Engineer sentenced for murdering and hiding the body of his mother, who demanded he make her bed

Jean Pierre PP, 30, was sentenced to 40 years in prison, the maximum aggravated sentence, for the murder of his mother. The murder took place between the night of September 2 and the early morning of September 3, 2024, in Alangasí, a rural parish in Quito, Ecuador.

According to the Prosecutor's Office, the young man murdered his mother by strangulation and asphyxiation in the home they shared. After committing the murder, he tried to avoid detection: he acquired a black suitcase, hid the body, and dumped it in a ditch. He then falsely reported his mother missing.

Investigations showed that he intended to leave the country, leading to his arrest during a raid on September 13, 2024. During the trial, the Public Prosecutor's Office presented crucial evidence, including the results of eighteen surveillance camera recordings from the area, forensic examinations, and DNA tests that verified the existence of genetic material both at the crime scene and in the suitcase.

In his testimony, the defendant claimed he had no intention of hurting his mother, "and that it all started with an argument over not making his bed." However, the expert who analyzed his personality noted that he displayed impulsiveness, a lack of planning, and poor impulse control. "The psychiatric examination ruled out mental disorders."

The Criminal Court issued a harsher ruling because the murder involved a woman, based on Article 47, paragraph 21 of the Criminal Code of Criminal Procedure and Article 10 of the Law to Prevent Violence Against Women. It also ordered the payment of USD 20,000 as full compensation to the victim's family.

The ruling sets a precedent due to the seriousness of the case and strengthens the gender-sensitive approach to justice in family crimes.