Body found in Guayama confirmed as Félix Plaud
Police are investigating possible links to the killing of attorney Luis Quiñones González in Ponce and the death of a man who posted a video claiming responsibility for both.
File photoThe short version
- El Nuevo Día reports the body of Félix Plaud was found Friday afternoon near a gas station in Guayama's Borinquen neighborhood
- El Nuevo Día reported that Police Superintendent Joseph González said a friend of Plaud who arrived at the scene confirmed his identity
- El Nuevo Día reported Plaud died at the scene from multiple gunshot wounds with the discovery reported at 1:57 p.m.
- El Vocero reported a man identified as William Rivera posted a video claiming he killed both Plaud and Quiñones González before he was found dead in Santa Isabel
Body identified in Guayama
The body of a man found Friday afternoon in Guayama has been confirmed as that of Félix Plaud. El Nuevo Día reported that the discovery was reported at 1:57 p.m. near a gas station in the Borinquen neighborhood. Police Superintendent Joseph González said a friend of Plaud who arrived at the scene confirmed his identity. Plaud died at the scene from multiple gunshot wounds. El Nuevo Día reported.
Earlier on Friday, a missing-person complaint for Plaud was filed in the Guayama police region. Primera Hora reported that the complaint was presented at midday by a coworker who had last seen Plaud on Thursday night in the Guayama area. Inspector José Torres of the Guayama CIC told the outlet that at the time the body was found face down authorities had not yet established its identity.
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Investigation into possible links
El Nuevo Día reported that authorities are investigating possible links between the case of Plaud and the killing of attorney Luis Quiñones González in Ponce. Quiñones was shot inside a vehicle on Avenida Las Américas around 10:45 a.m. Friday. Sources told the outlet that the probe includes whether the cases connect to a man who posted a video claiming responsibility for both and who was later found dead in Santa Isabel. The divisions of Homicides of the CIC of several jurisdictions were attempting to corroborate the statements made by the man in the video.
El Vocero reported that in the video William Rivera said he had invested his savings with Plaud and Quiñones González for two medicinal cannabis dispensaries that never opened. Rivera claimed both men failed to repay him, leading him to say he killed Plaud on Thursday and Quiñones on Friday. Rivera was later found dead in a vehicle in the Usera sector of Santa Isabel on a road between Santa Isabel and Coamo. Telemundo Puerto Rico reported that Rivera was found dead in Santa Isabel after the video.
Where the sources differ
All sources agree that a body was found in Guayama's Borinquen neighborhood at 1:57 p.m. Friday near a gas station and that it was later confirmed as Félix Plaud. El Nuevo Día [1] attributes the confirmation to Superintendent Joseph González and a friend at the scene while Primera Hora [3] quotes Inspector José Torres saying identity had not been established when the body was found face down. Sources agree a video was posted by a man identified as William Rivera or William N. Rivera claiming he killed both Plaud and attorney Luis Quiñones González over a financial dispute involving cannabis dispensaries. El Nuevo Día [2] states authorities are investigating if the cases are linked and attempting to corroborate the video statements while El Vocero [5] reports the content of the video in detail and that Rivera was found dead in Santa Isabel. Sources differ on when the missing-person complaint for Plaud was filed: El Nuevo Día [1] says reported missing Thursday night while Primera Hora [3] and Telemundo [4] say the formal complaint was filed midday Friday after the video.
What the reports do not say
The reports do not state whether the death of the man in Santa Isabel has been ruled a suicide. They do not give the cause of death for Luis Quiñones González beyond that he was shot or detail any forensic confirmation that the same person was responsible for both deaths. The articles do not indicate whether any charges have been filed or the current status of the homicide investigations in the involved jurisdictions.
Sources
Every link below was opened and checked when this story was published. Official means a government body, agency or the organization itself; Reporting means a news outlet.
- Reporting Confirman que el hombre que fue asesinado en Guayama fue Félix Plaud
- Reporting Investigan si asesinato de abogado en Ponce y desaparición de activista Félix Plaud están vinculados
- Reporting Confirman la desaparición del activista del PNP, Félix Plaud
- Reporting Reportan desaparecido al exlíder estudiantil del PNP, Félix Plaud
- Reporting VIDEO: Hombre admite haber matado a exactivista Félix Plaud y abogado, y se priva de la vida en Santa Isabel
How we checked this
El Nuevo Día reported the confirmation of Plaud's identity and the ongoing investigation into possible links. Primera Hora provided details on the timing of the missing-person complaint and the initial uncertainty about the body's identity. El Vocero gave the most detailed account of the video content and Rivera's death. Telemundo confirmed the report of Plaud as missing and that Rivera was found dead in Santa Isabel. All information rests on these contemporaneous news reports.
Compiled by the PuertoRico.com News Desk from the reports and statements listed above, and checked against them before publishing. It does not include original interviews. Spot an error? Email support@puertorico.com with a link to this story.