Timeline: Chandra Levy Case
WASHINGTON -- Chandra Levy, a former federal intern in Washington, was lastseen April 30, 2001, at a Washington health club and her remains were found more than a year later on May 22, 2002. Here is a timeline of the case, starting a few months before her disappearance.
September 2000
Chandra Levy visits Washington with her mother and father to find an apartment for her upcoming Federal Bureau of Prisons internship.
Friday, Sept. 14, 2000
Chandra arrives in Washington to begin her internship and living arrangement.
Thursday, Nov. 23, 2000
Levy spends Thanksgiving weekend with her aunt, Linda Zamsky, on the eastern shore of Maryland. Zamsky recalls Chandra first telling her of a boyfriend who is in his 50s and "looks like Harrison Ford." By the end of the weekend, Zamsky said, Levy revealed her mystery boyfriend was a congressman.
Saturday, Dec. 23, 2000Levy e-mails a friend: "Everything else here in D.C. is going good, my man will be coming back here when Congress starts up again … Don't tell [a friend in Rep. Gary Condit's office] who I am seeing, since [she] … thinks that I am dating an FBI agent."
Mid-January 2001
Levy calls landlord about possibly breaking lease to move in with unidentified boyfriend. Landlord thinks she hasn't vetted it with the boyfriend. Weeks later, Levy tells him it didn't work out.
Friday, April 6, 2001
The Levy family comes to Washington from California to join Chandra for Passover weekend at aunt Linda Zamsky's home in Chesapeake, Md. Bob and Susan Levy, Chandra's mother and father, stay at a nearby hotel. But Chandra sleeps at Zamsky's and confides that her boyfriend gave her a bracelet. Later, she lets slip that her boyfriend is Rep. Gary Condit, D-Calif.
Monday, April 23, 2001
Levy's last day interning for the Bureau of Prisons.
Friday, April 27, 2001
According to police sources and the Levy family, Condit gave this date to the parents as the last date on which he and Chandra had spoken by phone. This contradicts what police say Condit told them about the date Condit gave as the date of his last phone contact with Chandra: April 29.
Saturday, April 28, 2001
Levy leaves two messages on landlord's machine saying that her job had ended abruptly. She e-mails that she would like to move out soon — May 5 or 6 — because "I have no real reason to stay around here." Condit's wife arrived in Washington. According to Condit's office, she was picked up at 7:30 p.m. ET by the congressman and a staffer. From there, they proceeded to a restaurant.
Sunday, April 29, 2001
Aunt Linda Zamsky says she received a phone message from Chandra, who needed to talk about something important. Zamsky does not return the call immediately and subsequently learns of the disappearance. Levy calls her landlord and tells him her job has ended earlier than expected and she will need to return home to California. Condit's staff says he had brunch, went shopping and visited the office with his wife. Later, they bought groceries at an Italian shop and returned to his apartment to cook dinner. Police sources tell ABCNEWS this is the date Condit gave them for his last phone conversation with Levy.
Monday, April 30, 2001Levy cancels membership at Washington Sports Club. She leaves the gym sometime after 7 p.m. ET. Condit's timeline has staff picking him up for work in the morning. At 11:30 a.m. ET, he goes to the White House for lunch. At 1:30 p.m., he heads back to Capitol Hill. At 5:30 p.m., he returned home for dinner with his wife.
Tuesday, May 1, 2001
Levy's parents receive her final e-mail to them. She surfs the Internet until 1 p.m. Condit's office says his staff picks him up for work in the morning. He meets with the vice president at 12:30 p.m., returns to the office at 3:30 p.m., has a doctor's appointment at 5 p.m. and casts votes. Later, according to Condit's office, he has dinner at home with his wife.
Wednesday, May 2, 2001 Landlord calls Levy to check on final departure date. There is no answer. According to Condit's office, he starts the day as usual with a ride to work with staff. He attends some agriculture and intelligence meetings and votes around 11:30 a.m. At noon, there's a meeting with the California congressional delegation. After that, there's another trip to the White House. At 2:30 p.m., he's back at the Capitol for more meetings. After casting votes around 4 p.m., Condit meets at a coffee shop in his neighborhood with an ABCNEWS reporter at 4:30 p.m. Later that night, he has dinner with his wife.
Thursday, May 3, 2001Landlord calls and e-mails Levy, thinking something is wrong because she was usually meticulous about returning calls and messages. There is no response Thursday, Friday or Saturday. Separately, Levy's parents call the apartment's building manager and ask him to open Chandra's apartment and see if she's there. The manager refuses, saying he can't by law. Condit's wife leaves Washington.
