900 Days Without Anabel (2024) s01e01 Episode Script
¿Dónde está Anabel?
1
[tense music playing]
THE PHONE CALLS
YOU'RE GOING TO HEAR ARE REAL.
FOR THE FIRST TIME,
THE ENTIRETY OF THE POLICE RECORDINGS
OF THE KIDNAPPING WILL BE SHOWN.
[tense music continues]
[woman] Hi, Mama, Papa.
I want to return home and be with you.
So let's hope
we can put all of this behind us.
[kidnapper] Okay, now you heard
Anabel's voice.
If we don't receive everything we ask for,
we'll end her life.
I repeat. She will be killed.
[tape clicks]
[ominous music playing]
We ran into every difficulty
in the world in our search for Anabel,
wherever she was.
[kidnapper] If we see any kind
of police presence, the deal is off.
Do you understand?
Our only clue about the kidnappers
was the man's voice.
[phone rings]
[man] Segura family residence. Hello?
Every time the kidnappers called the house
we recorded everything.
CALL 5
CALL 10
[ominous music continues]
[policeman] First call, 8:00 p.m.
[kidnapper] The head
of the family, please.
- [policeman] Call number seven.
- [man] Segura family residence. Hello?
- [policewoman] The 14th call.
- [tape recorder beeps]
- [kidnapper] If you want Anabel
- [man] Yes.
[kidnapper] Drop off the money tonight
at exactly 11:30 p.m.
[call end tone sounds]
Thirty years later,
whenever I hear that man's voice,
I know it's him.
ANABEL SEGURA CASE
1993-1995
I'll never be able to forget that voice.
- [kidnapper] Anabel is perfectly fine.
- [man] Yes, so you say.
- [kidnapper] I told you she's fine.
- [man] That's what you say.
[kidnapper] We want the money.
If we get it, she'll go free.
- [man] At 9:00 a.m., on that same
- [call end tone sounds]
How long did it all last?
And what sort of things were happening
at that time with the family?
[father] I'm prepared to do anything
and to cooperate
so our family can be with Anabel again.
They twist your arm
while you're trying to save the life
of an innocent human being.
[ominous music continues]
[man] The family dreams every day
of reuniting with their daughter.
And I hope they get her back soon,
so this can all end.
FREEDOM FOR ANABEL
Back in the 90s,
the kidnapping of Anabel Segura
really shocked Spain.
[crowd chanting]
Everyone treated the situation
as if it was their own family member.
A YEAR WITHOUT ANABEL
ENOUGH!
[chanting and whistling]
[ominous music continues]
The Segura kidnapping
marked an important turning point
in kidnapping investigations in Spain.
It was one of the most complicated cases
I faced in my career.
[man] But we want you to tell us where
where her mother was born,
from the mouth of Anabel.
[kidnapper] Listen carefully, okay?
You won't get a second chance.
We were talking about a human life.
[somber music playing]
Everything we did, everything we said
could have consequences.
[man] Is she alive? Is Anabel alive?
[dog barking]
[phone ringing]
[ominous music playing]
[phone continues to ring]
[dial tone sounds]
[music turns eerie]
900 DAYS WITHOUT ANABEL
[indistinct chatter]
EPISODE 1
WHERE IS ANABEL?
[policeman] Because of my personality
- [indistinct chatter]
- [police siren sounds]
Or maybe because of my size
[ominous music playing]
I've always played
the policeman who was bad cop.
NATIONAL POLICE KIDNAPPING SQUAD LEADER
And if if you include my ugly mug,
that's that's the cherry on top.
[policeman] Call number 11, 9:45 p.m.
[man] Yes, hello?
[kidnapper] We are Anabel's kidnappers.
Do you have the money ready?
[Jaime] It's been a long time since 1993,
when the kidnapping of Anabel took place.
Today, I'm retired.
I spent my whole professional career
specializing in kidnappings.
[ominous music continues]
[Jaime] This is
the residential area of Intergolf.
This is a gated community
inside La Moraleja complex.
And we're going
to the house of Anabel Segura.
It soon became an obsession for all of us
to find Anabel wherever she was.
It's the house on the right.
We'll try to recreate the series of events
that took place on that day,
April 12th, 1993.
[ominous music continues]
[Jaime] On April 12th, 1993,
in a neighborhood close to Madrid,
in the Intergolf area, in La Moraleja,
she was on a run, Anabel Segura Foles.
She was 22 years old at that time.
[journalist] It was the start
of a tragic story.
And one I became very familiar with,
two years after it all began.
We've gathered here for this program
to be a sort of assembly
of citizens in solidarity
with Anabel. For her release.
Over the years, that show
received very good audience ratings.
And it ended up leading to seven
out of ten kidnapping cases being solved.
This program, with help from all of you,
hopes all of this will be over soon.
[somber music playing]
[Paco] The date of the events
was April 12th, 1993.
Madrid was an empty city.
It had that deserted atmosphere
that all capital cities have
during Easter Sunday.
The day before,
Anabel had come back from Granada.
That Easter weekend,
the Seguras had taken a trip
with their family.
The married couple,
Sigrid and José Segura,
and their two daughters.
[ominous music playing]
The girls had decided
to stay and ski in Sierra Nevada.
It was a sport they loved,
especially Anabel.
She was always practicing.
Everything was normal up until that point.
Anabel was very responsible and studious.
She decided to return alone
to study for her approaching exams.
She was really close to completing
her college degree in Business.
So she returned to Madrid early
while her parents stayed on the coast.
Her decision to return
was a fateful decision
because if she hadn't gone back earlier,
the events that happened
probably would have never taken place.
[hopeful music playing]
APRIL 12TH, 1993
[clock ticking]
[music turns ominous]
On April 12th, 1993,
Anabel decided to go for a run.
[journalist 1] We interrupt this program
to take you to Moncloa Palace.
[Jesús] So, she says goodbye,
first to the housekeeper,
whose name was Rosita.
The housekeeper remembered being asked
to leave a couple of apples out for Anabel
and that she planned to study afterward.
[journalist 2] The general election
will be held on the sixth day of July.
[upbeat pop music playing]
[footsteps sound]
She left home around 2:30
and started running around La Moraleja,
where she lived.
[ominous music playing]
La Moraleja is a luxury residential area.
Eventually, she leaves Intergolf
and she heads to Camino Ancho,
totally unaware
of what is about to happen.
[music turns tense]
[panting]
[policeman] It was
It was a shocking event.
Personally, I was really shaken up.
[crickets chirp]
We received a call from emergency dispatch
from a gardener who, at the time,
was working at a school in La Moraleja.
He said he heard some voices,
some screams for help.
It was a young woman.
And he saw from the sidewalk,
two individuals in a white-painted van
driving down the road.
[tires screech]
And right where the man
spotted the vehicle,
we found a Walkman, a white T-shirt,
and a hoodie belonging to a young woman.
It was the spark of a case
that shocked the entire world.
[somber music playing]
- [indistinct chatter]
- [phone rings]
- [radio beeps]
- [alarm sounds]
[indistinct voice on radio]
Of course, in the early days,
the first thing that came to mind was,
it could be the work
of organized terrorists.
There was another terrorist attack today
in San Sebastián.
The terrorists set off a car bomb
with two police vans in the vicinity.
In Spain, at the time
of the disappearance,
the kidnapping of Anabel,
kidnapping was usually tied
to the organization ETA.
[journalist] A call from ETA
to the Egin newspaper
confirmed responsibility
for the kidnapping.
The Government's main concern
at this moment
is that a citizen is being deprived
of their freedom by a terrorist group.
La Moraleja has many potential targets,
which is obvious
because it's a very wealthy community.
[ominous music playing]
Famous singers,
even a few politicians, and businessmen.
When we first heard that Anabel's father
was a high-ranking executive of a company,
of course, the first thing you think
is the main goal would be extorting
her father or the company
in order to receive money
for illegal activities
and to purchase weapons for the group.
