Bodies of Mother and Daughter Found in Valladolid After Week-Long Absence. The bodies of two women were discovered in an apartment on Hernando de Acuña Street in Valladolid. Neighbors were unaware of the tragedy until a strong odor was noticed. Police have ruled out violent death.
In Valladolid, on Hernando de Acuña street, police discovered the bodies of two women—a mother and daughter, aged 87 and 63—after a persistent foul odor appeared in the building’s stairwell. The neighbors had not seen them for several weeks, but raised the alarm only when the smell became unbearable. According to EL PAÍS, the apartment door was sealed, and the women had not been in contact with anyone for a long time.
Initial reports indicate that the daughter may have lived alongside her mother’s body for several months without telling anyone about her death. There were no signs of violence found in the apartment, and neighbors noted they had no contact with the women. According to residents, the daughter was very reserved and displayed heightened caution due to a fear of illnesses and infections.
The family of the deceased has not disclosed details; it is only known that the mother, Milagros Ortega Garrido, had three children. It is not specified which daughter lived with her. Neighbors from the third floor said they did not interact with the women, and the elevator leading to their apartment was used only by them. One resident, José Luis Martínez, recalls that the mother moved around in a wheelchair and the daughter always accompanied her, sometimes helping her get into the car, presumably for trips to a day care center.
Family and neighbors did not associate the women’s disappearance with anything unusual until a strong odor was noticed at the end of last week. The wife and daughter of one of the residents, going up the stairs, immediately noticed an unpleasant smell on the floor. After that, neighbors opened the windows to air out the stairwell, but no one responded to doorbells. Only then was the police called, who discovered the bodies.
According to the government sub-delegation in Valladolid, the exact time of death will be determined after a forensic examination. However, it is already known that the mother died significantly earlier than the daughter. The smell still lingers in the building despite ventilation. Neighbors admit that they only learned about the tragedy from the news and social media, as communication among the building’s residents had long since died out.
Cases where people’s deaths go unnoticed for long periods are not uncommon in Spain’s major cities, where loneliness among the elderly is becoming an increasingly visible problem. Authorities and social services regularly remind the public of the importance of keeping in touch with neighbors and paying attention to any signs of trouble. In this context, it is worth recalling other high-profile incidents that shocked Spanish society, such as the incident involving internal conflict at Real Madrid, when an unexpected turn of events also became known only after third parties intervened.
According to estimates from Spanish social services, the number of elderly people living alone in the country continues to grow, requiring new solutions to prevent such tragedies. The authorities in Valladolid have not yet commented on whether additional measures will be taken to monitor the situation in residential buildings.
