Felix Verdejo to keep contract with Top Rank until proven guilty in killing of pregnant GF Keishla Rodriguez
The death of Keishla Marlen Rodríguez Ortiz had shaken all of Puerto Rico and America. The brutal murder allegedly at the hands of her boyfriend, former Olympic boxer Félix Verdejo, is not only a chilling case but also questions the safety of women on the island - happening at a time when Puerto Rico's new governor Pedro Pierluisi declared a state of emergency. Keishla Rodríguez Ortiz, 27, was reportedly pregnant at the time.
Recent reports reveal that Verdejo might end up walking away from the crimes he is accused of. According to the latest local reports, Verdejo is going to continue holding his contract with Top Rank, a company representing the boxer, until he is proven guilty by the court.
RELATED ARTICLES
According to the latest reports, the president of Top Rank, Bob Arum has reportedly said that the company will not be distancing itself from Verdejo until he is proven guilty of the charges against him.
Contract to stay on
"We will not release him from the contract, nor will we terminate our relationship with him, unless and until he is convicted," Arum reportedly said while defending the American justice system and saying that any person is innocent until proven guilty.
"Obviously, our thoughts and prayers go out to the family suffering the tragic loss of their daughter. Anyone involved in the murder obviously committed a heinous act. That said, we are aware that Felix has been arrested, and is in the custody of the authorities, but let us remember that in the American system a person is innocent until proven otherwise. So in that sense while, obviously, even if he was released on bail, we will not promote any fight with Felix," he reportedly said, during an interview with Lo Sé Todo.
'Well-behaved' fighter
Arum describes Verdejo as a fighter who "always behaved well, and if he is really involved in this tragedy, it is truly unfortunate and nothing predictable".
"So in that sense as long as he's even released on bail, we won't be promoting a fight from him. We will not release him (from the contract) until and unless he is convicted, and that is our position. This is truly a tragedy. In our relationship with Felix, all this is unintelligible. He always behaved well and if he is really involved in the tragedy, it is something truly unfortunate," Arum said, adding, "We will not have any participation, neither in the defense, nor in their legal situations. We will not be involved. But no matter how bad a man looks, he is not guilty until proven otherwise. In the meantime, my prayers are with him and the judicial system will continue its course."
Verdejo is reportedly admitted to the Guaynabo Metropolitan Detention Center without bail. An affidavit of the FBI agent who led the investigation stated Verdejo "punched the victim in the face, and she was injected with a syringe filled with a substance."