[radio beeps]
[Jaime] Back in the day,
ETA claimed responsibility
almost immediately for kidnappings.
This one, no.
We decided to rule out that it was
a kidnapping by ETA or that ilk.
These were common criminals.
[tense music playing]
[Jaime] When they kidnapped Anabel Segura,
the unit I was working in
was actually the robbery task force.
But from that point on,
they created a special unit
for kidnapping and extortion.
So much time had passed
that the wounds were starting to close.
That situation left a mark
on everyone who took part in it.
It was a baptism of fire
for every single one of us.
[police siren sounds]
It was pretty normal for kidnappers
to make phone calls to the family.
The first thing in an investigation
is to wiretap the phone
to record all conversations
and determine the situation.
[tense music playing]
Surveillance was set up,
what I used to call "a kidnapping kit."
Which was actually nothing more
than a tape recorder
with a wiretap for a telephone.
[Jesús] Keep in mind,
at the time of this kidnapping,
there were no cellphones.
The Internet was actually still
in its infancy back then.
The concept of commercial Internet
and websites just wasn't a thing.
Calls were usually made using landlines.
- [footsteps sound]
- [clock ticking]
[Jaime] In the case of Anabel Segura,
the kit was installed in the kitchen,
which which was quite far away
from the living room,
where most
of the telephone calls were taken.
Because whenever you use a tape recorder,
you have to hit a button
and it makes a loud "click."
You can hear all of that on the other end.
- [insects chirp]
- [dog barks]
[clock ticking]
APRIL 14TH, 1993
8:00 P.M.
DAYS WITHOUT ANABEL: 2
[ominous music playing]
[phone rings]
[man] Segura family residence. Talk to me.
- [kidnapper 2] Hello?
- [man] Yes? Hello?
[kidnapper 2] José Segura Nájera?
[man] He's not able to talk now.
Who is calling?
- [kidnapper 2] Nobody.
- [man] Nobody?
[phone beeps]
[ominous music continues]
For the officers who were present,
it was clear.
These were the kidnappers.
They had Anabel.
The kidnapper would ask for the father.
When he didn't come to the phone,
they would hang up.
[clock ticking]
[Jaime] How do you react?
We were convinced
that they would call again
in just a couple of minutes.
APRIL 14TH, 1993
8:07 P.M.
7 MINUTES LATER
[phone ringing]
[man] Segura family residence. Hello?
[kidnapper 2] José Segura?
[man] Listen, he recently took some pills
and he's in his bedroom.
He can't talk right now.
[kidnapper 2] It's about his daughter.
[man] It's okay because you're talking
to the right person.
The family has appointed me
their lawyer. Rafael Escuredo.
[ominous music playing]
[Jesús] Rafael Escuredo
was the first president
of Junta de Andalucía.
And he was a member
of the Socialist Party.
He was a close friend of José Segura.
We must cross the desert
even if we don't know how we will succeed.
And I will personally cross that desert.
So, he just abandons his law practice.
He even leaves his house,
stays at the Seguras',
and sleeps on their couch.
He takes on
the tremendous role of mediator
between the family and the kidnappers.
It needed to be a calm guy
who didn't get upset.
Someone who could listen
to whatever was said on the phone
and know how to properly communicate
the best strategy for the police.
[Rafael] I'm the lawyer
representing the family
therefore, it's best to talk to me,
but you seem angry, nervous
[kidnapper 2] Okay. Listen up.
I don't care about any of that.
Tell him we kidnapped his daughter
but she's doing fine.
She doesn't need anything,
but her safety depends on you.
- On all of you.
- [Rafael] Okay. Very well.
[kidnapper 2] We want 150 million pesetas.
We need you to put it
in a sports bag and wait for us to call.
We'll call on the 16th at 6:00 p.m.
- [Rafael] Get me paper. Hold on.
- [kidnapper 2] You listening?
[Rafael] You said the 16th, right?
[kidnapper 2] The 16th at 6:00 p.m.
If you don't do like we say
or we find out
that you've warned the police,
she's going to suffer.
Listen, we don't care about the police,
we just want to
[call end tone sounds]
[ominous music playing]
The kidnappers asked
for 150 million pesetas.
Today, that would be
almost two million euros.
That is an outrageous amount of money.
Back then in Spain, you were a millionaire
if you had one million pesetas.
An apartment would probably cost
two or three million pesetas.
So 150 million
[dog barks]
And of course,
there was the added pressure
of obtaining it in a short amount of time.
Obviously, it's almost impossible
to collect that much cash in 48 hours,
like the kidnappers demanded.
Even with them having the upper hand,
it was just not realistic.
[tense music playing]
[phone ringing]
[Jaime] We had to prepare
by planning with the police
just in case they demanded
a large sum of money right away.
This would be our biggest opportunity
to arrest them.
And to bring back a young girl
who's been kidnapped.
[man] Automatically, we activated GEO.
The Special Ops unit
set up a permanent three-man operation
around the residence.
So I went to the house of Anabel Segura.
GEO OPERATIVE SUBGROUP LEADER
The most famous GEO hostage release
was the father of Julio Iglesias.
He had been kidnapped by ETA,
the separatist group.
[Julio] My father
was treated with respect.
I saw him today at the pool.
We swam for a few meters, he's happy.
[Juan C.M.] That was our guarantee,
what was expected of us
from the families and investigators.
[insects chirping]
[Jaime] The kidnappers demanded
that the police not be notified
and they threatened that the victim
would suffer the consequences.
[kidnapper 2] If you don't do like we say
or we find out
that you've warned the police
And when the bad guys
when they called, it was a sure bet
they were watching the house.
[ominous music playing]
We took every precaution
to do everything with discretion.
Because the priority was Anabel's life.
[indistinct radio chatter]
I was in a police car with camouflage.
It was parked right near the house.
That was perimeter one.
And the second perimeter
was managed by me.
[dog barking]
[Juan C.C.] We parked in a mall
located on the road to Burgos,
which was on the way to La Moraleja.
[Jaime] The surveillance
lasted 24 hours a day.
No one even got to sleep at their house.
[radio static sounds]
[reporter 1] We've been informed
last Monday,
there was a kidnapping
in the neighborhood of La Moraleja,
where a young woman was jogging.
As of now, the suspects
are considered common criminals.
[reporter 2] Although the events
took place last Monday,
the kidnapping of Anabel Segura,
a 22-year-old woman,
was only made public just a few hours ago.
[tense music playing]
When the news broke, the whole department,
all the detectives, got angry.
[reporter 3] The events took place here,
by the Scandinavian School in La Moraleja.
The news about the kidnapping,
when it came out,
was very bad for everyone.
[reporter 4] Anabel was followed
by a white van.
Two men in masks
were seen in a deserted area.
Now, the bad guys can't say,
"Don't alert the police."
They know it's obvious
that this story is international news now.
- [birds singing]
- [dog barking]
I've seen police department employees
leak information to the press
just for a free coffee.
I've seen it all.
They say things like,
"What? It doesn't matter."
And they have no idea
how much they're harming the investigation
and a kidnapped girl
and her family.
[insects chirping]
[reporter 5] The Seguras
have received support from their neighbors
among them, singer Manolo Escobar,
whose wife recalls
the kidnapped young woman.
She had a boyfriend,
a normal life,
I don't I don't think she went out much.
Maybe to exercise
but that's normal, you know?
[somber music playing]
[woman] My mother, she went over,
just like all the other neighbors
because we were all a big family
in that neighborhood.
I was Anabel's neighbor.
INTERGOLF COMMUNITY RESIDEN
My father was Manolo Escobar.
He was an amazing singer.
To me, one of the most important ones
that this country has ever had.
[woman] Who sings better,
your papa or you?
Both of us.
[laughs] I love that! Both of us!
I was 14 years old when I first heard
about the kidnapping of Anabel.
It affected my parents a lot.
That was actually what made my parents
decide to move to Benidorm,
because I guess the idea
was that I would be safer there.
