Murder, revenge porn and a fiery love triangle: the true story behind the Netflix hit Burning Body makes Line of Duty look tame
It was a love triangle so intense that one of its members was left charred in a burned-out car.
Now the shocking murder of Spanish police officer Pedro Rodríguez has been turned into a hit Netflix drama.
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“Burning Body” tells the sinister conspiracy of the former Rosa Peral and Albert Lopez, who conspired to brutally kill his love rival.
The toxic threesome was no ordinary affair and began life in the office floors of the prestigious Catalan police agency – the Guardia Urbana.
But when the remains of Rodríguez’s body were discovered near the swampy Foix reservoir in Barcelona in 2017, the crash occurred.
It sparked a nationwide investigation that lasted more than three years and resulted in Peral and Lopez serving a total of 45 years behind bars.
Along the way, investigators uncovered a tale of toxic relationships, deception, violence and revenge porn that could make even “Line of Duty” look tame.
It became known on the front pages of Spain as “el crimen de la guardia urbana” – or the crime of the city guard.
Policeman burned to ashes
When the charred vehicle was found in 2017, it was in such poor condition that almost nothing could be recovered from the scene.
The only thing that linked Rodriguez’s name to the “ashes” was the engine’s VIN and a prosthetic limb that couldn’t be singed.
Regional police quickly targeted Peral and her boyfriend Lopez, who were arrested in connection with the murder.
Unusually, each member of the love triangle, all of whom worked at the Guardia Urbana, had previously been involved in controversial cases involving allegations of police abuse.
A year earlier, the victim, Rodriguez, was suspended from Barcelona City Hall after he reportedly beat up a motorist passing a traffic stop.
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Meanwhile, at another police department, Peral was the victim of a “revenge porn” attack when an ex-lover sent a sexually explicit photo of her.
Lopez has had more than one complaint filed against him – the most notable of which was a conviction for assaulting a street vendor.
After Rodriguez’s death, the judge investigating the case ordered both suspects held without bail and charged them with either murder or murder.
In a statement, she said: “Which one that is will be decided as the investigation progresses.”
Lovers at war
It was only when the case went to court that the love triangle came to light.
The court heard that Peral and Lopez had been lovers on and off since 2012, when she was married to another man.
Four years later, she began another relationship with Rodriguez and then moved in with him.
Lopez was jealous of the situation and told Rodriguez that he was Peral’s lover, causing a rift in the couple’s fledgling romance.
The following year, Lopez and Peral rekindled their affair and hatched a twisted plan to kill Rodriguez, who stood in their way.
But as tensions rose in the courtroom, both police officers blamed each other for the murder.
According to local press reports, Peral told the court that Lopez came to her house, killed her boyfriend and asked her to cover up the crime.
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She accused Lopez of saying, “If you don’t help me, I will let your daughters choke on their own vomit.”
On the contrary, Lopez reportedly claimed that he found Rodriguez’s body in the trunk of the car and decided to help set it on fire after rekindling his romantic relationship with Peral.
The truth of this matter was never established as Rodriguez burned to death in his car 24 hours later.
However, the verdict was: “At least one blow to the skull while he was either asleep, dozing or drugged.”
Shameless murderers
The day after Rodriguez disappeared, Peral and Lopez showed up together at a lunch with colleagues.
The duo also spent that day driving Rodriguez’s car and cellphone to various locations the victim usually visited in an attempt to throw off investigators.
They also made one final stop at Peral’s ex-husband’s home before allegedly setting the vehicle on fire.
The killers reportedly told their friends that Rodriguez had argued with Peral’s former husband in an attempt to pin the blame on him.
However, after deliberations, the jury found both parties guilty of first-degree murder.
Peral and Lopez were sentenced to 25 and 20 years in prison, respectively.