The first witness to testify on Monday, January 27th, at the murder trial of Bismark Espinoza Martinez, accused killer of Venezuelan/American tourist Carla Stefaniak, was the cleaning lady at the hotel where Carla was killed, Karla Gonzalez. Both Gonzalez and Espinoza were employees at Villas Le Mas in Escazu. Karla’s best friend, Veronica Espinoza, is Bismark’s mother, and had recommended him for the job of security guard at the Airbnb. Espinoza was working without a work permit. He is a Nicaraguan citizen.

According to Gonzalez’s testimony, she was at her friend’s house when a call came in from the panicked wife of Bismark: he had confessed to her that he had killed Stefaniak in a sexual assault, while he was on duty on the night of November 27, 2018. Gonzalez described her friend Veronica’s reaction to the phone call. “She cried a lot, she was devastated and told me he had confessed to the killing of Carla. She didn’t tell me anything else, she just left in a hurry.”
Gonzalez went on to explain that only she and Espinoza had keys to the cleaning closet where the supplies were stored that had been used in a very thorough clean-up of the crime scene, after Stefaniak’s murder. Stefaniak’s body was found by cadaver sniffing dogs, less than 200 feet from her hotel room.

Carla Stefaniak was a 36-year old insurance agent from Miami who had come to Costa Rica to celebrate her birthday. She lived to celebrate, but did not live to return home. Her body revealed three stab wounds to her neck, three to her chest, and one to the palm of her hand – probably a defense wound. The neck wounds were probably the cause of death.
Stefaniak’s brother Mario Caceido told the press, “My sister was brutally killed. The emptiness in our hearts will be present for the rest of our lives.”

Mario and Carla’s father, Carlos Caceido, was scheduled to testify today, the second day of a likely 5-day trial, featuring 15 witnesses. He was barred from hearing testimony on Monday, but his attorney assures the press that there is solid evidence of Espinoza’s guilt in the murder of Carla Stefaniak. The family would like the harshest punishment of Espinoza, if found guilty. That would involve 66 years in Costa Rican prison.

Costa Rica’s tourism took quite a hit as the result of this murder, especially among female tourists who have always considered Costa Rica a safe place, even for single travelers. The United States State Department raised the caution level for travelers to Costa Rica from Level 1, to Level 2 for 2020

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