Police in Cabrera d'Anoia discovered a badly decomposed man's body beneath a blanket in the basic room of a house. Officers believe he was the 77-year-old owner. The Mossos d'Esquadra think he may have been dead for up to two years, information from El País.
The body was incomplete, and the degree of decomposition made it difficult to identify him immediately. Early signs point to the man being a doctor who once ran a practice in Barcelona, but police have not confirmed this. The house is in the busy Can Ros urbanization. Police say the man's wife and daughter also lived there and had not left since the pandemic began.
For months, neighbors and local officials noticed nothing unusual. Then small details began to add up. Garbage piled up outside, while the family was rarely seen. A car sat open on the street; groceries arrived late at night, and the house used very little municipal water. Residents and the town hall took notice and alerted the Mossos.
Police entered the house alongside a judge and prosecutors, with emergency medical staff also present. They found the body in unusual circumstances. The family had not reported the death. It is unclear whether they tried to hide it or had other reasons for keeping the body there. As El País reported, it had been covered and left in a room after the man died in 2024. Investigators are examining whether he died of natural causes and the death was concealed, or whether a crime took place. Police say there are no clear signs of homicide so far, but are still investigating why the death went unreported and what happened.
The news has shaken Cabrera d'Anoia, a town of just 1,777 people, information from the 2025 census. The man had only recently moved from nearby Piera and was not well known in the area. Despite the unusual signs at the household, few expected this discovery.
As of last night, police were still at the house, searching for evidence and trying to piece together what happened. The removal of the remains continued late into the evening. Authorities want to resolve the case as soon as possible. Forensic tests are still pending to confirm the man's identity and whether he died naturally or the death was concealed for other reasons, police sources said.
The case has raised questions in Cabrera d'Anoia about how the situation remained hidden for months, despite the family's isolation and changes around the house. Neighbors had little contact with them. The investigation is ongoing.
