‘Costa del Sol Serial Killer’ arrested

POLICE feared a suspected Costa del Sol serial killer was set to kill again on October 10.

This followed the murder of two prostitutes on August 10 and September 10 in Calahonda and San Pedro de Alcantara.

The led Spanish media to dub him the ’10 killer’ Both victims had been repeatedly stabbed and forced to reveal their credit card PIN numbers. But 44 days into the investigation a man, 42, was arrested and confessed to killing the two women.

The arrest occurred on Friday afternoon at a gym near his home in Fontana Beach, Riviera del Sol, just one kilometre from the first victim’s house. Despite conflicting reports about his nationality – he allegedly had forged Irish, French and Italian passports – he was identified as Abdelkader Salhi, from a Moroccan father and German mother, according to telecinco.es

At the time of his arrest, he was using a forged Irish passport under the name of Martin Sparitt. 

Salhi was charged with murder, aggravated robbery, identity theft, fraud and document forgery.

Police discovered he had served time in prison after being sentenced to 18 years for the 1988 death of a woman during a robbery in Germany, Malaga officials said.

Investigators believe he may be responsible for other unsolved murders elsewhere in Spain, and are reportedly treating him as a potential serial killer.

He confessed that he had contacted the victims by phone after seeing their adverts in the personal section of a local English language newspaper.

Salhi said he met them several times to gain their confidence before killing them, he maintains he only intended to rob them, but that “things got out of hand.”

Stabbed 17 times

The first victim’s name was Susana, originally from Argentina but with Spanish nationality. The 45-year-old was killed in the apartment she was renting at the Complejo Alhamar in Calahonda, and was found by her son the following day.

She had a pillowcase around her neck and a pillow had been placed over her face. She had also been stabbed 17 times. Her credit card had been stolen and so had her mobile phone, but the SIM card was left behind.

Second Victim

The second victim was Maryuri Alice, originally from Ecuador but also with Spanish nationality.  She was 47, and was killed in the apartment she shared with other women in San Pedro de Alcantara.

She had been stabbed 13 stab times, and her credit cards and mobile phone had also been stolen, along with €100. In the second crime, he took the knife with him, but after the murder, he cleaned it and left it in a kitchen drawer in the victim’s house.

The knife was bent from the force he had used. Both women were found dressed, although both had had sex with their killer leaving forensic evidence at the scenes of the crimes.

In both cases €1,000 was withdrawn from the victim’s accounts just hours after the murders by the killer’s Moroccan girlfriend. She was arrested but he claims she had no idea where the credit cards came from.

Her mother, who was found with the first victim’s mobile telephone, was also arrested and procedures are reportedly underway for her deportation.

Abdelkader Salhi has lived in Spain since 2007, according to Spanish newspaper Diario de Sevilla.

The receptionist – who did not want to be named – at Fontana Beach where he lived said Sahli did not look Moroccan, had blue eyes and brown hair. “It has only been a few months that he has lived here. He kept very much to himself so I do not know much about him, but he never caused any trouble and I never saw him involved in any arguments,” she said.

“His Spanish was very good and although I don’t speak much English myself he seems to speak good English too,” she said.

Photo credit:James Yeadon
By Jennifer Leighfield and Nicole Hallett