Supermarket Co-Founder Sentenced to Life for Deadly Kidnapping

Manuel Marin, co-founder of Presidente Supermarkets, was sentenced to life in prison Monday for his role in the 2011 killing of Camilo Salazar, a man believed to have had an affair with Marin’s ex-wife.

Marin, 69, was convicted in March of manslaughter, kidnapping, and conspiracy to commit kidnapping. Although initially charged with second-degree murder, he was found guilty of the lesser charge of manslaughter. However, Judge Miguel de la O imposed the maximum life sentence for kidnapping, along with 30 years for manslaughter and 15 years for conspiracy.

Prosecutors said Marin orchestrated Salazar’s murder with three accomplices. Salazar’s tortured and partially burned body was discovered in the Florida Everglades in 2011. Co-conspirators Roberto Isaac and Alexis Vila Perdomo were also convicted, while Ariel Gandulla took a plea deal.

Marin fled to Spain after the crime but was captured in 2018. His defense maintained his innocence despite his conviction.

Salazar’s family expressed their grief in court, with his ex-wife, Daisy Holcombe, lamenting, “We didn’t get to say goodbye.” Prosecutor Justin Lee Funck called the sentencing “justice finally served” after 12 years.