Nearly a quarter of a century after the death of Helena Jubany in Sabadell, the court has ordered the main suspect to be taken into custody. New genetic test results became the key factor that allowed the investigation to be reopened and changed the fate of a case long considered unsolved.
Santi Laiglesia, a former member of the travel club that the victim belonged to, was summoned to the Sabadell court of first instance. He refused to testify, but the judge, as well as prosecutors and the victim’s family, insisted on his arrest due to the high risk of flight. Ultimately, the court ordered Laiglesia to be held without bail, citing the seriousness of the charge and the new evidence.
New evidence and risk of flight
During a recent forensic examination, DNA traces belonging to Laiglesia were found on clothing recovered from the scene. This discovery proved decisive for the court, which noted that such compelling evidence could motivate the suspect to attempt to flee. The judge emphasized that although Laiglesia had always cooperated with the investigation in the past, the emergence of new, objective data regarding his possible involvement has changed the situation.
The court also noted the lack of information about the suspect’s family and employment status. It is only known that he works as a civil servant for the government of Catalonia (Generalitat de Catalunya), which, according to the court, could give him the financial means to escape, including beyond the borders of the European Union.
Details of the tragedy and the investigation
Helena Jubany, a 27-year-old journalist and librarian from Sentmenat, was found dead in December 2001 in the courtyard of a residential building in Sabadell. Her body was discovered unclothed, while her belongings were found on the roof of the building from which she is believed to have fallen. Forensic analysis revealed that she had a dose of sleeping pills in her blood 35 times above the normal limit, ruling out suicide—Jubany was unconscious before the fall.
From the start, investigators looked into the victim’s ties to the Sabadell hiking club. Montserrat Careta, also a club member, lived in the building where the crime occurred. Shortly after the tragedy, Careta was arrested, but she died by suicide in prison, leaving a letter asserting her innocence. The case was closed in 2005 due to a lack of convincing evidence.
Case reopened and new suspects emerge
In 2020, interest in the case was reignited after a television program aired in which one of the former investigators directly accused Laiglesia of being involved in the murder. This led to new witnesses coming forward and the investigation being reopened. Authorities once again focused their attention on Laiglesia, who at the time of the tragedy was close to Careta.
The judge listed a number of circumstantial pieces of evidence pointing to the suspect’s possible involvement: spending the night at Careta’s house, potentially helping move the body onto the roof, participating in the writing of anonymous threatening messages, as well as providing conflicting explanations regarding his whereabouts on the day Juvany died. In addition, the case involves another suspect — Xavier Jiménez, who is suspected of sending anonymous letters to the deceased.
The court’s decision to place Laiglesia in custody marked the first significant development in the case in recent years. New genetic evidence, along with the body of circumstantial proof, led the court to conclude there was a real risk of the suspect fleeing. Investigators will now continue their work to finally establish all the circumstances of the tragedy, which has remained one of the most mysterious in Catalonia for years.
