WILLEMSTAD - The Public Prosecution Service has demanded a 15-year prison sentence against Maicholl L.G. (30), originally from Venezuela. Maicholl is accused of digging a pit and burying merchant Angel Barrios Rodriguez alive on the premises where he worked and lived in Groot Sint Joris, between February 8 and March 19, 2020, in the case named Barí.
After the incident, Maicholl fled to Venezuela. The Public Prosecution Service requested the Venezuelan authorities to arrest him, which was done. During his detention, he was interrogated and gave multiple statements about the incident.
Later, Maicholl left Venezuela but was arrested by Interpol in Costa Rica and extradited to Curaçao to stand trial. During the requisitoir, the prosecutor noted that there is little physical evidence in the case regarding what exactly happened on the night of February 8 to 9, 2020.
Statements
The statements of the co-defendants are therefore of great importance. These statements indicate that Maicholl dug the pit and, after the victim was thrown into it, covered the pit with sand while knowing that the victim was still alive. When questioned by the police, Maicholl denied knowing that the victim was still alive when they buried him.
According to the prosecutor, this contradicts what he stated in Venezuela, where he said he saw them throwing a man with tied hands and covered face into the pit. He knew the man was still alive when he was buried.
During the trial, Maicholl admitted that he did indeed know the victim was still alive when he was thrown into the pit. However, he claimed that he could do nothing because Rodriguez, Montilon, and Mauricio were chasing him and threatening him with a firearm.
He had to follow their instructions and carry out their orders, otherwise he and his family would not survive. The prosecutor argued that this does not align with Montilon's statement, who said that Maicholl was aware of their plan and was told a few days before the incident to dig a pit.
According to Montilon, they called Maicholl on the day of the kidnapping to inform him that they had the merchant in the car and were on their way to the Finca. The prosecutor stated that the police could verify this based on the registered phone mast data, which showed that there were indeed phone calls recorded between Montilon and Maicholl that evening.
According to the prosecutor, all these facts and Maicholl's statements themselves are sufficient to hold him accountable for complicity in the disappearance and murder of Angel Barrios by consciously burying the victim and then covering the pit with sand.
The Public Prosecution Service also considers him complicit in setting fire to the victim's vehicle after the incident. Given all these facts, the court finds the charges proven and imposes a 15-year prison sentence on Maicholl.