Willy Yo Betancourt appears in court (image via NBC 6 screengrab)
After shooting a man to death in a Florida home, a 26-year-old murder suspect sent a video recording of the body to an acquaintance, along with incriminating voice messages, investigators allege.
Willy Yo Betancourt was ordered held without bond after making an appearance Tuesday in the courtroom of Judge Mindy Glazer, one of the more recognizable bond court judges in the nation. Miami-Dade Corrections records reviewed by Law&Crime indicate that the suspect’s detention was ordered after probable cause was found on the murder charge.
An unidentified 19-year-old male victim was found fatally shot in a bedroom at the crime scene on Monday, according to NBC Miami. Betancourt allegedly lived in Hialeah at a West 53rd Street residence with the victim. It’s unclear how the two men knew one another, but investigators reportedly believe a “dispute” preceded the slaying.
Willy Yo Betancourt (mugshot via Miami-Dade Corrections)
Authorities with the Hialeah Police Department reportedly said the suspect fled from the scene but was found a matter of blocks away, on East Second Avenue and 60th Street.
Thereafter, investigators reportedly interrogated the defendant about what happened. Betancourt allegedly claimed there was an argument and that the 19-year-old had a knife, potentially raising a self-defense argument.
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Chillingly, however, police reportedly have proof that the defendant sent a video of the victim’s corpse to someone he knows, along with incriminating voice messages. In addition, the victim was reportedly found with a black garbage bag over his upper body at the scene. Under further questioning, Betancourt allegedly confessed to shooting the victim.
Miami-Dade jail records indicate that there is a separate warrant related to a “hold for immigration” in Betancourt’s case. The Miami-Dade Public Defender’s Office refused to comment to Law&Crime about whether the defendant is, in fact, in the U.S. illegally; court records say Betancourt is represented in the case by public defender Yanelis Zamora de Corte.
Officers with the Hialeah Police Department did not immediately respond to Law&Crime’s inquiries on the case.
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