Florida | Pablo Ibar's defense denounces unjustified delays in responding to review request

The Florida Attorney General's Office has still not responded to the defense's request for a review of the case, which was filed almost eight months ago.

The family of Pablo Ibar has publicly expressed its outrage at the lack of response from the Broward County District Attorney's Office in Florida to their request for a review of the case, filed almost eight months ago by the defense of the Spanish-born prisoner, who was sentenced to life imprisonment for a triple murder committed in 1994 in Miramar, near Miami. The defense denounces unjustified delays in responding to the review request, while the Pablo Ibar-Fair Trial Association has reactivated its fundraising campaign. They allege that the prosecution has twice failed to meet the deadline set by the judge for issuing its ruling.

Defense attorney Daniel Tibbitt requested the reopening of the proceedings after a new witness came forward claiming that Ibar was not involved in the crime. According to the defense, this witness claims to know the true perpetrators and maintains that he was recruited to commit crimes alongside them. The sworn statement was filed with the U.S. courts last summer.

The situation has generated deep unease among Ibar's family, especially after the Prosecutor's Office twice failed to meet the deadlines set by the judge to respond to the defense's request for an evidentiary hearing. The latest deadline expired on May 13 without the Public Prosecutor's Office issuing any statement.

The defense demands explanations

Given this situation, the defense has filed a new motion with the court demanding an explanation for the delay. In the document, Tibbitt points out that the State of Florida has already had more than 210 days to respond to the post-conviction motion without having filed any arguments or new requests for extensions.

Andrés Krakenberger, spokesperson for the Pablo Ibar–Fair Trial Association, conveyed the prisoner's discouragement regarding what he considers a delaying tactic by the prosecution. “Pablo believes the prosecution's stance is nothing more than a tactic to prolong the process. The problem is that each delay leads to another, and the years keep passing,” he stated. Andrés, visibly distressed, insisted that this situation is “a complete scandal.”

Andrés Krakenberger is confident that the judge will demand that the prosecution finally issue a statement. "The judge will decide whether or not there will be a hearing. We believe it will happen and that a new trial will be held."

A new witness and a request for a hearing

The defense considers it essential that the new witness testify in a public hearing to clarify the facts. According to the documents presented, the informant claims that the true perpetrators of the crime confessed to their involvement and that the murders were related to a drug-related settling of accounts.

Ibar's lawyer argues that if the statement is deemed credible, the court should hold an evidentiary hearing to evaluate the new evidence. Should such a hearing be authorized, Pablo Ibar would have the right to appear in person and would be transferred from the state prison where he is serving his sentence to the Broward County Jail.

However, the legal process could still drag on for years. If the judge rejects the defense's claims, the case could be appealed to the 4th District Court of Florida, the state Supreme Court, and even the federal courts.

Fundraising campaign reactivated

The Pablo Ibar-Fair Trial Association has relaunched its crowdfunding campaign to cover the high costs of the new legal proceedings. The organization notes that thanks to public support, it raised nearly one million dollars for the 2019 trial, which prevented Ibar from returning to death row, where he had spent 16 years.

The association maintains various avenues for financial collaboration through its website and through donations via Bizum and bank transfer.

Pablo Ibar has been in prison for 32 years and has always maintained his innocence. The case continues to generate significant media attention in both Spain and the United States.

This article was translated from Spanish by Google.

Source: cadenaser.com, Carlos Gudiel Urrestarazu, May 15, 2026

"One is absolutely sickened, not by the crimes that the wicked have committed,
but by the punishments that the good have inflicted."
— Oscar Wilde

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