Diksha Sundriyal
Netflix’s ‘The Asunta Case’ follows a real-life murder mystery into the death of a 12-year-old girl. Reported missing by her parents, she turns up a few hours later at a short distance from her mother’s family home. Her body is found by the town drunk, and as if her death weren’t an already disturbing event, things become even more difficult to digest when the cops find damning evidence against her parents. The investigation into the murder unravels the mysteries of the victim’s family, particularly the relationship between her parents, with infidelity appearing as a major factor that may have snowballed into something worse. By the end of the show, we know what happens to the parents, but what about the man who was indirectly involved in the case through the love triangle with the parents?
Vicente Dozon is Loosely Based on a Local Businessman with Ties to Rosario
While ‘The Asunta Case’ is based on a true story and uses the real names of the victim and the people convicted for her murder, the show changes the names of the rest of the people, from witnesses to investigators. Vincent Dozon is one of those characters, though there is very little about his arc that changes in the show.
In real life, Rosario Portos had an affair with a man named Manuel García Rendo. Described as “self-assured, energetic, and successful,” he owned several businesses in the Santiago area. He and Rosario met when he needed some legal help in handling his real estate deals in Morocco. He also needed someone who could translate French, and Rosario fit the bill. Working together, Rosario and Manuel developed an attraction, which soon turned into a sexual relationship. At the time, Rosario was married to Alfonso, while Manuel also made it clear that he was not going to leave his wife, who was pregnant at the time. Their affair continued for over a year without a hitch, and they even celebrated the anniversary of their first meeting.
Soon, however, Alfonso Basterra caught up with his wife’s indiscretions and discovered everything after going through her emails in secret. This snapped the final thread that was holding their marriage together, and Rosario filed for divorce while she continued seeing Manuel on the side. Sometime later, things started to go out of hand in their affair, most probably because by this time, Manuel’s son had been born, and he was becoming more and more invested in his family. Soon after, Rosario had a breakdown, and she was put in psychiatric care, where Alfonso came running back to help her. When she was discharged and brought back home, it seemed that things might go back to normal between them, and there was only one thing Alfonso wanted of his ex-wife: she had to stop her liaison with Manuel. And she did, for a while.
It didn’t take long for Rosario and Manuel to reconnect, and once again, they were off on his boat, spending an afternoon together. But when Rosario came home, she discovered that Alfonso knew about her affair. Whatever may or may not happened between the couple after this can only be speculated because they didn’t get the time to resolve the issue. Later that night, Asunta was found dead, and a few days later, both Rosario and Alfonso were fighting for their freedom.
Once the investigation began and Manuel’s name came into the picture, he was interviewed by the cops. He confessed to having had an affair with Rosario, though he emphasized that he had never met Asunta. His name was cleared soon enough, and he’d hoped to distance himself from the case, which he did, for the most part. Interestingly, when the trial was set to begin, Alfonso’s legal team asked to have Manuel testify as a witness. Later, however, the idea was dropped, and Manuel never had to appear in court. It was for the best because it would have drawn a lot of heat towards him, something he couldn’t afford while taking care of his family. Due to his negligent connection with the murder case, his name was mostly kept out of the media, and he and his family were allowed to enjoy their privacy.
Read More: José Antonio Vázquez Taín: Where is the Judge of Asunta’s Case Now?
