Former UAGA leader Javier Sánchez and wife found stabbed to death at home in Tauste, Zaragoza
Javier Sánchez, former secretary general of the Unión de Agricultores y Ganaderos de Aragón (UAGA), and his wife Ester were found dead with multiple stab wounds at their home in Tauste, Zaragoza, on 8 August. The Guardia Civil is investigating with all hypotheses open.
Discovery of the bodies
Javier Sánchez, former secretary general of the Unión de Agricultores y Ganaderos de Aragón (UAGA), and his wife Ester were found dead on the evening of Saturday 8 August at their home in Tauste, in the Cinco Villas comarca of Zaragoza province. Both bodies presented multiple stab wounds, according to Heraldo de Aragón. The couple were around 60 years old and natives of Tauste. A relative of the wife had gone to the house after the couple gave no signs of life and located the bodies. The discovery was made around 21:00 hours.
- Events occur at the couple's home in Tauste; neighbors later report hearing screams
- Bodies discovered by a relative of the wife after the couple gave no signs of life
- Bodies removed; Guardia Civil opens investigation with multiple open lines of inquiry
- UAGA secretary general Alcubierre confirms deaths and expresses shock
Neighbors heard screams
According to Cadena Ser, Local Police officers went to the property after 21:00 following reports from several neighbors who said they had heard screams coming from the house during the afternoon. The events are believed to have occurred over the course of Saturday afternoon. The home is a detached house on Ronda Val de Volví, near avenida de Sancho Abarca. Several Guardia Civil patrols remained at the scene while officers gathered evidence and testimony.
Investigation underway
The Guardia Civil has assumed the investigation and is keeping all hypotheses open to determine what happened at the dwelling and the circumstances surrounding the deaths. Official sources told Heraldo de Aragón there are "distintas líneas de investigación abiertas y ninguna concluyente" (several lines of investigation open and none conclusive). The investigation continues under secrecy to determine authorship and the sequence of events. The bodies were removed during the night of 8 to 9 August.
Profile of Javier Sánchez
Sánchez had been a UAGA member since 1983 and led the organisation as secretary general for 12 years, during which he was one of its most visible figures both in Aragón and across Spain. He also served as president of the Cámara Agraria de Zaragoza and studied Ingeniería Técnica Agrícola at the Escuela Universitaria Política de La Almunia. He remained linked to UAGA as the regional coordinator for Cinco Villas. Alcubierre told Europa Press he last saw Sánchez on the previous Wednesday at a coordinadora meeting. Sánchez also played a role in the Pacto del Agua and in promoting water infrastructure projects such as the San Salvador and Almudévar reservoirs, and had international recognition through Vía Campesina.
Reactions from UAGA
Current UAGA secretary general José María Alcubierre expressed the deep shock the news caused among colleagues.
La familia de UAGA está en estado de shock. Estamos con el corazón en un puño.
He also told Europa Press: "Es muy duro, me he enterado a las siete de la mañana, no sabemos cómo ha podido pasar, los dos han tenido una gran implicación en UAGA." Alcubierre highlighted that Ester had been a firm defender of gender equality within the organisation and said that both Javier and Ester represent an irreparable loss.
Family
The couple had two daughters. One of them is in Ireland and has been informed of the events. The second daughter had not yet been located as of 9 August.
