Murder riddle of UK widow shot 3 times at her Costa villa

A BRITISH widow has been found shot dead in her Spanish villa.

The 80-year-old’s body was discovered by a plumber at her £350,000 Costa Blanca home on Wednesday evening.

The pensioner, known only as Monica, had been shot at least three times at close range, according to local reports.

Spanish police have launched a murder inquiry. Officers said yesterday they were investigating whether the woman had been shot by intruders in a botched burglary. The widow lived alone in the city of Elche, near Alicante in southeastern Spain, after the death of her husband some years ago.

It is understood locals had previously complained to police about a string of break-ins last autumn.

Nearby residents reported seeing a man and a woman in dark clothing, wearing hoodies and face masks leaving the widow’s home in a black Peugeot car shortly before her body was discovered at around 6.30pm. No arrests have so far been made.

Officers have now stepped up patrols on the Torre Azul residential estate where the woman lived, between Elche and the town of Torrellano, to reassure residents.

Detectives are in the process of contacting the woman’s next of kin and a post-mortem is due to take place in Alicante over the next 24 hours.

Although they refused to confirm whether anything had been stolen from the home, police said a bungled burglary could not be ruled out at this stage. One local, who asked not to be named, described the dead woman as someone ‘with a strong character who was not afraid to speak her mind’.

The woman is thought to have had run-ins with neighbours over noise and anti-social behaviour previously. Her home on the estate, which has around 300 properties owned by Spanish families as well as foreign nationals, remained cordoned off last night.

Although detectives confirmed the woman was British, it is thought she could be a naturalised British citizen born in either Holland or Germany.

Her British husband died several years ago from cancer.

A spokesman for Spain’s National Police said: ‘We are investigating the death of a British woman who was shot dead at a property in Elche.

‘We are investigating it as a murder. We are keeping an open mind on the motive.

‘Suicide has been ruled out. No arrests have yet been made and the investigation is ongoing.’