A group of agents of the National Civil Police (PNC) assigned to Zacap María Fernanda Bonilla Archila and José Luis Marroquín Ovalle, pointed out of having killed Melisa Palacios on July 5, 2021.
Four patrols assigned to Zacapa, two from Chiquimula and one of the Special Forces Division of the PNC guarded the entrance to the Chiquimula Court, where the two syndicates were presented on April 2, 2025.
In accordance with the author authorities, the security scheme that is provided to Bonilla is due to alerts issued by the Penitentiary Information Analysis Unit and a request from the Zacapa District Prosecutor’s Office of the Public Ministry, for possible attacks against the syndicate.
Free press He had access to the document issued by the MP on October 28, 2024, addressed to the Director of the Los Ocotes Prison Center, in Zacapa.
The Prosecutor’s Office of that department, through the Office MP 287-2024-2194, requested greater security for the deprived of liberty, María Fernanda Bonilla Archila.
The document, signed by Fiscal Assistant Heberth Carlos Orellana Ventura, says: Attentive I will address you – director of the prison – in order to request your good offices, so that you instruct the personnel in your charge to provide surveillance, protection and protection to the prison María Fernanda Bonilla Archila.
According to the Public Ministry (MP), Flor de María Bonilla Archila, mother of the syndicate, filed a complaint with the Zacapa Prosecutor’s Office in which she points out to be a victim of extortion and threats.
Flor de María Bonilla Archila is being a victim of extortion and threats to attack her life and that of her family, it is pointed out. In addition, it was reported that the required one is in the detention center mentioned, the document indicates.
Attacks and links with drug trafficking
According to the investigators of the case, María Fernanda Bonilla Archila was shot in September 2020 in La Pepesca, Río Hondo, Zacapa. In that same village, his mother, Flor de María Bonilla, was also the victim of an armed attack in July 2021.
They added that investigations for both armed attacks are related to organized crime groups.
We detected a possible struggle between two groups of drug trafficking that operate in Zacapa, they said.
The relatives and lawyers of Melisa Palacios have denounced the presence of armed groups that are located around the court when the hearings are held against María Fernanda Bonilla and her bodyguard, José Luis Marroquín Ovalle.
They commented that, despite the ostentatious carrying of firearms, the PNC does not act against those people.
The General Directorate of the Penitentiary System said they request the support of the Police “as the need for the established security scheme.”
Current state of the process
The criminal process for the death of Melisa Palacios Follow in Intermediate stagebut the Victim Institute And the MP insists on transfer the file to a Court of greater risk In the capital, due to doubts about the Impartiality of the current court.
According to the institution, the request is based on the Three judges in charge have already known previous phases of the caseeven when the defendants tried to take advantage of a procedure of acceptance of charges And then they retracted.
Although one of the Recusations was accepted And a judge was separated from the court, the other two judges, including Juan José Regalado RivasThey continue in the case, he said.
The MP was notified on Wednesday, March 9 on the appeal resolved by the Supreme Court of Justice so that the Criminal Chamber analyzed whether the case must be transferred as a court of greater risk.
Why does the MP seek that the case is no longer known in the court of Chiquimula?
The case of Melisa Palacios began in the Court of Zacapa and, according to the MP, due to the change of crime to Bonilla, to homicide committed in a state of violent emotion, and José Luis Marroquín Ovalle, due to his own cover -up, the situation in that judiciary became “tense”.
The manifestations and acts of violence began outside the court; The victim’s relatives were attacked, and those circumstances could generate that the case be transferred to Chiquimula, where the situation would be similar, the MP explained.