Man "died twice"

Storm of the century solves cold case in Spain

Even four months after the disaster, the Valencia region is still devastated.

(Bild: JOSE JORDAN)

For over four decades, Miguel Morales Molina was considered missing in Spain. In 2016, he was even officially declared dead. Far too soon, as it now turned out. The father of two daughters was still alive until a few months ago.

He has now been identified as one of the more than 230 victims of last fall's devastating storm in the Valencia region. Last November, shortly after the historic floods of 29 October 2024, his body was recovered in a flooded orange grove not far from the metropolis of Valencia - almost 500 kilometers northeast of the man's hometown.

Identity confirmed by fingerprints
The newspapers "El País" and "El Mundo", among others, reported on the unusual solution to the missing persons case at the weekend. The identity of the victim - the man "who died twice", as "El País" headlined - had been confirmed beyond doubt on the basis of fingerprints, they said, citing the authorities.

The urn and passport of the "twice deceased" can be seen in this article:

His two daughters, Jessica and Sara, were only five and two years old when the then 34-year-old disappeared without a trace in August 1984 in Durcal in the province of Granada. According to acquaintances, Miguel had been living homeless under a bridge in Valencia for years. He had not been noticed because he had no papers, had apparently never seen a doctor and had never withdrawn money from a bank, for example.

Woman filed for divorce shortly before disappearing
Maria Montserrat's former partner and retired cleaner told "El Mundo" that the call from the police with the news that her husband, who had disappeared from the face of the earth, had only recently died, left her largely cold. Miguel had used drugs and abused her several times. "He beat me up time and time again. Even his parents said to me: break up or he'll kill you."

Montserrat held out for a long time, but shortly before he disappeared, she filed for divorce - after he attacked her with a knife, even though she was holding one of their two children in her arms. "Somehow we always thought that he was still alive," said daughter Sara in an interview with "El País". "But I never wanted to look for him."