Castle San Felipe de Lara & the Case of Floridalma Roque

Hello, Hello, This is Christina and Carmen and this is another episode of as Pooky Tale. It's a podcast for all things is Pooky paranormal true crime in Latin America. Today, it's all about Guatemala. Before we get to that, we do have a listener story. If you have a story that you want to send to us, you can email it to as Pooky Tales at gmail dot com. You can DM it on our socials. You can call these Pooky Hotline. There is still one new one we got that I haven't listened to. We haven't played it, so we have to do that soon. And yeah, I think that's it. I mean, you could even handwrite me a letter and send it to our po bonks Man. That'll make you crazy. Uh so yeah, kind of crazy. I mean I would enjoy it. But who writes letters these days? Yeah? Oh, you're drinking mail la Crow, I am you left all of it. Carmen just visited me. We have a very short, fifty minutev log on Patreon that you can watch and you can see us to very bad karaoke. Actually, don't watch that. Actually don't join Patreon because we don't want you to see that vlog anyway, listener story right, right right, Let's get into this, Hi Carman, and Christina just wants to say I love all your podcasts. I tell everyone I know to listen, and I love your buguetta bullshit segments. When I was younger, I think I was four, we lived in projects in Los Angeles. I vividly remember a neighbor. We had a little boy and his parents. His name was Christian. I remember always going to his house early mornings and having breakfast with his parents and hanging out on his front porch. Now keep in mind I lived in the projects. For those not familiar with the projects, there are no houses. It's just a bunch of buildings that I'll look the same for blocks. But even now, when I think about it, I see the house in between the building of our unit and the next. It was a small blue house with the white door. They had a kitchen that you could see into the backyard. They had a little play structure in their backyard. I just always remembered Christian and his parent and cut to a few years later. We've since moved from those projects. I'm about five months pregnant, and my sister brings up the time where I was missing for hours when we lived in the projects, and how my mom called all my aunts and uncles the police and they were out looking for me, and how I just walked into our unit like nothing happened, and my mom was just hysterical and everyone was like, where the fuck were you. I was like, what the hell are you talking about? I was never missing, and I explained to her and my cousin's the same thing. I just said, how I would wake up go to our neighbors and hang out with our neighbor. And they were all like, what the hell are you talking about? We never had a neighbor. You never went to anyone's house. Are you crazy? And the car would say sorry, I'm just like what the fuck, and the conversation just yeah, no, no, that's crazy, yeah, like oh, what is going on. Then a few months later, when I was about seven to eight months pregnant, my best friend and I were hanging out after a football game. We need for her mom to pick us up. It was during the winter months, so it would get dark fast. We were one of the last few students at the school, sitting on the bleachers, and there were some other students around too, but not too close to us, and then I see him, Christian. What the fuck? What is happening? He is standing behind my friend waving to me to go to him. I freak out. I turn my friend over and he's gone. She sees nothing, and I'm just like, no, we can't be here. We need to leave. Then that weekend, I'm watching my knees. She's about eighteen months. It's just her and I in the apartment. She's in the room and I'm in the living room watching TV and I hear her talking. So I go and I'm like, hey, did you need me, because I thought she was talking to me. She said, no, I wasn't talking to you. I'm talking to Christian. Oh my god, what the fuck? Okay, so he's a ghost. Yeah, yeah, so I'm talking to Christian. He's my friend. He said he's not your friend anymore. I was like, okay, what this sounds scary now insidious. Now I thought he was friendly, but now I'm questioning that. It's a little much. Now. I get my niece and we bowled out the door and went immediately to my grandma. My grandma was a counanda and I just always felt a sense of calm and peace with her, nothing like I have ever felt with anyone else. I told her everything that has been happening, and then she tells me that she remembers the time when I was missing and how I told her about my friend and his family. She explained that she did a olympia on me when I was little because she sensed that this thing did not have good intentions, and she was right. Yeah, she did another olympia on me and explained that because I was pregnant, I was vulnerable to these spirits and I just needed to call my mind. And so last year, I had my second baby, fifteen years after having my first. During my she better not see a fucking Christian again. Sorry, just thinking ahead. I know. No, you're right, You're right, Christian. You better stop. You better get a fuck out. During my third trimester, I would have these night terrors where I would wake up sweating and just feeling scared, to the point that one time I had to go to the hospital because I was having a full blown panic attack. After that hospital visit, my Grandma came to visit me. In my dream, I just remember feeling like she was embracing me like she used to do. Oh, I don't know if this is related to the first pregnancy, but I like to teak my grandma with watching over me, and hopefully if I decide to have another baby, it would be less eventful. At least there was no Christian, No seriously, because that would have been Sara if Christian was still like enough, still trying to I don't know bother you see. Wow, But good for her grandma. I love that she visited her. Yeah, I love that. I love that. Wow. Thank you so much for your story. That was scary, but it turned out all right in the end. Yeah. Also, that reminds me that how the grandma came to visit her, she felt like a sense of calm. Earlier, we were talking about the New Bitter Brown Fans episode how Rubin says that the thought of continuing to live after death sounds exhausting. And then you were like, and then taking care of everybody after, like making sure they're okay, that