[tense music playing]
[Vanessa] The structure
of the neighborhood was circular.
You went in,
you went through a security gate.
We were, as the name implies,
Intergolf, inside a golf course.
It was full of gardens,
pools, tennis and basketball courts.
It was spectacular.
For our little community,
the kidnapping and disappearance
of Anabel was jarring.
And over time,
fear and terror really crept in.
You felt the difference
before and after Anabel's kidnapping.
Of course we're worried.
What's the point
of having all these fancy cameras?
What's the point if once we leave,
someone can just rob us?
If you see a van, uh you feel anxious,
you don't want to get too close.
I have a daughter the same age.
You can imagine
what this means to me, right?
She's 22 years old, well-educated,
really nice, she's a very modest girl.
So obviously,
this is a very, very tragic event.
[somber music playing]
I met Anabel's parents for the first time
at the house of Anabel Segura.
What I noticed,
something I always noticed in that house,
was the quiet.
[clock ticking]
[Juan J.B.] If I was describing
the house of Anabel Segura,
I'd use the word "silent."
[Juan C.C.] For the family,
it was a huge tragedy.
There was a strong bond in that family.
You know, they really got along very well.
José Segura, as I remember,
he seemed very intelligent,
and centered.
But the one who seemed the most devastated
right from the start
was Anabel's mother.
She was in pain.
[phone ringing]
APRIL 16TH, 1993
7:33 P.M.
DAYS WITHOUT ANABEL: 4
[Rafael] Segura family residence.
Talk to me.
[kidnapper] Good afternoon.
Do you speak for the family?
[Rafael] Uh Yes, yes, talk to me.
- [kidnapper] The lawyer?
- [Rafael] Yes.
[kidnapper] I need you
to listen carefully.
[Rafael] But first,
something very important.
We need to know about her safety,
Anabel's safety.
We want proof that she's okay.
[kidnapper] Listen to me closely
or you won't see her again.
[Rafael] Yes, I'm listening.
Speak louder, so I can hear you.
[Jaime] It was another man
but he talked the same way
as the first one.
And so, we just thought that he's just one
of the other men from the kidnapping.
[kidnapper] The girl is perfectly fine.
Understand?
- [Rafael] Yes. I understand.
- [kidnapper] Nothing has happened to her.
Her safety depends on you.
Listen to me closely.
- [Rafael] I'm listening.
- [kidnapper] Do you have the money?
[Rafael] Look, we were able
to get a hold of 63 million pesetas
and tomorrow afternoon, um
I'm pretty confident
we can reach 80 million by noon tomorrow.
And I'm sure you'll understand,
with only 48 hours,
we have to ask friends,
relatives, acquaintances
[kidnapper] We said 150 million.
[Rafael] Yes, the family
is taking this seriously
[call end tone sounds]
[Juan C.C.] The kidnapper just hung up.
I think he was convinced
that on the streets of La Moraleja,
stacks of bills were just floating around.
[tense music playing]
[Jesús] The Segura family
had a comfortable life.
But I don't know
if I would've considered them rich.
[Paco] They weren't part of the elite.
But they were doing significantly better
than the average population.
José Segura and his wife didn't have
that kind of money lying around.
We had no other option
other than to wait
for the kidnappers to just call.
During that time,
we investigated the facts we already had.
[indistinct radio chatter]
[radio beeps]
Mr. Segura thought
we could use Anabel's diary
which we read and investigated.
Obviously, the police wanted
to learn more about who the victim was
and who she surrounded herself with.
[tense music playing]
- [indistinct chatter]
- [phone ringing]
She's a very responsible,
level-headed person.
So, this is all very shocking.
She got along well with everyone.
We spoke with all of her friends
and the entire family,
all avenues were explored.
Everyone knows she's a bright young woman.
Very friendly.
There's no reason
she should have to suffer like this.
We ruled out her boyfriends.
It's just important
for the police to know everything.
[phone ringing]
[tense music continues]
[indistinct radio chatter]
So, we started to investigate her father.
And then we tried to determine if he had
any enemies from his his business.
If someone did it for revenge.
KIDNAPPERS DEMAND 150 MILLION PESETAS
José Segura kept a pretty tight circle.
And he didn't have any personal conflicts.
I didn't think there was any chance
that anyone kidnapped this young girl
for the sole reason
to hurt this man or his family.
Anabel was a very young,
exemplary student, who played sports.
It didn't seem possible
that someone out there
could actually want to hurt her.
[ominous music playing]
We reached the conclusion
that the kidnapping was random.
[Juan J.B.] They took Anabel
but it could have happened
to any young woman from La Moraleja.
[Jaime] They wanted to kidnap for money.
And where are people with money?
At La Moraleja.
It was a motive
that was completely economical.
Days before, there was another event.
A similar kidnapping attempt with a van.
They didn't get their target
because, apparently, the girl broke free
and managed to run away.
This was the first time
we had had an express kidnapping in Spain.
Which, in turn,
made things really hard for the police.
[Juan C.C.] With no links
between the family of the kidnapped girl
and the kidnappers,
there was a wider range
of people who could've done it.
I mean, everything was just beginning.
[phone rings]
[Jaime] Honestly, in the beginning,
the police had
practically zero clues or facts.
Two individuals, on the younger side,
and they drove a van
which was white, but that was it.
Because as much
as we questioned that poor gardener,
who was the only eyewitness,
he wasn't able to see the license plate
or if the van had rear windows.
Databases didn't exist back then.
We could only go
from dealership to dealership
asking each one
if they sold any white vans.
White.
That color was everyone's favorite.
[tense music playing]
How many white vans are there?
Thousands? Try millions.
La Moraleja was pretty much
turned upside down by the police.
What kind of person
would drive a white van?
[Juan C.C.] Delivery men,
supply companies,
plumbers.
Even the service staff
who came in and out every day.
All of it. We investigated everything.
[Jaime] When you're working
with minimal information,
it's like finding a needle in a haystack.
It was one of the most complicated cases
I faced in my career.
- [phone ringing]
- [indistinct radio chatter]
[clock ticking]
[phone ringing]
APRIL 19TH, 1993
4:40 P.M.
DAYS WITHOUT ANABEL: 7
[Rafael] Segura family residence.
Talk to me.
- [kidnapper] The head of the family?
- [Rafael] Yes, that's me.
[kidnapper] We're Anabel's kidnappers.
- [Rafael] Alright.
- [kidnapper] Is the money ready?
[Rafael] Listen, I'm going to answer you,
but first I have a question.
- [kidnapper] Excuse me?
- [Rafael] We'd like to ask you
We'd like you to talk to Anabel
and have her tell you
where her mother was born.
As for the money, we have it.
José Segura had to get in touch
with a lot of his friends
and acquaintances and family members
to round up all of that money.
[somber music playing]
My father and some
of the neighbors offered support
and were willing
to lend as much help as needed.
At the time, Pepe refused.
But I know it wasn't easy
to collect 150 million pesetas.
That's bundles of cash, stacks of bills,
and they all have to fit in one large bag.
[Rafael] The money is ready.
- [kidnapper] Say that again.
- [Rafael] We have the money.
[kidnapper] You have it?
[Rafael] Yes, but first
we need you to tell us
- [kidnapper] Yes.
- [Rafael] Where her mother was born.
Ask Anabel. We need proof that she's okay.
[kidnapper] We'll call back
at 7:00 p.m. tonight.
[call end tone sounds]
[clock ticking]
[Jaime] That apprehension
that you're feeling
when you're waiting for the phone to ring,
it's the worst.
[clock ticking]
APRIL 19TH, 1993
7:00 P.M.
[phone rings]
2 HOURS LATER
[Rafael] Segura family residence.
Talk to me.
[call end tone sounds]
Every time you hear the phone,
you feel on alert.
If they hang up, your adrenaline drops.
47 MINUTES LATER
[phone rings]
[Rafael] Segura family residence.
Talk to me.
