Woman Who Put a Doll in a Coffin Bought it on Via España and Painted it to Give it ‘Human Features’

Thaira Edilka Montero, the woman who placed a doll in a coffin to simulate the body of her supposed deceased baby, acquired the toy in a store on Via España and at night she painted it in the bathroom to make it look more human.  This information comes from the testimony of the woman’s sister, which was shared by lawyer Giovanni Ortega.  According to the lawyer, the sister admitted that it was all a lie created by Thaira, who told her family that she was going to work when she traveled to Chiriquí.  “She would paint it in the bathroom to make it look more human and she kept it hidden at her mom and dad’s house. She told her sister that her belly magically grew next to Ducdiel,” Ortega recounted. 

She also indicated that during the trial, the woman’s sister looked her straight in the eyes and said, “Today I’m going to tell you that I never believed you.”  It was also revealed that the woman indicated she participates in the evangelical religion. On Friday, three judges of the trial court in the province of Chiriquí unanimously declared Montero not guilty. The woman faced charges of simulating a crime, slander in legal proceedings, and forgery. 

The sentence will be read on December 5th, revealing the judges’ reasons for declaring Montero not guilty.  It should be noted that the events occurred in October 2023, when during the funeral, the baby’s “grandmother” opened the coffin and discovered that it was a doll. The alleged baby had been born in the province of Panama and her alleged body was transferred to Chiriquí for burial.  During the fake pregnancy, Tahira sent photos to the supposed father to reinforce her lie.

Chiriquí: Court declared ‘Not Guilty’ the Woman whose Fake Baby was Replaced with a Doll

Chiriquí, David: After three days of hearings, the Chiriquí Trial Court declared “not guilty” Tahira Montero, a 26-year-old woman accused of faking a pregnancy and using a doll to make people believe in the death of a baby that, according to the complaint, never existed.  The hearing began on Wednesday and concluded Friday night, in a case where the prosecution accused Montero of simulating a crime and falsifying public documents. The Public Prosecutor’s Office had requested a sentence of 136 months in prison, equivalent to 11 years and 4 months. 

The court, composed of three judges, declared her not guilty, and set the formal reading of the verdict for December 5.  The case originated from a complaint filed by 24-year-old Ducdiel Morales and his family, who claimed they had been deceived with a false pregnancy. They later reported that Montero informed them the newborn had died and gave them a doll to perform the religious and funeral rites.  The reading of the verdict will define the closing of the process, one of the most talked about in the province due to the unusual nature of the events that gave rise to the investigation.