grandma's putting in a work still. Yeah, like you know that our whoever will leave behind, they're gonna need help. Yeah, if they're related to us, it's not gonna be easy. They're gonna have hardships. Oh yeah, self imposed once at time. Oh, and you're gonna have to be like, oh my god, let me go fucking visit them in their dream again and their dreams because they made themselves cry. Okay, so we're gonna talk about the Castle of San Felippe de Lara. You can find Castle San Felippe de Lara in Isabal, Guatemala, along the banks of the Dulta River. Was constructed in the mid seventeenth century by the Spanish to protect themselves from the constant attacks of English pirates lurking in the Caribbean. The fort served as a military stronghold, prison, and customs checkpoint. She was multitasking, she did it all. She was policing hard. It's got thick stone walls, cannons, watchtowers, and a moat. I love a moat, I know right, I love a good moat. It permanently housed twelve soldiers and twelve cannons, which were later increased to nineteen soldiers until this military outpost was abandoned in eighteen seventeen. I just don't know what nineteen soldiers even when it was increased. What's that gonna do against a ship of pirates? I mean pirates probably aren't the most well trained, right, true, but they're like they're mean, That's true, they are. I don't know, it could go either way. I guess. Back when the castle was being built, the shores of Lake Isabal experienced a lot of commercial activity, especially the storage and chipment of goods to Spain. They soon attracted the attention of the pirates, who sell the Caribbean waters at the time, always ready to attack. It's a tourist attraction today, but it has a dark past, and a dark past comes with ghosts. One of them, you're gonna say, with what with ghosts? Misopportunity. Yeah. One of the most well known ghosts reported in the castle is that of the Lady in what white. I'm not surprised thatways a lady in white. If there's a place with a moat, it's going to be haunted by a lady and she's going to be wearing white. So tragic. I love it. It is said that on the darkest night, especially when the moon is full, a ghostly figure dressed in white appears walking through the castle walls. The lady in white is described as a beautiful and sad woman. She wears a long white dress that seems to float above the ground because you know, they never walk, they just float. They're always floating. Yeah, and as it should be. Right. There are different stories about who she was, but the common version says that she's the spirit of a young woman who, during the colonial era, was separated from her husband. He was a soldier who died defending the fort. Unable to bear the law, the woman took her own life by throwing herself into Lakey Saba. From then on, her spirit would wander at the castle, searching for her lost love, letting out wells that sound like the wind. Another eerie story told around the castle is that of the headless Soldier. It's actually her husband, no, well, who knows. According to legend, during a pirate attack, a brave Spanish soldier was decapitated by an enemy. However, his body, driven by fury and loyalty, continued to fight until it finally fell like a chicken. Wow. Yeah, I was gonna say a cockroach, but so much flashbacks, the stupid museum and those discussing cockroaches. Yeah, we went to Amsy and I can't even know about it. There's a little that you're right, you're right, if you've been to Ams, you know, you'll know, you'll know. Since that day, some claim to have seen the figure of a headless soldier Roman the castles, halls and towers, sword in hand, as if still protecting the fortress from invisible enemies. He is said to appear mainly on stormy nights, when lightning lights of the sky, and the wind roars. No better night for a go see apparition yeah. Castle workers and visitors have also reported hearing screams and moons that seem to come from within the fortress itself. These sounds are heard in the later hours of the night, when the castle is shrouded in near total darkness. Some believe these noises are simply the results of wood and stone settling. That's never the answer. No, I don't think that's never that. It's always a ghost. I fully disagree. Please. Others are convinced they are the souls of those who died within the castle, either defending its walls or suffering in the dungeons. The Bravests who have explored the castle at night claim to have felt a haunting presence, as if watched by aunts and eyes, or to have seen swiftly moving shadows in the corners of their vision. Would you go? Would you go see the castle? I would go in the daytime. At night, I would definitely not go at night. Yeah, No, I can't be. I'd probably trip and fall off the ledge or something and then become a go Yeah, the lady the bad outfit. Nah, the lady goes o fit. There's no, not the lady white, but the lady in the Yeah, you're right, I'm just kidding, but I mean moving on. But yeah, we could put this on our bucket list, but only during the day, Okay, okay, Well I'll keep that in mind. Anyway, we'll take a little break here, and then when we come back, we come back with my depressing true crime case, also from Guatemalam And we're back and we'll just yeah, jump right into my case here in twenty twenty five. Well, I have a little intro to introduce the case. Yeah, in twenty twenty five. Because men and plastic surgeries are in all time high. Some people are even saying fillers and boatox and surgeries are ruining movies. May I add a little bit to this, Yeah, go ahead. People on Faumois subredit the subreddit are complaining about Nicole Kidman and her movies because she is completely frozen and it distracts. I was watching Lucifer, and in the last seasons of Lucifer, apparently the main actress got a lot of work done and people were saying, like, she can't even cry. Normally people are seen so complaining about it's always Sundy Philadelphia the New seasons because of how much work rob and I want to say, Caitlin's her name, but I am not sure? Yes, And then Glenn, why are I know other names? I don't know. You don't know why I know the names everyone except the Charlie Days. Yeah, yeah, but because of how and actually I haven't watched the New seasons, but I watched the crossover episode with that by Elementary say it's hilarious, and yeah, it's a little match honestly. Yeah, or