14 DAY TRIAL // New developments arise in the Chandra Levy case, a White House intern who was killed in 2001. The testimony of a key witness in the convicted killer's trial could be thrown out, reports say.
As we documented, Levy's case grabbed spotlights over her romantic involvement with former California Rep. Gary Condit.
Ingmar Guandique, a Salvadoran native was convicted of her murder, based in part on testimony by his cell mate.
Armando Morales' name was kept under wraps until Wednesday, April 10, due to security concerns. The Fresno Bee writes that new evidence harms Morales' credibility, and the defense team is asking for a retrial.
“It’s the defense’s view that the impeachment information is substantial, and that it undermines Mr. Morales’ credibility and merits a new trial,” informs D.C. Superior Court Judge Gerald Fisher.
According to the Fresno Bee, Morales was involved in gang activity in Fresno. However, even as both legal teams have appeared in court starting in December to discuss the credibility of the witness, the proceedings have gone on in secrecy.
The information that the defense holds on the witness has not been made public, prompting backlash from media organizations.
“Three months have passed since the government was told to make something happen,” says Patrick Carome, a legal counsel for McClatchy.
“The safety concerns have been amply presented to me by the government,” judge Fisher responds.
The judge has mentioned that it will be at least another 30 days until the new info in the Guandique case is released.
Guandique allegedly confessed to killing Levy to his cellmate, but never admitted to raping her beforehand. The two men shared a cell at the Big Sandy Penitentiary in Kentucky in 2006.
“He said, ‘Homeboy, I killed that [expletive], but I didn’t rape her.’ […] He told me that he didn’t even know that he had killed her,” Morales testified.