In August 2002, Linda and...
Illustration
In August 2002, Linda and Anthony O'Malley traveled from Wales to Spain with plans to
find and buy a retirement property. What they found instead, however, was murder.
Linda and Anthony fell victim to two con men who had rented a villa, then advertised it
as for sale in the English language papers. They listed it at a bargain price so Linda and
Anthony decided to go for a look. They liked what they saw. The con men instructed
them to come back with a deposit in order to ensure the property would not be sold to
other interested buyers. The con men planned to abscond with the deposit money. The
O'Malleys, however, upon further thought, decided against purchasing the property.
When they informed the con men, they were grabbed, bound, gagged, and held captive.
For five days, the con men used the O'Malleys' credit cards until the banks in Wales
stopped the accounts. Then, they forced Anthony O'Malley to go to the bank and make a
withdrawal. While one con man took Anthony to the bank, the other killed Mrs.
O'Malley. When Anthony came back, he, too, was killed. The couple was then buried
under the cellar floor and covered with cement. It took five months for Interpol and
Spanish police to apprehend the murderers and recover the O'Malleys' bodies.
Tales like these usually appear on our television sets as fiction. This one is all too real, and it underscores precisely what James wrote, "You desire and do not have; so you kill."
Tales like these usually appear on our television sets as fiction. This one is all too real, and it underscores precisely what James wrote, "You desire and do not have; so you kill."