people complaining that period pieces are being ruined by Instagram face like oh my god, what's her name? Hi? Rose Deep Deep, which honestly, the movie was still good. It wasn't that bad, but I guess it was distracting. Yeah, Okay, So yeah, I mean that's what people are saying. And all this work it's not limited to just celebrities or big influencers anymore. It's getting cheaper, especially if you you have a good job. You're you can fly, you know, to other places and get stuff done and it's cheaper. And most most of the time this is okay, Like nothing happens. Most of the time people survive. Yeah, yeah, most of the time people survive. Nothing happens. But in this case it took a tragic turn. This is the case of Florida al Ma Roque Florid Alma was born and raised in Honduras to an ann Duran father and a Guadamalan mother. She came to the United States in nineteen eighty and she became a US citizen. She went to school, she became a registered nurse, and she worked mostly in hospice care, like going to two people's homes, older people's homes and taking care of them. And she was always described as kind, caring by her family, friends and patients. And at fifty nine years old, after researching and contemplating for a long time, Rodri del Man decided to finally get some work done. She had been wanting a facial rejuvenation and liposession on her back in arms for a while and she ended up going with doctor Kevin Malouf and his clinic called Perfecti Mad Clinic. The clinic is located in Watemla Cities. Sona fourteen, and she had seen that the clinic had excellent reviews and she felt safe with her toys. And in fact, she had already used the clinic once for a very minor procedure already I couldn't find what it was, but she had already been there once. And she did frequent Guatemalaala because it's like I think her mom when did I say? Her mom was from Guatemala and her dad from Mludas Rayes, so she had family in Whatatemala. Her eldest son actually lived and studied in Gatemala City at a university there too, so she was there a lot. Yeah, And in June twenty twenty three, she flew from New York City to Guatemala for the surgery and it was scheduled for the thirteenth of June, and she was going to stay with her son after the surgery because again he lived in Guatemala City. Another family member, Rosadio Sandoval, was going to go with her on the day for surgery. So the two arrived together on the morning of the thirteenth, and Rosadio had been planning on staying in the waiting room until the surgery was over, but Personella kinikap Fectima asked her to leave. They said that they were going to call her when it was time to pick floorid al up, but she never got the call. Drosidio returned to the clinic the next day, the twenty fourth of June, at ten in the morning, and they brought out doctor Kevin Maloof himself and he talked to her. He said that Florida Dlma had left three hours ago at seven in the morning on an uber and that she had signed a release to leave against medical consent, and that they walked her out themselves when the uber arrived. And to Rosadio, this didn't seem right at all. One because Florida Alma didn't go anywhere by herself, it didn't matter where it was, she did not go anywhere by herself. She always had a friend or family member with her, even for something as small as an uber ride like It's how she was. And it also made even less sense because Rosadio didn't think Flordia Dlma could even see well enough after the surgery. The official rejuvenation includes a eyelid lift. Oh. Apparently in the US, and I think Guatemala, it's illegal to release someone with eilish surgery. They're considered legally blind. It must be after the surgery house and they can't go anywhere by themselves. They have to be picked up by someone, and that makes sense, right, and so it would have been illegal to release her after this. So nothing was adding up. So Sado left the clinic and she kept trying to call forrid Alma, and Florid Dlman never answered. After a few hours, she felt like something was very wrong and went to the local police department, and because Florid Alma was a missing woman, the Public Ministry declared in Alerta isabel Clalina, this is an act that was created so that police immediately began searching for a missing woman. Wo in Oh, I'm glad this is in place. Yeah. You can dial one five seven two in Guatemala, or you can go to any Public Ministry office or National Police office in whatever wherever you're at and say a woman is missing and they will enactow Alerta Isabelalina. This was passed in twenty sixteen, and it came to be due to the murders of two women well one woman and one teenager in the early two thousands. Maria Isabelle Franco Velis who went missing in December two thousand and one at fifteen years old. She failed to return home after work and her mom, Rosse francosan Noval, went to the police, who told her she had to wait twenty four to seventy two hours to report her missing, and she waited the time she returned, and even when she returned, they took their sweetest time to even begin to look into her disappearance. And the other person, Claulina Isabel Velaskiz Bayiz, was nineteen when she went missing on the twelfth of August of two thousand and five. She was on her way to school and then she got a text from her parents after school that she was going to go to a party but she'd be back later. And then it was around two am and she was not back yet, and so her parents tried to go her missing, and again authorities didn't do anything. They were like, you have to wait the twenty four to seventy two hours, and in both cases, authorities failed to even begin searching for them as well as they failed to properly secure crime scenes and forestic evidence, and both of them were sexually assaulted and murdered. Wow. And because this was so common that they failed to look for them right away and maybe they could have found them in time, this act was passed to try and respond more quickly and prevent more murders like those of Marie Sabelvelis and Claudina of Alaskiz. And hence the name Isabel Claudina, that's what it's called after them. So back to Florid Alma. Because the act or the alert was put in place, investigators got to work right away and the only information they had to go off of is that she had surgery at doctor Kevin Malouf's clinic in Soa fourteen and days passed, it turned into a