As if we didn't know this, now it is official!
[size=4]Chandra Levy's death deemed a homicide[/size=4]
May 28, 2002 Posted: 12:29 PM EDT (1629 GMT)
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Washington's medical examiner said Tuesday that Chandra Levy's death was a homicide, but exactly how she died may always be a mystery.
"It is possible we will never know specifically the injury that caused her death," D.C. Medical Examiner Jonathan Arden said in a news conference.
The announcement confirmed what authorities already suspected about Levy, whose skeletal remains were found in Washington's Rock Creek Park Wednesday -- along with a sweatshirt, sneakers and a Sony Walkman tape player in an area thick with underbrush -- by a man walking his dog.
"The circumstances of her disappearance and her discovery -- having been secluded in the park and taking into account the personal effects that were found at the scene -- allows me to conclude that her death was homicidal in nature," he said.
He said the condition of the remains was consistent with the time of her disappearance last year, but he couldn't determine whether Levy died at the scene or if her body was taken there.
The announcement, which opens the door to a formal homicide investigation by the Washington Police Department, preceded a scheduled memorial service Tuesday in Levy's hometown of Modesto, California.
The service is set to start at 11 a.m. PDT (2 p.m. EDT) at Modesto Centre Plaza, the largest indoor venue in the city. About 1,500 chairs have been set up for the service, but organizers say they're prepared to handle an overflow crowd.
Parents Robert and Susan Levy are expected to make their first public appearance since their daughter's death was confirmed last week.
Ingmar Guandique, a 22-year-old laborer from El Salvador, is serving a 10-year prison sentence for the assaults, one of which occurred two weeks after Levy's disappearance.
The search for Levy drew massive publicity largely because of her connection to Rep. Gary Condit, D-California.
Her family and police sources say the two had an affair, but the lawmaker has publicly acknowledged only a friendship and refused to describe it further. Police sources said he confirmed a romantic relationship with Levy during one interview with investigators.
See article at:[url]http://www.cnn.com/2002/US/05/28/chandra.levy/index.html[/url]
Eric The(Book'Em,Danno!)Hun[>]:)]