On the morning of August 16, 2017, Antonio Navarro Cerdán, a 36-year-old industrial engineer, departed his residence for work in Valencia, Spain. He resided in the Patraix neighborhood with his wife, María Jesús Moreno Cantó—also known as Maje. Antonio never even turned on the car: he was attacked in the building’s parking garage by a man concealed among the vehicles. He was stabbed in the chest and died on the spot.
Investigators quickly determined that robbery was not a factor, as nothing was stolen. The case soon evolved into a sinister plot, with Maje, the widow, at the forefront. This true narrative of deception, manipulation, and planned murder inspired the new Spanish suspense film A Widow’s Game (La Viuda Negra), which will premiere on May 30 on Netflix.
Here is a comprehensive look at the true story that inspired the Netflix film.
The widow
Maje was 27 years old at the time of Antonio’s death and was described as charming, attractive, and charismatic. As a nurse in a city hospital, she was presented in the media as a young widow grieving a meaningless loss. She openly questioned the murder’s brutality. However, investigators were taken aback by her calm and collected attitude during the initial questioning. Reports indicated that her emotional responses were inconsistent with those of someone grieving.
The inquiry centered on the victim’s immediate social circle and soon discovered that Maje was living a lie. Despite her reputation as a devoted wife, she had several relationships outside of her marriage. One of them, with Salvador Rodrigo Lapiedra, a hospital custodian, was crucial to the investigation. Salvador was profoundly in love with Maje, who encouraged his emotions by promising a future together and fabricating tales of domestic violence. Wiretapped conversations revealed incriminating exchanges between the two, demonstrating that they had planned Antonio’s murder.
The premeditated crime
Maje persuaded Salvador to commit the murder. He lay in wait in the couple’s Valencia apartment complex garage, armed with a kitchen knife, while Maje was not home. Salvador waited, and when Antonio came down, he attacked and stabbed him to death. Maje had given her lover information about her husband’s typical departure times, routes, and even the garage keys.
The crime was meticulously planned. The murder weapon was dumped in a cesspool on Salvador’s property and was recovered months later with his assistance after his confession.
The fall of the Black Widow of Patraix
Maje and Salvador were apprehended in January 2018. Salvador initially attempted to defend her, but changed his story after discovering she had become romantically involved with another inmate while in prison. In a new statement, he confessed to committing the murder with Maje’s complete support and encouragement.
“In my previous statement, I said it was all my idea. But it was both of us,” Salvador says in an actual recording from the hearing that is played at the end of the film.
According to Salvador, Maje represented herself as a victim of mental and physical abuse. She informed him that if her husband died, she would be free without having to go through a divorce, which would leave her without a widow’s pension or inheritance.
Maje denied any involvement in her husband’s death. However, the court discovered overwhelming evidence, including text messages, phone conversations, and witness testimony, that refuted her account and indicated a jointly planned crime.
In October 2020, Maje was given a 22-year prison sentence for murder with the aggravating factor of kinship. Salvador was sentenced to 17 years, with time reduced for cooperating in the investigation. Both were ordered to pay Antonio’s family €250,000 (approximately $282,437.50 USD) in damages. A jury found them both guilty, emphasizing Maje’s psychological manipulation of her lover as a crucial element.
After the crime
Maje became pregnant by another inmate while serving her sentence. In July 2023, she gave birth at the General Hospital of Alicante while under police supervision. She was transferred to the mother-child unit at Fontcalent prison after the delivery, where she can stay with her child until the child reaches the age of three.
The baby’s father is David, a prisoner found guilty of a murder in 2008. Maje and David met during her previous stay at Picassent prison, where they started a relationship.
Maje was dubbed the “Black Widow of Patraix” because of the nature of the crime: she allegedly manipulated her lover into murdering her husband, trapping him in a carefully crafted scheme. The name alludes to the black widow spider, whose female is known for killing the male after mating, a metaphor that emphasizes the case’s cold and calculating betrayal.
“`
