77. Mr. Lenin Oswaldo Ordóñez said that they got past the police checkpoints on the road by presenting the identification they had as former members of the FAE.61 He said that they did not give the kidnapped persons anything to eat for five days, only water, and that they had kept them tied up.62 He said that Freddy Contreras had killed Marco Bienvenido Palma and Jorge Jhon Mero Parrales (known as “el Flaco”) because they had tried to escape.63 He said that afterwards they threw the dead bodies into the Norcay River64 and that the bodies had been found by farmers from the Jesús María parish in the district of Naranjal on May 26, 1997.65 78. Based on the statements made by Lenin Oswaldo Ordóñez, the corpses of Marco Bienvenido Palma Mendoza and Jorge Jhon Mero Parrales were exhumed.66 Their bodies had been buried in the María José parish of the District of Naranjal, after having been found naked and without identification in the Norcay River on May 23 and 26 of 1997.67 79. On February 29, 2000, the Superior Court of Quito ordered the arrest of Lenin Oswaldo Ordóñez Ortiz, Freddy Contreras, Medardo Cevallos Gómez, and Ramón Bravo Mera for purposes of investigation.68 80. On March 9, 2000, Mr. Lenin Oswaldo Ordóñez Ortiz gave sworn testimony in the trial for the murder of Marco Bienvenido Palma Mendoza.69 On March 13, 2000, a procedure was conducted to reconstruct the events of the crime.70 81. On May 2, 2000, Mrs. Rosa Rufina Parrales, mother of murder victim Jhon Mero Parrales, asked the Eleventh Criminal Court Judge of Manabí—in view of the fact that she had learned “outside of the process of the trial” that Medardo Cevallos Balda, Medardo Cevallos Gómez-Piñán, Alberto Cevallos Gómez-Piñán, David Cevallos Gómez-Piñán, Carlos Cevallos, Marcelino Gómez Ponce, Ramón Bravo Mera, Vicente Domínguez Avilez, Jhonny 61 Police Report No. 2000-128-PJ-M-COMPL of February 26, 2000, signed by Aladino Zambrano, investigator of the Ecuadorian National Police, addressed to the Chief of the Manta Judicial Police. Appendix to the communication of the State dated August 24, 2000 and appendix to the petitioners’ communication dated November 17, 2005. 62 Manabí Criminal Court, Judgment of March 19, 2001. Appendix to the petitioners’ communication dated November 17, 2005. 63 Manabí Criminal Court, Judgment of March 19, 2001. Appendix to the petitioners’ communication dated November 17, 2005. 64 Manabí Criminal Court, Judgment of March 19, 2001. Appendix to the petitioners’ communication dated November 17, 2005. 65 Police Report No. 2000-128-PJ-M-COMPL of February 26, 2000, signed by Aladino Zambrano, investigator of the Ecuadorian National Police, addressed to the Chief of the Manta Judicial Police. Appendix to the communication of the State dated August 24, 2000 and appendix to the petitioners’ communication dated November 17, 2005. 66 As established in the judicial file, the identification and autopsy of the body of Marco Palma Mendoza was conducted on February 29, 2000 in the presence of his family members. See certificate of identification and autopsy carried out in Manta and signed by Attorney Roger Pico Benitez, XI Criminal Court Judge of Manabi; Atty. Bernando Zambrano. Secretary; Dr. Camilo B. Andrade Carrillo, expert; Dr. Edwin G. Diaz Loor, expert. Appendix to the communication of the State dated August 24, 2000. 67 Manabí Criminal Court, Judgment of March 19, 2001. Appendix to the petitioners’ communication of November 17, 2005. 68 Superior Court of Quito, Official letter No. 419-CSQ-P of February 29, 2000, signed by Dr. Angel Ramírez Martínez, Secretary of the Presidency of the Superior Court of Quito. Appendix to the communication of the State dated August 24, 2000. 69 Sworn statement of the accused Lenin Oswaldo Ordóñez Ortiz, in Manta on March 9, 2000, signed by the XI Criminal Court Judge of Manabí, Atty. Roger Pico Benítez. Appendix to the State’s communication of August 24, 2000. 70 Certificate of crime reconstruction, Manta, March 13, 2000, signed by Atty. Roger Pico Benítez, XI Criminal Court Judge of Manabí, the Court Secretary, and two experts. Appendix to the communication of the State dated August 24, 2000.