month. Suddenly, on July twenty eight, twenty twenty three, the doctor was arrested at his clinic, and when he was arrested, he denied knowing anything about what happened to her, but his story quickly fell apart. Investigators on that same day access so much paper her work related to her, as well as phone calls, security tapes incriminating things right, And so once they had access to the clinic security tapes, they could see, yes, she arrived with a family member on the twenty third of June. The next day, clinic personnel can be seen coming and going, and there's a video of a woman living in a wheelchair that doctor Maloof claimed was Florid Alma. But the person on the wheelchair was much taller and just physically like bigger. Their face was bandaged up and only the back of them was visible. And not to mention that in the video that this is supposedly Florid Alma, the person on the wheelchair raises her arms and if she had gotten liposuction, it would have been right. So again, very very suspicious things. On top of that, the surveillance video also showed that the doctor left the clinic shortly after the person in the wheelchair that is supposedly Florid Alma. He left right after that, and then he was seen carrying a huge plastic container like a huge garbage bit I may big enough to fit a person. And after the supposed video of Florid Delma's surface, her kids tried going to the FBI for help because they thought well, our mom is a US citizen, maybe something can be done. But they didn't really help. All they said is that they could only monitor the situation. They couldn't do anything. They went to a lawyer whose name is Frank Rubino and apparently represented Manuel Noriega in that's a Supreme Court case against him. And if you don't know about that, you can listen to our first episode on Panama on Estoria's Unknown. But yeah, that was his lawyer, and that's who they went to, and he told them that the US government needed a formal invitation from the local Guatemalan law enforcement to even begin to conduct an investigation, and the local Guatemalan law enforcement they'd not invite them, so they couldn't do anything. Although they did find that the supposed consent to leave like I'm leaving without medical against medical advice form that she supposedly signed didn't exist. That was no form. There was no form she signed. Yeah, And so with the servicing of these videos and the doctors ever changing story, investigators grew more suspicious because Firstie said that she took an uber at seven in the morning. Then he said he saw her call someone to pick her up again. Her eyes didn't work, she couldn't see, she can't use the phone. No, and her kids maintained that even if she her eyes were working, she didn't know how to order an uber. So then he said she called the cab. He just kept changing the story. He even started saying and he would go on Facebook Live and say these things. Oh my god, that's like, I don't know. You had to be like delusional to think that that is appropriate, because you're also talking about a woman who never made a home. He's like, I don't know what happened to her. I watched the video of his and I was like, oh my god, this is I don't know. He even started saying that Florid Delma arrives at the clinic by herself, and that she had no family in Guatemala, only a brother in Mexico. Thinks that was just not even yeah, yeah, and you could see, like, like I said, the videos that I watched of him, he's sitting there in his car driving and streaming. Of course he's doing that. He has no regard for anything, right, and he's like, I don't know. She came here, she had no other family, she came from outside of the country, and she just spanished after leaving my clinic. But it was a successful surgery. It's not my fault. She does up here, like, brother, please, what do you mean? But so it's just her family goes see this, like, you know, they're literally looking for her. What do you mean she has no family? They reported her missing, Yeah, in Guatemala, because she has family in Guatemala. Like just you know, lie after lie after lie, and obviously he was hiding something, and you know, they suspect that whatever happened must have happened at the clinic, and because it happened at the clinic, there's no way other employees don't know, right, Plus they found more videos of clinic staff carrying out large garbage bins too, So everything was suspicious at this point. Then again, and also another thing is that they weren't sharing any of this information with the family. Nothing. They were just like suddenly, oh, the news had information that they were being arrested at the clinic, right, like like when they went and arrested Yeah, when they went and arrested the doctor. There was no information on why at first. Oh Okay, well, I guess I'm not surprised because they would want to keep it tight right, right, right, though sometimes they informed the family like we do have to like a surprise for them. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I guess that makes sense too, Like they could share it without sharing details, like hey, we have a person of interest that we are bringing in or we are ready to arrest someone, but that doesn't happen a lot, right, Like you know, when we were at the True Crime Paranormal Podcast Festival, there was a family advocating for police to tell family members what's happening, which honestly makes sense to me, but can also be a little risky. I guess if they're just if someone's a percent of interest but they're cleared, and the family's like, nah, this, this motherfucker's going to get it, and then they go like do something on their own accord. You know that's true also, so I guess I can see both sides of it. Yeah yeah. And that's also what's some like an issue within true crime content in itself too. Yeah, well they'll name someone, yah. Yeah. So the same thing happened on August four, twenty three, when nurse Luis Castro, nurse assistant Susina Rojas, and the anesthesiologists Lydia Silva were all arrested well suddenly, so the three along with the doctor, were accused of the disappearance of Florida del Man, as well as kidnapping and obstruction of criminal action. And once they were arrested, the nurse Luis Castro, he spilled everything and the truth came to light. So he said that it was all the doctor's fault. And I mean, it's probably it's probably true, but like