The disappearance and killing of David Salazar, 33, in Badajoz set off a chain of events centered on the Suerte de Saavedra neighborhood. Salazar was last seen heading to a local bakery on a Sunday afternoon to collect a debt. His family’s suspicions and efforts to bring information to police became part of the investigation that led to the recovery of his remains.
Relatives grew alarmed when Salazar failed to make contact for more than 24 hours, an unusual absence for someone described as attentive and protective. They focused on Juan Francisco Moyano, known locally as Juanfran, the 49-year-old baker who owed Salazar money. Early Tuesday morning, Salazar’s cousin Andrés confronted him at the shop and noticed cleaning products and what appeared to be a bloodstain in the baker’s car. Juanfran denied involvement and kept serving customers.
Family members, including Salazar’s father and brother-in-law, searched the bakery and pressed police for answers with the findings they had gathered. They provided security footage that they said showed Salazar entering the bakery but not leaving, and reported the suspected stain in Juanfran’s vehicle. Their concerns added to the family’s distress as the investigation continued.
Salazar’s remains were found on 9 June, three days after his disappearance, inside several plastic bags in a rural area of the Tulio neighborhood, in the Llera district. The suspect reportedly directed investigators to the exact location. Investigators treated a financial dispute over a debt owed to Salazar as the suspected motive. Juanfran reportedly acknowledged in an initial judicial statement that he had killed Salazar. During a later hearing on provisional detention, he exercised his right not to testify.
The case also sparked a dispute over whether investigators should reconstruct the crime scene with the suspect. The Audiencia Provincial de Badajoz rejected the family’s request, agreeing that the exercise was unnecessary and duplicative given the evidence already gathered. The court called the proposed reconstruction “absolutely unnecessary” and “redundant.” Under Spanish procedure, an accused person’s participation in such a reconstruction is voluntary, so authorization would not have required the suspect to take part.
Rumors that police would return Juanfran to the bakery to reconstruct events fueled unrest in the neighborhood. The reported understanding was mistaken: specialist officers from Madrid were inspecting the premises. The operation nevertheless led to clashes between residents and police. Juanfran remained in provisional custody as the investigation continued, and Salazar’s family said it would seek a murder charge rather than a lesser homicide classification. The case was expected to be tried before a popular jury.
By 22 October 2026, the investigation was described as nearing the end of its instruction phase, with the definitive autopsy and analysis of a mobile phone still outstanding. The phase was expected to conclude before the end of the year if those forensic and digital examinations were completed. The reported confession and recovery of the remains formed part of the case, while the outstanding examinations were expected to add evidence for the prosecution. No final conviction or sentence had been issued.
Badajoz, near the Portuguese border, has drawn heightened attention to local crime and police procedures following the case. The Suerte de Saavedra area, sometimes called Las Malvinas, is known for its dense population and social challenges. Salazar’s relatives also played a role in bringing their concerns and information to police. The bakery, once a neighborhood fixture, now stands closed, its facade repainted to cover graffiti left in the wake of the tragedy.
