SPAIN - María Isabel Suárez Salgado, 85, poisoned, Madrid, 28 June 2021

Countem

Verified Certified Fraud Examiner and Accountant
Joined
Dec 31, 2019
Messages
1,372
Reaction score
8,197
  • #1

Spanish actor Luis Lorenzo Crespo, 61, was arrested along with his wife Arancha Palomino, 37, accused of poisoning her aunt in order to seize the inheritance.

In summary, a Spanish actor, Luis Lorenzo Crespo (LLC), 61, and his wife, Arancha Palomino (AP), 37, were arrested on May 27, 2022 for the poisoning of AP’s aunt, María Isabel Suárez Salgado (MISS), 85, allegedly in order to gain access to an inheritance.

LE states that, leading up to her death, MISS had been living with LLC and AP, had spent an unusually large amount of money, and had updated her will to leave her entire estate to AP.

LE found approximately €142,000 in cash in LLC’s and AP’s home at the time of her death.

MISS’s death was originally thought to be due to natural causes brought on by dementia, but a second autopsy requested by her brother, revealed that she had been poisoned, having 200 times the normal level of cadmium and 20 times the normal level of manganese in her body.
 
  • #2

Article was translated by Google Chrome. Bolding was in the article.
In addition, according to ABC, the actor's wife [AP] tried to commit suicide the day of his arrest.
The report contains the exact words spoken by the main suspect in the investigation during the journey to the medical center. […] AP confessed: «If I knew that this was happening, I would have cremated my aunt, so nobody finds out and none of this would have happened, that I am not an [explicative]»[.]
 
  • #3

In summary, it has been revealed that an in-home care employee identified as Elizabeth V. (EV) lived with LLC, AP, and the victim beginning on May 19, 2021 up to and beyond the victim’s poisoning.

EV began working with the family through a temp agency, Feliz Vita, but, on June 24, 2021, was directly hired by LLC and AP for 1,800 euros a month. LLC and AP told EV that they hired her directly because Feliz Vita asked too many questions and had too much control.

A representative from Feliz Vita stated that problems were detected in the victim’s care including AP leaving the home (sometimes for entire weekends) without notice and without returning phone calls, leaving all home care responsibilities on the workers, causing them undue stress.

EV has told law enforcement that, when she attended the funeral of the victim, a cousin of AP approached her and told her "not to trust her because she is not what she seems."

It has been revealed that AP has a police record.

[AP] was arrested on January 13, 2015 at the Civil Guard Detachment of Cistierna (León) for showing a "lack of respect or consideration to law enforcement". As elcierredigital.com has been able to learn, it occurred when AP refused to identify herself when asked by law enforcement.
 
  • #4

In summary, the coroners who performed the second autopsy on MISS have confirmed the she died of cadmium poisoning.

They also noted that she had an unjustifiable cocktail of drugs in her blood, including a mixture of anxiolytics, antidepressants, psychoactive drugs and other drugs that may have influenced her degeneration as reported by her family, friends, and in-home care nurse.

LLC and his wife are being investigated for the alleged murder of MISS, the wife's aunt. The couple was arrested on May 27 by the Civil Guard following a complaint by the victim's brother.

After appearing before the judge, they were released with the obligation to hand over their passports and appear each week before the court.
 
Last edited:
  • #5

In summary, a judge has ruled that, in order for LLC to see his eldest son from a previous marriage, he must have visitations at a set location with a mediator.

LLC is behind on child support because he claimed that he had financial problems. The judge determined this was doubtful, however, since more than 140,000 euros in cash were found at his house during the investigation into MISS’s at the home.
 
  • #6

In summary, the owner of MISS’s caretaker service has stated that LLC and ASP did not provide items needed for MISS’s basic care including adult diapers, toothbrushes, or food thickener.

In an incident recorded by the caretaker on June 2, 2021, 26 days before MISS’s death, the caretaker recorded that MISS was missing 21 doses of a pill and was hospitalized the same day after a notary refused to sign off on a power of attorney document due to MISS’s health.
 
