A judge postponed on Tuesday, April 29, the First Declaration Hearing of Darío Morales García, pointed out of having participated in the death of Monsignor Juan José Gerardi Conedera, for Monday, May 5, judicial sources reported.
That afternoon, only space was given for the Public Ministry (MP) to impute the facts. Subsequently, Morales was sent to the Preventive Center for men in Zone 18.
On April 28, the Security Forces reported the capture of Morales, 61, after he was deported from Alexandría, Louisiana, USA.
The arrest was held on Saturday, April 26 at the Guatemalan Air Force Migration Offices, as detailed by the National Civil Police (PNC). The apprehended is required by the alleged commission of the crimes of extrajudicial execution, in the degree of complicity, and false testimony.
The crime
On April 26, 1998, the Catholic Church dressed in mourning: Monsignor Gerardi was killed inside the parish house of the San Sebastián Church, two days after presenting the Guatemalan report never again, recovery of historical memory (Rehmi).
The document denounced atrocities committed by the army during the internal armed conflict.
Several hypotheses arose about the fact, including that it was a passion or political crime, common crime, or that Balú, the dog of the priest Mario Orantes, had attacked it. Orantes lived in the parish house along with Gerardi.
The first two suspects were Orantes, who ordered to wash the crime scene and did not warn the authorities until hours later, and the domestic employee Margarita López, indicated by cover -up.
After the investigation, 17 people were indicated as suspicious: 12 military and five civilians.
Those guilty for Gerardi’s crime had different destinations.
On January 20, 2000, the military Byron Lima Estrada, Byron Lima Oliva (son of Lima Estrada) and the Obdulio Villanueva army specialist were captured, from whom a witness declared in the trial that he was arrested in the prison of Antigua Guatemala and that came out that day to commit the crime.
The Public Ministry (MP) pointed out the criminal participation of the military in Gerardi’s murder, but were not the only ones involved. The parish house in which Monsignor lived was frequented by Margarita López, the domestic employee, who was related to the beginning of the criminal process.