A woman has disappeared during a vacation in Central America and her brother tells us he bought a one-way ticket. No evidence to support their theory. We’re sad for this family, but the father We’re now telling the case of an American tourist found murdered in Costa Rica. story that has made national headlines.
A Tampa Bay family’s worst Carla Stefaniak, 35, lived in Hallandale Beach in Miami, Florida. She was one of four siblings and had been born in Venezuela. When Carla was 19, she and her family moved to the United States. They remained there for several years, but when Carla turned 23, the family decided to return home.
Carla, however, had fallen in love with life in Florida and chose to stay behind on her own. She eventually found work at an insurance agency and quickly built a strong circle of friends, which only reinforced her decision to remain there. Carla had a naturally optimistic outlook on life and approached everything with enthusiasm.
She was the kind of person who would immediately say, “Yeah, I’ll try it.” Her brother, Mario, often joked that she had always been a bit wild growing up. As a child, Carla constantly kept her parents on their toes. They practically needed eyes in the back of their heads just to keep track of her.
Her friend, Greg, described her as someone with a bold and energetic personality that showed in the way she spoke, dressed, and carried herself. According to him, Carla was the type of person you could never forget. Another friend called her a fiery Latina with a deep love for adventure. Traveling was one of Carla’s biggest passions.
She explored countless destinations, from driving an RV across Iceland and skiing in Switzerland to experiencing the nonstop energy of New York City. She also took frequent weekend trips to places like Cuba, Spain, and different islands throughout the Caribbean. Carla had a strong desire to see as much of the world as possible.
During every journey, she carefully documented her experiences. She shared photos and updates online, hoping that one day her love of travel could turn into a full-time career on the internet. Carla’s brother, Carlos, was married to a woman named April, and Carla and April developed an incredibly close friendship.
In fact, Carlos liked to joke that his sister talked to his wife more often than he did. The two women were practically inseparable. So, when Carla’s 36th birthday was coming up, it felt like the perfect opportunity for her and April to plan a trip together to Costa Rica. Carla carefully organized the entire vacation, putting together a detailed itinerary for the week.
She wanted to make sure they experienced every part of this beautiful country. On November 22nd, 2018, Carla and April arrived in Costa Rica on Thanksgiving Day. Throughout the trip, they stayed at several different hotels. Their final stop was an Airbnb located inside a gated complex in the mountains of Escazú, just about 10 minutes outside San Jose.
The property offered stunning views from a private balcony, along with security guards and a swimming pool. It seemed like the ideal way to finish an incredible vacation. Hi, welcome for my birthday. Throughout their stay, Carla and April spent their days visiting beaches, enjoying incredible food, and constantly sharing updates on social media while making the most of every moment of the trip.
Second day, the hot springs. On November 25th, Carla shared a photo on Instagram showing herself relaxing by the pool. From everything she posted and told friends, the vacation had turned out exactly the way they had imagined. April’s return flight was scheduled a day earlier than Carla’s, which meant Carla would spend one final night in Costa Rica by herself.
The following day was also her birthday, and once she landed back in Florida, her friends were already planning to take her out to dinner to celebrate. At 11:30 a.m. on November 27th, Carla and April said their goodbyes at the airport, hugging before April left. Afterward, the Uber driver who had taken Carla there offered to drive her around the city and show her some sights.
Carla accepted the offer and paid him in cash. She spent the afternoon exploring more of the area, sending photos to her family along the way. While she was out, she treated herself to a new purse and some jewelry. Later, the driver dropped her back at her Airbnb, Villa Lamas, apartment eight. Around 6:30 p.m., Carla began getting ready to head out to a jazz cafe, but a powerful tropical storm was moving in and it quickly disrupted those plans. By 8:00 p.m.
on November 27th, Carla was sitting alone inside the villa. She completed the online check-in for her flight and arranged for the same Uber driver from earlier to pick her up the following morning at 8:30 a.m. Her plan was to do a bit of shopping and grab something to eat before heading to the airport. Outside, the storm continued to intensify.
Wind shook the trees, branches slammed against the windows, and rain pounded the roof so loudly it was impossible to ignore. Carla sent a message to her family’s WhatsApp group saying, “I want to go out, but I’m dead tired.” Then suddenly, everything went black. The entire complex had lost electricity. Carla messaged the group again.
“It’s raining hard. Power went off. Super sketchy.” The electricity flickered back on for a moment, but the situation had clearly shaken her. And it’s easy to understand why: unpredictable power outages, violent weather outside, and being completely alone in a place she didn’t know.
