Spanish police have arrested a 43-year-old man who allegedly lived for weeks with the body of his dead mother, which he had sealed inside a bedroom in their Majorca apartment to mask the smell of decomposition.
Authorities identified the suspect locally as Javier S, who reportedly told investigators that he had not left the apartment in at least eight years and that his mother, Antonia, aged 80, had been his only link to the outside world.
The shocking case unfolded in the Santa Catalina neighborhood of Palma, Majorca, after a neighbor contacted authorities on October 6 to report that she had not seen Antonia for several weeks.
Police officers, accompanied by firefighters, arrived at the scene to force open the door. Just as they began their operation, Javier opened the door himself and calmly informed officers that his mother had died at the beginning of September and that her body was still inside her bedroom.
According to a statement from the National Police, officers entered the flat to find Antonia’s body lying on a bed with her radio still playing and a fan running nearby. The bedroom door had been sealed with insulating tape a measure Javier allegedly admitted taking to contain the odor of decomposition.
Neighbors described Javier as a recluse who had not been seen outside his home in over a decade. One resident told Diario de Mallorca:
“It’s been around 13 years since I’ve seen Javier leave the flat. He was completely dependent on his mum, who was very active. She did all the shopping and errands for both of them.”
Javier reportedly told investigators that he had been living on a diet of biscuits, rice, and chickpeas food that his mother had stocked up before her death. He insisted that he had no involvement in her death and claimed she had died of natural causes.
However, a preliminary autopsy raised suspicions after examiners discovered injuries on Antonia’s body, suggesting a possible violent cause of death. Investigators also found bloodstains in the bathroom, which Javier said were his own.
Based on the initial forensic findings, police arrested Javier on October 14 on suspicion of “committing a crime against life.”
He appeared before a court in Palma behind closed doors, where he reportedly admitted that he had not left the flat in eight years and had sealed his mother’s room after her death.
Although Javier has not been formally charged, he remains under investigation while authorities await the final autopsy results, which are expected to determine the exact cause of death.
He has been released on bail and ordered to report to the court every two weeks, though police sources have expressed doubts about his ability to comply, given his years-long self-imposed isolation.
In a detailed statement, the National Police in Majorca said:
“On October 6, at around 2:20 p.m., a woman reported not having heard from her neighbor for over a month. When officers arrived, they were met by the deceased woman’s son, who stated that his mother had died weeks earlier and that her body was inside her bedroom.
Following the discovery, standard protocols were initiated. Investigators observed the unusual behavior of the son and the suspicious circumstances surrounding the death.”
The police confirmed that further investigations are ongoing, including forensic examinations and psychological assessments, to establish whether Antonia’s death resulted from natural causes, neglect, or foul play.
The incident has shocked the usually quiet neighborhood of Santa Catalina. Residents expressed disbelief at the revelation that Javier had lived in near-total isolation for years and had concealed his mother’s body for weeks.
“It’s tragic and disturbing,” said one neighbor. “His mother was kind and very active. None of us imagined something like this could happen behind closed doors.”
The case remains open pending the outcome of the final autopsy report and the judicial investigation into what police are calling one of the most bizarre and tragic cases in recent years in Majorca.
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