A verdict was reached this Thursday in a case involving two defendants linked to the murder of a 26-year-old woman in an urban area of Torrevieja. The jury’s decision, rendered at the Elche Court of Alicante, found the two suspects guilty after a December 2020 incident that drew broad attention in the community. The trial began earlier in the week at the Elche City of Justice following the jury’s verdict, and the court subsequently prepared for sentencing in line with the findings of the evidentiary record (Court records, Attribution).
Investigators say the crime is connected to drug theft networks and gang activity, with crucial evidence centering on a scrambled cellphone that became a key piece of the investigation. The defendants—a Brazilian man and a Brazilian woman—are accused of murder and related criminal conduct. Before the oral hearing, the defense argued that the woman acted under duress and should receive a reduced sentence, claiming she was not the principal offender. The jury did not accept this argument, suggesting the male defendant played a more active role and that fear did not absolve him from accountability.
The crime occurred on 22 December 2020 inside the couple’s home in the Los Leandros urbanization in Torrevieja. While motives remain under investigation, authorities linked the homicide to payments within a drug trafficking network and to interactions with other drug groups involved in narcotics dumps. The pair were later apprehended in Lorca, a town in Murcia, after attempting to flee the region.
During the proceedings, the male defendant admitted involvement in the murder but claimed he acted in self-defense. The female defendant maintained she was trapped and acted out of fear rather than through participation in the killing. The court weighed these statements as it considered possible penalties ranging up to life for the man and a shorter sentence for the woman, depending on how her responsibility was ultimately determined. Negotiations considered the possibility that the man could receive a life sentence, with potential adjustments based on the jury’s assessment of the woman’s involvement. The possibility of a more lenient sentence based on a plea of involvement was discussed, but the panel found it insufficient to change the outcome. The judge would render the final sentence after reviewing all evidence and testimony (Legal record, Attribution).
The court concluded that the victim died from a gunshot wound to the head following a disrupted phone conversation with a friend. The male defendant claimed the victim fired first, prompting a defensive response, a narrative contradicted by the autopsy, which showed the bullet entered from the side. After the crime, the defendants fled to Murcia, and the gun was later found discarded in a dumpster near the victim’s home. The weapon, recovered by the Civil Guard, was unlicensed. The male defendant had previously worked in security in his home country, where he held a gun license. Investigators suggested ties to organized drug trafficking and to the storage and disposal of drug-related dumps seen by authorities. He remains in precautionary detention as sentencing approaches, with potential status changes after the verdict (Investigation notes, Attribution).
The victim’s friend, who spoke with her on the phone just before the incident, alerted the Civil Guard hours after the call ended. Officers arrived to find the victim on the floor, surrounded by blood, with autopsy results confirming a head wound. The court highlighted the defendants’ roles in blocking exits from the crime scene, effectively limiting the victim’s chance of escape. The couple’s flight to Murcia was examined, revealing that the woman was alone for a period and did not disclose their whereabouts. While relatives of the victim pressed for a harsher outcome, the decision ultimately hinged on the credibility of testimonies and the weight of the evidence presented. Questions about possible escalation to higher courts were raised if penalties proved excessive (Court testimony notes, Attribution).
In the broader context, authorities continue to tie the case to drug networks and related violence, underscoring the ongoing challenge of crime linked with illegal substances and organized groups. The legal process remains ongoing as the final penalties are determined by the judge after the sentencing hearing, with consideration of all evidentiary elements and testimonies provided during the trial (Judicial overview, Attribution).