ARCHIVED - Aragón brother and sister confess to killing mother and hiding body to claim pension
The body lay hidden for two years so that the siblings could continue claiming their mother’s old-age pension
Upon his arrest, the man told Guardia Civil officers that he had smothered her to death with a pillow and that his sister had helped him put her body in a wardrobe at the family home in Pozondón (Teruel).
Siblings Pedro and Isabel Blasco Yusta have admitted in court to killing their mother and hiding her body in a wardrobe at their family home in the village of Pozondón in Teruel (Aragón) in order to continue pocketing her pension.
The Prosecutor told a jury in a Teruel provincial court that on 3 March, 2017, the man decided to end his mother’s life because of the trouble she caused. 88-year-old Ángela Yusta suffered from Alzheimer’s Disease, and had impaired vision and considerable mobility difficulties, and she had been particularly difficult to handle that day, screaming and shouting and calling non-stop for her daughter.
During the hearing on Thursday (18 February), Guardia Civil officers who were involved in the case explained that Pedro confessed to having killed his mother by suffocating her with a pillow and then hiding her body in a wardrobe with his sister’s assistance.
The siblings admitted that they had hidden their mother’s body in order to continue cashing in her pension, which allowed them to pocket 30,755 euros before they were found out and arrested in June 2019. They have been in jail awaiting trial ever since.
The prosecution has requested a 16-year jail sentence for 49-year-old Pedro for an alleged offence of murder with the aggravating circumstance of kinship and premeditation, and 8 years for his 51-year-old sister Isabel as an accomplice, as she allegedly did nothing to stop her brother despite knowing his intentions. Another six months each in jail were requested for fraud along with an obligation to return the 30,755 euros.