Eric Volz

*Update: January 2, 2008 - Eric has been released from prison! I am so happy to report that Eric has been freed and is currently in hiding due to some crazies that want him dead. Come home Eric! *http://www.crimelibrary.com/news/original/1207/2601_eric_volz1.html

*Update: Eric has been moved from the hospital back to jail. Why has he not been released?

The prosecutor who tried his case and won has filed for an appeal to his release, if her appeal is heard, it can be YEARS before it is looked at. It seems this was judge Yvette Toruno Blanco's plan when she ignored the legal request for her to sign his release papers and which caused a delay which then allowed the prosecutor to get her papers filed.

Source: http://www.nashvillecitypaper.com/news.php?viewStory=58330

Eric Volz has had my heart broken for a while now.

I have written him some emails and have been deeply affected by his story. I wonder if he is still boyishly good looking and as young as he looks in this picture, but in my heart I know he must look like death walked over him....because it did.

Eric was 25 in 2005 and was offered a high paying real estate job by Century 21 in Nicaragua. It was any single man's dream job. He moved from San Diego to the foreign country in pursuit of success and happiness. Eric was determined to carve out his own piece of paradise in Nicaragua and after meeting Doris Ivania Jimenez, a native of Nicaragua, he did just that. He started a bilingual finance magazine that became extremely successful and Doris took notice of his drive and opened her own local store which was also successful. The couple moved in together and ran their businesses with a new found love of life.

For a while the arrangement worked, but in order to run the magazine properly Eric had to move to the capital of Managua, a two and half hour drive from his current residence in San Juan. Unfortunately, Doris and him parted ways on good terms and he left to pursue his dream while she stayed to pursue her own.

Everything change on November 21, 2006 when a friend called Eric and informed him that Doris had been raped and killed in her store. He soon learned that two surfers were arrested for the crimes, when Eric heard the names Julion Martin Chamorro and Nelson Lopez-Danglas, he immediately recognized them as the local trouble makers of San Juan.

Eric rented a car and drove the 2 and 1/2 hour drive back to San Juan to comfort Doris' family and to show support for a woman he once cared for. Two days later, much to Eric's surprise the police came to arrest him as well.

The police claimed, Eric, along with the two surfers a friend and a fourth man, Doris' current boyfriend Armando Llanes, had all worked together to rape and murder Doris.

Nelson Lopez-Danglas then allegedly confessed that he saw Eric inside the store with an unidentified man the day of the murder. In exchange for his confession and testimony, all charges were dropped against Nelson, charges were also dropped against Armando Llanes when he showed paperwork that he said proved he was at the local college registering for classes.

To the horror of Eric's family and Eric himself, he was thrown in a Nicaraguan jail to await trial.

Unfortunately, Eric was NOT in America and unfortunately he WAS an American accused of killing a native. His case was assigned to the most cowardly, evil and unlawful judge imaginable, Ivette Toruno Blanco.

The evidence against Eric was almost all hearsay, only one witness which was the surfer originally accused, stated he saw Eric at the store. While ont he stand he seemed under the influence of drugs, once questioned about it, he admitted he was a drug user, but NOT a liar. Doris' mother came forward and said Eric's family offered them $1 million dollars to drop the charges. Eric's family denies this, nor do they even have $1million dollars.

The court hired medical and forensic examiners to nail Eric, but to the court's dismay and seemingly to the embarrassment of Ivette Toruno Blanco, they found evidence that Eric was NOT involved. The hairs, blood and other evidence found at the scene did NOT match Eric.

There was absolutely no physical evidence linking Eric to the crime.

The prosecution was able to call an endless list of lying individuals to the stand with minimal evidence. The defense was only allowed four witnesses, one of which was Eric.

Eric was 2 hours and a half away attending a business lunch meeting with two industry professionals, he was also on a conference call with another during the time of the murders. He then went to get a haircut at the precise time of the murder taking place miles away. He also signed for the rental car he took to drive to San Juan after he found out about Doris murder, all of these witnesses testified on Eric's behalf.

