British Author's Murder Case Goes Back to Trial in Dominican Republic

A murder case is going back to court in the Dominican Republic. Lindsay de Feliz, a 64-year-old British writer who lived there for years, was killed in December 2019. Her mother is pushing to finally get a verdict after more than six years of legal proceedings.

De Feliz was found buried in a shallow grave near her home shortly after she went missing. She had been strangled. Her husband and step-son were arrested within days. In 2022, the case went to trial, but her husband, step-son, and two other men all said they were innocent. Now the case is starting again.

Why is it going back to trial? The first trial either ended without a guilty verdict, or the people accused successfully challenged it in court. In the Dominican Republic, courts can order retrials in situations where similar rules would prevent that in the UK or United States. This is because the Dominican system is based on older European law called the Napoleonic code. That system works differently from British law, which has a rule against trying someone twice for the same crime.

For Lindsay's family trying to get justice from thousands of miles away, this is complicated. They need local lawyers who understand Dominican courts, speak Spanish, and know how the system works. The British government can help watch the trial and offer support, but it cannot step in and influence the Dominican courts directly.

De Feliz wrote books about her life as a British woman living in the Caribbean. Because she was well-known, her case has gotten more media attention than many expat deaths in the region would get. More than one defendant is involved — the family, and the court, and potentially the prosecutors, all have to deal with different versions of events and defences coming from multiple people accused of the same crime.

Why does this case matter beyond just Lindsay's family wanting answers? The Dominican Republic is watched closely by other countries for how fairly and reliably it handles its courts. A strong and believable verdict — whether guilty or innocent — shows the world that its courts work properly. That can affect tourism, investment, and how safe foreign visitors and residents feel.