  • #7

The Civil Guard has concluded in a report that there is no presence of cadmium in the samples seized in the house where the aunt-in-law of actor Luis Lorenzo died.
In contrast, magnesium has been detected in eight other samples. However, the report indicates that the concentrations were insignificant.
 
  • #8

The more that comes out of this case, the more horrifying it is. I am surprised that it has stayed relatively out of the international press.

In the article, according to a housekeeper during her testimony to a judge:
"When I arrived, the house was dirty and messy. [Maria Isabel] was neglected, without hygiene. They put her in a child's room, in a small bed at ground level, that was not appropriate for an elderly person with needs. Arancha and Luis did not shower her at home[; t]hey sent her to the garage bathrooms.”
In addition, "there was nothing to eat in the house, other than milk and cookies. I had to bring food from my own house and feed María Isabel […] because the old woman asked me to eat, and I couldn't give her anything because there was nothing, I felt very sorry for her."
The couple's son "constantly attacked María Isabel with kicks" and Arancha’s eldest son "laughed at her when they attacked her." The caregiver "tried to stop them from doing it" and she told Arancha about it, but she "didn't care about it."
 
  • #9

Investigators have discovered cadmium and manganese (the same elements that caused the victim’s death by poison) in bottles of shoe dye at the scene of the crime.

A journalist and criminologist points out in the article that the amount the victim ingested was 200 times more than a person could safely digest, which is why it remained in the blood and “would not be found in the brain.”
 
  • #10
I don't get that bit about the poisons remaining in the blood and not entering the brain. It looks like both of these cross the blood brain barrier to cause all kinds of awful neurological and psychiatric symptoms? Plus they had her on a bunch of other drugs (seven in total I think, four of which were antipsychotics and anxiolytics), it looks like.

In this article it mentions that the levels in the blood were super high but did not show up in hair samples or in very large quantities in the liver like it usually does. I'm trying to find a decent a timeline - it's all very confusing and some of the language is hard to understand. The articles are all over the place!

Also, I'm having trouble figuring out if they are now accusing the caregiver(s) of being involved (Ana?). Did anyone get that part?
 
  • #11
I don't get that bit about the poisons remaining in the blood and not entering the brain. It looks like both of these cross the blood brain barrier to cause all kinds of awful neurological and psychiatric symptoms? Plus they had her on a bunch of other drugs (seven in total I think, four of which were antipsychotics and anxiolytics), it looks like.

In this article it mentions that the levels in the blood were super high but did not show up in hair samples or in very large quantities in the liver like it usually does. I'm trying to find a decent a timeline - it's all very confusing and some of the language is hard to understand. The articles are all over the place!

Also, I'm having trouble figuring out if they are now accusing the caregiver(s) of being involved (Ana?). Did anyone get that part?
I agree that a timeline would be useful, as the reporting has been all over the place. I will see if I can scrape one together based on the articles that are out there!

Also, it looks like you are correct about the caregiver.


In that article, it states that, as a result of one of the caregivers’ witness statements, which was made on June 15, 2022, as well as the result of the homicide investigation, one of the caregivers may have been involved in the conspiracy, so investigators have called upon her for another statement. (I cannot see yet where they specify which caregiver is now being investigated.)

Another interesting tidbit in that article is that the journalist describes listening to an audio clip of a conversation between Arancha and María Isabel in which María Isabel accuses Arancha and Jose of forcing her to take medications that are different than the ones that her doctor has prescribed.
 
  • #12
I'm going to try and link a searched page Telecinco

It has a lot of articles regarding the case and seems to be decent reporting. I had to turn off ad-blocker though so it makes trying to read even more difficult. Pop-ups everywhere! I'm going to have to wait until I can concentrate before I try and look at a few of these but the site may help as a chronological source of relatively consistent reporting.

You are totally right @Countem, how weird it is that there is not much typical interest in this case. I wonder if the alleged perpetrators have good lawyers who are able to tamp down the media a bit. It doesn't look like they are hurting for money at all, which makes it even sicker that they would have treated Ms. Suárez in such a horrible manner. There is greed and then there is greed with psychopathy/sadism on top.
 
