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20 years

One year later, justice slow in La Fortuna triple murders

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March 18th, 2014 (InsideCostaRica.com) After more than a year, authorities say that evidence continues to be analyzed in the case of a murdered hotel owner and his two sons in La Fortuna de San Carlos.

 

On February 9th, 2013, Geovanny Soto Ruiz, 52 and his sons Emmanuel, 18, and Juan Mauricio Soto Soto, 27 were found dead in various areas of La Fortuna, showing signs of torture.  Soto was the owner of the Mountain Paradise Hotel.

 

According to sources, an alleged debt of approximately $1.5 million may have led to the murders.

 

The bodies of Mr. Soto Ruiz and one of his sons were found near the Arenal River on the old road between La Fortuna and Monterrey with their throats cut, and showing signs of torture.

 

The youngest of the three men was found shot to death in a family-owned microbus on the way to the Fortuna River waterfalls.

 

Days after the discoveries, two Nicaraguan men were arrested on suspicion of having received orders to commit the crime.  Authorities said they were able to collect evidence against the men during raids on their homes, including a bloody knife.  Both men were former employees of Soto, and remain in custody today.

 

If or when the men will stand trial in the slayings, however, remains unknown.

 

“The case is at the stage of evidence analysis […] [The two defendants] remain in custody on charges of first-degree homicide,” the press office of the Public Prosecutor said when questioned about the case in recent days.

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  • mhogan

    What are they waiting for: evidence to disappear; witnesses to recant, or worse, die off or be killed? Guess “justice delayed is justice denied” but I guess it makes no difference to the victims about justice. No matter, everyone already knows the outcome. They have the “Nicaraguans” suspected in custody and that usually means they are expendable here, but could it be whoever was owed the debt (obviously not the Nicaraguans) is a national? Would explain a lot.

  • disgusted

    After 72 hours most cases go cold. Now one year! Seems the Nicaraguans are the go to for murder for hirer never a Costarricenses. One year no justice, no court, just incarceration . Some how I do don’t feel or think we are any safer. This is the pura vida no one likes to exam. Meantime the real murders got away with, murder!

  • expatin paradise

    There’s no right to a speedy trial here. They just throw suspects into a hole while waiting for evidence to appear, especially if the suspect is a foreign national, regardless of whether the charges are for serious offenses. Meanwhile, most Tico suspects, even those who fled the country and returned years later after ripping off hundreds of investors, are free pending trial.

    While I don’t want to see violent offenders on the streets, I don’t want to see people jailed for a year pending trial only to be exonerated. “Preventative detention” is not a substitute for justice, and is especially egregious when the conviction rate is so low.

    • Lav

      Like the American who was just sentenced to 12 years for growing pot.

      • expatin paradise

        At least in that case, there was a trial and a conviction. Hopefully, that prisoner will soon be released, now that legalization of possession is being considered here. Twelve years is excessive for something that should be legal.

        This issue of preventative detention, the tendency to hold non-Ticos for a year pending trial, is one of the principal reasons that Paul Watson won’t surrender himself to answer the ridiculous charges made against him. Another reason, of course, is that Costa Rica would probably send him to Japan to face even more ridiculous charges.

        By the way, Lav, I liked your comments on the article about the dollar, which digressed into a commentary about social democracies and welfare states. I didn’t feel like taking the bait dangled by the right-wing commenters.

        • Lav

          Sadly he sat in preventative detention for exactly 1 year. I think a prison term was proper (he was growing a rather large amount of marijuana), but his tico partners walked away. 12 years is pretty excisive though.

          Thank-you. Sometimes it’s hard to have a discussion with right-wingers… studies have shown they actually have lower IQs than the rest of us

          • expatin paradise

            That can’t be your photo. A good mind, a good heart, and that much beauty can’t possibly be possessed by the same person.

  • Luis Diego Campos

    Whats the news. The nicaraguan hitman are behind bars. This is a case that involve money laundry relate to drugs like the 99.99% of the cases.
    It takes time like every thing in CR just relax and wait 5 years until they get to see a judge, either ways if they get 20 years, judge will deduct years spend in jail and CR jail time is only 5 days a week instead of seven days, so they will be out soon killing more people narcos under collection status in San Carlos. Pura vida!

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