I would have said this same waiting, yeah, right, Like, so he said something went wrong during the surgery and Florida Delma did not make it, and that the doctor then conjured up a lie about her leaving, instructed one of the nurses to dress up like her. He made up this whole plan, and then he ordered them to put her in a bin, in a garbage bin, in the fetal position so she'd fit, and then they were going to sink that bin. And that was his plan. That's crazy, first of all, I mean, like, was this even necessary to do all this? I mean, a unfortunate risk of elective surgery and all surgeries is death. Anytime you go under you might not come out alive, right, isn't that like a risk? Let you know? And so sometimes most of the time doctors have like liability insurance. I'm assuming he was already doing shady ship if you went they should but if like so does his plan a Like I'm like, had you done this before? Like were you already at risk of losing your license? Do you even have a license because other doctors, you know, they do stuff like this and they keep them. Yeah, because sometimes these things happen, you know. Yeah, but yeah, again, if that was his plan's crazy conjured it up so fast he was ready for I feel like, you know he's done this before. I don't know so right, there is a recorded conversation or sorry, this conversation was recorded. You can hear it in the phone call and again a lot of it wasn't released to the public. Only some of it was leaked. And you can hear one of the phone calls when he's like you all need to figure out, like we're how we're gonna get away with this, Like we're gonna do this and that and that, like saying like the go report him, like I don't understand, no, but serious, surely there's other medical places you can get a job at, right anymore, so, again, this was part of it. Was recorded and released. The doctor then took her body home and then once he was there, he called, what the nurse, that's crazy? What the fuck? I mean, this whole thing, like each thing I was about to say, and everything you say, it gets more and more wild that I'm like, already, that's gonna keep happening. So yeah, he took her remains home, and then once he was home, he called Louis Castro from his house and he said that he and he's just saying these things on the phone. He told the nurse that he moved her to a suitcase, and then that they took care of it, Like why would you say that? Why would he call him? Like, yeah, if you're already doing this, And he also said like we took care of it, like somebody was all ready at his house. Yeah, and Louis Gastrow doesn't know who we they are, like he doesn't know who was helping them, But he was sure to say when he was telling the police all this, that the doctor had a plan ready and all the necessary equipment to get rid of a body. What the fuck? Yeah, because he he he knew to call at his house to help him. Oh so at first I thought it was one of the other Everma staff, but it wasn't then it was like seven when he had on hand to be like yeah, my god, wow yeah. And after after Louis Gastro confessed, then the other two employees followed suit and more details came to like Lydia's Sylvia affirmed that they could have same florid Alma's life, but doctor Malouf did the opposite of like life saving measures. Why I didn't understand was organism mission, no money so what Yeah, So if he would have listened to them and given the order to transfer her to a hospital when things started to turn during her surgery, she would have made it, but he refused because it was expensive. The nurse assistant, Susan A. Rojas, solidified the accounts of the two other employees, like they all said the same thing. So in the beginning of the surgery, everything was still going okay, and but that changed as they progressed through the surgery. Lydia Silvia, the anesthesiologist began to notice that the patient's titles were dropping and then around noon they were unable to wake her and so they decided to check her glucose and it was two hundred and fifty whether normal range should be seventy and one hundred and ten in between seventy eight one hundred and ten. So then Susanna, then her assistant notified doctor Malouf, who then said they should wait a little longer to see if she improves on her own, which never happens when so crazy they're literally critical and like, well, let's if she gets better. Yeah. So Lydia then informed the doctor that they needed to administer insulin asap, and he said, no, we're going to wait. She said it again and he was like, no, it's too expensive. She'll get better on her own. And then when she said again she's not getting better, we need to transfer her to a hospital with an intensive care unit, he said it was too expensive. They were not going to do that, and they began calling like the staff began calling other doctors for their opinions, like on what they should do, and they recommended what they already knew. They needed to transfer her to an ICU. So the staff these three went again back to the doctor and said we need to transfer her now, and he repeated again that it was too expensive to transfer her. Then she just didn't wake up. They waited too long to interview. Oh my god, when she died, he threatened all of them and their families and ordered them to put her in a garbage bin. But I mean, there's three of them and one of him. They're going to just beate his ass and then call the police. This is crazy. And this is the same bin that is seen in the surveillance tapes. And she confirmed along with Louise. They both said that the doctor left around eleven forty seven at night with the bin, and when he was asked where he was going, he told them it was another business. So it turns out he transported her remains to his home in Santa Katarina Pinula. He then coordinated her dismemberment, so the people that he called help helped him dismember her. Oh my god, why does he have people on call for this that? Why does he have a team of dismember hers? Like what the fuck on call? Like, Hey, I need you guys right now, meet me at my house. It's fucking crazy, Yeah, exactly. And there's like he made a a diagram, like an anatomical diagram of where they should cut, and there's like this is available evidence. It's like a image of a person, and then there's a yellow line at the arm and shoulder, there's a yellow line at the legs like instructing cut here, like he made this. So