She also sent a message to April saying, “Okay, it’s back. K P A.” Trying to relax, Carla reminded herself that she would be back in Florida the very next day. Still, this was far from the peaceful final night of vacation she had imagined. Her phone battery was running low, but she was also on FaceTime with a friend in New York.
At one point, she mentioned she was thirsty and he suggested boiling some water to drink. Unfortunately, the only thing she had in the apartment was a skillet. With the storm raging outside, leaving the villa to look for anything else felt too risky. Instead, Carla told him she would ask one of the security guards at the complex if they could bring her a bottle of water.
Then, sometime around 9:00 p.m., her phone battery died and the FaceTime call suddenly ended. The next day, her birthday, arrived, but there was still no sign of Carla. Her Facebook page remained silent and every WhatsApp message sent after 9:00 p.m. had gone unread. Still, considering the massive storm and the power outages, it might not have seemed too unusual at first.
It was possible she was simply busy packing or getting ready now that the electricity had come back on. At 8:30 a.m., the Uber driver arrived at the villa as scheduled to pick Carla up, but she never appeared. Concerned, April called the property to ask if Carla was still there. A security guard told her that Carla had already left shortly after 5:00 a.m., carrying her luggage.
Later that day, at 5:30 p.m., Carla’s flight from Costa Rica landed at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. Her friends were waiting there to greet her and take her out for dinner to celebrate her birthday, but Carla never walked off the plane. With so many warning signs appearing at once, her family quickly contacted the Costa Rican authorities.
They were told they would have to wait 48 hours before any serious action could be taken. Since Carla was an adult, officials insisted it was possible she had simply chosen not to communicate. But her family refused to accept that explanation. They kept pushing, sensing that something was deeply wrong. Eventually, police agreed to send a patrol car to the villa where she had been staying.
When officers arrived at the Airbnb, they found the place extremely clean. Carla’s belongings were gone and the apartment appeared spotless. In fact, it had already been prepared for new guests and more tourists had checked in. This created a serious problem. If anything had happened there, the scene may already have been unintentionally disturbed.
Police spoke with the cleaning staff who explained that nothing seemed unusual when they entered the apartment. According to them, the villa had simply been left very neat and organized. Still, until the 48-hour waiting period had passed, investigators were reluctant to take further action. Meanwhile, Carla’s family began organizing their own search effort.
They created a massive group chat that eventually included around 60 people, assigning each person a specific role. Some members focused on repeatedly contacting the police, others reached out to Airbnb, while others spread information on social media and contacted reporters to raise awareness. They eventually managed to reach the owner of the Airbnb property.
After speaking with the security staff, he relayed the same story. According to them, Carla had left around 5:00 a.m. on the morning of her flight, getting into an Uber with her bags. But that explanation quickly started to fall apart. Carla’s Uber account showed no ride matching that time and the complex itself had no security cameras that could confirm whether she had actually left.
On top of that, her family pointed out that the timeline simply didn’t make sense. Carla’s flight wasn’t scheduled to depart until 1:30 p.m. and the villa was only about 30 minutes away from the airport. There would have been no reason for her to leave so early in the morning, especially since she had already arranged a pickup with a driver she knew.
The Uber driver she had spoken with confirmed this. He said he arrived exactly at 8:30 a.m. as planned. He had never come earlier and had definitely not been near the complex at 5:00 a.m. His statement was verified. Investigators then examined Carla’s phone data. It showed that her phone briefly reconnected to the internet at 12:17 a.m.
roughly 3 hours after her FaceTime call had ended. However, the data also indicated that her phone had never left the property. That villa was the last confirmed location where Carla had been seen. By this point, her disappearance had begun attracting media attention and a full missing person investigation was officially underway. Six days after Carla was last heard from, police returned to the villa with search dogs.
When they entered, they noticed a strong smell of cleaning chemicals. Bleach and vinegar had been used throughout the apartment. The entire place had clearly been scrubbed. Then investigators made a disturbing discovery. They found Carla’s blood and semen on the bed and on the floor. If Carla was still alive, it was now clear that she had not left that property willingly.
Missing in Costa Rica. We just learned new details about 36-year-old Carla Stefaniak. Her family says there’s new evidence to support their theory that Carla was kidnapped while on vacation. Our Gabriela Shirley on this story joining us now with the latest. The family of Carla Stefaniak, who lived here in Tampa for about 10 years, tells us they have not heard from her since Tuesday evening.
