A federal jury on Friday convicted Olympic boxer Flix Verdejo-Snchez in the deaths of a woman and her unborn child, according to the US Attorneys Office in the District of Puerto Rico.
He was found guilty of kidnapping resulting in death and intentionally killing an unborn child, prosecutors said in a press release.
Keishla Rodrguez Ortiz and her unborn child were found dead in the San Jos Lagoon in Puerto Rico on May 1, 2021. A day later, Verdejo-Snchez who competed in the 2012 Olympics was arrested and charged with their kidnapping, carjacking and killing, federal court documents show, according to CNNs previous reporting.
A federal jury convicted Verdejo-Snchez for the federal crimes that arose from Rodrguez Ortizs murder, which occurred on April 29, 2021, according to the release.
On the morning of Rodrguez Ortizs death, Verdejo-Snchez carried out a premeditated plan to kill her and her unborn child, according to the release.
A witness told authorities Verdejo contacted him to help terminate a pregnancy after Rodrguez Ortiz told him she had taken a pregnancy test and was expecting his child, according to the criminal complaint.
Prosecutors said Verdejo-Snchez lured Rodrguez Ortiz into his vehicle where, with help from another person, he assaulted and drugged her, the release stated.
Verdejo-Snchez drove Rodrguez Ortiz to the Teodoro Moscoso bridge and threw her into the San Jos Lagoon with the other persons assistance, according to the release.
Verdejo-Snchez later jumped into the lagoon to finish murdering both victims, prosecutors said in the release.
The jury determined, according to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Flix Verdejo-Snchez, along with his co-defendant aiding and abetting each other, committed a kidnapping that resulted in the death of Keishla M. Rodrguez Ortiz and her unborn child, the release stated.
Verdejo-Snchez is facing a mandatory life sentence for each conviction. He is scheduled to be sentenced on November 3.