Emilio Rodríguez Menéndez, one of the most controversial and media-savvy figures in Spanish law, has passed away. This happened on Thursday, October 16, at the Red Cross hospital in Madrid. Symbolically, his death occurred on the day he turned 75. He spent his final weeks in the hospital, having been transferred from the La Paz clinic. The cause of death has not been disclosed. The family decided to hold a private farewell, declining public ceremonies and memorial services to maintain privacy during this difficult time.
His professional career began in the 1980s. Rodríguez Menéndez, a Madrid native, quickly earned a reputation as a specialist in complex and controversial cases. He gained nationwide recognition after defending Dionisio Rodríguez Martín, known as «El Dioni», who stole an armored cash van containing a large sum of money. This trial made him one of the most recognizable lawyers in the country and a regular figure on television.
However, the «El Dioni» case was just one of many scandalous episodes in his biography. He did not hesitate to call himself the ‘devil’s advocate’ and even once published an allegedly exclusive interview with Antonio Anglés, which later turned out to be fake. His entire career was a volatile mix of high-profile court cases, provocative television appearances, escapes from justice, and numerous convictions for financial crimes.
In 2006, the Supreme Court handed down a harsh sentence: ten years in prison for tax fraud. Investigators found that between 1990 and 1993, he concealed 1.8 million euros from the treasury. In addition to the prison term, he was fined 3.6 million. While serving his sentence, he took a prison leave in 2008 and escaped, which sparked a major public outcry and led to an internal investigation within the judicial system. He found refuge in Argentina, where he continued to practice law and even represented the alleged head of the ‘medicinal mafia,’ while fighting attempts to extradite him to Spain. Ultimately, the Argentine court denied his extradition.
He returned to his homeland in 2014, when the statute of limitations on his crimes expired. Rodríguez Menéndez immediately found himself back in the spotlight of court reporting. His most recent sentence was handed down in July 2023—four years in prison for fraud involving a fake oil sale scheme, which left four people as victims.
The lawyer’s personal life was as eventful as his career. For decades, he moved in show business circles and was a regular figure in celebrity columns. He was married four times and had three children. He was rumored to have had affairs with well-known personalities such as Mila Ximénez, Nuria Bermúdez, and Malena Gracia.
