In the reservoir El Pajarero at Santa María del Tiétar (province of Ávila) human remains were found on Monday. According to the authorities, they were recovered and taken to the Instituto de Medicina Legal in Ávila. Investigators are now checking whether they belong to the 17-year-old who was reported missing in the area in early March.
The Subdelegado del Gobierno in Ávila, Fernando Galeano, said on Tuesday that the available evidence pointed to this conclusion. However, only a DNA comparison will provide a definitive identification, with the result expected in around 15 days. There are currently no findings about the cause or time of death. According to Galeano, the remains probably surfaced because the water level in the reservoir had fallen.
The Guardia Civil is leading the investigation and has declined to comment on possible hypotheses. The authorities have also so far made no statement on whether a third party may have been involved. The discovery is undergoing forensic examination; until the laboratory confirms the findings, both the identification and the conclusion about the cause remain unresolved.
The 17-year-old disappeared in the area around Santa María del Tiétar in early March. At the time, Guardia Civil search teams, with dogs, helicopters and specialist units, looked for him for several days without success. There have been other missing-person cases in the region in recent years. Galeano recalled on Tuesday that 85-year-old Crispín Sánchez Madueño also disappeared nearby at the end of May 2024; his fate remains unknown. No connection with the current discovery is known.
The El Pajarero reservoir is in the south of Ávila province, near the borders with Community of Madrid and the province of Toledo. The authorities have made no new statements about any particular hazards at the reservoir. In relation to the latest discovery, they stress that the forensic results must be awaited first.
The discovery of the remains is the immediate reason for the news coverage. The investigation is ongoing. The authorities say they will provide information on the next steps once the identity has been established. For the missing teenager’s family, the DNA result could either bring certainty or open up new leads for searches and investigations.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).