WASHINGTON – Ingmar Guandique, who was convicted of killing intern Chandra Levy in a case that captured the nation’s attention over the years, was sentenced Friday in D.C. Superior Court to 60 years in prison.
The sentencing for Guandique, 29, fell short of the life in prison without parole the U.S. Attorney’s Office had asked for.
Levy, a native of Modesto, Calif. went missing in Washington in May of 2001. A year later, her skeletal remains were found in Rock Creek Park in the Upper Northwest section of Washington. Guandique was convicted,thanks in part, to key testimony from a cell mate.
Before being sentenced, Guandique addressed the Levy family and said, according to the Washington Post:
“I am sorry for what happened to your daughter. But I had nothing to do with it. I am innocent.”
Levy’s mother also spoke, reading a statement she, her husband and son had submitted to court, the Post reported.
“Because of you, young man, you have caused us to live a Holocaust again. You have sentenced our entire family to days of sadness, tears and heartache. You are a hideous creature.”
“How could you take my daughter’s life? Did you really take her life? Look me in my eyes and tell me.”
She then said, according to TBD: “F— You!”
“Over nearly 10 years, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Metropolitan Police Department, FBI, and other law enforcement agencies have worked tirelessly to solve this case,” U.S. Attorney Ronald Machen said in a statement.
“Late last year, the question of who killed Chandra Levy was finally answered by a District of Columbia jury when Ingmar Guandique was found guilty of first degree felony murder. We hope that this sentence provides some measure of closure to the Levy family, which has shown remarkable strength throughout this ordeal.”
D.C.Police Chief Cathy Lanier issued a statement saying: “This was a complicated case that spanned a decade. I applaud the detectives and prosecutors for their uncompromising resolve. My thoughts are with the Levy family for all they have endured.”
