Keyla Patricia Martinez, a 26-year-old nursing student from the National Autonomous University of Honduras, lived in Tegucigalpa, the bustling capital of the country. Known for her warm heart and infectious smile, Keyla was on the cusp of completing her practical training as a nurse. On the morning of February 6, 2021, she woke up, looking forward to her weekend plans. She was especially excited about her evening trip to La Esperanza, her hometown, where she intended to visit her family.
That same evening, Keyla Patricia Martinez and her friend, Dr. Edgar José Velásquez, an obstetrician, were driving through the city when their car was pulled over by the police. It was 11:45 PM, and the country had implemented a strict COVID-19 curfew from 9 PM to 5 AM to curb the virus’s spread. The two were accused of violating the curfew and taken into custody at a local police station. What should have been a routine detention turned into a nightmare.
A Mysterious Death in Custody
By the early hours of February 7, 2021, Keyla was found dead in her cell. The police report stated that she had taken her own life, citing intoxication and her supposed erratic behavior as factors that led to her death. However, this version of events clashed with the Keyla Patricia Martinez her loved ones knew and adored.
To her friends and family, Keyla Patricia Martinez was more than just a nursing student. She was a beacon of kindness, known for her gentle nature and love for butterflies. The butterfly symbol held deep significance for her, so much so that two of the seven tattoos she had were of butterflies. Her dream of becoming a nurse was rooted in her childhood, where she would playfully treat her younger sister, Nancy, with pretend medical tools.
Keyla’s upbringing was far from easy. Raised in a low-income household with her siblings and cousins, she grew up under the care of her grandmother and aunt. Her mother, Norma, had migrated to the United States in pursuit of a better life, working tirelessly to send money back to Honduras. After years of sacrifice, Norma returned home and built a house for the family with her own hands. Later, she moved to Spain to support her children’s education.
Inspired by her mother’s determination, Keyla Patricia Martinez re-enrolled in nursing school in 2020 after taking a break to work. She was preparing to graduate, full of dreams and aspirations for her future.
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Conflicting Stories
The portrayal of Keyla Patricia Martinez in the police report starkly contrasted with the one painted by those who knew her. The authorities described her as intoxicated and defiant, while her family and friends remembered her as a compassionate, caring individual. The police’s account of Keyla’s final moments suggested she attempted to take her own life by strangling herself with a sweater. They claimed she was found kneeling in her cell and was immediately rushed to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead at 2:55 AM.
However, this version quickly came under scrutiny. The hospital where she was taken contradicted the police’s report, stating that Keyla had already been dead upon arrival. Additionally, no alcohol test was performed on Keyla Patricia Martinez, further casting doubt on the official story.
The news of Keyla’s death quickly spread throughout La Esperanza, sparking outrage and disbelief. On the Monday following her death, protests erupted outside the local police station as people gathered to demand justice for Keyla Patricia Martinez. What began as a peaceful demonstration soon turned chaotic when police responded with force, even firing tear gas into nearby homes.
Despite the tragedy, Keyla’s story remains surrounded by unanswered questions. Her family continues to fight for the truth, determined to uncover what really happened in those final hours of her life.
The reaction from the residents of La Esperanza was immediate and fierce. Keyla Patricia Martinez’s tragic death was not an isolated event but part of a pattern of alleged police abuse and corruption. In fact, just weeks before Keyla’s mysterious death, another incident involving the same police officers had taken place. This time, it involved a motorist and two female passengers who were stopped during a so-called routine traffic inspection.
Despite being mere passengers, the women were arrested and later endured brutal beatings and threats while in custody. The women’s story was eventually shared by human rights organizations, but only after the victims fled the country to protect themselves. The officers had made it clear that if they continued to speak out, they would be killed and disappeared.
Protests Erupt in the Streets
Following Keyla’s death and the revelations of police abuse, the people of La Esperanza took to the streets in protest. They demanded justice, refusing to accept the culture of impunity that had plagued their town. Their protests, fueled by outrage, forced the media and judicial authorities to finally pay attention to Keyla’s case.
On February 9, 2021, just a day after the protests, the Public Ministry conducted a preliminary autopsy, which confirmed what many had feared—Keyla had died from mechanical asphyxiation. This meant that her airways had been deliberately obstructed. The findings contradicted the police’s earlier claim that Keyla Patricia Martinez had taken her own life. She had been murdered.
As the news of the autopsy results spread, tensions heightened. Later that night, a fire broke out at the police station where Keyla Patricia Martinez had been held. Public skepticism quickly grew, with many speculating that the police themselves might have started the fire in an attempt to destroy evidence and portray themselves as victims. Social media buzzed with theories, but the police were forced to revise their stance, admitting they were now considering all possible explanations for Keyla’s death.
