Well, we here at the SDMB have solved many mind-boggling crimes in the past, from O.J. Simpson to Jon-Benet Ramsey to William Desmond Taylor. So, what’s your input on the missing Washington intern?
Here’s a link for those of you not up on this story:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A26023-2001Jun20.html
The Butler did it!
Seriously, i suspect foul play, i am not sure on the serial killer theory, unless the only unsolved murders in the area happen to be women of similar build. I am sure if you look hard enough in many big cities, you can invent patterns in unsolved crime victims. But since boths sides seem to be running to lawyers and advoiding direct answers to questions, this is beginning to smell a lot like another Jon Benet case, with no answers for years.
Well, it’s hard to point a finger of blame with so little facts, but… I find the denials of a romantic link between congressman Condit incredulous. He’s a politician, she’s an attractive young woman, and I’d bet a banana they were in the sack sharing more than just sheets. No proof yet, of course.
As for fiendish plots like the congressman offing her to cover a pregnancy or whatever, that is just a little too Hollywood for my tastes. But I’m open to speculation. 
My Theory:
She gets herself whacked by random killer, but smart enough to dump the body somewhere clever. She’s friends with a congressman. Media picks up the story, and since there hasn’t been a big story in awhile, start hyping it and doing their own hamfisted investigation. The people involved, knowing that in the media you are automatically part of a dark, satanic conspiracy regardless of any actual “Facts”, start running for cover when 25million reporters come calling. Eventually, they are forced to hide behind lawyers for some relief.
Now, the cops can’t investigate because by this point, because no one involved is saying a word. The lawyers are also being quiet. So the police have to resort to subpoena’s, juries, ect. This gets the media even more fired up, and the whole mess reaches a critical mass wherein no matter what anyone does, it’s reported on with sadistic glee by the media, who keep professing to just be following the story because “The public has a right to know.” The real killer follows all this on TV, and grins because he’ll never be found with everyone on a wild goose chase.
I’ve been following this one via poynter.org (I think that’s the address). It’s a media news site, reports on the inner workings of the media. They’ve been very critical of this, which amounts to a few bored reporters making a news story where one didn’t really exist.
Who do I think did it? Doesn’t matter, they’ll never find them.
So murder & kidnapping aren’t news? Wow, I thought I was a cold cynic…
Besides, it was the congressman’s wife. Place your bets.
So murder & kidnapping aren’t news? Wow, I thought I was a cold cynic…
**
[/QUOTE]
I knew someone would make this comment. They are news. But do I, here in Jackson, care? No. Should I be bombarded with news about a case which doesn’t affect me? No. I ignored the OJ case. I’ll ignore this one. The press is free to do it’s best to interest me in this case. And I’m just as free to ignore it.
But we’re getting Off Topic here, this isn’t a debate about newsworthyness of murder and kidnapping, it’s a conspiracy thread.
“But we’re getting Off Topic here, this isn’t a debate about newsworthyness of murder and kidnapping, it’s a conspiracy thread.”
—It IS? Heavens, I’d no idea what I’d started . . . Don’t know me own strength . . .
Is that the same as getting yourself raped? Getting yourself pregnant?
Kind of an interesting, not to mention offensive, phrase…
-L
Professor Plum, in the Conservatory, with the candlestick.
My vote goes with ‘self induced’ disappearance.
Based on a total scarcity of information this theory is almost certain to be incorrect.
The plot 1:
A politician whose wife is not present treats young intern filled with stories of power and sex on the hill, kindly. She jumps to the conclusion that she is just what the jaded older man needs, and proceeds to construct a relationship. He goes off for weekend with wife, canceling his plans for a get together for lunch to go over the latest polls. She has informed others of ‘the relationship’. Now she starts to think that the ‘relationship’ may not really exist…
The plot 2:
She gets involved with local sleaze bag #1, they hatch a convoluted blackmail plot against the senator, and things get out of hand…
Some times an imagination is a bad thing
I’ve been following this case since the beginning, as it’s becoming the top local story here in DC.
I don’t have a firm theory about where Chandra Levy is, but I doubt she’s alive, alas. I also think that Rep. Condit is looking guiltier by the day. He’s either responsible, in some small or large way, and doing a rather poor job of covering it up, or he’s completely 100% innocent and has really bad advisors telling him to act coy and remain elusive.
I’d love to have seen the look on his face when he returned the call on his pager and ended up speaking to Chandra’s parents.
I suspect this will be really big news in the next few weeks. I’d rate the odds of Condit having to resign at better than 1% at this point.
