A MUST READ TO ALL TRAVELING OUTSIDE THE U.S

[El Tiburon]

i have been following this story for some time now and find it very coincedental to living in the dominican republic. this american got blamed for killing his ex girlfriend and was railroaded into jail for 9 mo. even now he is having problems and i thought i should share it with anyone that might not of seen it on 20/20 or dateline (not sure).. def something to consider if lookin to move to other parts of the world... i am giving serious thought to moving to the d.r and wanted to get some thoughts on this story.....thx in advance.



People
American cleared of murder isn’t home free
Nicaraguan court ordered Eric Volz freed, but supporters fear mob violence
Video


American’s mom: ‘He’s innocent’
Dec. 18: Eric Volz’s conviction was overturned, but the Nicaraguan judge has not released him. Maggie Anthony spoke exclusively to TODAY’s Meredith Vieira about her fight to bring her son home.
Today show


By Mike Celizic
TODAYShow.com contributor
updated 10:06 a.m. ET, Tues., Dec. 18, 2007
A Nicaraguan appeals court has ordered American businessman Eric Volz freed from prison, where he has been confined for nine months for a murder that all the evidence said he had no opportunity to commit. But on Tuesday, Volz’s friends and family began another fight — to actually gain his release and to get him safely out of the Central American country.

“We’re thankful that the appellate court made a decision for justice,” his mother, Maggie Anthony, told TODAY co-host Meredith Vieira from her home in Nashville on Tuesday. “Our concern is that I don’t understand how a government can not honor a decision that its court has made, and why Eric is still being held prisoner.”

On Nov. 21, 2006, Doris Ivania Jimenez was brutally raped and murdered in the dress shop she owned in the sleepy seaside Nicaraguan town of San Juan del Sur. Volz, her former boyfriend and publisher of a magazine promoting eco-friendly tourism, was among four people arrested in connection with the killing, which inflamed passions among the townspeople.


Three of the suspects were Nicaraguans. One was Jimenez’s boyfriend at the time of the murder and the other two were local small-time criminals. Volz had cell phone records and at least 10 witnesses that placed him two hours away in Managua, the capital city, at the time of the murder, but he was the only person brought to trial.

With the local Sandinista political party inflaming sentiment against the “gringo” who killed a local woman, angry crowds wielding machetes and demanding Volz’s death besieged the jail and courthouse during his trial. Last February, Judge Ivette Toruna Blanco found Volz guilty of the murder despite the lack of evidence and sentenced him to 30 years in prison.

Long, costly fight
Since then, Volz’s mother has spent most of her retirement funds fighting for her son’s release. On Monday, she got the news that the appeals court found no evidence that he committed the crime. But then she learned that Judge Blanco, on hearing the verdict, left her courthouse without ordering the 28-year-old Volz’s release.

“By keeping him in prison for another day, the judge raises the chances for this mob violence that tried to lynch him last year,” Tony D’Souza, an American journalist who investigated Volz’s case earlier this year, told NBC News in a report filed by Kerry Sanders. “It gives these people a chance to assemble a mob. He still has to get out of Nicaragua, even though he’s innocent.”

Anthony told Vieira that officials from the American Embassy in Nicaragua were initially denied access to her son on Monday. They were finally allowed to tell him he had been ordered freed that night, she said.

Volz’s health has suffered during his imprisonment, and he has spent the past 45 days in a police hospital battling various problems, including fungal infections, gastrointestinal issues and asthma.

“We’re worried about his safety,” Anthony told Vieira. “There’s a lot of local media on the news in Nicaragua about taking justice into their own hands. It’s a dangerous situation for him, and he’s an innocent man. He’s a free man. He should be let go.”

She last spoke to her son a week ago. “We just talk about his frustration,” she said of her regular phone calls to him in prison. “Our phone calls are always very difficult; they’re hard. You want to give him hope, and it’s difficult to have no news. I can’t even to begin to describe to you the pain of what it’s like hearing him and knowing where he’s at.”

