Louis Lorenzo and Arantxa Palomino are set to testify before Investigative Judge No. 9 in Arganda del Rey, Madrid, on November 8, after requesting to appear voluntarily. The Civil Guard had indicated that cadmium was not found in their home, according to information provided by Europa Press from legal sources.
The actor and his wife are under investigation as suspects in relation to the death of María Isabel. The autopsy concluded that cadmium and manganese levels in the body were above normal, prompting questions about the cause of death and the potential role of heavy metals.
The judge has expressed doubts about poisoning as the cause, given the possibility that the elderly woman may have died naturally. The theory considers the redistribution of chemicals after death, a hypothesis supported by several scientific studies.
To clarify this point, the judge questioned Antonio Alonso, director of the National Institute of Toxicology and Forensic Sciences, in a session held last week. When the case broke, the institute published results on its networks from two scientific studies involving corpses from the United States and China, which indicated very high cadmium levels in the blood could result from natural redistribution after weathering.
Antonio Alonso explained this theory to the judge, referencing an article published in a scientific journal in 2010. The head of the Madrid Chemistry Service within the INTCF advocated this view publicly last June.
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A clarification request followed the Civil Guard Criminalistics Service Environment Department report, which determined that there was no cadmium detected in the samples collected at the actor’s home.
According to the autopsy, María Isabel would have died from acute poisoning by heavy metals. The cadmium level in the paint found at the scene was reported to be 200 times above the normal limit, and the manganese concentration in the body was twenty times higher than normal.
Recently, the defense teams for the suspects informed the judge that they intend to request the voluntary declaration of the couple and may challenge portions of the proceedings that concern violations of fundamental rights.
In a letter obtained by Europa Press, the couple’s lawyer complained about violations of the right to defense and procedural safeguards, and called for the nullity of investigative actions involved in the 83/2022 extension proceedings, citing Article 11 of the Judicial Branch Act (LOPJ).
This could lead to the cancellation of the extension measures carried out by the Civil Guard last June, which included interrogations of relatives and people close to Palomino, described as showing a certain degree of hostility toward the couple.
There are indications that statements may be made behind the defense of Luis Lorenzo and Arantxa Palomino, a move that could place the defendants in a vulnerable position within the inquiry.