The Head of the Chemistry Service at the Institute of Toxicology and Forensic Sciences testified this Wednesday before a judge investigating possible poisoning, outlining findings from recent investigations. The case centers on the death that occurred last year at a relative’s residence in Madrid, where Moscone Isabel Suarez Arias died. The proceedings also mention Aracha Palomino and her husband, the actor Louis Lorenzo, as individuals connected to the events under review.
In his deposition, the expert explained that a report prepared at Gómez Ulla Hospital, based on autopsy samples analyzed by the Toxicology Institute, identified elevated cadmium levels in the deceased’s blood. He noted that the presence of high cadmium could, in some scenarios, arise from post-mortem changes, but stressed that this finding alone would not confirm poisoning. Isabel Maria Isabel died on 28 June 2021 at the home of her niece and her husband in Rivas Vaciamadrid, a few days after a local burial was arranged for another family member. At that time, the deceased’s brother suspected natural causes and informed the Civil Guard.
The expert referenced studies from the United States and China showing that high cadmium levels can occur for reasons other than intentional poisoning. He cautioned against extrapolating these international findings to the current case without further evidence. While he did not claim that death resulted from intoxication, he also did not contradict the coroner’s autopsy conclusions. Reports described an 85-year-old woman who reportedly died from a poisoning classified as murder, with cadmium and manganese levels in the blood markedly elevated. However, the coroner judged that the detected high dose, not found in hair or liver samples, could reflect a post-mortem redistribution rather than poisoning.
By contrast, the toxicology specialist emphasized the difficulty of attributing death to acute cadmium ingestion. He noted that only a small fraction, about 5 percent, of cadmium ingested is absorbed by the body, which would require an unusually large intake to cause poisoning under normal circumstances.
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Earlier reports from a regional newspaper indicated that the defense team for Louis Lorenzo and Arancha Suárez requested a more detailed heavy metals assessment from the Toxicology department to determine whether cadmium presence could be explained by natural causes rather than poisoning.
In addition, Civil Guard officers reviewed the health status of Isabel Suárez on 26 June 2021, two days before her death, following a complaint filed by the deceased’s brother. They confirmed that Arancha Palomino reportedly did not permit entry to the home without a court order, and the court in Arganda del Rey has preliminarily placed geographic and travel restrictions on the niece and husband, who are required to report to court weekly.