[call end tone sounds]
You could imagine,
it was a nightmare for the family.
[clock ticking]
They really put themselves
in their daughter's shoes
because she was suffering,
suffering so much.
And you just have to sit there
because you know
there's not a single thing you can do.
APRIL 19TH, 1993
9:22 P.M.
[phone ringing]
90 MINUTES LATER
[tone sounds]
[Rafael] Segura family residence.
Talk to me.
- [kidnapper] Segura family residence?
- [Rafael] Yes.
[kidnapper] We are the kidnappers of
- [Rafael] Yes. Yes, yes.
- [kidnapper] Anabel.
Do you have the money ready, or not?
[Rafael] I told you we do,
but I asked you a question
regarding the city
where her mother was born.
Proof of life is essential.
We need to know how the victim is doing.
It's a question
which can only be answered by the victim.
[kidnapper] Okay,
you need to listen closely.
[Rafael] Are you able to tell me?
Can you answer the question?
- [kidnapper] Excuse me?
- [Rafael] Can you answer the question?
[kidnapper] Anabel's doing perfectly fine.
Now listen.
[Rafael] I am listening,
and let me remind you
that we have the money,
but I asked you a question last time.
I need you to tell me
which city Anabel's mother was born in.
[kidnapper] Anabel's mother
was born in Germany.
[Rafael] No, no. The city, the city.
[kidnapper] We don't know the city,
we only know the
[Rafael] Look, just ask her.
Anabel will know the name of the city.
[kidnapper] Okay, listen to me well.
[Rafael] No, no, tell Anabel
to tell you the name of the city.
The the family lawyer
said something like,
"Don't you dare harm this person."
"If we don't know for certain
that she's okay, it's over."
It becomes a battle.
[kidnapper] Listen up, okay?
You're not the one
who should be making demands.
You know?
You want to see Anabel alive, right?
- [Rafael] Yes.
- [kidnapper] Bring the money tonight.
I want you
to write down the address. You hear me?
[Rafael] Yes, yes, okay.
Okay, go on, go on.
[kidnapper] Kilometer 126
on National Highway 2.
[tense music playing]
[Rafael] One-twenty-six,
National Highway 2.
[kidnapper] Two.
You'll see a turn called Saúca.
Thirty meters from there is a bridge,
stop when you get to the bridge.
[Rafael] Okay.
[kidnapper] Just park the car there
and make the drop-off personally.
[Rafael] Look, I
I don't know how to drive.
[tense music continues]
- [kidnapper] Well
- [Rafael] I can take a taxi
or go with my secretary.
I can ask him
to drive me or a friend from work.
[kidnapper] It needs to be you.
Either the secretary or the cab driver,
whoever went, as you could imagine,
would have a gun hidden on their person.
Undercover police.
[kidnapper] Tonight, at 11:30,
if you don't show up
- [Rafael] Is she Is Anabel alive?
- [kidnapper] What? Listen carefully.
[Rafael] Okay. So Anabel is alive then?
[kidnapper] Exactly right.
You want to see Anabel again?
[Rafael] Yes.
[kidnapper] Drop off the money at 11:30.
- [Rafael] Okay.
- [kidnapper] Within two hours
[Rafael] Yes.
[kidnapper] She'll be home with you.
[call end tone sounds]
Then, I said, "Let's go."
It was going to be
the first serious cash drop.
The anticipation was incredible.
[tires screech]
A woman's life was at stake.
The drop-off was 130 kilometers away
from La Moraleja.
It was gonna be a long drive.
[Juan C.M.] We had to set up a perimeter
around an area we were unfamiliar with.
From the get-go, we only had two hours
to prepare everything.
Basically, the idea was to arrive
before the car bringing the ransom money.
[Juan C.C.] We had to surround the area
to monitor any contact
between the kidnapper
and the spokesperson
who brought the money.
[indistinct radio chatter]
You should have seen our cars
speeding down that road.
We were flying.
[tense music playing]
[Jaime] It wasn't long before we drove
130 kilometers. About an hour.
With the intention,
the very real intention,
of arresting whoever came for the pickup.
That was the entire goal,
to get her back, that was it.
[eerie music playing]
[Juan C.M.] That night,
the stars were out.
It was totally clear
and the weather was cold as hell.
In the middle of nowhere.
Cars were stationed
before kilometer 126, and after 126,
totally hidden.
[Juan C.M.] We set up there
before the money arrived.
[Juan J.B.] I stayed back at the house,
at Anabel's house,
waiting for the return the return
of my colleagues and well, and Rafael.
[dog barking]
[Juan J.B.] Everyone that night
was feeling anxious.
For Anabel's return.
[car engine starts]
We wanted to know what would happen.
[Juan C.M.] I was thinking of Rafael,
how nervous he must've been.
I was trying to imagine
the situation he was facing.
[Paco] He was out there
in the middle of the night
trying to rescue
the kidnapped daughter of a good friend.
It was a mission
that deserved genuine respect
and admiration for Mr. Rafael Escuredo.
[Juan C.C.] Especially because
he wasn't a person
who was accustomed
to those sorts of things.
And I assume the journey felt long.
[tense music playing]
The closest to the drop-off site
were two GEO units.
We had the whole area surrounded.
[Juan C.C.] Perfectly camouflaged.
You couldn't see them
even if you hit them with your car.
[Paco] Who were these kidnappers?
Their crime was so cold-blooded
and calculated.
How would they conduct themselves
during the ransom drop?
It was decided that Rafa Escuredo
would be the one responsible
for handling such a challenging situation.
[Juan C.M.] Who knows?
They could be crazy.
They could just shoot him
and take the money.
That night, the hours passed slowly.
They were lonely and very tense.
[ominous music playing]
That night, it was frigid pretty cold.
Everyone out there was shivering.
It was 1993,
we didn't have thermal shirts,
none of the gear of today.
[car engine starts]
[Juan C.M.] We saw two lights
approaching behind us.
It was around 1:30 in the morning.
For a car to appear in the middle
of nowhere, that was strange.
The tension was brutal.
Whoever takes the money, follow him.
The dilemma facing the kidnappers
was their greed,
their ambition to get the 150 million,
and the fear of going to jail.
If greed won,
they would come and collect all the money.
If they let fear win,
they wouldn't get the money.
[tense music playing]
[Juan C.C.] It drove past him
but it didn't stop.
We sent one of our vehicles
to tail it and see where it was going.
[heartbeat thuds]
Nobody came.
Nobody showed up to collect the ransom.
We decided to pull our team out
in the morning.
[birds singing]
In that moment,
you feel pretty frustrated.
I felt for the mother and father.
They were at home,
not knowing what happened,
wondering about their daughter.
They were hoping
we would bring her back home.
And we didn't.
[somber music playing]
We didn't arrest anyone,
no one showed up that night
which led us to a conclusion.
Something isn't right.
[birds singing]
[church bell ringing]
But we did get something
out of that night.
And that was the car that had driven by.
That made us think
there must be some connection.
Because it's not a normal spot
to drop off money.
You'd have to know the place.
So we continued the investigation.
That was my job, to keep investigating.
[indistinct radio chatter]
[tense music playing]
Every time that guy drove his car,
wherever he went, he was followed.
[Juan C.C.] He was a man
who worked as a forest ranger
in a nearby village.
We decided to tap his phone
in order to record his voice
and compare it to the kidnappers' voices.
All without him knowing
he's under investigation.
In this case, voice analysis told us
that there was a very high probability
that his voice
was the voice of one of the kidnappers.
That mystery car
ended up being the number one suspect,
as well as the driver.
[phone ringing]
[clock ticking]
[Rafael] Segura family residence.
Talk to me.
- [man] You know the restaurant El Molino?
- [Rafael] El Molino? Where is that?
[man] Just find it.
Be there at 3:00 p.m. Tomorrow.
[call end tone sounds]
And then someone called the house,
who didn't seem connected
to the kidnappers.
And we all thought, "What's going on?
Who the hell is this guy?"
