Overview

• Police arrested the victim’s ex-wife this week on murder charges and she has been placed in provisional custody.
• The ex-wife’s partner, identified as a co-perpetrator, died of natural causes in 2022 and was never prosecuted.
• The remains of Juan Manuel Leiva González were uncovered in 2021 in a rural Riudecols property, nearly buried under a blanket and tarpaulin.
• A February 2024 disclosure by the victim’s sister prompted investigators to match the remains to the missing man through DNA records.
• Forensic experts detected multiple stab wounds to the humerus and ribs, supporting investigators’ conclusion that the killing was orchestrated to seize his fire extinguisher business.