808-Year Prison Term For Man Who Killed 16 In This Country

On Monday, Jan 22 a court in Guatemala handed down a sentence of 808 years in prison to an alleged drug lord in connection with the 2008 massacre of 15 Nicaraguans and one Dutch citizen, as reported by a judicial source. The court issued the sentence against Rigoberto Danilo Morales for his involvement in the killings. 

In 2016, another accused drug kingpin, Marvin Montiel Marin was similarly sentenced to a lengthy prison term for his role in the massacre.

The court assigned 50 years for each killing and an additional eight years for criminal association in Morales's sentence. However, despite the extensive jail term, Guatemalan law specifies that a prisoner cannot serve more than 50 years in prison.

Morales, aged 37, was apprehended in 2022 after evading authorities for 13 years. His trial commenced in September.

According to prosecutors, the 2008 massacre involved the interception of a bus entering Guatemala from Nicaragua by alleged drug traffickers. 

Initially suspecting the bus of transporting drugs, they resorted to violence upon realizing it was not carrying narcotics, shooting the passengers and burning the bodies at an estate owned by Montiel.

Eight additional individuals, including Montiel and his wife Sara Cruz, have been found guilty in connection with the case and received varying prison sentences.