The man convicted of killing congressional intern Chandra Levy was in D.C. Superior Court for a post disposition status hearing Friday.
Ingmar Guandique was sentenced to 60 years in prison following his 2010 conviction, but his lawyers are asking for a new trial, attacking the credibility of the key prosecution witness. Armando Morales, who had shared a cell with Guandique in Kentucky, and testified Guandique confessed that he was responsible for killing Levy.
At the trial, Morales denied that he had been a government informant on other cases and was lying for leniency.
Defense lawyers are gathering evidence to try to prove that Morales lied, was a confidential informant for prison authorities in Atlanta in a federal drug investigation, and cooperated in a probe of prison gangs. They are looking for proof Morales lied about Guandique’s confession. Without his testimony, the case against Guandique is based mostly on circumstantial evidence.
Chandra Levy's parents, who live in northern California, are not attending proceedings in D.C. They publically expressed some doubts about Guandique's guilt, saying they hope the right person was convicted but acknowledging some questions remain unanswered.