Saturday, May 5, 2001Levy's parents call the police. Feeling police were brushing them off, mother Susan Levy later calls Condit, according to The Washington Post, to ask for help. During the call, she asks Condit if he was having an affair with Chandra; he denies it.
Sunday, May 6, 2001
Police ask to see Levy's apartment after parents say Chandra suffers from bad allergies and could be in need of medical attention. Door is opened. Police take a cursory look around and leave.
Monday, May 7, 2001
Condit's office says the congressman asked police about setting up a reward for finding Levy and asked the FBI to help with the investigation. The FBI did get involved, but at the request of Washington police. The building manager says two more police returned to the apartment and took a thorough look around on May 7 or 8.
Thursday, May 10, 2001
Condit and Levy's parents announce the formation of a $25,000 reward fund. Condit adds $10,000 from campaign treasury along with the statement: "Chandra is a great person and a good friend. We hope she is found safe and sound."
Friday, May 11, 2001Levy misses graduation ceremony at the University of Southern California.
Wednesday, May 16, 2001 Levy's parents meet with Washington police, the FBI and a U.S. attorney for about three hours. Police say cadaver dogs have found nothing in parks or along the Potomac and Anacostia rivers. WRC-TV reports Condit told police Levy was a friend who visited him at his home.
Thursday, May 17, 2001
Condit releases a statement: "All of us should focus our efforts on getting her home … it is not appropriate for any of us to make any further public comments about the facts of this case or to speculate about a matter that is under police investigation." Police say they will get a warrant for the next search of Levy's apartment, so any evidence that turns up can be admissible in court.
Friday, May 18, 2001
The Washington Post quotes a deputy police chief saying Levy had visited Condit's apartment several times. The police chief later denies the statement. Several tenants in Condit's apartment building tell ABCNEWS they have been contacted by a homicide detective. Levy's friends, family and supporters hold a vigil in Sacramento, Calif.
Saturday, May 19, 2001Friends, neighbors and sympathizers hold a vigil in Levy's Northwest Washington neighborhood.
Thursday, May 24, 2001
In another conversation with Susan Levy, Condit describes his relationship with Chandra as "professional."
Thursday, June 7, 2001
The Washington Post reports that Condit told police Levy had spent the night at his condo, though the paper doesn't say when. Condit's spokesman lashes out: "Congressman Condit did not make those statements to the police." The Post refuses to retract its story. Condit's office announces that he has hired a lawyer, Joseph Cotchett.
Monday, June 11, 2001
Condit's new lawyer, Joseph Cotchett, fires off a letter to The Washington Post demanding a retraction. Cotchett insists Condit never told police that Levy spent the night, but the letter says nothing about the allegation itself. Police visit Condit's office to talk to him and are told he is not there, law enforcement sources say.
Wednesday, June 13, 2001
Police go to Condit's apartment to talk to him and are told it's not a good time, law enforcement sources say.
Thursday, June 14, 2001 Levy's parents urge Condit to break his public silence. "I think he could come out and share what he does know. We would appreciate his help." Condit's office says "he's cooperated all along."
Tuesday, June 19, 2001Levy's parents return to Washington to meet with their new attorney, Billy Martin, and to increase pressure on police — and Condit.
Thursday, June 21, 2001
Condit meets with Susan Levy, mother of the missing intern. Also present were Martin and Condit's new criminal lawyer, Abbe Lowell.
Saturday, June 23, 2001
After a week of scheduling conflicts on both sides, Condit and police finally sit down for a second interview. Police called the meeting "productive" but said it did nothing to shed light on Levy's whereabouts.
Monday, July 2, 2001
United Airlines flight attendant Anne Marie Smith goes public on Fox News Channel with claims that she had an affair with Condit. Smith also claims Condit and his lawyers pressed her to sign an affidavit lying about the alleged affair. Condit and one of his lawyers denied the claims.
Thursday, July 5, 2001
Agents and police interview Condit's wife Carolyn at the FBI's office in Northern Virginia. The congressman accompanied her, but did not sit in on the session.
Friday, July 6, 2001
Aunt Linda Zamsky goes public on ABCNEWS.com and in The Washington Post with her account of Levy's relationship with Condit. Condit's lawyer says the allegations are not relevant to the search for Levy. Police say they are pursuing Condit's cellular phone records. Condit's third interview with police. Sources tell ABCNEWS that Condit finally, after two months of failing to reveal the information, admitted to police that he had a sexual relationship with the missing woman. Condit made the admission in his third interview with police a day earlier.
