Surely everyone has seen the unsolved mysteries episode called 'The Other Intern' regarding the disappearance of three young woman-Joyce Chang, Sandra Levy and Christine Mersiance- similar in looks, height, location and career. the episode mostly focuses on Joyce Chang who tragically disappeared on January 9th 1999 and asks the question is a serial killers preying on young women whose careers involve politics? This episode has always fascinated me and the police departments behaviours after the disappearances is completely baffling! First when Joyce's body was finally discovered on the banks of a river the police department stated that they couldn't continue the investigation because they couldn't identify the cause of death and that is absurd! Next they suggested that Joyce may have committed suicide but this is a woman without a history of depression and had everything to live for good friends and career. Some of her possessions were found near the banks of the Anacosta river including a jacket that had a clean rip running down the back- why would Joyce take off her jacket and throw her possessions down on the riverbank before running into the river to commit suicide- its just not a theory that makes sense! and why was the jacket ripped in this way? you definately can't overlook foul play in this instance. Lastly the message 'Good day JC may i never miss the thrill of being near you' was found near where Joyce was last sighted- JC- the same initials as Joyce Chang and the content of the message is very eerie and may be connected to the case in some way. Joyce Chang was murdered period she didn't commit suicide. Finally the the police department stated that the case was to be closed as there was no further information regarding why she went missing and there was no indication of foul play! Look at the evidence and think again! The also thought that the three young woman's cases weren't connected in any way whatsoeva despite their many similarities. Sandra Levy went out for a run one day in 2001 and went missing her bones being discovered about 13 months after she had disappeared. Christine Mersiance was raped and murdered while walking home from a bbq. All three women had worked for a congress at some point in their career. I believe that there is a connection between the three women and believe that a serial killer was on the loose in Washington and took these innocent lives. What do you guys think? Unfortunately the investigations were closed and the mystery remains unsolved today.

I don't think that the murders really had anything to do with the the fact the women had all been interns at some point. I actually think that's a coincidence based on the area where the women were taken from. It's kind of a trendy part of washington DC that's full of former interns.

Because Joyce was a gov't lawyer, the FBI investigated her murder and it still didn't help the case. You would think that having the nation's official crime fighting organization, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, involved, would really increase the chances of solving the case.

But no, with nothing but evidence of foul play, the family was told that she committed suicide by drowning herself in the freezing cold river one night.

I don't believe it. Joyce was murdered, and most likely it was by the same guy who killed the other two. His victims were all in the same age range and had very dark hair, among other similarities.

Laura, I see that you're from OZ...

Have you read the USA news that there is a suspect in custody in Chandra Levy's murder? He says he's innocent, but hopefully we'll find out the truth.

If he's guilty of killing Chandra, I think they need to look to him for answers in the other two murders. He's already been convicted of attacking other women at the same time that Chandra Levy was murdered, but those victims survived.

Here's a quote from an article:

Ingmar Guandique, an illegal immigrant from El Salvador, has been serving a 10-year sentence for attacking two other women at knifepoint in Rock Creek Park about the same time that Levy disappeared. Levy's body was found in the park a year later.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/27/AR2009052701430.html?hpid=sec-metro

Laura, I see that you're from OZ...

Have you read the USA news that there is a suspect in custody in Chandra Levy's murder? He says he's innocent, but hopefully we'll find out the truth.

If he's guilty of killing Chandra, I think they need to look to him for answers in the other two murders. He's already been convicted of attacking other women at the same time that Chandra Levy was murdered, but those victims survived.