Asked what she’d tell Nicaraguan officials, Anthony replied, “I want to say, honor what your system has done. Your appellate court has made the decision that my son is innocent and has said, ‘Let him go.’ Just do what your own court system has done.”

[MegaSquirt]

The only reason why the Judge left Eric Volz in jail was for his safety. The US Embassy has a responsibility to escort him out of the country, why isn't that being done??

[MisterPink]

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jGlrnMklKMa1DSqmiTxcJLaMvRhwD8TK68J00

US Man in Nicaragua Hospital Under Guard
By BAYARDO MENDOZA – 3 hours ago

MANAGUA, Nicaragua (AP) — A U.S. man absolved of killing his Nicaraguan girlfriend was under guard at a police hospital Tuesday while struggling to obtain his release from custody, according to his lawyer.

A Nicaraguan appeals court on Monday overturned a 30-year sentence imposed on 28-year-old Eric Volz, of Nashville, Tenn., and ordered his immediate release.

Volz's lawyer, Fabbrith Gomez, accused officials of "a big delaying tactic" to keep him from being freed before prosecutors can appeal his freedom to the Supreme Court.

The judge who convicted Volz received the order to release him, but sent the file back to the appeals court in the city of Granada, "supposedly because the pages were not numbered correctly," Gomez told The Associated Press in a telephone interview.

"But in Granada, they say they haven't received anything," Gomez complained.

Prosecutors said Monday they would appeal the decision that cleared Volz, but the process could take several days.

"It's our understanding that if Nicaragua continues to hold Eric, a free man in the eyes of the court, for an impending appeal from the Supreme Court, that is against Nicaraguan law," said Melissa Campbell, spokeswoman for Volz's family, in a statement e-mailed to The Associated Press.

Volz was being treated for kidney stones, Gomez said. Volz and a Nicaraguan man, Julio Martin Chamorro, were sentenced in February for the death of Doris Ivania Jimenez, 25, who was found raped and strangled in November 2006 in a clothing store she owned in Rivas, 55 miles south of Managua. The appeals court upheld Chamorro's conviction.

Volz's family and friends say they are worried for his safety. After hearing that his conviction was overturned, some Nicaraguan radio stations urged people "to take justice into their own hands," according to a statement on the "Friends of Eric Volz" Web site.

Volz has proclaimed his innocence from the beginning, saying he was in Managua, two hours away from Rivas, when the crime occurred. At that time, Volz had lived for two years in Nicaragua, where he founded a bilingual magazine called "El Puente," or "The Bridge." He also worked as a real estate broker.

U.S. State Department spokesman Tom Casey told reporters that U.S. officials "are continuing to be in contact with the Nicaraguan authorities on this and urging them to implement the court's decision without delay."

"At the moment, we believe that there's not an immediate cause for concern," he said, noting that it often takes two to three days for Nicaraguan court decisions to be carried out.

"Our message to the Nicaraguan government is: We want to see this decision implemented as quickly as possible, want to see him be able to depart the country and return to his family."

[El Tiburon]

im suprised that no one had any comment on this story, does anyone on this site know or ever meet mr.eric volz?

[Beads]

never met him only heard his story on the internet.

[greydread]

im suprised that no one had any comment on this story, does anyone on this site know or ever meet mr.eric volz?
He doesn't sound like one of us. I personally don't believe that 94.1% of the story will ever really come to light. There are too many variables and the police are neither capable nor motivated to find out what really happened. The judges and magistrates are trying not to do anything that will get the machete wielding crowds to turn their anger toward them and angry populace is probably 80% illiterate and acting on word of mouth rumor which has gotten way out of control and farther and farther from the truth and inflaming more and more of the populace. These are the chances we take in 3rd World countries.

If this guy bought his punani like we do and stuck to putas he'd never have found himself in this position. The "one bitch" mentality undid this guy.

[Beads]

Hes definitely in a different situation. He moved there and was living with a girl. As was stated we will never know what truly happened. Now all that matters is who can be blamed.

