The first person has been found guilty for the murder of Colombian journalist Flor Alba Núñez who was killed in September 2015 while entering her workplace.
On Aug. 11, 2017, almost two years after the murder, a judge found Juan Camilo Ortiz, alias ‘el loco,’ guilty in the case. He could face up to 50 years in prison, according to newspaper La Nación. His sentencing is planned for Sept. 8, Caracol Radio reported.
Núñez was killed on Sept. 10, 2015 while walking into radio station La Preferida in Pitalito, Huila department. The well-known journalist also worked for various television stations and newspapers, including Canal6, Nación TV and newspaper La Nación.
Footage from security cameras outside the radio station show the moment that a person with a motorcycle helmet quickly approaches Núñez from behind as she reaches the front door of the building. The person appears to take the stance used when shooting a gun and Núñez immediately falls to the ground. The person then quickly runs away.
Arrest warrants were issued for Ortiz and Jaumeth Albeiro Flórez, alias ‘Chory,’ shortly after the murder.
Ortiz was arrested on Sept. 26, 2015 at a police checkpoint in the department of Sucre. At the time, police said he left Huila in an attempt to evade authorities, El Colombiano reported. Flórez is still at-large, according to La Voz de la Región.
The deputy prosecutor of the nation said that Núñez was killed due to political reasons and was related to her role as a journalist, La Voz de la Región reported.
Note from the editor: This story was originally published by the Knight Center’s blog Journalism in the Americas, the predecessor of LatAm Journalism Review.
