Born on August 21, 1993, in Quito, Ecuador, Juliana Campoverde quickly became the light of her family. Her joyful spirit only grew brighter when her younger brother, Ronny, was born. She cherished her role as an older sister, often dressing Ronny in her clothes and adorning him with hair clips, playfully treating him like a doll.
Juliana Campoverde
Music was another great love of Juliana’s life. From an early age, her talent was evident. She participated in a Christmas competition during kindergarten, where her singing amazed everyone and led her to victory. When asked by a teacher what she wanted to be when she grew up, Juliana Campoverde confidently responded, “A singer.”
As Juliana Campoverde entered elementary school, her academic performance was impressive. She was independent in her studies, completing her assignments with ease and consistently earning excellent grades. However, despite her successes, life was not without challenges. At the age of nine, her parents separated, with her father relocating to southern Ecuador. This was a difficult period for Juliana Campoverde, who deeply missed her father. While she found some comfort in phone calls with him, she often expressed her longing for his presence to her mother, Elizabeth.
In an effort to find solace, Elizabeth decided to join a local church led by Pastor Patricio, who had four sons. One of them, Jonathan, soon became a youth leader, managing the choir and playing guitar. As the family became more involved in church activities, Juliana Campoverde joined them for services twice a week, on Wednesdays and Sundays, along with her mother and brother.
Involvement in Church Life
Juliana soon embraced the church community, joining a dance group where she made new friends in addition to her schoolmates. However, the church had strict and controlling rules. One of these was the requirement to seek the pastors’ approval for major life decisions, such as Juliana Campoverde visiting her father. Despite these constraints, the Campoverde family remained dedicated, and Juliana took on more responsibilities, attending choir rehearsals and leadership classes, while also encouraging her friends to join the congregation.
Outside of church life, Juliana Campoverde was a loving daughter and sister. She often helped her mother with household tasks and found ways to show affection to her family. On Mother’s Day, for example, she would surprise Elizabeth with roses or heartfelt letters. Her connection with her father also stayed strong, and she would spend her summers visiting him.
One person who took a special interest in Juliana Campoverde was Jonathan, the youth leader. Over time, he gained power within the church and was named his father’s successor without the usual requirements for leadership, such as psychological evaluations or formal training. Jonathan claimed to have visions and divine insights, which further solidified his position of influence.
At the age of 14, Juliana Campoverde began dating a classmate named Julio with her mother’s approval. However, the church quickly intervened, prohibiting her from having a boyfriend until she turned 18. Although Juliana tried to balance her relationship with her faith, the pressure from the church became overwhelming, and she ended the relationship to stay active in the choir. This deeply concerned her mother, who noticed that the church leaders were treating her daughter differently.
A New Path and Troubling Developments
As Juliana Campoverde grew older, her bond with her mother strengthened. They spent more time together, staying up late to chat, going shopping, and even sharing clothes. In 2011, after graduating high school, Juliana planned to move to Argentina to study music. But before she could set her plan into motion, she received a Facebook friend request from a man named Juan Solano, who introduced himself as a psychologist and pastor.
Their conversations soon took a strange turn when Juan claimed that God had revealed to him that Juliana Campoverde was meant to marry Israel, Jonathan’s brother. Confused, Juliana sought guidance from the church pastor, who advised her to wait for his own divine revelation. A week later, he confirmed Juan’s message, telling Juliana that she should indeed marry Israel.
Frightened and unsure, Juliana Campoverde confided in her mother, who stood firm. Elizabeth reassured her daughter that no one, not even the church, had the right to dictate her future or choose her husband. Growing increasingly suspicious, Elizabeth began to wonder if Juan was even a real pastor or just a church member using a fake profile to manipulate her daughter.
By May 2012, Elizabeth had had enough of the church’s growing influence over their personal lives. She made the decision to leave the church, feeling that its control had gone too far. She also took concrete steps toward her daughter’s future, making the first payment for Juliana’s move to Argentina on July 23, 2012.