yeah, he coordinated her dismemberment and disappearance, and they left her remains over at this wooded area in San Vicente, Sanviente, Pakaya is Queensland. That's where they did it. And when the doctor was interrogated, he gave detailed information on where her remains could be found. He told investigators follow this S shaped road, then you'll cross this coffee and avocado plantation. Then you pass this road that you need a four x four vehicle to get to, which will lead you to an area called La Joya, where these two mountains meet. Then you have to walk on foot on this other path to get to an old well. Next to the well, there was a pit. That's where they buried her. And yeah, they followed his instructions. Following his instructions, they found her on June fifth, twenty twenty four. How much time was passed a year? Almost almost a year she went missing June or her day of her surgery was June twenty third, twenty twenty three, So yeah, almost a year and it took them twelve hours to find like all of the pieces in this pit and like Kip ticking extremely her remains were in an advanced stage of decomposition. So she was sent to the National Forensic Sciences Institution where she was positively identified as Florid del Maroque and the family was informed on June nineteenth, twenty twenty four. And then after thirteen long months after her death and disappearance, her family was finally able to bury her in a cemetery in Zone seventeen and Mixico, Guatemala. And yeah, they were able to put her to rest, but they were still waiting for justice. Yeah, and apparently true justice would not come because a judge lessoned doctor Malouf's charge or said, yeah, charge after he confessed to where the remains were. He was like, oh, he's cooperating. I mean, that's unfortunate and it's but it's a common move in the legal's trail where but still like I can understand how I cannot be setting the family. Yeah, so he was charged with omicioso, which is manslaughter instead of like homicide or in the whatever degree. That's very upsetting because I guess what led to her death wasn't intentional, like it was just part of the surgery going wrong. But then yeah, everything he did, what happened after was like that's exactly. Yeah, I'm yeah, that's so upsetting. Like the family now today still believes like, you know what, maybe this was premeditated. I don't know, how do you got people on deck to this member of body? That's crazy? Then is he killing people? What your plan? A? Because also like these again, these things happen in surgeries, so you could have just been able to have, yeah, done the right thing, transferred to the hospital where she could have received the emergency care, hoped for the best, and if it didn't happen or if you know, she didn't live through that, sometimes that happens. And most doctors, you know, are they're they're going to do that in a legal way, right, not like don't hear this? Fucking dude did the fuck? Yes? Yes? So yeah, he had been charged with homicide. It was brought down to manslaughter. He was sent Yeah, you know, it just so common. But now I'm like, yeah, I'm like what the fuck? No, Yeah, he was sentenced to four years, which was then reduced to two years. But then if he pays five guitalists every day, he can do house arrests. He doesn't have to reach. My god. On top of that, in six years he will allowed to practice again. No, yeah, what the fuck? And do like five kit salas a day is not even that much, right, I feel like it's sense Like I don't know the conversion rate, and yes, I could look it up, but it's not a lot. See, it's not a lot. Oh my god, what is it? It's sixty five cents. That's crazy. I can't, I can't, Oh my god. It was obvious that he was subject to a different criminal justice system. He was allowed to attend all trials via video while the other three had to attend in person. Wow. And on top of that, the whole case And then I asked, I had to ask my mom what this meant because I didn't know. But so the whole case was under bajo the trial like, so I think that just means that it was like kept really tight. None. Nothing was made public, including the trial, so he and that was for him to benefit him. Apparently the whole trial was just like him when he was going, not the others. I'm not sure about that. I couldn't find all I could find is these TikTok videos. I talked about how it was under bajo. So then in total he was able. His charge was reduced to two years and it was how went home? Okay, yeah for this member, and when I keep that fresh in my mind, when you tell me what everyone else was sentenced to, Okay, yeah, So Lydia Silva, the aneesysiologist, was sentenced to two years and three months for manslaughter, which she did serve in prison. She has a serve in prison. Susanna Rojas was given three years for aiding and a betting. How was she given more time? Three years for aiding and a betting. Louis Castro was also sentenced for two years for aiding and a betting, but this one was changed to two months after for cooperating. Wow, he was the first one to snitch. So yeah, so I could see that. But that's like a law that's a big two years to two months. Yeah, yeah, like I could see. I don't know a year being fair, but yeah, two months, come on. Yeah. Another person was also arrested in the process of all this, Cia Morales. She was charged for aiding and a bedding and then went through trial and was sentenced for that because she lied during questioning about having been in the clinic that day, damn. And I don't know what her sentence was. I couldn't find it, but like, imagine it being more for lying about being there then for him dismembering her, disappearing her. Shouldn't that be a deck a different criminal like charge, like a crime like to mess with like a body, like I mean, that's not the legal term. Yeah, I'm pretty sure that's crime. Yeah, and then hide the body like that's I don't know. Wow. Yeah. In the end, all sentences were reduced. I don't I couldn't find what the other two were reduced to, but they were all reduced. The family's lawyer did request an appeal, claiming that the judge pedro likeness was biased and not impartial and was probably bribed to help the doctor. I mean that explains all the leeway everything was given. Yeah. Yeah, And a new trial has still not taken place. The family is still seeking proper justice. Like the senses just happened like two months