A resident of the town of Casarrubios del Monte in Toledo reported on Tuesday morning that a body has been found that may be that of Isabel del Castillo Hortelano, a 57-year-old woman who has been missing for a month. Police sources informed Europa Press about the discovery.
Her body was found on an open road about 20 kilometers from Madrid, in the area near the sea ship district of Madrid, where she lived and where she was last seen in a bus zone on August 19. If authorities confirm the identification, Isabel’s illness may have left her disoriented and alone, far from help or other people.
Agents from the Toledo Civil Guard Command Criminalistics Laboratory were dispatched to the scene. At this stage, the remains have not been identified, and the gender or approximate age of the deceased cannot yet be determined.
The body was located in an open area, which means the remains are likely in an advanced state of decay. Police work will be thorough to confirm the suspected identification. Coroners will use autopsy results and toxicological tests to determine the time and cause of death.
An intense search
Relatives say Isabel disappeared at 8:00 p.m. on a hot Friday in August after leaving her home and heading toward a roundabout in a municipal park in Navalcarnero. The last sightings were captured by one of the municipal security cameras along that street.
Since then, her daughters, other relatives and friends have continued the search day and night, canvassing surrounding areas and distributing posters across various parts of the region, including the capital, in case she had boarded a bus to Madrid. They have checked industrial estates, rivers, nearby fields and neighboring towns such as El Álamo.
In recent days, more than 200 volunteers joined the search, alongside a sizeable operation by the Civil Guard, Civil Protection members and local police. The team covered a large swath of Navalcarnero looking for clues or clothing that might belong to Isabel. No such items were found, according to Madrid Command sources quoted by Europa Press.
Posters published about the case described Isabel as standing about 1.65 meters tall, with normal skin tone, blond hair, and gray-brown eyes. She wears glasses. She has had early-onset Alzheimer’s for two years, which means moments of confusion and disorientation may recur, though she can be lucid for brief periods.