Jury in Puerto Rico recognizes former Olympian Felix Verdejo guilty of two counts of murdering his girlfriend, Keishla Rodriguez Ortiz. The court did not agree with two other charges brought against Verdejo - car theft resulting in the death of a person, and possession or use of a firearm in the commission of a crime.
The verdict on the former world boxing champion has not yet been passed. The trial lasted a total of 25 days.
The body of 27-year-old Rodriguez Ortiz was found on May 1, 2021 in a lagoon near Puerto Rico's capital, San Juan. Her murder had taken place two days before, when the victim's mother reported her disappearance after she missed work.
According to a court document, Verdejo approached accomplice Luis Antonio Cadiz on April 27, 2021 and offered to pay him to help terminate Rodriguez's pregnancy. Cadiz was also charged with crimes related to the case, but he made a plea deal with the investigation in exchange for his testimony.
On the morning of April 29, Rodriguez contacted her mother, Kayla Ortiz, to let her know that she would meet Verdejo at her home to present him with the results of a blood test that confirmed her pregnancy.
Her mother warned her that Verdejo was dangerous, claiming that he had threatened her in the past because she did not want to support his desire to terminate the pregnancy. Instead of going to his apartment on his own, Verdejo went there with Cadiz, and they met Rodriguez outside their residence, where she got into the boxer's SUV.
Verdejo, who had been friends with Rodriguez since their high school days, punched her in the face and then injected her with an unknown substance he had bought from drug dealers in the Luis Llorença Torres apartment complex in Santurs. This was later reported by Cadiz.
Verdejo and Cadiz then allegedly tied her hands and ankles with wire and attached a concrete block to her. Later, they drove to the Teodoro Moscoso Bridge and dumped Rodriguez's body into the San Jose lagoon at about 8:30 am. Cadiz told the FBI that Verdejo was standing on the bridge and fired his gun at Rodriguez.
Verdejo, who represented Puerto Rico at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, was charged with using and carrying a weapon during and in connection with a violent crime. He pleaded not guilty to the charges. As a result of his conviction, he may face the death penalty.
