Former Puerto Rican boxer Félix Verdejo Sánchez received two life sentences on élixVerdejoexboxerconvictedofkillingpregnantloverKeishlaRodríFriday after he was found guilty in the grisly killing of his 27-year-old pregnant lover, Keishla Rodríguez Ortiz.
A federal judge sentenced Verdejo following emotional speeches by the family of Rodríguez, who was killed in April 2021.
Verdejo had been found guilty in July of kidnapping that leads to a death and of causing the death of an unborn child. His attorney said Friday that he plans to appeal the sentencing.
During the trial earlier this year, Luis Antonio Cádiz Martínez, a friend of Verdejo's also charged in the case, said the former boxer had pressured Rodríguez to get an abortion. He also testified that the day Verdejo killed Rodríguez, the ex-boxer punched her and injected her with a toxic substance before they tied her limbs to a cement block and threw her off a busy bridge and into a lagoon in broad daylight.
Cádiz later called 911 anonymously and provided the location of Rodríguez's body.
An autopsy found that Rodríguez had fentanyl and xylazine, a sedative used for animals including horses, in her system.
U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow said Verdejo "maintains his unrepentant attitude" for the killing and that the sentence "rightly holds" him "responsible for the pain and suffering he inflicted on his victims."
The case stunned the U.S. territory, where many have demanded better protection for domestic violence victims.
Many across Puerto Rico celebrated the outcome of the case.
"This sentence should serve as a lesson for others," Puerto Rico Police Commissioner Antonio López said. "It doesn't matter how much fame, money or power you think you have. If you break the law, you will have to respond."
Verdejo had participated in the 2012 Olympics and became a professional boxer that year. He finished his career in the lightweight division with a 27-2 record, with 17 knockouts.
2024-12-25 20:23341 view
2024-12-25 20:072961 view
2024-12-25 20:05171 view
2024-12-25 19:102152 view
2024-12-25 19:101294 view
2024-12-25 18:52219 view
Sabrina Carpenteris sharing her short n’ sweet self-care routine.The “Espresso” singer, who just fin
NEW YORK (AP) — Wednesday marks 10 years since the death of Eric Garner at the hands of New York Cit
How do investors prepare for the potential damage that risk can bring? We often hear the saying, “Hi