D-California. Her family and police sources said the two had an affair, but the lawmaker publicly acknowledged only a friendship and refused to describe it further.

Police sources said Condit confirmed a romantic relationship with Levy during one interview with investigators.