Police in Madrid have arrested Josep Juanpere’s 65-year-old wife on suspicion of homicide, months after the architect was found dead at his Baqueira home during the 2025 Christmas holidays. Her name has not been made public. The Mossos d'Esquadra’s DIC unit is leading the investigation, which remains under strict judicial secrecy; authorities have officially confirmed only the arrest and her relationship to Juanpere.
Juanpere, 72, was a cofounder of GCA Architects. He was found dead at his home in Vall d’Aran on December 26, after going to hospital on Christmas Eve with an undisclosed illness and leaving the next day. The first autopsy pointed to natural causes, but investigators noted inconsistencies in the timeline and in his wife’s behavior at the scene. Several Spanish media outlets, including ABC and La Voz de Galicia, reported that the initial account suggested a natural death or heart attack before investigators reclassified the case as a possible violent crime months later.
The case has been under a judge’s order of secrecy in Vall d’Aran since the day Juanpere died. Police say the investigation gained momentum after forensic and judicial teams found signs inconsistent with a natural death. His wife’s arrest in Madrid is the first major development in a case that has unsettled Catalonia’s business and social circles.
Juanpere was known far beyond architecture. He founded GCA Architects with Antonio Puig. The firm designed some of Spain’s best-known buildings, including Torre Puig in l’Hospitalet de Llobregat and the Mango Logistic Center in Lliça d’Amunt. It also designed the Barcelona headquarters of law firm Cuatrecasas. His sudden death during the holidays shocked business leaders. Isak Andic and Emilio Cuatrecasas called him “a giant” in their public tributes.
Police say the timeline before Juanpere’s death is basic to the investigation. He went to hospital on Christmas Eve, left the next day and died at home with his wife present. Authorities have not disclosed further details, citing the secrecy of the case. They have said her “anomalous” reaction when he was found was one reason investigators looked more closely.
The case has drawn less public attention than other high-profile Spanish investigations, such as the Begoña Gómez trial. Still, it has shaken the tight-knit world of Catalan business and design. It is unusual for a death initially considered natural to be re-examined as a possible crime among Spain’s elite.
The courts have kept details under wraps, and the full account of Juanpere’s last days has yet to emerge. The arrest of his wife reflects the seriousness with which Spanish police and judges are treating the case. Its fallout could reach both the family and the wider business community, where many will be watching for developments.
