Nine years after Hector “Macho” Camacho was brutally murdered outside a bar in Puerto Rico, five men have been arrested and charged with his murder.
Camacho was a former three weight division world champion, was shot in the face while he sat with a friend in a car parked outside a bar in Puerto Rico. The boxer didn’t immediately die from his injuries, but was declared brain dead by doctors after 4 days on life support on April 24, 2012.
The murder shocked the whole Island and the boxing world. The loss was compounded by the fact the murder went unsolved for so long.
But, on Wednesday, the first of five suspects appeared before a judge, accused of killing Camacho, according to the Associated Press.
Several of the suspects were already serving time behind bars … including three people who were in a federal penitentiary in Florida. U.S. officials transported the inmates by plane to Puerto Rico so they could face the judge.
Two other men were arrested … one from a Puerto Rican jail, and another from his home in the early morning hours, not far from where the shooting happened nearly a decade ago.
Authorities say there were more people involved, but those men won’t have their time in court because they were themselves killed in unrelated incidents in 2013 and 2015.
Camacho was 50 years old at the time of his death, faced some of the greatest fighters during his great career … including wins over “Sugar” Ray Leonard and Roberto Duran. He was a talented fighter with blazing speed and charisma to go along with, but also had his demons which he battled all his life, they were primarily caused by drug abuse. He was a product of Spanish Harlem, and growing up was involved in the urban street life of NYC.
The motive for the crime is still unknown.
Camacho’s mother was thrilled with the news of the arrests, “They gave me justice.” She said.
