Murder of Solange Grabenheimer

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On 10 January 2007, 21-year-old Solange Grabenheimer was found stabbed and strangled in the second floor of her apartment in Florida, Buenos Aires, Argentina. In a case that caught national attention, Grabenheimer's roommate and friend Lucila Frend was ultimately charged with Grabenheimer's aggravated murder. Frend was tried in 2011 and acquitted. The crime remains unsolved and prescribed in January 2022.

Contents

Discovery and investigation

On 10 January 2007 at around 23:00, police were called to an apartment in Calle Güemes in the Greater Buenos Aires area of Florida. There, police found the body of 21-year-old Solange Grabenheimer, who had been found by her friend Lucila Frend and Grabenheimer's boyfriend. [1] Frend, who had left the apartment early in the morning, [2] grew increasingly worried by the late night, when Grabenheimer did not show up for a birthday party and did not answer to her repeated phone calls. [3]

When police arrived to the scene, they turned the body and called Lucila Frend to identify her friend and see if something had been robbed. Frend, who assured that nothing had been stolen from the apartment, told prosecutor Alejandro Guevara that she was "horrified" to see her friend dead by the side of her bed. [1] Days later, Guevara summoned Frend for the reconstruction of the crime scene and interrogated her. [1] During the reconstruction, Frend took a computer wire and simulated the strangulation of her friend on the police officer who played the role of the victim, which was a detail only known to the investigators. [4] [1]

Prosecutor Alejandro Guevara then argued that the two young women had a "conflicting relationship" and citing a confusing timeframe for the crime, [5] Guevara charged Frend with Grabenheimer's aggravated murder and asked for her arrest. [1] The arrest warrant was denied on the basis that Frend's constitutional rights had been violated during the reconstruction of the crime. [1] [6]

The timeframe for the murder was a subject of ample debate, [5] [1] with some investigators indicating that Grabenheimer had been killed between 1:00 and 7:00, which would have complicated the situation of Lucila Frend, [5] while others amplified the timeframe to 9:00. [7]

Other things which police investigated were an open balcony door, from where somebody could have entered into the room, [8] other people with whom Grabenheimer had had a confrontation or who were mere suspects for the investigators, [5] and the hand used to kill Grabenheimer, with some saying that the killer was left-handed (used by the prosecution to accuse Frend) and others pointing to either a right-handed killer or uncertainty. [9]

Trial of Lucila Frend and prescription

Prosecutor Alejandro Guevara, who placed Lucila Frend in the apartment at the time of the death, charged her with the murder of Solange Grabenheimer and asked for her arrest, which was always denied. [6] Frend pleaded not guilty to the charges and was ordered to undergo a psychiatric evaluation for court purposes in February 2008. [4]

In November 2009, while awaiting trial, Frend was falsely accused of having escaped to Europe. [6] Her lawyers explained that she had no restrictive measures from the court until the trial opened. [10] Marina Harvey, Frend's mother, argued that Frend was working in Europe to avoid the press and the involvement in the high-profile case with the media. [10]

The trial date was set for 13 June 2011, and Frend returned from Europe to face the court. [11] Prosecutor Alejandro Guevara aggravated the charges against Frend as a "double aggravated homicide" and, along with the victim's family's lawyer, asked for a life imprisonment sentence against Lucila Frend. [11] At the trial, Frend denied again the charges and confirmed her not guilty plea. [12]

On 12 July 2011, Frend was acquitted of Grabenheimer's murder in an unanimous ruling by a three-judges panel, who cited lack of evidence to convict Frend of the crime. [13] After the ruling, Frend talked to the press and said that she would continue to pursue the investigation to solve the case. [13] The prosecution appealed the verdict. [14]

In December 2013, the Court of Cassation upheld her acquittal. [15]

In January 2022, the crime was prescribed and remains unsolved. [5]

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Barbano, Rolando (7 January 2017). "El crimen imperfecto que se hizo perfecto" [The imperfect crime which turned perfect]. Clarín (in Spanish). Retrieved 17 August 2023.
  2. ↑ "Lucila Frend recordó el día en que murió Solange" [Lucila Frend remembered the day that Solange died]. Infobae (in Spanish). 15 December 2008. Retrieved 17 August 2023.
  3. ↑ "Impactante documento: así recreó Lucila la muerte de su amiga Solange" [Shocking document: the way in which Lucila simulated the death of her friend Solange]. Infobae (in Spanish). 15 June 2011. Retrieved 17 August 2023.
  4. 1 2 "Sospechosa del crimen de Sol empieza pericias psiquiatricas" [Suspect in the crime of Sol begins psychiatric evaluations]. El Comercio (in Spanish). 4 February 2008. Retrieved 17 August 2023.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Recchini, Diego (8 January 2022). "Tras 15 años prescribió el caso Solange y la absuelta Frend fue la única que pidió reabrir la causa" [After 15 years, the case of Solange prescribed and acquitted Frend was the only to ask for the reopening of the case]. Télam (in Spanish). Retrieved 17 August 2023.
  6. 1 2 3 "Niegan que Lucila Frend, la joven acusada de matar a su amiga, se haya fugado" [Lucila Frend, the young woman accused of killing her friend, denies having escaped]. La Nación (in Spanish). 10 November 2009. Retrieved 17 August 2023.
  7. ↑ "El crimen de Solange: se contaminó una prueba clave" [The crime of Solange: a key proof was contaminated]. Clarín (in Spanish). 28 June 2011. Retrieved 17 August 2023.
  8. ↑ "Llegó la prescripción del crimen de Solange Grabenheimer" [Prescription arrived for the crime of Solange Grabenheimer]. Página/12 (in Spanish). January 2022. Retrieved 17 August 2023.
  9. ↑ "Caso de Solange: según un experto, "el asesino usó la mano izquierda"" [Case Solange: according to an expert, the "killer used the left hand"]. Todo Noticias (in Spanish). 22 June 2011. Retrieved 17 August 2023.
  10. 1 2 "La madre de Lucila Frend aseguró que su hija viajó a Europa para rehacer su vida" [The mother of Lucila Frend assured that her daughter travelled to Europe to start anew]. La Prensa (in Spanish). 9 November 2009. Retrieved 17 August 2023.
  11. 1 2 "Comienza el juicio contra Lucila Frend por el crimen de su amiga" [The trial against Lucila Frend for the crime of her friend begins]. La Prensa (in Spanish). June 2011. Retrieved 17 August 2023.
  12. ↑ "Lucila Frend volvió a defender su inocencia" [Lucila Frend defended her innocence again]. Infobae (in Spanish). June 2011. Retrieved 17 August 2023.
  13. 1 2 "Lucila Frend fue absuelta por unanimidad por el crimen de Solange" [Lucila Frend was unanimously acquitted for the crime of Solange]. La Capital (in Spanish). 12 July 2011. Retrieved 17 August 2023.
  14. ↑ "Apelarán la absolución de Lucila Frend sin reabrir la investigación" [Lucila Frend's acquittal to be appealed without reopening the investigation]. La Capital (in Spanish). 14 July 2011. Retrieved 17 August 2023.
  15. ↑ "Lucila Frend fue absuelta definitivamente por el crimen de su amiga" [Lucila Frend was definitely acquitted for the crime of her friend]. Todo Noticias (in Spanish). December 2013. Retrieved 17 August 2023.

Acquittal ruling of Lucila Frend and images (in Spanish) — Centro de Información Judicial [Judicial Information Center] (CIJ)

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