The owners of the Escazu AirBnB, Villa le Mas, where Carla Stefaniak spent her last night alive, have come forward through their lawyer to explain that they were in fact on the premises on the night of Stefaniak’s murder, but in a villa on the other side of the property. The property in question is quite large, comprised of individual villas set apart from each other, not like a traditional hotel with rooms one on top of each other. The AirBnB owners are an older couple of retired doctors. They never met Ms. Stefaniak, and heard no sounds of the attack and murder that night. There was a raging storm on the night of Stefaniak’s murder, with lightning and thunder, and the hotel lost electricity during the night. Stefaniak, according to the OIJ, was killed at the hotel late on the night of November 27, or early on November 28, 2018.
There were several guests staying on the property on November 27/28, but none of them heard any unusual sounds that night. Stefaniak’s body was found several days later, partially buried, about a football field distance from the hotel. She weighed 195 pounds at time of death, and her family feels that the weight would be too much and the distance to her grave too far for one person alone to have managed removing her from the villa and dragging her to the perimeter of the property. They theorize that 5-7 people were probably involved, a theory that the OIJ challenges. Thus far, DNA from only one person has been identified as the murderer.
The family of Ms. Stefaniak has sued both the owners of the hotel and the American organization which handles AirBnB bookings in Costa Rica, for negligence and failure to provide secure lodgings for guests.
The attorney for the owners of the hotel, Federico Campos, in a television interview with Teletica yesterday, expressed the sorrow and sympathy of the hotel owners for the family of Carla Stefaniak. He explained that there was a fierce storm on the night of her death, one which probably made it difficult for anyone to hear the tragedy as it happened.
Campos went on to declare that his clients were being involved in the case despite there being no proof of their guilt or participation. He stated that Stefaniak’s family was carrying out a smear campaign against the hotel owners, accusing them of hosting orgies, drug parties, and other illegal activities at their property. Campos declared that the Stefaniak family was in hot pursuit of money in this case, from both the hotel owners and the AirBnB organization which handles their bookings.
Campos assured Teletica that his clients were absolutely innocent of the charges, and that in fact, the real perpetrator was already in custody. His name is Bizmark Espinosa Martinez. He was the security guard on duty that night. Espinosa is an illegal worker from Nicaragua, and should never have been hired by the hotel.
Besides the loss of Ms. Stefaniak’s life, Costa Rica has taken a hit in the tourist industry after this incident. Several tour groups cancelled after this tragedy, which unfortunately followed the deaths of two other female tourists in Tortuguero Park. Costa Rica has a reputation as a very safe tourist destination, a reputation now tarnished by the deaths of these tourists.
There were several guests staying on the property on November 27/28, but none of them heard any unusual sounds that night. Stefaniak’s body was found several days later, partially buried, about a football field distance from the hotel. She weighed 195 pounds at time of death, and her family feels that the weight would be too much and the distance to her grave too far for one person alone to have managed removing her from the villa and dragging her to the perimeter of the property. They theorize that 5-7 people were probably involved, a theory that the OIJ challenges. Thus far, DNA from only one person has been identified as the murderer.
The family of Ms. Stefaniak has sued both the owners of the hotel and the American organization which handles AirBnB bookings in Costa Rica, for negligence and failure to provide secure lodgings for guests.
The attorney for the owners of the hotel, Federico Campos, in a television interview with Teletica yesterday, expressed the sorrow and sympathy of the hotel owners for the family of Carla Stefaniak. He explained that there was a fierce storm on the night of her death, one which probably made it difficult for anyone to hear the tragedy as it happened.
Campos went on to declare that his clients were being involved in the case despite there being no proof of their guilt or participation. He stated that Stefaniak’s family was carrying out a smear campaign against the hotel owners, accusing them of hosting orgies, drug parties, and other illegal activities at their property. Campos declared that the Stefaniak family was in hot pursuit of money in this case, from both the hotel owners and the AirBnB organization which handles their bookings.
Campos assured Teletica that his clients were absolutely innocent of the charges, and that in fact, the real perpetrator was already in custody. His name is Bizmark Espinosa Martinez. He was the security guard on duty that night. Espinosa is an illegal worker from Nicaragua, and should never have been hired by the hotel.
Besides the loss of Ms. Stefaniak’s life, Costa Rica has taken a hit in the tourist industry after this incident. Several tour groups cancelled after this tragedy, which unfortunately followed the deaths of two other female tourists in Tortuguero Park. Costa Rica has a reputation as a very safe tourist destination, a reputation now tarnished by the deaths of these tourists.
