Shivangi Sinha
The call that Aniceto Rodríguez placed from his home in Pazos, in the town of Verín, Spain, was distressed. He claimed that his wife, Isabel Fuentes, had been attacked by a burglar and was fighting for her life. What seemed probable for a little while turned out to be a big lie when detectives found out that Aniceto might have lied to the investigators. He harmed himself in the process of killing her, but he was able to stand and face justice for his actions. Netflix’s ‘Unprotected: Murder in Galicia’ (originally titled ‘Desprotegida: El crimen de Pazos’) features real-life footage of him as the case developed and unfolded over just a matter of days.
Aniceto Rodríguez Blamed The Attack on His Wife on a Robbery Attempt
Aniceto Rodríguez Caneiro was a resident of Pazos, in Verín, and had worked as a butcher. When he met Isabel Fuentes for the first time in 1989, he had already divorced his first wife, with whom he also had a daughter. He was seemingly a good man whom everyone loved, from neighbors to family members. The two moved in together but did not get married until 2014. Some reports claim that it was Aniceto who wanted to get married. Surrounded by friends and family, the couple formalized a relationship that they had already shared for many years.
On April 2, 2015, when Aniceto made the call, he told the officers that he had heard his wife scream that there were intruders in the house. According to his version of events, by the time he came downstairs, the intruders had fled, leaving his wife bleeding from a head wound. The police took note of the broken door, which seemed to support his theory, but as they looked deeper, another picture began to emerge. Investigators realized that the time between Isabel screaming about an intruder and Aniceto going to check on her was a matter of mere seconds, which would not have given an intruder enough time to break down a door and flee the scene.
Aniceto Rodríguez Killed His Wife While She Was in a Hospital
However, Aniceto Rodríguez maintained his innocence. He frequently visited Isabel as she lay in her hospital bed and told everyone that he hoped she would wake up soon. To an outsider, he seemed like the very epitome of a good husband. However, the investigation was painting an entirely different picture. The Guardia Civil suspected that he was responsible for the attack and urged a judge to allow Isabel to remain in the ICU as she recovered. Their reasoning was that she would be under the watchful eyes of hospital staff and the police, ensuring her safety. However, that request was denied.
On May 8, 2015, Aniceto visited his wife in the general ward, as he had done several times before. This time, however, he stabbed her multiple times and even attempted to take his own life by slashing his throat. Isabel died, while Aniceto was rushed to critical care. He remained under arrest, and as he recovered, his doctors reportedly mentioned that he might be suffering from memory loss. In June 2015, when presented before a judge, he maintained that he remembered nothing about the night of May 8. In 2016, he was taken back to their house in Pazos for a reconstruction of the events of April 2, 2015. His cooperation fluctuated, and prosecutors featured in the episode accused him of lying to them.
Aniceto Rodríguez Passed Away After His Sentencing
Aniceto Rodríguez’s trial began in June 2017, when he faced charges of murder and attempted murder. He pleaded not guilty but was convicted on both counts and sentenced to 31 years in prison: 12 years for attempted murder and 19 years for murder. The Supreme Court upheld the sentence in December 2017. After spending about a month in the hospital, he was transferred to the infirmary at A Lama prison. He died there on September 21, 2018, aged 82. The motive for his crime remains unknown, although experts featured in the episode have theorized that it may have stemmed from gender-based violence.
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