The Urquijo murders: the judicial link nobody ever explained
14 mg of cyanide in the autopsy of Rafael Escobedo, the son-in-law convicted for the Urquijo murders in Spain, and two Santoña judges who went on to become ministers: the case…
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
The Urquijo murders: the piece Spain's Transition never closed
On 1 August 1980, the Marquises of Urquijo were found shot dead at their home in Somosaguas, near Madrid. The official version pointed to their son-in-law, Rafael Escobedo, as the killer. Convicted, he was found hanged in his cell at Dueso prison on 27 July 1988. The autopsy revealed 14 milligrams of pure cyanide in his organs. "They suicided Rafi," insists his lawyer, Marcos García Montes.
Four decades later, the Marquises' daughter, Myriam de la Sierra, published memoirs in 2013 in which she admits she does not believe her ex-husband was guilty. García Montes claims that "four men and one woman" took part in the crime and that it was a "incivil botch job". What puts the case back in the spotlight is the judicial trail: the judges who handled the investigation into Escobedo's death in Santoña – José Antonio Alonso and Fernando Grande-Marlaska – both went on to become government ministers. A coincidence that, for critical analysts, turns the affair into a possibly silenced landmark of Spain's Transition.
The shadow of the bank merger
The Marquis consort of Urquijo opposed the merger of Banco Urquijo with Banco Hispano Americano. Documents burned after the crime fuel the suspicions. The lawyer says he has kept a .22 calibre bullet casing as a talisman since 1983, given to him by someone linked to the case. With the lead investigator, Juan Rada, staying silent, the questions remain open.
On 1 August 1980, the Marquises of Urquijo were found shot dead at their home in Somosaguas, near Madrid. The official version pointed to their son-in-law, Rafael Escobedo, as the killer. Convicted, he was found hanged in his cell at Dueso prison on 27 July 1988. The autopsy revealed 14 milligrams of pure cyanide in his organs. "They suicided Rafi," insists his lawyer, Marcos García Montes.
Four decades later, the Marquises' daughter, Myriam de la Sierra, published memoirs in 2013 in which she admits she does not believe her ex-husband was guilty. García Montes claims that "four men and one woman" took part in the crime and that it was a "incivil botch job". What puts the case back in the spotlight is the judicial trail: the judges who handled the investigation into Escobedo's death in Santoña – José Antonio Alonso and Fernando Grande-Marlaska – both went on to become government ministers. A coincidence that, for critical analysts, turns the affair into a possibly silenced landmark of Spain's Transition.
The shadow of the bank merger
The Marquis consort of Urquijo opposed the merger of Banco Urquijo with Banco Hispano Americano. Documents burned after the crime fuel the suspicions. The lawyer says he has kept a .22 calibre bullet casing as a talisman since 1983, given to him by someone linked to the case. With the lead investigator, Juan Rada, staying silent, the questions remain open.
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Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (26 replies).
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