Family of woman killed by hammer blows in Fuengirola say 'she was suffering abuse and wanted a divorce'

Zunilda Hoyos Méndez was the 43-year-old woman that was found dead, next to her husband, Jarred, in a rented flat in Fuengirola on Thursday, 19 June. It has now been confirmed that she was a bodybuilding champion from Colombia and that she shared her profession with her husband of four years.

According to the police investigation so far, her death is ruled as gender-based violence: Jarred first allegedly killed her with a hammer, after which he took his own life by stabbing himself. This hypothesis is highlighted by what the victim's family has said: Zunilda had been complaining of Jarred's aggressive behaviour, which had prompted her to seek divorce in the short term.

Zunilda's family started getting concerned when her mother had not heard from her for a few days. Knowing that she would communicate with them on a daily basis, they became suspicious when she wouldn't pick up her phone. "We were so surprised that we hadn't heard from her since Saturday," said Zunilda's niece, Yuleydis.

What they knew about Jarred's violent tendencies further accentuated their worries. "She was being abused and wanted a divorce," said the victim's family. Zunilda had spoken about her intentions over the phone, as well as through WhatsApp voice notes and videos that may now prove essential to the investigation. Yuleydis, who was hoping to see her aunt around 25 July, said that Zunilda would tell her family about everything that was happening.

According to Yuleydis, Zunilda and Jarred had met through their shared occupation. They had been living in Dubai for most of the year and had no children. Zunilda had accompanied her husband on his trip to Spain, where he had a knee operation scheduled for Monday, 16 June. By that time, Zunilda had stopped answering her family's messages and calls.

Zunilda's plan was to stay with Jarred in the hospital for a week, then travel to Portugal for an international competition she was very excited about. Her intention was to have already divorced Jarred before returning to Colombia.

"For my aunt, it was her last trip with him, a farewell. She had taken the decision to divorce him, because of his aggressive behaviour," said Yuleydis. The couple had previously gone through a break up, which had kept them separated for a while. However, they got back together and tried to patch things up. The abuse continued. Yuleydis believes that her aunt never reported her husband and only confided in family and friends.

During their stay in Fuengirola, the couple rented a flat in the El Higuerón neighbourhood. Zunilda quickly became popular at the local gym due to her well-built physique. Her absence from day one was noticed by the rest of the gym users.

On Wednesday, 18 June, after not having heard from her for a few days, Yuleydis and Angie - another niece of Zunilda's - started to seek help through social media and WhatsApp groups. "Family and friends are anguished, with no news of life," read their message, accompanied by a photo of the couple.

Zunilda's friends were also worried. She was not taking calls or answering messages, nor was she attending training sessions. On Wednesday, a friend of hers went to the police station in Torremolinos to report her missing.

National Police officers were sent to the flat in Fuengirola on Thursday. Around 1.45pm, they entered and found the two bodies. There were signs of violence. Although the investigation is still open, pending the results of the autopsy, everything suggests that Jarred killed his wife and then died by suicide.

If this hypothesis is confirmed, Zunilda would be the third victim of domestic violence in Malaga province so far this year.