The family of Victor Masson, who was shot and killed in Mexico on May 15, is far from finished seeking justice. The crime’s main witness will never be able to testify in the trial of the Quebec tourist’s alleged murderer.
He was murdered shortly after he gave an incriminating statement to the police that led to the defendant’s arrest, but the family only found out about it two months later.
It was a big shock. It is a film scenario in which we immerse ourselves, a very bad film, admits Édouard Masson, the Saguenéen’s brother, who died suddenly.
The Oaxaca Attorney General confirmed to Radio-Canada that Sergio Ruiz Luengas was the victim of a murder in late May. However, the public prosecutor’s office refused to say whether there was a connection between the two murders and whether it was a settlement with the aim of silencing this key witness.
I would never have wanted something like this to happen to this man who had so much courage. He had seen everything. He had decided to go to the police and do the right thing. “I think it is an injustice that he is murdered,” regrets Édouard Masson.
A week after Victor Masson’s death, Sergio Ruiz Luengas told investigators he was on the street when the Canadian was killed in front of him in the middle of the night in Puerto Escondido. The witness identified Mario Omar Sanginez Lopez as the person responsible for the crime. He pulled out a handgun and shot the driver of the gray car twice, according to his statement, a copy of which was obtained by Radio-Canada.
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Radio-Canada obtained the testimony of now-murdered witness Sergio Ruiz Luengas.
Photo: Radio Canada
The Mexican also said the alleged killer approached him, pointed his pistol at him and threatened to foot the bill if he was unlucky enough to tell what happened. When he encountered the police on May 22, Sergio Ruiz Luengas feared for his life. Mario Omar threatened me and said he would kill me if I said anything. I therefore fear that he will carry out his threats, he told investigators.
In the days that followed, the witness actually died under circumstances that Mexican authorities refused to disclose. Due to the investigation itself, no details can be released at this time, says the Oaxaca prosecutor’s office.
However, the Attorney General assures that the murder of this important witness will not jeopardize the matter.
The death of the citizen who witnessed the events that led to the opening of criminal proceedings does not affect the process in any way, since his testimony can be submitted as evidence at the relevant time, in accordance with Article 386 of the Criminal Code.
However, the defense can object to the admission of his testimony in court since cross-examination is not possible.
On May 25, an arrest warrant was issued for Mario Omar Sanginez Lopez. The next day he made his first appearance for the murder of Victor Masson. He was formally charged on June 1.
In light of the latest developments, prosecutors point out that the judge granted a one-month extension to close the investigation, with the next hearing scheduled for September 18, when the prosecutor will present the evidence against the accused.
Security fears
It was not until the end of July that Victor Masson’s family learned that the main witness to the murder had been murdered. The incredible story doesn’t end here. According to the relatives, this second murder is the work of a Mexican cartel, an aspect that the prosecutor is currently not taking into account in his investigation. In addition to the murdered witness, another important witness from the trial is also missing.
Additionally, the attorney representing the interests of the Masson family in Mexico dropped the case for fear of reprisals.
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Édouard Masson says he has received little support from Canadian authorities in the case of his brother Victor’s assassination in Mexico.
Photo: Radio Canada / Priscilla Plamondon Lalancette
It creates a lot of stress. The lawyer who represented us in Mexico feared for her own safety and left the case. There was another witness who took a confession from the suspected murderer and that witness disappeared. We have no news. We don’t know if he will be present when he testifies before the judge, explains Victor Masson’s brother.
The family, who lament the lack of support from the Canadian government, had to quickly find a new lawyer to ensure they understood the legal process, which was conducted in Spanish.
“I am extremely disillusioned with the services we offer to Canadians and families who are experiencing terrible things abroad,” said Édouard Masson.
New information on the murder of Victor Masson
Victor Masson was on vacation in Puerto Escondido with his wife of Mexican descent, Eiva Castillo, when he was found dead in his car.
On May 14, while his girlfriend was out with family members, Saguenéan, 27, went to a bar in the seaside resort to celebrate. When leaving the restaurant, the Canadian had problems paying his bill.
Investigations show that there was an altercation between Victor Masson and a group of four Mexicans, two men and two women, including Mario Omar Sanginez Lopez.
The victim’s family also discovered a short video in the computer cloud linked to their mobile phone, in which we see these four people in the bar in question. This was the last film Victor shot that evening.
Before he died, the Quebec tourist sent his wife a reassuring voice message suggesting he was in danger. He mentioned that he had been approached by a group of individuals. Victor Masson later called 911 and said he was the victim of a theft.
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Victor Masson
Photo: Facebook/Victor Masson
In his testimony to the police before his assassination, Sergio Ruiz Luengas reports that Victor Masson was killed on the night of May 14-15 at around 1:45 am on Calle Emiliano Zapata in Puerto Escondido.
The witness was on his way to a friend’s house when a motorcycle carrying a man and two women passed next to him. He recognized Mario Omar Sanginez Lopez when he parked in front of his apartment. He had known him for about a year, having worked as a plumber and electrician at various hotels and as a doorman at a nightclub.
In his statement, Sergio Ruiz Luengas explains that a gray car then arrived at the scene of the accident and that its driver, Victor Masson, overturned the motorcycle where a woman had been. The Saguenées had obviously followed the group. An argument ensued, then Mario Omar is said to have thrown a rock at the Canadian’s car before drawing his gun and fatally hitting him with one of the two projectiles fired.
The alleged killer would then have pushed the body of Victor Masson into the front passenger seat and then took the wheel to remove the vehicle from the scene outside his home.
Police also confirmed that the location where the victim was found was not the location where he was killed.