A jury has unanimously found a woman guilty of murder after she broke into the home of a vulnerable elderly man in 2023 in Les Països, Ibiza. The man was the father of her former partner and died of asphyxiation after the woman set fire to the house in the early hours of the morning with him inside. The jury members, who deliberated since last Tuesday, unanimously concluded that there was sufficient evidence to convict the suspect of murder and arson. The events date back to the early morning of August 3, 2023, when the house where an elderly couple was sleeping caught fire. The woman—a nonagenarian with Alzheimer's—and her caregiver were able to escape, but the man, who was completely incapacitated, died of asphyxiation in his bed. The prosecution is seeking a life sentence with the possibility of parole for the woman, the ex-partner of the victim's son, alleging a financial motive. The defense requested her acquittal, arguing that the accusation stems solely from the suspicions of one of the victim's daughters. The accused testified last and denied all the accusations against her. She did acknowledge, however, that she left her home at 1:05 a.m. that night, as shown by the security cameras, but categorically denied going to the victim's residence. Intoxication

According to the jury's findings, the victim was unable to leave her room or get out of bed. She suffered second-degree burns over most of her body and died from carbon monoxide poisoning caused by inhaling smoke from the fire. The nine members of the jury also unanimously found that the woman had keys to the burned house and was familiar with its layout and routines. The jury supported its verdict with evidence from security cameras that captured the woman's movements, which she partially denied, as well as with the conclusions of the police and fire department investigations. Regarding the woman's statement, they considered it contradictory concerning her use of a veil to cover her face, since she said she wore it out of fear of a former partner, although she was only seen wearing it in the footage that captured her leaving her home. The jury also noted contradictions between the route he admitted and claimed to have taken and what the security cameras in the area captured. Life imprisonment with the possibility of parole

The jury, on the other hand, considered, by six votes to three, that the defendant suffered at the time of the events from a disorder which, while affecting her understanding of the facts, did not completely negate it. With two votes in favor and seven against, the jury opposes a pardon, and by five votes in favor and four against, they oppose considering the possibility of suspending the sentence. The prosecutor and the private prosecution have maintained their request for life imprisonment with review, while the defense has already announced that it will file an appeal.

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On the day the conclave to elect the new pope began, the WhatsApp chat Xisca maintains with her fellow members of the jury was reactivated. The eleven members (nine titular and two alternates) were reflected in the closed-door voting process of the cardinals. They also had to deliberate incommunicado for two days until they convicted the two accused of throwing a drunken young German tourist from a van, who died after being run over. "I'd rather be at a polling station than be part of a jury again. I didn't like it. It was a very unpleasant experience having to listen to testimony from both sides, often of a technical nature, dealing with issues you don't understand. You have to pay close attention. The judge always told us you wouldn't pass. She doubted whether she had enough judgment to assess certain data and make a decision. Besides, if you don't make a decision, a non-response counts in favor of the accused, so not taking a position is impossible," says this civil servant, whom the court summoned to be a juror just two months before her term expired.

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