  • #13
Here is my best attempt at a timeline. Please let me know if I missed anything important!

March 8, 2021: Spanish actor Luis Lorenzo Crespo, 61, and his wife Arancha Palomino, 37, take María Isabel, 85, from her apartment in Grado, a small Asturian town, to their home in Rivas-Vaciamadrid, outside of Madrid. Palomino is Isabel’s niece. Isabel is reportedly in good health at the time, outside of some deafness and cataracts. She would actively sell eggs and home-grown vegetables from a cart at a weekly market up until the move. This is the last day that Isabel’s brother is in contact with Isabel. (Los extraños movimientos bancarios de la tía política de Luis Lorenzo el día que murió and La familia de la mujer supuestamente envenenada por su sobrina y el actor Luis Lorenzo: "Isabel les tenía miedo")

April 2021: Isabel is diagnosed with dementia. (Las fotografías que ponen contra las cuerdas al actor Luis Lorenzo y a Arancha Palomino)

April 17, 2021: The Local Police help Isabel after she spends more than four hours loitering alone in the commercial center. (La mujer de Luis Lorenzo insiste en que "no ha tocado" la herencia ni ha hecho uso del dinero de su tía muerta)

May 2021: Palomino and Lorenzo hire Mari C. as the first caregiver for Isabel, but she quits after six days due to the abusive conditions in the home towards Isabel and the caregiver. (La tía política de Luis Lorenzo, a su cuidadora: "Quiero volver a Asturias. ¿Para qué me han traído a Madrid?")

May 7, 2021: Palomino and Isabel visit a notary office, where a will is drawn leaving all of Isabel’s bank accounts and her home in Grado, Asturias to Palomino upon Isabel’s death. (Las fotografías que ponen contra las cuerdas al actor Luis Lorenzo y a Arancha Palomino)

May 17, 2021: Palomino and Lorenzo hire a second caretaker for Isabel, Elizabeth V. through the agency Feliz Vita. (Caso Luis Lorenzo: Los antecedentes policiales de Arancha Palomino y de la cuidadora de la tía Isabel)

May 21, 2021: Palomino and Isabel visit a notary office, and Palomino obtains full power of attorney for Isabel. (Las fotografías que ponen contra las cuerdas al actor Luis Lorenzo y a Arancha Palomino)

June 2, 2021: The caregiver reports that Isabel is missing 21 doses of her medication and is hospitalized after traveling seven hours to transfer power of attorney only for the notary to refuse to do so due to Isabel’s condition. (El jefe de los cuidadores de la tía de Luis Lorenzo declara que estaba desatendida)

June 6, 2021: The caregiver complains to her employer about the neglect of Isabel, including that Isabel has lice. (Los extraños movimientos bancarios de la tía política de Luis Lorenzo el día que murió)

June 23, 2021: Palomino and Lorenzo offer Elizabeth V. the opportunity to work for them directly (rather than through Feliz Vida) because of the “excessive” oversight of Feliz Vita. (Caso Luis Lorenzo: Los antecedentes policiales de Arancha Palomino y de la cuidadora de la tía Isabel)

June 26, 2021: The Civil Guard come to Palomino and Lorenzo’s home for a wellness check on Isabel at the request of Isabel’s brother, who filed a missing person report. Palomino denied them access, since they did not have a court order. (Los extraños movimientos bancarios de la tía política de Luis Lorenzo el día que murió and La familia de la mujer supuestamente envenenada por su sobrina y el actor Luis Lorenzo: "Isabel les tenía miedo")

June 27, 2021: A judge from Asturias reaches out to Palomino by telephone to speak with Isabel, but is told that Isabel can not get on the phone as she was in bed. (La mujer de Luis Lorenzo insiste en que "no ha tocado" la herencia ni ha hecho uso del dinero de su tía muerta)

