Image of a lawyer Rafael Escuerdo He played a key role in the kidnapping of Annabel Segura and has a great role in the Netflix documentary about the case. Although he does not participate in the 900 days to remember his important role in solving the kidnapping of the young woman, he spoke through his social network with a short message that perfectly reflects the ordeal that he himself tried to find. Save the daughter of a healthy man and one of his best friends, Jose Segura. “900 days without Annabelle. And the worst of my life. Available on Netflix“, he wrote.
© RTVEEscuerdo, who was the first president of the Andalusian government for the Socialist Party, displayed great temperament during the nearly three years that this nightmare lasted. He leaves his job and even his own family to settle down in the Segura home. and to be able to perform the difficult task of interceding with abductors. He was a calm and tireless man, who did not get flustered when talking to kidnappers and knew how to convey police tactics in the best possible way.
© NetflixHe had the audacity to demand proof of life before handing over the 150 million pesetas he wanted from the kidnappers, and he was the person chosen by the criminals to personally take them that amount of money to the exact point in the middle of nowhere. “Going out in the dark of night and bringing your friend’s kidnapped daughter back alive… a mission that deserves all the respect and all the praise for Rafael Escuerdo.“, recalls Paco Lobatón in the first episode of the documentary. “And especially with a person who is not used to this kind of thing, the trip had to be long,” added a police officer on the case.
© NetflixEscuerdo had a great responsibility on his shoulders. But that night, cold and starry, no one showed up to collect the money and He returns to the Segura house completely devastated and learns that something strange is happening.. From that moment on, the kidnappers stopped calling the family and Segurad’s frustration grew. Escudero then devised a plan to attract the attention of the criminals by communicating that the police and the Segura family did not have the same interests. Immediately the phone rang and they agreed with the kidnappers on the second delivery of the money. Unfortunately, it was in vain. “Unfortunately the hardest thing was back when they weren’t going to take the money.. I remember the second time because we were there until seven in the morning because no one wanted to move thinking they couldn’t go,” Escuerdo admitted.
© NetflixAfter two failed deliveries, Escuerdo focused on finding evidence of Annabelle’s life and managed to get the kidnapper to send the family a quote with the young woman’s voice. When they received her and listened to her, José Segura was clear: this was not his daughter. But after a few days, he became suspicious and Escuerdo visited numerous television sets to get the criminals’ attention and contact them again. “If you really think that time is going to tear the family apart and they’re taking it to an extreme, I’d say to them, if you’re looking at me, they’ve earned it.” he said looking into the camera. Furthermore, he informed that Annabelle’s parents will do everything possible so that the kidnappers do not go to jail.
On April 12, 1995, coinciding with the second anniversary of Annabel’s kidnapping, Escuerdo contacted Paco Lobaton to ask him if he could broadcast the kidnappers’ voices on his program. The journalist answered with a resounding yes and switchboard Who knows where Received thousands of calls with potential leads. Those calls were referred to the police and one of them was instrumental in solving the case. Through this they arrived Emilio Munoz already from there, from Candido Ortiz already Felisa GarciaThe person who recorded the tape imitating Annabelle’s voice.
© RTVEThe arrested admitted the young woman’s crime and took her to the police. Escuredo was present during the discovery of the body and told Paco Lobatón that none of the kidnappers could look him in the eye. “They say time heals everything. I’m sure something is broken in the Segura family and it’s broken forever.“, Escuerdo said after the discovery of the young woman’s remains. “Annabelle’s memory demands and the family demands, in capital letters, the burden of the law falls on these murderers and kidnappers,” he said.
