A man charged with the murder of a Crufts dog breeder took his own life at HMP Manchester after reporting “numerous threats from other prisoners”, a report has revealed. Alex Verdu Munoz, 26, was found dead in a healthcare unit at the prison on 15 May 2022, a day before he was due to appear in court. He had been accused of killing Valerie Freer, 68, who died from neck injuries near Lichfield, Staffordshire, in February 2022.
Threats and isolation
According to the report by the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman, Munoz had only been in the UK for six weeks before the murder. He was placed on suicide prevention procedures after telling staff he had received “numerous threats”. Two months before his death, a prison officer noted that Munoz was “quite clearly a target and under threat” on E Wing. As a result, he isolated himself within the prison.
Munoz was also recovering from an open fracture of a shin bone, allegedly sustained in a car crash “while being chased by police” following the murder, and was using crutches. He was moved to HMP Manchester on 17 March 2022 and disclosed threats against him six days later. A “separate, isolated” arrangement was put in place, and he was relocated to a healthcare inpatient ward in mid-April. There, he continued to report threats from fellow inmates “due to his offence”.
Final days and suicide
Munoz attended court on 13 May 2022, and the following day a welfare evaluation found that he “said that he was fine”. A nurse expressed “no concerns” and described him as “pleasant and polite”, with no thoughts of suicide or self-harm. He was scheduled to appear in court again on 16 May but was found hanged the day prior. The report stated: “Police attending Mr Munoz’s cell found a note written in Spanish.” The note was addressed to his family and indicated his intention to take his life.
The report added: “Prison staff rightly completed welfare checks following Mr Munoz’s court appearances, which might have increased his risk of harm to himself. A nurse had no concerns about his wellbeing and told us that he appeared ‘quite unremarkable’. We do not consider that prison or healthcare staff missed any opportunities to identify an imminent risk of harm.”
Verdict and background
A verdict of suicide was recorded after an inquest into his death. The inquest jury was told that it remained unclear whether Munoz intended to plead guilty or not guilty to the charges he faced. They concluded that the verbal abuse he endured in prison could have contributed to his death. An inquest in Staffordshire in December 2022 heard that Mrs Freer had been stabbed 16 times, and a coroner determined she was unlawfully killed.
Munoz had rented an Airbnb in Whittington, and his hire car was spotted near her home around the time of her death. A knife stained with her blood, along with lock-picking tools, were discovered when police searched the vehicle.
