Former ‘Survivor’ Producer Convicted Of Murdering Wife Freed From Mexican Prison

A man who used to work as a producer for the competition reality series “Survivor,” but was later convicted of killing his wife during a family vacation, was recently released from a Mexican prison.

After serving nearly eight years behind bars, Bruce Beresford-Redman, 48, was set free and returned to his home in Southern California two months ago, KTLA reports.

His wife, Monica Burgos, was found dead in a sewer during a family vacation to Cancun, Mexico in 2010, having been strangled to death, NBC News reports. Beresford-Redman, who was the one to report that his wife had gone missing, maintained his innocence, but police say that blood was found where the couple was staying, and others who were guests at the resort reported hearing screams coming from the room.

The former producer was arrested in connection to his wife’s death and extradited to Mexico in 2012, and was convicted of Burgos’ murder three years later, in 2015, according to another NBC News report.

He was sentenced to 12 years in prison, but was released on June 20 after serving only seven, thanks to credit earned for good behavior, NBC News Los Angeles reports, citing Mexican newspaper La Palabra. Beresford-Redman also reportedly paid $2,000 in restitution.

Attorney Jaime Cancino, who previously represented Beresford-Redman in Mexico, explained to the outlet that the country’s laws dictate that prisoners are typically eligible for early release after serving 60 percent of their original sentences.

When KTLA approached Beresford-Redman at his house this week, he declined to comment, the outlet reports.

“Thanks, I really have no comment. I appreciate your interest,” he said. “Thank you. There’s no comment.”

Beresford-Redman’s two children, who were 5 and 7 during the Cancun trip that turned deadly, had been living with his parents at his home in Gardenia since his arrest, but his father died last year, NBC Los Angeles reports.

Burgos, who owned the Zabumba restaurant in Los Angeles before her death, was found dead on what would have been her 42nd birthday. While Beresford-Redman’s parents called their son’s conviction a “gross miscarriage of justice” in 2015, an attorney for Burgos’ family said that they viewed the sentence as “the justice [Monica Burgos’ deserved,” according to NBC News.

When approached by NBC Los Angeles for comment regarding news of Beresford-Redman’s recent release, Burgos’ sisters declined, via an attorney, to offer comment.