Ep 390: A woman’s stay at a Costa Rica AirBnB ended in her murder. But whether the company holds any responsibility for her death is still in question.
This is the Carla Stefaniak story.
In November 2018, Carla Stefaniak flew to Costa Rica with her sister-in-law April Burton to celebrate her 29th birthday. Born in Venezuela and raised in South Florida, Carla was warm, adventurous and constantly in touch with her enormous extended family. When April flew home early, Carla booked one more night through Airbnb at Villa Buena Vista, an upscale gated condominium complex just outside San José — close to the airport, well reviewed, and staffed with on-site security. Then a storm rolled in, the power went out, and a FaceTime call ended abruptly at 9 p.m. Megan and Amy walk through Carla's final known hours, the account given by the overnight security guard, and the search mounted by police, volunteers and Carla's own relatives who flew down to look for her. Along the way they explore how Costa Rica's courts work, including why there are no jury trials in Costa Rica and what that means for a case like this. The second half turns to the civil side: the negligent hiring lawsuit filed in Florida, the limits of Airbnb liability when a platform merely connects travelers with hosts, and what this case should change about solo female travel safety.
Sources for Today's Episode:
CBS News
ABC News
The Washington Post
Tampa Bay 28 WFTS
Costa Rica Star News
FOX 13 Tampa
Miami Herald
Credits:
Written and Hosted by Amy Shlosberg and Meghan Sacks
Produced by James Varga
Audio Editor, Jose Alfonzo
Script Editor, Abagail Belcastro
Music by Dessert Media
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