Mystery over death of missing intern

The discovery of the body of missing Washington intern Chandra Levy last night has solved one mystery but raised another.

Her disappearance over a year ago provoked a media frenzy after it was revealed she was having an affair with Gary Condit, a leading US Congressman.

But police and forensic experts admit they will have an uphill task in determining if the 24-year-old was murdered or died from other causes after such a length of time.

Parts of a skeleton, including the skull, clothing and a portable radio were found in Rock Creek park, a narrow strip of green that runs through the middle of Washington, by a man looking for turtles. Ms Levy was identified from dental records.

Washington police chief Charles Ramsey said that the "manner and cause of death" is still pending. "There is still a lot of work that has to been done at the medical examiner's office,'' he added.

The examiner, Dr Jonathan Arden, said he had received all the bones discovered in the park, but would not describe their condition or say how long it might take to determine when and how Ms Levy died. He said an anthropologist would help analyse them.

Ms Levy vanished some time after logging off from her computer at lunchtime on 1 May last year and leaving behind her wallet, credit card and cell phone. Records on the laptop's hard drive showed she had visited a website for Klingle Mansion in the Rock Creek park on the day of her disappearance.

Police had searched the 1,700-acre park several times in the past year. Her remains, along with a jogging bra and tennis shoes, were found on a steeply wooded slope about a mile north of the mansion and four miles from her home.

She had been working as an intern at the Bureau of Prisons when she struck up a friendship with Mr Condit, a Congressman from California.

In the early stages of the investigation, Mr Condit denied having an affair with Ms Levy, but later admitted their relationship under police questioning. The lawyer for the Levy family, Billy Martin, called the discovery of her body "the worst nightmare that a parent can endure".

"Although the discovery of Chandra's body closes one chapter and brings some resolution to this ordeal, it does not solve the mystery of what happened to her," he said.

Speaking outside the Levys' home in Modesto, California, family spokeswoman Judy Smith said: "Two parents have just received the most horrifying news they could ever receive."

Ms Levy was due to fly home for her graduation ceremony at the University of Southern California when she went missing. She had earlier told friends that Mr Condit was her lover after the two were introduced by a friend.

Mr Condit denied any involvement in her disappearance, despite months of speculation in the America tabloids to the contrary. He was ordered to answer questions about their relationship in a grand jury investigation last month.

The scandal destroyed his political career. He was defeated in a primary election for his seat in March and will be forced to leave Washington this autumn.

Mr Condit, who passed a lie detector test, said in a statement that he and his family "want to express their heartfelt sorrow and condolences to the Levy family. They will remain in our prayers".

His lawyer, Mark Geragos, criticised Washington police. saying: "This is not a redletter day for the DC police. Gary had nothing to do with Chandra's disappearance."

Now officially a "death investigation", the inquiry into the fate of Ms Levy is to all appearances a murder hunt, complete with the presence of "violent crime" detectives.

When a missing person case becomes a homicide, witnesses who were reluctant to talk often give valuable new evidence to police, police sources said today.