Case File 10.854: "Dagoberto Cárcamo Navarro and others, Homicide on the road to Pelluco"

B.- That in the early hours of October 18, 1973, while a curfew was in effect in the town, a patrol of officers from the Second Carabineros Precinct, located at Calle Guillermo Gallardo No. 519 in Puerto Montt, removed from that police unit: Dagoberto Segundo Cárcamo Navarro, José René Argel Marilicán, Carlos Mansilla Coñuecar, Jorge Melipillán Aros, José Armando Ñancumán Maldonado, and Adolfo Omar Arismendi Pérez, who were being held there as detainees, transporting them in motor vehicles toward the vicinity of the road leading to the Pelluco resort; at a certain point, they stopped, ordered them to get out of the vehicle, and under the command of Captain Miguel Onofre Vidal Vidal, proceeded to shoot them, causing wounds to the skull, face, thorax, or abdomen, which resulted in their deaths. They collected the bodies and deposited them in the city morgue.

SIXTH: That in providing an investigative statement, ISIDORO MIGUEL AZOCAR ANDRADE, from page 389 to page 392, states in substance and relevance that in 1973 he held the rank of First Corporal and was part of the staff of the Second Precinct of Puerto Montt, performing order and security duties, which consisted of carrying out patrol services ordered by the command.

Regarding the investigated event, he notes that on that date the Second Precinct was under the charge of Sub-commissioner Miguel Onofre Vidal Vidal, since the Major Commissioner Caupolicán Arcos Albarracín had been designated as head of the SIM.

On that day, apparently at the beginning of October, he was finishing the third patrol shift, which ended at 00:00 hours, in the company of Second Corporal Ricardo Hernández Díaz, when he was notified by Captain Miguel Onofre Vidal Vidal that he had to stay with Corporal Hernández to carry out a mission.

Later, around 01:00 hours, Captain Vidal ordered them to climb into the back of a Fiat van in institutional colors, under the charge of the aforementioned captain, accompanied by Lieutenant Adolfo Navarro Palma, Second Sergeant Juan Barría Igor, and driven by Second Sergeant Juan Desiderio Soto; the latter two, Barría and Soto, were serving the fourth shift.

He testifies that in the van's holding cell there were between four and six young detainees, who were not handcuffed, and he, along with Corporal Hernández Díaz, hung onto the back of the van along with Sergeant Barría, and the police vehicle headed toward the road to Pelluco.

About 500 meters before the monument shaped like a ship, currently located in that sector, the vehicle stopped on the right lane of the road. The captain got out and ordered the detainees to get out; he then made these people walk in the direction of Pelluco, which they did on foot.

At the same time, they (the Carabineros) positioned themselves in a line in front of the van—the latter on their own initiative—all carrying SIG rifles, a weapon that is dangerous and kicks back when fired. When these people, all men, had moved about 10 meters ahead of the van with their backs to them, the captain ordered them to fire.

He expressed that at one moment he thought about refusing, but he realized that it was something irregular and that it could have consequences in the future. Furthermore, it was an order issued strongly and clearly by his superior; if he did not comply, it could have effects such as a court-martial, discharge, etc.

Thus, the five of them—Captain Vidal, Lieutenant Navarro, Sergeant Barría, Corporal Hernández Díaz, and the declarant, not counting the driver, Sergeant Soto—began to fire at them with their SIG rifles, firing about five shots each until the young detainees lay motionless on the ground covered in blood, specifying that the rifle can fire in bursts or single shots and that he did the latter.

Then, together, they loaded the bodies into the van and transported them to the morgue of the city's base hospital.

Once at the hospital, they took out some stretchers that were there and lowered the bodies until they left them all in the morgue. Once they finished the work at the morgue, they returned to the precinct around 03:00 hours, each retiring to their homes, and they never commented on the event that had occurred.

He states that he was never summoned to testify anywhere. The next day he did his shift, left the precinct at 03:00 hours, went to his home at 03:40, went to bed, and got up around 11:30 hours, heading back to the precinct on foot.

He adds that when picking up the bodies, his uniform was stained with blood. Because of this, his wife asked him about the situation, and he told her it had been in a brawl.

He adds that the van was also left with blood and that the cleaning must have been done by the fourth-shift driver, Sergeant Soto.

He communicates that it did not seem strange to him to have to go out armed with SIG rifles that day, since at that time they had to go everywhere equipped with two helmets, one fiber and one steel, a SIG rifle, and one hundred rounds each.

He adds that after this event, he was very shocked, so he went to Puerto Varas to consult with the doctor Félix Raimann and was given a leave of 12 or 15 days; he clarifies that he told the doctor absolutely nothing about the events in which he had participated.

In the statement from page 724 to page 727, where he ratifies what was stated in his previous declaration, he further points out the following: that in 1973 he was 29 years old, was single, held the rank of First Corporal, and was part of the staff of the Second Precinct of Puerto Montt, performing order and security duties that consisted of providing the patrol services ordered by the command.

Regarding the death of six young men in the sector on the road to Pelluco, and regarding what Captain Miguel Vidal Vidal points out, according to the record added in authorized photocopy on page 722, he states categorically that what that officer pointed out is false and does not correspond to the truth, as the events occurred in the way he narrated in the previous statement.

At the time these events occurred, the Second Precinct was in charge of Sub-commissioner Miguel Onofre Vidal Vidal, since Major Commissioner Caupolicán Arcos Albarracín had been designated head of the SIM (Military Intelligence Service), a service in charge, after September 11, 1973, of gathering or receiving information, detaining people, and taking them to the investigations barracks that was located on Calle Serena at Egaña.

