Olympic Sports

FORMER Olympic boxer Felix Verdejo has been found guilty of kidnapping and killing his pregnant girlfriend. Keishla Rodrguez, 27, was drugged before being tossed into a lagoon while she was still alive in San Juan, Puerto Rico in April 2021.
Felix Verdejo, 30, was found guilty of the murder of his pregnant girlfriendCredit: Getty
Mum-to-be Keishla Rodrguez, 27, was drugged, shot, and hurled off a bridgeCredit: Family Handout
Keila Ortiz described her daughter’s killing as a ‘macabre murder’Credit: AP
A court heard Verdejo, who competed for his country at the 2012 Olympic Games, had pressured her to abort their unborn child.
The jury delivered their verdict on Friday following a 25-week trial where the gruesome details of the “macabre” murder were revealed.
Verdejo, 30, was convicted on the charge of kidnapping that leads to a death and one count of causing the death of an unborn child.
But the three women and nine men could not reach unanimous verdicts on the charges of carjacking which resulted in death and the possession or use of a firearm to commit a violent crime.
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Tragic Keishla’s parents, Jose Antonio Rodriguez and Keila Ortiz, welcomed the verdict and said they hope the crime haunts the boxer for the rest of his life.
Her emotional father said: “In my mind I thought many things, but not in my heart. I got up every day to come here with the purpose of making her count.
“I have always said that he will live the rest of his life thinking about what he did to my daughter, and that is his worst condemnation.
“I do not wish him death, I wish him good health and that he can last as long as he can last… if he wants to last 200 years, let him last, but always remember what he did to my daughter.”
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Keishla’s heartbroken mother added: “Justice was done for my daughter and my grandson, they did justice for both because they are two lives. 
“Keishla was sitting on the (court) bench with her baby. I don’t think the verdict will be reversed at all. This was a macabre murder.”
The victim’s body was discovered on May 1, 2021, after being dumped in a lagoon in the Puerto Rico capital of San Juan.
Keishla had been killed by Verdejo two days prior, the same day her family had reported her missing after she failed to show up to work.
She had told her mum that she was meeting her lover at her home to show him the results of a blood test that confirmed her pregnancy.
Ms Ortiz warned her daughter that Verdejo was dangerous, claiming he had threatened the 27-year-old previously as he encouraged her to abort their unborn child.
She claimed Verdejo is married but had known Keishla since middle school and kept in touch with her.
The boxer arrived at the apartment with his pal Luis Antonio Cádiz, who has proved a key witness in the case while also being charged.
Keishla climbed into her partner’s SUV, where he then punched her in the face before chillingly injecting her with an unknown substance.
Verdejo had earlier made a purchase of what Cádiz believed to be heroin from drug dealers at a residential complex in Santurce.
The men then allegedly used wires to bind her hands and feet, before horrifically tying her limbs to a cement block.
Mum-to-be Keishla was then hurled off a bridge and into the San José Lagoon in broad daylight.
A pathologist told the court that she was still alive when she was thrown into the water at approximately 8.30am.
Cadíz told the FBI that Verdejo then menacingly stood on the bridge and used his gun to shoot at his girlfriend.
He said he made an anonymous call to police days later to reveal the location of Keishla’s body.
An autopsy determined she had fentanyl and xylazine, a sedative used for horses and other animals, in her system.
Verdejo, who pleaded not guilty to the charges, will be sentenced on November 3 – where he could face the death penalty or life in prison.
Prosecutors relied on the testimony of more than 30 people, including key witness and the boxer’s accomplice Cadíz.
He pleaded guilty last year after agreeing to a plea deal, but has not yet been sentenced.
A judge approved a request from federal prosecutors and denied both defendants bail.
Keishla’s brutal murder sparked outrage across Puerto Rico, as locals called on authorities to improve protection for victims of domestic violence.
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Verdejo represented Puerto Rico at the 2012 Olympics and became a professional boxer that year.
He finished his career in the lightweight division with a 27-2 record, with 17 knockouts.
Tragic Keishla had gone to meet her lover to confirm the news of the pregnancyCredit: Instagram @bereliznichole_
Verdejo and his pal Luis Antonio Cádiz allegedly tied concrete blocks to herCredit: Getty
How you can get helpWomen’s Aid has this advice for victims and their families:

Always keep your phone nearby.
Get in touch with charities for help, including the Women’s Aid live chat helpline and services such as SupportLine.
If you are in danger, call 999.
Familiarise yourself with the Silent Solution, reporting abuse without speaking down the phone, instead dialing “55”.
Always keep some money on you, including change for a pay phone or bus fare.
If you suspect your partner is about to attack you, try to go to a lower-risk area of the house – for example, where there is a way out and access to a telephone.
Avoid the kitchen and garage, where there are likely to be knives or other weapons. Avoid rooms where you might become trapped, such as the bathroom, or where you might be shut into a cupboard or other small space.

If you are a ­victim of domestic abuse, SupportLine is open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 6pm to 8pm on 01708 765200. The charity’s email support ­service is open weekdays and weekends during the crisis – messageinfo@supportline.org.uk.
Women’s Aid provides a live chat service – available weekdays from 8am-6pm and weekends 10am-6pm.
You can also call the freephone 24-hour ­National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247. More