Here's a quote from an article:

Ingmar Guandique, an illegal immigrant from El Salvador, has been serving a 10-year sentence for attacking two other women at knifepoint in Rock Creek Park about the same time that Levy disappeared. Levy's body was found in the park a year later.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/27/AR2009052701430.html?hpid=sec-metro

Tracy Lynn

Yes im from Australia and i had to order the Unsolved Mysteries Collection from America a few years ago after first viewing the episodes shown on the Crime Investigation Channel on Foxtel. I am absolutely fascinated by the bizzare murder segments especially the one about Joyce Chang. Thanks for the article link about the Chandra Levy case it was quite fascinating thats the bad thing about living in Oz you dont get to read the American newspaper so thanks again :) and yes i agree the the three cases are similar as they all lived in the same area and has similar physical characteristics. Do you know anything else about the case? Apparently, (i researched more about the Joyce Chang murder) Joyce's brother was arrested years later for fraud or something which i found interesting.

I really don't know too much more about the cases. I didn't follow them back when they happened.

Chandra Levy's case was really sensationalized because she had been having an affair with a gov't official, so her story was constantly on tv. The problem was that those tv shows always seemed to focus on the tabloid gossip aspect and didn't really care about a genuine investigation.

Honestly, I never really believed that Joyce committed suicide because it was such an odd way to do it...jumping into a freezing river...there are easier ways. However, I do remember reading something somewhere that Joyce was having major issues at work and was about to get fired for some type of coverup. The family tried to hush it up...I don't remember where I heard it though. I still believe though she was killed.....

I tend to believe more that Chandra's and Micheles' crimes are connected and I believe the guy they have in custody in Chandra's case did both. The guy attacked a number of woman who were running or in parks. If I remember correctly Michele was taking a detour through a park and that is where her body was found. I think the guy waited to find solo woman in parks and attacked them.

Honestly, I never really believed that Joyce committed suicide because it was such an odd way to do it...jumping into a freezing river...there are easier ways. However, I do remember reading something somewhere that Joyce was having major issues at work and was about to get fired for some type of coverup. The family tried to hush it up...I don't remember where I heard it though. I still believe though she was killed.....

I tend to believe more that Chandra's and Micheles' crimes are connected and I believe the guy they have in custody in Chandra's case did both. The guy attacked a number of woman who were running or in parks. If I remember correctly Michele was taking a detour through a park and that is where her body was found. I think the guy waited to find solo woman in parks and attacked them.

yes i agree she was murdered but its interesting to know that she was having trouble at work and was about to get fired.. i never knew that. Wonder where you heard that from.

yes i agree she was murdered but its interesting to know that she was having trouble at work and was about to get fired.. i never knew that. Wonder where you heard that from.

Yeah, I hadn't heard that Joyce was having problems at work. IIRC, they were always saying how happy she was that she was doing a job that she had always wanted, and how successful she was, life was good, with a good solid career, and happy relationships with friends and family.

I'd really like to find out more about this part of the story.

yes i had heard that she was really happy with her job and was well liked by everyone and was just a happy person so thats why they couldn't understand or believe that idea the Joyce had committed suicide- mind you i couldn't understand it either it just didn't add up. I still believe that the FBI and police didn't investigate this case properly and because of this the case ran cold and now we may never know what happened to Joyce Chiang.

I posted the following on another thread:

In the mid to late 90's there was a conspiracy theory (fueled primarily by right wing media outlets, talk radio, et. al.) that the Joyce Chiang case and another female government employee who was found murdered in a gov't bldg. were related and that the perpetrator was somehow tied to the Clinton Administration. This (somehow) also involved the Monica Lewinsky (also an intern). Also, I seem to recall shortly before the Lewinsky scandal broke, another female intern was shot and killed during a robery of a coffee shop in or around Du Pont Circle. While I disimissed it at the time as a conspiracy thoery, it is interesting to see the similarities of these cases; the fact that all of the women had similar appearances and ties to the federal gov't (w/ 4 of them being interns); and that they all remain unsolved to this day.

Another point of interest is that Joyce's brother, who was interviewed for the UM segment later pled guilty to crimes related to the Chinagate scandal of the Clinton administration. I forget his name (Roger, possibly?), but you can easily locate the story.

Finally, I always thought the graffetti "Good day JC, may I never miss the thrill of being near you" was likely a reference to THE JC (Jesus). I mean, why would anyone abduct someone drive them away from the location to kill them, and then return to an alley near the abduction to leave such a msg? Who knows?

