Fish farm killing suspect went back to boat for knife, court told

Dive supervisor Felipe Mancilla Arriagada, 30, was allegedly killed by diver Luciano Osses Vargas, 36, after the six-strong crew of the service boat Siviano had spent the afternoon ashore on Tuesday, December 7.

Prosecutor Sebastián González said the tragedy occurred on the coastline of Isla Grande, in the Skyring area, in the Río Verde commune, northeast of the city of Punta Arenas in the far south of Chile.

Beer, whisky and wine

The Siviano’s crew was made up of divers, the supervisor, the cook and the boat’s captain. At noon they decided to roast half a lamb and share alcoholic beverages, reported to include beer, whisky and wine. The boat was about 10 metres from the shore of Isla Grande.

At around 6pm, when the barbecue ended, they saw Mancilla talking with Osses. Mancilla told Osses that the next day he would have to dive. No one heard any discussion or fight between them at that time.

However, Osses returned to the boat for a few minutes, presumably looking for the knife with which he killed his co-worker. The cook saw Osses pounce at Mancilla and tried to prevent the stabbing but could not since he only managed to hit him in the face. The accused escaped along the beach before being captured later.

‘Accurate thrust’

According to news outlet La Prensa Austral: “Osses had a knife that he took from the boat and stabbed the person who held the position of supervisor of the ship with an accurate thrust. Death came a while later, when they tried to revive him, due to a ‘thoracic trauma’, and he was taken in the same Siviano boat to Puerto Nuevo.”

Upon arrival, personnel from the Río Verde Health Post confirmed Macilla’s death. After one in the morning on Wednesday, the PDI (civilian police) Homicide Brigade arrived to carry out their investigation.

Osses has been remanded in custody in the Punta Arenas jail.