Spanish police find doctor's body kept at home by wife and daughter for two years

Discovery in Cabrera d'Anoia

Officers from the Catalan police force, the Mossos d'Esquadra, entered a residential property in Cabrera d'Anoia on Wednesday, 23 September 2026, following mounting complaints from local residents and the municipal council. The municipality, located roughly 50 kilometres northwest of Barcelona with a population of approximately 1,800 residents, had received reports regarding accumulated refuse, overgrown garden vegetation, and a persistent foul odour emanating from the house. Neighbours also noted that a parked vehicle outside had remained unlocked and unmoved for nearly two years, while utility records showed negligible water consumption at the address. When officers knocked on the door, the 59-year-old resident opened it, revealing severe neglect and dozens of cardboard boxes scattered throughout the interior. Upon searching the residence, police discovered the heavily decomposed remains of a 77-year-old man, partially concealed beneath a sheet in the dining area.

Two years of isolation

The deceased was identified as Albert S., a retired homeopath who had lived at the property with his wife and their 22-year-old daughter. Investigators learned that both women had shared the residence with his decomposing body for approximately two years following his death in 2024. According to statements given to police by the widow, the man died while seated on the living room sofa. She and her daughter subsequently covered his body with a blanket and relocated it to another room rather than contacting emergency services or funeral directors. Cabrera d'Anoia acting mayor Salustià Monteagudo explained that the women told investigators they simply did not know what steps to take or whom to notify after the death occurred. The household had maintained extreme seclusion since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, relying almost entirely on online deliveries and collecting parcel shipments outside their front door at night. When neighbours previously enquired about the daughter, the mother claimed she suffered from a skin condition preventing sun exposure.

Medical career and circumstances of death

Albert S. built an extensive medical career in Catalonia before his retirement. He completed his degree in medicine and surgery at the University of Barcelona in 1979 before undertaking four years of specialised training in the homeopathy department of a Barcelona hospital. He later managed a private clinic in central Barcelona and served as president of the Homeopathic Medical Academy of Barcelona between 1987 and 1988. According to accounts provided by local officials, the 77-year-old had ceased taking his prescribed medication prior to his death, though his specific underlying medical conditions were not disclosed. Neighbours recalled seeing him walking outside only infrequently around 2020, observing that physical mobility had become increasingly difficult for him before his public appearances ceased entirely.

Ongoing investigation and social services

Municipal social services had previously attempted to contact the family after noticing that the doctor had failed to attend scheduled medical appointments over an extended period, but their efforts were unsuccessful. Preliminary forensic inspections conducted at the scene found no indications of foul play or physical violence, although forensic teams noted that the decomposed body was no longer fully intact. Following the discovery, emergency services transported both women to a hospital for physical examinations as well as psychological and psychiatric assessments. Neither the mother nor the daughter has been arrested or formally charged, and both returned to the residence on Wednesday evening. Investigators have scheduled a formal autopsy to determine the precise cause and timing of death, while police examine household administrative and financial records to verify whether any pension or benefit fraud occurred during the two-year concealment.