Lawyer blasts Mexican president for 'compromising' Ianiero case

A prominent criminal lawyer lashed out at Vicente Fox on Friday, saying the Mexican president should not have interfered with the investigation into the slaying of a Canadian couple at a Cancun-area resort.

"No president of a state should get involved," Edward Greenspan said during a news conference in Toronto. "No president should give marching orders to the police."

Nancy and Dominic Ianiero of Woodbridge were found with their throats slashed on Feb. 20 at the Barcelo Maya Beach Resort while visiting the Mayan Riviera to attend their daughter's wedding.

Greenspan, accompanied by Anthony Ianiero, his client and the son of the murdered couple, cast doubt on Fox's assertions earlier this week that the murders were committed by a Canadian member of the wedding party.

He suggested that a Mexican national, identified early on by the Ianiero family, may have been involved. The lawyer would not disclose the identity of the man, saying only that he was involved in security at the hotel where the Ianiero wedding party had been staying.

But Greenspan said Mexican authorities have "botched" the investigation, and he accused Fox of compromising the probe to the point that it would be difficult to find the real murderer.

"This investigation has turned into some form of political football," he said. "It will be impossible to reach a fair conclusion."

He added that the Mexican president seemed more interested in protecting the tourist industry than in finding the person responsible for the crime.