José Napoleon Tarríllo Astonitas, 50, was strangled with an electric cable in his own home by four men. His wife, Flor Vallejos, was also at home at the time and had to witness the murder. An investigation was opened by police but unfortunately no arrests have been made. His wife described him as a brave man who wanted to take action when no one else would.

According to Ana Juarez, a woman working in the area at the time, the murderers are known in the area and it is not the first time they have committed a crime like this. They also murdered three framers back in 2016.

José Tarríllo Astonias gained the position of lieutenant governor of the El Mirador community however not everyone was happy with this promotion, as there were people that wanted to take over large areas and make money from the land that he was defending.

Tarríllo Astonitas was a land rights activist for the Chaparrí Ecological Reserve in the village of El Mirador. The Reserve has visitors from all over the world and is a source of income for the locals. It is also the home to many wildlife species such as the spectacled bear and rare birds of that area. It is easy to see why José Tarríllo Astonitas wanted to protect this land.