She was supposed to get on a plane and fly into Fort Lauderdale on Wednesday, but she never did. You can catch a glimpse of Carla Stefaniak’s spirited personality in these videos filmed in Costa Rica. April’s Day, but it’s like Carla’s Day, too. April Burton, Carla’s sister-in-law, gave them to us. They took the trip together.
She says she can hardly watch them. It’s just really hard because, you know, I do at the end of the day I do feel I do feel, you know, guilty because [snorts] I left earlier. So, you know, you start doing those what ifs. April flew home on Tuesday. Carla planned to leave Costa Rica on Wednesday. She stopped responding to April on Tuesday night.
What are I think my flight’s delayed cuz I had a layover in Fort Lauderdale. And she said, “That sucks.” And then that’s all I heard from her. And that was at 8:54 p.m. April knows Carla made it to her Airbnb in San Jose, but she does not know what happened to her next. We just know she’s been abducted. There’s no reason for her not to have had any contact with anyone. It’s been 5 days.
What had started as a local news story quickly gained international attention. A GoFundMe campaign was created to help Carla’s family travel to Costa Rica and support the search efforts. Across social media, the hashtag #findcarla began spreading rapidly as more and more people shared her story.
Thanks to the relentless efforts of friends, family, and supporters back home, the pressure began to build. Eventually, the US Embassy also stepped in, urging the Costa Rican government to take stronger action in the investigation. Soon after, the FBI joined the case as well and finally real progress started to happen. Carla’s brother is currently in Costa Rica retracing his sister’s steps.
He visited that Airbnb. We were there the night before and left at 5:00 a.m. Everything’s gone. She left with everything on hand. The family does not know who she could have been meeting. They are now taking to social media pushing for the United States to get involved in the search. Carla’s brother tells us he bought a one-way ticket.
He plans to stay in Costa Rica until he finds her. Carlos flew to Costa Rica and went directly to the Airbnb where Carla had been staying. When he arrived, he spoke with one of the security guards at the complex hoping to get some kind of information about what had happened. But the guard told him he couldn’t help.
No one there seemed able or willing to provide any answers. woman has disappeared during a vacation in Central America and her family is trying desperately to find her. Adding to the mystery, the family says Stefaniak had checked in online for her flight and ordered an Uber to pick her up later that morning.
In a press conference, authorities in Costa Rica said they’re investigating the disappearance. Stefaniak’s brother says he has personally contacted the US Embassy and local law enforcement. Do you feel like they’re doing enough right now to try to figure out what happened? We don’t know. That’s totally classified.
They uh they won’t release any any information. Seems like it’s kidnapping, but it also seems like it could could be human trafficking. At this point, I mean, we have to be realistic. There’s a lot of bad outcomes that are possible. We just got to hope for the best. Florida Senator Marco Rubio’s office has reached out to assist the family.
CBS News contacted the US Embassy in Costa Rica and law enforcement there, but we have yet to hear back. Airbnb had no comment. Uber says it will assist the authorities. Nora? All right, we’re thinking of her and her family. Thank you, Manuel. More than a week had now passed. Back home, friends and family had been anxiously watching their phones, constantly refreshing social media, and waiting for any update.
Meanwhile, in Costa Rica, the worst fears were about to become reality. Around noon in the San Antonio Diaz neighborhood, search dogs suddenly alerted to something in a wooded area. Investigators moved in to take a closer look. There, they discovered the decomposing body of a woman. The victim was partially unclothed, half buried in the ground, and wrapped in plastic.
The location was only about 300 m away from the complex where Carla had been staying. Although officials still needed to confirm the identity through dental records, the media had already begun reporting the discovery. At that moment, it seemed increasingly likely that the body they had found belonged to Carla. New news right now, a family fearing the worst is now in Costa Rica.
Authorities working to figure out if a woman with Tampa ties is the victim of a murder. Tonight, her family posting on social media that they are asking for prayers after a woman’s body was found very close to where that tourist had rented an Airbnb. Carlos later said that the moment he received the call, he immediately understood what it meant.
He didn’t need anyone to confirm it for him. Deep down, he already knew. He looked up at the sky and broke down in tears. In that moment, he felt it in his heart. It was his sister. A breaking news update to a story that has made national headlines. A Tampa Bay family’s worst fears confirmed. I want to lose to love, big love of my life, the blind mom of Carla.
Very, very sad for this family, but the father and her brothers and that family friends say they are grateful for everyone for their support and prayers over the last couple of days. They’re now working to get her body moved to Tampa so they can start funeral arrangements. Reporting live in the satellite center, JJ Burton, ABC Action News.