[clock ticking]
[somber music playing]
[tense music playing]
THE PHONE CALLS
YOU'RE GOING TO HEAR ARE REAL.
FOR THE FIRST TIME,
THE ENTIRETY OF THE POLICE RECORDINGS
OF THE KIDNAPPING WILL BE SHOWN.
[tense music continues]
[woman] Hi, Mama, Papa.
I want to return home and be with you.
So let's hope
we can put all of this behind us.
[kidnapper] Okay, now you heard
Anabel's voice.
If we don't receive everything we ask for,
we'll end her life.
I repeat. She will be killed.
[tape clicks]
[ominous music playing]
We ran into every difficulty
in the world in our search for Anabel,
wherever she was.
[kidnapper] If we see any kind
of police presence, the deal is off.
Do you understand?
Our only clue about the kidnappers
was the man's voice.
[phone rings]
[man] Segura family residence. Hello?
Every time the kidnappers called the house
we recorded everything.
CALL 5
CALL 10
[ominous music continues]
[policeman] First call, 8:00 p.m.
[kidnapper] The head
of the family, please.
- [policeman] Call number seven.
- [man] Segura family residence. Hello?
- [policewoman] The 14th call.
- [tape recorder beeps]
- [kidnapper] If you want Anabel
- [man] Yes.
[kidnapper] Drop off the money tonight
at exactly 11:30 p.m.
[call end tone sounds]
Thirty years later,
whenever I hear that man's voice,
I know it's him.
ANABEL SEGURA CASE
1993-1995
I'll never be able to forget that voice.
- [kidnapper] Anabel is perfectly fine.
- [man] Yes, so you say.
- [kidnapper] I told you she's fine.
- [man] That's what you say.
[kidnapper] We want the money.
If we get it, she'll go free.
- [man] At 9:00 a.m., on that same
- [call end tone sounds]
How long did it all last?
And what sort of things were happening
at that time with the family?
[father] I'm prepared to do anything
and to cooperate
so our family can be with Anabel again.
They twist your arm
while you're trying to save the life
of an innocent human being.
[ominous music continues]
[man] The family dreams every day
of reuniting with their daughter.
And I hope they get her back soon,
so this can all end.
FREEDOM FOR ANABEL
Back in the 90s,
the kidnapping of Anabel Segura
really shocked Spain.
[crowd chanting]
Everyone treated the situation
as if it was their own family member.
A YEAR WITHOUT ANABEL
ENOUGH!
[chanting and whistling]
[ominous music continues]
The Segura kidnapping
marked an important turning point
in kidnapping investigations in Spain.
It was one of the most complicated cases
I faced in my career.
[man] But we want you to tell us where
where her mother was born,
from the mouth of Anabel.
[kidnapper] Listen carefully, okay?
You won't get a second chance.
We were talking about a human life.
[somber music playing]
Everything we did, everything we said
could have consequences.
[man] Is she alive? Is Anabel alive?
[dog barking]
[phone ringing]
[ominous music playing]
[phone continues to ring]
[dial tone sounds]
[music turns eerie]
900 DAYS WITHOUT ANABEL
[indistinct chatter]
EPISODE 1
WHERE IS ANABEL?
[policeman] Because of my personality
- [indistinct chatter]
- [police siren sounds]
Or maybe because of my size
[ominous music playing]
I've always played
the policeman who was bad cop.
NATIONAL POLICE KIDNAPPING SQUAD LEADER
And if if you include my ugly mug,
that's that's the cherry on top.
[policeman] Call number 11, 9:45 p.m.
[man] Yes, hello?
[kidnapper] We are Anabel's kidnappers.
Do you have the money ready?
[Jaime] It's been a long time since 1993,
when the kidnapping of Anabel took place.
Today, I'm retired.
I spent my whole professional career
specializing in kidnappings.
[ominous music continues]
[Jaime] This is
the residential area of Intergolf.
This is a gated community
inside La Moraleja complex.
And we're going
to the house of Anabel Segura.
It soon became an obsession for all of us
to find Anabel wherever she was.
It's the house on the right.
We'll try to recreate the series of events
that took place on that day,
April 12th, 1993.
[ominous music continues]
[Jaime] On April 12th, 1993,
in a neighborhood close to Madrid,
in the Intergolf area, in La Moraleja,
she was on a run, Anabel Segura Foles.
She was 22 years old at that time.
[journalist] It was the start
of a tragic story.
And one I became very familiar with,
two years after it all began.
We've gathered here for this program
to be a sort of assembly
of citizens in solidarity
with Anabel. For her release.
Over the years, that show
received very good audience ratings.
And it ended up leading to seven
out of ten kidnapping cases being solved.
This program, with help from all of you,
hopes all of this will be over soon.
[somber music playing]
[Paco] The date of the events
was April 12th, 1993.
Madrid was an empty city.
It had that deserted atmosphere
that all capital cities have
during Easter Sunday.
The day before,
Anabel had come back from Granada.
That Easter weekend,
the Seguras had taken a trip
with their family.
The married couple,
Sigrid and José Segura,
and their two daughters.
[ominous music playing]
The girls had decided
to stay and ski in Sierra Nevada.
It was a sport they loved,
especially Anabel.
She was always practicing.
Everything was normal up until that point.
Anabel was very responsible and studious.
She decided to return alone
to study for her approaching exams.
She was really close to completing
her college degree in Business.
So she returned to Madrid early
while her parents stayed on the coast.
Her decision to return
was a fateful decision
because if she hadn't gone back earlier,
the events that happened
probably would have never taken place.
[hopeful music playing]
APRIL 12TH, 1993
[clock ticking]
[music turns ominous]
On April 12th, 1993,
Anabel decided to go for a run.
[journalist 1] We interrupt this program
to take you to Moncloa Palace.
[Jesús] So, she says goodbye,
first to the housekeeper,
whose name was Rosita.
The housekeeper remembered being asked
to leave a couple of apples out for Anabel
and that she planned to study afterward.
[journalist 2] The general election
will be held on the sixth day of July.
[upbeat pop music playing]
[footsteps sound]
She left home around 2:30
and started running around La Moraleja,
where she lived.
[ominous music playing]
La Moraleja is a luxury residential area.
Eventually, she leaves Intergolf
and she heads to Camino Ancho,
totally unaware
of what is about to happen.
[music turns tense]
[panting]
[policeman] It was
It was a shocking event.
Personally, I was really shaken up.
[crickets chirp]
We received a call from emergency dispatch
from a gardener who, at the time,
was working at a school in La Moraleja.
He said he heard some voices,
some screams for help.
It was a young woman.
And he saw from the sidewalk,
two individuals in a white-painted van
driving down the road.
[tires screech]
And right where the man
spotted the vehicle,
we found a Walkman, a white T-shirt,
and a hoodie belonging to a young woman.
It was the spark of a case
that shocked the entire world.
[somber music playing]
- [indistinct chatter]
- [phone rings]
- [radio beeps]
- [alarm sounds]
[indistinct voice on radio]
Of course, in the early days,
the first thing that came to mind was,
it could be the work
of organized terrorists.
There was another terrorist attack today
in San Sebastián.
The terrorists set off a car bomb
with two police vans in the vicinity.
In Spain, at the time
of the disappearance,
the kidnapping of Anabel,
kidnapping was usually tied
to the organization ETA.
[journalist] A call from ETA
to the Egin newspaper
confirmed responsibility
for the kidnapping.
The Government's main concern
at this moment
is that a citizen is being deprived
of their freedom by a terrorist group.
La Moraleja has many potential targets,
which is obvious
because it's a very wealthy community.
[ominous music playing]
Famous singers,
even a few politicians, and businessmen.
When we first heard that Anabel's father
was a high-ranking executive of a company,
of course, the first thing you think
is the main goal would be extorting
her father or the company
in order to receive money
for illegal activities
and to purchase weapons for the group.
[radio beeps]
[Jaime] Back in the day,
ETA claimed responsibility
almost immediately for kidnappings.
