Former Olympic boxer Félix Verdejo-Sánchez has been found guilty of kidnapping resulting in death and intentional killing of an unborn child, according to a press release from the United States Attorney’s Office (USAO) for the District of Puerto Rico. The verdict comes after the body of Keishla Rodríguez Ortiz and her unborn child were discovered in the San José lagoon on May 1, 2021. Verdejo-Sánchez, who competed in the 2012 Olympics, was arrested the following day and charged with kidnapping, car theft, and murder.
The USAO statement read, “A federal jury today convicted Félix Verdejo-Sánchez for federal crimes derived from the murder of Keishla Rodríguez Ortiz on April 29, 2021.” The statement detailed that on the morning of Rodríguez Ortiz’s murder, Verdejo-Sánchez executed a premeditated plan to assassinate her and his unborn child.
According to the statement, Verdejo-Sánchez lured Rodríguez Ortiz to his vehicle, where, with the help of another person, he subjected her to physical assault, injected her with drugs, and used metal wire to tie her to a cement block. He then transported her to the Teodoro Moscoso bridge and threw her into the San José lagoon. In an attempt to eliminate any evidence, Verdejo-Sánchez also jumped into the lagoon to “finish murdering both victims.”
The USAO statement highlighted that the jury found Verdejo-Sánchez and a co-defendant guilty of committing a kidnapping that resulted in the death of Keishla M. Rodríguez Ortiz and their unborn child. Verdejo-Sanchez now faces a mandatory life sentence for each conviction, with sentencing scheduled for November 3, 2023, at 2:00 p.m.
Keishla Rodríguez’s body was discovered floating in the San José lagoon on May 1, 2021, in the municipality of San Juan, Puerto Rico. The following day, Verdejo-Sánchez surrendered to federal authorities after an arrest warrant was issued against him based on a complaint filed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
The indictment stated that the defendants intentionally killed the victim in a particularly heinous, cruel, or depraved manner, involving serious physical abuse. It also indicated that the crime was premeditated and planned with the specific intention to cause the death of the victim.
Verdejo-Sánchez’s conviction brings a modicum of justice for Keishla Rodríguez Ortiz and her unborn child. The sentencing in November 2023 will determine the severity of punishment for the heinous crimes committed by the former Olympic boxer.