Sunday, July 8, 2001
Sources tell ABCNEWS the Levy family will call on Condit to take a lie detector test. Asked whether Condit would agree, his lawyer Abbe Lowell tells ABCNEWS, "We'll cross that bridge if we come to it."
Tuesday, July 10, 2001
Police and FBI forensics investigators enter and search Condit's apartment just before 11 p.m. Earlier in the day, flight attendant Anne Marie Smith, who claims Condit tried to get her to lie about an affair, heads to Washington as investigators consider whether the congressman may have tried to obstruct justice in the search for Levy.
Wednesday, July 11, 2001
Early this morning, forensic investigators wrap up a three-hour search of Condit's apartment. Prosecutors later interview flight attendant Anne Marie Smith for six hours.
Thursday, July 12, 2001
Condit turns over a DNA sample to police. With few other leads to pursue, investigators search abandoned apartment buildings for signs of Levy.
Friday, July 13, 2001
Condit's lawyer announces a privately administered lie detector test has showed the congressman to be truthful in denying any knowledge of Levy's disappearance. Abbe Lowell said the test shows Condit is cooperating with investigators. But police are surprised at the development and complain that Condit did not take an FBI test, as requested.
Monday, July 16, 2001
U.S. Park Police on horseback join police academy cadets in combing through the woods of Rock Creek Park in Northwest Washington. Investigators say they believe Levy surfed an Internet site for directions to a historic mansion in the park on the day she vanished.
Tuesday, July 24, 2001
Susan and Robert Levy, the parents of missing intern Chandra Levy, release another home video of their daughter. This one, taped in 1999, has her talking about her life and plans.
Thursday, July 26, 2001
Condit grants his fourth interview with investigators. Police and FBI, including agents constructing a victimization profile of Levy, are in on the interview.
Friday, July 27, 2001Condit aide Mike Dayton denies allegations that he tried to get former staffer Jolene McKay to lie about her alleged affair with Condit.
Thursday, Aug. 2, 2001
An anonymous tip claiming Chandra Levy's body was buried on the grounds of a military installation near Richmond, Va. sparks a media frenzy. Police and FBI later debunk the tip as bogus.
Friday, Aug. 3, 2001
Condit returns to California for the August congressional recess.
Sunday, Aug. 12, 2001The largest newspapers in Condit's district, the Modesto Bee and Fresno Bee, call on the congressman to resign.
Monday, Aug. 20, 2001
Condit's camp releases a statement announcing they have chosen ABCNEWS' Connie Chung for the congressman's first interview: "From day one, Congressman Condit has cooperated with law enforcement authorities on the Chandra Levy investigation. He will respond publicly this week to questions regarding her tragic disappearance. On Thursday night, August 23, 2001, Congressman Condit will sit down with Connie Chung in an ABC televised interview."
Tuesday, Aug. 21, 2001Condit sits down for a 90-minute interview with two People magazine reporters in Beverly Hills, Calif.
Wednesday, Aug. 22, 2001Condit and his top aides work late into the night putting finishing touches on a letter that is mailed out to some 200,000 constituents.
Thursday, Aug. 23, 2001
After four months of public silence, Condit launches a media blitz. In a letter bulk-mailed to constituents in his California congressional district, denies having anything to do with the disappearance of Levy. He gives his first television interview, a 30-minute session with ABCNEWS' Connie Chung. In the interview, Condit insists he did not kill or harm Levy. He also accuses nearly everyone else involved with the case — Levy's parents and aunt, other women, police, his lawyers — of misrepresenting him.
Wednesday, Aug. 29, 2001
Chad and Cadee Condit, the congressman's adult children, resign from their positions in California Gov. Gray Davis' office after the longtime Condit ally said that he was disappointed in the way Condit represented himself in the Connie Chung interview and wished he had been more forthcoming about his relationship with Levy.
Monday, Sept. 10, 2001
A grand jury decides not to investigate Condit for alleged obstruction of justice in the Levy case.
Friday, Dec. 7, 2001
Condit announces he will seek re-election, barely meeting the filing deadline.
Tuesday, March 5, 2002Condit is overwhelmingly defeated by a former aide in the Democratic congressional primary in his district.
Thursday, March 7, 2002Carolyn Condit, the congressman's wife, threatens to sue TV's Law & Order over a fictional story line that resembled the Levy case. In the episode, a missing intern's killer turns out to be the politician's wife.
Wednesday, May 22, 2002A man walking his dog discovers skeletal remains in Washington's Rock Creek Park. Using dental records, medical examiners determine that the remains are those of Chandra Levy.
Tuesday, May 28, 2002Washington medical examiner Jonathan Arden concludes Levy was a homicide, but says there is not enough evidence to determine the manner of death.