By Carlos Gonzalez
PUERTO RICO – The morning that Keishla Rodríguez Ortiz disappeared, Félix Verdejo communicated via text messages with Luis Cádiz Martínez, to pick up the alleged accomplice in the murder of the woman. This was reported yesterday in the continuation of the trial against the ex-pugilist, which is taking place in the Federal Court for the District of Puerto Rico, in Hato Rey.
The Public Ministry presented this Wednesday several communications between Verdejo and Cádiz Martínez, who pleaded guilty to charges related to the murder of Rodríguez Ortiz. These messages had been deleted from the former boxer’s cell phone.
Other texts between the defendant and the victim also came to light, days before she was reported missing.
Joseph Soeka, a cybersecurity expert for the United States Department of Justice, testified that he was in charge of analyzing a copy of the extractions that Ricardo Díaz of Homeland Security Investigations made of Verdejo’s cell phone, which included the multiple text messages deleted.
Soeka indicated that he received the data and submitted a report to the Government in October 2022, one year and five months after the murder of Rodríguez Ortiz. He clarified that the document does not contain all the recovered messages, and, in turn, cannot certify who were the people who originated the texts.
The messages presented in the room for the benefit of the members of the jury were selected by the Public Ministry. The authorities excluded others that were also recovered by means of the different programs designed to find lost data.
However, a controversy arose when Soeka read the messages in English despite the fact that the originals were in Spanish and Jason González Delgado, Verdejo’s lawyer, pointed out that there were severe discrepancies with the translations.
Therefore, he requested a consultation to the podium. Judge Pedro Delgado Hernández ordered the departure of the jury members while the controversy was being resolved.
Defense lawyers and prosecutors were assisted by one of the Federal Court interpreters to agree on the precise translations, which were once again read by Soeka in court.
During Jonathan Gottfried’s redirect, it was revealed that a portion of the conversations were between Verdejo and Cádiz Martínez two days before the disappearance of Rodríguez Ortiz, whose body was recovered on May 1, 2021 in Laguna San José.
According to Soeka’s report, Verdejo initiated a communication with Cádiz Martínez on April 27, 2021 at 11:39 p.m.
Below part of the exchanges:
Félix Verdejo: “Mera you are awake”
Luis Cádiz: “Yes”
Félix Verdejo: “I’ll go to you in a few minutes.”
The next exchange occurred on April 28, after midnight.
Félix Verdejo: “I’m here, come on, let’s go up, I’m finishing to pick you up.”
Luis Cádiz: “Come on, let’s go upstairs, I’m finishing making coffee.”
Felix Verdejo: “I’m close”
Luis Cádiz: “I’m in the toilet”
Félix Verdejo: “Hahaha Yasta, calm down”
Luis Cádiz: “I put on my tennis shoes and lower na.”
Later, they communicated again on the day of Keishla’s disappearance, April 29 at 6:45 a.m.
Félix Verdejo: “Leaving where they titan you”.
The parties did not message each other until almost 10 hours later. At 4:37 p.m., Cádiz Martínez sent three emojis: a black heart, a drop of blood, and praying hands. At the minute, Verdejo responded with two emojis: a heart and another of a face blowing a kiss with a red heart.
Earlier, the Public Ministry presented a series of messages between Verdejo and Rodríguez Ortiz that occurred from April 24 to 27, 2021. Claims between them are detailed, particularly from Keishla when she told Verdejo that she was behind in her menstrual cycle. . It was not clear if they communicated between April 28 and 29.
In addition, the expugile rebuked Keishla for spending time with a person who was not identified for the record. In the texts presented by the Public Ministry, Verdejo addressed Keishla with flattery and insults.
Inquiring about paternity
On her second day in the witness chair, forensic pathologist Rosa Rodríguez Castillo confirmed that an embryo was recovered during the autopsy performed on Rodríguez Ortiz and that it was preserved for DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) analysis.
To questions from Gabriela Cintrón Colón, Félix Verdejo’s lawyer, the expert assured that the embryo had an approximate time of four to six weeks of gestation.
“It is defined as an embryo, but it is a human being in the process of formation. It is beginning to form to become a human being, a baby,” said Rodríguez Castillo.
Said tissues were assigned to personnel from the Institute of Forensic Sciences for the pertinent tests. The report was attached to the autopsy report.
“The analysis did not reflect that it was compatible with Félix Verdejo Sánchez,” Cintrón Colón insisted to the forensic pathologist.
“I don’t have that evidence,” replied Rodríguez Castillo, who did not remember the details of the content of the report because “it is extensive.”
The Public Ministry did not establish whether Ruth Cardona, who was in charge of the embryo analysis, will be called as a witness to detail the aforementioned DNA report.
The indictment against Verdejo stipulates that he is responsible for “killing an unborn child.”
The trial continues this Thursday in Federal Court.
Keep reading:
Who is Luis Antonio Cádiz Martínez, accused of helping Félix Verdejo kill Keishla Rodríguez in Puerto Rico
They release photos of the bruised and mutilated body of Keishla Rodríguez, whom Félix Verdejo allegedly beat, drugged and threw off a bridge in Puerto Rico
The evidence in the case of the murder of Keishla Rodríguez in Puerto Rico that could complicate the life of Félix Verdejo