Former “Survivor” producer Bruce Beresford-Redman has been found guilty of the 2010 murder of his wife, Monica Burgos Beresford-Redman.
A Mexican judge sentenced him to 12 years in prison Thursday, according to his mother, Juanita Beresford-Redman.
“It was a gross miscarriage of justice,” Bruce’s father, David, said on CBS News later that night. l
Monica’s body was found in a sewer at a resort hotel in Cancun, Mexico, where the couple was vacationing with their two young children in April 2010. She had suffered a blow to the head and died of asphyxia by suffocation, reported the LA Times.
Beresford-Redman was extradited to Mexico in 2012 and initially charged with aggravated homicide. As of Thursday, his lawyer was still working to determine if he was convicted of that charge due to the discrepancy between the minimum sentence of an aggravated homicide charge — between 20 to 30 years — and the 12-year sentence issued.
The Beresford-Redman family made an official statement via Facebook following the verdict:
“We are appalled and disgusted with this gross miscarriage of justice. Over an exhausting three and a half year period this trial has done nothing but prove Bruce’s innocence beyond any doubt. Whatever lies behind this ruling it is based on neither facts nor evidence. This is a disservice to Monica’s memory; this is not the justice she and Bruce still deserve and that we continue to demand.
At some point, even in Mexico, Bruce’s innocence will lead to his freedom. We will immediately appeal this absurd decision and will not rest until Bruce is exonerated and returned home. This decision must lead to a reconsideration of the extradition treaty between the United States and Mexico as it is clear that Mexico cannot meet even minimal standards of justice. We remain ever grateful to all those who continue to support Bruce.”
After learning of the verdict, an attorney representing the family of Monica Burgos Beresford-Redman also issued a statement that said: “Not a day goes by that we don’t miss her terribly and nothing will bring her back, but we can finally say that she has received the justice she deserved.”
The couple’s children, Camilla and Alex, are now in the custody of Beresford-Redman’s parents.
Pamela Chelin contributed to this report.