This one, no.
We decided to rule out that it was
a kidnapping by ETA or that ilk.
These were common criminals.
[tense music playing]
[Jaime] When they kidnapped Anabel Segura,
the unit I was working in
was actually the robbery task force.
But from that point on,
they created a special unit
for kidnapping and extortion.
So much time had passed
that the wounds were starting to close.
That situation left a mark
on everyone who took part in it.
It was a baptism of fire
for every single one of us.
[police siren sounds]
It was pretty normal for kidnappers
to make phone calls to the family.
The first thing in an investigation
is to wiretap the phone
to record all conversations
and determine the situation.
[tense music playing]
Surveillance was set up,
what I used to call "a kidnapping kit."
Which was actually nothing more
than a tape recorder
with a wiretap for a telephone.
[Jesús] Keep in mind,
at the time of this kidnapping,
there were no cellphones.
The Internet was actually still
in its infancy back then.
The concept of commercial Internet
and websites just wasn't a thing.
Calls were usually made using landlines.
- [footsteps sound]
- [clock ticking]
[Jaime] In the case of Anabel Segura,
the kit was installed in the kitchen,
which which was quite far away
from the living room,
where most
of the telephone calls were taken.
Because whenever you use a tape recorder,
you have to hit a button
and it makes a loud "click."
You can hear all of that on the other end.
- [insects chirp]
- [dog barks]
[clock ticking]
APRIL 14TH, 1993
8:00 P.M.
DAYS WITHOUT ANABEL: 2
[ominous music playing]
[phone rings]
[man] Segura family residence. Talk to me.
- [kidnapper 2] Hello?
- [man] Yes? Hello?
[kidnapper 2] José Segura Nájera?
[man] He's not able to talk now.
Who is calling?
- [kidnapper 2] Nobody.
- [man] Nobody?
[phone beeps]
[ominous music continues]
For the officers who were present,
it was clear.
These were the kidnappers.
They had Anabel.
The kidnapper would ask for the father.
When he didn't come to the phone,
they would hang up.
[clock ticking]
[Jaime] How do you react?
We were convinced
that they would call again
in just a couple of minutes.
APRIL 14TH, 1993
8:07 P.M.
7 MINUTES LATER
[phone ringing]
[man] Segura family residence. Hello?
[kidnapper 2] José Segura?
[man] Listen, he recently took some pills
and he's in his bedroom.
He can't talk right now.
[kidnapper 2] It's about his daughter.
[man] It's okay because you're talking
to the right person.
The family has appointed me
their lawyer. Rafael Escuredo.
[ominous music playing]
[Jesús] Rafael Escuredo
was the first president
of Junta de Andalucía.
And he was a member
of the Socialist Party.
He was a close friend of José Segura.
We must cross the desert
even if we don't know how we will succeed.
And I will personally cross that desert.
So, he just abandons his law practice.
He even leaves his house,
stays at the Seguras',
and sleeps on their couch.
He takes on
the tremendous role of mediator
between the family and the kidnappers.
It needed to be a calm guy
who didn't get upset.
Someone who could listen
to whatever was said on the phone
and know how to properly communicate
the best strategy for the police.
[Rafael] I'm the lawyer
representing the family
therefore, it's best to talk to me,
but you seem angry, nervous
[kidnapper 2] Okay. Listen up.
I don't care about any of that.
Tell him we kidnapped his daughter
but she's doing fine.
She doesn't need anything,
but her safety depends on you.
- On all of you.
- [Rafael] Okay. Very well.
[kidnapper 2] We want 150 million pesetas.
We need you to put it
in a sports bag and wait for us to call.
We'll call on the 16th at 6:00 p.m.
- [Rafael] Get me paper. Hold on.
- [kidnapper 2] You listening?
[Rafael] You said the 16th, right?
[kidnapper 2] The 16th at 6:00 p.m.
If you don't do like we say
or we find out
that you've warned the police,
she's going to suffer.
Listen, we don't care about the police,
we just want to
[call end tone sounds]
[ominous music playing]
The kidnappers asked
for 150 million pesetas.
Today, that would be
almost two million euros.
That is an outrageous amount of money.
Back then in Spain, you were a millionaire
if you had one million pesetas.
An apartment would probably cost
two or three million pesetas.
So 150 million
[dog barks]
And of course,
there was the added pressure
of obtaining it in a short amount of time.
Obviously, it's almost impossible
to collect that much cash in 48 hours,
like the kidnappers demanded.
Even with them having the upper hand,
it was just not realistic.
[tense music playing]
[phone ringing]
[Jaime] We had to prepare
by planning with the police
just in case they demanded
a large sum of money right away.
This would be our biggest opportunity
to arrest them.
And to bring back a young girl
who's been kidnapped.
[man] Automatically, we activated GEO.
The Special Ops unit
set up a permanent three-man operation
around the residence.
So I went to the house of Anabel Segura.
GEO OPERATIVE SUBGROUP LEADER
The most famous GEO hostage release
was the father of Julio Iglesias.
He had been kidnapped by ETA,
the separatist group.
[Julio] My father
was treated with respect.
I saw him today at the pool.
We swam for a few meters, he's happy.
[Juan C.M.] That was our guarantee,
what was expected of us
from the families and investigators.
[insects chirping]
[Jaime] The kidnappers demanded
that the police not be notified
and they threatened that the victim
would suffer the consequences.
[kidnapper 2] If you don't do like we say
or we find out
that you've warned the police
And when the bad guys
when they called, it was a sure bet
they were watching the house.
[ominous music playing]
We took every precaution
to do everything with discretion.
Because the priority was Anabel's life.
[indistinct radio chatter]
I was in a police car with camouflage.
It was parked right near the house.
That was perimeter one.
And the second perimeter
was managed by me.
[dog barking]
[Juan C.C.] We parked in a mall
located on the road to Burgos,
which was on the way to La Moraleja.
[Jaime] The surveillance
lasted 24 hours a day.
No one even got to sleep at their house.
[radio static sounds]
[reporter 1] We've been informed
last Monday,
there was a kidnapping
in the neighborhood of La Moraleja,
where a young woman was jogging.
As of now, the suspects
are considered common criminals.
[reporter 2] Although the events
took place last Monday,
the kidnapping of Anabel Segura,
a 22-year-old woman,
was only made public just a few hours ago.
[tense music playing]
When the news broke, the whole department,
all the detectives, got angry.
[reporter 3] The events took place here,
by the Scandinavian School in La Moraleja.
The news about the kidnapping,
when it came out,
was very bad for everyone.
[reporter 4] Anabel was followed
by a white van.
Two men in masks
were seen in a deserted area.
Now, the bad guys can't say,
"Don't alert the police."
They know it's obvious
that this story is international news now.
- [birds singing]
- [dog barking]
I've seen police department employees
leak information to the press
just for a free coffee.
I've seen it all.
They say things like,
"What? It doesn't matter."
And they have no idea
how much they're harming the investigation
and a kidnapped girl
and her family.
[insects chirping]
[reporter 5] The Seguras
have received support from their neighbors
among them, singer Manolo Escobar,
whose wife recalls
the kidnapped young woman.
She had a boyfriend,
a normal life,
I don't I don't think she went out much.
Maybe to exercise
but that's normal, you know?
[somber music playing]
[woman] My mother, she went over,
just like all the other neighbors
because we were all a big family
in that neighborhood.
I was Anabel's neighbor.
INTERGOLF COMMUNITY RESIDEN
My father was Manolo Escobar.
He was an amazing singer.
To me, one of the most important ones
that this country has ever had.
[woman] Who sings better,
your papa or you?
Both of us.
[laughs] I love that! Both of us!
I was 14 years old when I first heard
about the kidnapping of Anabel.
It affected my parents a lot.
That was actually what made my parents
decide to move to Benidorm,
because I guess the idea
was that I would be safer there.
[tense music playing]
[Vanessa] The structure
of the neighborhood was circular.
