British mother, 94, seeks justice in daughter’s murder retrial in Dominican Republic

5 minutes reading View : 7

David Park

World - 14 Jun 2026

⚡ Quick Summary

A 94-year-old British mother is seeking justice in the retrial for her daughter’s 2019 murder in the Dominican Republic.
Lindsay de Feliz, a 64-year-old author, was found dead in a shallow grave; her husband and three others were acquitted in a previous trial.
The Dominican Republic’s supreme court ordered a new trial after an appeal, offering hope for new evidence and conviction.
Shirley Firth remains actively involved in the case, determined to see justice before her own death.

A 93-year-old British mother is hoping for justice when a retrial opens this week in the Dominican Republic for her daughter, who was murdered in 2019.

Lindsay de Feliz, 64, a successful author, was found dead in a shallow grave near her home in the country’s northwest in December 2019.

“I am in contact with people on Facebook but don’t use TikTok or Instagram,” Firth said.

De Feliz’s husband of 14 years, Danilo Feliz Torres, his two sons and a fourth man were acquitted in a previous trial on murder charges.

The acquittal was appealed to the country’s supreme court, which ordered a new trial before three different judges.

De Feliz led a successful life in the UK as a marketing manager for City firms. In 2002 she left her husband, job and life in Britain to pursue scuba diving.

After time in the Maldives, she settled in the Dominican Republic, worked as a diving instructor and married a local man in 2005.

Following a 2006 robbery in which she was shot in the throat, de Feliz could no longer teach diving. She began blogging about her life and published two memoirs: “What About Your Saucepans?” and “Life After My Saucepans.”

The titles referenced her mother’s comment after buying her a set of saucepans for Christmas; de Feliz left them behind when moving abroad. Her first book reached No. 1 on Amazon’s Kindle travel books chart.

She loved her adopted country and its people. According to her mother, de Feliz would return to the Dominican Republic after Christmas visits to the UK with suitcases full of over-the-counter medicines like aspirin and plasters, distributing them to impoverished locals without access to basics.

Firth said her daughter shared more about her fears with friends than with family. But de Feliz did tell her mother on her 2019 birthday that she did not expect to reach old age.

“When I tried to probe her about that she changed the subject,” Firth said.

“We can’t have closure until this whole thing is finished,” she added. “We hope for some resolution and to see justice done. I believe if I’m living to be old, I need to make use of the time I have, keep active and keep going with this.”

“I want justice for Lindsay as do her family and many friends across the world. It means so much to me to try all I can to achieve this,” she said.

A Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office spokesperson said: “We are supporting the family of a British woman who died in the Dominican Republic and are in contact with the local authorities.”

💡 Why This Matters

This case highlights the profound challenges faced by families seeking justice across international borders, especially when a legal system’s integrity is questioned. The retrial, ordered by the country’s highest court, signals a rare second chance for accountability in a nation where femicide and impunity remain serious issues. For elderly victims like Mrs. Firth, the pursuit of justice becomes a race against time, underscoring the emotional and logistical burdens placed on families who must navigate foreign procedures and language barriers. The outcome could set a precedent for how the Dominican Republic handles high-profile murder cases with international dimensions, potentially affecting public confidence in its judiciary. It also shines a light on the vulnerability of expatriates, particularly women in relationships with locals, who may face added risks of violence and exploitation.

🧭 Background

Lindsay de Feliz, a successful British marketing executive, moved to the Dominican Republic in 2002 to pursue scuba diving. She later married a local man, Danilo Feliz Torres, and became a published author. In December 2019, she was murdered and her body found in a shallow grave. Her husband, his two sons, and another man were tried for the crime but acquitted. The prosecution appealed to the Supreme Court, which ordered a retrial due to alleged errors in the original proceedings. Her mother, Shirley Firth, now 94, has been a persistent advocate for justice, using social media and contacts to stay informed about the case.

🔭 What’s Next

The retrial is set to begin in the Dominican Republic, with judges expected to hear new evidence not presented in the first trial. Should convictions be secured, the defendants may appeal again. If the acquittal is upheld, the Firth family may consider lobbying the British government to apply diplomatic pressure. Meanwhile, international observers and women’s rights groups will watch closely, as the case could influence how foreign victims’ families seek justice in the Caribbean nation.

📝 This article was rewritten with AI assistance based on content from The Guardian.