The Panamanian judicial system has sentenced 26-year-old José Quiroz Chirú to 25 years in prison for aggravated homicide committed in the mountains of Donoso district in Colón province in 2022. The sentence was handed down by a Trial Court, which also established the accessory penalty of a ban on carrying firearms for the same period after the main sentence is served. The attack with a sharp weapon left one victim dead. The violent incident occurred on the night of November 3, 2022, in the community of Altos de Santa Cruz, where the sentenced man attacked two men with a sharp weapon. One of them, Emanuel Vargas, received at least 17 stab wounds, which ultimately caused his death, while the second victim survived the attack, constituting the crime of attempted homicide. The Public Prosecutor's Office achieved a guilty verdict for aggravated homicide. During the oral trial, the Public Prosecutor's Office presented its case theory, presented evidence, and closing arguments, which allowed the tribunal to issue a guilty verdict. The investigation was carried out by the Specialized Homicide and Femicide Section of the Regional Prosecutor's Office of Colón and Guna Yala, reaffirming the institutional commitment to combating violent crime in Panama.
