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Victim's sister 'surprised' ex-'Survivor' producer won't fight extradition

Bruce Beresford-Redman, the former "Survivor" producer accused of murdering his wife Monica, will not fight extradition from the United States to be put on trial in Mexico for that April 2010 crime, TODAY's George Lewis reported Tuesday. The decision comes after a federal judge in Los Angeles ruled there was enough compelling evidence to warrant the extradition.This came as unexpected good news to

Bruce Beresford-Redman, the former "Survivor" producer accused of murdering his wife Monica, will not fight extradition from the United States to be put on trial in Mexico for that April 2010 crime, TODAY's George Lewis reported Tuesday. The decision comes after a federal judge in Los Angeles ruled there was enough compelling evidence to warrant the extradition.

This came as unexpected good news to Beresford-Redman's sister, Carla Burgos and the family attorney Alison Triessel, who spoke with TODAY's Savannah Guthrie.

"We were surprised because given the vigor with which he has fought this, tooth and nail every step of the way, we were really surprised that now he has decided to waive extradition and go back to Mexico," said Triessl. "I had prepared the Burgos family for another fairly long battle."

The Beresford-Redman family had been vacationing at a Cancun, Mexico, resort when Monica went missing; three days later she turned up in a hotel sewer. After being asked by officials to remain in the country, Beresford-Redman returned home to the U.S. and has been held in a federal detention center since Nov. 2010.

The entire orderal, said Burgos, has been "really painful ... my parents, my father, he was always a really happy man, easygoing and stuff, and he's been so sad and angry about this situation."

Burgos says there's been no contact between the her family and Bruce Beresford-Redman, and she objects to having the 7- and 4-year-old children living with his parents. "That's not what we want, we don't think that's the best for them," said Burgos.

Juanita Beresford-Redman proclaimed her belief in her son's innocence last week on TODAY: "I know he is innocent, he is a good man, and of course I trust him completely."

By not fighting the extradition, Triessl said that Beresford-Redman could be headed back to Mexico within 60 days. He is expected to face charges of aggravated homicide.

And Burgos says she has faith in the Mexican legal system to handle the case once Beresford-Redman arrives back in that country. "They've been really fair during all this process, and we really hope they keep doing it," she said. "Because we need justice for (Monica). She didn't deserve to go like that."

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