Colombia Sentences Four to 23 Years Each for Killing Paraguayan Prosecutor

Опубликовано: 21 Июнь 2022

Marcelo Pecci Coffin

Casket with the murdered Paraguayan Prosecutor Marcelo Pecci. (Photo: Ministerio Público del Paraguay/Twitter, License)

A Colombian court has sentenced four people to 23 years in prison each for participating in the assassination of Paraguayan anti-mafia prosecutor Marcelo Pecci who was shot on a beach while honeymooning with his pregnant wife.

Venezuelan Wendre Still Scott Carrillo confessed that he pulled the trigger, Eiverson Adrián Arrieta Zabaleta pleaded guilty to helping the conspirators flee and Marisol Londoño Bedoya and her son Cristian Camilo Monsalve Londoño admitted they followed the prosecutor’s movements and informed the assassin.

Francisco Luis Correa Galeano denied he hired the killers and Gabriel Carlos Salinas Mendoza, who is believed to have driven the jet ski from which Carrillo shot, remains at large, Colombian prosecutors said. Authorities offered the equivalent of US$126,000 for information about his whereabouts.

Pecci was allegedly on a death list put together by criminal organizations, such as the Brazilian gang Primeiro Comando da Capital, or First Command of Capital. More than three thousand investigative activities were carried out by Colombian officials.

Pecci was shot in May in Isla Barú, near Playa Blanca, where the conspirators had gathered and planned the murder.

Colombian Prosecutor Barbosa Delgado said the crime was negotiated for more than half a million dollars which were split among several people.

Delgado told local media that posting whereabouts on social media can be lethal. The killers have stated that they managed to locate Pecci thanks to social media. Pecci’s wife, journalist Claudia Aguilera, had posted photos of the two enjoying the beach on Instagram.

Beyond uncovering who killed Pecci, authorities now are also trying to figure out why he was so important to the Latin America crime scene. Delgado said they are in the search for those who ordered the crime.

The judge said the full sentence of 47 years for each of the four people was cut in half as part of a plea deal, but ruled out other benefits such as serving any of the sentences at home.