The paramilitary chief was then the head of the "Héctor Julio Peinado" front, which operated in the south of the department of Cesar. He confessed to the crime as part of the "justice and peace" process taking place in Colombia with former members of the paramilitary groups. Under this process, paramilitary members receive substantial sentence reductions in exchange for confessing their crimes and disarming.

Prada revealed that the murder took place on 7 February 2004 in Aguachica, a village in northern Colombia, and that he gave the order to his lieutenant - a.k.a. "Mauricio".

The journalist worked in Palma Estéreo radio station; on his programme he had exhorted the population not to pay the extortion money demanded by the paramilitary groups.