Sometimes one thinks that life costs too much… but this time, sixty dollars were enough for everything to fall apart. Arturo “Pagoda” Hansell and Abdiel Oglivie are behind bars, accused of taking the life of Esteban De León, a young man who disappeared on October 31st and was found five days later, dumped behind a church in Las Paredes. Reports indicate that the two accused took the victim's iPhone 14 Pro and had it unlocked for $60. They believed this would erase the evidence, but instead, it opened the door to the whole truth. With the phone now “free,” they put it up for sale for $300. A supermarket worker fell for the offer without having any idea of the trouble he was getting into. He just wanted the device to send to a friend in Darien… but unknowingly, he bought the evidence of a crime. From that moment on, the phone spoke. Photos, messages, locations… everything started to sing. The police began to put the puzzle together, piece by piece, until the case was clarified. And that's not all: in the same way, the accused tried to sell Esteban's truck. A camera caught them driving around in a Kia Picanto, unaware that they were already being watched. Today, both are in prison, facing charges of aggravated homicide, aggravated robbery, and criminal association. So far, it is not known for certain how Esteban died, only that his body had no bullet or stab wounds. The very same phone they thought would make them money was the one that brought them down. According to the investigation, several witnesses were key. A driver stated that he dropped off the two suspects at a location in Tocumen, where they paid to have the phone unlocked. Afterwards, he left them at a gas station, where—according to him—they were given a wad of cash. Another witness, the brother of one of the detainees, revealed that his family put the phone up for sale without knowing what was behind it. Authorities believe there are more people involved in this mess and that the case still has a lot more to reveal.
