Family Identified Body Of Dead Woman Found By Costa Rican Authorities As Missing Florida Woman
by Heather Cassell
Family and friends confirmed early Wednesday morning that a woman traveling solo on the final leg of her Costa Rican birthday trip was murdered.
Carla Stefaniak, 36, vanished from her Airbnb in San Antonio de Escazu, an upscale suburb of San Jose, the Central American country’s capital city, November 28.
Carla and April went to Costa Rica to celebrate her 36th birthday.
There has been no sign of Carla. She hasn’t contacted her family and friends. She hasn’t posted on social media or called for an Uber. All things that are all “part of her daily pattern,” since November 27, April wrote on her Facebook page.
Investigators discovered a badly decomposed body of a woman 1,000 feet behind the Airbnb Carla was and found blood inside the house, reported ABC World News on December 3. The discovery came a week after Carla disappeared and family members questioned government officials in Costa Rica and the United States Embassy in Costa Rica’s handling of the case.
The family confirmed the body was Carla after an autopsy was conducted December 5.
The cause of death was “stab wounds around the neck and extremities,” according to an autopsy, Walter told reporters. The body also suffered a blunt force trauma injury to the head, Walter Espinoza, director of Costa Rica’s Judicial Investigation Department, told reporters December 4, reported ABC World News.
Authorities and Carla’s family initially thought she was kidnapped after new evidence was presented to them, they told WFLA News. The family couldn’t go into detail due to the ongoing investigation, but they believe authorities have a video, they said December 3.
Police arrested a suspect Bismarck Espinoza Martinez, a 32-year-old Nicaraguan security guard, whose room was right next to Carla’s room. Bismarck was arrested after his account didn’t match security footage and other witness statements, Walter told reporters, reported ABC News.
However, there aren’t any security cameras on the property, according to media reports.
Bismarck was new to Costa Rica. He had only been in the country since June, said Walter.
Authorities are detaining him due to being a flight risk, reported CNN.
Officials at Costa Rica’s Judicial Investigation Organization made a public call for assistance in the search for Carla on November 29, reported Nacion.
However, April Burton Antonieta, her friend and sister-in-law who is married to Carla’s brother, Carlos Caicedo, posted on Facebook that their family has received little assistance and cooperation from Costa Rican and United States officials.
“The local officials and US Embassy in Costa Rica will not pursue the matter because they feel she was rational at the time of her disappearance and got into a taxi of her own free will,” wrote April in a post on her Facebook page imploring the United States State Department officials to help find Carla.
“However, she checked into her flight but never boarded the plane. It indicates she was willingly trying to leave the country,” she continued writing.
Carlos and some friends have flown to Costa Rica to search for her, according to April, who was traveling with Carla but returned home due to obligations on November 27.
“He said he’s not coming back until he finds her,” April told CBS News. “She was just such a happy go lucky person. I’m just afraid she was just too trusting with someone there.
That is all we want,” she continued. “We just want to find her. We do not care who took her. We don’t care. We just want her back. We just want her back with us.”
A spokesperson from the US State Department defended the agency.
“The US Department of State and our embassies and consulates abroad have no greater responsibility than the protection of US citizens overseas,” a US State Department official told 10News, reported Q Costa Rica. “When a U.S. citizen is missing, we work closely with local authorities as they carry out their search efforts. Due to privacy considerations, we have no further comment.”
Tracing Carla’s Steps
The Hallandale Beach, Florida resident who was born in Venezuelan but raised in Florida arrived in Costa Rica on November 22. She apparently visited the Manuel Antonio National Park.
During the last day of her trip, she stayed in San Antonio de Escazu.
On November 27, Carla took an Uber from Thrifty Car Rental to her Airbnb around 1 p.m. This was after she dropped April off at the airport Tuesday, she told Q Costa Rica.
The Uber driver waited for about 50 minutes for Carla. Then he took her on a tour of San Jose. She returned later that afternoon around 4 or 5 p.m.
April last heard from Carla around 8 p.m. on November 27. Carla mentioned it was raining and the power went out.
Her last message ended with “It’s pretty sketchy here.”
Carla was reported missing November 28, Costa Rican officials from the Judicial Investigation Organization stated in the November 29 news release.
“Words cannot express how shocking and devastating this is to her family and her friends. If anyone can help us with this situation, it will be highly appreciated,” wrote April in another Facebook post pleading with Costa Rican and United States authorities.
Family members spoke with the owner of the Airbnb who said Carla checked out at 5:10 a.m. with her luggage on November 28. The day she was to fly home.
The same Uber driver Carla had been using said he was scheduled to pick her up at 8:30 a.m. to take her to a shopping center, but she never showed up.
Her flight wasn’t until 1:30 p.m. from Juan Santamaría International Airport in San Jose.
“From what is known is that she left the house at approximately 5:00 am (on Wednesday). She took all [of] her belongings and nothing more has been heard of her,” Rodríguez said. “The relatives were waiting for her in the US. The investigators initiated the investigation and have carried out several diligences. No specific details are known.”
That is her last known movement., but April and other family members told reporters that wasn’t her style, family members said.
Carla allegedly posted last on social media five days ago from November 27. She posted a photo of Manuel Antonio with the message, “I’m going to miss this place,” reported Q Costa Rica.
The Search
If you have information about Carla’s alleged kidnapping, you can confidentially contact Costa Rican authorities at 800-8000-645 or WhatsApp 8-8000-645.
Friends and family have set up a Facebook page and the hashtag #FindingCarla with hashtags #CostaRica and #MissingPerson.
Carla’s family has also launched a Go Fund Me campaign to help pay for search expenses, including her brother’s stay in Costa Rica overseeing the investigation for the family. To donate, visit www.gofundme.com/findingcarla.
Book your next trip to make a difference with Girls That Roam Travel. Contact Heather Cassell at Girls That Roam Travel at 415-517-7239 or at .
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Updated:
December 5, 2018 – This article was updated with the confirmation of Carla’s death by family and friends.
December 4, 2018 – This article was updated with initial autopsy return and the arrest of a suspect.
December 3, 2018 – This article was updated with the latest news regarding the investigation into Carla’s disappearance and the family’s fundraising efforts.