I still believe that the FBI and police didn't investigate this case properly and because of this the case ran cold and now we may never know what happened to Joyce Chiang.

The FBI major case squad and DC metro homicide did the best they could considering how many other murders they had to deal with. They had scores of drug murders and gang murders as well as two potential serial killers along with a very high profile murder of a deaf student (I think that happened at the same time?)

I tend to have a lot of sympathy for DC metro police because they work in such unusual circumstances from other large US city police departments. They have no state or county police to help them and they have to deal with the double standard of helping the federal govt and yet getting little in return when they themselves need help.

The Washington FBI field office is the only field office that has to concentrate on all 5 of these priorities
1. Terrorism
2. Espionage
3. Federal Corruption
4. State/Local Corruption
5. Violent Crimes & Major Offenders (at least they used to )

With all those priorities, It's no wonder they've dropped out of violent crime and narcotics.

The FBI major case squad and DC metro homicide did the best they could considering how many other murders they had to deal with. They had scores of drug murders and gang murders as well as two potential serial killers along with a very high profile murder of a deaf student (I think that happened at the same time?)

I tend to have a lot of sympathy for DC metro police because they work in such unusual circumstances from other large US city police departments. They have no state or county police to help them and they have to deal with the double standard of helping the federal govt and yet getting little in return when they themselves need help.

The Washington FBI field office is the only field office that has to concentrate on all 5 of these priorities
1. Terrorism
2. Espionage
3. Federal Corruption
4. State/Local Corruption
5. Violent Crimes & Major Offenders (at least they used to )

With all those priorities, It's no wonder they've dropped out of violent crime and narcotics.


yes see i understand that the FBI are always busy investigating something and that they alot on their plates but i mean im sure the Joyce Chiang was not the only person this killer had murdered so surely they should have seen a connection between Joyce and Chandra Levy and others etc. i still think that they should have investigated it better.

yes see i understand that the FBI are always busy investigating something and that they alot on their plates but i mean im sure the Joyce Chiang was not the only person this killer had murdered so surely they should have seen a connection between Joyce and Chandra Levy and others etc. i still think that they should have investigated it better.

1. There was also a political angle on this case, being that Chandra Levy had relations with a US senator Condit. There were a lot of republicans who had an interest in seeing Condit put away. Have to figure there is some pressure being mounted to go in that direction. Sadly even the FBI is not beyond political pressure. :(

2. There were only two murders that could really be tied together. The usual rule of thumb in investigations is for 3 murders to be tied before you declare a serial killer is loose.

3. DC cops were also lenient to have to declare a serial killer since there was already two other potential serial killers they had to deal with at the time.

1. There was also a political angle on this case, being that Chandra Levy had relations with a US senator Condit. There were a lot of republicans who had an interest in seeing Condit put away. Have to figure there is some pressure being mounted to go in that direction. Sadly even the FBI is not beyond political pressure. :(

2. There were only two murders that could really be tied together. The usual rule of thumb in investigations is for 3 murders to be tied before you declare a serial killer is loose.

3. DC cops were also lenient to have to declare a serial killer since there was already two other potential serial killers they had to deal with at the time.

really i didn't know that? who were the other two potential serial killers and what were there crimes?

is anyone familiar with this case ,if so what did u think of it ,has it been solved ,and has it been seen on spike

is anyone familiar with this case ,if so what did u think of it ,has it been solved ,and has it been seen on spike


as far as i know this case hasnt been solved which is unfortunate i think that Joyce was definately murdered, she didnt commit suicide and was preyed upon by a serial killer who i believe killed several other women around the same time. There is a connection between Joyce and two of the other victims which leads me to believe there is in fact a connection. Im not sure if it has been seen on spike sorry. What are your theories?

