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Crime Body in a suitcase in Benahavís: police release composite sketchAlmost three years after the grim discovery, the Guardia Civil is using forensic facial technology to identify the victim and solve the cold case
Thursday, 12 February 2026, 12:26
The Guardia Civil has released a forensic facial reconstruction of a woman whose remains were discovered inside a suitcase in a Benahavís residential area.
Almost three years after the discovery, investigators are turning to the public for help in identifying the victim.
The case dates back to April 2023, when a gardener in the Colina de la Quinta area found a skull approximately ten metres from a discarded suitcase. Despite extensive efforts by the judicial police, the woman's identity remains a mystery.
To generate the new images, investigators collaborated with the forensic anthropology unit at the Institute of Legal Medicine (IML) in Galicia.
Using advanced osteological and genetic data, experts have established a clear physical profile.
Forensic profile of the victim
She was a 40-year-old woman and it is estimated that she died some time between 2020 and 2023.
She was of European origin, approximately 1.60 metres tall, with fair skin and her natural hair and eyes were brown or dark brown. Before her death, all indications are that she was in good health.
It is also believed that she may have given birth to at least one child.
A call for public assistance
The new images were created using cutting-edge forensic facial reconstruction techniques, which build a likeness based on the specific measurements of the skull.
The Guardia Civil is now circulating these mock-ups across Europe, hoping someone will recognise the woman.Authorities are urging anyone with information - no matter how small or seemingly trivial - to come forward.
If anyone has any informationthey should contact the judicial police unit of the Guardia Civil in Malaga by email ma-pj-personas@guardiacivil.org or by phone (952 07 15 20).