American Guilty in Nicaragua
Police fired rubber bullets near an angry mob protesting outside a tin-roofed Rivas, Nicaragua, courthouseFriday, but the crowd got what it wanted hours later when a U.S. citizen was convicted of murder.

An adventurer turned businessman, Eric Volz, 27, and a Nicaraguan co-defendant were found guilty of strangling and raping Volz's ex-girlfriend Doris Ivania Jiménez, 25.

She was a well-known native of San Juan del Sur, a tiny seaside paradise near Rivas, where many were moved with relief when the news hit Friday evening.

"Justice was served for the death of my friend," said Gabby Sovalbarro, a neighbor whose family rents rooms for about $4 a night. "They got what they deserved."

Volz is to be sentenced Wednesday. He plans to appeal the case, which stems from a flawed investigation backed by a witness who once was charged with the crime himself and couldn't tell left from right on the witness stand.

The murky affair has mesmerized one of the poorest countries in Latin America with a real-life novela (soap opera), with Volz as the main character. Portrayed as an arrogant expatriate, his guilt went unquestioned by locals and the nation's news media.

"The inconsistencies are glaring," said a U.S. government observer of the trial, who spoke on condition of anonymity. "The testimony has been clearly flawed, with rank hearsay. There is no physical evidence linking him to the crime scene. There are no credible witnesses."