Podiatrist Arrested for Quadruple Aggravated Manslaughter of Husband with Poisoned Serum
A podiatrist from Argentina has been arrested and charged with quadruple aggravated manslaughter after allegedly poisoning her husband with a deadly serum. Guillermo Germán Berjeli, aged 45, was apprehended by the Homicide Division of the City Police in his hometown of Mendoza following a two-month period as a fugitive. He is accused of murdering his spouse, Roberto Alfonso Aquiles Guzmán Jaque, a 58-year-old Chilean national and airline employee, during his hospitalization at a sanatorium in the Recoleta neighborhood of Buenos Aires in January 2020.
In a recent ruling, Chamber 4 of the Camera National Court of Criminal and Correctional Appeals confirmed the pretrial detention and prosecution of Berjeli for quadruple aggravated manslaughter. The decision upholds the charges of homicide aggravated by the bond, treachery, supply of poison, and greed. The defense had argued that there was no proven causal link between Berjeli’s conduct and Guzmán Jaque’s death, as well as a lack of evidence that harmful substances were present in the administered intravenous serums. However, the court rejected these claims, emphasizing that forensic experts had identified methanol and ethylene glycol intoxication as the cause of death.
The incriminating evidence against Berjeli includes videos that captured him exchanging his husband’s serums in the intensive care room of the Anchorena sanatorium on thirteen occasions over a ten-day period. The judges noted that Berjeli’s body language during these exchanges did not reflect concern for Guzmán Jaque’s wellbeing but rather a suspicious focus on the manipulation of the serum containers and cannulas. The court also highlighted that the causal link between Berjeli’s actions and the victim’s death extended beyond the hospital environment and was possibly established over previous days.
The chambermaids further addressed the aggravating circumstance of greed, stating that even though Berjeli received only 68,750 pesos from his spouse’s life insurance, testimonies indicated that he intended to gain access to additional assets abroad upon Guzmán Jaque’s death. The judges emphasized that Berjeli is being charged with a crime that carries a potential sentence of life imprisonment. They also underscored his status as a rebel for absconding from his established residence in the Federal Capital, resulting in his arrest in Mendoza.
The case against Berjeli began in February 2020 when the Anchorena sanatorium reported the irregularities observed in the serum labels and videos to the authorities. Due to the lack of an autopsy, as Berjeli had cremated his deceased spouse within 48 hours, the investigation faced complexities. However, the suspicions raised by medical staff led to the subsequent collection of evidence, ultimately resulting in Berjeli’s arrest.
The podiatrist and his husband, whom he met through a dating app and married in September 2019, had been in a civil union. Despite attempts to inherit the deceased’s assets in Chile, including a considerable investment fund and an apartment, Berjeli’s plans were thwarted due to the neighboring country’s legislation not recognizing their union.
The arrest and charges against Guillermo Germán Berjeli have made headlines, sparking interest in this disturbing case of alleged husbands’ poisoning. As the legal proceedings continue, further details may emerge shed light on the motive and evidence surrounding the quadruple aggravated manslaughter.
