The chilling true story behind 900 Days Without Anabel, explained

The Netflix series 900 Days Without Anabel gives a glimpse into the tragic 1993 abduction and murder of 22-year-old Anabel Segura, kidnapped when jogging in an affluent Madrid neighborhood—a tragedy that caught Spain's public attention for years.

Her family was subjected to a cruel charade orchestrated by the kidnappers, who continued extorting money under the pretext that Anabel was still alive. Even though she was killed within hours of her abduction, her captors sustained their ransom demands for over two years, leading to an extensive police investigation.

Directed by Monika Palomero, 900 Days Without Anabel explores the crime, the family's anguish, and the pursuit of justice. The docuseries includes previously unheard negotiation recordings between the kidnappers and police, offering a chilling perspective on the case.

900 Days Without Anabel was released on Netflix on November 22, 2024.

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Who is Anabel Segura from 900 Days Without Anabel?

Anabel Segura was a 22-year-old business student from La Moraleja, Madrid's most fashionable district. She was the eldest daughter of petrochemical businessman José Segura Nájera and his German wife, Sigrid Foles.

Representative image (Image by pexels)

On April 12, 1993, while jogging with her Walkman in her neighborhood, Anabel was abducted at knifepoint by Emilio Muñoz Guadix and Candido Ortiz Añón. They forced her into a white van, an incident reported by a janitor who lived nearby. However, his poor eyesight hindered him from finding the license plate number.

Emilio Muñoz Guadix was a struggling delivery driver, and Ortiz Añón was a plumber and his childhood friend. They planned the kidnapping to demand ransom. Their identities went unnoticed for over two years as they masterminded the situation to evade detection. Anabel was reportedly killed hours after the kidnapping, allegedly during an escape attempt that ended in her murder.

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What transpired during the 900 days in 900 Days Without Anabel?

The calculated ransom plan devised by Muñoz Guadix and Ortiz Añón was executed after Anabel's death. They called the lawyer of the Segura family two days after her abduction, requesting 150 million pesetas, or approximately $945,000, within two days.

Over the next two years, the pair made a total of 14 ransom calls, psychologically terrorizing the family. The family mortgaged their home and placed a high reward for any information about Anabel's location.

Crime scene (Representative image by cottonbro studio/pexels )

However, they were unable pay the ransom, as the kidnappers often failed to appear at agreed-upon locations. After three months of abduction, the kidnapper sent an audio tape to the Segura family. The tape featured a woman, allegedly Anabel, pleading to be taken back home. This intensified the family's anguish.

Later, it was discovered that the voice belonged to Felisa Garcia, Muñoz Guadix's wife, who impersonated Anabel to further the deception. This revelation came when police released the tape publicly in 1995, and a resident of Escalona immediately recognized Ortiz Añón.

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What was the fate of Anabel’s kidnappers from 900 Days Without Anabel?

As depicted in 900 Days Without Anabel, the publicly released tape in 1995 was considered a turning point in the investigation. On September 28, 1995, 900 days after Anabel disappeared, the police arrested Muñoz Guadix, Ortiz Añón, and Garcia.

During interrogation, it was revealed that Anabel's abduction had been financially motivated, with no intention of releasing her. The two men admitted to her murder, claiming it was an unintended outcome of her attempt to escape.

Two days later, the police found the remains of Anabel near an abandoned factory in Numancia de la Sagra, Toledo, where she was held and killed.

Muñoz Guadix and Ortiz Añón were sentenced in 1996 to 39 years for acts of treason, illegal detention, and attempted fraud. The Supreme Court later increased their sentences to 43 years. García, convicted of complicity in the scheme, was sentenced to six months. Ortiz Añón spent 10 years in prison before he died of a heart attack in 2009 at age 48.

Muñoz Guadix was released in 2013 after serving 18 years of his sentence, considering the evolving sentencing laws of the European Human Rights Committee. At release, he apologized for his actions. In an interview with laSexta, he said,

“I made a serious mistake... I would give ten years of my life so that this would not have happened.”

Since then, he has stayed low profile.

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900 Days Without Anabel is available on Netflix.