Man Convicted In Chandra Levy's Death Won't Be Retried

WASHINGTON (WJZ) -- Charges have been dropped against the man convicted of killing Washington, D.C. intern Chandra Levy. Her disappearance in 2001 made national headlines when it was revealed she was having an affair with a congressman.

It was the question that gripped the nation -- who killed Chandra Levy? The Washington, D.C. intern vanished in 2001. Her decomposed body was found one year later.

The police investigation focused on California Congressman Gary Condit, who admitted to an affair with the young intern.

"I have been married 34 years. I have not been a perfect man," Condit said in 2001.

Condit denied involvement in Levy's death, and in 2010, another man was convicted in her murder. Ingmar Guandique was already in jail for attacking women in the same park where Levy's body was found.

But last year, a judge granted Guandique a new trial after doubts were raised about a key witness.

Now the U.S. Attorney's Office has dropped all charges, saying: "Based on unforeseen developments that were investigated over the past week, prosecutors can no longer prove the murder case against Mr. Guandique beyond a reasonable doubt."

"I'm in a state of shock. Totally in a state of shock," Levy's mother, Susan, said. "I only wish that we could get the right person, whoever did what happened to my daughter."

Legal analyst Adam Ruther says the original conviction may not have stood the test of a new trial.

"The decision whether to go forward is really a decision whether there's any reasonable expectation that you're going to end up with a conviction at the end of the case," said Ruther.

Now the question remains -- who killed Chandra Levy?

Investigators are not saying what new evidence led them to drop the charges.

Ingmar Guandique, who is an illegal immigrant, will now be turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement for deportation.