Interview (outside the courtroom) Journalist what is the reason why, the justice re opened the case again? Oneida Escobar (Colmenares’ mother)We found new evidences, and with those we could realize that our son’s die wasn´t a suicide it was a murder, and we requested to restart the case again. Journalist were you feeling that something was wrong in this case, how did you realize that? Luis Alfonso Colmenares (Luis Andres’ dad) everything began when my wife had a dream, so we decided looking for a new analysis of his body Oneida Escobar (Colmenares’ mother)I was very sad, because I lost my son , one night I had a dream with him, in where he said to me: “ mom look for the answers in my body, in there you will find the truth. Journalist Which were those new evidences ? Maximo Duque (medical examiner) In this new analysis we found that there were more injures than the first analysis. Journalist thank you Journalist excuse me, did you both decide to say something different today in this trial? Jesus Albeiro Yepes (lawyer) I'm sorry this is not time for questions.
(into the courtroom) German Suarez (Judge) Good morning everyone, in this session we decided to reopened the case of Luis Andres Colmenares by request of the Colmenares’ family. They said to me that the witnesses were lying, and that the results of the first necrosis had failures, and that they found a new result thanks to a private medical examiner they hired, we open this session right now. Martha Lucia Zamora (prosecutor) Your honor, the lawyers of miss Laura Moreno and miss Jessy Quintero, requested to ask some questions to the witnesses. The questions were already made. Here you are. German Suarez (Judge) ok I did not find anything bad on it, they can ask their questions Martha Lucia Zamora (prosecutor) The judge has accepted
German Suarez (Judge) please come here lawyer Jesus Albeiro Yepes. Hippocratic oath do you swear to god and to your country to tell the truth and nothing else that the truth Jesus Albeiro Yepes (lawyer) Yes I swear. Jesus Albeiro Yepes (lawyer) please come here Mr Jonathan Martinez, witness of the facts occurred on October 31 ,2012 Hippocratic oath do you swear to god and to your country to tell the truth and nothing else that the truth Jonathan Martinez (eyewitness) yes I swear Jesus Albeiro Yepes (lawyer) ok, Good morning everyone, my name is Jesus Albeiro Yepes, Miss Quintero’s lawyer, I’m going to start with the questions I prepared. Jesus Albeiro Yepes (lawyer): What is your occupation? Jonathan Martinez (eyewitness) I work in a bar, I'm a bartender Jesus Albeiro Yepes (lawyer) Where were you on October 31,2010?, the day when Mr. colmenares was found dead? Jonathan Martinez (eyewitness) I was in a taxi, I was going to Penthouse bar to meet some friends. I wanted to smoke, but the taxi driver didn’t let me, so I asked him to stop, I paid to him and I left the taxi. Jesus Albeiro Yepes (lawyer) What did you see exactly? Jonathan Martinez (eyewitness) I was near to Virrey park smoking my cigarette, I wanted to urinate so I went to that park ,when suddenly I saw a discussion between some guys, I felt scared, So I got hide behind a tree, then I saw Colmenares on his knees and there were six guys around him and a woman within. They were injuring him. That girl took out Colmenares’ cellphone, when a guy came out of a van. He looked angry but then, everybody got into that van and they left the park. Jesus Albeiro Yepes (lawyer) What time did you see those facts? Jonathan Martinez (eyewitness) I cannot remember what time it was, but I guess it was around 1:15 am or so. Jesus Albeiro Yepes (lawyer) How was the weather that night? Jonathan Martinez (eyewitness) The night was really cold and it was so cloudy, and there was a lot of fog. Jesus Albeiro Yepes (lawyer) Okay, thank you
Martha Lucia Zamora (prosecutor) Did you prepare more questions for this witness? Jesus Albeiro Yepes (lawyer) No, I didn’t. thank you Ms. prosecutor German Suarez (Judge) Please come here lawyer Jaime Granados and ask the questions you have made Hippocratic oath do you swear to god and to your country to tell the truth and nothing else that the truth Jaime Granados (lawyer) yes I swear Jaime Granados (lawyer) please come here Mr. Ayola Hippocratic oath do you swear to god and to your country to tell the truth and nothing else that the truth Wilmer Ayola (eyewitness) yes I swear Jaime Granados (lawyer) Give me your complete name Wilmer Ayola (eyewitness) my name is Jose Wilmer Ayola Jaime Granados (lawyer) What were you doing on October 31 2010?
Wilmer Ayola (eyewitness) I was working Jaime Granados (lawyer) What is your occupation?
Wilmer Ayola (eyewitness) I am a liquor seller Jaime Granados (lawyer) How was the weather that day?