Oh yeah? Well, I believe it was Thomas Crapper, in the Lavatory, with the plunger!
Do you suppose the Levy family knows Robert Blake?
My sources tell me that she was kidnapped by agents of the Republican Party, who then killed her by draining her blood and transfusing it into Sen. Strom Thurmond, ®-SC.
Levy, it seems, was a virgin all along, and Sen. Thurmond remains alive only by feeding off of the lifeblood of the young and pure. (It’s all part of a continuing program to have as many Republican Senators around as long as possible.)
The rumor about an affair with Rep. Condit is merely a red herring and a GOP smear job on a prominent Democrat to boot … It’s a neat way to forever lessen a politician’s profile by tying his name with the innuendo of murder and coverup - but it worked on Ted Kennedy, so if it ain’t broke why fix it?
The year isn’t but half over yet, but my money is on this to win the 2001 “Biggest Stretch To Find Something Offensive” award.
I hat to ell you this, but tons of adults go missing each month, quite a few under their own free will for whatever reason. Just because she had an affair with a senator does not mean that she was killed by that senator.
To be precise with our unfounded rumors, the missing woman is rumored to have had an affair with a Representative, not a Senator. I don’t think she is Dianne Feinstein or Barbara Boxer’s type.
Well, maybe after all this blows over we can get an update on Elian…
I just wish those television poll companies would call we one night so I can tell them that the television is turned OFF !
well, while I would agree that many folks may choose to ‘go missing’ for various reasons, I’d tend to believe that most who make that choice voluntarily don’t leave with only their keys in their hands (ie, no cash, cc, checks, clothes, toiletries etc.). It seemed clear that she planned to go away for a while, but left w/o her stuff.
To me, that signals this kind of scenario:
she’s planning on leaving for a trip, we don’t know what kind (going back to moms/we just broke up and I want to get away/ my new lover wants to go somewhere special/I just have to go to the WWF meet this weekend/whatever). Some one rings from downstairs/on the street (‘hey, I’m in front of your building would you come down for a sec?’), she grabs keys and goes.
Now, at this point, the unknown person could be one of several types:
some one posing as a delivery person (I’ve got flowers/package/whatever for you), and said person was intent on kidnap for fun and profit or some serial killer type we’ve just not heard about yet. Or she ran down to drop something in the mailbox/trash/whatever and had the bad luck to get snatched by random serial killer.
some one she knows.
a. The ‘unknown lover’ who, when she comes down, convinces her to 'let’s just go now, it’ll be so romantic, you won’t need any clothes where we’re going, ’ and she agrees to go. At that point, either an accidental death and the person can’t tell for what would be obvious reasons if we knew who it was (wife or whatever) or the intent all along was to kill her.
b. Another person from her romantic past. said person would be attempting to get her to ‘talk’ to them about their own break up or whatever. said person then convinces her to get in a vehicle to ‘go have coffee’ or whatever.
she’s really pissed at her family/friends and wants to be left alone and is really ok somewhere on top of a mountain hideaway.
In order of least likely:
Length of time gone plus lack of funds to pay for expenses while gone makes this very unlikely IMHO.
This seems not very likely to me, since there would be too much potential for some sort of a struggle to go on, bringing unwanted attention to the scene.
b. Again, my problem with this sort of scene is that the luggage was by the door. That to me, signals, she was expecting to leave momentarily, which means again, she’d be less likely to agree to ‘go for coffee’ whatever/ and the risk of a struggle ? nah.
2 a. This is the most likely scenario, IMHO. and, to me, sadly, it’s more likely that the intent all along was to kill her. While I can mentally see the ‘let’s just go, it’ll be so romantic’, I still think she’d go back upstairs just to either grab her purse (what woman leaves to go anywhere w/o her purse?) or to call mom and tell her not to worry or whatever.
Now, is it the congressman? Too soon to tell.
Now I hate to douse the flames of conspiracy and accusation, but shouldn’t we wait until the cops have finished their investigation and there are some actual facts about the case to debate?
After all, the only person I have ever heard of who is connected in any way with Ms. Levy is the congressman. So who would my suspicion have to fall on? The congressman. Not because there’s any actual evidence that he did it, but because I know of no one else to suspect.
Can anyone here name a person connected to Ms. Levy besides the congressman? Can anyone else name a person the public might consider as a suspect besides the congressman?
Doesn’t Repesentative Condit deserve the presumption of innocence until there’s some actual evidence he may be guilty?
Oh. Good point, he is a politician after all… 
Is there any evidence he may be guilty?
I really hope she’s still alive. If she’s not, I really hope the police find the person(s) responsible.