Here's a news story from today about Chandra Levy's killer. Anyone think he could be responsible for Joyce Chang's murder?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101122/ap_on_re_us/us_chandra_levy

I don't usually buy into the theory of a single serial killer targeting all the women in a particular region. When the UM episode aired, I was willing to give some credence to the possibility that the same perpetrator might have stalked both Levy and Chiang due to their residing in the same neighborhood/patronizing the same establishments.

Now it's known that Levy was attacked and murdered in the park by Guandique, who attacked other women there as well. While he could still be the perpetrator in Chiang's death, it's just as much a possibility that she was accosted by someone else (either around Starbucks or on the walk home) who took her off in a vehicle and murdered her.

Apparently, police have a new theory about Joyce's death:

http://www.myfoxdc.com/dpp/news/loca...-chiang-012511

By PAUL WAGNER/ myfoxdc

WASHINGTON - DC Police are one step closer to solving the 1999 disappearance of Joyce Chiang, a Government attorney who vanished twelve years ago under mysterious circumstances.

Fox Five has learned police have identified two suspects who investigators believe abducted Chiang from her Dupont Circle neighborhood with the intention of robbing her. In the last several months investigators have uncovered evidence Chiang was taken to the banks of the Anacostia River, where she may have died trying to get away from her captors.

Joyce Chiang was last seen walking on Connecticut Avenue the night of January 9th, 1999. She was on her way to a Dupont Circle Starbucks where she planned to get a cup of tea. From there, Chiang told friends she would walk the five blocks to her home on Church Street.

But on that bitterly cold night Chiang disappeared. For days it was a complete mystery until the I-N-S Attorney's Government ID and other belongings were found on the banks of the Anacostia River near the Douglas Bridge.

Because Joyce worked for the Federal Government the FBI got involved. While Federal Agents tried to retrace Chiang's last steps, her brother Roger gathered friends and family for nightly vigils where she was last seen.

"What we are all going through right now is a living hell, it is a living hell". Chiang told the crowd.

But nearly twelve weeks later the family's hopes were dashed when a canoeist found Joyce's body on the banks of the Potomac River in Fairfax County. The remains were so decomposed the medical examiner was unable to determine how she died.

Months went by and then a year. What happened to Joyce?

With no clear answer to how she died a top DC Police official suggested Joyce Chiang may have committed suicide.

"I was very enraged by that quote" Said Roger Chiang in a July 2001 interview, "because I found it very irresponsible that the deputy, the executive assistant police chief is saying stuff like that".

Police Chief Charles Ramsey tried to repair the damage by telling reporters it was just one of a number of possibilities.

In that same July interview Chiang said, "You know what they really need to do? Start over from scratch, give it to a new investigator who will give it an honest look at Joyce's case."

Now, 12 years later law enforcement sources say investigators believe Joyce Chiang may have died while trying to get away from the men who abducted her. They believe she may have slipped on the ice and fallen into the Anacostia River. With the banks so icy she couldn’t get out.

In an interview Tuesday Roger Chiang told Fox 5, "It was a cold night and from the scenario and from what the prosecutors and investigators have told me it all makes sense of what happened that night".

Chiang says he first learned police were onto something new last spring and prayed they would find the people responsible for his sister’s death.

"My family is so happy right now with the news the Prosecutor and the police have re-examined Joyce's case and they have come to the conclusion, the long conclusion that I have been making years ago that Joyce did not commit suicide that this is indeed a homicide and then for the news to be relayed to us that this case is going to come to a resolution is just great news".

Law enforcement sources say one of the suspects is locked up in a Federal Prison serving a life sentence for kidnapping, the other is in a country that does not have an extradition treaty with the U.S. Sources say the suspects were developed through a series of jailhouse interviews.

I found this case to be one of the most well-produced for a later episode in the series. I just watched it with headphones on and the music is eerie, scene transition is well done, and the reenactments are done well, especially the brother worriedly going into her room when she doesn't return. I believe the cases aren't related (though it was definitely easier to conclude this at the time) but nevertheless I HATE the attitude of the policeman interviewed and wholeheartedly side with the investigative journalist about how bad the former's attitude and stance is on the case.