Court Releases Suspect in Murder Case of Cousins in Heredia
A 19-year-old suspect has been placed under house arrest after a court ruled against his preventative detention.
A court in Heredia has modified the preventive detention of a 19-year-old suspect, identified as Palacios, who is linked to the murders of cousins Jorge Barboza and Carlos Barboza.
The decision, confirmed by the suspect’s attorney Rafael Rodríguez and the public prosecutor’s office, allows Palacios to remain under house arrest with electronic monitoring.
The prosecutor’s office, which had appealed the initial ruling, announced that it could not pursue further legal action following the court’s decision.
Palacios, who worked as a security guard at the bar where the incident occurred, was present during the early hours of February 8, when the murders took place.
Evidence from the judicial file indicates that the day after the incident, he was seen at the bar inquiring about the excavation of a grave, allegedly to conceal the bodies of the victims.
Eyewitness accounts suggest that Palacios repeatedly asked about the progress of this activity.
Despite these allegations, Palacios’s legal representative asserts that his client’s situation is comparable to that of two key witnesses in the case, who also witnessed the murders but received a judicial advance of evidence.
Rodríguez explained that the circumstances leading to the change in Palacios's legal status, from preventive detention to house arrest, were influenced by testimonies from these witnesses.
Additionally, the court found that Palacios did not play an active role in the events leading to the cousins' deaths, which contradicts the initial claims made by the public prosecutor’s office.
The appeals court agreed that the conditions impacting the case had changed significantly.
The bodies of Jorge and Carlos Barboza were discovered days after their deaths, buried in a concealed grave beneath the bar, located near the National University in Heredia.
A report from the Judicial Investigation Agency (OIJ) has further clarified the circumstances surrounding the violent incident.
Initially, authorities believed that the altercation stemmed from a confrontation involving a friend of the cousins, who encountered an ex-partner accompanied by another man.
This was purportedly the catalyst for the fight.
However, the latest judicial report contradicts this narrative, based on witness interviews and forensic analysis.
The report indicates that, although the bar owner, Jean Franco Segura Gómez, attempted to intervene during the altercation, a physical confrontation did not occur as the woman, her companion, and the cousins' friend left the premises before any violence ensued.
Witness accounts indicate that the Barboza cousins remained at the bar until the early hours of February 8, where they were drinking with Segura Gómez.
Tensions escalated when Jorge Humberto reportedly threatened the bar staff, claiming he could 'take care of everyone.' This confrontation led to violence when Jorge Humberto and Segura Gómez engaged in a physical altercation.
Meanwhile, Carlos Alberto, who was asleep at the bar, was reportedly attacked and stabbed by bar employees, followed by a similar attack on Jorge Humberto.
The decision, confirmed by the suspect’s attorney Rafael Rodríguez and the public prosecutor’s office, allows Palacios to remain under house arrest with electronic monitoring.
The prosecutor’s office, which had appealed the initial ruling, announced that it could not pursue further legal action following the court’s decision.
Palacios, who worked as a security guard at the bar where the incident occurred, was present during the early hours of February 8, when the murders took place.
Evidence from the judicial file indicates that the day after the incident, he was seen at the bar inquiring about the excavation of a grave, allegedly to conceal the bodies of the victims.
Eyewitness accounts suggest that Palacios repeatedly asked about the progress of this activity.
Despite these allegations, Palacios’s legal representative asserts that his client’s situation is comparable to that of two key witnesses in the case, who also witnessed the murders but received a judicial advance of evidence.
Rodríguez explained that the circumstances leading to the change in Palacios's legal status, from preventive detention to house arrest, were influenced by testimonies from these witnesses.
Additionally, the court found that Palacios did not play an active role in the events leading to the cousins' deaths, which contradicts the initial claims made by the public prosecutor’s office.
The appeals court agreed that the conditions impacting the case had changed significantly.
The bodies of Jorge and Carlos Barboza were discovered days after their deaths, buried in a concealed grave beneath the bar, located near the National University in Heredia.
A report from the Judicial Investigation Agency (OIJ) has further clarified the circumstances surrounding the violent incident.
Initially, authorities believed that the altercation stemmed from a confrontation involving a friend of the cousins, who encountered an ex-partner accompanied by another man.
This was purportedly the catalyst for the fight.
However, the latest judicial report contradicts this narrative, based on witness interviews and forensic analysis.
The report indicates that, although the bar owner, Jean Franco Segura Gómez, attempted to intervene during the altercation, a physical confrontation did not occur as the woman, her companion, and the cousins' friend left the premises before any violence ensued.
Witness accounts indicate that the Barboza cousins remained at the bar until the early hours of February 8, where they were drinking with Segura Gómez.
Tensions escalated when Jorge Humberto reportedly threatened the bar staff, claiming he could 'take care of everyone.' This confrontation led to violence when Jorge Humberto and Segura Gómez engaged in a physical altercation.
Meanwhile, Carlos Alberto, who was asleep at the bar, was reportedly attacked and stabbed by bar employees, followed by a similar attack on Jorge Humberto.
