The dark true story behind Netflix's Angi: Maria Angeles Molina killed her friend then used semen from a brothel to make it look as though she'd been raped and murdered
María Ángeles Molina, known as Angi, from Barcelona, was jailed for 22 years in 2012 for the grisly crime, which was committed to cover up identify theft and a sick plot to steal €1million in an insurance scam.
In 2008, she lured her friend Ana Páez, 35-year-old fashion designer, to an apartment which she had fraudulently rented in Ana's name just a few days before.
She sedated Ana before placing a plastic bag over her head and sealing it with gaffer tape.
To make it look like her victim had been raped, María then injected the semen, which she had obtained from a brothel, where she paid two prostitutes to masturbate in front of her into a jar.
She disguised herself wearing a wig in order to take out several bank loans and insurance policies in Ana's name.
María denied the charges and said that at the time of the murder she was out shopping.
The case, which was dubbed by the media as 'the near-perfect crime', will be covered in the Netflix Spanish documentary series Angi: Fake Life, True Crime.
Maria was a well off Spanish business woman, who made millions from her fraudulent crimes.
She was previously married to Juan Antonio Alvarez Litben, a businessman who died under strange circumstances back in 1996.
The Netflix series sheds light on Maria's marriage to Juan, while also speaking to his family members about his mysterious death.
It wasn't until Maria was convicted of the murder of Ana that authorities started to ask questions about Juan's death.
On February 19, 2008, Maria invited Ana to dinner at a flat she'd rented for just three days, using Ana's name.
That morning, Maria had withdrawn €600 from an account in Ana's name. CCTV from the bank showed her walking in wearing a wig.
She sedated her friend before placing a plastic bag over her head and sealing it with gaffer tape.
To make it look like her victim had been raped, Molina then injected the semen, which she had obtained from a brothel.
The police initially thought that her death was caused by a sexual crime or a sadistic game gone wrong until their investigation brought Maria to their attention.
The elaborate cover-up came after Maria had stolen Ana's identity and used it to take out bank loans and insurance policies in her name.
The day of the murder Maria drove to Zaragoza in a Porsche with the intent of forming an alibi.
She had driven the near four hour trip to collect her father's ashes, who had died the previous year.
That evening she drove the four hours back to Barcelona, where she told Ana to meet her at the apartment because she was going to cook her dinner.
At the apartment Maria drugged Ana and she passed out, meaning she was able to carry out the rest of her cruel plan without a struggle.
When investigating Ana's death police noticed large sums of money had been withdrawn from her bank account and they saw Maria on CCTV pretending to be her friend.
Barcelona High Court sentenced Maria to 22 years in prison, meaning she will be released in 2034.
The court noted 'she took advantage of her friendship to steal ID documents with the intention of gaining economic benefit'.
She was given 18 years for the murder and a further four years for the fraud.
The murderer was able to seduce the heads of several banks for years. They also granted her loans and insurance policies that she signed under the identity of her former partner.
Police searching her home found an unopened bottle of chloroform and an insurance policy in Ana's name.
And Maria's boyfriend at the time also passed police Ana's original passport and ID card which he found stashed behind Maria's bathroom cistern.
Maria denied the charges and said she was out shopping at the time of the murder.
She told the court: 'Without yoghurts or condensed milk I am nothing.'
But the court ruled: 'The amount and the relevance of the evidence, amply accredited, leave no doubt as to the identity of the killer.'
Two episodes of Angi: Fake Life, True Crime premiered on Netflix on May 1.
Although originally made in Spanish the series has been dubbed into English.
Director Carlos Agulló described the investigation into the case as 'laborious and also revealing.'
Speaking to Netflix he said: 'In addition to the proceedings, we have reviewed more than 2,000 pages of case files, crime reports, and family files.
'We have also conducted more than 60 conversations and interviews with retired police officers, private detectives and those close to both cases.
'We have faced a multifaceted investigation, as many as Angi's multiple identities. It has been a challenge, a real game of mirrors, and we hope that the viewer can experience the same challenge.'
Angi: Fake Life, True Crime is airing on Netflix now.
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