Architect Josep Juanpere's partner arrested on suspicion of homicide in Baqueira
Belén López Granados, aged 64, was arrested in Madrid after nine months of investigation. She did not call emergency services when Juanpere died on 26 December.
Juanpere's partner before Vielha judge over her death at Christmas
Belén López Granados, aged 64, will appear before Vielha court on Friday, accused of involvement in the death of her partner, Barcelona architect Josep Juanpere. According to La Vanguardia, the Mossos d'Esquadra detained her on Wednesday at her home in Madrid after nine months of confidential investigation.
The police hypothesis is that, without López Granados's involvement, Juanpere would probably still be alive. The couple maintained a sporadic relationship: they had known each other for years and each lived in their own home.
Christmas Eve night and the decisive hours
On 24 December, the couple had dinner with another couple of friends at a restaurant in the Baqueira area. After dinner, Juanpere began to feel unwell and they both went to Vielha hospital, where he remained under observation for several hours before being discharged. Upon leaving, the architect chose to stay at the AC hotel whilst his home was being prepared.
On the 25th they returned home. They had planned to ski with another couple of friends, but they did not show up. On the 26th, after lunch, Juanpere felt unwell again, lay down on the sofa and died. Throughout that time, López Granados did not make any call to the emergency services.
The nephew who could not get a response and the discovery of the body
When the friends they had arranged to ski with did not receive a response, they contacted the architect's nephew. He called repeatedly, both his uncle and Belén, without managing to reach either of them.
Concerned, he went to the home with the friend they had arranged to meet the day before. It was she who entered the property and found Juanpere's lifeless body in one of the rooms. Next to the bed was López Granados, very nervous, claiming she was resuscitating him.
That behaviour opened the investigation which the Mossos kept secret until Wednesday's arrest.
Nine months of investigation in silence
Investigators have also noted that López Granados did not respond at any point to calls from the architect's nephew or from other close associates during the hours when Juanpere was dying or had already died. The complete absence of contact with emergency services figures among the central elements of the case.
The family of the detainee owns Finca Cortesín Hotel Golf & Spa, a luxury resort located in Málaga, and manages several catering businesses on the Costa del Sol. The Mossos carried out simultaneous searches at two properties under her ownership, one in Madrid and another in Málaga, in search of documentation linked to the case.
Juanpere's social circle barely knew her
The architect's closest friends acknowledge that they never met her in person, although they agree that the relationship between them seemed stable. Weeks before the events, the couple had travelled to Japan accompanied by another couple, and in summer they had made a trip to Greece. On both trips, Juanpere sent videos to his friends in which he was seen satisfied with Belén.
That year's Christmas was also spent together in the home the architect had in Baqueira, at the foot of the slopes in the Val de Ruda. Juanpere was a regular customer of the restaurant run by chef Nandu Jubany at the same ski resort.
Before the judge this Friday with the accumulated evidence
This Friday, nine months after the architect's death, the Mossos will present to the Vielha judge the body of evidence collected against López Granados that supports her indictment on suspicion of homicide. The woman will have to explain her conduct during those hours and, in particular, why she did not call emergency services at any point.
Source: La Vanguardia