The investigation soon expanded, focusing on the officers involved in her arrest and transport. The judicial system also reclassified the case, preliminarily recognizing it as a homicide in line with the Public Ministry’s findings.
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The Family’s Struggle for Truth
Despite the official shift in the investigation, Keyla’s sister Nancy remained skeptical. Early on, she expressed her frustration, pointing out major flaws in the investigation. Authorities hadn’t taken any photos of the crime scene, meaning there was no visual evidence from where her sister had died. Furthermore, while the preliminary autopsy results had been made public, confirming that Keyla Patricia Martinez had been murdered, the final forensic report remained undisclosed. Independent investigative outlets continued to pursue the case, but the family still waited for full transparency.
Although the autopsy clearly indicated that Keyla Patricia Martinez had been murdered, many mainstream media outlets in Honduras continued to push the suicide narrative. These media channels relied heavily on the testimony of Dr. Edgar José Velásquez, the obstetrician who had been arrested alongside Keyla. Supporting the police’s version of events, the doctor gave a televised interview, stating that Keyla had been crying and pleading for release. He claimed that, at one point, she expressed a desire to hang herself with her sweater. Although he and the other detainees couldn’t see her, they heard her final words before a prolonged silence. Shortly after, he witnessed four police officers carrying her limp body out of the cell.
Dr. Velásquez’s account outraged Keyla’s family and supporters. Her mother reminded the public of the official autopsy results, which confirmed that her daughter had been murdered, not suicidal. Nancy, Keyla’s sister, highlighted several inconsistencies in the doctor’s story. She pointed out that Keyla Patricia Martinez had no history of mental health issues and had never shown signs of suicidal tendencies. Moreover, the bruises found on Keyla’s body suggested she had been physically assaulted, injuries she could not have inflicted on herself.
Nancy also recalled the phone call she received from the doctor shortly after her sister’s death. During that conversation, he implied there was more to the story but claimed it wasn’t the right time to discuss it. However, during his television interview, he failed to mention any such details.
The conflicting narratives surrounding Keyla’s death left many wondering who could be trusted. Was Dr. Velásquez’s testimony accurate, or was he covering up something darker? The public demanded answers, and Keyla’s family continued their fight for justice, determined to uncover the truth behind her tragic death.
Political Connections and Suspicions
As the case of Keyla Patricia Martinez continued to unfold, congresswoman Olivia Zúniga Cáceres voiced her concerns regarding the doctor who had testified in support of the police. She alleged that the doctor was closely tied to influential elites within the National Party of Honduras, a political force that few dared to oppose. These claims raised suspicions about the doctor’s possible connections to corrupt individuals and organizations, casting further doubt on his testimony.
Keyla’s family lawyer also expressed skepticism about the doctor’s statements. In an interview, the lawyer pointed out inconsistencies between what the doctor had told the media and what he had privately shared with Keyla’s family. During her own investigation, the lawyer confirmed that the ceiling in Keyla’s cell was made of solid concrete, making it physically impossible for Keyla Patricia Martinez to have hung herself as the authorities had claimed. The family now faced the daunting task of not only challenging the police’s actions but also countering the narrative perpetuated by the mainstream media.
Despite lacking money, power, or political influence, Keyla’s family was undeterred in their pursuit of justice. Their only goal was to uncover the truth behind her death. They knew that the autopsy and hospital reports clearly contradicted the police’s version of events, proving that Keyla Patricia Martinez had been murdered. However, it took nearly two months for the authorities to officially name a suspect.
On April 16, 2021, the Public Ministry issued a formal indictment against police officer Jarol Rolando Perdomo Sarmiento for the aggravated femicide of Keyla Patricia Martinez. Perdomo was arrested and placed under the custody of the Ministry of Security. Though the exact details of his arrest were not disclosed, he was promptly transferred to La Esperanza, where the criminal trial was set to take place.
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Key Evidence and the Arrest of Perdomo
The investigation revealed that Officer Perdomo had been inside Keyla’s cell for five to six minutes on the night of her death. Afterward, he lingered suspiciously outside without returning to his post. It was also discovered that Perdomo had tampered with the crime scene. At the time of the incident, Perdomo, a low-ranking officer, served as the assistant to the police station commander and was responsible for overseeing the detainees and the keys to the cells.
Upon hearing of Perdomo’s arrest, Keyla Patricia Martinez’s mother, Norma, expressed a sense of relief, feeling that the truth was finally beginning to surface. However, she also demanded that the investigation extend beyond Perdomo to include the police station commander, who had been in charge at the time of Keyla’s death. Norma also called for an inquiry into the doctor, believing that his testimony had been false.
