A grim and complicated history is unraveling in Denia, woven from dark family secrets that some of the main people involved tried to bury for over three decades. During a family argument on an August night in 1993, a 27-year-old local man known in the neighbourhood as Juanito was killed by his own family. Following the killing, his body was dismembered and buried in the courtyard of the family home, located on Calle Hospital beneath the walls of Denia Castle.
At least three blood relatives were involved in the crime: his father, who was also named Juan, his mother, Antonia, and his sister, Mariluz. After committing the act, they remained silent. For years, they lived alongside the remains, keeping the secret hidden from the victim’s seven other siblings. However, the other brothers and sisters never stopped asking questions about what had happened to Juanito.
In 2000, under intense pressure from her other children, Antonia finally went to the National Police station to file a missing person report for her son. The report never led to any formal prosecution because Juanito was an adult and police believed at the time that his disappearance could have been voluntary. Even so, officers at the time did carry out some local enquiries and questioned neighbours in the Les Roques area about his whereabouts.
Later that same year, the family moved out of the house. Just before leaving, Juan senior covered the burial site by constructing a staircase to the upper floor over it. The father later died in 2009.
The truth did not emerge until Mariluz decided to confess. According to the victim’s nephew, Santiago, she implicated herself and both parents in the killing, which allegedly followed a dispute linked to Juanito’s drug addiction. It remains unclear who dealt the fatal blow, as some family members point to the mother and others to the father. However, the confession from Mariluz specified that it was the father who used large knives to dismember the body.
Following the confession, the family approached a court in Denia, but the case could not be legally reopened. Under the Spanish Criminal Code, the statute of limitations for such crimes expires after 20 years, meaning the case legally expired in 2013.
Determined to find answers, the family took matters into their own hands. They reached an agreement with the current owner of the property, hired a private firm, and began excavating the area. The building had been heavily renovated over the years, and the old outdoor courtyard had been incorporated into the interior living space.
On Wednesday, 3rd June 2026, the excavation work uncovered approximately five human bones. The family immediately contacted the police, who recovered the skeletal remains. Forensic teams will now conduct DNA testing to verify that the bones belong to Juanito and to confirm that his death took place in 1993. Saliva samples have already been collected from relatives for comparison. Left devastated and angry that the crime may go unpunished due to legal time limits, the family members say their only remaining wish is to complete the excavation so they can finally lay Juanito to rest in peace.
