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After an extensive search, aided by canine units, investigators found Centeno’s body.
Photo via Judicial Investigation Organization.



Court imposes pretrial prison on U.S. citizen as murder suspect



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Published on Tuesday, January 28, 2025
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff





The Criminal Court of San Ramon Canton, in Alajuela Province, has ordered one year of preventive detention for a U.S. citizen, identified by the last name Moriondo, 60, as the sole suspect in the femicide of his wife, Costa Rican citizen Centeno-Murillo, 20, the Prosecutor’s Office announced.



Authorities launched an investigation into Moriondo on Jan. 23 after Centeno’s mother filed a missing person report, saying she had lost contact with her daughter on Jan. 22.



According to investigators, Centeno’s family visited the home she shared with Moriondo in the Santiago District of San Ramón Canton. Moriondo was reportedly alone at the house and claimed he did not know his wife’s whereabouts.



That same day, police arrested Moriondo on suspicion of his wife’s disappearance and murder.



On Jan. 24, one day after Moriondo’s arrest, the Judicial Investigation Organization (OIJ) reported that Centeno’s body had been discovered inside a plastic bag.






 




After an extensive search, aided by canine units, investigators found Centeno’s remains just hours before the 24-hour legal detention limit for the suspect expired.



The body had allegedly been dumped in a wooded area near the La Granja community in Palmares Canton, Alajuela Province.



Randall Zúńiga López, director of the OIJ, confirmed that Centeno’s body had been found and that the case was being investigated as a possible femicide.



The investigation remains ongoing, and authorities have kept case details confidential. Only the victim’s family members are authorized to request further information.



OIJ is urging the public to report any suspicions of violence against women. Tips can be submitted confidentially by calling the ten-digit hotline 800-8000-645 or the fast line 11-76, where bilingual agents can assist in English or Spanish.



The Judicial Investigation Organization (OIJ), a division of Costa Rica’s Supreme Court of Justice, conducts criminal investigations. Officers in this operational unit have nationwide police authority.

 


 

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What have you heard about expats accused of murder in Costa Rica?  We would like to know your thoughts on this story. Send your comments to news@amcostarica.com



  


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