In the Island's Memory: The Murder of Gisela von Stein and Its Traces in Canyamel

A crime the island does not forget

There are stories that cling to places like old weather vanes: they keep rattling long after. The case of Gisela von Stein is one of them. The challenges of telling such stories are also discussed in When Sant Blai Becomes a Stage: Thrillers, Images of the Past and the Responsibility to Tell the Island's Story. In August 2012 a nightmare began for the small community around Canyamel — first the missing person report, then the slow piecing together of the puzzle until the bitter certainty.

How it all began

On August 7, 2012, the daughter in Canada reported her mother missing. The house in Canyamel, neighbors later said over espresso on the corner, suddenly felt emptier. The partner claimed she had left spontaneously — without a phone, because she supposedly wanted peace. Many believed that, others noticed inconsistencies, but the authorities only sounded the alarm later.

The discovery and the flight

Weeks passed. Only when traces became clearer did the police step up their presence and finally found the body on the property. Investigations showed a violent crime; the autopsy revealed severe skull injuries. Bloodstains on a wall that had been roughly painted over made the scenes even more tragic. The suspect left the island, hid for a time in coastal caves and was eventually captured with the help of dogs and heli