lunes, 15 de octubre de 2012

A year without Ruth and Jose

October marks a year since Ruth, aged 6, and Jose, aged 2, were allegedly killed and burnt in Las Quemadillas farm, by his father, José Bretón. The children used to visit his father only on weekends, as he had started divorce proceedings with his wife, Ruth Ortiz. 
According to Bretón's version, after having lunch in the farm, around 18,00 pm, they went to Cruz Conde park (Córdoba) where he 'lost sight of the children'. He alerted Emergency Services first, and reported the disappearance in the police station later. 

                                                                         Ruth and Jose

Today, Bretón is on remand, accused of the double murder of the children and simulation of crime. Also, he has pending trial for the alleged mistreatment of his son Jose months before the disappearance. 

                                                                                                           José Bretón

However, the case has had its lights and shadows. It suffered a extremely important internal transformation, due to a mistake in a key analysis: the bones found in Las Quemadillas days after Ruth and Jose disappeared.  It was stated that the osseous rests belonged to a dog. But they were not. After more than 10 useless searchs of the farm and surroundings and combing Guadalquivir river, the maternal family was not satisfied. They asked Francisco Etxeberria, a well known forensic scientist, to analyze the bones, which he quickly confirmed were unequivocally human. 

                                                                                 Francisco Etxeberria

It seems that Bretón built a home-made incinerator oven that reached until 800 degrees, to 'materialize his revenge against his still wife', according to the examining magistrate of the case, Rodríguez Lainz.

People's reactions were not late to one of the most media covered cases ever seen in Spain. Everybody wanted to participate and support the family, and specially Ruth Ortiz, in greatly diverse ways, such as sharing opinions through social networks, lighting candles in Las Quemadillas, or even singing.  


                                                                                                              Ruth Ortiz

Chronology of the case

October 2011
November 2011
December 2011
From January to May
From June to October 2012