Wilmer Ayola (eyewitness) the night was cloudy Jaime Granados (lawyer) What did you exactly see at the moment of the fact?
Wilmer Ayola (eyewitness) I saw Ms. Laura Moreno with Mr. Carlos Cardenas banging Luis Andres Colmenares. I was with a friend (he was selling liquor too) and he received a call to carry a delivery, so we walked to the green zone. Then we saw a van parked. There were five people discussing and telling things to Luis Andres ; Carlos Cardenas went out of the van and he banged Luis Andres with a bottle, so he fell down.
Jaime Granados (lawyer) In your previous declarations, you said that you and your friend received money, what can you say now? Wilmer Ayola (eyewitness) No, I never said that, we didn't receive any money. Jaime Granados (lawyer) thank you Martha Lucia Zamora (prosecutor) Did you prepare more questions for this witness? Jaime Granados (lawyer) No, that’s all. Thank you German Suarez (Judge) please, continue lawyer Jesus Albeiro Yepes. Jesus Albeiro Yepes (lawyer) tell me your full name please Jesus Alberto Martinez (eyewitness) My full name is Jesús Alberto Martinez Durán Jesus Albeiro Yepes (lawyer) What were you doing on October 31, 2013? Jesus Alberto Martinez (eyewitness) I arrived to the park, and I saw Luis Andrés near the spot. I went toward him, I looked at him and I started to hit him, he fell down and died. I killed him and then I pulled him into the car, I took him under the Virrey spout to make it look like a homicide and then I just left him there. Jesus Albeiro Yepes (lawyer) Why did you change your version of the facts 3 times before? Jesus Alberto Martinez (eyewitness) Mmmm Because I was very afraid, besides I received a lot of threats and I didn't want to go to jail, but then I realized how important is this so this time I said the true. Jesus Albeiro Yepes (lawyer) Why should we believe you now, if you lied in your last version? Jesus Alberto Martinez (eyewitness) Because I received three menaces from people that didn't want this true came out to the light. For those reasons I lied, But this time I said the true, you have to believe me. Jesus Albeiro Yepes (lawyer) thank you so much Martha Lucia Zamora (prosecutor) Did you prepare more questions for this witness? Jesus Albeiro Yepes (lawyer) no I didn’t, that’s all Martha Lucia Zamora (prosecutor) your honor, the lawyers finished doing their questions German Suarez (Judge) ok now, did you found any conclusion about those interviews?
Jesus Albeiro Yepes (lawyer) Yes, I found that what Mr. Jonathan Martinez said is completely false because the “link test” which is a test that shows the exactly location of a person, showed that Mr. Martinez was not even near the Virrey park. Jesus Albeiro Yepes (lawyer) the witness Mr. Martinez was lying because the link test also showed that he was not near from the Virrey park, besides he changed his version three times before, what shows that he received money to testify against miss Quintero and miss Moreno. Jaime Granados (lawyer) Mister Ayola … you lied…WHY? First: according to the link test, you weren’t near to the place where Andres Colmenares died. These facts deny your last testimony Second: you didn’t see neither my client nor Carlos Cardenas, and I’m pretty sure that my client never gave you any money to hide the true. Everything you said ,is completely false, So you lied, You were always a false witness. Martha Lucia Zamora (prosecutor) Your Honor, the lawyer Jaime Lombana, asked me for doing some questions as well. to the accused Ms. yessy and Ms. Laura German Suarez (Judge) ok, go ahead lawyer Lombana Hippocratic oath do you swear to god and to your country to tell the truth and nothing else that the truth Jaime Lombana (lawyer) Yes I swear Jaime Lombana (lawyer) Good morning, my name is Jaime Lombana, I’m de lawyer of the Colmenares’ family , I would like to hear Ms. Yessy Quintero Hippocratic oath do you swear to god and to your country to tell the truth and nothing else that the truth Yessy Quintero ( accused of concealment) yes I swear Jaime Lombana (lawyer) What kind of relationship did you have with Andres Colmenares? Yessy Quintero ( accused of concealment) We were very good friends, we met in the university, we shared subjects together. Jaime Lombana (lawyer) Did you already meet Laura Moreno? Laura was not in my group of friends, I was never her friend. I met her at the party and I met her because she was dating Luis Andres. Jaime Lombana (lawyer) What happened that night?
