two days prior to Mr. García Valle's death23. Iván Argüello told Mrs. Acosta that he was a merchant, who sold paintings24. 33. According to the statement by María Luisa Acosta, on Monday, April 8, 2002, at around 8:30 p.m., she arrived home after giving a talk about her work with indigenous peoples at the University of the Autonomous Regions of the Nicaraguan Caribbean Coast (URACCAN) and noticed that the gate was open but the door into the house was locked.25 After waiting outside her home for about an hour, she went to the house of her neighbor, Mrs. María Esther Castrillo, to ask her whether Mr. García Valle had left the keys with her. Mrs. Castrillo said he had not and told her that she had seen him go by at about 7 p.m.26 María Luisa Acosta stated that she decided to go in through one of the windows, found her husband lying on the dining room floor, and thought at first that he had been tied up in order to rob him. However, when she saw that there was no mess in the house and her husband was not moving, she feared he was dead and went out of her house shouting for help27 and the neighbors came to assist her28. 34. At 10:50 p.m. that same night, the National Police received an anonymous call telling them that in the home belonging to Mrs. Acosta and her husband, there was a person who had been tied up and was probably dead29. At 11:00 p.m., the National Police and the Alternate Forensic Scientist and found Mr. Francisco José García Valle's corpse on the northern side of the upper floor of the house.30According to the police records, he had been murdered between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m.31 On the body, "the ankles were tied, the hands had been tied behind his neck, the mouth had been gagged, and there was a bullet entry wound in the third intercostal space at the level of the sternum with no exit orifice".32 Mr. García Valle was wearing a 23 Appendix 37. Witness statement by Eddy Lira Milles (neighbor), National Police Criminal Investigations, April 12, 2002. Trial court file No. 110-02, folio 14. Appendix 35. Statement by María Luisa Acosta, National Police Criminal Investigations, April 16, 2002. Trial court file No. 110-02, folio 56. Appendix 38 Statement by Person under Investigation (Wilberth Ochoa), National Police, Chinandega, January 11, 2003. Trial court file No. 110-02, folio 306. Appendices to the petitioners' communication of July 13, 2007. 24 Appendix 35. Statement by María Luisa Acosta, April 16, 2002. Trial court file No. 110-02, folio 55. Appendix 39. Police Operations Report, National Police Criminal Investigations, Bluefields. Trial court file No. 110-02, folio 55. Appendices to the petitioners' communication of July 13, 2007. 25 Appendix 35. Statement by María Luisa Acosta, National Police Criminal Investigations, April 16, 2002. Trial court file No. 110-02, folios 56 and 57. Appendix to the petitioners' communication of July 13, 2007. 26 Appendix 35. Statement by María Luisa Acosta, National Police Criminal Investigations, April 16, 2002. Trial court file No. 110-02, folios 56 and 57. Appendix 40. Witness statement by María Esther Castrillo Chavarría (neighbor), National Police Criminal Investigations, April 9, 2002. Trial court file No. 110-02, folio 12. Appendices to the petitioners' communication of July 13, 2007. 27 Appendix 35. Statement by María Luisa Acosta, National Police Criminal Investigations, April 16, 2002. Trial court file No. 110-02, folio 56. Appendix 39. Police Operations Report, National Police Criminal Investigations, Bluefields, April 8, 2002. Trial court file No. 110-02, folio 3. Appendix to the petitioners' communication of July 13, 2007. 28 Appendix 35. Statement by María Luisa Acosta, National Police Criminal Investigations, April 16, 2002. Trial court file No. 110-02, folio 56. Appendix 39. Police Operations Report, National Police Criminal Investigations, Bluefields.,April 8, 2002. Trial court file No. 110-02, folio 3. Appendix 41. Witness statement by María Elena Castrillo Chavarría (neighbor), April 16, 2002. Trial court file No. 110-02, folio 50. Appendices to the petitioners' communication of July 13, 2007. 29 Appendix 40. Statement by María Esther Castrillo Chavarría (neighbor), National Police Criminal Investigations, April 9, 2002. Trial court file No. 110-02, folio 12. Appendix 42. Accusation based on own knowledge (No. 00514-02), Offense: Murder, National Police Criminal Investigations, April 8, 2004. Trial court file No. 110-02, folio 2. Appendices to the petitioners' communication of July 13, 2007. 30 Appendix 43 Forensic medical opinion, Alternate Forensic Scientist, Special Zone 11, Bluefields, April 9, 2002. Trial court file No. 110-02, folios 10 and 11. Appendix 44. Minutes of the on-site inspection. National Police Criminal Investigations, April 08, 2002. Trial court file No. 110-02, folio s 4-6. Appendices to the petitioners' communication of July 13, 2007. 31 Appendix 31. Photographic evidence. National Police of the Atlántico Sur Autonomous Region, April 8, 2002 Trial court file No. 110-02, folios 20 and 21. Appendix to the petitioners' communication of July 13, 2007. 32 Appendix 42. National Police document. Based on own knowledge. Offense: Murder, April 8, 2002, folio 2. Appendix 39. Police Operations Report, National Police Criminal Investigations, Bluefields. April 8, 2002. Trial court file No. 110-02, folio 3. Appendices to the petitioners' communication of July 13, 2007.