Country case archive · Central America

Panama True Crime

This evidence-led archive documents eight distinct records, including Héctor Gallego’s disappearance, the La Joyita prison massacre, Mónica Serrano's disappearance, the Albrook executions, El Terrón, Heliodoro Portugal, Hugo Spadafora and the Bocas del Toro murders. Each file separates verdicts, allegations and international findings.

8verified case files
7solved / adjudicated
1unsolved / partial
Editorial archive artwork for Panama using the national flag, an isthmus silhouette and a documented case-file motif

Solved / adjudicated

Only cases with a verified conviction or equivalent judicial resolution appear here. Reported appeals are identified separately.

Unsolved / partial accountability

State-responsibility findings are not presented as individual criminal convictions.

Panama archive FAQ

How many Panama case files are published?

Eight verified files are currently published: Héctor Gallego, La Joyita, Mónica Serrano, El Terrón, Albrook, Heliodoro Portugal, Hugo Spadafora and the Bocas del Toro murders.

What happened at La Joyita?

A December 2019 confrontation in Pavilion 14 produced a prosecution for 13 aggravated homicides and 11 attempts. Twelve defendants received 50-year sentences in 2026; appeals and a separate alleged-organizer inquiry remain open.

What happened at El Terrón?

Seven people were killed in January 2020. Nine defendants later received prison sentences through plea agreements or jury verdicts.

What happened to Heliodoro Portugal?

State agents seized him in Panama City on May 14, 1970. His remains were identified in 2000, and the Inter-American Court held Panama responsible in 2008.

What happened to Hugo Spadafora?

He was detained in September 1985 and found killed near the Costa Rican border. Three men were later convicted.

What are the Bocas del Toro murders?

The name refers here to five killings for which William Dathan Holbert and Laura Michelle Reese were convicted in 2017.

Why is Portugal listed as unsolved?

The international judgment established state responsibility, but no final individual criminal conviction was located.

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