WASHINGTON, D.C. (WUSA) -- More than a decade after her murder, there's a potentially explosive new development in the death of Washington intern Chandra Levy.
The judge has held two confidential hearings about a prosecution witness -- potentially the key prosecution witness.
I talked to Chandra Levy's mom on the phone today, and she's not sure what to make of these closed door hearings. But she admits she's still not completely certain the man convicted two years ago of killing her daughter actually did it.
The critical witness in the case was Ingmar Guandique's cellmate, an admitted gangmember named Armando Morales, who testified that Guandique admitted to him "I killed that b..., but I didn't rape her."
It's not clear if Morales is the witness defense, prosecutors and the judge have spent four hours talking about now in an unusual series of closed-door hearings over the last two months.
Susan Levy says the judge would not even let her lawyer listen in. "She couldn't get in. Neither of them could get in. It's private." "How did you feel about that?" "We'll no matter what happens, it won't bring my daughter back."
"What I'm surprised about it that the courtroom is locked, no one can get in," says star DCdefense attorney Bernie Grimm, who listened to much of the testimony in the Guandique trial. He says prosecutors have an obligation to tell the judge and his lawyers about any information that might call into question a witnesses credibility. "That obligation carries over after trial. It carries over after sentencing and on appeal. Any information that helps the defense...they need to turn over. It's not even a close call."
Chandra Levy's murder was an international media circus in 2001, in part because she was having an affair with a married Congressman.
Susan Levy admits her courtroom confrontation with Guandique left her wondering. "The judge was upset with me, but I asked him, and pointed to him. 'did you kill my daughter. and he said no. But how do I know. But it made me think a little bit."
Superior Court Judge Gerald Fisher never really explained why he was sealing the transcript and keeping the hearings private. He would only say "information has come to the government's attention" and that "disclosure might create safety issues."
A dogged reporter for Levy's hometown Modesto Bee newspaper was at the hearing and broke the story.
There's another hearing next month, so maybe we'll find out then.
Written and Reported By Bruce Leshan
9News Now & wusa9.com
Twitter: @BruceLeshan
