Charges dropped over US intern"s murder

Image copyright AP

Image caption Levy was a Californian working in Washington

A man convicted of killing Washington intern Chandra Levy has had all charges in his retrial dropped.

The US Attorney"s Office said it had dismissed the case against Ingmar Guandique, an El Salvadorean immigrant.

Ms Levy, 24, had just finished an internship with the US Bureau of Prisons when she disappeared in 2001.

Her body was found in a park more than a year later, in a case that generated national headlines and claimed one politician"s career.

Democratic politician Gary Condit, to whom Ms Levy was romantically linked, was a suspect in the murder and ended up leaving Congress.

According to the statement from the attorney"s office, the case against Guandique was no longer one that prosecutors could prove beyond a reasonable doubt, due to "recent unforeseen developments".

"The government now believes it is in the interests of justice for the court to dismiss the case without prejudice," prosecutors wrote.

Levy"s remains were found in Washington"s Rock Creek Park in 2002 and prosecutors had argued at Guandique"s trial that he preyed on female joggers.

He was found guilty of her murder in 2010 but granted a new trial last year after Guandique"s lawyers successfully argued that a key witness had lied on the stand.

The dismissal of all charges against him means he will now be released to immigration authorities.

He is likely to be deported.

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Charges dropped over US intern"s murder
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