LA PLATA, Buenos Aires . The sixth hearing in the trial of Luis Alberto Ramos, accused of the murder of Tehuel de la Torre, aggravated by hatred based on gender identity , presented evidence that further implicates the defendant, as has been the case since the beginning. Experts in cell phone analysis, genetics, and forensic psychology, as well as Tehuel's sister, testified before the Oral Criminal Court No. 2 of La Plata and revealed key details about the night of the disappearance and the days that followed.

First, the experts who analyzed the phones of Ramos, Oscar Montes ( the other defendant whose trial date has not yet been set ), and Priscila M., the witness arrested during the trial for perjury, testified . Next, a genetic expert who analyzed the DNA from the blood found on the wall of the defendant's house testified. Then it was the turn of the psychologist who created the psychological profile of Ramos and the indirect profile of Tehuel. Finally, Verónica, Tehuel's sister, testified. Her testimony was given virtually, via video link.

At the close of the proceedings, the Court asked if Ramos was going to testify, to which his defense responded that he was not. 

Expectations and call for the festival 

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Tomorrow, Friday, will be the final hearing. The prosecution, represented by Juan Pablo Caniggia; the defense, represented by Natalia Argenti; and the plaintiffs (the lawyers for Tehuel's mother, Flavia Centurión and Cristian González) will present their arguments to the court, aiming to persuade the judges of their respective positions with evidence and testimony.

Chronology of the day of Tehuel's disappearance

Jorge Agustín Marissi and Horacio Walter Martino, from the Judicial Analysis and Investigation Unit of the Attorney General's Office, presented a detailed report based on the forensic analysis of the phones belonging to Ramos, Oscar Montes (the other defendant), and Priscila Molero. The experts reconstructed a timeline from March 11, 2021, the day of the disappearance:

– 3:29 PM: Video showing Montes (the other accused).

– 15:37hs: Selfie of Ramos and Montes with a glass in their hand.

– 18:34hs: Image of Ramos and Montes inside a house.

– 18:51hs: WhatsApp call from Tehuel to Ramos, duration 1 minute.

– 19:17hs: Second WhatsApp call from Tehuel to Ramos, 29 seconds.

– 19:28hs: Call by regular telephone from Tehuel to Ramos, 10 seconds.

– 19:29hs: Ramos calls Tehuel, 28 seconds.

– 19:34hs: Another call on a regular telephone from Tehuel to Ramos.

– 8:42 PM: Image where the three of them are together: Tehuel, Ramos and Montes.

– 9:00 PM: Video of Ramos dancing, a wine box and another person's elbow can be seen.

According to their analysis, on March 12 at 9:42 a.m., the day after the disappearance, Tehuel's phone "momentarily picked up a signal from the cell tower" near Ramos's home. "Can you confirm that someone tampered with the phone?" Judge Claudio Joaquin Bernard asked. The experts assured him that they could, with 100% certainty.

Experts also revealed that Ramos's phone registered unusual movements in the early morning of March 12. "There was a movement outside his usual area, and in the early morning of the 12th, other movements were also reported where he received cell coverage that did not point to his home," they explained.

Blood DNA in Ramos's house, 99.9% Tehuel

Lisandro Laborde, a genetic expert from the DNA laboratory of the Supreme Court of Justice, confirmed that a bloodstain found in Ramos's house belonged to Tehuel. 

“The result was that in a sample from the swab, the genetic profile was compatible with a biological child of Isabel Noemí Nahuelcurá and Felix Ángel de la Torre. A statistical evaluation was performed, which yielded a kinship index of 99.9%,” he concluded. 

Psychological profile of the accused

Daniel Alejandro Osorio, a psychologist, director, and founder of the Directorate of Criminal Behavior Analysis and Victimology (DACCVi.), within the Judicial Investigations Superintendency of the Buenos Aires Province Ministry of Security, presented a psychological profile of Ramos. He described him as a "violent, aggressive" person with "very marked psychopathic traits." He added: "He made a great effort to try to appear accepting, playing the victim. In a manipulative but unsophisticated way. To the eye of a good psychological interviewer, one can see that his effort to appear calm, a victim, was somewhat futile."

"He wasn't empathetic at all," Osorio stated. "I believe that what happened before Tehuel's disappearance was a conflict of interest between the parties involved," he added. 

“What caught our attention is that the accused stated or reaffirmed that he recognized Tehuel as a man. Every five minutes he was saying: for me, Tehuel is a man. When you have to emphasize that so much, it's a disguise,” he warned. 

“For me, he was a friend. I never saw him as anything else; I never saw him as a woman,” the expert explained, quoting Ramos in the interview. He was also asked about the defendant's feelings regarding Tehuel's disappearance. The response was: “I didn't observe any feelings (in Ramos).”

Then he warned that “psychopathy is not a disorder. It is the one who best understands the criminality of the act. It is the one who best understands the law, which is why they can transgress it.”

Regarding the relationship between Ramos and Tehuel, Osorio highlighted two aspects of asymmetry: the age difference (Ramos was 37 years old and Tehuel was 21) and the socioeconomic situation, which placed Tehuel in a vulnerable position.

Regarding Tehuel, Osorio concluded: "I believe he was a victim of that schism. He ended up exposed to wolves, where he lost his life. "

The last meeting with her sister

The last testimony was via video call, from Verónica Alarcón, Tehuel's sister, who recounted her last encounter with her brother on March 11, 2021, in Alejandro Korn, between 7:00 and 7:15 p.m. "I saw him walking and I asked him: 'What are you doing around here?' He told me: 'I'm going to a friend Luiggi's place, he called me to do a job as a waiter,'" she recalled, trying to hold back her tears.

At the request of the prosecution, he described Tehuel's clothing that night: "He was wearing a white shirt, the blue jacket he always wore, gray jogging pants, sneakers, and a cap."

Arguments and a festival of activism

The arguments will begin tomorrow at 10:30.

The activists who have been supporting the trial, both in the courtroom and on the streets outside the La Plata courthouse, have called for a festival tomorrow during the closing arguments. Increasing evidence points to Ramos as responsible for Tehuel's disappearance, while the LGBTQ+ community and human rights organizations demand justice and raise awareness of the violence faced by trans people in Argentina.

Among those present outside the La Plata courthouse was Higui de Jesús . Speaking to Presentes, she said, "I've come to show my support, just as I was helped. Tehuel's mother needs that support. And the fight is won in the streets, with people physically present."

Also present was Pierina Nochetti, an LGBT+ activist and visual artist, accused of causing "serious damage" to a historical heritage site in the city as a result of a graffiti with the question "Where is Tehuel?", the result of a collective action at the Necochea Pride March.

At the close, Norma Nahuelcurá, Tehuel's mother, thanked everyone for their support and asked that there be no more Tehueles: "I hope the judges will put their hand on their heart."