In the third trial for Paulina Lebbos' murder, her father Alberto Lebbos pleaded with Virginia Mercado, the victim's friend, to reveal the truth about her daughter's last night. Mercado, charged with cover-up, reaffirmed her statement of knowing no further details. The case, unresolved since 2006, now involves the main suspects.
On February 27, 2026, during the third oral trial for Paulina Lebbos' death in Tucumán, Alberto Lebbos emotionally addressed Virginia Mercado, who was his daughter's friend and the last person to see her alive according to the initial hypothesis. 'Don't be afraid, tell the truth', he pleaded, adding: 'It cannot be that Paulina's killers, the cover-up artists, the false witnesses, the abusers of authority, the public officials failing in their duties continue walking freely among us. You will redeem yourself, Virginia. Please, I beg you for Paulina's memory, for your friend. We know how much she loved you. Please, tell the truth'.
Paulina Lebbos, 23 years old and a Social Communication student, disappeared on February 26, 2006, after going dancing at the Gitana club with Mercado, Jimena Mercado, and Alejandro Aramayo to celebrate an academic approval. The young women shared a remise in the ex Abasto area, and Paulina was heading to her ex-partner's house, Víctor César Soto, father of her daughter. Her body was found 13 days later beside route 341 in Tapia, with signs of torture followed by death.
Mercado testified again, reaffirming: 'Everything I knew about Paulina, I declared to your honor. I don't know more. She left me at the apartment and continued her trip and I don't know more'. In the previous December, she admitted to lying initially, leading to her charge for aggravated cover-up; she awaits resolution on an abbreviated trial to reduce her sentence.
The trial, postponed from March 2 to March 9 due to changes in the prosecution, will judge Soto and Sergio Hernán Kaleñuk, son of a secretary to José Alperovich, Tucumán's former governor (2003-2015), sentenced in 2024 to 16 years for sexual abuse. Previous trials in 2013, 2018, and 2021 convicted cover-up participants like police and officials, including Carlos Albaca to six years. Alberto Lebbos lamented the 'structure of impunity' and recalled the family impact, including his daughter Marisa's death from cancer related to the case's stress. On February 26, 2026, a march was held for the 20th anniversary of the crime, demanding justice.
