text: death of jairo mora sandoval jairo mora sandoval ( march 22 , 1987 – may 31 , 2013 ) was a costa rican environmentalist who was murdered while attempting to protect leatherback turtle nests . just before midnight on may 30 , 2013 , mora and four female volunteers were abducted by a group of masked men . the women eventually escaped and informed the police . mora 's bound and beaten body was found on the beach the next morning . an autopsy determined he died by asphyxiation after suffering a blow to the head . sea turtles are protected by law in costa rica , but poaching remains common . locals take eggs , which are believed to be an aphrodisiac , and sell them on the black market . the egg trade has been linked to drug trafficking and organized crime . environmentalists working in limón say they are often threatened for trying to protect turtle eggs . jairo mora was one such environmentalist working in the area . in the wake of mora 's death , the organization he worked with cancelled beach patrol efforts in costa rica . his death attracted international attention , including a statement from the united nations and multiple rewards for information on the case . in costa rica , his death led to calls for reform of environmental policy . on june 4 , the government met with environmentalists to discuss potential changes to policy . a plan submitted by environmentalists and endorsed by environment minister rené castro would set up a new protected area and grant park rangers more authority to stop poachers , among other changes . on june 5 , vigils were held across costa rica in honor of mora . on june 18 , the government announced the allocation of ₡ 20 million ( us $ 40 , 000 ) , which was later upped to ₡ 30 million ( us $ 60 , 000 ) , to memorialize mora . background costa rica has a good reputation for wildlife conservation in general , and sea turtles have been protected by national legislation in costa rica since 1966 . the country prides itself on its natural beauty and the nation 's economy depends heavily on ecotourism . tens of thousands of people visit the country every year to observe its sea turtles . the turtles of costa rica include the leatherback turtle , a critically endangered species . the marine turtle population law of 2002 assigns a three - year prison sentence to anyone who " kills , hunts , captures , decapitates , or disturbs marine turtles " . even so , it is common for locals to harvest eggs for personal use or for sale in local bars due to supposed aphrodisiac qualities . a poacher can make up to $ 300 in one night , selling eggs for about $ 1 each on the black market . eggs obtained from poaching are often sold to drug dealers or traded for drugs . poachers are often armed , usually with knives , but sometimes with assault rifles . in the impoverished limón area , locals claim that police are either colluding with , or afraid of , drug traffickers and poachers . poaching has been cited as a major reason for declining sea turtle populations around the world . although poaching is not new , conservationists report that it is on the rise in costa rica . in the period leading up to mora 's death , poaching became an attractive side income for with drug traffickers . in 2012 , a group of six men used assault rifles and hand guns to break into a protected nursery run by the nonprofit environmentalist group wider caribbean sea turtle conservation network ( widecast ) . the men tied up and gagged the volunteers , then smashed or stole a total 1520 sea turtle eggs . after the incident , police began accompanying environmentalists on their nightly beach walks . it was later revealed that the incident was intended as a warning for environmentalists to stay off the beaches , according to widecast 's latin american director chacón . according to limón police chief erick calderón , 21 people were arrested in 2012 on charges related to turtle poaching . life and career of jairo mora jairo mora was a research assistant who worked for eco - tour , a state - sponsored animal rescue group run by vanessa lizano . he was born in limón on march 22 , 1987 , to a nicaraguan father and a costa rican mother . from an early age , he was involved in volunteer work . mora regularly volunteered with widecast , which coordinates efforts to protect turtle eggs across central america . mora and other widecast volunteers walked costa rican beaches nightly to ward off egg thieves . in 2011 , the group protected about 3 % of all turtle nests in costa rica ; in 2012 , it increased to 30 % . conservation efforts on moín beach , which mora headed , collected 1 , 500 leatherback turtle nests , the most from any beach in costa rica . according to lizano , her organization often receives threats from poachers because of its conservation efforts . in 2012 , mora was personally threatened at gunpoint " to back off and stop the walks " . he and lizano were also subject to intimidation efforts throughout the 2012 nesting season . " both jairo and i were being followed by motorbikes with guys carrying ak - 47s , " lizano recalled . after a threat against her family , lizano relocated from limón to san josé . at the start of the 2013 leatherback turtle nesting season in april , police decreased their involvement with conservation efforts . guards were on duty four days a week , but no longer personally escorted volunteers . on april 23 , 2013 , mora asked supporters on facebook to petition the police for more help . " send messages to the police so they come to moín beach " , he wrote . " tell them not to be afraid but to come armed ... we need help and fast . " on april 28 , mora told la nación that environmentalists were being threatened " by a mafia that was looting the nests for eggs " . according to friends , mora received frequent death threats , including an incident just weeks before his death where he was threatened at gunpoint . on may 5 , la nación accompanied mora and lizano on a typical night 's work . mora spoke about feeling alone and unprotected in his struggle to save the turtles . denying reports that police had stepped up their efforts he said : " if a guard or policeman says he supports us , he is lying . " la nación confirmed that no police were assigned to patrol the beach that evening . when asked if he was afraid , mora said " yes , it 's scary , the worst could happen at any time . " after a may 6 incident where poachers stole a large number of nests , limón police and the coast guard began patrolling moín beach more thoroughly . death on the evening of may 30 , 2013 , mora and four female volunteers – three from the united states and one from spain – were patrolling moín beach in limón province , costa rica . at approximately 11 : 30 pm mora stepped out of his jeep to move a tree trunk and was ambushed by at least five masked men carrying guns . the men drove the car with the four women to a nearby abandoned house and took their phones , money , and other belongings . three of the men drove off with mora . the women were tied up and left in an abandoned house ; they eventually freed themselves and went to the police . five police officers were on duty the night of mora 's murder , and they had been in radio contact with him about an hour before his death . however , according to calderón , the police were present to increase " the number of eyes and ears on the beach " , not to protect the conservationists . he also noted that the beach is too large to constantly monitor all of it in the dark . mora 's naked body was found on the beach the next morning . his body was found beaten and with his hands tied behind his back . autopsy results revealed that he had died from asphyxiation after being struck in the back of the head , likely with an object found at the site of his murder . earlier reports incorrectly stated he had been shot . mora was 26 at the time of his death . reaction judicial investigation police were unable to immediately determine a motive for mora 's death . lizano suspects poachers were involved , saying mora was targeted for protecting the turtle nests . chacón said drug traffickers , who often are also poachers , were likely behind the killing . given mora 's recent calls for police help , " it seems like it was an act of revenge " , he said . chacón said he was " very hurt " by mora 's death . " it 's not possible that citizens who protect nature have to suffer from this type of attacks " , he said . president laura chinchilla called on police and the judicial system to solve what she described as the " despicable murder " of mora . a statement from the united states embassy in costa rica remembered mora as " a committed costa rican environmentalist " and called his death " senseless " . the united nations released a statement sending condolences and recognizing mora 's " noble work " to protect " an essential part of costa rica 's and the world 's biodiversity . " todd steiner , executive director of the turtle island restoration network raised money for a $ 10 , 000 reward for information leading to the arrest of those responsible . " jairo ’ s murderers must be brought to justice so that [ people ] know that this will never be tolerated , " said steiner in a statement . " the whole world is watching to make sure the costa rican government brings these thugs to justice and makes sea turtle nesting beaches safe for conservationists to do their work . " a petition started by the sea turtle restoration project calling for swift justice generated more than 10 , 000 signatures within two weeks . mora death raised fears that the country 's economy would be hurt by reduced tourism , leading univision to describe the situation as " an internal crisis " . commentary published by the costa rican times alleged that the true culprits would never be found , saying whoever was blamed would be a scapegoat offered up by the drug traffickers . the government " is happy letting the caribbean side of costa rica lose all tourism " continued the commentary by dan stevens . " maybe the group sea turtle conservation with guns should be formed to fight back . " an editorial published by the tico times asked why it took a murder to get the government to act . " mora reached out for help before he was killed , and no one came to the rescue , no matter what political spin is put on it " , said the author . mora 's death , suggested the author , shows that " the drug traffickers are winning " , that crime is out of control in limón , and that " the bad guys operate with near impunity . " the editorial concluded by imploring costa ricans to re - evaluate their personal environmental habits and support environmental groups that keep fighting . the , an arts festival held each year during early june , was also dedicated to mora . on june 3 , vice president piva described mora 's death as an " accident " due to limón ’ s high crime rate on live tv . he quickly retracted the statement , saying his words had been misunderstood . " i only meant to recognize that the area where this happened unfortunately has