Denying the homicide
Two suspects in Alicante have told the examining magistrate that they found the deceased already lying in bed when they entered the home and that they disposed of the body out of fear. They reaffirmed this account in a hearing held on Thursday to ratify the detention order issued the previous Monday. The suspects, a 30-year-old man and a 51-year-old woman, had been living at the victim’s house in the Virgen del Carmen neighborhood.
After previously exercising his right not to testify at the guard court, the two detained individuals returned on Thursday to answer questions only from their lawyers, following the initial autopsy report. The preliminary findings do not yet establish the cause of death, pending additional tests. The defendants are represented by lawyers Miguel Ángel Cánovas and Miguel Ángel Garijo. Forensic doctors indicate that the only signs of violence were cuts made with a circular saw, which occurred after the person was already dead, meaning at the time of dismemberment. The man in custody denies any involvement in both the dismemberment and the hiding of the body, claiming he left the scene after he found the deceased.
As already reported by this publication, the earliest remains found on the morning of June 17 included the torso, located in a rural path known as Serreta, where the body was burnt. On June 22, investigators recovered the head and limbs, also burnt. Fingerprints confirmed the identity of the victim, and officers discovered that the two suspects were living in the victim’s house. The inquiry points to a dismemberment carried out at the residence using a circular saw purchased five days before the discovery of the remains. Bank withdrawals from the victim’s accounts were detected after the death.
Refuting a violent death
The two suspects have now told the magistrate that they do not believe the deceased died violently. They claim to have found him already dead in bed upon their arrival at the home. They are unsure whether the death resulted from heat stroke or a heart attack, but insist there was no homicide. This assertion follows the initial autopsy report, which indicated that a final cause of death could not yet be determined and that the body had been dismembered and burnt. The only signs of violence were the cuts made with the circular saw, which occurred after death. Because the cause of death remains unclear, the defense argues that a homicide charge cannot be brought; at most, they could face charges for desecration of a corpse, carrying a little over a year in prison. They requested release, though at the time of reporting they remained in custody. The prosecution seeks continued detention while awaiting further autopsy results, including a toxicology report to assess whether the deceased could have ingested poison.
The male detainee has not admitted involvement in dismembering the corpse. He says he left the house when the father was found, and he suspects a third person may have aided the woman in both dismemberment and relocation. Police are examining the possibility of a third participant in the crime, though the police view this as a potential exculpatory account. Regarding the detained man’s vehicle seen near the area where the remains were found, the suspect claims he regularly passes through that zone to refuel and denies transporting the body. Because he answered only the defense’s questions, the woman has not been questioned about this alleged third party’s involvement. She confirmed that she found the victim dead and that the body was disposed of. The existence of a third party will be clarified by the results of prints and DNA collected at the residence.