THIS SERIES IS BASED ON REAL EVENTS. CHANGES WERE MADE FOR DRAMATIC PURPOSES.
BURNING BODY
EPISODE 8. MAY 1ST 2017
Dear customers, if you spend over €100, you'll get discounts at PortAventura.
-Is your mother still on a diet? -Yes.
But she'll eat for three.
Mom, can you hear me?
I'm in a parking lot. The signal's pretty bad.
Hello?
Hey, dummy.
I got coupons for PortAventura at the supermarket.
I was thinking that once we do that thing,
we could go there some weekend.
Let me know.
How did you discover this message?
It's a voice message we found as "sent" on Rosa's phone.
It was tough to recover because it had been deleted.
Who was it addressed to? Who is "dummy"?
From previous messages,
we know she only used that term to address Mr. Albert López.
-What date was that message sent? -April 30th.
One day before Pedro's death,
Rosa proposed to Albert that they go to an amusement park.
After doing "that thing," of course.
Could "that thing" be murdering Pedro?
It's possible.
After killing her partner, Ms. Rosa wanted to ride rollercoasters.
They just saw Pedro as an obstacle, a nuisance,
nothing.
Pedro sent a message to his in-laws that day, didn't he?
Yes.
The following message was sent while his death was being plotted.
Just hours before his execution, on May 1st, 2017.
Juan, how are you?
We wanted to invite you to spend the day at La Torre tomorrow.
We'll have chicken.
It'll be fun. The weather's supposed to be great.
Good morning.
Is it nice out?
Very.
-Great. -Okay, let's get moving.
-Come on. -Pedro.
-We have plans with your parents. -Stop!
Stop, Pedro. Don't do that.
-I spy with my little eye. -What do you spy?
Where's the gazpacho?
Something beginning with the letter S.
Where's the gazpacho?
Wasn't it for me?
Seriously? Did you drink it?
-Steering wheel! -Yes!
-We can buy some on the way. -No, we're running late.
My turn now, Pedro.
-We've got plenty. -I spy.
-No! -I spy with my little eye!
-We'll get some on the way. -No, we won't.
-We're late! -I spy!
Stop, Sofía. Enough!
Game's over, okay? Come on, out.
-No, Mom. Let go! -I said "out." That's enough.
Okay, that's it. I'm not going. Call your parents.
-What? -It's not Sofía or the damn gazpacho.
You just can't stand me!
"I'm sick of your tantrums."
"What else do I have to do for you to trust me?"
That's an earlier message from Rosa to Pedro.
Nothing unusual.
But weren't they the perfect couple?
When we recovered deleted conversations from their phones,
we saw there was a toxic relationship, and both were at fault.
Until the end?
During the final days, they had a sort of truce.
Because Rosa didn't want to arouse suspicion about her plan.
Pedro!
I'm sorry.
-I'm a little stressed. -Right.
I'm late.
-Maybe it's just that, okay? -Jesus.
Not a word to my parents, okay?
Or to Sofía, please.
Come on, Sofía.
Come and get that rake.
-Look. -Help us gather the leaves.
-Okay. -Like this, see?
He's neglected this a bit.
Mom, he hasn't been well, you know?
Let's see if you get it together. You both seem a bit… I don't know.
"A bit" what?
I'm going back to work soon.
And Pedro will be reinstated soon.
What?
Did I say anything?
I don't know. That look you gave me…
I don't know. I thought he looked
happier before. So did you.
Things are better, Mom.
Yeah.
We went to the clinic on Tuesday.
I thought you had put that on hold.
Nope.
We're gonna give you a little grandchild that you're gonna love.
Children fix everything.
Oh dear.
I won't comment, but I could see a small vegetable patch there.
-Really? -Sure.
-What do you think? There. -Me?
-Well, as long as you tend to it. -Okay.
I told her father
if he raised her like a princess, she'd end up on the throne.
-Don't exaggerate. -Well…
But I'll tell you what. I could see a wooden hot tub there.
With little lights all around?
Okay. A hot tub. And what else?
Ask away, my queen.
-Go on. -"My queen."
I don't know. Something for your son.
Of course.
Your son should also get to enjoy all of this.
Of course.
Yes.
Of course. I also thought of…
Sofía won't like it. A slide or a trampoline.
