Jesús Pradales, accused of the death of Juana Canal, broke his silence after 19 years, saying that the tragedy was an accident. In his statement, he recounted the events that occurred on the night of February 23, 2003, when the two men argued in the house they shared. According to Jesús, the conflict began because Juana, after drinking, became aggressive and began hitting him, also hiding the keys, the mobile phone and 600 euros from him. “When I saw her coming, what I wanted to do was defend myself. I pushed her away, it was a push,” he explained to the jury.
The accused assured that when he saw Juana lifeless after the push, panic“The police had just arrived, they were going to think it was me,” he added, justifying his refusal to call for help, also alleging that he did not have a mobile phone at the time.
Pradales acknowledged that after verifying that Juana was dead, he made a desperate decision: He cut the body in two with a kitchen knife. and he carried it in two suitcases to a farm he owned in Ávila, where he buried it. For 19 years he remained silent, until this Tuesday, when he finally gave his version in court. Although aware that his words will not erase the pain, he asked Juana’s family for forgiveness.
