Madrid, Spain – A Pakistani man facing trial in Spain for the murder of three elderly siblings over debts tied to an online romance scam is now suspected of killing his cellmate, officials said Saturday. The 42-year-old, identified only as Dilawar, has been held at the Estremera prison outside Madrid since he surrendered to the authorities last month after confessing his involvement in the triple murder of two sisters and their disabled brother in December in the nearby town of Morata de Tajuna.
The Madrid region’s top court stated that Dilawar, accused of the triple murder, will be investigated for the alleged intentional homicide of his cellmate at the jail on Thursday. The cellmate, a 39-year-old Bulgarian, was found dead and had reportedly suffered several blows.
The bodies of the three siblings, all in their 70s, were discovered in January after neighbors raised the alarm due to not seeing them for several weeks. Officials suspect the siblings were beaten to death with an iron bar and their bodies were then partially burned in December.
Local residents have suggested that the tragedy was likely linked to a fake online love affair, with the sisters falling victim to a scam involving two apparent US servicemen. This led to the sisters accumulating substantial debts, including a 50,000 euro loan from Dilawar, which they never repaid.
Dilawar reportedly spent several months in jail for assaulting one of the sisters with a hammer last year at the house where he was living as a tenant. He was released from prison in September before his alleged involvement in the triple murder. The ongoing investigation into these heinous crimes continues to unravel the disturbing details of this tragic case.