The Tico Times Online Daily Page

Daily Edition: San José, Costa Rica, June 9, 2003

HEADS UP: Tico forward Alvaro Saborio (L) challenges Chilean defender Jorge Acuna for the ball during the first half.
AFP/TT

Stauffer Allowed Counsel in
Daughter's Murder Trial
After two years of fighting to keep her slain daughter Shannon Martin's murder investigation alive, Jeanette Stauffer won a major legal coup last Friday when judge Paul Hernandez ruled that the bereaved family will be allowed formal legal representation in the upcoming murder trial.
(Click for more)

Sele Squeaks by Chile, 1-0
It wasn't Costa Rica's prettiest soccer victory this year, but after 90 minutes of shaky play on a wet field the Selección Nacional managed to eke out a 1-0 victory over Chile yesterday in the Ticos' home-game rematch.
(Click for more)

High Court Upholds Sentence Against Pedophiles
The Third Chamber of the Supreme Court (Sala III) ruled last Friday to uphold the jail sentences handed down last December to the five Ticos who called themselves the Anonymous Pedophile Association of Costa Rica, according to a Casa Alianza press release.
(Click for more)

June 9

Science on the Screen
Film makers, directors, etc. are invited to the Workshop on Script and Development of Scientific Documentaries, by Bienvenido León, journalist, communication Doctor and professor at the Universidad de Navarra, Spain. It’s a free event today and tomorrow, 9 a.m.-12, 1-4 p.m., at the School of Film and Television of Veritas University. Info: 222-9329.

Don’t Miss the Environmental-Film Show
Opening today through Friday, all shows at 7 p.m., at the Eugene O’Neill Theater, Costa Rican-North American Cultural Center, Barrio Dent. Info: 207-7554.

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Stauffer Allowed Counsel in
Daughter's Murder Trial
By Tim Rogers
trogers@ticotimes.net

After two years of fighting to keep her slain daughter Shannon Martin's murder investigation alive, Jeanette Stauffer won a major legal coup last Friday when judge Paul Hernandez ruled that the bereaved family will be allowed formal legal representation in the upcoming murder trial.

The trial, originally scheduled for this Thursday and Friday in the southern Pacific port town of Golfito, has been postponed indefinitely while Stauffer's Costa Rican lawyer Juan Carlos Arce reviews the case file, conducts his own investigation, and files new murder charges on behalf of the victim's family.

Arce claims the original murder probe conducted by Prosecutor Erick Martínez is filled with holes and inconsistencies that will require him to retrace many steps in the investigation.

"Of course we can't start from zero and pretend it is the day after Shannon was murdered, but we need to find the missing proof and conduct interviews with eight to 10 people who were never questioned but should have been," Arce told The Tico Times.

Golfito Prosecutor Erick Martínez presented the judge May 27 with his case supporting first-degree murder charges against suspects Kattia Cruz, 27, Rafael Zumbado, 52, and Luis Alberto Castro, 32. The trial was set for June 12-13, but sources close to the case claimed the investigation appeared to have numerous irregularities and that the evidence presented against the two male suspects was weak (TT, May 2).

Martínez then misled Stauffer about her right to legal counsel, informing her that her only legal option would be to pursue monetary damages in a civil court. Stauffer learned of her right to a lawyer in the murder trial after the deadline to enter counsel had passed, forcing her to appeal to the judge. The judge intern summoned Stauffer to appear before the court last Friday to testify under oath that she was misled by Martínez (TT, June 6).

After hearing from both Martínez and Stauffer, the judge ruled in favor of Stauffer and granted her formal representation in the proceedings.

"This is a significant victory for justice and for a mother who has, with great effort, attempted to find the truth about her daughter's killers," said Pedro Irigonegaray, Stauffer's pro-bono legal counsel in Kansas.

Stauffer's Costa Rican lawyer, meanwhile, admits that the evidence presented by Martínez probably would not have held up in trial against Zumbado and Castro. But the lawyer claims he can fill in the holes in the investigation and file a substantial case against the suspects.

Arce expects the investigation will be completed in the next couple of weeks and that a new set of murder charges will be filed at the end of the month. He expects the murder trial to be held sometime around the end of July.

