Mysterious death of Catalan architect Josep Juanpere: partner arrested, key witness in coma

Nine months after the Baqueira death of Catalan architect Josep Juanpere, police arrest his partner; his nephew who found the body is in a coma and autopsy found no violence. A new and mysterious case has shaken Catalan society. Nine months after the death of renowned architect Josep Juanpere at his home in Baqueira, what initially appeared to be a natural death has taken an unexpected turn: the Catalan police have arrested his partner over her alleged involvement in his death. Juanpere, 72, had gone to the hospital in Vielha just two days before he died after feeling unwell. The first autopsy did not detect any signs of violence, but doubts about the circumstances of his death led to the opening of an investigation which, months later, has culminated this week in the arrest of the woman who was with him during his final hours. The architect died on 26 December 2025 at his second home in Baqueira, in the Val d'Aran (Lleida), where he was spending the Christmas holidays with his partner. Two days earlier, on Christmas Eve, he had gone to the hospital in Vielha after feeling unwell and remained there for several hours under observation. At first, everything pointed to a natural death. The initial forensic examination found no signs of violence and attributed his death to a heart problem. However, the circumstances of his death came under scrutiny by the court in Vielha, which has placed the proceedings under secrecy. The case has taken a twist this week with the arrest in Madrid of Juanpere's partner, a woman of around 63, over her alleged link to the architect's death. According to the newspaper 'El Mundo', she comes from a family that built its fortune in the property and hotel sectors and has close ties to prominent social and business circles. Investigators have also carried out searches and other procedures while the detainee awaits her appearance before the court leading the probe. Another development now adding to the sense of unease is that Juanpere's nephew, regarded as a key witness because he was the one who found the architect's body, is in hospital in a coma, according to 'El Confidencial'. He has spent weeks in a private clinic being treated for a lung condition, the newspaper reports. From Vielha hospital to his death in Baqueira The last 48 hours of Juanpere's life are seen as one of the key elements of the case. The architect began feeling ill on 24 December and went to the hospital in Vielha, where he was treated and kept for several hours under observation, according to local media. He later returned to the house in Baqueira where he was spending Christmas. Two days later, on 26 December, he was found dead in the property. According to reports on the investigation, members of Juanpere's family had tried to contact him without success. Eventually, one of his nephews went to the house and stayed at the door for about an hour, ringing without getting an answer, until the architect's partner opened up. On entering, he found Juanpere lifeless and the woman apparently in a state of shock, according to 'El Periódico'. At that point, nothing clearly pointed to a violent death, although one detail stood out: Juanpere's partner had not called the emergency services beforehand. The body showed no external signs of violence and the initial forensic conclusions suggested he had died from natural causes. Even so, the case was not closed. The surrounding circumstances prompted investigators to keep digging, and the court in Vielha ultimately opened an inquiry that has unfolded over months with great discretion. The nephew who found Juanpere, now in a coma Josep Juanpere's nephew, a key figure in piecing together the circumstances in which the architect was found, is currently in a coma, according to 'El Confidencial'. It was he who went to the Baqueira property on 26 December after the family had failed to reach Juanpere. After spending nearly an hour ringing the doorbell, the architect's partner finally opened the door. On entering the home, he found his uncle dead and the woman apparently in a state of shock. His account is particularly important to investigators because he was one of the first people to go into the house after Juanpere's death and was able to see directly the state of the property and those present. An initial autopsy that found no signs of violence One of the main questions centres on the pathologists' initial conclusions. The first autopsy found no indication of violence and pointed to a heart problem as the cause of death. Those findings explain why Juanpere's death was initially classified as natural. Subsequent inquiries, however, led investigators to expand their work on what happened during his final hours. Nine months on, they believe there is enough evidence to pursue a possible unlawful killing and to arrest the person who was with the architect in those days. The secrecy surrounding the proceedings means it is not yet known what specific evidence prompted this change of course, nor the investigators' exact theory of how the death may have occurred. Not all the findings from later forensic tests have been made public either, nor the element that proved decisive in turning a death first deemed natural into an investigation for possible homicide. Juanpere's partner under arrest The woman who was with Juanpere over that Christmas period now sits at the heart of the investigation. The Catalan police have arrested her in Madrid over her alleged role in the architect's death, after roughly nine months of inquiries. Investigators have tried to reconstruct what happened between Juanpere's visit to the hospital on 24 December and his death two days later, a period viewed as crucial to clarifying the case. The detainee must appear before a judge, who will decide her legal status and rule on possible precautionary measures. Her arrest does not amount to a finding of guilt and, while the case moves forward, she continues to benefit from the presumption of innocence. Searches and an investigation under secrecy The arrest has been accompanied by fresh police procedures linked to the investigation. The case remains under seal, meaning very few details have emerged about the evidence gathered over these nine months or about the elements investigators consider relevant to understanding the death. This lack of information helps explain why some of the main questions surrounding the case remain unanswered: what happened after Juanpere returned from hospital, what occurred in his final hours and what investigators have uncovered to move from an apparent natural death to a probe into a possible criminal killing. The answers will now depend on the progress of the judicial investigation and the outcome of the steps taken. Who was Josep Juanpere? Josep Juanpere i Miret was co-founder of GCA Architects, one of Spain's architecture and interior design practices with a major presence in corporate, hotel and residential projects. He founded the studio in Barcelona in 1986 together with Antonio Puig. Over the years, GCA worked on numerous projects for major national and international companies and brands. Juanpere also had a close friendship with Isak Andic, founder of Mango, whose death likewise ended up under judicial investigation. Andic died in December 2024 after falling down a ravine during a hike in Montserrat. The case, closed at first and later reopened, ultimately placed his son Jonathan Andic under investigation; he was arrested in May 2026 over his alleged involvement in his father's death. The relationship between Juanpere and Andic went beyond the personal sphere. GCA Architects worked with Mango on various projects and Juanpere was responsible for the interior design of 'Nirvana Formentera', Andic's sailing yacht. After the businessman's death, Juanpere dedicated an emotional farewell to him, describing him as a "great friend".