The investigation into his mother-in-law’s death raised about ten suspicions. In June, two forensic experts differentiated the case by asserting there is no objective data about the actor and his wife. He is under investigation for murder, with accusations that the elderly woman could have been poisoned with cadmium and manganese.
In a July 18 decision, Judge Elena Sanz of the Arganda del Rey investigative court number 9 reviewed the case. The report by Dr. Maria Teresa Agüero and Dr. Javier Díaz prompted questions and requests for clarification, including how Isabel Suárez died on June 28, 2001.
Carelessness or lack of care
Forensic medicine must respond promptly. The judge calls for many points that are not clearly explained in the submitted report and asks the experts to explain the cause, type, etiology, and date of death based on the substances found in the body of the deceased.
Additionally, if medical diagnoses indicate negligence or a lack of medical care in the months before the death, the judge wants forensic specialists to determine whether the aunt was being held or hidden and whether her intellectual and volitional capacities were intact, diminished, or cancelled when she moved from her home in Grado, Asturias, to Madrid to live with the actor and his niece Arancha Palomino.
Antipsychotic drugs
The judge asked whether administering more than one antipsychotic drug at the same time could be considered normal and what effects this combination might have on the late Doña María Isabel.
Finally, he urges the experts to report the studies cited in their report about how high levels of cadmium found in Isabel Suárez’s body could have resulted from normal distribution after death among tissues.
The instructor asked forensic specialists to name researchers who have stated that the content of altered metals in a postmortem study should not be used as a single diagnostic indicator for poisoning.
The doubts arose after Lorenzo and Palomino requested archival of the case based on a new exoneration report provided by forensic experts. Media reports indicate the results contradict the first autopsy and the Civil Guard investigations, which accused the couple of transporting the woman to Madrid for economic gain. When those claims failed, they asserted that the woman was ill-treated and isolated until her death.
Postmortem diffusion
The forensic physician who performed the autopsy concluded acute heavy metal poisoning only from the examination of the blood sample, whose reference values reflect living adults. Experts added that postmortem results vary depending on the sampling location, the time between death and sampling, and the process of diffusion and redistribution after death.
In the event of acute poisoning, the woman’s body would likely show injuries to the respiratory and digestive tracts, according to the experts, which was not observed. Chronic poisoning was also excluded because residues of the metals would appear in tissues such as hair, lungs, kidneys, and liver if poisoning occurred gradually.
Good medical follow-up
The new reports challenge the accusation of ill-treatment. The two doctors state that the woman showed injuries consistent with a fall and aligned with her medical history of repeated falls and a diagnosis of body dementia.
Two forensic experts note in their reports that there is objective data supporting a real incident. They see good medical follow-up and adherence to pharmacological guidelines as consistent with the defense position of Lorenzo and Palomino.
Clear your doubts before applying
Another lawyer for the couple, Juan Manuel Medina, comments on the judge’s latest decision. He says any action delaying the case would be undesirable for his clients, given the risk of a longer bench period. He notes that the judge is seeking to clarify all possible doubts before any dismissal decision is made.
The lawyer adds that he remains convinced of the clients’ innocence, as supported by the forensic report. He believes that once the judge’s questions are resolved, the procedure will eventually be archived.