Alleged killer of flamenco singer Matías de Paula confesses to shots; six detained in provisional prison
The main suspect acknowledged before the judge that he fired at the flamenco singer. The six arrested remain in prison, five for homicide and membership of a criminal organisation.
Confession and provisional prison for six detained over singer's death
The main suspect in the death of flamenco singer Matías de Paula acknowledged on Friday that he was the author of the shots that ended his life a week ago in Villanueva de la Serena (Badajoz), according to sources from the High Court of Justice of Extremadura, reported by El País. The investigating judge ordered that the six detainees be held in provisional prison: five of them, including F.S., considered the perpetrator, are under investigation for homicide and membership of a criminal organisation; the sixth is under investigation for obstruction of justice.
Jealousy, central hypothesis of the crime
Among the main lines of investigation is an alleged passionate motive. According to police sources, F.S. is said to have acted motivated by jealousy over a supposed relationship between his ex-wife and the singer. The family of Matías de Paula denied that link: the two had had a brief romance during adolescence, but there was currently no romantic relationship whatsoever. According to those close to him, the ex-wife had tried to contact him through social media since she learned that De Paula had separated, and the singer would systematically block the profiles from which she sent him messages.
The singer himself attended the meeting that F.S. had summoned him to via WhatsApp when he was at his mother's house, where he had arranged to have lunch. According to his family, he went with the intention of speaking and clarifying that he maintained no kind of relationship with the woman. He was waited for by three men: the alleged author of the shots, his son and a nephew.
Death in Rafael Alberti square
Matías Corraliza Fernández — the artist's real name, 52 years old — was shot dead last Friday at 15.00 hours in Rafael Alberti square. Witnesses reported hearing several shots and seeing the singer fall to the ground; he received at least one shot to the head. After the attack, those involved fled in a vehicle in which at least two other people were waiting.
F.S. was arrested on Tuesday. Before his detention, he stabbed a taxi driver who was admitted to hospital in serious condition and who is already stable. For that fact, he is also under investigation for attempted homicide.
Gathering and shouts of "murderers" outside the courts
Around a hundred people waited on Friday for those involved outside the courts, which they reached at 10.49. Shouts of "murderers" followed one another during the scarcely two minutes it took them to descend from the vans and enter through the building's garage. A cousin of the deceased tried to cross the police cordon and had to be stopped by an officer. "I was not going to come, but I did it so they would feel the pressure," explained one of those gathered.
The car park on Viriato Street, where the courts are located, was closed from early morning. Half an hour before the arrival of the detainees, access was completely cut off. At least twenty National and Local Police officers controlled the perimeter. The statements lasted until early afternoon.
A life between flamenco and his hometown
Matías de Paula had been born and raised in Villanueva de la Serena. In adolescence, his family moved to Madrid to make their way in the flamenco world. He worked there in tablaos and conducted international tours with the National Ballet of Spain. After approximately twenty years, part of the family returned to the Extremaduran municipality.
Back in his home town, he remained linked to flamenco: he opened a peña which he named after his father, Diego El Chucarro, also a singer, and there he taught singing lessons to young people and children. His siblings Diego de Paula, guitarist, and Sandra de Paula, singer, regularly collaborated with him. The three adopted their mother's surname, Paula, as their stage name.
Source: El País