While working at her natural medicine shop, Juliana Campoverde was also studying biological sciences at Catholic University. She had big dreams for the future, but those dreams would never come to pass. On the morning of July 7, 2012, at around 9 AM, Juliana left her home with her mother, Elizabeth, heading to work as usual. Along their route, they unexpectedly crossed paths with Jonathan, a rare sight in that part of town. After briefly chatting, they continued on their separate ways. Juliana Campoverde had only a short six-block walk to her shop, but by 9:15 AM, Elizabeth received word that her daughter hadn’t yet arrived.
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the Disappearance
Alarmed, Elizabeth knew something was off. Juliana Campoverde should have already reached her destination. When her father tried calling her, all he could hear was the sound of children playing and a man telling them to stay away from the phone. That evening, at 7:51 PM, Elizabeth received a text message from Juliana’s phone. The message claimed that Juliana had met someone and was leaving with him, promising to send her things from the shop later. The tone of the message immediately raised red flags. It didn’t sound like Juliana at all.
To make matters worse, Juan Solano, a mysterious figure who had recently connected with Juliana Campoverde on Facebook, had deactivated his account on the same day she went missing. Elizabeth’s suspicions grew even stronger.
On July 8, still with no news of Juliana, her family attempted to report her disappearance to the police. However, they were met with indifference. The police suggested that Juliana had likely run off with a boyfriend and refused to file a formal report, stating that they had to wait 48 hours. Despite this setback, Elizabeth continued her search, combing through her daughter’s belongings for any clue. That night, she anxiously waited for Juliana Campoverde to return, but the hours passed with no word.
Pastor Patricio, the former leader of their church, contacted the family, urging them not to involve the authorities. Ignoring his suggestion, the Campoverde family focused on printing and distributing flyers with Juliana’s photo, hoping someone might have seen her. They even tried to reach out to a local TV station to share her story, but their request was denied.
A Frustrating Investigation
By Sunday, the family finally managed to file a missing person report. On Monday, a prosecutor was assigned to the case, but her response was disheartening. She suggested that Juliana Campoverde was likely pregnant and would return in eight months. Elizabeth, unconvinced, shared her suspicions about Juan Solano and even provided evidence of his messages to Juliana. She also highlighted the similarity between those messages and others Jonathan had sent to different young women from the church. Despite these concerning patterns, the prosecutor dismissed the claims, insisting that Jonathan was a devout Christian who could never be involved in such matters.
Later that day, Juliana’s aunt received a phone call from Pastor Patricio, who claimed he had been praying and assured the family that they would receive news within 20 minutes. Just as predicted, 20 minutes later, Elizabeth received another text message from Juliana’s phone, stating that she was fine but couldn’t access the internet. Hours later, a post appeared on Juliana’s Facebook account, thanking friends for their concern and asking them to respect her decisions. The messages only deepened the family’s suspicions, as none of it sounded like Juliana Campoverde.
When Pastor Patricio contacted Elizabeth again, she informed him that the entire church was under investigation because of the suspicious behavior surrounding Juan Solano. The call was abruptly cut off.
Church Involvement and Jonathan’s Confession
The police began summoning members of the church for questioning, but Elizabeth was barred from attending the interrogations. The following day, the family met with the prosecutor, who confidently assured them that the church was not involved in Juliana’s disappearance. To Elizabeth’s shock, the prosecutor even suggested that the church had reported Juliana Campoverde as a drug user, a claim that contradicted everything her family knew about her.
Jonathan, under increasing scrutiny, eventually gave a voluntary statement. He claimed that on the day Juliana went missing, she had visited him at his workplace to ask for a computer and some money. Then, on August 8, 2012, Jonathan confessed to creating the fake Facebook profile of Juan Solano. He tried to justify his actions by saying he was attempting to “guide” Juliana Campoverde spiritually, as he believed she was straying from the right path. The police, however, were not swayed by this explanation. They recognized that manipulating her under the guise of divine will was no excuse for his actions.
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As the months went by, official efforts to find Juliana Campoverde lagged. The authorities did little to advance the investigation, leaving the community to take matters into their own hands. Local organizations and concerned citizens rallied together, organizing protests to demand answers and justice for Juliana. The outcry was loud and clear—they wanted the truth, and they called on the pastors to bring Juliana back alive.
