Judge Alexis Henríquez Nuñez has continued his questioning in connection with the murder of 12-year-old Jose Rafael Llenas Aybar, who was allegedly killed by his cousin Mario Jose Redondo Llenas and Juan Manuel Moline Rodriguez, both aged 19. Mr. Redondo Llenas was questioned for the second time in two weeks, in addition to Jose Rafael’s teacher, Pilar Brugal, and the maid employed in the house of Mr. Redondo’s parents’ house. A total of 15 people have been interviewed in relation to the case, which shocked Dominican society because of the brutality with which the murder was carried out – 34 stab wounds were found on the boy’s body. During the questioning of Mr. Redondo Llenas and Mr. Moline Rodriguez, hundreds of people gathered around the Palace of Justice in Ciudad Nueva where the interviews took place, shouting insults at the two young men as they entered the building. Mr. Redondo Llenas has complained that the news media “has treated me very badly.” Mr. Moline Rodriguez is expected to be questioned once again in the next few days.
Judge Henriquez is trying to determine the motive for the crime, as there have been serious doubts cast about the story the confessed killers gave to the police and the news media. They claim that they murdered Jose Rafael after a plan to kidnap him and demand RD$10,000,000 from his parents failed. Yet many elements of their story have been questioned, such as the place they claim to have killed him and the real motive for the murder.
One person possibly involved in the supposed kidnapping plan is Luis Martin Palma Meccia, the son of the Argentine Ambassador to the Dominican Republic, Teresa Meccia de Palma. Mr. Palma Meccia was the intellectual author of another kidnapping, according to Mr. Redondo Llenas, of an 18-year-old girl in order to demand ransom money, although it was never carried out.
There is a possible connection with the Llenas Aybar case, although no details about the Attorney General of the National District’s findings have been made public. According to Dominican Foreign Minister, Caonabo Javier Castillo, due to his status of diplomatic immunity it would be extremely difficult to force the return of Mr. Palma Meccia, who left the country for Miami on 2 May, one day before the murder of Llenas Aybar.
The 20 June edition of the Listin Diario reports that Mrs. Meccia de Palma’s husband, Luis Palma, traveled to Miami last week together with his other son and considerable luggage, a sign that they were leaving the D.R. for good. There have also been rumors that Mrs. Meccia de Palma, who has not spoken to the news media for several days, is being transferred to Honduras by the government of the Argentine’s President, Carlos Menem.