Friends Clarify Facts in Cher Hughes Bocas Murder

In an effort to clear up or correct some of the information published in the Cher Hughes murder case, friends of the victim established a timeline of events leading up to her disappearance four months ago in Bocas del Toro.

According to the timeline, Cher Hughes flew to Panama City from Bocas del Toro on March 13. A week later, she took the bus back to the Chiriqui province with a Panamanian friend and drove her van from the city of David to Marina, where a neighbor picked them up and took them to Cher’s island in Cauchero.

That same day,  Cortez, who is the prime suspect in what appears to be a murder-to-steal-property spree, persistently questioned Cher about another property she owned – Casa del Sapo, not a hostel as is being reported, on Carenero Island.

Cher asked the Panamanian friend to take the boat back with other friends who were heading back to the main island.  She said that she wanted to talk business with Cortez but that she would come to the main island, approximately one-hour by boat from Cauchero, on March 23.

The next day, Cher spoke to another friend and said she would definitely be on Carenero Island on March 26.  By March 23 or 24, Cortez was telling people that he had bought Cher’s Carenero Island property and that she had left for Panama City. A few days later, he said that she had called him to sell him her Cauchero property as well and that his attorney was traveling to Taboga Island near Panama City to have Cher sign the contracts.

Around March 30, friends received a mass text message from Cher’s phone telling them not to worry about her, that she was okay and on a sailboat.  No one actually spoke to her after March 21.

On April 2, Cortez sent a text message inviting people to a party on Cher’s island which he now claimed as his.  He also said that he had signed a confidentiality agreement and could not disclose any details of the transactions as Cher did not want anyone to know the selling price of the property.

Friends filed a missing persons report with the local police six weeks ago.  Cortez left Bocas del Toro in May, the same month he ran ads in The Bocas Breeze listing properties for rent and for sale, including Bo Icelar’s home in Big Creek Village. Icelar has also been reported missing.

UPDATE:  Reports indicate that Wild Bill recently purchased a grey Nissan Pathfinder with license plate 803029 in Paso Canoas on the border of Panama and Costa Rica.

Cher Hughes

Timeline established by friends of Cher Hughes residing in Bocas del Toro and sent to The Panama Digest.