A total of eight people will be charged with the murder of environmentalist Jario Mora Sandoval, on May 31 last year, in Moín, Limón.
The (last) names of the charged as released by Fiscalia (Attorney General) are: Delgado, Quesada, Centeno, Cash, Aráuz the two brokers, Salmón.
The will be charged with murder, sexual abuse, deprivation of liberty, aggravated robbery and aggravated rape.
The Fiscalia said they will also be charging a woman, identified by her last name Delgado, for receiving stolen property, The woman, though not directly tied to the murder of Mora, received a stolen cell phone knowing it had been obtained illegally.
According to the indictiment, the group had been involved in the illegal trade of sea turtle eggs and receiving stolen fuel form the Recope plant in Moín.
The group would also keep a close eye on beach goers and would steal their belongings.
Jairo Mora Sandoval (March 22, 1987 – May 31, 2013) was a Costa Rican environmentalist who was murdered while attempting to protect leatherback turtle nests. Just before midnight on May 30, 2013, Mora and four female volunteers were abducted by a group of masked men.
The women eventually escaped and informed the police. Mora’s bound and beaten body was found on the beach the next morning. An autopsy determined he died by asphyxiation after suffering a blow to the head.
Sea turtles are protected by law in Costa Rica, but poaching remains common. Locals take eggs, which are believed to be an aphrodisiac, and sell them on the black market.
The egg trade has been linked to drug trafficking and organized crime. Environmentalists working in Limón say they are often threatened for trying to protect turtle eggs. Jairo Mora was one such environmentalist working in the area.