ago or something, wow, or the end of twenty twenty four. My memory fails me, so, but yeah, it just happened. So they're still seeking justice, and their family has stated that during this difficult investigation where they were kept in the dark for a long time and they themselves had to travel back and forth to get the matter, to try and find information, they found out that there had been others like their mom. Of course, that's why he had this clinic deck to just call Oh my god, right, like you don't just have these numbers ready right hand, ready to enact, and yeah, exactly. They said that they had met several people who came in for surgeries or whose family members came in surgeries, and we're never seen again that same clinic. But the only difference between those people and their mom is that their mom was a US citizen while they were all local people from Guatemala. But apparently he has, according to the family, done this more than once. I believe it, I do, because again, that plan was all three. Yeah, all three of them said that he was like he was ready, he knew what to do. So yeah, that was the case of flor What a what a sad, infuriating story. Yeah. Also, I mean, like, I know, it's cheaper to go to surgery somewhere else, but man, some of these places are scary. Well, these things happen here too. Oh that's true, you're right, but it is more dangerous usually to go out of the country to do this kind of stuff. Have you seen stories of people flying to Brazil and then they're like so botched. Yeah. Yeah. Also a lot of people do they I Kuanta for their bbls, Yeah, and then get injected with other things. Yeah, scary, it's scary. And it's sad that women, for whatever reason, you know, feel like they have to put their lives in danger or maybe you are not recognizing the full risk that it is to do these kind of elective surgeries. And of course we all fall victim to diet culture, to Western beauty standards. So but it's sad. You know, like this woman lives a long time, had children, you know, had a full life, and wanted to feel better and look better for herself and then this happens to her. And it would have been one thing if she had died, you know, and then nothing happened, like through her body and nothing, but then what they did just made it like a hundred times worse. It's just horrifying. Yeah, yeah, and you know it's it's so because I was like what case should I like, what should I do that would be like, you know, important to kind of shed more light on. And I hadn't seen this covered anywhere else except TikTok videos in Spanish. But then at the same time, earlier today or last night, I was scrolling TikTok and I found I came across a video of uh, I don't know. I think she's Scottish actress who was on Game of Thrones, and in her interview, she was saying, like she and again to each their own, there's so much that leads someone to want to do some something to themselves, right, and that's like, that's not for me to judge, but this actress was saying that she would never do any facial work because she relies on her face. Oh, should be all to move sex education. Yeah, yeah, no, I've been beating so good and I didn't watch the last season, okay, but it's so good. Yeah, And that's where the comments then led to, like how surgeries and this work is ruining movies because she was like, I need my face, like make facial expressions to act, and there's certain people that I just can't do that anymore with their faces. There's like no way around that, like it just it doesn't like it was a little distracting and Lucifer, but I still watch thing whatever. Yeah, you know, but she was saying that, and then the comments mentioning that, like what I just said about the movie is being ruined. But also the comments talked about what's her name? They talk about her on do we know them all the time? M She's like the one that's friends with Tane Mojo or oh Brooks Gofield or show Field that I do realize, I was saying, yes, Okay, you know how there's like a little search that just shows up if so many comments mentioned something. So the first thing that was in the search bar was a Brooks Schoofield Eiler surgery because she got like an eye I don't know, lid lift or something, and she's like documenting the process is and uh, it's just it's so weird that all this was popping up. Is I was like, this is the case that I picked. I don't know. Yeah, it's like, yeah, it's weirdness, it's connected, it's all connected. Yeah, No, it's a I've seen that that topic. I guess trending. I guess would be the worst. Yeah I am, but I don't know. Yeah, it's like a hard thing I need to talk about because like, yeah, everyone has a right to do whatever they want with their body blah blah blah, and we should just people blah blah blah. Right, but I think it gets into like like choice feminism and everything that's wrong with that. And yeah, it's a it's a faulty message in the end, isn't it. Yeah, it is in it. Okay, it's time to stop, right and we can't. But yeah, that was the case. We'll take a little break here, and oh my god, I feel like I'm accidentally talking to my influencer voice a little bit. But it isn't not that bad. Okay, thanks, what's a break here, and then we'll come back with spooky recommendations. Yeah, and we're back. Do you have spooky recommendations? Okay, they're not really spooky, it's just that they were like on theme with this case. Florid Delma was a hospice nurse, and that reminded me of this book I read by a hospice nurse who apparently was also a TikTok influencer. But I didn't know that about her. When I read it, I just the book was in my library and was available, and so I borrowed it. Okay, but it was good. I'm pretty sure it was called The in Between, but I just want to make sure. Is it by Halle Yeah, Hadie. It is that, yeah, between unforgetable unforgettable encounters during life's final moments. Yeah, And so she talks a lot in the book about her experience as a hospice nurse and like people's last moments. And it was just, yeah, it was a good read. And it has a little bit like like spiritual stuff. Oh I bed Yeah, I'm be I liked it. And then the other book, which is very on theme because it's similar like what happened to the author's mom is similar to this, to what happened to Filanma. So it's called The Manicurist Daughter by Susan Lou. But the description says an emotionally raw memoir about the crumbling of