The possibility that César Ávila, 58, one of the two brothers convicted of the murder of Marisol Angelina Barría, may serve the remainder of his sentence outside a prison facility will depend in part on a medical examination. The decision to order a medical evaluation of Ávila was made by a compliance judge at the end of a hearing requested by lawyers Eliécer Plicett and Norma González, who also legally represent Eloy Ávila. This case, known as 'the dead alive,' is related to the discovery in 1997, in the La Pesa sector, district of La Chorrera, province of West Panama, of a woman's corpse in an advanced state of decomposition. According to lawyer Eliécer Plicett, César Ávila's medical evaluation, who suffers from diabetes, was scheduled for this month and must be carried out by specialists from the Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences. The date of Eloy Ávila's hearing, who has also been convicted of the murder of Marisol Barría, is still pending confirmation. During the hearing, which did not allow the entry of journalists, the prosecutors in charge of the case presented an inspection report to the Electoral Tribunal (TE) on March 30. The document indicates that it has not been possible to verify the death of Marisol Barría. When questioning lawyer Eliécer Plicett about how the body found in 1997 in a state of decomposition was identified as Marisol Barría, he stated that it was pointed out by then the second superior prosecutor of the first judicial district of Panama, Manuel Succari. However, years later, DNA samples extracted during an exhumation confirmed that the remains found did not belong to Marisol Barría. The Ávila brothers' family remained outside the headquarters of the Judicial Organ for the more than two hours that the hearing lasted, hoping that their freedom would be achieved. The defense of the Ávilas indicated that, although the family of Marisol Barría has been located, they have expressed their intention not to participate in this judicial process.