Not far from where the body was discovered, investigators also located Carla’s phone, passport, laptop, and suitcase. The autopsy revealed that her cause of death was a severe blow to the head and that she had been stabbed multiple times. Her body showed clear signs of a brutal struggle. Her arms and neck were covered with wounds.
Her jaw had been dislocated and her neck was broken. According to a forensic pathologist, one of the knife wounds had been delivered with such force that it fractured two of her vertebrae in her back. The injuries, along with the DNA found beneath her fingernails, told investigators that Carla had fought fiercely for her life until the very end.
Her final moments had taken place in an isolated location during a violent storm with the power out and rain pounding so loudly that any cries for help would likely have gone unheard. It was a horrifying scene. Police suggested that the motive appeared to be sexual in nature, particularly because semen had been found in the Airbnb.
However, authorities did not publicly release detailed forensic confirmation regarding a sexual assault. Investigators believed Carla had died around 10:00 p.m. only a couple of hours after she had told her friend she was going to ask one of the security guards for a bottle of water. Everyone connected to the property was questioned repeatedly.
The Airbnb owners were said to be fully cooperating with investigators. One of the key people they focused on was a security guard who was responsible for the area around apartment 8, the villa Carla had rented. He also happened to live in the building next door. The guard, 32-year-old Bismark Espinoza Martinez, quickly raised suspicions.
When officers first spoke with him, they noticed he had fresh scratches on his body. His explanations also kept changing. At first, he claimed he had seen Carla leaving in an Uber. Later, he said he had been asleep and knew nothing about what had happened, insisting he hadn’t seen her at all. The more investigators questioned him, the more his story began to unravel.
Every time they pressed him about the claim that Carla had left at 5:00 a.m., it became clear that this version of events had originated with Bismark himself. No one else could confirm it. There were no Uber records supporting the claim and the autopsy indicated that Carla had died long before 5:00 a.m. Bismark also had full access to Carla’s villa, as well as the other rental units and the surrounding grounds, areas that were not accessible to the general public.
The location where Carla’s body had been found was within that restricted area. Before long, police arrested the 32-year-old. Later, forensic testing confirmed that Bismark’s DNA matched the samples found under Carla’s fingernails, as well as evidence recovered inside the villa. Investigators also discovered that after killing Carla, Bismark had called his wife and confessed to her what he had done.
Bismark was originally from Nicaragua and had been in the country only since June, just a few months before the murder. Police described his immigration status as irregular, meaning he was living in the country without documented legal permission. Walter Espinoza, the director general of the judicial investigation police, addressed the case publicly saying, “This is a complex case and it’s a difficult case.
The resolution of this case is very important for the country, for the victim’s family, and for society as a whole.” Carla’s later said he couldn’t believe that he had stood face-to-face with Bismark earlier, even shaking his hand and thanking him for helping during the search. Throughout it all, Bismark had appeared completely calm.
Eventually, Bismark was charged with simple homicide, the legal equivalent of second-degree murder. Prosecutors said there was not enough evidence to pursue a first-degree murder charge, which would have required proof of premeditation or other specific aggravating factors, something investigators could not definitively establish. We’re going to update you on the case of American tourist found murdered in Costa Rica while on vacation.
ABC Action News reporter Michael Peluska just talking to Carla Stefaniak’s brother. He joins us live in the satellite news center with the very latest. And Mike, this doesn’t sound like good news. Jameson, it’s not good news for the family. They tell us that they are outraged because Carla Stefaniak’s suspected killer at this point has only been charged with simple homicide.
And what that translates to in our legal system is just second-degree murder. We know that this is not going to change anything, but we want this monster to be in jail for as much time as possible. What we want to do is just spread the word about what’s happening in Costa Rica. Unfortunately, um American authorities don’t have any jurisdiction in Costa Rica.
So, all we can do is uh spread the word and and and try to uh make the this news viral and and put some pressure on the Costa Rican authorities to to uh make a a better job, do a better job. As you heard him, they’re hoping that Costa Rican authorities will hear their protest here in the United States and maybe change that to a first-degree murder charge.
Carla told us the next step in all of this is to get a trial date. That has not been set. We’re live in the satellite news center tonight. Michael Peluska, ABC Action News. As the investigation continued, attention also turned toward Airbnb and the residential complex itself. It was revealed that employees working there had not been required to undergo background checks or any kind of formal screening.
No one had asked about Bismark’s criminal history before he was hired. Meanwhile, Bismark’s defense team continued to insist that he was innocent. They argued that the investigation had been mishandled and claimed there had been serious mistakes made by authorities. Eventually, the case moved forward and in 2020, Bismark finally appeared in court.