Elizabeth Campoverde remained resolute in her belief that the church was involved in her daughter Juliana’s disappearance. After years of pushing for answers, her suspicions were finally validated. Two years after Elizabeth had submitted a Facebook post from Juliana’s account as evidence, a computer expert traced the IP address of the post. The address matched the location where Jonathan had been working on the day Juliana Campoverde vanished.
On May 18, 2014, Jonathan was questioned once more. He admitted to seeing Juliana Campoverde and her mother on the street on July 7, 2012, but denied knowing anything further. The investigation stalled again, frustrating the Campoverde family. Seeking answers, they confronted the church leadership, demanding they address the crime. However, the church simply advised the family to “wait for justice.”
New Evidence Emerges
It wasn’t until 2018 that the investigation took a significant turn. Phone records revealed that calls made on the day of Juliana’s disappearance were linked to the SIM card used in her final call. Investigators discovered that Jonathan had removed Juliana’s SIM card and placed it in his own phone. In a subsequent raid on Jonathan’s home, investigators uncovered troubling internet search history, including queries about violent deaths, scopolamine (a drug used in criminal activity), IP address tracing and erasure, and hacking techniques for Facebook and Hotmail accounts.
Further investigation revealed that on July 9, 2012, just minutes before the last post appeared on Juliana’s Facebook account, the password had been changed from Jonathan’s home. Forensic experts also discovered that the database at Jonathan’s workplace, which recorded employee entry and exit times, had been tampered with. The alterations showed changes to Jonathan’s access times on July 7, 2012—the day he claimed to have been working.
With this new evidence, the prosecutor’s office filed charges against Jonathan. He was placed in preventive detention, but he chose to remain silent during initial questioning. On October 12, 2018, authorities launched a large-scale search operation in southern Quito. Unfortunately, no trace of Juliana Campoverde was found. Only a few items, such as clothing and a book, were discovered, but they were quickly ruled out as being related to Juliana.
On November 7, 2018, former pastor Patricio, Jonathan’s father, filed a protection order, claiming that his rights to physical, psychological, and moral integrity, as well as his religious freedom, had been violated. Despite his efforts, the authorities conducted a raid on the church, but no new evidence surfaced.
Jonathan’s Confession and Discovery of Remains
The case took a pivotal turn on November 10, 2018, when Jonathan decided to cooperate with authorities under a legal mechanism that allowed for a reduced sentence in exchange for information. He confessed that on July 7, 2012, he had an argument with Juliana Campoverde, which escalated into a physical confrontation. During the struggle, Juliana fell, hit her head, and tragically died. In a panic, Jonathan transported her body to northern Quito and disposed of it.
On November 11, authorities searched the area Jonathan had mentioned and discovered four bone fragments and some teeth. A forensic anthropologist determined that two of the remains—a femur head and a tooth—belonged to an adult woman, based on wear patterns. The bones were estimated to have been buried for six to eight years, consistent with Juliana’s disappearance. Unfortunately, due to the harsh environmental conditions in the area, DNA extraction was impossible, preventing definitive identification.
On November 20, a psychological evaluation concluded that Jonathan displayed narcissistic and compulsive traits, a desire for power and control (especially through religion), and emotional immaturity. Based on this evaluation and the evidence gathered, the judge reformulated the charges against Jonathan on November 30. He was now the prime suspect in Juliana’s disappearance and was officially charged with extortionate kidnapping resulting in death.
On December 28, an arrest warrant was issued for Patricio and his other son, Israel, for investigative purposes. However, both men fled the country before they could be questioned. Further investigations into the church revealed that it lacked proper legal documentation and that its leaders did not possess the necessary credentials or qualifications. Essentially, the church had been operating illegally.
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The Road to Trial
After nearly seven years of searching for answers, and after passing through the hands of ten different prosecutors, the pre-trial hearing finally concluded on May 9, 2019. The judge called for Jonathan to stand trial as the sole perpetrator of the crime.
