On Monday afternoon, the Court of Appeal (Hof van Justitie) in Aruba ruled that Jennifer Gonzalez, 41, is guilty of inciting the murder of Sergio Maduro. However, the court reduced her sentence from 18 to 15 years in prison, taking into account psychiatric and psychological evaluations that found she was not fully responsible for her actions.
Background of the Case
During the hearing on October 22, 2025, the Procurator General (PG) described the case as one of the most complex in his career. The murder took place during the night of December 23 to 24, 2023, when Sergio Maduro was killed in a brutal manner. The killer, Bryan Jimenez Mello, ran over Sergio with a car in Matividiri, staging it to appear as an accident.
According to the investigation, Mello murdered Maduro for a payment of only 2,000 Florins, allegedly offered by Jennifer Gonzalez. Evidence included messages between the two, testimony from Mello, and failed attempts to withdraw money from Sergio’s debit card after the murder.
The PG argued that a detailed murder plan was not necessary to establish guilt, as offering payment for a killing constitutes incitement to murder. The PG also noted that despite Jennifer’s physical disability, she had worked for 10 years at Wendy’s, indicating her capability to act deliberately.
Court’s Reasoning
Gonzalez’s defense attorney, Mr. D. Croes, argued that there was insufficient evidence linking her to the crime and claimed that Bryan Mello, who suffers from mental health issues, changed his statements in court.
However, the Court of Appeal ruled that Mello’s earlier police statements were credible and provided sufficient proof that Jennifer Gonzalez had incited the murder. The court also found no indication that Jennifer lacked the ability to plan the crime, citing her statements to others about wanting Sergio dead and staging it to look like an accident.
While confirming her guilt, the court recognized that psychiatric and psychological reports showed diminished responsibility, leading to the reduction of her sentence from 18 to 15 years.
Sentence and Conclusion
The court reaffirmed that murder is among the gravest crimes, causing irreversible harm to Sergio’s family. Gonzalez has been sentenced to 15 years in prison, with time already served at Korrektie Instituut Aruba (KIA) deducted from her total term.
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