-I do like it! -No. Really? You do?
I thought you didn't.
-Wonderful. -So, you like it?
-Yes. -Yeah, I figured.
WONDERFUL FAMILY DAY AT RODA DE BARÁ! ENJOYING LIFE WITH THE FAMILY
They took a lot of photos that day.
And Rosa posted them on all her social media accounts.
To what end?
It's hard to judge a person's intentions.
They were photos of a happy family
that Rosa could use in her future defense
to avoid being accused of the murder she committed just hours later.
I want more days like this.
No arguing.
I want us to stop bickering.
Hey, if it turns out you are…
You should stay on leave, right?
No, honey.
I need to go back to work.
Right.
But it's dangerous, you know?
-I mean… -Right, Pedro, but I…
I can't not work.
Why not?
You wouldn't know how to be rich?
Yeah, "rich."
What is it?
What's wrong?
Nothing.
No. Not "nothing."
-Come on. What is it? -Nothing.
Come on, say it.
What do you mean?
-You really wanna know? -Yes.
If I don't work, no one else will.
-Come on, Rosa. Come on. -What?
You think I like lying on the couch all day?
-I don't know. -Was it my fault I got suspended?
-Yes, it was your fault, Pedro. -Come on.
It was your fault for beating up that kid.
-What? -For having a short temper.
For going fucking apeshit.
Then it's all, "Forgive me," and that crap. It's not good enough!
I beat him 'cause you were driving me mad!
-What? -You were driving me mad!
-Right. -Fuck!
Unbelievable, dude. So, now it's my fault, is it?
I mean it. You're 40 fucking years old!
Okay? Act your age!
You're too eager to go back to work. Too eager. Why?
Do you miss Albert?
Huh? Do you miss Albert?!
That night, shortly before 10:00 p.m.,
Rosa called Albert from the phone she had used to talk to him for years.
The one with the pink case.
We don't know what they said.
-What is it? -It has to be today.
-Today? -I can't take it anymore, Albert.
Why tonight? Is he suspicious? Did he do anything to you?
Rosa.
Rosa!
Rosa, talk to me!
I can't take it anymore, Albert.
I swear, I can't.
We'll do it tonight, then.
But how?
I'll feed him the pills.
-Yes, give him a bunch to knock him out. -Okay.
I'll put them in his dinner.
-When should I come over? -I don't know. Late.
-Don't let the neighbors see you. -1:00 a.m.?
-No, later. At 2:00 a.m. -Okay, I'll be there at 2:00 a.m.
-Call me if anything happens. -Okay.
If he wakes up or something.
But not on this phone. I'll turn on the new one.
But call me. I don't have that number.
I'll leave a missed call?
Okay.
Everything will be fine.
Okay.
-See you later. -See you.
A few days earlier,
Albert purchased a new device, the same model as his usual phone,
and a prepaid card from a Chinese company.
They took three years to disclose the activity of that number.
It turned out it was only used once.
While searching the house, we couldn't locate Pedro's medications,
even though Silvia, his ex, said he never ran out.
MISSED CALL
Sweetie.
I thought you were exhausted.
What's up?
What's wrong?
-I can't sleep. -You can't sleep?
Let's think about something nice.
That way, you'll dream of it.
What is it?
A doggy.
-A doggy. -To play with at Pedro's nice house.
Okay.
Though we can always play right here in our garden.
It's my dream.
Okay, darling.
All right. Close your eyes, okay?
We believe Pedro was drugged to make the murder easier.
He was a strong man.
Neither Rosa nor Albert showed any signs of violence after the crime.
Are you gonna go watch TV?
I'm too tired.
They're back.
Who?
The mice.
Any mice?
We never understood why Albert took his personal phone
to Rosa's when he had the other one.
We believe it was a mistake.
Thanks to that, we found out that in the early hours of May 2nd,
Albert left his house in Badalona and went to Rosa's in Cubelles.
Rosa.
I feel great.
Go to sleep.
Do you love me?
Of course.
I love you too.
How did Pedro die?
We don't know.
His remains were little more than ashes.
Forensic work was almost impossible.
If it hadn't been for the numbered screws and plate in his back,
we never would've been able to identify him.
That's why they decided to burn him.
To eliminate evidence and stifle an investigation.
