Former professional boxer Felix Verdejo Sanchez has been found guilty by a Puerto Rican jury for the kidnapping and death of Keishla Rodriguez, a pregnant woman who went missing on April 29, 2021.
Rodriguez had planned to meet with Verdejo, an ex-Olympic boxer, to share the news of her pregnancy, but tragically, she never arrived. Her body was later discovered in a lagoon in San Juan.
After a nearly month-long trial at the US District Court of Puerto Rico, the jury, consisting of nine men and three women, found Verdejo guilty of kidnapping resulting in death and the death of an unborn child. However, they were unable to reach a unanimous verdict on charges of carjacking resulting in death and possession of a weapon during a violent crime.
In response to the verdict, US attorney Stephen Muldrow expressed support for the family of Keishla Rodriguez Ortiz and the community seeking justice for this senseless act of violence against both Keishla and her unborn child.
Verdejo is scheduled to be sentenced on November 3, and he could face a life sentence for the charges he has been found guilty of. During the reading of the verdict, the boxer displayed no emotion, while Rodriguez’s family members embraced each other, shedding tears in their grief.
Throughout the trial, Verdejo consistently maintained his innocence, but the FBI arrested and charged him on May 2, 2021. Authorities alleged that he assaulted Rodriguez, drugged her, and then threw her off a bridge.
According to the autopsy report, Rodriguez died from drowning after being injected with fentanyl and xylazine, a sedative used for animals.
The tragic case has sent shockwaves through the Puerto Rican community and beyond, as people mourn the loss of a young woman and her unborn child. The sentencing on November 3 will bring some closure to the devastating incident, but it will never erase the pain and heartache caused by this act of violence.
Since 2014, Benny A. King has been fully immersed in the world of combat sports. Starting with a blog about Greco Roman wrestling, Benny’s passion for combat sports has led him to explore various disciplines.