You went in,
you went through a security gate.
We were, as the name implies,
Intergolf, inside a golf course.
It was full of gardens,
pools, tennis and basketball courts.
It was spectacular.
For our little community,
the kidnapping and disappearance
of Anabel was jarring.
And over time,
fear and terror really crept in.
You felt the difference
before and after Anabel's kidnapping.
Of course we're worried.
What's the point
of having all these fancy cameras?
What's the point if once we leave,
someone can just rob us?
If you see a van, uh you feel anxious,
you don't want to get too close.
I have a daughter the same age.
You can imagine
what this means to me, right?
She's 22 years old, well-educated,
really nice, she's a very modest girl.
So obviously,
this is a very, very tragic event.
[somber music playing]
I met Anabel's parents for the first time
at the house of Anabel Segura.
What I noticed,
something I always noticed in that house,
was the quiet.
[clock ticking]
[Juan J.B.] If I was describing
the house of Anabel Segura,
I'd use the word "silent."
[Juan C.C.] For the family,
it was a huge tragedy.
There was a strong bond in that family.
You know, they really got along very well.
José Segura, as I remember,
he seemed very intelligent,
and centered.
But the one who seemed the most devastated
right from the start
was Anabel's mother.
She was in pain.
[phone ringing]
APRIL 16TH, 1993
7:33 P.M.
DAYS WITHOUT ANABEL: 4
[Rafael] Segura family residence.
Talk to me.
[kidnapper] Good afternoon.
Do you speak for the family?
[Rafael] Uh Yes, yes, talk to me.
- [kidnapper] The lawyer?
- [Rafael] Yes.
[kidnapper] I need you
to listen carefully.
[Rafael] But first,
something very important.
We need to know about her safety,
Anabel's safety.
We want proof that she's okay.
[kidnapper] Listen to me closely
or you won't see her again.
[Rafael] Yes, I'm listening.
Speak louder, so I can hear you.
[Jaime] It was another man
but he talked the same way
as the first one.
And so, we just thought that he's just one
of the other men from the kidnapping.
[kidnapper] The girl is perfectly fine.
Understand?
- [Rafael] Yes. I understand.
- [kidnapper] Nothing has happened to her.
Her safety depends on you.
Listen to me closely.
- [Rafael] I'm listening.
- [kidnapper] Do you have the money?
[Rafael] Look, we were able
to get a hold of 63 million pesetas
and tomorrow afternoon, um
I'm pretty confident
we can reach 80 million by noon tomorrow.
And I'm sure you'll understand,
with only 48 hours,
we have to ask friends,
relatives, acquaintances
[kidnapper] We said 150 million.
[Rafael] Yes, the family
is taking this seriously
[call end tone sounds]
[Juan C.C.] The kidnapper just hung up.
I think he was convinced
that on the streets of La Moraleja,
stacks of bills were just floating around.
[tense music playing]
[Jesús] The Segura family
had a comfortable life.
But I don't know
if I would've considered them rich.
[Paco] They weren't part of the elite.
But they were doing significantly better
than the average population.
José Segura and his wife didn't have
that kind of money lying around.
We had no other option
other than to wait
for the kidnappers to just call.
During that time,
we investigated the facts we already had.
[indistinct radio chatter]
[radio beeps]
Mr. Segura thought
we could use Anabel's diary
which we read and investigated.
Obviously, the police wanted
to learn more about who the victim was
and who she surrounded herself with.
[tense music playing]
- [indistinct chatter]
- [phone ringing]
She's a very responsible,
level-headed person.
So, this is all very shocking.
She got along well with everyone.
We spoke with all of her friends
and the entire family,
all avenues were explored.
Everyone knows she's a bright young woman.
Very friendly.
There's no reason
she should have to suffer like this.
We ruled out her boyfriends.
It's just important
for the police to know everything.
[phone ringing]
[tense music continues]
[indistinct radio chatter]
So, we started to investigate her father.
And then we tried to determine if he had
any enemies from his his business.
If someone did it for revenge.
KIDNAPPERS DEMAND 150 MILLION PESETAS
José Segura kept a pretty tight circle.
And he didn't have any personal conflicts.
I didn't think there was any chance
that anyone kidnapped this young girl
for the sole reason
to hurt this man or his family.
Anabel was a very young,
exemplary student, who played sports.
It didn't seem possible
that someone out there
could actually want to hurt her.
[ominous music playing]
We reached the conclusion
that the kidnapping was random.
[Juan J.B.] They took Anabel
but it could have happened
to any young woman from La Moraleja.
[Jaime] They wanted to kidnap for money.
And where are people with money?
At La Moraleja.
It was a motive
that was completely economical.
Days before, there was another event.
A similar kidnapping attempt with a van.
They didn't get their target
because, apparently, the girl broke free
and managed to run away.
This was the first time
we had had an express kidnapping in Spain.
Which, in turn,
made things really hard for the police.
[Juan C.C.] With no links
between the family of the kidnapped girl
and the kidnappers,
there was a wider range
of people who could've done it.
I mean, everything was just beginning.
[phone rings]
[Jaime] Honestly, in the beginning,
the police had
practically zero clues or facts.
Two individuals, on the younger side,
and they drove a van
which was white, but that was it.
Because as much
as we questioned that poor gardener,
who was the only eyewitness,
he wasn't able to see the license plate
or if the van had rear windows.
Databases didn't exist back then.
We could only go
from dealership to dealership
asking each one
if they sold any white vans.
White.
That color was everyone's favorite.
[tense music playing]
How many white vans are there?
Thousands? Try millions.
La Moraleja was pretty much
turned upside down by the police.
What kind of person
would drive a white van?
[Juan C.C.] Delivery men,
supply companies,
plumbers.
Even the service staff
who came in and out every day.
All of it. We investigated everything.
[Jaime] When you're working
with minimal information,
it's like finding a needle in a haystack.
It was one of the most complicated cases
I faced in my career.
- [phone ringing]
- [indistinct radio chatter]
[clock ticking]
[phone ringing]
APRIL 19TH, 1993
4:40 P.M.
DAYS WITHOUT ANABEL: 7
[Rafael] Segura family residence.
Talk to me.
- [kidnapper] The head of the family?
- [Rafael] Yes, that's me.
[kidnapper] We're Anabel's kidnappers.
- [Rafael] Alright.
- [kidnapper] Is the money ready?
[Rafael] Listen, I'm going to answer you,
but first I have a question.
- [kidnapper] Excuse me?
- [Rafael] We'd like to ask you
We'd like you to talk to Anabel
and have her tell you
where her mother was born.
As for the money, we have it.
José Segura had to get in touch
with a lot of his friends
and acquaintances and family members
to round up all of that money.
[somber music playing]
My father and some
of the neighbors offered support
and were willing
to lend as much help as needed.
At the time, Pepe refused.
But I know it wasn't easy
to collect 150 million pesetas.
That's bundles of cash, stacks of bills,
and they all have to fit in one large bag.
[Rafael] The money is ready.
- [kidnapper] Say that again.
- [Rafael] We have the money.
[kidnapper] You have it?
[Rafael] Yes, but first
we need you to tell us
- [kidnapper] Yes.
- [Rafael] Where her mother was born.
Ask Anabel. We need proof that she's okay.
[kidnapper] We'll call back
at 7:00 p.m. tonight.
[call end tone sounds]
[clock ticking]
[Jaime] That apprehension
that you're feeling
when you're waiting for the phone to ring,
it's the worst.
[clock ticking]
APRIL 19TH, 1993
7:00 P.M.
[phone rings]
2 HOURS LATER
[Rafael] Segura family residence.
Talk to me.
[call end tone sounds]
Every time you hear the phone,
you feel on alert.
If they hang up, your adrenaline drops.
47 MINUTES LATER
[phone rings]
[Rafael] Segura family residence.
Talk to me.
[call end tone sounds]
You could imagine,
it was a nightmare for the family.
