Son admits murdering mother in Fuerteventura and is sent to prison
A judge in Puerto del Rosario (Fuerteventura) has ordered the immediate imprisonment of a 22-year-old man accused of murdering and dismembering his mother in Corralejo.
The victim, a 56-year-old Belgian national named Katty O, was reported missing before parts of her body were discovered last Friday at a landfill site in the island’s capital, five days after she was last seen.
According to a statement from the Superior Court of Justice for the Canary Islands (TSJC), investigators have gathered evidence suggesting the suspect went to his mother’s home on Sunday 3rd May with the intention of killing her in order to obtain money she had refused to give him.
“Extreme violence” during argument
Court documents indicate that a heated argument broke out inside the property, escalating into what the judge described as an attack carried out with “extreme violence”.
After allegedly killing his mother, the suspect is said to have transferred €3,000 from her bank account into his own. Investigators believe part of that money was used during the early hours of the following morning, including the purchase of tools, among them a circular saw, and cleaning products.
The court order states that he then returned to the property, allegedly dismembered the body and disposed of the remains in nearby rubbish containers before attempting to clean the scene and remove evidence.
Strong lines of evidence
The judge cited multiple pieces of evidence supporting the decision to remand him in custody, including witness statements, CCTV footage, bank transactions, purchase receipts, forensic findings at the home, discoveries at the landfill site and the suspect’s own statement.
The ruling also refers to possible indications of a third person’s involvement, although no other individual has been formally identified at this stage.
Some items believed to have been used in the crime have not yet been recovered, a factor the court said increases the risk of evidence being destroyed if the suspect were released.
Aggravated murder and fraud charges
Provisionally, the judge considers the alleged offence to constitute murder with several aggravating factors, including premeditation, cruelty and the intention of facilitating another crime. He is also accused of a continued offence of fraud relating to the unauthorised bank transfers.
The defence raised the issue of alleged drug consumption. However, at this early stage, the court found no sufficient evidence that substance use significantly impaired the suspect’s mental capacity at the time of the events. The judge also noted indications of prior planning, possibly dating back to the morning of the same day.
In ordering pre-trial detention, the court highlighted the serious risk of flight given the gravity of the charges. If convicted of qualified murder, the suspect could face a prison sentence of up to 25 years.
The judge also considered his age, limited family ties following the events, and his personal and employment situation.
The investigation remains ongoing.
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