His credit card gave him away, and Muñoz Blas did not resist arrest at the bar where the Civil Guard located him. A Zodiac-type inflatable boat was even brought in, even though the only brook in the area, the Jerga, has been dry since spring.ĭespite the huge deployment, the suspect was only located on Friday morning after he attempted to take out money from an ATM in Grandas de Salime, a village in the neighboring region of Asturias. Mounted police, soldiers and underground experts were sent to dry out two dozen wells, while trained dogs sniffed the ground, a helicopter hovered overhead and armored vehicles monitored every crossroads. One of the last pictures of Thiem on the Camino de Santiago. Searchers drew 100-hectare maps around the perimeter of the wooden house that Muñoz had constructed three years ago not 500 meters from the Camino de Santiago, between the hamlets of Castrillo de los Polvazares and El Ganso – both located along Thiem’s planned route. Over 300 police officers and military emergency personnel were deployed on the hills around Astorga to find the body, since Thiem was already presumed dead at that point. Yet this was a priority case for the government, since back in July US Republican Senator John McCain had offered the help of the FBI in solving the disappearance – an offer Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy had politely declined.Īlarms went off inside the Interior Ministry at news of the suspect’s flight, and a decision was made to launch a search that has few precedents for someone who has been missing five months. Investigators who had been waiting for him to make a wrong move now found themselves empty-handed.
#Denisr pikka thiem license
Even though he had no car and no driver’s license – he used mountain bikes to move around the village – Muñoz Blas had made his getaway, most likely by bus. Then, last week, police chiefs received the kind of news that they don’t like to hear: the suspect had fled. Muñoz Blas, 39, became the top suspect in the case and was being tailed by the police, who were planning to set up cameras near his home to keep tabs on him. Yet a bank employee in Zamora had warned authorities about a suspicious transaction she had been witness to: a middle-aged man had come in to change $1,200 into euros right around the time of Thiem’s disappearance. B., is in custody, nabbed by police near his farm. The 39-year-old man, named by authorities as Miguel A. A local recluse is allegedly tied to her murder. Now he claims that he found the body on his property, but did not alert authorities because he was afraid his neighbors would accuse him of the crime. The body of American tourist Denise Pikka Thiem, killed along a Spanish hiking trail popular with travelers and religious pilgrims, has been found after a five-month search.
A court has remanded him in custody without bail.Īlso on Monday, the results of the autopsy confirmed that the body found on the suspect's premises is that of Denise Pikka Thiem.Īt the time of his arrest, Muñoz Blas allegedly told the police that he beat the woman to death. Muñoz Blas pleaded innocent and said he had found the body because of the smell, investigators told news agency Europa Press. Tipsters must contact Crime Stoppers Houston directly to remain anonymous and to be considered for a cash payment by calling 713-222-TIPS (8477) or by submitting an online tip at Their email is įootage 2 (Barraza’ ring doorbell - warning loud gunshots):Īttribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.Chief suspect Miguel Ángel Muñoz Blas on Monday went back on his initial confession and now claims that he did not kill the American tourist despite all the evidence against him – including traces of the victim's DNA on tools found on his property. If you have information on the murder of Elizabeth Barraza, contact Crime Stoppers today. $50,000 is now on offer for tips that lead to their apprehension. Elizabeth’s case should be solved, and her killer may have fled. To this day, the killer, or their motive for murder, remains a mystery, despite the public having access to video showing the ambush, the killers car, the killer and maybe, their voice. Cosplay fan Elizabeth Barraza, 29, is gunned down in cold blood in her driveway before sunrise while setting up for a garage sale.
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