[El Tiburon]

Hes definitely in a different situation. He moved there and was living with a girl. As was stated we will never know what truly happened. Now all that matters is who can be blamed.

actually in the report on t.v. he had broken up with her atleast a yr before her death. he helped her get her own biz, which leads me to believe he wasent bitter... he then moved his biz over 2 hr away,and he moved his home as well... assuming this is all true, it doesent sound as if he was jelous, she had another boyfriend, but was probably still banging mr.solz... i would first of though it was the current boyfreind that was mad she was banging eric... in the report, mr.solz pointed the finger at the town drug addicts which were given full immunity if they would testify against him.... is it possible the police are that stupid????????

[Berzin]

The tv program was from "Dateline" and there was an extensive article about this in "Outside" magazine a while back.

The judge in the original case disregarded any witnesses who testified on Eric's' behalf, claiming they were all lying and rendering the evidence presented on his behalf worthless.

Eric had one of the best defense attorneys in the country working his case, a case that was so full of holes it was ridiculous and he was STILL convicted.

There was absolutely no DNA evidence taken from the victim. When the reporter asked about this, he finds out that the country does not have this method available to its' law enforcement department.

My opinion is that the case could of been easily solved if there was this type of evidence collected and analyzed. In a crime scene so brutal the police are left with tons of evidence from blood, hair and semen samples.

The two men who were given immunity to testify against Eric were indeed drug addicts, and one was seen close to the girls' store right before she was killed.

One of the most damning pieces of evidence against Eric were the scratchmarks on his shoulder. The prosecution stated this was from the struggle during the crime with the young lady.

But he was videotaped carrying his side of her coffin during her funeral on the shoulder that was marked.

The whole trial was a kangaroo court, and Eric was the kangaroo. I am actually shocked that his case was dismissed but he still is not out of the woods yet.

As for any correlation to the DR, the only thing I can say is if you get caught in the middle of a shit storm similar to this case do not expect fairness from a corrupt third world judicial system.

You will need deep pockets and plenty of influential, high-ranking dominicans on your side as friends who will not abandon you in your time of need just to make themselves look good in front of the people who voted them into office.

[El Tiburon]

[QUOTE=Beads;397170]Hes definitely in a different situation.




just saw this as im waiting for bolonga to deliver my pizza... thought i post it to somewhat of a end to my own post... for anyone that cares...i found this to be very interesting, i sure hope the u.s and the d.r stay on good terms.., id hate to change vacation spots....



Freed American felt like pawn in political game
Eric Volz says he still fears Nicaragua could send hit squad to kill him
Video


American recalls time in Nicaragua jail
Jan. 10: Eric Volz, who was imprisoned in Nicaragua for 394 days, discusses his controversial case exclusively on TODAY.
Today show




By Mike Celizic
TODAYShow.com contributor
updated 11:35 a.m. ET, Thurs., Jan. 10, 2008
An American just released from a Nicaraguan prison after a judge ruled he could not have killed his ex-girlfriend said in an exclusive interview Thursday that he feared for his life every day and believes the government of the Central American country used him as a pawn in a game of international political chess.

“Believe it or not, it’s because they knew I was innocent,” Eric Volz told Meredith Vieira when the TODAY co-host asked him why he was convicted last February of the rape and murder of Doris Ivania Jimenez. “It’s a way to create diplomatic tension so you can bargain other bilateral negotiations that may be pending.”

The United States’ relationship with Nicaragua is strained, at best. And after Volz and another man were charged with killing Jimenez, who owned a dress shop in the coastal resort town of San Juan del Sur, the Nicaraguan papers played to the gathering mobs and started referring to Volz as “the gringo.”

Story continues below ↓
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
advertisement

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Appearing on TODAY with his mother, who worked tirelessly to free him, Volz described prison as the “waiting room to Hell.” He said he feared for his life, was treated poorly and was not given adequate medical attention.

“Prison is deadly,” he said. “It’s very dangerous ... It just chips away at you a little bit at a time. I saw people die in prison for lack of medical attention or simple neglect.”

