'Most Monstrous Act a Person Can Commit' Rocks Spain

Tomás Gimeno allegedly killed daughters Anna and Olivia, dumped bodies at sea
By Arden Dier,  Newser Staff
Posted Jun 16, 2021 6:29 AM CDT
'Most Monstrous Act a Person Can Commit' Rocks Spain
Guardia civil officers work at the port of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain, on Friday.   (Europa Press via AP)

A Spanish woman says she wishes she could've died with her two young daughters, who are believed to have been killed by their father and dumped into the sea off the Canary Islands. A search is ongoing for 1-year-old Anna Gimeno Zimmermann off the main island of Tenerife. The body of her sister, 6-year-old Olivia, was found Thursday in a sports bag tied to an anchor some 3,280 feet below the sea's surface, per the Guardian. It was next to another bag, which was empty. A report from an investigating judge released Saturday finds Tomás Gimeno "most likely" killed his daughters after arranging to spend time with them on April 27, per the BBC. He and the girls' mother, Beatriz Zimmermann, had dated since they were teenagers but split during the pandemic, eventually finding new partners. In an open letter published Sunday, Zimmermann says her ex "wanted me to suffer."

Court documents claim Gimeno killed Anna and Olivia in his house, where open packets of sedatives and muscle relaxants were found, per the New York Post. He'd allegedly called Zimmermann to say she would never see the girls again, reports the Guardian. He also gave his new girlfriend a farewell letter and $7,500 in cash, per the BBC. Gimeno is believed to have sailed three miles from shore, then dumped the weighted bodies overboard. He may have also committed suicide; his boat was found drifting. However, an international arrest warrant has been issued in case he escaped. It was "the most monstrous act a person can commit," Zimmermann writes. "I wish I had been there at that moment holding their hands so we could die together." The case has prompted nationwide protests against domestic violence and an outpouring of love, including from Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez. (More Canary Islands stories.)

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