[clock ticking]
They really put themselves
in their daughter's shoes
because she was suffering,
suffering so much.
And you just have to sit there
because you know
there's not a single thing you can do.
APRIL 19TH, 1993
9:22 P.M.
[phone ringing]
90 MINUTES LATER
[tone sounds]
[Rafael] Segura family residence.
Talk to me.
- [kidnapper] Segura family residence?
- [Rafael] Yes.
[kidnapper] We are the kidnappers of
- [Rafael] Yes. Yes, yes.
- [kidnapper] Anabel.
Do you have the money ready, or not?
[Rafael] I told you we do,
but I asked you a question
regarding the city
where her mother was born.
Proof of life is essential.
We need to know how the victim is doing.
It's a question
which can only be answered by the victim.
[kidnapper] Okay,
you need to listen closely.
[Rafael] Are you able to tell me?
Can you answer the question?
- [kidnapper] Excuse me?
- [Rafael] Can you answer the question?
[kidnapper] Anabel's doing perfectly fine.
Now listen.
[Rafael] I am listening,
and let me remind you
that we have the money,
but I asked you a question last time.
I need you to tell me
which city Anabel's mother was born in.
[kidnapper] Anabel's mother
was born in Germany.
[Rafael] No, no. The city, the city.
[kidnapper] We don't know the city,
we only know the
[Rafael] Look, just ask her.
Anabel will know the name of the city.
[kidnapper] Okay, listen to me well.
[Rafael] No, no, tell Anabel
to tell you the name of the city.
The the family lawyer
said something like,
"Don't you dare harm this person."
"If we don't know for certain
that she's okay, it's over."
It becomes a battle.
[kidnapper] Listen up, okay?
You're not the one
who should be making demands.
You know?
You want to see Anabel alive, right?
- [Rafael] Yes.
- [kidnapper] Bring the money tonight.
I want you
to write down the address. You hear me?
[Rafael] Yes, yes, okay.
Okay, go on, go on.
[kidnapper] Kilometer 126
on National Highway 2.
[tense music playing]
[Rafael] One-twenty-six,
National Highway 2.
[kidnapper] Two.
You'll see a turn called Saúca.
Thirty meters from there is a bridge,
stop when you get to the bridge.
[Rafael] Okay.
[kidnapper] Just park the car there
and make the drop-off personally.
[Rafael] Look, I
I don't know how to drive.
[tense music continues]
- [kidnapper] Well
- [Rafael] I can take a taxi
or go with my secretary.
I can ask him
to drive me or a friend from work.
[kidnapper] It needs to be you.
Either the secretary or the cab driver,
whoever went, as you could imagine,
would have a gun hidden on their person.
Undercover police.
[kidnapper] Tonight, at 11:30,
if you don't show up
- [Rafael] Is she Is Anabel alive?
- [kidnapper] What? Listen carefully.
[Rafael] Okay. So Anabel is alive then?
[kidnapper] Exactly right.
You want to see Anabel again?
[Rafael] Yes.
[kidnapper] Drop off the money at 11:30.
- [Rafael] Okay.
- [kidnapper] Within two hours
[Rafael] Yes.
[kidnapper] She'll be home with you.
[call end tone sounds]
Then, I said, "Let's go."
It was going to be
the first serious cash drop.
The anticipation was incredible.
[tires screech]
A woman's life was at stake.
The drop-off was 130 kilometers away
from La Moraleja.
It was gonna be a long drive.
[Juan C.M.] We had to set up a perimeter
around an area we were unfamiliar with.
From the get-go, we only had two hours
to prepare everything.
Basically, the idea was to arrive
before the car bringing the ransom money.
[Juan C.C.] We had to surround the area
to monitor any contact
between the kidnapper
and the spokesperson
who brought the money.
[indistinct radio chatter]
You should have seen our cars
speeding down that road.
We were flying.
[tense music playing]
[Jaime] It wasn't long before we drove
130 kilometers. About an hour.
With the intention,
the very real intention,
of arresting whoever came for the pickup.
That was the entire goal,
to get her back, that was it.
[eerie music playing]
[Juan C.M.] That night,
the stars were out.
It was totally clear
and the weather was cold as hell.
In the middle of nowhere.
Cars were stationed
before kilometer 126, and after 126,
totally hidden.
[Juan C.M.] We set up there
before the money arrived.
[Juan J.B.] I stayed back at the house,
at Anabel's house,
waiting for the return the return
of my colleagues and well, and Rafael.
[dog barking]
[Juan J.B.] Everyone that night
was feeling anxious.
For Anabel's return.
[car engine starts]
We wanted to know what would happen.
[Juan C.M.] I was thinking of Rafael,
how nervous he must've been.
I was trying to imagine
the situation he was facing.
[Paco] He was out there
in the middle of the night
trying to rescue
the kidnapped daughter of a good friend.
It was a mission
that deserved genuine respect
and admiration for Mr. Rafael Escuredo.
[Juan C.C.] Especially because
he wasn't a person
who was accustomed
to those sorts of things.
And I assume the journey felt long.
[tense music playing]
The closest to the drop-off site
were two GEO units.
We had the whole area surrounded.
[Juan C.C.] Perfectly camouflaged.
You couldn't see them
even if you hit them with your car.
[Paco] Who were these kidnappers?
Their crime was so cold-blooded
and calculated.
How would they conduct themselves
during the ransom drop?
It was decided that Rafa Escuredo
would be the one responsible
for handling such a challenging situation.
[Juan C.M.] Who knows?
They could be crazy.
They could just shoot him
and take the money.
That night, the hours passed slowly.
They were lonely and very tense.
[ominous music playing]
That night, it was frigid pretty cold.
Everyone out there was shivering.
It was 1993,
we didn't have thermal shirts,
none of the gear of today.
[car engine starts]
[Juan C.M.] We saw two lights
approaching behind us.
It was around 1:30 in the morning.
For a car to appear in the middle
of nowhere, that was strange.
The tension was brutal.
Whoever takes the money, follow him.
The dilemma facing the kidnappers
was their greed,
their ambition to get the 150 million,
and the fear of going to jail.
If greed won,
they would come and collect all the money.
If they let fear win,
they wouldn't get the money.
[tense music playing]
[Juan C.C.] It drove past him
but it didn't stop.
We sent one of our vehicles
to tail it and see where it was going.
[heartbeat thuds]
Nobody came.
Nobody showed up to collect the ransom.
We decided to pull our team out
in the morning.
[birds singing]
In that moment,
you feel pretty frustrated.
I felt for the mother and father.
They were at home,
not knowing what happened,
wondering about their daughter.
They were hoping
we would bring her back home.
And we didn't.
[somber music playing]
We didn't arrest anyone,
no one showed up that night
which led us to a conclusion.
Something isn't right.
[birds singing]
[church bell ringing]
But we did get something
out of that night.
And that was the car that had driven by.
That made us think
there must be some connection.
Because it's not a normal spot
to drop off money.
You'd have to know the place.
So we continued the investigation.
That was my job, to keep investigating.
[indistinct radio chatter]
[tense music playing]
Every time that guy drove his car,
wherever he went, he was followed.
[Juan C.C.] He was a man
who worked as a forest ranger
in a nearby village.
We decided to tap his phone
in order to record his voice
and compare it to the kidnappers' voices.
All without him knowing
he's under investigation.
In this case, voice analysis told us
that there was a very high probability
that his voice
was the voice of one of the kidnappers.
That mystery car
ended up being the number one suspect,
as well as the driver.
[phone ringing]
[clock ticking]
[Rafael] Segura family residence.
Talk to me.
- [man] You know the restaurant El Molino?
- [Rafael] El Molino? Where is that?
[man] Just find it.
Be there at 3:00 p.m. Tomorrow.
[call end tone sounds]
And then someone called the house,
who didn't seem connected
to the kidnappers.
And we all thought, "What's going on?
Who the hell is this guy?"
[clock ticking]
[somber music playing]