Partner confesses to killing woman found in a well in Rincón de la Victoria after three-month search

Discovery

The body of a 35-year-old woman was found on Wednesday inside a well in the Cortijo Blanco area of Rincón de la Victoria, Málaga. The location is near the Arroyo Cuevas, close to exit 968 of the A-7 motorway towards Almería. The victim, identified as Cristina, had been missing since 31 March, when a family member filed a disappearance report with the National Police. Her last social media activity was on 5 April.

Initial forensic examination at the scene indicated signs of stabbing and drowning, according to sources close to the investigation. The body was recovered by the Guardia Civil's GEAS unit and transferred to the Institute of Legal Medicine for a full autopsy. DNA testing later confirmed her identity, although tattoos on the body had already matched those of the missing woman.

Confession and arrests

Three people have been detained. The victim's partner, a 49-year-old man, confessed to the crime and led investigators to the well where the body was hidden. The Government delegate in Andalusia, Pedro Fernández, stated that the suspect "determines the place where the corpse is located" and that a reconstruction of the events was taking place on Thursday with judicial oversight.

There is a confession by the alleged perpetrator, the partner of the missing woman, and this detained person is the one who confesses and determines the place where the corpse is located.

The other two detainees are a man and a woman arrested for allegedly covering up the crime; one of them also faces drug trafficking charges. All three are expected to appear in court on Friday. The investigation remains open and further arrests have not been ruled out.

Official reaction

Subdelegate of the Government in Málaga, Javier Salas, expressed his "absolute condemnation" of what he described as a new case of machista violence in the province. He confirmed that data is being sent to the Government Delegation against Gender Violence in Madrid for final classification.

We cannot allow machista violence to keep destroying lives and inflicting so much pain.

Salas noted that the couple was not registered in the Viogén protection system for their relationship, although both individuals had been in the system due to previous partners. No prior complaints of gender violence between them had been filed.

Context

If confirmed as a gender-based killing, this would be the third such murder in Málaga province so far in 2026. Earlier cases include the stabbing of a British mother in Alhaurín el Grande in January and the killing of a 60-year-old woman in Rincón de la Victoria last November. The case is under judicial secrecy, and authorities continue to gather evidence.