Yessy Quintero ( accused of concealment)We were all at the Halloween party; Luis was quite drunk, we were going home in Laura’s van. While we were waiting, Luis was very exalted, he wanted to eat a hot dog. Laura let him go, so he walked away alone. Then, Laura and I went after him, we arrived and bought the hot dog, I called my friends to pick us up. Luis was upset and he stared running, and then I could not see him anymore. Jaime Lombana (lawyer) What was the last thing you hear from him? Yessy Quintero (accused of concealment)The last thing he told me was that the most important thing he had in life was on his way to Chile, and that's when I remembered that his father was on his way to Chile. Jaime Lombana (lawyer) What happened after Luis Andres ran away? Yessy Quintero ( accused of concealment) Laura ran after him. I could not because I was wearing heels and I was paying the hot dog, so I started to call Luis Andres on the cell phone. Laura answered and told me that Luis Andres had fell into a spout. Jaime Lombana (lawyer) Mmm ok, thank you so much, now I would like to hear Laura Moreno. Hippocratic oath do you swear to god and to your country to tell the truth and nothing else that the truth Laura Moreno (Accused of murder) yes I swear
Jaime Lombana (lawyer) What is your testimony? Laura Moreno (Accused of murder) I ran after him and I saw that he entered to the neighborhoods around the place, I was running and begging him to stop. I reached him and grabbed him. In that moment, Andre’s cell phone rang, I answered the phone, and I told Yessi that everything was right, but Luis Andres was still angry, he left me and he just ran toward the Virrey spout. It was very dark. I only saw when he was running and he faded out of my view, I knew that there was a spout and was for this that I shouted scared to Yessi: -“He fell down, He fell down in the spout” Jaime Lombana (lawyer) What time did everybody arrive? Laura Moreno (Accused of murder) Jaime Lombana (lawyer) Why did you have Andres Colmenares’ cell phone? Laura Moreno (Accused of murder) I cannot remember who gave it to me, either Yessi or Andres, I don’t know.
Jaime Lombana (lawyer) How long did remain the relationship with Carlos Cardenas? Laura Moreno (Accused of murder) The relationship remained three years. We broke up because we decided together; the relationship was monotone, but nowadays we are friends. Jaime Lombana (lawyer) Were you Andres Colmenares’ girlfriend? Laura Moreno (Accused of murder) -No, we were just dating, but I liked him, I never could do anything to him. Jaime Lombana (lawyer) thank you. German Suarez (Judge) could you, lawyer Lombana say the conclusions you found about their versions Jaime Lombana (lawyer) Mr. Judge, they lied. Laura Moreno killed Colmenares, and her friend Laura saw it and she did not tell it, and you Mr. Granados only want to manipulate the justice, and hide the truth about what they did Jaime Granados (lawyer) Stop!, Definitely you have never had evidences enough to accuse Laura Moreno, so you cannot say that. Jesus Albeiro Yepes (lawyer) Excuse me Mr. Lombana you cannot accuse my client, that night she was only accompanying Mr. Colmenares who wanted to eat a hot dog, so she could not do anything, she is innocent! Jaime Lombana (lawyer) I’m sorry Mr. Judge but I think you are dilating this process too. ¡They bought you! German Suarez (Judge) How dare you! , please everybody be quiet! Martha Lucia Zamora (prosecutor) Your honor I would like to do some questions to Maximo Duque (medical examiner) and to Carlos Cardenas who seems that saw or did something about Colmenares’ death Hippocratic oath do you swear to god and to your country to tell the truth and nothing else that the truth Maximo Duque (medical examiner) yes I swear Martha Lucia Zamora (prosecutor) Why did you exhume his body again? Maximo Duque (medical examiner) I exhumed his body again because his father asked to me for doing that. Martha Lucia Zamora (prosecutor) What did you exactly do with his body?
Maximo Duque (medical examiner) I exhumed the corpse to analyze it, I checked it, and I studied the missing hurts, looking for more important information for the investigation and I found a lot of inconsistences about the first autopsy. Martha Lucia Zamora (prosecutor) What was the difference that you found between the initial autopsy, and the autopsy you did one year later? Maximo Duque (medical examiner) the biggest difference was that I found several hurts that in the first autopsy were not established, for example in the first autopsy there were established only some erasures, but in the one I did I found many fractures as in his skull and palate , so I decided to join them both analysis, then I could complement the final result. Martha Lucia Zamora (prosecutor) Don´t you doubt that it was a murder? Maximo Duque (medical examiner) No, I don’t doubt it, it was definitely a murder, but I think that it isn’t my function or obligation to determines that, I hope the justice take the proves I found. Anyway I just did it because Mr Luis Alfonso Colmenares hired me to investigate, I don’t want to be so involucrate in this. Martha Lucia Zamora (prosecutor) Cardenas
Thank you. Now, I would like to hear Carlos
Martha Lucia Zamora (prosecutor)
Were you that night at the penthouse nightclub?
