A former Civil Guard officer has been charged with homicide and desecration of a corpse over the death of his wife in Gran Canaria in 2020. Prosecutors allege he dismembered her body into tiny pieces, boiled the remains, and dumped them in plastic bags along a popular beach promenade and outside a Lidl supermarket.
The accused could serve a minimum of 17 years in prison. Several of the plastic bags were discovered near a well-known hotel in the resort of Playa del Ingles, containing cooked skin from the victim's head, while other parts were found near a Lidl store.
Investigation and forensic findings
Forensic specialists were unable to ascertain the cause of death because the body had been severed into such minuscule fragments. They deduced it would have taken over two days to dismember the corpse, and their investigations confirmed parts of the body had been boiled in pans.
The accused allegedly informed police that his wife endured a prolonged and agonising death, but later changed his account to claim she had died instantly. He is alleged to have used a saw, knife and hammer in the killing.
Background and charges
Neighbours reported to police that the couple had a tumultuous relationship, with frequent arguments heard and sightings of the wife sporting a black eye. The murder is reported to have taken place in the couple's flat in the Aida complex in Playa del Ingles during the COVID lockdown. It is claimed the accused fabricated a suicide note for his vanished wife, stating she did not wish to be located.
The husband now faces charges of homicide and desecration of a corpse. Prosecutors are seeking a 17-year prison sentence and 250,000 euros in compensation for the couple's two children. The murder victim was 59 years old at the time of her death, while her husband was 70. His plea is yet to be disclosed.
Trial and further evaluations
An imminent trial will hear how the body parts were discovered in bags along the seafront of Playa del Ingles, close to the Dunamar Hotel and shopping centre visited by thousands of tourists. The accused is reported to have initially confessed to the murder, telling police he had casually strolled along the seafront and discarded the bags containing the remains one by one at various locations.
The murder is being labelled as the most horrifying crime in the Canary Islands over the past decade. The man has been held in custody since the murder, and additional psychiatric evaluations are being requested.
