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Five Sentenced in Cover-Up of Canserbero’s Murder
A forensic expert, three police officers, and a music promoter have received prison sentences in connection with the 2015 murder of Venezuelan rapper Canserbero, whose real name was Tirone González. This case has drawn attention for its shocking details and the subsequent efforts to misrepresent the nature of the crime.
Canserbero, celebrated by Rolling Stone magazine as the best Spanish-language rapper, was fatally drugged and stabbed by his manager, Natalia Améstica. Following the attack, Améstica and her brother, Guillermo, disposed of his body by throwing it from a 10th-floor window.
The sentences handed down on Tuesday reveal the complicity of the five individuals who helped stage the crime scene to make it appear as though Canserbero had died by suicide. Their prison terms range from 15 to 20 years. Natalia and Guillermo Améstica had previously been sentenced to 25 years in prison for the murder.
The death of Canserbero on January 19, 2015, sent shockwaves through the Venezuelan rap community. Initially, authorities claimed the 26-year-old had killed his friend Carlos Molnar in a knife fight before leaping to his death. However, a pivotal confession in December 2023 by Natalia Améstica changed the narrative significantly.
In a video released by the Venezuelan attorney general, Améstica disclosed that she had indeed stabbed both Molnar and Canserbero. She explained that on the night of the incident, she had learned of Canserbero’s intention to stop using her services as a manager, which fueled her anger. When Canserbero and Molnar visited her apartment in Maracay, Améstica offered them tea laced with a powerful tranquilizer.
Once her boyfriend, Molnar, was incapacitated, she attacked him, stabbing him multiple times while Canserbero witnessed the assault, albeit under the influence of the drug. In her statement, she recounted calling her brother for assistance, leading to the involvement of three officers from Venezuela’s intelligence agency, Sebin, who ultimately helped manipulate the crime scene.
Améstica claimed that the officers continued the violent act, administering more stab wounds to Molnar before staging the scene to suggest a murder-suicide. This disturbing confession illustrates the lengths to which the conspirators went to cover up the real events of that night.
A forensic expert who arrived at the scene expressed skepticism about the circumstances, observing that the crime scene appeared tampered with. This expert sought a $10,000 bribe from the Améstica siblings to help them present a more favorable narrative, reflecting a troubling dynamic within the investigation.
Marcos Pratolongo, a music impresario with connections to Canserbero, was also sentenced for his involvement. Pratolongo possessed keys to Canserbero’s apartment, where key evidence had gone missing prior to his arrest. While the exact nature of his actions remains unclear, the prosecutor’s office indicated he played a significant role in the conspiracy to conceal the murder.
These recent developments shed light on the dark undercurrents of the Venezuelan music industry and the desperate measures taken to manipulate justice in the wake of a high-profile crime.
Source
www.bbc.com