Read Friday's TT print edition for details about the new murder investigation.

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Sele Squeaks by Chile, 1-0
By Tim Rogers
trogers@ticotimes.net

'Rolo' to
the rescue.

It wasn't Costa Rica's prettiest soccer victory this year, but after 90 minutes of shaky play on a wet field the Selección Nacional managed to eke out a 1-0 victory over Chile yesterday in the Ticos' home-game rematch.

The Ticos, visibly tired after recently completing a season of league play, had a hard time cracking Chile's defense for most of the game, and didn't manage a shot on net until the 15th minute of play.

The Chilean National Team, which defeated Costa Rica 1-0 April 30 in Santiago, almost stung the Ticos in the opening minutes of the game with two close calls on net. But the17th-world ranked Sele slowly fought back, determined not to lose to Chile on their home turf at Ricardo Saprissa Stadium in Tibas.

Tico Coach Steve Sampson attempted to light a spark under the offense in the second half, by substituting into the game up-and-coming striker Erick Scott and veteran goal scorer Rolando Fonseca, who is recovering from a knee injury and was originally left off the lineup.

But even at 70% health, Fonseca proved he is still capable of greatness when he puts his mind to it. In the closing minutes of the game, Fonseca deftly deflected a cross from Walter Centeno off his chest and past the diving goalie for the game's only goal.

After the game, Sampson acknowledged that he had a team that was "ready for well-deserved vacation," but applauded his squad's effort against Chile.

"Even when this team doesn't play great, or doesn't even play that well, we can still get the job done," Sampson said, adding that the team now has 20 days off before training begins for the Gold Cup Tournament next month in the United States.

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High Court Upholds Sentence Against Pedophiles

GUILTY: pedophiles' jail sentences upheld by
the Sala.
TT/Julio Lainez

The Third Chamber of the Supreme Court (Sala III) ruled last Friday to uphold the jail sentences handed down last December to the five Ticos who called themselves the Anonymous Pedophile Association of Costa Rica, according to a Casa Alianza press release.

The two-week trial, during which time Casa Alianza's chief investigator and key witness, Rocio Rodríguez, received numerous death threats, was the first time a pedophile network was tried and convicted in Latin America (TT, Nov. 9; Dec. 6, 2002).

Pedophile ringleader Cristián Araya, a 32-year-old former audiovisual technician at the University of Costa Rica and a self-described "experienced boy lover," and lawyer Gillio Marín, 42, were each sentenced to 58 years in prison, but the sentences were reduced to 30 years - the maximum allowed under Costa Rican law. Fellow pedophile Jorge Salas was sentenced to 26 years, while Cristian Morales and Marco Vargas were condemned to 16 years each.

Araya was convicted on 12 charges of sexually exploiting minors, pimping minors, corruption of minors, producing child pornography. The other men were convicted on similar charges.

The convictions concluded an investigation that began in November 2000, when Casa Alianza investigator Rodríguez discovered a Costa Rican connection to an international Internet-based pedophile network. Using a name she found in the local obituaries, Rodríguez infiltrated the Internet network and began to gather evidence that later, with the help of the Special Sex Crimes Unit, led to the arrests of the five men.

"We are very pleased that the sentence was re-affirmed, and that the defendants will have to remain in prison," said Casa Alianza director Bruce Harris in a press release. "What we do not have is the assurance that no other groups of pedophiles are in operation, abusing children.

"We are pleased by the verdict, but this is only one group, and we know we need to stand firm and continue with the investigations in order to protect the children," he added.

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Gringo Fugitive Arrested in Quepos

A joint police operation Saturday in the central Pacific tourist town of Quepos resulted in the arrest of U.S. fugitive Bradford Lee Schneider, wanted in California on charges of growing marihuana and illegal firearm possession, according to an INTERPOL press release.

Bradford, who was known in Quepos as Lincoln Rojas, was arrested near Paraiso, California in December, 2001, after police discovered that he was growing 70-acres of marijuana plants on his farm. When the police arrived at his house, they also discovered a semi-automatic pistol, according to INTERPOL.

Bradford was arrested but posted a $100,000 bond and later fled to Quepos, where he changed his name and played in a music group called Fuzzy Rojas.

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