the American dream and a daughter of refugees who searches for answers after her mother dies during plastic surgery. Susan Yeah, Susan Lou has long been searching for answers about her family's past and about her own future. Refugees from the Vietnam War, Susan's family escaped to California in the nineteen eighties after five filled attempts. Upon arrival, Susan's mother was their savvy, charismatic north star, setting up two successful nelsalons and orchestrating every success. And so Susan was eleven that year, her mother died from a botched tummy tuck. After the funeral, no one was ever allowed to talk about her or what had happened. For the next twenty years, Susan navigated a series of cascaded questions alone. Why did the most perfect person in her life want to change her body? Why would no one tell her about her mother's life in Vietnam? And how did the surgeon who prayed on Vietnamese immigrants go on operating after her mother's death. Sifting through depositions, tracking down the surgeon's family, and enlisting the help of spirit channelers, Susan uncovers the painful truth of her mother, herself, and the impossible ideal of beauty. And then it just ends by saying, the manicurist's daughter is much more than a memoir about grief, trauma, and body image. It's a story of fierce determination, strength and shared culture and finding your place in the world. It's a memoir. Yeah, wow, this sounds really good. It was added to my very very long TVR. Don't even get me sorted on my TVR. But just it's like not a serious TVR, you know how some people are like, oh yeah, a serious one. It's just like books I would like to read at some point, you know, and if I don't get to some kind of my life. Yeah, yeah, exactly. But no, it was good and it's very theme with what happened. Oh wow, yeah, what's it called again? The marchis Daughter? Okay, yeah, I'll definitely look for that. I do not have spooky recommendations. I don't know what I've been doing since you well, first we got back from Mexico. Yeah, I got well, we got back from Mexico, and then I was sick and I do nothing, absolutely mom sick. Yeah. Then you guys visited me, and then we you know, did things. You can catch a little bit of that on Patreon or vlog. Again, it's only fifteen minutes. And then we just like choose me mad and listen to music and clean and eat like that's basically all we do unless we go out, which we did. We went to AMSI. Then we went to celebrate my husband's birthday at karaoke, and we try. I don't recommend it for me personally unless you can sing, which we cannot. We absolutely can't. I do think that we would have done and be writers pretty good things so too, but again they didn't have it. So yeah, I've been doing nothing. And even before that, I haven't been looking at spooky things. I don't know what the hell I've been doing. I've been watching the Pit. It's really oh yeah, so that has been And then also on top of that, like at some point in the summer, we might be moving and I've like, if I'm not working on research or scripts or editing or watching the Pit, all I've been doing is looking at houses and apartments and a bunch of different neighborhoods. And so That's what I've been doing. And I haven't I haven't eve been finished. I have to read The Unworthy. I still haven't finished it. It's a very short book. Yeah, I have to. I listen to the audiobook and I have to read. I want to read the book too, since I got the book. Yeah, yeah, so I did finally start reading it again because I literally hadn't been I hadn't touched it, and I was like, what am I doing? And that's what I've been doing, obsessing over looking at houses that I'm not even gonna Like, I don't need to be looking at them right now. I need to be looking at them in like four months. Yeah, you need to stop. Then I can't. It's just one of those things. I have to wait till I just stop. Like, yeah, it's a it's a hyperfixation. It is right now. Yeah, interest like De Grassy. When I was obsessed with De Grassy, I couldn't do anything else unless I had to. I still work, but like all my free time was consumed by De Grassy. And that's me right now with looking up rentals, restaurants and schools, and that's a lot. I have a lot to look up. Yeah, yeah, I need to stop, but I can't. So. Yeah. I've also been playing before that obsession happened, though. I was obsessed with this game called the Cuisineir. You have this little restaurant interesting people. You can open the restaurant and people come to the restaurant and they order something and you make it for them. They grab it and they sit in a little chair, and the restaurant gets crowded and if you don't have enough tables, they get mad and they leave. Yeah, and then you in order to have ingredients to upgrade the restaurant, no ingredient, ingredients to cook things, and then material to upgrade the restaurant, you have to go to this other area and like kill chickens and little peppers that have feed. And so yeah, that's what I was doing before that, which is why I wasn't watching anything spooky because all I was doing was playing Quisinier. And then my obsession with looking things up happened, and so yeah, I need to stop. I need to get back to the peak things. But it's not happening. Yeah. So yeah, I think we have reached the end of the episode. Unless you have anything to add, no, I think we're yeah at the end. Toodles, everyone, Yes, stay spooky and watch out for the Lady in White, Watch out for the Lady and the bat outfit. Christina My Book Tells is hosted by Christina and Carmen, produced and edited by Christina researched by Christina Carmen and with the help of Don Shout Out Don. If you aren't joying the podcast considerably, going to say five star review, we would really appreciate it. If you don't want to the five star review, just don't leave a review. But don't leave anything lower than that, please, I'm just kidding. You can reach out to the podcast at at spoaktos at gmail dot com. You can go to our website at bookitos dot com and fill out the contact form. If you want to support the podcast, you can join our Patreon where we send exclusive stickers, have bonus episodes. Eight dollar members get an exclusive keychain. It's super cool. I got new ones and these ones are huge. And if you want to support but you can or don't want to join the patreon, that's fine too. 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