The story of Rosa Peral and the perplexing murder of her boyfriend, Pedro Rodriguez, is one of the most puzzling cases in Spanish criminal history. This 2017 murder case has been examined from two unique perspectives, providing us with contrasting views of the crime and passion involved. On one side, we have the thrilling Netflix series Burning Body, a fictional take on the events surrounding Pedro’s demise, portraying Rosa as the villain and the main culprit behind Pedro’s murder. Conversely, we find the Netflix documentary Rosa Peral’s Tapes, which offers a more factual exploration of the case, allowing us to hear Rosa Peral’s side of the story for the first time. Both narratives revolve around the discovery of Pedro’s remains inside a car near the Foix reservoir, but no concrete proof strongly indicates Rosa’s involvement in the case.
In the actual murder case of Pedro Rodriguez, Rosa Peral and her boyfriend, Albert Lopez, were allegedly involved. In this real-life case, Rosa Peral was in a romantic relationship with Pedro Rodriguez. However, it was speculated that their relationship became strained, and Rosa decided to end it. To accomplish this, she orchestrated a plan with her lover, Albert Lopez. On the fateful night, Rosa drugged Pedro with his painkiller medication, rendering him unconscious. Albert then fatally struck Pedro, and afterwards, they transported Pedro’s lifeless body into a car and drove it to the Foix reservoir area. There, they set the car and the body on fire, attempting to cover up their crime.
The motive behind this murder remains a subject of speculation, but it appears that Rosa wanted to end her relationship with Pedro, and that’s why she chose to take a drastic step. Both Rosa Peral and Albert Lopez were ultimately arrested and sentenced to prison for their involvement in Pedro Rodriguez’s murder, with Rosa receiving a 25-year sentence and Albert serving 20 years.
How Much Of It Is True?
The Netflix series Burning Body takes quite a few creative liberties that diverge from the actual events surrounding Rosa Peral’s case. One significant distortion is the portrayal of Rosa as a stripper or bar dancer, which, as revealed in the Netflix documentary Rosa Peral’s Tapes, was not accurate. This misrepresentation not only does a disservice to Rosa’s true background but also portrays stereotypical ideas about sex workers which stigmatizes them.
Moreover, the series presents Investigator Ester Varona as having substantial evidence against Rosa, suggesting her guilt. However, in reality, the documentary paints a different picture. It reveals that, apart from phone call records, there wasn’t concrete evidence strongly indicating Rosa as the murderer. Even Rosa’s daughter’s testimony, a potentially key piece of evidence, was dismissed in court due to her status as a minor.
The truth behind Rosa Peral’s case remains shrouded in uncertainty and leaves us with conflicting perceptions. At times, it seems she may be a victim, facing the consequences of her bad choices in engaging with violent partners. However, there are moments when doubt creeps in, and we question whether Rosa is merely shifting blame to avoid justice. It was very puzzling why she made such a prolonged delay in reporting Pedro’s murder or Albert’s threats. Even if we consider the possibility that she was extremely afraid, it raises the pressing question: Should a trained policewoman compromise the truth because of threats against her daughters? After watching the series, our minds are even more captivated by these puzzling scenarios, revealing just how intricate this case is. Trust becomes uncertain, and distinguishing between what’s real and what’s fiction becomes an impossible task.
In the fictionalized version of Rosa’s life in Burning Body, portrayed by Ursula Corbero, Rosa has only one daughter with her ex-husband, Javier. However, in real life, Rosa wasn’t married and had two daughters with her ex-boyfriend Ruben, who worked in a bar. The exact nature of her relationship with Ruben and his current wife, Antonia, remains uncertain, but it’s clear that it wasn’t a healthy one.
What’s intriguing is how the series portrays Rosa’s relationship with Javier. It’s evident that she couldn’t stand him, and some might speculate that her intentions were to eliminate Javier as well. However, she refrained, possibly due to his role as her child’s father and his position as an investigator with the Mossos.
The series Burning Body certainly portrays Rosa with a penchant for lashing out at those she can’t stand. However, when we look at the character of Pedro, it raises some perplexing questions. The series presents Pedro as a gentleman with no apparent reason for Rosa to want him dead. He wasn’t her husband, and he never showed any signs of mistreating her. If she wanted him out of her life, he might have simply left if asked. This lack of a clear motive in the series makes us question whether Rosa truly had a reason to kill Pedro. Questions might arise while we talk about the real-life case. It might have been entirely Albert’s doing, driven by jealousy and a desire to win Rosa back. The series doesn’t delve into the motive behind the murder, seemingly more focused on sensationalizing Rosa’s multiple relationships.
In the realm of crime and passion, the case of Rosa Peral and the mysterious death of Pedro Rodriguez continue to perplex and divide our perspectives. Through the lens of both the Netflix series Burning Body and the documentary Rosa Peral’s Tapes, we’ve been presented with differing narratives, each painting a distinct picture of the events that transpired in 2017. These contrasting viewpoints open the door to multiple possibilities, leaving us with room for speculation. The truth seems elusive, and what one believes often depends on how one approaches the information—rationally or with bias. As the case is filled with uncertainty, it ultimately relies on speculation and circumstantial evidence.
However, amidst the uncertainty, one thing stands out. Regardless of whether Rosa played a direct role in Pedro’s death, there were alternatives she could have chosen. Her messages and calls suggest she tried to maintain relationships with both Pedro and Albert, even when it might have been more prudent to seek help from the authorities. If her fears for her daughters were genuine, there were other ways to protect them. Rosa’s choices, questionable at best, remind us that in matters of life and death, there are often shades of gray. While we may not have all the answers, we can’t ignore the complexities of her decisions, which leaves us with a sense of doubt regarding her intentions, motives, and choice to remain silent.
