Antonio del Castillo, father of Marta del Castillo, spoke this Monday with a mix of grief and resolve. He expressed frustration that the National Police offered him no concrete options for a new search for his daughter’s remains. Marta disappeared and was later presumed dead after a tragic event at a rural site on a farm in La Majaloba, situated between La Algaba and La Rinconada in Seville Province, thirteen years earlier. Antonio believes that the location aligns with all the signs that point to Miguel Carcaño being involved in the crime and possibly providing details about the disposal of the body, since Carcaño is currently in custody for admitting to his role in Marta’s death.
Marta del Castillo’s father spoke to Canal Sur Televisión and urged the authorities to be transparent. He asked the National Police to openly confirm whether they would investigate the area in question. He insisted that they should not distort the truth or waste more time. The National Police High Headquarters replied that the site lies on private property, farmland that hosts a plantation, making access a sensitive issue.
With the evidence already collected, police officials said they hope to receive permission from the property owner to conduct a search if the ongoing efforts uncover material elements that could make a positive difference. Once these steps are completed, the results will be reported to the Judicial Authority to determine whether a search should proceed. The officers emphasized that the process depends on owner consent and the emergence of new objective details.
A circular structure
In his remarks, Antonio del Castillo claimed that the authorities faced difficulty proving many aspects of the case from January 24 of that year, when Miguel Carcaño received a lengthy sentence. He argued that the police have yet to compel Carcaño and other involved individuals to tell the truth. Without direct testimony from those involved, he suggested, the case relies heavily on Carcaño’s statements, some of which reference a circular feature near a ditch that could be connected to the disappearance. The father underscored that Carcaño’s claims have centered on a particular site near a ditch and a circular arrangement that could be linked to the body’s location.
Marta del Castillo’s grandfather, José Antonio Casanueva, described the family’s sustained focus on uncovering the truth. He recalled that relatives and close friends have consistently supported the search for Marta near the place described by investigators and family members alike.
Casanueva explained that in Carcaño’s final statements, there was an implication that Marta’s body might be hidden in a well surrounded by a definite circle. He noted that the family’s attention has been fixed on that specific location because it could hold the key to resolving the case. The family has remained hopeful that the search will yield meaningful results rather than mere speculation.
He also revealed that relatives have undertaken independent efforts without success, humorlessly noting that simple tools are unlikely to uncover the truth. A more substantial intervention, such as heavy machinery, might be necessary. The family remains hopeful that the National Police are pursuing the matter diligently, even as they acknowledge obstacles within the justice system. Casanueva mentioned that Carcaño’s brother’s partner, María García Mendaro, who was acquitted in a related legal matter in 2011, has sometimes been mentioned in conversations about potential connections to the case. The family sees the broader judicial process as a factor shaping what can be uncovered in Seville’s Court of Justice, and they continue to advocate for clarity in the path forward. [citation: Canal Sur Televisión]