A man is facing at least 17 years in prison for killing his wife, cutting up her body into tiny parts, boiling them and disposing of the remains along a busy beach-walk in the Canary Islands. Some of the plastic bags were found near a popular hotel in the resort of Playa del Ingles in Gran Canaria. They included cooked skin from the victim's head.
Murder confession and changing story
The man accused of the horrific murder allegedly told police his wife took a long time to die in agony but later changed his story and said she had died instantly. Forensic experts said they were unable to determine the cause of death because the body has been cut up in such small parts.
They concluded it would have taken more than two days to dismember the corpse. Their investigations confirmed parts of the body had been boiled in pans.
Background of the accused
The accused is a former Civil Guard officer alleged to have carried out the murder in 2020. Neighbours told police he and his wife had a volatile relationship and rows were frequently heard. They also saw the wife with a black eye.
The husband has been charged with homicide and desecration of a corpse. The prosecution is asking for 17 years in prison and 250,000 euros in compensation for the couple's two children.
Trial details and disposal of remains
A trial to be held shortly will be told the body parts were found in bags along the seafront of Playa del Ingles and near to the Dunamar Hotel and shopping centre frequented by thousands of tourists. The murder was said to have been carried out in the couple's apartment in the Aida complex in Playa del Ingles during the COVID lockdown.
It's alleged the accused husband faked a suicide note for his missing wife saying she did not want to be found. The murder is being described as the most chilling crime in the Canary Islands in the last decade.
The accused is said to have originally confessed to the murder, telling police he had walked nonchalantly down the seafront and just threw the bags with the remains one at a time at different spots. Some were found next to Lidl supermarket. It's alleged he used a saw, knife and hammer.
The man has been in custody since the murder. More psychiatric reports are being called for. The murder victim was aged 59 when she died and her husband was 70. His plea is not yet known.