But they made mistakes.
DNA tests proved it was Pedro's blood.
How did it get on the lightbulb?
The blood spatter indicates
the victim was likely hit with a blunt object.
While he slept on the couch.
That's our assumption.
-Where is his car? -Parked on the street.
Come on.
Leave it.
Careful. Don't make any noise.
-Mom. -Come on. Have breakfast. Mom is busy.
"The child said that night she barely slept."
"She heard noises, screams, blows. She said her mother had bloodstains."
Your Honor, what is that?
It's the statement of her ex-husband, Javier Guerrero, and Ms. Pujol.
Your Honor, this is unacceptable.
He's making a minor voice a serious allegation against her mother.
I object. His statement must be dismissed.
Sustained.
What is it, honey?
Don't you wanna sleep over at your grandparents'?
Where's Pedro?
He's upset.
It's normal grown-up stuff. He'll get over it.
Promise me
that when you go to bed tonight, you'll think about nice things.
Cutie.
According to your report,
Rosa impersonated Pedro to make it seem like he was still alive.
Who did she write to?
Hi, Néstor.
How are you? Pedro's in the shower.
To his best friend, Néstor, apologizing for not calling him.
She also apologized to his ex-wife for not being able to pick up their son.
-Did she text anyone else? -His mechanic.
NAVARRO REPAIR SHOP
I can't get a hold of you, Pedro. I'm calling about the €40.
Today is May 2nd. We agreed you'd pay me in April.
You know what you gotta do for us to stay friends. I'm here until 1:30 p.m.
NAVARRO REPAIR SHOP
Rosa would later tell us that Pedro stormed out of the house,
perhaps stopping by the shop to pay the €40 he owed.
Pedro's phone shows a record of that visit.
Then it was switched off.
We believe it was Rosa who had the phone
and that she then had to go back home.
As for Albert, he was much more careful on May 2nd.
He left his phone at home. In theory, he did not leave Badalona.
But CCTV cameras proved otherwise.
How's it going?
Fine, I think.
What's the matter?
-Nothing. I'm tired and need some sleep. -Of course. Everything's okay, right?
Honey!
Hide downstairs.
-Hi. -Honey.
Sofía says you didn't pack her unicorn.
I told you.
Go on and get it.
I don't wanna go by myself, Grandma.
I don't know what's up with her. She's so frazzled.
What's the matter, Sofía?
Haven't you seen the photos I sent you?
-Which ones? -These. From the other day.
At first, Rosa's father said he had seen Pedro that afternoon.
-Bye, Mom. -Bye.
He later admitted to having lied at Rosa's request.
Want some?
Pedro, honey, where are you?
I know what we said and…
that everything's much harder than it first seemed.
But when are you coming back?
I miss you.
Pedro's phone reappears after 11:00 p.m.
in the vicinity of Javier Guerrero's home, Rosa's ex-husband.
The last message is sent from that location.
I miss you too.
I can't tell you. I don't want you to get involved.
But I need time.
They wanted to make it look like Pedro and Mr. Javier Guerrero had argued
and that the altercation had ended fatally.
These confrontations did, in fact, occur.
They had a history of tension and finger pointing.
He was the perfect scapegoat.
Where did their plan go wrong?
That night, Rosa's ex-husband was not at home
and was able to prove it.
FOIX RESERVOIR
They left Pedro's car and his burning corpse at Foix Reservoir.
It burned for hours until the fire died down.
The burnt car was spotted on May 3rd.
But it wasn't until late on May 4th that a passerby called in to report it.
We began the investigation that very night.
Many thanks for your work, Ms. Varona, and for sharing it with us here today.
I guess your lawyer advised you to accept my visit,
but you'd have preferred not to.
You're staging quite a performance. I'm not sure if you're aware.
But nobody believes you. You're a joke.
I just don't get it. I mean,
how dare you do this
when there's a deceased person involved.
Have you no sense of guilt?
It must be torturing you.
You might not tell anyone,
but when you're alone or when you're sleeping…
Can you sleep at all? Don't you have nightmares?
Tell the truth, Rosa, please.
Do it for everyone.
At least for us, it would be less…
I don't know, less cruel.
Do it for your daughter.
Think about her.
Let her see you being honest and apologizing.
To her, too, damn it.
