Post by Scumhunter on Apr 30, 2015 7:43:02 GMT -5
(Above photo credit: amw.com archives)
Fugitive Profile as of April 30th, 2015 (based on FBI.Gov wanted poster):
Date(s) of Birth Used: October 28, 1977
Place of Birth: Mexico
Height: 6'0"
Weight: 200 pounds
Hair: Black
Eyes: Brown
Sex: Male
Race: White (Hispanic)
Nationality: Mexican
Remarks: Casanova has ties to Mexico. Additionally, he may be traveling in a 2002 Dodge Dakota, with Illinois license plates 86196H.
TIPS: If you have any information concerning this person, please contact your local FBI office or the nearest American Embassy or Consulate. Tips can also be submitted electronically to the FBI at tips.fbi.gov
Benito Casanova has been wanted by the FBI and Chicago authorities since 2008. I'm not sure if he was aired but he was at the very least a web-exclusive case on AMW.
On April 18th, 2008, it is believed Casanova murdered his wife, Sofia Garcia. Authorities found Sofia's body in a bedroom closet with a plastic bag tied over her head.
Casanova then abducted his three children (ages 11, 7, and 6, two boys and one girl) and fled to the Mexican town of Iguala, where he and Sofia had first set up a home.
The three children were kept by Casanova for over a year, staying in homes of different relatives of Casanova's, before ultimately dropping them off at his mother's place, warning them that he would kill them and everybody in Sofia's family if they talked to police. (the children were recovered by authorities and returned to Chicago.)
Today, Sofia's sisters and family live in constant fear because Casanova is still a fugitive and has threatened them in both Mexico and Chicago. They believe he will kill again if they push this case. The family members in Chicago say they no longer travel to Mexico to visit relatives because they don't feel safe there, and they are equally afraid even tere.
And... here's a snippet from the Chicago Tribune that should enrage all of us:
"Casanova is one of only about a dozen active extradition requests Cook County is making, through the Justice Department, to Mexico. But Casanova has little to fear: authorities did not ask Mexico to arrest Casanova on murder charges, but only for parental abduction — a low-priority crime that rarely results in extradition.
In Iguala, the municipal police chief recently told Tribune reporters that he had never heard of Casanova, and a search of local fugitive warrants came up blank for the murder suspect wanted in Chicago."
Thoughts? This guy allegedly murdered his wife, and threatened his three young children. It is infuriating to me he was only asked to be arrested for parental abduction and I hope things have changed since 2011. Casanova is probably still in Mexico. But one thing's for sure- he still NEEDS to be caught. Glad to see the children are safe, but it's not full justice yet, you don't get to allegedly murder your wife and get away with it, regardless of how much you've tried to intimidate everyone else.
web.archive.org/web/20090309072214/http://www.amw.com/fugitives/brief.cfm?id=55093
www.fbi.gov/wanted/murders/benito-casanova/view
articles.chicagotribune.com/2011-10-29/news/ct-met-casanova-fugitives-profiles-20111029_1_parental-abduction-mexico-mexican-town
Admin Note: If you have any news-related updates on this case, please contact us here: amwfans.com/thread/1662/website-contact-form
