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What began as a family’s desperate plea for answers ended in a cross-border manhunt, a tragic discovery in a quiet Spanish grove, and the unravelling of a chilling crime that spanned two countries.
John George, a 37-year-old Northern Irishman, arrived in Alicante in early December 2024, like many others before him—drawn by the promise of sun, sea, and good times with friends. But just weeks later, his fate would take a dark and irreversible turn.
His last known contact was a phone call to his father on Saturday, December 14. After a week had passed without word, on December 21 his worried father flew to Spain and reported him missing, launching a full-scale investigation by the Civil Guard.
From that moment, investigators retraced George’s footsteps—from Benidorm’s vibrant streets to the more secluded terrain of Rojales, a town that would ultimately become the grim backdrop to this tragedy.
With painstaking precision, officers of the Judicial Police Unit of the Civil Guard in Alicante, aided by forensic experts and European counterparts, began piecing together the puzzle. Witnesses led them to two individuals who had been in George’s company in the days before he vanished—men who quickly became prime suspects.
Then, on January 7, after an exhaustive holiday operation, police uncovered George’s lifeless body—hidden in a rural area among the trees of Rojales. An autopsy confirmed their worst fears: he had been shot dead the same day he last spoke to his father.
Just hours after the discovery, authorities made their first arrest: a 32-year-old Czech national residing in Torrevieja, believed to have played a key role as an accomplice in the murder. He was brought before a judge in Torrevieja and released with charges—under strict conditions, including a travel ban.
But the alleged trigger man was still on the run.
According to police reports, the main suspect—a 27-year-old Irish national with a criminal record in his home country—fled Spain shortly after the murder, accompanied by his partner. In his haste, he abandoned even his dogs in his Orihuela home, but he left behind more than pets—he left behind a trail of evidence.
A European Arrest Warrant was swiftly issued.
Working with INTERPOL and Portuguese authorities, the Civil Guard’s hunt finally came to a conclusion on March 25, when the fugitive was captured in Braga, Portugal. He was extradited to Spain on April 3 and now sits in custody under a no-bail order issued by the Court of Instruction No. 1 of Badajoz.
The case has drawn praise for its swift resolution and seamless international cooperation. The investigation, led by the Pilar de la Horadada Judicial Police Team and Criminalistics Lab of the Alicante Command, with assistance from European law enforcement agencies—especially in Portugal—was a testament to transnational policing at its finest.
What remains now is justice—for a young man whose final visit to Spain turned into a fatal encounter, and for a father whose relentless search brought light to a hidden crime.
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