When is Felix Verdejo's victim Keishla Rodriguez Ortiz's funeral? Her father doesn't want death penalty for boxer
Devastated family members of Keishla Rodríguez Ortiz, the pregnant woman who was brutally murdered by Puerto Rican boxer Félix Verdejo, have revealed details about her forthcoming funeral.
Ortiz's wake is slated to be held on May 6 and 7 at the Ehret de Cupey funeral home, according to José A Rodríguez, her father. Rodríguez revealed details about the ceremony and said he wasn't in favor of the death penalty for Félix, something the Puerto Rican fighter could face after criminal charges were filed against him for the murder of Ortiz.
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“I don't believe in that because if you give a person who did what he did the death penalty, you are helping him. It is better to throw 100 years on him and for him to keep that conscience on his mind every day," the grieving father said. "May he pay for it every day of his life and may he remember everything he did to my daughter. Because if one takes his life, he does not suffer, he will not suffer... I don't want the death penalty for him. If they ask me, no, no," he said.
Rodríguez also announced that her daughter's wake is scheduled for May 6 from 2 pm to 8 pm, and on May 7 from 9 am to 8 pm. The burial ceremony will take place on Saturday, May 8 in a Guaynabo cemetery, but he didn't specify which one exactly. When Ortiz was reported missing by her family, she was supposed to be at work early for a "grooming" at a pet salon in San Juan. Before the tragic news of her death was confirmed, the business called Pet Salon PR announced it was canceling all services as the staff was distressed about what may have happened to her.
"To all our clients, The Pet Salon will be canceling all appointments. No one on the staff is in a position to provide them with a quality service like the one we are used to. Sorry for the inconvenience and we hope you understand," they wrote on their social media pages.
Ortiz's boss Ildemaro Dos Santos had become emotional in an earlier television interview, recounting his attempts to contact the young woman after realizing she hadn't shown up on the fateful day. Dos Santos broke down in tears and described Ortiz as "a sweet girl," saying he was "very sorry" that this happened "to a sweet and loving person."
Félix Verdejo, a former Olympic boxer, was arrested in Puerto Rico on Sunday, May 2, for kidnapping and murdering Ortiz, who was pregnant with his child. The boxer turned himself in two days after police had named him as a person of interest in her disappearance and her body was found in a lagoon. The Puerto Rican fighter, also known as "El Diamante" or "The Diamond," appeared in court Monday, May 3, 2021, morning, and was ordered by the judge to be held without bail. "This is a death penalty-eligible case," the judge Camille Velez reportedly said.
The boxer was subsequently charged with kidnapping resulting in death, carjacking resulting in death, and intentionally killing an unborn child — each charge carries with it a life sentence or the death penalty.