Walter Espinoza, Director of the Judiciary Investigative Police (OIJ), had a press conference Tuesday, December 4, 2018, where he stated that “everything so far leads us to believe that the body found in Escazú corresponds to Carla Stefaniak”, however, he was very careful to insist that scientific confirmation is still pending.

According to Espinoza, the body that was found near Villa Le Mas, San Antonio, Escazú, has characteristics that coincide with the Venezuelan-USA tourist that went missing in Costa Rica November 28.

The body had wounds inflicted with a bladed weapon in arms and neck and a blow to the head likely caused with a blunt force weapon.

Carlos Caicedo, father of Carla Stefaniak, arrived earlier today at the Forensic Science building in San Joaquín de Flores, Heredia to provide samples of his blood for DNA testing.

OIJ is also waiting on the fingerprints that will be provided by the FBI to match those of the body found.

Costa Rican authorities detained a security guard yesterday as the main suspect of this crime, Bismarck Espinoza Martinez a 32 year-old, Nicaraguan who remains in the country on irregular migratory status (Illegal), he last entered the country in June 2018 and worked as a security guard at Villa Le Mas where he also lived.

According to the first statement given by the guard to police a cab arrived to pick up Stefaniak and he even helped her with her suitcases, however, there are some discrepancies since apparently an Uber driver showed up at around 8:30 a.m. to pick her up aswell. By that hour that hour the guards had changed shifts and the new officer informed the driver that the woman had already left. Stefaniak, a resident of Florida, USA, was supposed to board a flight at 1:30 p.m.

Stefaniak arrived to Costa Rica, November 22, apparently in the company of her friend and sister-in-law April Antonieta Burton, they visited Manuel Antonio in Quepos and La Fortuna in San Carlos; Burton took a flight back to Florida on November 27, while Stefaniak stayed the night at Villa Le Mas, she had arranged the lodging through AirBnB. According to Burton, she last heard of Stefaniak at around 8 p.m. on November 27th, when she told her it was raining crazy and the power had gone out.