www.CostaRicaTicas.com

I’m curious to know what people think about the way this case. If you are interested, you can see all 6 parts of Accused In A Foreign Land on the MSNBC web page before casting your vote. It takes about 45 minutes to watch all of them. See:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18264642/

From what I've seen on CNN, it appears that one witness (also accused of the crime) was believed over multiple witness and records that proved to me at least he was FAR from the location of the murder at the time.

That is the problem with traveling to an 'underdeveloped' country that has a somewhat hostile attitude toward Americans, sadly, something that is becoming more common. That is the one problem with a jury...if their innate hatred of a defendant overrides thier view of real evidence then you will get these strange verdicts.

While certainly jury prejudice is sometimes a problem that is not a factor in this case. Volz chose a bench trial so there was no jury. That does not mean the Judge did not have some inbred prejudice but that is very difficult to determine.

While we all can reach a conclusion we have no independent information in which to formulate our decision. What we know we have learned from the media and they may well be a prejudiced as a foreign Judge or jury.

Unless you actually sat through the entire trial and weighed the evidence your opinion is not based on the facts rather it is based on what you have been told. It is possible that this group (CRT) is as willing to give the 'gringo" the benefit of doubt just as much as the Nicaraguans are unwilling to do so.

_________________
Pura Vida
Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass all four
essential food groups:
alcohol, caffeine, sugar and fat.
Alex Levine

if defense witnesses and evidence records were first cross-examined, and specific faults were found, then it could be out weighed by the prosecutions evidence

but to have it excluded is highly suspicious
it would be interesting to find out why the mother is so certain
was she expecting a marriage?
was her family really poor by local standards?

my impression is the really poor are laborer
or the street vendors (with just some merchandise)

above that would be vendors with a cart
but a shop keeper with an actual store is usually a couple of notches above the really poor

last item
call me a bigot, but a local aware of the current time of day?

Not going to draw any inference in that remark but really would like to hear your explanation of what you meant by it.

_________________
Pura Vida
Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass all four
essential food groups:
alcohol, caffeine, sugar and fat.
Alex Levine

What a travesty of justice.

Do you guys really think he would go to all that trouble to kill this girl and manufacture such an intricate alibi when he had no intention of maintaining a relationship with her anyway? Do you think he would really sacrifice his growing business and his future for some small town Nica poosy? Do you really think he would hire that scumbag to do ANYTHING?

This quote from the prosecutor as the mountain of evidence was detailed to her showing that Volz did NOT do it says it all "that is no proof of innocence".
So in Nicaragua you have to prove your innocence?

As for the trial being decided by a judge from San Jose del Sur, don't you suppose SHE felt a little pressure from the locals?

This is a classic case of being railroaded, there really is no other way to look at it.

I voted yes that he did it. My reasoning is purely speculation. But, his planned escape to Costa Rica that week and his complete lack of any remorse that she is dead (regardless of whether he was the cause) kind of gave me the inclinition. His entire alibi could have been payed for. The other key fact - why did he have to payoff the family with such a large sum of money - if his defense was so squeeky clean? His defense was very good. He had every angle covered. He could have easily payed one of the local surf bumbs to snuff her.

My big point of distress here - why was there no DNA testing??? If she was sexually molested and beaten, the DNA would surely narrow down the suspects.

_________________
http://TipsCostaRica.com for pratical advice on living in Costa Rica.
In order to write about life, first you must live it! - E. Hemingway.

Witling wrote





Most lovers/husbands who murder their gf/wife have concocted an elaborate alibi before the crime actually takes place.

Who says, other than Eric Volz, that the relationship was over? If it were actually over who is to say it was his decision?



This is common in many countries. Most of us are familiar with United States law which gives the presumption of innocence to the charged party. Not true in a lot of the rest of the world.



As I have posted previously I do not know if he is guilty or innocent but I certainly disagree with your conclusion that he was railroaded. I believe there are other ways to look at it and some have been expressed in this thread.

_________________
Pura Vida
Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass all four
essential food groups:
alcohol, caffeine, sugar and fat.
Alex Levine

You are correct ID.

Here in the U.S., the Courts are governed the practice of "Presumption of Innocence," which we commonly refer to as "innocent until proven guilty."

Conversely, in many authoritarian regimes the prosecution's case is, in practice, believed by default or "presumed" unless the accused can prove he or she is innocent, a practice called "Presumption of Guilt."

With that said, assuming that Presumption of Guilt is the standard in Nicaragua (and I do not know the answer to that), I believe that the prosecutor stated the government's position correctly.

Whenever you are alone with a woman, you take a risk. That could be in your office, in your car, in your home, or in your bed. The risk seems higher in a foreign country, especially if she turns up dead. I, too, was taken by his response to the question if he was angry (or bitter), and his answer was a relaxed "no." Then again he seems to have too many witnesses, cell phone records, etc., to ignore.

It is a concern when mongering, not so much the "turning up dead" part, but what a girl could invent if she was pissed, evil, or both. It's one of the plusses of termas, MP's, strip joints, and seeing amigas you've known for a while.

This case is a "wake-up call" that anything can happen when dealing with pu*sy, even in this country. But given the choice, I'd prefer it be here to a court in the third-world, headed up by a woman judge.

Talk about a nightmare...

_________________
"Don't never trust a woman, till she's dead and deep....One day she'll say she loves you, next day she'll throw you on the street."

"...and if men didn't have this unquenchable desire to have sex with women, then they wouldn't have anything to do with women at all. I certainly wouldn't..."