The trial began against the Conicet scientist who killed her friend in a game.

More than a year and three months after the crime of Marcelo José Amarfil in the province of San Juan, the oral trial against Luciana Teresita Bustos, a Conicet researcher, accused of having murdered her friend in the context of what would have been a sexual game, began.

At the start of the judicial process, the accused, who faces the possibility of receiving a life imprisonment sentence if found guilty, chose not to testify.

According to the accusation document presented by prosecutor Francisco Pizarro, belonging to the Special Crimes Investigation Unit (UFI) of the San Juan Public Prosecutor's Office, Bustos is identified as the direct perpetrator of the crime of "double aggravated homicide by the bond and by premeditation to the detriment of Amarfil, Marcelo José".

The crime

According to the judicial file, on the night of January 16, 2024, Bustos —34 years old— picked up Amarfil in her car, a gray Ford Fiesta, and they both went to a fast-food restaurant. Later, in the early morning, they parked near the Domingo Faustino Sarmiento airport, where they had a sexual encounter under an erotic dynamic.

"In these circumstances, the couple prepared to have a sexual encounter inside the vehicle; Marcelo José Amarfil was in the driver's seat, completely naked, with his hand mobility reduced, as he was wearing dark brown leather wristbands with a hook and chain (this is a sexual and/or erotic accessory); furthermore, Amarfil was unable to see, as his eyes were covered with a black fabric blindfold (similar to those used for sleeping), while Luciana Bustos was in the passenger seat," the report details.

According to the investigation, Luciana Bustos allegedly took advantage of Marcelo Amarfil's vulnerable state to take a knife —which, according to records, she had sent to be sharpened days before— and inflicted six cuts on him. Among them, one on the face and another on the neck. This last wound was the one that caused death, as, according to the file, "it completely severed the right common carotid artery, in addition to other vessels and arteries".

Despite the severity of the injuries, Amarfil managed to react: he bit Bustos's right forearm in an attempt to defend himself and managed to break the chain that connected his wrists to the steering wheel. Badly injured, he quickly got out of the vehicle and tried to run away, but collapsed a few meters away. He died next to the car, due to hypovolemic shock.

Shortly after, a police officer patrolling the area on a routine round encountered Bustos. She was without a jersey, only in underwear, shorts, barefoot, and with a reddish liquid on her hands. Upon seeing him, she approached and said: "My friend killed himself, he killed himself with a knife".

The officer went to Amarfil, checked his pulse, and confirmed that he no longer had vital signs. Bustos's situation became even more compromised when the autopsy report was revealed. Three forensic doctors determined that the six wounds the victim had "did not have characteristics compatible with self-inflicted injuries", but rather "correplied to a homicidal act".

This Monday, at the start of the trial, both prosecutor Francisco Pizarro, along with assistant prosecutor Gemma Cabrera, and the plaintiff's side —represented by lawyers Carlos Fleury and Hugo Trigo— requested life imprisonment for Bustos, under the charge of double aggravated homicide by the bond and premeditation.

Meanwhile, the defense, led by lawyer Néstor "Roly" Olivera, requested the annulment of the process, alleging a presumed violation of the constitutional right to defense. However, the court dismissed the request.

The attorney argued that Bustos was a victim of abuse, claiming that the sexual encounter was not consensual, as his client is lesbian and is in a relationship with another woman. According to his version, the accused acted in legitimate defense against an aggression by Amarfil.

The trial, which is overseen by judges Gerardo Fernández Caussi, Matías Parrón, and Guillermo Adárvez, is expected to hear from about 50 witnesses. The verdict is expected to be issued by the end of April.