From early Monday morning, Civil Guard and National Police officers pressed ahead, seeking answers about the fate of the Juana Canal case. Sources describe an open case investigation and a search that uncovered more human remains along the same margin where earlier clues appeared. They included various remains, among them a femur, believed to belong to the Madrilenian woman and mother of two who has been missing since February 2003.
While awaiting DNA confirmation, investigators did not rule out the possibility that the remains belong to the missing woman.
“They are doing everything possible to clarify my sister’s case,” explains Ana María Canal, who has pressed for answers.
The operation, expected to last several days, involves more than 60 personnel. It is a joint effort between the Avila Civil Guard and the UDEV unit of the National Police. Dogs trained to locate biological traces and drones to detect underground temperature changes are deployed. The goal is clear: uncover more traces of Juana Canal’s last days and determine how she died. The search area lies five kilometers from Navalacruz, along the road to the town, where some hikers first found remains.
“My little sister… what a tragedy,” said Ana María Canal last June on OPEN CASE, an events and research portal associated with Prensa Ibérica. She had just learned that various parts of her sister’s body were found on a mountain in Ávila province. That news brought a mix of relief and fear: relief that progress is being made, and fear of what else might surface as the search continues.
The pain endures, but so does the search for truth. Promises were made to find her, and those promises persist. “It’s painful to refer to Juani in the past tense, but both the National Police and the Avila Civil Guard are exhausting every lead to illuminate my sister’s case. I wish it had happened sooner. It feels like a war to uncover the truth.”
family turmoil
“There were many arguments with their mother, and she ran away. I looked for her but couldn’t find her.” The note was discovered by Juana’s oldest son, Sergio. It was February 22, 2003. Sergio has never heard from his mother again at age 38, and she never reappeared.
“Her son found the house in disarray, with clear signs of a struggle,” says the victim’s sister.
What happened that night remains central. “He reportedly had a strong argument with his partner and was the sole witness to what occurred,” Ana María explains. “Her son found the house turned upside down, with obvious signs of a fight.” This is what OPEN CASE documented. Juani didn’t take anything during the departure; her purse, ID, debit card, and other items were left behind. More importantly, she abandoned her family and her children. Who left all of this and walked away willingly? The family wonders.
The exact address where Juani vanished was traced a few weeks ago. UDEV agents and the National Police Scientist located it using new forensic techniques, with the help of Ciudad Lineal GOR, capable of detecting traces and blood even after twenty years. The result was negative.
“Mom isn’t here”
“My mom isn’t here, and here’s a note from Jesus.” When Juani’s son Sergio contacted his aunt, alarms were raised. Her mother didn’t come, and she arrived late. The aunt and nephew immediately filed a report, but police kept them waiting for 24 hours. The investigation began slowly.
An endless set of hypotheses emerged: murder, gender-based violence, voluntary disappearance… “The house was in turmoil, one witness… All this was overlooked at the time,” Ana María Canal lamented.
“After my sister reappeared in the records and the case reopened, two new details emerged: Juani had called the police before she disappeared that day, and another fact is that someone filed a complaint for physical assault against my sister two days after her disappearance.”
“Why didn’t everything move forward sooner?” she asks. “I think my sister was treated as if she chose her own fate. It’s heartbreaking to realize that this wasn’t true and that little progress has been made.”
Nearly two decades later, the memory remains vivid. “I’ll never forget the day I heard someone say, in charge of the investigation, ‘This part of your brother’s life has nothing to do with us.’ Then? Then nothing,” he repeats.
in Navalacruz
Juana Canal, who originated in Madrid, did not have ties to Navalacruz, a small town in Ávila, yet her remains were found there. The shock of the discovery was compounded by the uncertainty of the location itself. The investigation continues to determine how Juani ended up in that area, a case with no clear connections to the place. Ana María insists, “It doesn’t make sense.” The partner she knew at the time has connections to Ávila.
The search presses on. The National Police, Civil Guard, the extensive field operation, and the family are relentless in their pursuit of answers. Nothing will stop until the truth about Juana Canal is known.