On July 2, 2019, Jonathan faced a public trial at the Penal Guarantees Tribunal, marking a crucial step in the Campoverde family’s long journey for justice.
The trial began with Elizabeth Campoverde being the first to take the stand. She testified about how the church had manipulated her family, with Jonathan avoiding her gaze throughout her emotional recounting. On July 3, during a critical moment in the trial, a forensic doctor simulated the fall that Jonathan claimed led to Juliana’s death. The expert’s conclusion was damning—the fall was minor and could have only caused bruises or mild injuries, certainly not death. It became evident that Jonathan was withholding key information about what had truly happened.
A psychological expert also took the stand, presenting her analysis of Juliana’s profile. She explained how Juliana’s deep faith had been exploited by Jonathan to manipulate her. Conversations between Juliana Campoverde and the fake “Juan Solano” Facebook profile were presented as evidence, further highlighting the pastor’s deceitful actions. Throughout the proceedings, Jonathan remained silent, his expression vacant, his posture slouched. The supporters who once stood by him had disappeared, leaving him isolated.
Closing Arguments and the Verdict
In his closing argument, the Campoverde family’s lawyer pointed out Jonathan’s extreme cruelty. He argued that Jonathan’s failure to reveal Juliana’s fate had caused unbearable suffering for her family. He also criticized Jonathan’s supposed cooperation, stating that his directions to the body’s location seemed more like an effort to mislead authorities rather than help them. The lawyer called for the maximum sentence of 25 years in prison, asserting that if this crime had happened today, it would have been classified as femicide.
Jonathan’s defense lawyer, however, pushed back. He argued that Jonathan should, at most, face charges of simple kidnapping, claiming that there was no definitive proof of Juliana’s death since her body had not been fully recovered. But despite these assertions, the tribunal remained convinced that Juliana Campoverde had died, based on the evidence gathered. While DNA extraction from the remains found was impossible, the circumstantial evidence and witness testimonies left no doubt about Jonathan’s guilt.
On July 17, 2019, Jonathan was sentenced to 25 years in prison for extortionate kidnapping resulting in death. The crowd, which had stood by the Campoverde family throughout the trial, reacted with outrage. Some even attempted to assault Jonathan and his relatives as he was escorted out of the courtroom by penitentiary officers.
That same day, the Penal Guarantees Tribunal ordered several reparations for Juliana’s family. These included a symbolic payment of $100,000, continued efforts to locate her body, and the installation of a memorial plaque in her honor. As the verdict was read, Juliana Campoverde’s family broke down in tears. Elizabeth, overwhelmed with emotion, screamed at Jonathan, pleading with him to return her daughter. Despite her desperate cries, Jonathan remained emotionless, offering no further confessions or explanations.
In addition to the reparations, the tribunal mandated the permanent closure of the church and ordered training for the national police and prosecutor’s office on handling cases of disappearances and deaths with a gender-sensitive approach. This ruling marked a significant step forward in addressing such cases in Ecuador.
Appeal and Continued Struggles
Jonathan’s defense team filed an appeal to annul the conviction, but on November 16, 2020, the National Court of Justice upheld the original sentence, rejecting the appeal. This case became a legal milestone in Ecuador, as it was the first time a conviction had been secured without a body or direct witness testimony, relying solely on circumstantial evidence.
Despite the conviction, some promises made to Juliana’s family were not fulfilled. By July 2022, the memorial plaque that was ordered as part of the reparations had still not been installed. Frustrated by the lack of progress, Juliana’s family, along with several social organizations, staged a protest to mark the tenth anniversary of her disappearance. During the event, Elizabeth read a heartfelt letter to her daughter, condemning the state’s negligence throughout the investigation and legal process. She vowed to continue fighting for justice until her daughter’s body is found, allowing her to give Juliana Campoverde the proper burial she deserves.
In an interview following the protest, Elizabeth highlighted that women and girls continue to disappear across the country every day. She reaffirmed her commitment to holding the authorities accountable and to finding her daughter, so that the Campoverde family can finally have closure.
