Abhiroop Das
Netflix’s ‘Murder in Galicia,’ originally titled ‘El crimen de Pazos,’ reimagines the case of Isabel Fuentes, who was attacked at her home and later killed by her husband, Aniceto Rodríguez Caneiro, while recovering in hospital. Created by Ramón Campos, Curro Serrano, David Orea Arribas, and Gema R. Neira, the Spanish show presents a fictionalized account of these events, primarily told from the perspective of Sergeant Elias Lago, who leads the investigation. While the case is initially described as a robbery gone wrong, Elías quickly comes to realize that there is more to it than meets the eye, and suspicion largely falls on the husband, Aniceto. In real life, the case followed a roughly similar trajectory, with the lead investigator being met with a series of procedural setbacks along the way.
Sergeant Elías Lago is Modeled After the Real Lead Investigator in the Isabel Fuentes Case
The character of Elías Lago is a fictionalized recreation of Eduardo Novoa, the real-life Civil Guard sergeant who investigated the attack on Isabel Fuentes in Verín. As the head of Verín’s judicial police team at the time, he was among the first to identify Aniceto Rodríguez Caneiro, Isabel’s husband, as a suspect, and this detail serves as the driving force for the show’s rendition of the events. Reportedly, Novoa was closely involved with the Netflix production, starting with a roughly three-hour interview with co-creator Ramón Campos, which helped establish a research base for the story. From there, Novoa helped with the screenwriting process and was also present during the shoots. That said, the version of events we see on screen has been dramatized by the writing team, and isn’t necessarily biographical when it comes to Lago as a character.
While not much is publicly known about Novoa’s childhood, we know that he has had a three-generation connection to the Civil Guard, starting with his grandfather, and then his father. Before moving to Verín, Novoa had worked in the Civil Guard’s Unidad Central Operativa (UCO), serving in its anti-drug brigade in a maritime operations role. By 2015, he was the head of Verín’s judicial police team, and on April 2, 2015, he was informed about Isabel being seriously injured at her home in Pazos, Verín. After the initial investigation, however, Novoa reportedly came to suspect that the incident was more than a burglary, particularly identifying Aniceto as a suspect. By April 6, the Civil Guard had communicated its suspicions to the investigating judge, and the following day, Aniceto was brought in for questioning, though not yet formally identified as a suspect.
Novoa subsequently submitted a report to the Verín court outlining six indications of Aniceto’s involvement in the attack and sought authorization for further measures, including protective arrangements for Isabel while she was in the hospital. When the judge reportedly rejected these requests, the investigators alerted their superiors and began discreetly coordinating with hospital personnel to keep Isabel under close monitoring. However, on May 8, 2015, Aniceto managed to evade these precautions to enter her hospital room and murdered her.
Eduardo Novoa Left the Civil Guard at Age 48 and Has Maintained a Private Life
While the show depicts the aftermath of the investigation as Elías Lago being targeted by higher-ups, this doesn’t seem to be a direct recreation of real-life events, about which there exists no definitive account. In real life, Eduardo Novoa took early retirement from the force at the age of 48, though he never provided an explicit reason for doing so. In a conversation with La Región, Ramón Campos said that Novoa did not receive any support after the case and had to leave his job. He also stated that Novoa has remained occupied with Isabel Fuentes’ murder case and carries the emotional weight of it to this day. The show is deeply informed by Campos’ perspective and research, which is then channeled into his extensive commentary on the justice system.
As of writing, there is little to no publicly available information about Novoa’s present circumstances since his retirement, as he has chosen to keep his personal life private. After providing his input for the Netflix series, he made an appearance at the Mostra de Curtas Vila de Noia on November 7, 2026, joining Campos, director Carlos Sedes, and cast members after a screening of the first episode. Novoa has dedicated this project to his wife, daughters, as well as his late father, and has called for stronger protection for victims of gender-based violence.
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