He narrates that around the beginning of October 1973, and when he was finishing the third patrol shift that ended at 00:00 hours, together with Second Corporal Ricardo Hernández Díaz, they were notified by Sub-commissioner Captain Miguel Onofre Vidal Vidal that they had to stay to carry out a mission.

Later, around 01:00 hours, Captain Vidal ordered them to climb into the back of a Fiat van, in institutional colors, which was under the charge of Captain Vidal, accompanied by Sub-lieutenant Adolfo Navarro Palma, Second Sergeant Juan Barría Igor, and driven by Second Sergeant Juan Desiderio Soto; the latter two, Barría and Soto, were serving the fourth shift.

Upon leaving the precinct, Captain Vidal told them that they had to go on a procedure "to dispatch some fellows," nothing more. On that occasion, in the van's holding cell, there were four or six young detainees who were not handcuffed; therefore, the deponent, along with Corporal Hernández Díaz, hung onto the back of the van along with Sergeant Barría, and the police vehicle left in the direction of the road to Pelluco.

He is emphatic in pointing out that when he and Hernández boarded the van, the six young men he referred to were already in the van, and it is not true that they went through the investigations barracks to pick up any of them.

Once the vehicle driven by Second Sergeant Juan Desiderio Soto was in motion, they advanced along the road in the direction of Pelluco, several kilometers to the east. He adds that Pelluco is five or six kilometers away.

He adds that the road at that time was already paved, and shortly before reaching the cement structure shaped like a ship, about five hundred meters before, the vehicle stopped on the right lane of the road.

The captain got out and ordered the detainees to get out, which they did; the captain made these people advance in the direction of Pelluco, which they did walking, while at the same time they, on their own initiative, positioned themselves in front of the van in a line.

He reiterates that they did it on their own initiative, not by the captain's order, and adds that they all carried SIG rifles, a weapon that is dangerous and kicks back when fired. When those people, all men, had moved about 10 meters ahead of the van with their backs to them, the captain ordered them to fire, an order they complied with.

He points out that he is sure of the location of the place he has indicated as the scene of the event. Asked if he was in a position to refuse to comply with the order to join the patrol or to fire, he responds that he thought about it, but he realized that it was something irregular and that in the future it could have consequences, that it was an order issued in a clear and decisive manner by his superior; not complying with it in those days could have effects such as discharge and court-martial, and he was newly married, starting his marriage.

Then, in that way, the five of them— Captain Vidal, Lieutenant Navarro, Sergeant Barría, Corporal Hernández Díaz, and himself, not counting the driver who was Sergeant Soto—began to fire at them with their SIG rifles, counting about five shots each until the young detainees lay motionless on the ground, covered in blood; no coup de grâce was necessary.

The uniform they were wearing on that occasion, Hernández and he, as those finishing their shift, consisted of a blouse, straight trousers with commando boots, and a brown leather belt, with five magazines each of 20 rounds, 7.62 caliber.

He clarifies that the rifle can fire in bursts or single shots; in his case, he did the latter. Immediately, together, they loaded the bodies into the same van and transported them to the morgue of the city's base hospital.

The van was closed in the back by two metal doors which they left well secured, so it is not true that any of the bodies fell out. Once at the hospital, they took out some stretchers that were there and were lowering the bodies until they left them all in the morgue without anyone asking them anything.

Subsequently, once they finished the work at the morgue, they returned to the precinct, arriving there around 03:00 hours, and then each retired to their homes, and those who were on duty, Barría and Soto, continued with their fourth-shift service, without ever commenting on anything related to the events that occurred, nor were they ever summoned to testify anywhere.

The next day they were to assume the second shift that began at 13:00 hours and ended at 20:00 hours; in that way, he left the precinct at three in the morning and headed on foot to his home, where he arrived around 03:40 and went to bed, getting up around 11:30 hours and again heading on foot to the precinct.

When picking up the bodies, his uniform was stained with blood; his wife asked him about that, and he told her it had been in a brawl, and she did not ask more. He argues that the van was also left with blood and the cleaning must have been done by the fourth-shift driver, Sergeant Soto; he indicates that it did not seem strange to him that they had to go out armed with SIG rifles, since in those days they had to go out everywhere equipped with two helmets, one fiber and one steel, a SIG rifle, and 100 rounds each.

After these events, he was quite shocked, so he went to Puerto Varas to consult Dr. Félix Raimann Neumann, an institutional doctor, to whom he said he was stressed by work issues; for that reason, the doctor extended him a leave for twelve or fifteen days, a fact that should be recorded in his service record.

Furthermore, he told the doctor absolutely nothing about the events in which he had participated; he had no knowledge of any official version of what happened, he ignores if any decree was issued, but the explanation given by Captain Vidal is false.

44) Death certificates of

Miguel Onofre Vidal Vidal on page 498, which indicates as the cause of his death craniocerebral trauma by bullet; of Caupolicán Horacio Arcos Albarracín on page 499, which indicates as the cause of death respiratory failure, multi-organ failure, gastric cancer; of Adolfo Amado Navarro Palma on pages 649 and 803, whose death is craniocerebral trauma by bullet; of Juan Barría Igor on page 671, deceased by cardiorespiratory arrest; of Juan Deciderio Soto Soto on page 672, cause of death bullet wound to the skull; and of José Ricardo Hernández Díaz on page 673, which indicates as the cause of death the result of a traffic accident. All of whom, in addition to the accused, would have been part of the Carabineros patrol that would have participated in the investigated events.

Source: Judiciary, October 28, 2017