The Murder of José Yactayo

Disappearance and discovery

José Yactayo Rodríguez was a Peruvian journalist and television producer. He disappeared in late February 2017 after leaving his home in Lima. In the days that followed, authorities recovered remains connected to the case in the Huaura area north of the capital, turning the disappearance into a homicide investigation.

Contemporary police reporting identified Wilfredo Zamora Carrión as a principal suspect. He was arrested in Lima in April 2017 and placed in preventive detention while prosecutors developed the case.

Investigation

The investigation examined what happened in the apartment where prosecutors said Yactayo died and the subsequent efforts to conceal the crime. Early public statements by Zamora differed from the prosecution's theory, making it important to distinguish his account from the findings ultimately accepted by the criminal court.

Aldo Cáceda Benvenuto was also prosecuted for helping Zamora after the killing. His role was treated separately from the homicide itself rather than being conflated with responsibility for Yactayo's death.

Conviction and sentence

On February 28, 2018, the 26th Criminal Court of the Superior Court of Justice of Lima convicted Wilfredo Zamora Carrión of simple homicide and falsification-related conduct connected with Yactayo's death. The court sentenced him to 18 years in prison and ordered civil reparation for the victim's heirs.

The same ruling imposed a two-year suspended sentence on Aldo Cáceda Benvenuto for concealment. That distinction matters: Cáceda was not convicted as the killer.

Current status

This case is classified as Solved / Adjudicated. The homicide resulted in a criminal conviction and prison sentence against Wilfredo Zamora Carrión. This page does not treat early investigative allegations, disputed statements or post-mortem details as separate crimes or independent case files.