In May 2001, Chandra Levy, a 24-year-old intern with the Federal Bureau of Prisons in Washington, D.C., went missing. Her remains were found a year later in a park close to her apartment. During the investigation into her disappearance, it was discovered she was having an affair with married California congressman, Gary Condit.
Prosecutor Marcia Clark of ‘Marcia Clark Investigates the First 48’ spoke with A&E True Crime about the negative affects the media had on the investigation into what really happened to Chandra Levy.
What did you think about the media’s role in the Chandra Levy case? Did you think they helped or hurt the investigation?
I think they hurt it. They were so excited about the possibility that a congressman had potentially killed his mistress that the coverage was very tabloidesque and based on very little evidence.
In fact, when I really got to dig a little deeper, I saw there was really no basis for suspecting [congressman] Gary Condit at all. The fascination and constant obsession with him really skewed the coverage, unfairly so, and it also sent the police in a lot of weird directions that they shouldn’t have been bothered with. And [they] ignored the key evidence that pointed to someone else. I’m not even sure who that someone else necessarily is, although I have my own theory about that.
One thing that the evidence…does show is it definitely wasn’t Gary Condit. I think the constant obsession with him [not only] skewed the police efforts but public opinion in a way that was detrimental to uncovering the truth.
Subscribe to the Marcia Clark Investigates the First 48 podcast on Apple Podcasts. New episodes of the show premiere Thursdays at 9P ET/PT on A&E. Or watch full episodes of the show on the Marcia Clark Investigates the First 48 website or the A&E app.
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