By Alex Watkins
The incinerated human torso found by a hiker in rural Alicante last month has been identified and two people have been arrested in connection with the investigation, National Police announced.
The head, arms and legs from the body, which had also been burned, were discovered nearby a few days later by another person who was out exercising.
A police spokesman said on Sunday that the body has now been identified as a 56-year-old Spanish man.
Homicide officers from the violent crime group and forensic officers from the scientific police inspected the victim’s home on Saturday.
The evidence they gathered from the property, along with the results of other investigating, was enough for them to arrest two people that same day in Alicante city.
The suspects are a women and a man, both Spanish and aged 51 and 30 respectively.
The motive for the crime is thought to have been financial, the spokesman claimed.
The suspect and details of the case were due to be passed to the court which has been assigned the investigation.
The police are continuing their enquiries and have not ruled out more arrests, but the spokesman noted that, for the good of the investigation, they will not provide any more information for the moment.
The torso was found in the natural area of the Sierra de Fontcalent, while the extremities were close to the cement factory in the area, but all the remains were so badly burned that at first it was not even possible to tell if it had been a man or a woman.
The information provided by the spokesman indicated that the torso was discovered on Friday, June 17, rather than on the following Monday as state news agency EFE originally reported that police sources had told them.
