No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeTopicsCrimeFollowing alleged kidnapping, Canadian expat recovering at Costa Rica home, says attorney

Following alleged kidnapping, Canadian expat recovering at Costa Rica home, says attorney

For over a month, police, family members and colleagues of Ryan Piercy, 45, a fixture in the North American expat community in Costa Rica, remained tight-lipped about his Jan. 20 disappearance amid ongoing speculation that he had been kidnapped and held for ransom. Now, some information is filtering out after Piercy appeared at his western San José home late Saturday night in a taxi, reportedly shaken but in good health.

“Ryan is recovering at home with his family and will issue a statement soon,” Piercy’s attorney Romulo Pacheco told The Tico Times. “Other than that, I have no more information at this time.”

While Pacheco would not confirm that Piercy had been kidnapped, Judicial Investigation Police Director Francisco Segura did, in a statement on Monday morning. He also said authorities had taken Piercy to a forensics lab for testing after he arrived at his home on Saturday.

Segura noted that the alleged kidnappers had demanded nearly half a million dollars in the crypto currency Bitcoin. But Segura would not say whether all or part of the ransom was paid in Bitcoins or via a standard money transfer.

The Tico Times attempted to contact Piercy, but phone calls to his residence were not answered.

Here’s what Segura said:

“According to [Piercy’s] family, he arrived [at midnight on Saturday] and knocked on the door of their home. Apparently he arrived in a taxi that he boarded in San Pedro [east of San José]. He said he had been held captive for more than 30 days in subhuman conditions, which is why we immediately transferred him to a forensics lab for an examination to determine both his physical condition and his version of events, which is normal police procedure. Today [Monday], we possibly will interview him when he is more relaxed and rested … to determine if we can identify his captors.”

Regarding Bitcoin, Segura said it is a “relatively new [payment] method in any part of the world, and we work with Interpol, which does not have experience in this type of currency. We’ll have to see if it was paid or not, because it’s not easy to secure Bitcoins to make the payment. It’s a digital currency with a limited supply.”

Asked if business owners or foreigners are being targeted by kidnapping gangs in Costa Rica, Segura said, “I would say to business owners and everyone in the country: Relax. We’ve worked kidnapping cases well and had good results. In Costa Rica, kidnapping cases usually don’t succeed. … I would say that kidnapping in Costa Rica is a rare crime.”

Piercy, a board member and manager of the Association of Residents of Costa Rica (ARCR), disappeared on Jan. 20. Police discovered his wife’s abandoned car with its doors open and engine running on the side of the road along Route 32, north of the capital.

Pacheco told The Tico Times that the ARCR, which assists expats in establishing residency in Costa Rica, is operating normally and keeping its regular business hours.

Costa Rican police search the area near where Ryan Piercy's abandoned car was found.
The Tico Times

Trending Now

Guatemala Accepts First Honduran Deportees from US

Guatemala has started accepting deportees from other countries as part of its deal with the United States, with the first group of Hondurans arriving...

New Poison Dart Frog Species Discovered in Peru’s Amazon

Peruvian researchers have identified a new poison dart frog in the Amazon rainforest, adding to the region's rich array of wildlife. The tiny creature,...

Costa Rica Nominates Rebeca Grynspan for UN Secretary-General Role

Costa Rica has put forward Rebeca Grynspan as its candidate for United Nations secretary-general, a move that highlights the nation's push for stronger Latin...

Costa Rica Coast Guard Seizes Illegal Gillnets in Protected Refuge

Costa Rican Coast Guard officers pulled nearly a kilometer of illegal gillnets from protected waters in the Barra del Colorado National Wildlife Refuge during...

Costa Rica Approves Extradition of Ex-Minister Gamboa and Associates

A Costa Rican court has approved the extradition of former Security Minister Celso Gamboa Sánchez to the United States on charges of international cocaine...

Costa Rica Faces Nicaragua in Key World Cup Qualifier Match

Costa Rica takes on Nicaragua this Tuesday at the Estadio Nacional in a match that could shape their path in the 2026 World Cup...
spot_img
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Costa Rica Rocking Chait
Costa Rica Travel

Latest News from Costa Rica