Panamanian authorities have identified 22-year-old José Antonio Martínez and 21-year-old Lorena Ibarra, alias 'La Mony', as the alleged perpetrators of the brutal murder of 74-year-old Daniel Sáenz Cortez. This crime has shocked the district of Penonomé in the province of Coclé. According to the Public Ministry, the couple has been provisionally apprehended and faces charges of deprivation of liberty, aggravated intentional homicide, criminal association, aggravated robbery, and financial crimes following an investigation that reconstructed the events. The victim's body was found in the waters of a lake in Penonomé, initiating judicial proceedings. Subsequently, authorities located the victim's vehicle in the district of San Miguelito, where it was intercepted while Martínez was driving, with Ibarra as a passenger. During a multiple requests hearing at the Penonomé Accusatory Penal System, the prosecution presented the evidence gathered. If found guilty, they could face sentences exceeding 45 years in prison for five serious crimes.
The authorities reiterated that the case remains under investigation to fully clarify this event that has caused consternation and alarm in the Penonomé community. According to the case prosecutor, Sáenz Cortez died from a cardiac laceration and thoracic trauma, caused by multiple blunt force blows to the head and extremities. The prosecution stated that the manner in which the crime was executed reveals premeditation, so the participation of other people is not ruled out, as it is believed that the accused did not act alone. As a precautionary measure, the judge ordered six months of provisional detention for both defendants while the investigation and judicial process move to their next phase.
