Murcia Court to hear murder case involving José Mateo
In October 2021, a 31-year-old man named José Mateo was arrested in Campos del Río on suspicion of killing his father inside their home. He is scheduled to stand trial at the Regional Court of Murcia, with the proceedings set to begin the following Tuesday. The Public Prosecutor’s Office has requested a 14-year prison sentence for murder, claiming that José Mateo used a knife in the fatal attack and then sat down to eat dinner with the body nearby.
The prosecution identified the defendant, who is also known by the nickname Keko, as having assaulted both of his parents in the past. A restraining order had been issued by a judge against him, in relation to his mother and to José Miguel, the victim and the defendant’s father, who was 54 years old at the time. It is noted that the restraining order was not active at the moment the crime occurred.
During the quarrel between José Mateo and his father, authorities say the defendant had refused to look for employment, a dispute that escalated violently. According to witnesses, José Mateo spoke with a raised voice that culminated in deadly action. The mother and the victim’s wife attempted to seek help from nearby neighbors as the situation unfolded. One neighbor, Ana M., called emergency services and reportedly heard the phrase, “You killed him, executioner, you killed him.” The exact words were captured in the preliminary documents released by the Public Ministry.
A moment described by the prosecutor
The prosecution contends that the defendant, seated on a couch next to his father and waiting for his mother to finish eating, launched an attack with the intent to end his father’s life. It is claimed that he lifted the father from the couch, they wrestled, and when he pressed him against a wall, he stabbed him multiple times in the neck. A 12-centimeter knife allegedly remained in his trousers at the time of the incident.
Witnesses recount that José Mateo told his mother, after a pause at his uncle’s house across from their home, that he had returned to eat the dinner prepared by his mother. The prosecutor highlights a later exchange in which the defendant reportedly addressed the mother with, “You’re still crying, aren’t you glad I killed him?”
Civil Guard officers responded to the scene and found both José Mateo and his father unresponsive in the home. An ambulance from the Mula Emergency Department was dispatched, but paramedics could only confirm the death of the father, who had sustained numerous stab wounds across the head, chest, and limbs. The coroner documented 14 separate injuries found on the victim’s body.
Beyond the prison term, the Public Ministry is seeking financial compensation amounts totaling 103,000 euros to the mother and additional sums of 30,000 euros, 50,000 euros, and 50,000 euros to the defendant’s three siblings, respectively.