Relatives of those accused in Francisca Cadenas murder deny involvement of older brother
Witnesses linked to the detainees confirmed to the judge that Manuel González was in Mérida on the night of the crime. The investigation remains open.
Defence witnesses support Lolo's alibi in Francisca Cadenas case
Two brothers of the accused and a sister-in-law testified on Friday before the court in Villafranca de los Barros (Badajoz) as part of the investigation into the murder of Francisca Cadenas, a resident of Hornachos who disappeared on 9 May 2017 and whose remains were found last March in the courtyard of her neighbours' home. According to El Mundo, the three witnesses maintained that Manuel González, 55, known as Lolo or Manolo, had no part in the woman's death.
Defence lawyer José Duarte explained at the end of the testimony that the witnesses "have corroborated to some extent Julián's statement at the time and Manolo's non-participation", and noted they were "quite satisfied" with the appearances. This version coincides with the account maintained from the outset by Julián, 50, the younger brother and confessed perpetrator of the crime, who was identified after the Civil Guard's Central Operational Unit discovered the victim's body buried in the courtyard of the house he shares with his brother, located just 30 metres from Francisca's home.
Manuel González has consistently maintained that on the night of his neighbour's disappearance he was in Mérida visiting his father, who was then admitted to hospital in the Extremaduran capital with a serious illness, and that he returned to Hornachos after midnight, that is, after the crime had allegedly taken place according to this version. However, the judge and the investigation maintain that he had involvement in the events, including participation in the burial of the body and its concealment for nine years.
Also scheduled for Friday was testimony from two police officers and a Hornachos resident who claimed to have seen the older brother arrive in the municipality that night and who has been convinced of his participation in the crime. The families of the accused refrained from making statements to the media at both the entrance and exit of the courts.
The judicial investigation remains open pending new expert and forensic evidence. A new witness hearing is scheduled for 18 June, and the reports of forensic scientists and anthropologists working in Madrid are considered key to determining, if possible, the time of Francisca's death and the role each of the brothers played that night. Both remain in pre-trial detention.
It also remains to be resolved whether a reconstruction of events will be carried out, requested by the lawyer for the private prosecution, Verónica Guerrero. Defence lawyer Duarte stated that this is a procedure that "can and should be agreed if the procedural data support it", but recalled that it is "voluntary" and requires the cooperation of the accused: "If we can combine cooperation with the judge and the right to defence, perfect".
Also pending is a DNA test on a saliva sample from Julián to match his genetic profile with objects found in the home. Initially, Julián refused to undergo this test, contrary to what was requested by the UCO, although eventually, according to his lawyer, he has agreed to cooperate.
Julián confessed to the crime following the discovery of the remains, but argued that Francisca's death resulted from a single blow to the head during a fierce argument, after the neighbour caught him consuming cocaine in his house and reproached him for it. According to this version, Francisca would have entered the brothers' home to enquire about the health of their uncle, who was seriously ill.
The private prosecution, however, is attempting to establish that there was a sexual assault prior to the homicide and intends to request a sentence of permanent revisable imprisonment during the trial.
Prior to Friday's testimony, there had already testified the Civil Guard officer who accessed the detainees' home on the night of the events, the victim's sister-in-law, Francisca's three children and husband, as well as the couple whom the woman accompanied to their car from her family home after having looked after their daughter throughout the afternoon. The farmworker who passed Francisca in the tunnel where she was last seen alive also testified, shortly after 23:00 on 9 May 2017.
Source: El Mundo