Then came the cellphone tower evidence, there was substantial and undisputed proof that Eric was in Managua the day of the murder and when the call came in that Doris had been killed, the signal was picked up in Managua NOT San Juan, so basically Eric was no where near the murder scene that day until late that night when he drove there to comfort her family.

On the day of sentencing, judge Ivette Turino Blanco did not make an appearance in court, instead the coward sent a court clerk to relay her decision.

The clerk walked into the packed court room and announced that judge Ivette Turino Blanco has rejected the defense's witness testimony, she also rejected the forensic report as well as the cellphone tracking evidence. She only chose to keep the witness statements the prosecution put on the stand. She gave no reason for this. She also found Eric guilty and sentenced him to 30 years behind Nicaragua's steel bars.

Strong evidence rejected in favor of hearsay? No reason given? How is this possible?

Deafening cheers erupted from the court and shouts of joy erupted outside of the court room as stunned family members watched young Eric being taken away.

They immediately appealed, but the judge ignored their very legal right to get copies of certain documents and tapes that they eventually had to pay for. The struggle began against this country and this judge, his family never gave up.

Finally after all these struggles, Eric's family got the case overturned, he was to be released yesterday.

He is still behind bars.

He is being held ILLEGALLY because judge Ivette Turino Blanco has not gotten around to signing the release papers. She has left work early, has been too busy and several other horrendous reasons. Every second that Eric remains in jail, he is in danger. The people of Nicaragua and this joke of a judge have this unwarranted hate toward him.

Currently, Eric sits in the hospital jail sick from the following illnesses due to the hellish conditions in the prison. Here is a message from Eric taken from (courttv.com).

"First off, at the moment I am not in prison, I am in the hospital. My body has taken quite a beating from the conditions I've been living in and the food I've been living on. Here is a summary of the illnesses I've experienced since being locked-up. I tested positive for Giardia and intestinal parasites... I was diagnosed with stomach ulcers by the prison doctor who put me on heavy meds. After two weeks, I wasn't feeling better, so a private specialist came to see me and discovered it wasn't ulcers but gastritis... I've had two bladder infections and frequent inflammation of the colon... They just found a kidney stone in my right kidney. I guess it's a small stone but if it becomes dislodged I'm screwed.

"I've had my 1st asthma attacks in 10 years. Tests have revealed damage to my small bronchioles most likely caused by the toxic smoke from cardboard and plastic cooking fires in the prison. The same smoke caused a sinus infection that evolved into walking pneumonia. I was sick for three months and still have not fully recovered my sense of smell...


"They have done their best to make the hospital as stressful and prison-like as possible. It's almost more pressure than in jail (great for healing, huh). My family didn't hear from me for the first 12 days. Now I'm allowed a 10-15 minute call once a week...

"The guards have orders to discourage the nurses from talking to me which has made them all nervous and basically scared to attend to me (who knows what they told them, but it's definitely affected their ability to give me the needed medical attention). They often don't even bring me my medicine because they are intimidated by the guard's AK-47...

"I want to thank all of those who have continued to show support in the many different ways you all do. As I have said before this is not my story. This is OUR STORY! Many people have been greatly affected and are emotionally invested in a way that has them in prison alongside me. Thank you all for the many prayers and ceremonies. They have been answered in ways I will never be able to describe... May each one of you be blessed with God's love, Eric V."

Judge Ivette Turino Blanco is trying to kill time in order to get the paperwork filed for her appeal to his overturned conviction, why this woman feels the need to destroy Eric is beyond words. His family is waiting for his release in order to fly him immediately out of Nicaragua. Once he is in America it will be very difficult to have him extradited on the minimal evidence they had to convict him in the first place. Judge Turino knows this.

I pray for Eric and his family and I can't imagine what it feels like to be treated this way, the anger, the fear, the helplessness.

RELEASE HIM! This is ILLEGAL!!!!!!!!!

I wait for the day Eric can come home and try to heal and forget this horrible nightmare.

For more info on Eric please visit http://www.friendsofericvolz.com/.
I will update this post as new information arrives.