Nicaraguan found guilty of U.S. citizen murder


Booking.com	Published Monday, February 17, 2020 Nicaraguan found guilty of U.S. citizen's murder By the A.M. Costa Rica staff The judges of a court in Pavas unanimously decided Monday to declare Bismarck Espinoza Martínez guilty. He is the only one accused of the death of U.S. citizen Carla Stefaniak. He was sentenced to 16 years in prison. Espinoza Martínez, a Nicaraguan who remained illegally in Costa Rica, worked as a security officer in the villages where Stefaniak stayed in November 2018. According to the three judges, the reason for the murder was a sexual attack. Espinoza had said that the tourist had left the village for the airport. However, videos presented as part of the evidence showed that Stefaniak had never left the place. The lawyer of the Stefaniak family and the Public Ministry requested 68 years in prison for committing the crime on the tourist. Espinoza will remain in prison for the next six months until the sentence is reviewed and final. According to the case, the victim's father surnamed Caicedo-Irumba, and the owners of the villa where Ms. Stefaniak's body was found, surnamed Simmond, are among the witnesses. In February the Prosecutor's Office opened the file on the murder case of Stefaniak, who was killed Nov. 28, 2018. Her body was found Dec. 3, 2018, in a wooded area near the villa in Escazú in San José Province, where she had been staying. The opening of the evidentiary file was in the Pavas Criminal Court in the presence of the lawyers of the victim's family, José Rivera. Also attending were specialists in forensics and the suspect Espinoza-Martínez. After attending court session, Rivera said that among the evidence included was Espinoza's cell phone where lawyers will have access to see a file of "photos, recorded messages, written messages and videos." Caicedo, held a press conference in December 2018 when he was in Costa Rica where he said that he hopes that justice will be done and that those responsible for the murder of his daughter will be punished. "The police investigation does not comfort me in any way, but I want the authorities of this government, specifically the courts of justice, to catch those responsible for this abominable and terrible crime," said Caicedo. In January 2019, the Municipality of Escazú confirmed that the villa where the victim had been staying and where her body was found was closed because the owners do not have the necessary permits allowing them to offer accommodations to tourists. Carlos Bejarano, the spokesperson of the municipality, confirmed, "the place had not updated the legal license to offer tourism services since 2013. So it was closed." Some information provided by the Judicial Investigation Organization about Ms. Stefaniak’s case was in December 2018, when the agents asked for the collaboration of citizens in finding a suitcase that belonged to the victim. Investigators reported that a person who manages the property found several pieces of clothing near the villa. The agents said they went to the site where they found "a suitcase, valuables, clothing and Stefaniak's passport." A second suitcase is still missing. ------------------------ Are tourists an easy target for criminals in Costa Rica? We would like to know your thoughts on this story. Send your comments to news@amcostarica.com