The case of Maritrini and her baby, who disappeared in León province, Spain, in 1987 after she accused her Portuguese husband of domestic violence, has taken another setback, dashing hopes of finding their remains once again.
The police confirmed that the vehicles found at the bottom of the Berbés reservoir, Asturias, where searches took place over the last two days, never belonged to “El Portugués,” as the husband and father of the victims is known in the neighboring country.
This conclusion was reached after authorities removed tons of mud from the lake and drained the water to access the two buried cars.
The presence of the cars at the reservoir’s bottom and a neighbor’s testimony, who claimed to have seen António da Silva disposing of the vehicles in the lake near an old mine entrance, led investigators to suspect the missing bodies might be there.
Spanish authorities resumed searches for a mother and daughter missing since 1987, believed to have been killed by a Portuguese man. The searches are taking place at a reservoir in Ribadesella, Asturias, following the discovery of two submerged vehicles.
On October 28, the court ordered the National Police to conduct searches with the help of other entities. And this was done. However, the outcome left inspectors disheartened.
On Wednesday, November 3, the police confirmed to Spanish newsrooms that, after identifying some parts of the submerged vehicles, they verified these did not match any models or brands ever driven by António da Silva, now 81 and living in a Spanish nursing home.
The whereabouts of María Trinidad Suardíaz and her daughter Beatriz, who vanished in 1987 at ages 25 and 13 months respectively, thus remain a mystery after 38 years and many investigations.
The Silence of “El Portugués”
António da Silva, the main suspect in their alleged murder, remains silent. He has not spoken about the disappearance of his wife and daughter, even though the crimes are now time-barred and he cannot be tried for them.
For more than 30 years since suspicions were raised against him, the Portuguese man has refused to cooperate with authorities.
Despite his advanced age and frail health, António stands firm. Last week, during another interrogation by authorities at the nursing home in Zamora, he stated, “I neither confirm nor deny.” And he provided no further information to the National Police, according to La Sexta.
A Life of Crime
According to this newspaper, António has led a life of crime. He was always “extremely violent” and was even convicted of “sexual assault and kidnapping,” among other offenses.
He was imprisoned in two different countries: France and Switzerland. Throughout his life, he used two names – Maurício Ramos and António da Silva – and had two nicknames: “El Português” and “Meio-Homem”.
In 1986, María Trinidad Suardíaz, known as Maritrini, reported him for domestic violence before giving birth to their daughter.
At the time, the Portuguese man was detained but eventually released, precisely when Maritrini had the baby, hidden in a convent in La Guía, Gijón. The criminal convinced the Spanish woman to resume their relationship, and she agreed.
On July 15, 1987, the woman went to the Provincial Court of León with the baby and “El Portugués.” There, they were informed that the trial against the man was underway and scheduled for after the summer, on September 15, 1987.
They left the courthouse, and neither the woman, whom he had married in 1985 and frequently abused, nor the baby were ever seen again. António da Silva claimed to authorities they had gone together to the Algarve and parted ways there. He never saw the woman or child again.
Two years later, in 1989, he was convicted and imprisoned for other crimes. After his release, he returned to Portugal. But María’s family never forgot her. Nor did the authorities.
In 2016, almost 20 years after their disappearance, the police searched one of the two homes the family lived in, in Matadeón de los Oteros, León. In 2018, they searched a house in Berbes, Asturias.
At the same time, “El Portugués” was detained again. He spent three days in prison while the house he lived in was searched. He remained silent once more and was released for lack of evidence.
He then returned to Portugal and lived discreetly until a year ago, when he was found in Zamora, living as a homeless person.
Several residents helped the elderly man, who lived on the streets under a fragile tent, by providing food and clothes, unaware that he might be a cold criminal.
Some, more compassionate, notified the Social Services of the City Council. “El Portugués” was rescued from the streets and placed in the nursing home where he still lives… in silence.
