Twist in the murder of a young woman in Palma: Police rule out overdose and point to asphyxiation
The investigation rules out an overdose and confirms that the woman died of asphyxiation, which has led to the arrest of her partner as the suspected perpetrator of the crime.
PalmThe 27-year-old woman who died in Palma in early February of last year did not die from a drug overdose, as initially suspected, but was allegedly asphyxiated by her partner, according to sources close to the investigation. Although initial indications pointed to a possible death by drug abuse, the autopsy and subsequent forensic tests have determined that the young woman died of asphyxiation, which has completely redirected the police investigation. Following these new findings, the police arrested the victim's partner on Monday as the suspected perpetrator of homicide. He is a 42-year-old Spanish national who remains in police custody awaiting a court appearance. According to the same sources, he is not expected to appear before the duty judge on Wednesday, so he could be brought before the judge on Thursday. The Ministry of Equality confirmed on Tuesday that the case has been officially classified as a gender-based violence crime. This is the 47th murder of a woman in Spain in 2025 and the second to occur in Mallorca last year. Both the victim and the alleged perpetrator were registered in the VioGén monitoring system, although the reports of gender-based violence were related to previous relationships they had with other people. Following the confirmation of the gender-based crime, the Balearic Government has called for a minute of silence at noon this Wednesday in front of the Presidency headquarters, at the Consulate of the Sea in Palma, as a show of institutional rejection and support for the victims of gender-based violence.