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Irene Quirante
Malaga
Wednesday, 23 October 2024, 15:39
The man accused of killing Natalia, the 45-year-old Colombian woman who was found decapitated at a Marbella beach, has been found guilty of murder.
The jury handed down its verdict this Wednesday 23 October after it unanimously agreed Natalia's ex-partner Leonel H. was guilty of rape and murder, and that his actions were premeditated.
While Leonel H. admitted he committed the crime during the trial, he argued his actions were not premeditated, and that they were triggered by "momentary impulse". However, the jury was not convinced, finding he wanted to hide the evidence by decapitating the victim's head and hands and throwing her body into the sea.
In the days prior to the crime, as has been proven, he harassed Natalia with phone calls, despite there being a restraining order against him for gender violence. She had even told her relatives she felt harassed by Leonel H.
On the morning of the crime, on Sunday 8 January, Leonel asked a co-worker to rent a cargo van without windows. After picking it up, the two drove to a church where he knew he could find Natalia, as she attended worship there every Sunday. He then put her in the vehicle, where they got driven to the Real Zaragoza beach. There, they had sex before Leonel H killed Natalia.
The jury found he took the victim by surprise when he murdered her. According to the prosecution, he suffocated her with his arms by performing the 'mataleón' technique, which consists of surprising victims from behind by passing their arm around their neck causing them to lose consciousness. He decapitated Natalia and cut off her hands whilst also cutting her abdomen and throwing her body into the sea with the intention of sinking it in order to eliminate any evidence of the crime.
According to the verdict, Leonel H. committed the crime with express contempt for the female sex of the victim and approached her knowing she had a restraining order against him.
The court considered his confession once he was arrested, lowering his prison sentence. From 26 years in prison, the prosecution will request he be sentenced to 19 and a half years. The defendant's defence accepted the prosecution's request. After the jury's verdict, the court will now have to pass sentence.
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