A Fourth Murder Trial for Ann Patton Bender in Costa Rica?

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John Felix Bender, an American multi-millionaire hedge fund manager was found dead in his bed in Florida de Baru, Perez Zeledon, Costa Rica, with a bullet through the back of his head, in January 2010. His widow, Ann Patton Bender, was the only one at home with him at the time of his death.

Since that tragic night, Ann Bender has been through three trials for intentional homicide, has served nine months in Preventive Detention at El Buen Pastor Prison, had her jewels confiscated as evidence in a jewel smuggling case, lost her estate and nature reserve in the Southern Zone, lost her boyfriend under mysterious circumstances while she was in prison, and barely made it out of Costa Rica after she was acquitted at her third trial for John Bender’s murder.

Could Costa Rica really be planning to bring her back for a fourth trial?

According to those close to this case, that is exactly what the Fiscalia (Prosecution) intends to do. On June 23, 2017, a new trial was ordered, to be held before a fresh trio of judges, with the intention of overturning Ann’s previous acquittal from September of 2015. If they succeed in bringing Ann Bender back from the United States to stand trial, this will be her fourth murder trial in seven years. In Costa Rica there are no laws against double jeopardy, and those accused can stand trial multiple times for the same exact crime.

A new wrinkle in this case was revealed last week when the former head of the Bender’s security team, Jose Fabio Pizarro, was arrested for possible drug smuggling when he was caught accompanying 237 kilograms of cocaine hidden in a false-bottom cattle truck on its way to San Jose. Pizarro was the alleged logistics chief for the drug smugglers, possibly of Mexican drug cartel origins. He has intimate knowledge of routes and traffic stops along the way, due to his previous post as the head of the Border Patrol. Pizarro’s case, and that of his three accomplices, has yet to come to trial. Pizarro once served also as the head of Costa Rica’s Fuerza Publica.

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