5 chilling details about Anabel Segura’s kidnapping

The story behind Netflix's 900 Days Without Anabel is the kidnapping and murder of 22-year-old Anabel Segura by Emilio Muñoz Guadix and Candido Ortiz Aon, which happened in 1993. She was kidnapped while jogging in one of Madrid, Spain's wealthy neighborhoods.

The abductors, Emilio Muñoz Guadix and Candido Ortiz Aon, did this for monetary rewards. Despite killing her over two years ago, they devised a cunning ransom plan that extorted money from her grieving family. Candido Ortiz Aon, a participant in the kidnapping, died of old age while in prison in 2009.

Emilio Muñoz Guadix, the mastermind behind the crime, was released from prison in 2013 after serving 18 years. A European Human Rights verdict had reduced his sentence. Guadix apologized for his crime and has been out of society ever since. 900 Days Without Anabel was released on Netflix on November 22, 2024.

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5 stunning details about Anabel Segura’s kidnapping

1) Abduction in broad daylight

On 12th April 1993, Anabel Segura left her home for a morning run. She took with her a Walkman and a tracksuit, unaware that death was coming to her doorstep. During her run, Emilio Muñoz Guadix and Candido Ortiz Añón kidnapped her at knife-point

Witnesses soon reported the crime, including a janitor who saw her being forced into a white van. However, due to poor eyesight, he could not give a proper description of the vehicle. The police responded immediately, but the abductors were able to escape, initiating a lengthy inquiry.

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2) Murdered hours after the kidnapping

Anabel Segura was murdered just a few hours after being kidnapped. They took her captive for a short while to an abandoned factory in Numancia de la Sagra, Toledo, where they killed her.

There seems to be no clear motive as to why she was murdered immediately. The body was buried near the factory, and her family was kept under the impression that she was alive for another two years.

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3) The kidnappers extorted her family for two years

Though Anabel Segura was murdered shortly after her kidnapping, the kidnappers managed to deceive Anabel's family for more than two years. Between 1993 and 1995, they made 14 phone calls in exchange for a ransom of 150 million pesetas, or approximately US $945,000. They also fabricated a fake tape, where a woman impersonated Anabel.

She told the family that she was alive and begging to be brought home. This voice was that of Muñoz Guadix's wife, Felisa García, who was an accomplice to the crime. The family mortgaged their home and placed rewards for any information.

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4) A public appeal led to the arrest of the perpetrators

The police released the fake recording of Anabel Segura to the public in 1995 and asked for help to identify the voices. A resident of Escalona came forward and recognized a voice as Candido Ortiz Añón, and the latter was subsequently reported to the authorities.

This tip led to the arrest of Ortiz Añón, Emilio Muñoz Guadix, and Felisa García on September 28, 1995. Two days later, police found the remains of Anabel Segura close to the factory where she was murdered.

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5) The perpetrators faced long sentences but experienced differential fates

After their arrest, the abductors were put on trial and received sentences for their offenses. Emilio Muñoz Guadix and Candido Ortiz Añón received an initial sentence of 39 years in prison, while the Supreme Court of Spain extended this to 43 years. García spent six months for her part in the crime.

Ortiz Añón died of a heart attack in prison in 2009, but Muñoz Guadix was released in 2013 after serving 18 years. Guadix made public apologies upon his release, pleading to the media that his actions had been absolutely out of financial desperation.

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900 Days Without Anabel is available to watch on Netflix.