June 28, 2021: Isabel dies at the home in Rivas-Vaciamadrid. (Caso Luis Lorenzo: Los antecedentes policiales de Arancha Palomino y de la cuidadora de la tía Isabel)

June 29, 2021: 11,700 euros are transferred out of Isabel’s bank account and into Palomino’s bank account. (Los extraños movimientos bancarios de la tía política de Luis Lorenzo el día que murió)

May 27, 2022: Lorenzo and Palomino are arrested near Madrid for the alleged murder of Isabel. (Spanish TV star wife arrested over claims they poisoned her aunt) Palomino attempts suicide and is taken to Hospital de la Paz. (La mujer de Luis Lorenzo intentó suicidarse en el calabozo, tras ser detenida)

May 31, 2022: An autopsy is released showing that Isabel had 200 times the normal level of cadmium and 20 times the normal level of manganese in her body. The metals are present in dyes, batteries and fungicides, and is also present in industrialized areas. (Spanish TV star wife arrested over claims they poisoned her aunt)
 
  • #14
Excellent timeline! Thank you so much! I had been wondering why this relatively successful couple were prepared to murder a relative that kind of money - 11,700 euros here, 9400 there, plus her monthly pension. Apparently in addition to cleaning out her bank accounts they took more than 142,000 euros in cash that Isabel had stashed under her bed and in other places throughout the house. Dang.

It sounds like she was really busy and independent before the poisoning. I've never heard of a decline that rapid in patients with Alzheimers disease or Lewy body dementia. Four months max from independent living to death? No way. Her neurological deficits and psychiatric symptoms came on fast. And the "she can't come to the phone" excuse is laughable. I have a hard time believing that a caregiver or concerned neighbor didn't have a cell phone she could use or that the judge didn't pursue additional contact or even send out someone from social services or a representative of the court. This is so sad!
 
  • #15

Wow. Looks like Lorenzo’s son may be a star witness in the case against his father.

Luis Lorenzo’s 10-year-old son has told the Civil Guard about the mistreatment of Maria Isabel, including his father and Arancha not feeding her, forcing her to go to the garage to use the bathroom, and even asking the children to hit her.

Luis and Arancha’s discussions often revolved around money, the son said. "They spent all night yelling at each other about money.”

"Let’s see if she dies now” was said by both [my father and Arancha]. Then [once she died], my father said, “We can buy the house now.” They wanted to buy a house, and, of course, they didn't have enough money, so if they kept all the money she had, of course they could. They just wanted her to die to have the money.”

Lorenzo’s son told the Civil Guard that both his father and Arancha were yelling at Isabel all the time because she couldn't sleep. However, the reason that she couldn’t sleep, according to the son, was because she was forced to sleep in a child’s bed where her legs would stick out.

In addition, the son pointed out that Isabel was regularly woken up at seven in the morning to Luis and Arancha screaming, "Come on! Get ready now, because we have to go!" The son said, "I don't know why they woke her up so early because the poor thing was falling asleep around the corners."

The rude awakenings were even annoying their neighbors, who told Luis and Arancha that they couldn't scream at that time of the morning and may have recorded one of the incidents, according to the son.

The son stated that the couple gave “Aunt Isabel” very little to eat and that "the little that they gave her, she didn't like." What's more, the son said that Isabel’s "tremors" made her hardly able to move, making eating difficult. The son claimed that he offered to feed and shower her, but the couple would not allow it.

Interestingly, despite the fact that the couple never helped Isabel eat, there was one day when they did, which happened to be the day before her death, according to the son. "Once they fed her, the next day she had disappeared; she was gone.”

Luis Lorenzo's son also explained to the Civil Guard that his father and Arancha did not let Aunt Isabel "go to the bathroom at home" and that "they took her down to the garage” because of the "horrible food" that was in that home that would cause her to have diarrhea.

In terms of physical abuse, the son said, “Arancha and my father told [their children] to hit Isabel, who is basically their grandmother. They would take a pillow and start hitting her, hitting her. I said 'Hey now, you're hurting her,' but they continued."

