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panamajames
Joined 2012
Posts: 5096

8 years ago

Murder near Gualaca/Boquete

8 years ago

On Saturday night July 18 2015 At 8:30pm, Betsy Waddington, her 92 year old mother, and husband Joe, were watching TV in the downstairs apartment of their home in River Ranch, some 2km off the main Gualaca road, in between Gualaca and Boquete.

Three intruders entered through a screen on an open window in the pantry, not 30 feet from where the family was sitting. They burst into the kitchen/living room area, the leader brandishing a silver revolver. Joe Potrebenko, sitting next to the TV, stood up and raised his arms and was instantly shot once in the chest from a distance of about 5 feet. Total elapsed time, less than 5 seconds. Of the seven guard dogs, not one of them detected the intruders.

Joe fell to the floor. The intruders grabbed Betsy and her mother, and threw them face down on floor next to Joe. They were tied with computer cords and Betsy was gagged. Within 5 minutes, Betsy felt her husband take his last breath.

Meanwhile, the criminals were screaming questions at them in a gutter Spanish - demanding to know where the guns were and where was the money. During the entire event, the leader, the murderer, was on the cell phone getting instructions from someone unseen.

For the next two hours they ransacked the house, upstairs and down, opening every drawer and container, throwing the contents around. Even though the killers were not masked, Betsy and her mother, terrified for their own lives, are unable to identify any of them.

They seemed to be very frustrated, because these Canadians had no guns and lived a very modest lifestyle. In the end, they escaped with 5 laptops, three of them old derelicts, a collection of “antique” cell phones and about $50. They stole the family car and returned to the house to demand the gate keys whey they discovered they could not get out.

Another hour passed before Betsy and her mother were able to free themselves and drive to the nearest neighbor to call the police. Both on the night of the 18th and today, the 19th, large contingents of police were investigating, taking finger prints and such. Betsy describes them as very supportive and sympathetic. The stolen car is still missing at this time.

Please be on the lookout for a red Nissan Frontier pickup with plate # 782 874

The question of why, remains unanswered at this time. This was clearly an organized hit, with the leader frustrated and taking directions during the event. Were Joe and Betsy really the intended victims? No guns, no money, no valuables. It seems likely that the shooting was in fact an accident, a reflex by a novice shooter high on adrenaline and what else?

Make no mistake, Betsy has seen her idyllic life in Panama destroyed and will never recover from this incident that will haunt her forever.

What can we all learn from this tragic event? First and foremost, not taking care of your personal security is not an option. In no country in the world can the police protect you from this kind of attack. It is up to YOU to provide for the safety of your home and your life.

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