Pedro José Sáez bled to death and died in his kitchen after being beaten “with at least two different blunt objects” and punched and kicked. The two forensic experts who carried out the autopsy of the retired professor who was murdered in his … home on February 18, 2020 have described in detail the profusion of wounds that the victim had. Images so harsh that the trial had to be stopped due to the indisposition of one of the jury members. Meanwhile, the accused, as happened on Thursday, lowered her eyes so as not to see the shocking images.
A cruel and brutal death, with a victim who had various bruises on the head, broken five ribs and injuries on other parts of the body, including some on the outside of the hand or forearm that are related to an attempt to defend himself. “There are wounds caused in the struggle or fight,” he added.
But the blows were not the cause of death. «He had no vital organs affected. “The significant loss of blood caused hypovolemic shock, which is colloquially known as bleeding to death,” said one of the forensic experts.
Pedro José had an incised-contused wound on his face, and a similar one on the back of his head, both caused by a blunt and sharp object, which has not been found and which a police agent related on Thursday to some kind of metal profile. This point could also be confirmed by the presence of “small metal remains and grease” in the wounds.
But there were also other injuries caused by another toothed instrument, undetermined, in the area of one of the ears. And another in the parietal region, an externally shallow wound, but which caused significant internal trauma to the victim.
Broken nose bones, maxillary fracture, upper and lower lip with internal injuries due to a blow “compatible with a punch” according to the doctor, injuries next to an eye, hyperextension between two vertebrae, five broken ribs… “We “It indicates violence and force,” he said. “But he survived the blows,” he added.
Regarding the duration of the beating, the doctors have assured that it is impossible to determine it exactly, but that these are injuries “close in time, in a short space of time.” And, regarding the time of death, in relation to the body temperature, the environmental temperature and the weight of the victim, the doctors have indicated that only a wide range of time can be provided: «Death occurred between 7:15 and 1:25 p.m. on February 18. No traces of alcohol or drugs were found in the victim’s body. In response to questions from the private prosecution, the forensic experts stated that, based on the injuries, “it could be assumed that he was lying down or was at a low height.”
Violence that erases traces
The presence of so much blood at the crime scene has complicated the investigation to such an extent that it could erase traces. “It was so contaminated by the blood of the deceased that it is very difficult to find other remains,” said one of the doctors who testified this Friday.
Also impregnated with blood was a roll of tape and remains of it that, according to police instructors, could have been used to bind the victim. «There were parallel injuries on the forearm, which could coincide with a tape, but also with defense against something with two equal parts. “We cannot rule out that he was tied,” he analyzed.
In that territory of what could have been and the scientific evidence that forensics can provide, the authorship of the crime was also questioned. Was it a single person who entered Pedro José’s house to kill him or could there have been more? They were questioned. «It could have been one or more. “It cannot be ruled out that there were more people,” he noted.
The day ended with a videoconference between an inspector and a technician from the Madrid Scientific Police. Both have emphasized, as other witnesses had already confirmed in the five days of the trial, that no traces of the accused’s DNA were found in the victim’s home.
«You blocked me, I’m alone. You killed me”
During this Friday’s session, the fifth of the trial for the murder of Pedro José Sáez, the different parties have provided documentary evidence. The Prosecutor’s Office has requested that the document of the extradition from Italy of the accused man and two articles of the regularization process of irregular immigrants in Italy be read, which allowed those who had resided in the transalpine country since before the 8th to obtain documents. of March. But it has also requested the reproduction of different telephone conversations intercepted between the two accused in the months of February and March 2021. In these conversations, the accused goes from “hello, my love” to shouts of “enough, I’m sorry.” “You are doing wrong” due to the indifference of the accused, who accuses him of having relations with another woman through Facebook. «I’m not fine, leave me. You killed me. Enough, enough. Enough! », He says in a conversation. That same day, in another telephone conversation (the accused was in Italy) he blurted out: “You blocked me, I’m alone. I have written to her and many others. I want to talk to anyone, anything. “You’re killing me!” the man shouts in a clear sign of an already broken relationship. Meanwhile, on the part of the defense of the accused, the sentence of acquittal of the accused in the case of the alleged swindling of 54,000 euros from Pedro José Sáez has been read.
