Suspect in Levy death accused of obstruction

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By Sarah Abruzzese

Prosecutors have charged the man accused of killing former federal intern Chandra Levy with threatening a witness in the case.

The U.S. attorney's office filed a superseding indictment Wednesday against Ingmar Guandique, charging him with an additional three counts: obstruction of justice, conspiracy and threats.

The indictment said that Guandique threatened to injure a witness on May 21.

That witness, identified only as "J.G." in the indictment, was threatened in the District, where Guandique is incarcerated.

The indictment's seventh count charges Guandique with "threatening to kill 'J.G.' and 'J.G.'s' family if 'J.G.' continued to cooperate with law enforcement in the investigation and prosecution of Ingmar Guandique."

Investigators say Guan-dique wrote two threatening letters that he had mailed on or around May 1 and Sept. 9.

Guandique has pleaded not guilty to Levy's killing.

The Salvadoran immigrant is serving a 10-year sentence in federal prison for attacking two female joggers in separate 2001 assaults in Rock Creek Park near Broad Branch Road in Northwest Washington, which is where Miss Levy's remains were found in 2002. The women fought back and escaped without serious injury.

Police long suspected that Guandique - who was arrested July 1, 2001, the day of the second attack for which he was convicted - was involved in Levy's disappearance.

Investigators had questioned Guandique about Miss Levy's disappearance, even administering a polygraph test, which he passed, after another inmate said Guandique had confessed to the killing.

Levy disappeared in May 2001 and her remains were found about a half-mile from Guandique's former residence.

He was charged with murder earlier this year and returned to the District in April from a prison in California.

Guandique had been scheduled to stand trial for her death on first-degree murder and other charges in January, but a judge postponed that trial to Oct. 4.

The Levy case garnered national attention after reports surfaced that Levy was having an affair with then-Rep. Gary A. Condit, California Democrat.

The congressman belatedly acknowledged to police that he had an affair with Miss Levy but denied any involvement in her disappearance. Mr. Condit lost a re-election bid in 2002.