85.
Reward offered in the case. Within the criminal investigation, and with the agreement of
the Minister of the Interior, a reward of one hundred thousand quetzals (Q.100,000.00) was
offered to anyone providing information leading to the identification and capture of those
responsible for the death of Claudina Isabel Velásquez Paiz; this was published in the
Guatemalan media on January 16, 2008.125 Also, on March 6, 2012, an adviser to the office of
the Ministry of the Interior sent the prosecutor 500 posters offering a reward for information in
this case.126 On October 28 and November 8, 2011, someone contacted the Public Prosecution
Service stating that he had information on the case and was interested in the reward.127 This
individual made a statement before the assistant prosecutor on April 20, 2012, in which he
explained that another person was going to provide the information and, also, that the
information possessed by the latter was not direct, because yet another person had provided it
to him, so that “it was not reliable and more like a rumor.”128
86.
Report to the 110 emergency number. Regarding the report received by the PNC via the
110 telephone number referring to a possible sexual assault, the evidence in this case includes a
copy of the PNC form identified as “Confidential information and calls for help to the 110
system,” which was found in the “closed files” of the CECOM (110 system) and sent by the
coordinator of the PNC 110 Division to the Ministry of the Interior’s investigator on September
13, 2007. The form merely indicates that at 2.12 a.m. on August 13, 2005, a “neighbor”
reported a possible sexual assault on 7th street “A” 11-32, Zone 11, Colonia Roosevelt, to the
PNC 110 emergency number.129 The file reveals that, on June 26, 2008, the assistant prosecutor
asked PNC Precinct 14 to forward information about the incident reported in this telephone
call.130 In response, on July 18, 2008, the PNC Sub-General Directorate of Public Security
advised that: (a) the system for recording emergency calls started in February 2006; (b) since
there was no file of any kind, there was no information on the identity of the person in charge or
the agents assigned to surveillance and patrols on August 13, 2005, and (c) the logbook for
August 12 and 13, 2005, did not record any information on a possible sexual assault on 7th
Street “A”, in front of the building numbered 11-32 in Colonia Roosevelt, Zone 11.131
87.
Expert analysis of the ballistic trajectory. On July 23, 2008, the assistant prosecutor
asked the PNC Criminalistics Bureau to perform an expert analysis based on the photographic
album of the crime scene, the video on the processing of the crime scene, the autopsy report
and its corresponding expansion, and the sketch of the scene of the crime, in order to establish:
(1) the ballistic trajectory based on the elements provided; (2) the position of the victim when
she received the bullet’s impact; (3) the position of the perpetrator when he shot her; (4) the
distance between the barrel of the gun and the target; (5) the perpetrator’s height; (6) whether
the perpetrator was right-handed or left-handed, and (7) any other information that could be
obtained and that was considered useful for clarification of the facts. 132 In response, the
ballistics expert assigned to the task advised that it was not possible to calculate the ballistic
trajectory on the basis of the elements provided, because this had to be calculated at the site
where the incident took place.133 Subsequently, on May 19, 2009, the assistant prosecutor
Cf. Communication MP001-2005-69430 of February 25, 2008 (evidence file, folios 5301 to 5303), and Decision
of the Ministry of the Interior of September 25, 2008 (evidence file, folios 5346 and 5347).
126
Cf. Communication REF. 23-2012 of March 6, 2012 (evidence file, folio 5753).
127
Cf. Report of January 12, 2012 (evidence file, folios 5671 and 5672).
128
Cf. Statement before the Public Prosecution Service on April 20, 2012 (evidence file, folio 5772)
129
Cf. Copy of report to the 110 number of August 13, 2005, sent by the 110 Division Coordinator of the PNC on
September 13, 2007 (evidence file, folios 96 to 98).
130
Cf. Communications MP001-2005-69430 requesting evidence, dated June 26, 2008 (evidence file, folios 4558
and 4560).
131
Cf. Communications MP001-2005-69430 with answers dated July 18 and 28, 2008 (evidence file, folios 5007
and 5008).
132
Cf. Communication of the assistant prosecutor of July 23, 2008 (evidence file, folios 4564 and 4565).
133
Cf. Undated letter from the Ballistics Expert to the PNC Criminalistics Bureau (evidence file, folio 5009).
125
30