It was a crime that shocked a nation — a top Costa Rican anesthesiologist viciously raped and murdered while staying at La Mansion Inn in Manuel Antonio, accompanied only by a little dog.
Adding to the shock was the arrest of the hotel owner, the 69-year-old Dutch-American Harry Bodaan, who was accused of collaborating with two other men in the brutal attack on Dr. María Luisa Cedeño on July 20, 2020.
In a new book, published on the fifth anniversary of the murder, Harry avows that he is totally innocent of any involvement. The Murder in Room 3: The True Story Behind a Shocking Crime in Costa Rica is a gripping narrative about all the known facts, evidence and testimony in this deeply disturbing case. Written in the first person from Harry’s perspective, it’s coauthored by Karl Kahler, a former Howler writer and travel editor of the Tico Times who has exhaustively researched all aspects of the crime.
The leading suspect was quickly arrested, a Nicaraguan waiter, bartender and exotic dancer named Teodoro Herrera Martínez who was staying at La Mansion. But the case took a deeply strange turn when Bodaan was also arrested, along with a third man named Luis Carlos Miranda who was also staying at the hotel that night.
The evidence against Teodoro would turn out to be overwhelming, with DNA from his semen found inside the victim’s body, as well as his footprints inside her room, and her blood spatter on his phone, watch and shoes.
What was the evidence against the other two? According to the Costa Rican government’s sole forensic dental analyst, what appeared to be bite marks on the victim’s body were not a match for Teodoro’s teeth. But after taking dental molds from seven people who were at the hotel that night, this odontologist concluded that Harry and Luis Carlos could not be excluded as a possible match. This expert stressed that his findings did not prove their guilt, it only meant that they could not be ruled out. Based on this conclusion, both were arrested and confined for almost three years.
There was no other evidence against Harry, and he seemed the unlikeliest of suspects. The former head of press clubs in Washington and Moscow, he was suffering from Parkinson’s disease that made his hands tremble, and he had recently undergone a double knee replacement that made it difficult for him to walk. Yet he was accused of acting as “muscle” in this crime, helping to restrain and silence the victim during a violent attack in which she fought back aggressively.
This case became sensational national news, not only because of the victim’s prominence as a medical professional, but also because Harry was one of the best-known foreigners in Costa Rica. As president of the Quepos Chamber of Commerce, he was a major backer of law enforcement, a senior statesman for his community and a friend of presidents and celebrities. After 20 years of operating a successful 5-star hotel in one of Costa Rica’s top tourism destinations, why would he suddenly decide to rape and murder a guest in his hotel, leaving her body behind for the staff to find in the morning?
The Murder in Room 3 is the riveting story of the facts and falsehoods behind this crime. Based on an in-depth review of the trial transcript, police reports, forensic analysis and crime scene photos, this is the definitive account of an atrocity that horrified the nation, and one that explores the dark corners of justice gone wrong. It’s a tragic true crime mystery where evil meets innocence, in a case where nobody escapes unscarred.
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The Murder in Room 3 is available in English and Spanish, in e-book ($5.95) and softcover ($21.95) formats, on Amazon and other platforms.
To see excerpts, photos, ordering info and more, visit www.murderinroom3.com, or in Spanish, murderinroom3.com/es.