Although Perdomo’s arrest provided a glimmer of hope, the legal process that followed was fraught with challenges. In August 2021, Perdomo’s defense successfully filed an appeal that resulted in the Court of Appeals reclassifying the case from aggravated femicide to simple homicide. This decision was met with outrage by human rights organizations, including the Committee of Relatives of the Detained and Disappeared in Honduras, which filed a constitutional challenge with the Supreme Court. They demanded that those responsible for Keyla Patricia Martinez’s murder face charges and penalties in line with national and international standards.
Though the judicial process had officially begun in April 2021, it wasn’t until 2022 that the public trial against Officer Perdomo finally commenced. None of the other 13 officers and police personnel present at the station on the night of Keyla’s death were ever investigated or charged.
Evidence Unfolds in Court
Throughout the trial, a range of evidence was presented, including a judicial inspection of Keyla’s cell and forensic reports that tracked the time Perdomo spent inside. Psychological experts also testified that Keyla had no history of mental health issues, further discrediting the theory that she had taken her own life. Additionally, police station logbooks and the forensic examination report were presented, both confirming that Keyla’s death had been caused by a third party and that Perdomo had tampered with the crime scene.
Despite this mounting evidence, nearly a year and a half after Keyla’s death, the case took a frustrating turn. On September 19, 2022, the judge ordered an indefinite recess, citing the need to wait for the Constitutional Court’s ruling on whether to reclassify the crime from simple homicide to aggravated homicide. This delay deepened the family’s sense of injustice, as they had already faced numerous threats and harassment during the legal proceedings.
A Disappointing Verdict
In 2023, the Constitutional Court ultimately rejected the petition to classify the case as femicide, leaving the decision in the hands of the trial judges. When the case resumed in September 2023, the charges against Perdomo were downgraded from simple homicide to negligent homicide by omission. For Keyla Patricia Martinez’s family, this decision was deeply unjust, especially in light of the compelling evidence that had been presented in court.
The court’s final ruling on the death of Keyla Patricia Martínez implied that Officer Jarol Rolando Perdomo Sarmiento had not directly caused her death but had failed in his duty to protect her. This ruling reinforced the narrative that Keyla Patricia Martinez had taken her own life, a conclusion that starkly contradicted the findings of the autopsy, which had determined that she had been murdered. Keyla’s mother, Norma Rodríguez, was devastated by the outcome. She expressed her deep frustration, stating that the judicial system had only confirmed what the family had long suspected—Perdomo was not the only person responsible for Keyla’s death. She believed that others involved were being shielded by the system.
Despite numerous officers being present on the night of Keyla Patricia Martinez’s death, only one low-ranking officer had been charged, and he wasn’t even being held in a penitentiary. Instead, Perdomo was held in a military battalion while awaiting sentencing. The sentencing hearing, initially scheduled for November 3, was postponed for three months, prolonging the family’s agony.
It wasn’t until February 15, 2024, that Keyla’s family and the Honduran public finally learned Perdomo’s fate. He was sentenced to just five years in prison for the negligent homicide of Keyla Patricia Martinez. Additionally, he was disqualified from working as a police officer for four years, required to perform community service, and ordered to pay a meager fine of $314. The sentence fell far short of the family’s hopes for justice.
Norma Rodríguez expressed her devastation after the sentencing, stating that, to the judicial system, her daughter’s life was valued at nothing. She said the family felt deceived, betrayed, and utterly unprotected by the legal system that was supposed to provide justice. The sentencing, she believed, was merely a continuation of the injustice her family had endured since the day Keyla Patricia Martinez died.
A Shocking Release
The worst blow to Keyla’s family came just two weeks after the sentencing. Perdomo, who was supposed to serve his time in jail, was unexpectedly released on February 28, 2024. Despite receiving a much lighter sentence than Keyla’s family had hoped for, Perdomo was allowed to return home, as if nothing had happened. This shocking development sent waves of outrage across Honduras.
Women’s organizations and human rights groups quickly rallied, demanding a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding Perdomo’s release. They called for transparent and fair justice for Keyla Patricia Martinez and all women who have suffered violence in Honduras. Yet, by October 2024, there was still no sign that Perdomo had returned to prison to serve his sentence.
The death of Keyla Patricia Martinez has become one of the most well-known cases of femicide in Honduras, a country with the highest rate of such crimes in Latin America. The investigation into her death was riddled with irregularities, casting serious doubt on the fairness of the judicial process and the actions of the security forces involved.
Nearly three and a half years after the incident, Keyla’s family continues to grapple with the immense pain of their loss, compounded by the bitter reality of justice denied. The case remains a stark reminder of the challenges faced by families seeking accountability in a system plagued by corruption and impunity. The fight for Keyla Patricia Martinez’s justice is far from over, as her family and supporters refuse to give up on the truth they so desperately seek.
