Her name is not Diana Quer, nor is Marta del Castillo, although both were the same age when they were killed. The disappearance of a Colombian minor named Leidy Vanessa, who lived in Valencia, in 2008, and the subsequent discovery of her body three months later buried somewhere in Macastre, drew little attention from national media. The case was temporarily put aside in March 2016 while authorities awaited a fourth suspect to come forward with a statement. After six years, a persistent mother under investigation and her lawyer, Jorge García Gasco, prompted a reopening by the Requena Court of the Third Order. The homicide team of the police was summoned back to duty to pursue new information that could illuminate the case.
Leidy Vanessa Murillo, 17, left the Benlliure Secondary Institute in Valencia’s Zaidía district for dinner at a friend’s house at 1:10 pm on June 2, 2008. She did not arrive there. On that same morning, friends reported that the teenager had received a phone call, but the caller and the purpose of the call remain unknown.
On September 20, 2008, skeletal remains were found. Forensic experts initially estimated a slightly higher age than the adolescent, suggesting the remains belonged to a woman. The discovery was made by two friends out for a walk along Llanorel de Macastre boulevard. The body lay buried beside olive trees, with only one leg exposed as an animal dug into the ground. A technical inspection by the police recovered a piece of black fabric, hoop earrings, a ring, and a watch near the bare body.
The autopsy results indicated multiple head injuries as the cause of death. Initial efforts to identify the body faced obstacles, and proceedings by the Civil Guard in January 2009 were tentatively dismissed because the identity of the deceased could not be established.
It was not until 2010 that an investigation by the National Police Homicide Group led to a breakthrough. After comparing DNA with the mother’s genetic profile, investigators were able to assign a first and last name to the remains and link the skeleton to the missing teenager. A local newspaper, part of the same media group, reported this development.
Cross statements by the involved individuals indicate a payment of 1,500 euros to bury the body.
From the start of the inquiry, the prime suspect in the young woman’s death was her stepfather. He was alleged to have shown sexual interest in Leidy, according to testimonies. The circumstances surrounding the discovery of the body did not allow definitive forensic conclusions about sexual motivation, but testimonies described the man as controlling and involved with the teenager. A video camera was reportedly installed in his room to monitor interactions with minors.
The 46-year-old defendant fled to his hometown, which added another layer to the case. At the outset of 2008, he worked as a security guard at a construction site in Macastre, a detail that tied him to the area where the remains were found.
Two Macastre neighbors who allegedly assisted with the burial were also scrutinized. One neighbor, Antonio O., 57, testified that another defendant, Álvaro J., admitted that Omar offered money to bury someone, a claim tied to the need to dispose of a body. He described digging a hole and discovering something soft inside one of the bags.
Álvaro J., 56, claimed he had discussed the matter with a friend who said a Colombian had offered 1,500 euros to bury a body. He did not name Omar at the time. By the end of 2011, a conflict among the three defendants led to partial retractions or re-evaluations during a videoconference while Omar was imprisoned in Colombia for drug trafficking.
Today, a court in Requena is reopening the door to new investigations, allowing the previously dismissed case to resume and be reexamined with fresh evidence and testimony.