The prosecutor and the prosecutor’s office demand a 15-year prison sentence for the suspect who confessed to the murderer of Juana Canal, who has been missing for 19 years.

Almost a year ago, Jesús Pradales confessed to the murder before the Madrid judge investigating the case and asked for forgiveness from the family of the woman who disappeared in the Ciudad Lineal area 20 years ago.

The crime was solved a year ago after his bones were found on a farm in Ávila, leading to investigators’ arrest in October. The remains were discovered in May 2019, but the family was not notified of the discovery until June 2022.

The judicial procedure is at the interim stage of submitting written submissions on provisional conclusions for the purpose of holding an oral hearing.

In a recent decision dated September 19, the judge once again rejected the request for conditional release, and in March 2023 the Regional Court of Madrid rejected an objection by the defense to classify the crime as culpable homicide.

After the hearing, the prosecutor and the family submitted their respective indictments to the court through lawyer Juan Manuel Medina.

In the wills of the Public Ministry, which Europa Press has access to, the facts of murder are legally explained along with the aggravating circumstances of kinship. The victim’s family is asking for the same prison sentence as the prosecutor, but adding the aggravating factor of gender.

According to the prosecutor, the events took place in the early morning hours of February 22, 2003, in the house the couple shared on the capital’s Boldano Street. The suspect, who started arguing with his girlfriend, said, “With the intention of causing his death or knowing that this result could occur with his action, he hit his neck hard, causing him to fall and die.”

After confirming that Juana Canal was dead, he began dismembering her body and transported it to Navarredondilla, the town of Avila; here he buried her and her skeletal remains were found on April 18, 2019.

disrespect for the body

In his summary of the special charge, attorney Juan Manuel Medina states that after causing the death of Juana Canal, the defendant committed “acts intended to desecrate and conceal the mortal remains in question, especially the dismemberment” in order to hide her body. “The cutting of the body with some kind of sawing tool and subsequent illegal burial.”

Following the crime, Jesús “committed a series of actions aimed at developing an exculpatory alibi for the deceased’s death and alleged disappearance, such as writing a handwritten note to the victim’s eldest son in an attempt to convince him that his mother had volunteered.”

Additionally, the defendant requested an injury report in order to report the assault to which his partner allegedly subjected him to the Ciudad Lineal police station. She went so far as to file a complaint against him alleging acts of domestic abuse.

The family demands compensation of 200,000.00 euros each to the deceased son’s heir and his other son, and 60,000 euros each to the victim’s siblings.

accidental murder

In his statement before the judge, Jesús stated that during the argument the victim threatened to stab him with a knife and that he accidentally died after hitting himself to avoid the attack.

The killer of Juana Canal was admitted to the Brieva prison near Avila on October 28, 2022, for the crime of murder in the field of gender-based violence.

He did this after confessing to the judge that he killed her with one blow and cut her into two pieces in a bathtub to transport her in suitcases to Navalacruz, where he buried her in two holes on land near a family farm.

reported this The argument started when the woman stole 600 euros from him and locked herself in the bathroom. He threatens to flush the money down the toilet. According to her story, after they left, Juana would grab a knife and threaten to stab him, saying it was him.

The victim called the police to report that she had been attacked and that officers arrived at the home on Boldano Street. Finally the police left. The detainee then put his bags in the room to leave the house and as he was leaving, he extended his arm to push the victim and the victim fell.

90 kilometers with two suitcases

“I saw that he was still on the ground with his eyes open. I realized that he was dead. I was scared,” he told the judge. That’s when he decided to cut it in half with a knife.. He packed it into two suitcases and took it to Navalacruz, 90 kilometers away. He dug two holes with a hoe near his farm and placed the remains there.

After returning to Madrid, she threw the suitcases into a container on Alcalá Street and wrote a note to Juana’s son Sergio, stating that his mother had left after taking some pills.

According to the summary, In the early hours of February 24, 2003, Jesús filed a false complaint at the Carabanchel National Police Station. He referenced physical assaults and injuries allegedly sustained at the hands of Juana during the altercation in question, after which Juana disappeared.

Two days ago, one of the woman’s children found a note written by her mother’s partner, stating that they had had a violent argument, that the woman had run away and that he could not be found. According to investigations, Jesús always hid the assaults he allegedly suffered from his family and current partner, and only commented on the complaint that Juana had allegedly stolen 700 euros from him, even going so far as to demand it from him. his son.