The couple also did not help the old woman get dressed, a task that was impossible for her to do because of her "tremors." "Her clothes fell off, she couldn't do anything. They would say she was a disaster, but it's not that she's a disaster, it's that if you don't help her, she won't be able to do it, she won't be able to get dressed, she won't be able to take a shower, because she can't eat or anything," said the son.
 
  • #16

Six employees of a VIPS restaurant in the Madrid town of Rivas Vaciamadrid confirmed in their statements to the Civil Guard that Isabel Suárez, aunt of Arancha Palomino, wife of actor Luis Lorenzo, remained abandoned in their restaurant for at least nine hours on April 17, 2021 while the rest of the family spent the day in Madrid's Wagner Park celebrating a birthday. One of the employees took a photograph that has been submitted in the case for homicide against Luis Lorenzo and his wife, Arancha Palomino.

The photo is at the linked article.

The employees testified that Isabel seemed "a normal grandmother" and that she "had difficulties communicating, that it was difficult for her to speak, that she was not easily understood, and that she had problems explaining what she needed.”

The employees also testified that "at 3:30 p.m. they notified the Local Police, reporting that an older woman had been abandoned in the restaurant."

The employees explained that they “called the telephone number that Isabel had pasted on the back of her mobile, and a woman answered saying that ‘they were not going to come pick her up, since they were at Warner's for a birthday.’ After this, the employees called the Local Police who contacted Arancha again, receiving a similar response. The policemen left the premises assuring that they could not do anything else.”
 
  • #17

Luis Lorenzo and Arancha Palomino have requested the Investigating Judge to annul part of the proceedings in the framework of the investigation against them for the crime of homicide due to defenselessness and breach of procedural guarantees.
The defense team presented a brief before the judge last Thursday to request the annulment of part of the proceedings for violation of fundamental rights. It would be the annulment of the extension proceedings carried out last June by the Civil Guard, which consisted of interrogations of relatives of those investigated, among them the circle of Palomino with "certain enmity" towards the investigated. Apparently, the statements would have been made behind the backs of the defense of Luis Lorenzo and Arancha Palomino, which would have left them defenseless. In addition, the lawyer of those investigated maintains, in relation to the interrogations of the children of the marriage, that article 416 of the Law of Criminal Procedure (LEC) has been violated.
 
  • #18

Actor Luis Lorenzo and his partner, Arancha Suárez, will testify on November 8 before a judge investigating the death of their aunt to defend their innocence.
Luis Lorenzo refused to testify before the judge on May 27, after his arrest, while Suárez denied the facts she was accused of, after which the magistrate decided to release them, although with precautionary measures.
 
  • #19

The cornerstone of the case is the autopsy of the old woman, which detected an amount of cadmium and manganese that exceeded 200 times and 20 times the normal levels in living people, respectively. However, the latest Criminalistics report from the Civil Guard, held by OKDIARIO, reveals that the investigators did not find a single gram of cadmium in the suspects' house. Although it is true that the search took place nine months after the victim's death.
The [defense] lawyer refers to the statements and reports of the experts from the National Institute of Toxicology and the Defense Toxicology Institute. All these experts consider that the accumulation of metals in the body of the deceased is not sufficient to conclude that she had been poisoned. Moreover, they insist that there are data and precedents that show how after death the body releases the metals that it has been accumulating for a lifetime, making its presence much higher than in analyzes of living people. Likewise, experts agree that if it were intentional poisoning, the metals would have left clearly visible traces of their passage through the digestive tract and other organs.

Thus, the theory of poisoning seems to crumble to the point that the Civil Guard, in its last report, already refers to the fact that the couple allegedly murdered the woman by uncontrollably administering the medications that they had prescribed for Alzheimer's dementia suffering, ruling out poisoning.
 
  • #20

Members online

Online statistics

Members online
113
Guests online
2,785
Total visitors
2,898

Forum statistics

Threads
632,679
Messages
18,630,368
Members
243,248
Latest member
nonameneeded777
Back
Top