a high murder rate and that there is high risk when working in an area where there is drug trafficking " , he explained . unsatisfied by the explanation , environmental groups called for a public apology . on june 4 , members of the legislative assembly said that piva 's comments had " dishonored the entire country " . led by josé maría villalta and juan carlos mendoza , opposition party members called for piva 's resignation . " we are really full of anger and annoyance . we are embarrassed as a nation " , said mendoza . on june 5 , vigils in honor of mora were held in at least six costa rica cities to coincide with world environment day . ecologist federation president mauricio álvarez , who helped organize the vigils , said " we are asking for justice for jairo ’ s murder and ... demand a halt to the impunity that has reigned over too many threats to ecologists , farmers and indigenous groups . " despite rainy weather , hundred of people showed up to carry signs , light candles , and place stuffed turtles on the beach . leaflets blamed police and the government for mora 's death and demanded swift justice . among those in attendance were roberto molina , secretary general of the environmental ministry 's labor union , and josé lino chavez , vice minister of waters and oceans . on june 6 , sea shepherd conservation society founder paul watson offered an additional $ 30 , 000 reward for information leading to the capture of mora 's murderer . he said the money would come from his personal wealth , not from sea shepherd , and that he had sold a vehicle to fund the reward . watson 's pledge , together with additional funds raised by steiner , brought the total reward to $ 56 , 000 . a separate memorial fund to assist mora 's family and continue conservation efforts in his name raised $ 7 , 000 . in early july , costa rican businessman roy rivera said he was working to raise funds to increase the information reward . watson , who is wanted by costa rica for skipping bail on charges related to a 2002 incident , said mora 's death proves that his own life would be in " great danger " if he ever returned to costa rica . " the authorities were very quick to respond to japan and issued an arrest warrant for the protection of sharks ... however , when it comes to a horrible murder of a compassionate conservationist , the government does nothing . " later in june , watson announced that his organization 's next boat would be named the s.s. jairo mora sandoval . " we do not want the name of this courageous and passionate young man to be forgotten " , he said on facebook . on june 12 , the ocean futures society joined the chorus of international voices calling for swift justice . " this crime , in the limón province , has shaken the consciousnesses of many internationally , " wrote ruben , the society ’ s latin american director . said that costa rica should make the case a national priority . on june 18 , costa rican rapper yaco released a song entitled " playa roja " ( red beach ) about mora . yaco , who is known for using his songs as social commentary , released the song via social media , saying it was " not a commercial release " . at the june 26 – 28 inter - american convention on the protection and conservation of sea turtles ( iac ) , mora 's death was a popular subject . a declaration from the mexican delegation read , " as sea turtles are a shared resource , criminal activity that prevents [ on - site ] protection efforts from taking place in one country presents an urgent concern to all range states . " a convention floor speech and a second written declaration also discussed mora 's death . aftermath following mora 's death , widecast suspended beach patrol operations . " we can ’ t risk human lives for this project , " chacón said . " but this is probably the exact result that the killers were hoping for . " many volunteers quit the project after mora 's death , leaving the organization 200 people short staffed . organizations such as widecast depend heavily on foreign volunteers . according to chacón , the future of his organization will be in jeopardy if the situation continues . aimee leslie , who oversees sea turtle efforts for the world wildlife foundation called the situation " a critical point for conservation " in costa rica and " a national security issue . she said that conservation efforts were already difficult without being scared for one 's life . lizano said she was in negotiations with the police for armed escorts on future patrols , but vowed to continue to work even if they refused . " if we forget about this beach , then jairo died for nothing , " she said . on june 3 , calderón remarked that police would continue to support environmentalists and increase their presence on moín beach . the next day police arrested two armed men who were allegedly trying to steal turtle eggs from the same beach where mora was killed . also on june 4 , a group of three men and a minor was arrested on similar charges . subsequently , limón began to dispatch twenty police officers nightly to escort conservationists and patrol the beaches . in spite of increased police presence lizano remarked , on june 11 , " every night all of the [ turtle ] nests are raided . it is still pretty much the same even though we walk with police . " prompted by the death of mora , dozens of environmentalists met with the ministry of environment , energy and telecommunications ( minae ) , headed by rené castro , to discuss their dissatisfaction with current conservation efforts