The trunk-full of documentation from my 1998 murder investigation – and that I had shipped back from Costa Rica — is in my basement, unopened. I’ll get to it and build this section as soon as I can. Given that eight years have gone by, this is going to be tough. Please give me some time. I’ll notify you via my newsletter when I’m done.

 For now, here's a summation of the incident:

http://ssdc.ucsd.edu/news/claea/h97/claea.19971218.html

The Senate Resolution censuring Costa Rica reads as follows:

SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 84–EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF CONGRESS RELATIVE TO PROTECTING THE LIVES OF PROPERTY OWNERS IN COSTA RICA (Senate - March 17, 1998) [Page: S2136] 

GPO's PDFMr. KEMPTHORNE (for himself, Mr. Helms, Mr. Faircloth, Mrs. Feinstein, Mrs. Boxer, Mr. Chafee, Mrs. Hutchison, Mr. Coverdell, Mr. Gramm, Mr. Smith of New Hampshire, Mr. Leahy, Mr. DeWine, Mr. Warner, and Mr. Craig) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations: S. Con. Res. 84Whereas, although the United States embassy in Costa Rica had forewarned Costa Rican officials about threats on Max Dalton's life, on November 13, 1997, 78 year-old United States citizen from Idaho and World War II veteran Max Dalton was surrounded and murdered in a dispute with squatters, some of whom were illegally occupying his property in the Pavones region of Costa Rica; Whereas the murder of Max Dalton was the tragic conclusion to a seven-year assault perpetrated against Mr. Dalton by the squatters in an attempt to steal his property, and Costa Rican citizen Alvaro Aguilar was also killed in the incident; Whereas the initial investigation of Max Dalton's death was flawed in that investigators failed to take fingerprints, collect bullets, and secure the scene of the crime; Whereas, landowners, including United States and Costa Rican citizens, have reported harassment and invasions by squatters in areas of the country, other than Golfito in Pavones, including Cocotales in the North East, the Caribbean cities of Cahuita and Cocles, and Jaco on the Pacific Coast; Whereas the squatters' tactics have included stealing and starving livestock, burning homes, leveling crops and fruit trees, death threats, machete attacks, and, in the case of United States citizen, murder; Whereas Costa Rica has a long history of democratic governance, respect for human rights and close, friendly relations with the United States. Nonetheless, successive Costa Rican governments have failed to deal with squatters invading property held by foreign and Costa Rican landowners; Whereas, although Article 45 of the Costa Rican Constitution states that `no one may be deprived of his [property] unless on account of legally proved public interest and after compensation in conformity with the law,' this Constitutional guarantee has been eroded by the broad interpretation of the Agrarain Code by individuals who have used it as the basis for aggressive campaigns against landowners; Whereas United States citizens who were drawn to Costa Rica by the relatively reasonable cost of living and property, particularly for retirement, report spending tens of thousands of dollars in legal costs to pursue repeated challenges in the Costa Rican courts without achieving permanent solutions to the squatter problems on their lands; Whereas a concerted national effort on the part of the Government of Costa Rica to deal with the legal confusion and enforcement issues relating to property expropriations by squatters is necessary and desirable: Now, therefore, be it Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring), That it is the sense of Congress that the Government of Costa Rica should– (1) in the interest of justice to which Costa Ricans have long been committed, consider fundamental reform to protect the property rights and lives of all law-abiding residents and property owners of Costa Rica from acts of intimidation, violence, and property invasion. (2) conduct a complete and thorough investigation into the death of Max Dalton .  [Page: S2137]  GPO's PDFMr. KEMPTHORNE. Mr. President, I rise today to express my concern with the government of Costa Rica which has failed to deal with the theft of property from American and Costa Rican landowners by squatters. At the same time, I call on the Government of Costa Rica to come to a quick and thorough conclusion in their investigation into the death of United States citizen Max Dalton of Idaho.  Despite claims of the Costa Rican Government to the contrary, landowners, including United States and Costa Rican citizens, have reported harassment and invasions by squatters in all areas of the country. The squatters' tactics have included stealing and starving livestock, burning homes, leveling crops, death threats, machete attacks, and, in the case of one Idahoan, murder. The Washington Post reported in its March 2 edition that Max Dalton had been threatened by these squatters for nearly five years before his death in November. Before he was murdered, Max was harassed by squatters who attacked him with machetes, bombed his house, stole his horses, and set fire to his boat. Just days before his death, Max's children again notified authorities about the threats against their father. The United States embassy in Costa Rica had warned Costa Rican officials about threats on Max Dalton's life. Nonetheless, on November 13, 1997, this 78-year-old United States citizen and World War II veteran was surrounded and ultimately murdered by land squatters, some of whom were illegally occupying his property in the Pavones region of Costa Rica. This crime was the tragic conclusion to a 5-year assault perpetrated against Mr. Dalton by the squatters in an attempt to steal his property. Many facts remain unanswered surrounding Max Dalton's death. The investigation into the murder remains stalled and the killers remain at large. This cannot be tolerated. The murder of Max Dalton must be investigated and I urge the Costa Rican Government to make sure this happens. I call on the Costa Rican Government to take immediate and decisive action to clarify and protect lives and property rights. Law-abiding citizens and residents should not be threatened by acts of intimidation, violence and property theft by bands of squatters who have been terrorizing legitimate landowners through all regions of the country. Max Dalton's death must not be in vain. That is why, Mr. President, I am submitting a resolution, along with 13 of my colleagues, condemning the incompetence surrounding the investigation into the death of Max Dalton . It is important that this body, the United States Senate, acknowledge this situation and let the Government of Costa Rica know that reform is required. Mr. President, I submit this resolution on behalf of myself, Senator Helms, Senator Faircloth, Senator Feinstein, Senator Boxer, Senator Gramm of Texas, Senator Hutchison of Texas, Senator Craig, Senator DeWine, Senator Smith of New Hampshire, Senator Chafee, Senator Leahy, Senator Coverdell, and Senator Warner.  It is time for use to send a very clear message to Costa Rica, that we ask them for a thorough investigation, that we call upon them for the reform so that the landowners–the citizens in Costa Rica and the U.S. citizens that are there–can know that there are laws that will be adhered to and that justice will be done.     THIS SEARCH     THIS DOCUMENT     THIS CR ISSUE     GO TONext Hit        Forward           Next Document     New CR SearchPrev Hit        Back              Prev Document     HomePageHit List        Best Sections     Daily Digest      Help                Contents Display   

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