In the Abanto-Zierbena case in Biscay, the investigation continued in 2020 with statements from the families of the two women who were killed. The brother described his sister as a cautious person who faced a strict former brother-in-law. He recalled that the morning proceedings kept the relatives of the victims offscreen, with many choosing to avoid the man accused of the crime during the hearings.
Victims’ mother and grandmother
The 90 year old mother and grandmother spoke about the night of March 10 when the events unfolded. She said she called her daughter every night and that the line went unanswered that night, which caused her to worry as she went to bed. The following morning, the daughter-in-law answered and explained that Miren was sleeping. That response struck the elder witness as unusual and troubling. The family member remembered asking again about Miren the next day, and the son-in-law said she had not woken up yet, which she found odd.
One sister described the fear felt in the family, noting that Miren had been shy but had confided in recent years that the situation at home had become unbearable. She longed for more freedom and was aware of her husband. She never expressed a wish to divorce, but admitted that she could not tolerate the circumstances any longer.
What are those items doing there?
The sister testified to the jury about an earlier visit to the family home to collect cat litter the day before the murders. She walked into the kitchen and noticed two large buns under the television. When she asked Miren about them, the sister replied that she did not know and that they were the husband Faustino’s things. Another sister mentioned that she had offered to host Miren and her nephew weeks before the killings, a gesture she now reflected on with worry. She sensed that something was not right and feared that a tragedy could occur. She described Miren as worn out by the ongoing situation and remarked that she would have intervened more forcefully if she had anticipated the outcome.
During questioning by the prosecutor, the testimony revealed that the family tended to be quiet and restrained in public. They described themselves as timid, with Miren appearing unwell in recent times. They recounted dinners at which they witnessed harsh behavior and joked about sexist and homophobic remarks made by the ex-brother-in-law, remarks that created discomfort at family gatherings. Miren’s sister explained that her elder sister bore the main responsibility for taking her nephew to college every day, describing how Miren endured an ever heavier burden and suffered psychologically as a result.
The brothers of the two victims stated that Miren was not happy in her marriage. They added that she never told them about a seriously troubled relationship, but they did witness multiple instances in which the ex-brother-in-law behaved in an overly authoritative manner. He would often assert, in harsh terms, that things were done a certain way because he said so, a pattern that left family members unsettled and increasingly concerned.