A man accused of murdering a Cruft's dog breeder took his own life at Strangeways after telling staff of 'numerous threats from other prisoners' against him, a new report reveals.
Alex Verdu Munoz, who was 26, was found dead in a healthcare unit a day before a scheduled court appearance. He had been charged with the murder of Valerie Freer, 68, who died of neck injuries near Lichfield, Staffordshire, in February 2022, together with charges of aggravated burglary, possession of a knife and dangerous driving.
Background of the Case
One of Mrs Freer's dogs was a runner-up in the Best in Show category at Crufts in 2014. The report into Munoz' death, published by the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman, reveals the Argentinian national had only been in the UK for six weeks before the murder.
He was found hanged at HMP Manchester on May 15, 2022. The report reveals he was subjected to suicide prevention procedures there and had told staff he had received 'numerous threats'.
Threats and Isolation
Two months before his death, an officer recorded Munoz was 'quite clearly a target and under threat' on E Wing. As a result, he was said to have 'isolated himself' inside the prison. Munoz was also recovering from an open fracture of a shin bone, said to have been caused in a car crash 'while being chased by police' after the murder, and used crutches.
The report reveals he was transferred to HMP Manchester on March 17, 2022, and reported threats against him six days later. A 'separate, isolated' regime was arranged for him and he was transferred in mid-April to a healthcare inpatient unit.
Final Days and Suicide
Munoz, adds the report, went on to report threats made towards him by other prisoners in the unit 'due to his offence'. He appeared in court on May 13 and the following day, after a welfare assessment, he 'said that he was fine'. A nurse raised 'no concerns' and reported him to be 'pleasant and polite', with no thoughts of suicide or self-harm.
Munoz was due in court again on May 16, but was found hanged the day before. The report said: 'Police attending Mr Munoz’s cell found a note written in Spanish. The note was addressed to Mr Munoz’s family and indicated that his intention was to take his life. 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.'
Inquest Findings
A verdict of suicide was recorded after an inquest into his death. Jurors at the inquest were told it was not known whether Munoz intended to enter guilty or not guilty pleas to the charges he faced at the hearing on May 16. They found the verbal abuse he received in prison was a possible contribution to his death.
An inquest held in Staffordshire in December 2022 was told Mrs Freer was stabbed 16 times, and a coroner ruled she was unlawfully killed. Munoz had reportedly rented Airbnb accommodation in Whittington and his hire car was seen in the area of her home around the time of death. A knife which had her blood on it, along with lock-picking items, were found when police searched the vehicle.
