Olympic Boxer From Puerto Rico Convicted For Kidnap, Murder Of Pregnant Girlfriend

Boxer Félix Verdejo was found guilty on two charges in the kidnapping and killing of his pregnant girlfriend Keishla Rodriguez.

Verdejo abducted Rodríguez in April 2021 and threw her off a bridge in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Her body was found in a lagoon a few days later.

"May he live the rest of his life thinking about everything he did to my daughter," Keishla's father, José Antonio Rodriguez, said after the conviction, according to Telemundo Puerto Rico.

The trial lasted 25 weeks. But the jury could not reach unanimous verdicts on the other two charges against Verdejo — including carjacking resulting in the death of a person and possession and use of a firearm.

"In my mind I thought many things, but not in my heart. I got up every day to come here with the purpose of making her count," Rodriguez said.

"I have always said that he will live the rest of his life thinking about what he did to my daughter, and that is his worst condemnation."

Brutal details reveal what Félix Verdejo did on the night of the murder.

Verdejo reportedly injected his 27-year-old girlfriend with narcotics and tied her feet and arms to a block before throwing her into the water.

He then fired shots into the water.

More than 30 people testified in the case, including key witness Luis Antonio Cádiz, who was a friend of Verdejo and assisted in the killing. The accomplice pleaded guilty last year but still awaits sentencing.

Cádiz testified that Verdejo — who is married with a young daughter — had pressured Rodríguez to get an abortion before murdering her.

(Photo by Mikey Williams/Top Rank via Getty Images)

U.S. District Judge Pedro Delgado Hernandez scheduled a Nov. 3 sentencing for Verdejo. He faces a penalty of up to life in prison.

"I do not wish him death," the victim's father said. "I wish him good health and that he can last as long as he can last. If he wants to last 200 years, let him last, but that he remembers what he did to my daughter, always."

Verdejo was a lightweight contender for Puerto Rico in the 2012 Olympic Games. He became a professional boxer later that year. He finished his career with a 27-2 record and 17 knockouts.