"The reason that is is because 9/11 actually ended up overshadowing her case. So this happened right before that. And after that, it didn't quite pick up steam like it did before." — Ashley Flowers
"He said Shandra would often come to him for career advice and he would try to guide her. But other than that, they didn't have any involvement together. And he said they were not intimate in any kind of way." — Ashley Flowers (quoting Gary Condit's statement to police)
"The reason that is is because 9/11 actually ended up overshadowing her case. So this happened right before that. And after that, it didn't quite pick up steam like it did before." — Ashley Flowers
The episode reconstructs the disappearance and murder of Chandra Levy, a 24-year-old graduate student interning in Washington D.C. Levy was last seen in May 2001, and her parents, unable to reach her, reported her missing. Initial investigation revealed her apartment seemed as if she had just stepped out, with half-packed suitcases. Phone records showed frequent calls to Congressman Gary Condit's office, prompting her father to contact him directly. Condit claimed to have only met Levy a couple of times and was mentoring her, but denied any intimate relationship. Police later discovered Condit's D.C. condo was near Levy's rental, and while a search of her apartment yielded little, her computer crashed and crucial surveillance footage from her building was lost.
Further investigation into Levy's personal life, including conversations with her aunt and friends, revealed a confirmed affair with Gary Condit. Evidence, including sperm matching Condit's DNA found on underwear in Levy's home, corroborated the affair. The media attention intensified, especially as Condit had publicly criticized Bill Clinton for his affair with Monica Lewinsky. Despite the mounting evidence and public pressure, Condit maintained his denial of an affair. The disappearance of Chandra Levy was tragically overshadowed by the September 11th terrorist attacks, which led to a halt in media coverage and a refocusing of law enforcement resources, causing the case to go cold for a period.
In May 2002, human remains were discovered in Rock Creek Park, later identified as Chandra Levy's. Forensic analysis indicated a homicide, but the exact cause of death could not be determined due to the condition of the remains. The discovery reignited the investigation, and Ingmar Guandique, an immigrant with a history of violence, emerged as a suspect after being identified by two other female joggers attacked in the same park. Guandique was convicted of Levy's murder in 2009, with the prosecution presenting circumstantial evidence and testimony from an informant. However, his conviction was later overturned due to issues with the informant's testimony, and he was deported to El Salvador. Gary Condit continued to deny any romantic involvement with Levy, even years later, while the Levy family remained convinced of his culpability. A private investigator also suggested that the case was not definitively solved by Guandique's conviction, leaving some questions unresolved.