Justice for Dr. Enrique Espinal: Perpetrator of his murder sentenced to 30 years
The Fourth Collegiate Court of Santiago handed down an exemplary sentence this Thursday, sentencing Dominican Navy Corporal Víctor Manuel Saldaña Hernández to 30 years in prison. The soldier was found guilty of the murder of the renowned physician Enrique Antonio Espinal Castillo, a case that shocked Dominican society following the discovery of the body in August 2024.
The judicial process, which lasted for nearly two years, concluded after the presentation of compelling evidence by the Public Prosecutor’s Office and the victim’s family’s defense. According to lawyer Rómulo Sánchez Cabrera, the evidentiary elements demonstrated that Saldaña Hernández ended the doctor’s life with a blunt blow to the head, causing his death instantly.
Crime details and discovery
The investigation revealed a chilling sequence of events. After committing the homicide in Santiago, the convicted individual used the Hyundai Tucson SUV owned by the victim to transport the body to the province of San Cristóbal. The body was located on August 5, 2024, in a vacant lot known as La Costa de Rafelito, in Sabana Grande de Palenque, where it had been abandoned inside a mattress, secured with wires.
The evidence made it possible to establish that, after the murder, the accused attempted to dispose of the victim’s vehicle to obtain financial gain, taking it to a mechanic shop to have it repaired and proceed with its sale.
Rómulo Sánchez Cabrera, family lawyer
Economic motivations and judgment
In addition to the vehicle, the crime was motivated by the theft of RD$300,000 in cash. According to the plaintiff, this money had been given to the doctor by his sister on the same night of the incident. The combination of these factors—the homicide, the robbery, and the attempted sale of the vehicle—consolidated the accusation under articles 295, 296, 297, and 302 of the Dominican Penal Code.
- Maximum sentence: 30 years in prison for Víctor Manuel Saldaña Hernández.
- Compensation: The court ordered the payment of RD$4 million to the doctor’s mother.
- Compliance: The convicted person must serve his sentence in a penitentiary center.
With this first-instance ruling, a painful chapter closes for the loved ones of Dr. Espinal Castillo, who for months maintained a firm struggle demanding justice before the courts of Santiago.