Unless you want to lose her forever, that is.
With Pedro's death,
the defendants aimed to cement a macabre pact of love.
They'd failed one another in the past,
and this time, their commitment would be eternal.
This also allowed Mr. López to unleash his vengeful rage against Mr. Rodríguez.
He had stolen his girl in front of his colleagues and humiliated him.
He would not rest until he saw him dead.
Ms. Peral also wanted to get rid of Pedro.
I'm sorry to put it that way, but that is how cold they were about it.
Rosa had concluded that she had rushed things with Pedro
and that she missed Mr. López.
By getting rid of Pedro, she could have it all.
She could play the victim, get her freedom, and avoid blame.
And if she also got her ex-husband locked up,
away from their daughter, whose custody they were disputing,
that would be the cherry on top.
Even so, it's hard for you to fathom what they did.
That is why you are sitting here.
And they, over there.
Mr. López, you're entitled to a final statement.
I'd like to reiterate my innocence
concerning the death of Pedro Rodríguez.
May he rest in peace. I'm sorry, even though we weren't friends.
And I had nothing to do with it.
I'm here because I was a dummy.
Nothing more, nothing less, Your Honors. Thank you very much.
Your turn, Ms. Peral.
Rosa.
Stay calm.
Don't forget anything, about Pedro, about Sofía…
The handkerchief.
I want justice.
And for Albert to pay for what he did.
Thank you.
"May the jury find Albert López Ferrer either guilty,
with a minimum of seven votes,
or not guilty, with a minimum of five votes,
of the following proven acts."
"First-degree murder."
Votes in favor of guilt, seven.
Votes against, two.
Guilty.
"May the jury find Rosa María Peral Viñuela either guilty,
with a minimum of seven votes,
or not guilty, with a minimum of five votes,
of the following proven acts."
"First-degree murder."
Votes in favor of guilt,
eight.
Votes against, one.
Guilty.
The court is adjourned.
Congratulations.
What?
-I find it hard to celebrate this. -Well, you should.
Inspector.
-You did a great job. -Thank you.
Thank you very much. Thank you.
-Thank you. -Stay strong.
There are nuances though.
What matters is they're going to prison, not the nuances.
Maybe.
That's why you have a successful podcast and I don't.
Unbelievable.
Go. Don't worry.
Varona.
See you around.
Sure.
The Barcelona Court has sentenced
Rosa Peral to 25 years in prison, and Albert López to 20,
for the murder of Pedro Rodríguez, an officer of Barcelona's police force.
A jury found both defendants guilty of first-degree murder,
with eight votes in favor and one against in the case of Rosa Peral
and seven in favor and two against in the case of Albert López.
The convicted offenders must now cover the costs of the trial,
plus compensation in the amount of €885,000 to the victim's family.
The trial spanned 26 sessions and marked the end
of one of the most anticipated cases in recent years.
It's him.
I'm going inside.
You must be happy.
She's the mother of my child, Rosamari. Why would I be happy?
Is she ready?
Sofía.
Sofía! Oh wow!
You look gorgeous.
You're so beautiful.
Sorry. I'm just so happy.
You look so different.
You look great.
Who dresses you like that?
I do.
Of course.
Of course, silly me.
Tell me something.
What do you want me to tell you?
I don't know. I already know you're doing well in school.
Have you seen me on TV?
They don't let me watch when you come on.
Right.
You don't have a phone?
If you ask your grandparents, they'll definitely give you one.
That way we can talk.
Are you happy at school?
Yes.
Do they talk about me?
Of course.
Sofía.
Sofía, people are bastards. You have to protect yourself.
I love you more than anything in this world.
You know that, right?
More than my own life.
Why didn't you want to see me for three years?
Because I was ashamed of you seeing me here.
You're not anymore?
I promise you
we'll be together very soon.
Okay?
The trial was a disaster.
But my lawyer will appeal, and they will review it.
I'll get out, and we'll be together.
I promise you.
The Supreme Court dismissed the appeals of Albert López and Rosa Peral,
thereby confirming their sentences of 20 and 25 years respectively
for the first-degree murder of Pedro Rodríguez.
An additional five-year sentence was given to Rosa Peral
due to her relationship with the victim.
She will serve out her sentence by 2042, by which time she will be 61 years old.