The Puerto Rico Department of Justice has revealed that the death of lawyer Carlos Cotto Cartagena was caused by an accidental fall. After nearly eight years of investigation, the evidence collected, including expert evaluations, autopsy findings, toxicological analysis, and witness testimony, concluded that Cotto Cartagena fell from the roof of the Condominio Santa Teresa in Miramar on September 21, 2018. The investigation, led by the Fiscalía, Policía, and Instituto de Ciencias Forenses (ICF), found no evidence to suggest that the fall was provoked by an external entity.
Juan Ramos García, head of the prosecutors, expressed his understanding of the family's pain and emphasized the importance of acting according to the evidence and the law. The case had been determined in December 2024, but additional investigations were conducted after Ramos García met with Cotto Cartagena's mother, former judge María Inés Cartagena. The conclusion of the investigation remained unchanged, and no evidence was found to support criminal charges.
The ICF's forensic pathologist, Dra. Irma Rivera Diez, also determined that the manner of Cotto Cartagena's death was not compatible with a homicide.