Cooperating Accomplice Leads To Felix Verdejo Indictment

The saga continues in Puerto Rico with Lightweight contender Felix Verdejo, as now, he has been indicted by a Federal Grand Jury the for capital crimes of kidnapping and murder of his 27 year old girlfriend, Keishla Rodriguez Ortiz last week.

El Vocero newspaper had more on Friday about the grand jury making their decision in advance of what would have been a Tuesday public preliminary hearing on the details and charges in the case.

Gran jurado federal emite el pliego acusatorio por la muerte de la joven de 27 años https://t.co/TwwlK6XQBd

— El Vocero de Puerto Rico (@VoceroPR) May 7, 2021

They reported that the grand jury has indicted both Verdejo and his accomplice, who is cooperating with the authorities, Luis Cadiz Martinez. They both currently face charges of carjacking resulting in death, kidnapping resulting in death, killing an unborn child and use of a firearm during the commission of a violent crime.

Cadiz Martinez appeared yesterday virtually in front of federal magistrate Camile Velez Revi’, who informed him of the charges against him (just as she had done earlier this week with Verdejo).

The magistrate told Cadiz Martinez that he is also potentially facing the death penalty, just like Verdejo for the charges.

Both men are currently being held without bond in the Guaynabo Metropolitan Detention Center for their alleged involvement in the crimes last week.

Hear us discuss more on the awful situation and allegations against Verdejo on our Big Fight Weekend Podcast by clicking below,

The U.S. Attorney’s office in Puerto Rico has laid out the charges that were brought before the grand jury that Verdejo conspired to kidnap Rodriguez Ortiz, inject her with drugs to try to force her to have an abortion before violently punching and strangling her. And, then, along with Cadiz Martinez disposing of her body off of a bridge near Carolina, Puerto Rico last Thursday morning.

The lawyer for Cadiz Martinez, Edwin Prado, told El Vocero that his client had been cooperating since last Friday with investigators, including the FBI, to help with testimony and evidence to find Rodriguez Ortiz’s body.

“He (Cádiz Martínez) asked me a question last Friday and based on the conversation he gave me specific instructions… we talked and decided to take a course. I was the common thread with the federal government. I told the feds that I had a person who was willing to say everything that had happened, “said the lawyer. 

Cadiz Martinez, who is a car washer and detailer by trade, apparently became acquainted with Verdejo through washing his vehicles. And, he has told authorities that he was asked earlier last week by the 27 year-old fighter Verdejo to assist him with his situation with Rodriguez Ortiz and her coming to meet Verdejo on Thursday.

The indictment alleges horrifically that the two men kidnapped Rodriguez Ortiz, injected her with drugs attempting to abort her pregnancy and then, Verdejo is alleged to have punched and strangled the woman. Then, with Cadiz Martinez’s help tied her up and drove her to the bridge to dispose of the body.

Rodriguez Ortiz’s family, which had been pleading last Thursday and Friday with Verdejo and the public to help with the search for Keishla, came to the scene on the water Saturday with authorities. That was, after there was confirmation that it was a blond female matching her general description found in the lagoon in San Jose.

San Juan investigators went to Verdejo’s home Saturday night and impounded his Dodge Durango SUV for further analysis and investigation into Rodriguez Ortiz’s death. The bridge video reportedly shows the Durango SUV on the bridge, leave and then, come back twice over a 30 minute period on Thursday morning.

El Vocero further reported authorities have found a shell casing of a bullet on the bridge and allegedly found blood potentially from the victim on the bridge that was processed, as well.

Cadiz Martinez is alleged in the indictment to have driven Rodriguez Ortiz’s vehicle and dumped it in a remote area away from Verdejo’s home area. While grand jury proceedings are held in secret, it is believed that Cadiz Martinez was testifying about his own involvement, but more importantly, the actions of Verdejo.

That was probably done in exchange for some kind of future plea agreement to lessen his charges, in exchange for him also testifying against Verdejo in the future. Roriguez Ortiz’s father told the media earlier this week that he doesn’t want the death penalty for the accused, but rather for them to spend the rest of their lives in prison for what they are alleged to have done.

As, El Vocero also reports the preliminary hearing will apparently now not be held next week. However, Verdejo may request another bail hearing after he was initially denied bond earlier this week on the capital crimes. However, he is unlikely to get it because this is a death penalty case.

On that point, both Verdejo and Cadiz Martinez are being assigned new, experienced death penalty attorneys by the Federal Magistrate for their cases moving forward. She gave a 4 p.m. local time Friday deadline for the public defender’s office to provide a list of capable death penalty experienced lawyers for the defendants to choose from to represent them from now on in the cases.

Verdejo is a former amateur star in Puerto Rico having represented the country in the 2012 Summer Olympics. He had risen to top 10 status as a Lightweight contender with a 27-1 record before losing to Masayoshi Nakatani in Las Vegas last December.

Obviously, his boxing career is irrelevant with the awful charges, now.