The 7th Investigating Court in Alicante, which is dealing with the murder of María del Carmen Martínez, widow of the president of the Caja de Ahorros del Mediterráneo (CAM Bank), has said that it will not be setting bail but instead keeping son in law, Miguel Lopez, in custody during the period of the trial.
The judge said on Saturday that he was dismissing the petition for bail and release requested by the defendant for the duration of the court case.
María del Carmen Martínez was shot twice in the head last December while stationary inside the car, having just collected it from the valet. The shots were fired at point blank range.
Initially the police thought that the murder was a contract killing but later changed their minds. Evidence, including the empty shell casings, was quickly gathered, as a result of which the police now believe that the shooting was carried out by a novice, quite probably as a result of an internal feud caused by differences with regard to the operation of the family owned Novocar dealership.
Police say that when he was first arrested Lopez said that he had been expecting it although he continues to deny the murder charge.