on june 4 . their requests included punishing those responsible for mora 's death , greater criminal penalties for poaching , and more efforts by minae to fight egg poachers . castro suggested implementing a plan submitted by widecast . the plan would give park rangers jurisdiction to arrest poachers on moín beach and create a code of conduct for beach visitors nationwide . it would also increase penalties for poaching , name a new protected area after mora , and set up a memorial fund in his name . the proposal was initially met with enthusiasm , but it later gave way to complaints about lax environmental enforcement nationwide . " this isn ’ t only happening in moín and this not only happening with turtle conservation , " remarked molina . deputy minister of security celso gamboa , who was also in attendance , promised to increase security forces in limón . on june 6 , the legislative assembly unanimously passed a motion to form a special committee investigating mora 's death . " it is important to acknowledge that the death of jairo is not only the fault of these bands of criminals , but also the fault of the state , " remarked the motion 's sponsor josé maría villalta on june 19 , castro , chávez , the heads of several environmental groups , and members of mora 's family , met to work out the details of the earlier proposals . after the meeting , castro announced that ₡ 20 million ( approximately us $ 40 , 000 ) would be allocated for a monument in mora 's honor in the form of either a new turtle observation area or an online tribute with video of nesting sea turtles . castro also confirmed that the government had plans to turn moín beach into a protected park . however , the plan to name the park after mora was abandoned at the request of his family . minae also plans to allocate " specialized units " armed with equipment to protect costa rica 's coasts from environmental threats . tourism to costa rica was down sharply during the first half of june 2013 . jorge molina , president of the southern caribbean tourism chamber , said mora 's death was affecting reservations and would likely continue to do so for several months . aurora , who owns an manzanillo beach hotel , said her occupancy rate normally runs at 50 % in june , but was at just 10 % in the weeks after mora 's death . she said she had received cancellations that specifically cited mora 's death as a factor . hotel owner eddie ryan echoed , saying he had two patrons cite mora 's death when cancelling . restaurants , bars , tour guides , and transportation companies were also affected . some entrepreneurs blamed widecast for the lost business saying the organization was aware of the risks but continued to patrol anyway . on june 25 , a nationwide protest was held to draw attention to a wide variety of issues . environmental groups joined the protests , again calling for justice to be served to mora 's murderers . on july 2 , minae again met with more than 30 environmental groups to discuss the situation . castro said that plans to make moín beach a protected area were moving forward . however , he said , making the area a national park was not feasible because of the number of people living on the beach . " a national park is too closed off for this particular beach " , he explained . environmentalists requested that the - manzanillo wildlife refuge , one of mora 's favorite places , be renamed in honor of him . the plan was endorsed by his family . they also requested the formation of a " truth commission " to investigate mora 's murder and eight other deaths from the past 20 years . government officials said they were in the process of installing radar systems across costa rica to detect drug trafficking and illegal fishing , and that they would launch a plan to patrol moín beach with the assistance of the costa rican petroleum refinery ( ) . minae said that ₡ 30 million ( us $ 60 , 000 ) had been allocated for mora 's memorial and environmental education done in his name . as of july 4 , no arrests had been made in relation to the murder of mora . ministries of public safety vice minister celso gamboa called the investigation ongoing . in mid - june , castro had said the investigation was proceeding well and he had " every reason to be optimistic that we will solve this crime . " on july 10 , the prosecutor 's office said two suspects had been identified and that the case would " advance significantly " over the coming week . on july 31 , costa rican police raided several locations near moín and the city of limón , and arrested several suspects believed to be involved in mora 's murder , as well as other crimes , including robbery and turtle egg poaching . police said that more arrests are expected . the first trial of the alleged perpetrators ended in a mistrial and a second trial was held in 2015 . in january 2016 , a court found seven men accused of mora 's murder not guilty based on reasonable doubt . four of the men were , however , sentenced to lengthy prison terms assault , kidnapping and aggravated robbery for a crime that occurred on the same beach shortly before mora 's murder . ( donald : 27 years in prison for aggravated robbery , rape and kidnapping ; héctor cash : 23 years for aggravated robbery , kidnapping and sexual abuse ; josé bryan delgado : 17 years for aggravated robbery and kidnapping ; ernesto centeno : 17 years for aggravated robbery and kidnapping . ) subsequently , the not guilty verdict was overturned on appeal and the four men were convicted of 's murder .