No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeTopicsCrimeNew trial in killing of Costa Rica conservationist Jairo Mora to start...

New trial in killing of Costa Rica conservationist Jairo Mora to start Jan. 25

A new trial for seven men accused of the brutal 2013 killing of Costa Rica sea turtle conservationist Jairo Mora will take place from from Jan. 25 to March 25, a criminal court in the Caribbean port city of Limón announced Friday. The trial is scheduled one year after the same court acquitted all seven suspects due to questions regarding the investigation and the irregular handling of evidence by prosecutors.

At the time of his death in May 2013, Mora, 27, was employed as a turtle monitor for the conservation group Widecast, now renamed Latin American Sea Turtles, on Moín Beach on Costa Rica’s northern Caribbean Coast. While on patrol to protect nesting leatherback sea turtles from the area’s aggressive poachers, Mora was kidnapped along with four foreign women working as volunteers. After a lengthy and terrifying ordeal, the women eventually escaped, but Mora was beaten, dragged behind a car and left to suffocate face down in the sand.

Two months later, police arrested seven suspects: Ernesto Centeno, Felipe Arauz, José Bryan Quesada, Héctor Cash, William Delgado and brothers Donald and Darwin Salmón. According to prosecutors, the suspects were part of a known poaching gang in Moín and killed Mora because of his work protecting turtle eggs.

Throughout the first trial, a three-judge panel excluded most of the prosecution’s evidence due to procedural error. Telephone evidence placing the suspects on the beach at the time of the killing, as well as text messages where the suspects appeared to discuss the crime were both ruled inadmissible. On Jan. 26, 2015 judges delivered a not-guilty verdict for all seven suspects, blaming prosecutors for their mismanagement of evidence.

Although prosecutors were able to schedule a new trial, it’s anyone’s guess if a new panel of judges will allow the evidence ruled inadmissible in the previous trial. Without it, legal observers say, a guilty verdict will be difficult.

Trending Now

Costa Rica Joins U.S. Global Entry, Easing Travel for Tourists

Costa Rica took a big step forward, by officially joining the U.S. Global Entry program, a move set to make travel smoother for Costa...

Guatemala Offers Asylum to Nicaraguan Migrants Deported by U.S.

Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo announced on Friday that his country will grant asylum to Nicaraguan migrants deported by the United States who do not...

Costa Rica Green Hotels Lead Global Sustainable Tourism

Costa Rica’s reputation as a leader in sustainable tourism grows stronger every year, with our green hotels setting a high bar for eco-conscious hospitality...

Costa Rica to Launch Electric Air Taxis for Sustainable Travel in Guanacaste

Costa Rica is poised to revolutionize its transportation landscape with the introduction of electric air taxis, offering a sustainable alternative to traditional ground travel...

Costa Rica and U.S. Strengthen Border Scans and Biometric Cooperation

U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem met Wednesday with Honduran President Xiomara Castro to discuss security and migration, following her offer in Costa...

Costa Rica Identified as Key Maritime Route for Cocaine Trafficking

Costa Rica appears among the main maritime and aerial routes for cocaine trafficking between South and North America, according to the World Drug Report 2025 published...
spot_img
Costa Rica Tours
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