The trial is underway in Costa Rica for the man accused of killing a Florida woman on vacation. Monday, the trial began for Bismark Espinoza Martinez, seen here from inside a Costa Rican courtroom. But Stefaniak’s family and their attorneys have reason to believe he wasn’t the only one involved. She fought.
She fought really hard according to the forensics. And we just don’t believe that nobody heard or saw anything. Prosecutors previously upgraded the charges from second-degree to first-degree murder after pressure from Stefaniak’s family. If convicted, we’re told Espinoza Martinez faces up to 66 years in prison. In Costa Rica, the trial was decided by three judges as the country does not use juries.
These judges were responsible for hearing the case, determining guilt, and issuing the sentence. Although Bismark’s charges had been elevated to first-degree murder, the court ultimately acquitted him of that charge. Instead, he was found guilty of simple homicide. Prosecutors pushed for the maximum sentence allowed for this conviction, which was up to 18 years in prison.
Carla’s family, however, argued for a much harsher punishment and advocated for additional charges, including robbery and attempted sexual assault. The man accused of murdering Carla Stefaniak has been found guilty. This is according to Costa Rican newspaper La Nacion. Bismark Espinoza Martinez was sentenced to 16 years in prison.
The three judges ultimately sentenced Bismark to 16 years in prison. Following the criminal case, Carla’s family filed a civil lawsuit against Airbnb and the Villa Lamas resort, where the Airbnb unit was located. The lawsuit argued in part that both companies had been negligent by failing to conduct any background checks or take other precautions to determine whether Martinez was suitable for the level of authority, access, and control he had over the property and its guests.
We are very hopeful that by prosecuting this action, it will force Airbnb to take greater action to protect its customers. Their lawyer pointed out that Martinez was not legally authorized to work in the country. Yet despite this, he was still given his own apartment on the property, a unit that, by coincidence, was located directly next door to the villa Carla had rented.
The lawsuit argued that the danger Martinez posed to Stefaniak was both foreseeable and a well-known risk within the hospitality and vacation rental industry. His role had granted him unrestricted access, a free apartment on the grounds, and a master key that could open every unit in the complex.
He was provided a uniform giving him the cloak of authority. He was given unfettered discretion to go anywhere he wanted within the premises. Um And he shouldn’t have been there to begin with. Airbnb faced allegations that it allowed property owners to operate outside the regulations that govern traditional hotels. The lawsuit noted, “While defendant Airbnb highlighted complimentary and positive reviews of the resort property and its hosts, there have been multiple reports dating back to 2013 of guests experiencing serious problems, including
incidents of victimization by personnel connected to the resort. Reports that defendant Airbnb omitted or sanitized from its own promotional and advertising materials.” Gordon also claiming Airbnb and the villa didn’t warn guests about safety concerns from the US State Department. One could argue if that’s the company’s responsibility or the customer’s.
A business owner cannot stick his head in the sand like an ostrich and pretend he doesn’t know about a dangerous condition. Airbnb mentioned nothing about being sued after my request for a statement. A spokesperson expressing heartbreak for the family. An apology is nice, but action is more important. Carla’s family also expressed a belief, highlighted in the lawsuit, that more than one person may have been involved in disposing of her body.
Her friend Greg agreed, saying it seemed almost impossible for a single individual to have killed her, moved her body, and cleaned the scene before the next security guard shift began. Who else might have been involved remains unknown. In the civil case, Bismark and Villa Lamas were ordered by a Costa Rican court to pay the family just over 50 thousand dollars in damages.
This ruling was separate from the US lawsuit against Airbnb. That lawsuit did not produce a detailed public verdict, and there is no public record of Airbnb admitting liability or of a formal court award to Carla’s family. It appears that Airbnb may have resolved the matter through a private settlement, which is common in such cases.
The listing for the villa was also removed from the platform. Carla’s story continues to raise challenging questions about safety, accountability, and the way investigations are handled in countries that may be unfamiliar to travelers. Her disappearance happened just weeks after Costa Rica’s tourism board had launched a campaign promoting tourist safety.
For most travelers, nothing ever goes wrong until suddenly one night it does. In the aftermath of her death, scrutiny extended far beyond the man who took her life. Investigators and the public questioned the system surrounding him, the property, the security measures, and the platform that facilitated her stay, Airbnb.
Carla was not seeking danger or taking reckless risks. She was simply doing what she loved, traveling, exploring, and celebrating another year of her life. She should have returned home safe with stories to tell and memories to treasure, not as the subject of headlines, court records, and tragedy.
