Jubany case: Judge summons prime suspect for questioning in three weeks
Santi Laiglesia will have to testify again after it was confirmed that his DNA was on the victim's clothing.
BarcelonaThe Sabadell judge investigating the 2001 murder of Helena Jubany has summoned Santi Laiglesia, the victim's family's prime suspect, to testify for further questioning. The judge's move responds to the Prosecutor's Office's request following the latest forensic report on the DNA found on the sweater Jubany was wearing the day she died, which found genetic material matching Laiglesia's. The judge has therefore summoned Laiglesia for questioning on September 26.
"This is the logical step we expected, and we highly value the investigating judge's promptness," the Jubany family stated in a statement after learning of the summons. DNA test resultsThe results of these tests, which were revealed this week, represent a key step toward solving the crime, which was committed more than twenty years ago and has already expired for those who have never been investigated in the case. In fact, the family's lawyer, Benet Salellas, stated that with the results of these tests, it is now possible to "finally guarantee" that there will be a trial for Helena Jubany's murder.
Other genetic samples
The National Police report on the DNA on Jubany's clothing also revealed traces of other genetic samples that, so far, have not been matched to any suspect. To clarify who they correspond to, the Prosecutor's Office also requested this week that the case be reopened for Ana Echaguibel, who, like Jubany, was part of the Sabadell Hiking Union group. Also part of the hiking group were Laiglesia and the suspect the first judge sent to pretrial detention, Montse Careta, who committed suicide in her cell.
Echaguibel was investigated for the crime until the case was closed for her in October 2005. Her genetic profile has not been compared with the DNA on Jubany's sweater, and so far the judge has refused to do so. Now, however, the Prosecutor's Office has requested that samples be collected from Echaguibel to determine whether they match the traces found on the victim's clothing.
The fact that the Echaguibel case was closed on October 7, 2005, means that the statute of limitations will expire if it is not reopened before October 7 of that year, 20 years later. Therefore, the Jubany family reiterated this Thursday that they hope the judge will grant Echaguibel the status of person under investigation so they can compare her genetic profile with the remains on the sweater before the statute of limitations expires for her.