Still, Volz said he loved the country and enjoyed its people, and would go back if the situation there wasn’t so dangerous.

“There’s a lot of good people there,” said Volz, in his first live interview since being released from prison and spirited out of the Central American nation on Dec. 21. “It’s a beautiful country. There’s a lot of people working very hard to achieve a democratic and prosperous Nicaragua, and we have a lot of great friends. I have no resentment toward the Nicaraguan people.”

Adjusting to freedom after 394 days in the Nicaraguan prison system has not been easy.

“It’s been a struggle re-entering the free world. It’s a lot harder than one would think,” he told Vieira. “Every day I feel better. Physically I feel stronger, and I feel lighter every day.”

Alibi was of no help
A judge convicted Volz of killing his former girlfriend despite testimony that he was two hours away in the capital city of Managua, where he lived and published EP Magazine, a bilingual publication that promoted sustainable ecotourism.

The judge who found Volz guilty, Ivette Toruno Blanco, refused to consider evidence from witnesses and cell phone records that placed Volz in Managua at the time the murder was committed. She also found him guilty of rape despite the fact that investigators found no evidence that the victim had been sexually assaulted. No forensic evidence connected him to the crime.

An appeals court, in a 2-1 decision, ordered him released immediately in mid-December, but he was held another week as Judge Blanco avoided signing his release papers, citing various problems and irregularities, including a flat tire and improper numbering of the pages in the court documents.

One of the appellate judges who spoke out for Volz, Robert Rodriguez, told NBC News in a story reported by Kerry Sanders that he has been threatened because of his actions.

“I know my job is in jeopardy, my life is in jeopardy,” he said, adding that he voted to free Volz “because I couldn’t live with my conscience.”

Volz said the climate in Nicaragua concerning his case was dangerous for anyone who tried to help him. When he was arrested for the crime, he was dubbed “the gringo murderer” in the local media and had to be escorted into the courthouse by squads of armed police through angry crowds of local demonstrators.

“They really played up the mob mentality and kind of opened old wounds of the controversial history between the U.S. and Nicaragua,” Volz told Vieira. “It really consolidated me as a political prisoner and that’s why it was so hard for me to get out.”

While he was still being held after being declared innocent by the appeals court, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice had publicly called on the Nicaraguan government to release him.

His mother, Maggie Anthony, said that Rice’s pressure helped get her son out of jail along with the efforts of Rodriguez and many others advocating for Volz. But Rice, she said, “really helped turn the tide.”

While he was in prison, Volz said he didn’t know how much his mother and others were doing to get him out. “Not until now I’m free and I’m able to hear the stories from friends and other family, I wasn’t really aware of the magnitude of the release effort that was happening on my behalf,” he said.

Although free, Volz is staying in an undisclosed location because he says he still fears for his life. When he was released from prison, he was driven to an airport pursued by Nicaraguan reporters with the fervor of American paparazzi on the trail of Britney Spears.

Boarding a small plane and flying to freedom, he said, “was a surreal moment. I couldn’t believe that it was happening. I still can’t believe that I‘m not there. It’s surreal.”

Volz said that he didn’t leave the country voluntarily, but was ordered deported by Ortega’s government. In the meantime, prosecutors have appealed his case to the nation’s Supreme Court, seeking to have the conviction reinstated.

“I was illegally deported, and now I’m being tried in my absence,” Volz said. “The deportation was ordered by the executive branch of the government, and they essentially just had to get me out of their hair, get me out of the country because the case was getting too big and their lies were being exposed.”

One other man, Nicaraguan Julio Chamorro, was also convicted of Jimenez’s murder, but, Volz said, there are others who were involved who have not been brought to justice. He said their identities are common knowledge in Nicaragua.

“The man that’s currently in jail participated in Doris’ murder, but there are still others — the main perpetrator and other people who have yet to be brought to justice,” he said. Prosecuting them, he said, “is up to the Nicaraguan authorities.”

[Hemp]

what a story!!!