Costa Rica court sentences man to 50 years for femicide of Carolina Mora

A court in Heredia has sentenced Álvaro Padilla Palma to 50 years in prison for the femicide of Carolina Mora González. While the court initially imposed a 60-year sentence, it was adjusted to 50 years to comply with the maximum prison term allowed under Costa Rican law.

Padilla was also found guilty of patrimonial theft, computer fraud, and possession of child pornography. The crimes followed the December 2024 murder of Mora, whose body was discovered in the Parque Ecológico La Fuente in Belén, Heredia. The victim's family expressed satisfaction with the ruling, stating that justice had been served for the pain caused by the incident.

Following the death of Mora, her brother, Nelson Mora, assumed responsibility for her young son through the Patronato Nacional de la Infancia (PANI). The family continues to support the child, who is receiving psychological care as he processes the loss of his mother.