A congressional sex scandal. An attractive government intern murdered. In Finding Chandra (review on p. 60), Scott Higham and Sari Horwitz recount the 2001 case that riveted the nation.
What was it about Chandra Levy's murder that ignited such intense media coverage?
Twenty-four-year-old Levy was having an affair with her hometown congressman, Gary Condit, at the time of her disappearance. When details about the affair were leaked to the news media, it appeared that Condit was hiding something, and many in the police department and the press began to speculate that he might have had something to do with her disappearance. The combination of a congressman, a missing intern, a secret affair, and a possible murder set in the nation's capital was irresistible to the media and quickly elevated the story to a national scandal.
What role did timing play in the media's coverage of the Levy case?
Timing was key. For politicians in Washington, summer is the worst time of the year to be caught in a scandal—there are hundreds of reporters in town assigned to cover official Washington, all of whom are looking for stories as the city slows down and prepares for the end of the legislative session. Chandra's disappearance sadly became the perfect story to occupy the dog days of summer—until terrorists struck on September 11, and the case that had dominated the headlines suddenly disappeared. It took eight months and a lucky break before the case was back in the national news.
What challenges did you face conducting your own investigation into the facts of the case and the way it was handled by the police, so many years after Levy's death?
We faced many challenges. We had to start from the very beginning to piece the case together. We had to obtain as many confidential documents as we could to determine what clues were missed and how the homicide investigation went awry. It was also difficult gaining the trust of witnesses and other people involved in the case because so many were angry at the news media. Nine years later, emotions still ran high about the murder and who might have been responsible.
Both of you have written extensively on violent subjects, including prisoner abuse at Abu Ghraib, the D.C. sniper shootings, and deaths of children in the D.C. foster care system. What appealed to you about writing Chandra Levy's story?
We've always tried to pursue stories that might make a difference. We were intrigued by the possibility of finding something the police and the FBI had missed in a high-profile murder case in the middle of the nation's capital. As former Washington interns ourselves, we both identified with Chandra, and as parents we identified with her mother and father.
