typicallyspanish.com

Spain News : National
+ Larger Font | + Smaller Font
Three relatives accused of covering up for main suspect in Mari Luz Cortés case
By m.p. - Mar 26, 2008 - 6:33 PM
ALSO SEE : • Mari Luz Cortes father wants source of court leak to be investigated - May 8, 2008 - 6:34 PM
• Mari Luz Cortés was enticed by Santiago del Valle with a teddy bear - May 8, 2008 - 7:30 AM

Five year old Mari Luz Cortés. Photo - www.mariluzcortes.es
enlarge photo

The main suspect claims she went with him voluntarily and died when she accidentally fell and hit her head
The Civil Guard now have four suspects for the death of Mari Luz Cortés, the five year old from Huelva who disappeared from her home in the El Torrejón district of the city on 13th January on a short trip to the local sweets kiosk, and was found dead 54 days later. The main suspect is named in reports as Santiago del Valle, who was a neighbour of the Cortés family until recently, and lived on the route she would have taken to the kiosk. He was arrested along with his wife on Tuesday. It’s understood the wife has now been released with charges, and she and del Valle’s brother and sister are said to be charged with covering up the crime.

The arrests took place in Pajaroncillo, Cuenca, where del Valle and his wife recently moved to avoid reprisals, according to reports. Del Valle has a previous criminal record for sexually abusing one of his daughters, EFE says, and was suspected by Mari Luz’s family from the very first moment. He was in fact arrested in Granada in the early stages of the investigation but released for lack of evidence.

He is reported to have confessed to police to his involvement in the child’s disappearance, and said she fell and died accidentally when she was with him ‘at her own choice.’ El Mundo gives a few more details on his confession, that he claims she died when she hit her head after falling down the stairs at the entrance to his block, and that he panicked and hid her in a shopping trolley. He is also said to have admitted that he covered her mouth at one stage.

His arrest is said to have come thanks to evidence from the autopsy results on Mari Luz’s body, after she was found floating in the Ría de Huelva on 7th March. There has been no confirmation of what that evidence is, but EFE said the results showed there were no signs of sexual assault, and that asphyxia was the cause of death. She had suffered a broken rib, which could have been the result of a struggle or an attempt to keep her quiet.

Mari Luz’s parents, Irene Suárez and Juan José Cortés, at their daughter’s funeral in Huelva. Photo – EFE.
enlarge photo

Mari Luz´s father, Juan José Cortés, gave a press conference on Wednesday thanking officers for their work in the investigation into his daughter’s death, and commented that he would not wish the pain he suffered in the 54 days she was missing on anyone else, not even on ‘my daughter’s murderer.’

The suspects are expected to appear before the investigating judge in Huelva on Thursday.

VIDEO - Top - Juan José Cortés at his press conference
Bottom - The 52 year old suspect, Santiago del Valle, talking in 2001 to Canal Sur

 smartphone/pda/iphone |  email this article |  printer friendly page

 del.icio.us |  digg |  technorati |  yahoo | Stumble It!
Facebook | Reddit | Newsvine | Meneame | Wikio | Blink

ALSO SEE :
• Mari Luz Cortes father wants source of court leak to be investigated - May 8, 2008 - 6:34 PM
• Mari Luz Cortés was enticed by Santiago del Valle with a teddy bear - May 8, 2008 - 7:30 AM
• Isabel García suffers anxiety attack in court - May 1, 2008 - 7:37 AM
• Attempt to lynch the brother of Santiago del Valle, the man accused of the murder of Mari Luz Cortés - Apr 16, 2008 - 7:24 AM
• Parents of Madeleine McCann upset at Telecinco - Apr 11, 2008 - 1:10 PM
• Wanted paedophile on Mallorca says he is angry at being compared to the killer of Mari Luz - Apr 9, 2008 - 5:49 PM
• Judges claim overwork was the reason why the man who allegedly killed Mari Luz Cortés was still on the streets - Apr 5, 2008 - 10:49 AM
• Santiago del Valle transferred to Granada prison - Apr 4, 2008 - 6:52 AM
• Mari Luz Cortés was killed and her body dumped within an hour - Apr 3, 2008 - 8:03 AM
• Second judge to be investigated as the fall out from the Mari Luz Cortés case continues - Apr 1, 2008 - 3:42 PM
• Junta de Andalucía contradicts the judge at the centre of the Mari Luz controversy - Mar 31, 2008 - 7:14 AM