Carlos Cardenas (accused of murder and complicity) No, I wasn’t. Martha Lucia Zamora (prosecutor) You said that you weren´t there, but Laura Moreno ensure you were near the place. What can you say about it? Carlos Cardenas (accused of murder and complicity) I was near the place but, I didn’t see them, I mean I never got into the club. Martha Lucia Zamora (prosecutor)
Did you have a romance with Laura Moreno?
Carlos Cardenas (accused of murder and complicity) Yes, she was my girlfriend, but We had broked up a month ago, we were being bad 3 months ago the relationship was being monotonous so we both Laura and I decided to broke up, but we finished it on good terms, we are friends now Martha Lucia Zamora (prosecutor) Andres Colmenares?
Did you know that Miss Laura Moreno was dating
Carlos Cardenas (accused of murder and complicity) No, I just heard some rumors about it but, I didn’t know anything exactly. Martha Lucia Zamora (prosecutor) Did you claim her for this?
when you know Laura was dating Luis Andres,
Carlos Cardenas (accused of murder and complicity) No, I didn’t because she was not my girlfriend anymore. I was even dating someone else, but seriously if you want to impute me accusations about Colmenares’ death you are wasting your time because I didn’t do anything, I even didn’t see him that night. Martha Lucia Zamora (prosecutor) thank you. Right know I would like to say the conclusions I found about these testimonies. German Suarez (Judge) of course, Go a head Martha Lucia Zamora (prosecutor) -According to the inconsistences of the versions of the witnesses, the prosecutor decided to don´t accept the versions of Jonathan Martinez, Jose Wilmer Ayola, and Jesus Alberto Martinez. -The prosecutor found failures in the first result of the forensic test so the causes of the new wounds found on Colmenares’ body have to be thoroughly investigated -The prosecutor tried to find evidences to proclaim guilty to Cardenas, but we could not find evidences enough.
German Suarez (Judge) Ok, so I didn’t find any solution for the Colmenares’ case in this trial. The evidences are not enough, besides they were completely different than the previous ones. I cannot accuse anyone so the prosecutor has to study this case more thoroughly … this case was not solved. We finished this session, good bye everyone.
Outside the courtroom
Journalist Do you think that somebody wanted to deviate the investigation? Oneida Escobar (Colmenares’ mother)Yes, I'm almost sure but we could not find who is the author of all this once again… Journalist Do you think that somebody else is implicated in this case? Oneida Escobar (Colmenares’ mother)Yes, I do, because I'm pretty sure my son shouted, how is it possible that none of his classmates heard him? my question is: Why they didn’t help him? Or said something about that , this is just incredible the said in that place was Jessy, but nobody wants to say anything else , I hope this murder can be solved one day . (she leaves)
Journalist Do you think Luis Andres Colmenares was killed? Maria Del Pilar Gomez (Cardena’s Mother) No, I don’t think someone killed him, what happened was an accident, that is what the results of the investigation showed, anyway I don’t have to say it, that is a job for the justice. Journalist From where this new witness came? Maria Del Pilar Gomez (Cardena’s Mother) I don’t know where did he come but we will know that in the judgment Journalist Where was Carlos that night? Maria Del Pilar Gomez (Cardena’s Mother)He was with his sister Journalist But Laura said that that night she saw him… was he in that club? Maria Del Pilar Gomez (Cardena’s Mother) He stayed at the penthouse at about one and an half hour. He didn’t see them, but they did see him. Journalist What is your opinion about Laura Moreno? Maria Del Pilar Gomez (Cardena’s Mother) She always was a tender and lovely girl. Journalist Do you believe that your son is going to go out of the jail? Maria Del Pilar Gomez (Cardena’s Mother) Yes, my son is innocent and he didn’t do anything and i trust in the justice Journalist Did you know if Carlos had any problem with Colmenares? Maria Del Pilar Gomez (Cardena’s Mother) they never had any problem, they don’t even know each other. Journalist What was the reason why your lawyer and you were trying to stop the case? Maria Del Pilar Gomez (Cardena’s Mother) We were not trying to stop anything, I just wanted to save my son. Journalist But you appeared in a recording… Maria Del Pilar Gomez (Cardena’s Mother) No, I am sorry, that was a staged.
Journalist Did you meet Laura Moreno?
Yessy Quintero (accused of concealment) No I didn’t Journalist But she was dating Luis Andres… Yessy Quintero ( accused of concealment) I met her that night in that club, just because she was with Luis Andres.(she leaves) Journalist Dear viewers, once again as you can saw Colombian justice did not find any responsible for Colmenares’ death , or any solution for this case , I hope you write your comments on our website about what you think that happened that night. Thank you for watching us.
Really good work, guys! Any question, please let me know.