Architect Josep Juanpere died in an apartment in Baqueira on 26 December, two days after a hospital visit. The initial forensic conclusion pointed to a heart attack, but a later autopsy found internal injuries in his neck.
Investigators now believe the injuries may be compatible with external force, information from La Vanguardia. The central question is whether they were connected to the cardiac arrest that followed. Infobae reported that the initial forensic examination found no signs of a crime, but the later discovery of neck injuries changed the course of the investigation.
Belén L. is under investigation over a possible homicide. She has been provisionally released after posting bail of 80,000 euros.
Police arrested her in Madrid last Wednesday, and she appeared before the Vielha court on Friday. After questioning her, the court ordered preventive detention, with release on bail available at the request of the Fiscalía.
About two hours later, the judge gave her three days to raise the required 80,000 euros. She was then provisionally released.
The restrictions remain in force: the court withdrew her passport and barred her from leaving Spain.
The Tribunal Superior de Justicia de Cataluña, known as the TSJC, confirmed the measures. 20minutos and Telemadrid reported the decision, citing the TSJC. The case remains open as a possible homicide and has not been closed as a natural death.
The legal development follows the earlier court decision that placed the partner in preventive custody with the option of bail.
Juanpere travelled to Baqueira with his partner for the Christmas holidays. He became unwell after dinner and was treated at the Hospital de Vielha.
The following day, he returned with Belén L. to their apartment in Baqueira. He died there on 26 December, two days after his hospital visit.
Police suspicion reportedly grew because Belén L. did not call emergency services after his condition worsened. That concern preceded her detention as the alleged author of a homicide. The case remains under investigation; no final judicial finding has been made.
Belén L. is 64 and comes from a prominent family of hotel entrepreneurs. She has been provisionally released following the bail decision and remains under investigation over her alleged connection to Juanpere's death.
The initial heart-attack finding remains alongside a second forensic concern involving the neck. Investigators consider the cervical injuries materially relevant, not incidental, and the court's restrictions show that the matter remains active.
The judicial process must establish what caused the injuries and whether they contributed to the cardiac arrest. The homicide allegation remains unresolved. The investigation now also examines the cervical injuries, which give investigators a concrete reason to consider possible external force.
