8, 1993 by "Police Major Homero Agapito Bermeo Alcívar,” who said that he heard about the events "from
different comments that were made at the the police station.” 85
97.
On March 28, 1994, Carlos Gilberto Moreno, another of the medical experts who prepared
the autopsy report, gave an additional statement. With regard to the presence of Tardieu spots in the lungs,
he said that "asphyxia might have occurred through suffocation concomitant with death” and he said that it is
probable that it would have occurred "as a result of the massive brain hemorrhage.” He explained with
respect to the medical report that "we did not mention the existence of asphyxia at any time," but that
although Tardieu spots “occur in a death from asphyxia ... in this case, an investigation in that regard is not
warranted.” He said that according to the blood alcohol content "a state of inebriation existed" and he said in
relation to the finding of gunpowder on the right hand that "there are usually always traces ... on the the firing
hand, [but] he could draw no conclusions in that regard.”86
98.
On April 18, 1994, the Judge of the Second National Police District Court requested
Chimborazo Province Police Commandant No. 5 to reply to an official letter of March 23, 1994, in which he
requested a copy of the receipt for the service revolver issued to Luis Valencia Hinojosa and, if one existed, for
Police Lieutenant Luis Piedra Meza, while he was serving in the unit under his command. 87 On April 22, 1994,
it was notified that a search of the records revealed that "no receipt for the service revolver issued to former
policeman Luis Valencia Hinojosa exists, and that neither is there a receipt for Police Lieutenant Luis Piedra
Meza.” 88
99.
On May 16, 1994, the Judge of the Second National Police District Court ordered the
exhumation of the corpse of the alleged victim, a new reconstruction of the events, and the taking of new
testimony. The corpse was exhumed on May 20, 1994. 89 In that procedure, “an oblique, oval-shaped fractured
orifice on the sagittal plane consistent with the entry hole of a firearm projectile” was found in the “squamous
part of the right temporal bone.” In addition, it was found that “in the left parietal bone there is an irregular
oval-shaped fractured orifice consistent with the exit wound of a firearm projectile.” 90
100.
On June 6, 1994, the Second National Police District Court received a report from the Central
Forensics Laboratory [Laboratorio Central de Peritajes] on the "investigative studies for gunpowder or trace
evidence on the bones samples from National Policeman Luis Jorge Valencia Hinojosa.” That report included a
close-up photograph of the "occipital bone" and "close-ups of the bullet hole and traces of soot in the contact
ring.” The report mentioned that the nitroderivatives test performed yielded a positive result and "based on
the aforementioned characteristics it was determined that the gunshot was a contact shot.” 91 With regard to
this opinion, the judge requested a rectification of the mention of an "occipital bone" given that the
exhumation "establishes that the medicolegal experts 'should take a sample of the bone where the entry
85 Appendix 50. Statement of Mr. Homero Agapito Bermeo Alcívar, September 8, 1993. Appendix 6 to the State’s
communication of February 7, 2011, received at the IACHR on February 14, 2011.
86 Appendix 51. Statement of Carlos Gilberto Moreno Paredes, March 28, 1994. Appendix to the State’s communication of
February 7, 2011, received at the IACHR on February 14, 2011.
87 Appendix 52. Request of the Judge of the Second National Police District Court to Chimborazo Province Police Commandant
No. 5, April 18, 1994. Appendix to the State’s communication of February 7, 2011, received at the IACHR on February 14, 2011.
88 Appendix 53. Written communication from Chimborazo Province Police Commandant No. 5, Official letter 94-460-CP-5m,
April 22, 1994. Appendix to the State’s communication of February 7, 2011, received at the IACHR on February 14, 2011.
89 Appendix 54. Record of exhumation of the corpse. May 25, 1994. Appendix to the State’s communication of February 7,
2011, received at the IACHR on February 14, 2011.
90 Appendix 54. Record of exhumation of the corpse. May 25, 1994. Appendix to the State’s communication of February 7,
2011, received at the IACHR on February 14, 2011.
91 Appendix 55. Report of the Central Forensics Laboratory of June 3, 1993, received by the Second National Police District
Court on June 6, 1993. Appendix to the State’s communication of February 7, 2011, received at the IACHR on February 14, 2011.
According to the available evidence, that report was written by Police Lieutenant Patricio Cevallos Iglesias and Police Second Lieutenant
Fausto Olivo Cerca.