Judge Excludes Key Evidence Ahead of Rosa Chinchilla Murder Trial

The murder trial of two men accused of killing a Belize City woman in 2020 is set to begin tomorrow in the High Court, but not before a key piece of evidence was ruled inadmissible following a voir dire hearing that concluded yesterday. Twenty-five-year-old Santos Eduardo Lopez Zepeda and Angel Adolfo Garcia Alvarez remain on remand at the Belize Central Prison for the murder of fifty-nine-year-old Rosa Chinchilla, whose body was discovered inside her home at #34 Lindo’s Alley in Belize City on August seventeenth, 2020.  The trial, which will be heard before Justice Nigel Pilgrim in a judge-alone proceeding, was delayed while the court conducted a voir dire to determine whether a caution statement allegedly given by Alvarez to police could be admitted into evidence. During the hearing, the court reviewed a video recording of the statement. It was alleged that while Alvarez was being questioned, he requested an attorney. However, a police officer reportedly made comments discouraging him from seeking legal representation. After reviewing the recording, Justice Pilgrim found that Alvarez’s right to legal counsel may have been violated and subsequently ruled the caution statement inadmissible in the trial. The Crown had sought to have the recording entered evidence. However, the one-hour video was recorded entirely in Spanish and required a word-for-word translation. The issue arose during the hearing, and the Crown ultimately abandoned its effort to have the statement admitted. With the voir dire now concluded, the murder trial is expected to commence tomorrow morning at nine o’clock. Alvarez is represented by Attorney Dr. Lynden Jones, while Zepeda is represented by Attorney Erin Quiros. Police and prosecutors allege that Zepeda fatally wounded Chinchilla by cutting her throat with a knife allegedly obtained from Alvarez. Investigators found Chinchilla inside her residence with a severe cut wound to her neck, and it was determined that her throat had been slit. Based on those allegations, both men were jointly charged with murder. The matter continues tomorrow before Justice Nigel Pilgrim in the High Court.