“The Asunta case”: how the murder scene was recorded and the two theories of the crime

On September 21, 2013, Rosario Porto and Alfonso Basterra reported the disappearance of their daughter Asunta. The police investigation points to his parents as possible perpetrators. The news shocks an entire country. What really happened the night Asunta disappeared? (Credit: Netflix)

The Asunta case, the six-episode series that leads the Netlfix lists and rankings in several countries, generated many discussions and a search by viewers for more content linked to the case.

The fiction, available on Netflix, immerses the public in one of the most chilling criminal stories in Spain, the death of Asunta Basterra Porto. Set on September 21, 2013, the production narrates from the report of Asunta’s disappearance by her parents, Rosario Porto (played in the series by Candela Peña) and Alfonso Basterra (Tristán Ulloa assumes his role), to the discovery of his body on a road near Santiago de Compostela. This event sparked an intense police investigation, quickly pointing to the parents as the main suspects, which shocked both the city and the entire country. The question that resonated with everyone was clear: What drives parents to commit such a heinous act against their own daughter?

Asunta’s parents, Rosario Porto and Alfonso Basterra, quickly identified as suspects. (Credit: Manuel Fernández-Valdés)

Ramón Campos, creator of the series and known for his work on Velvet and Fariña, spoke with the newspaper El Español about the production’s approach when addressing Asunta’s murder. He explained how the team chose to expose the viewer to the various theories that emerged during the investigation, facing questions about Rosario’s physical ability to carry out the crime and missing evidence, such as car mats. Campos highlighted the interest in presenting the facts so that the public could form their own judgment, always maintaining respect for the court ruling that sentenced both parents to 18 years in prison. “Actually, what we decided was to show the viewer the theories that existed,” said Ramón Campos during the interview and added: “There was a lot of talk about Rosario not being big enough to pick up the girl and take her down from the place where she was they murdered There was a lot of talk about the car’s floor mats being missing…

The series, structured in six episodes, works in two timelines that intersperse the events prior to the homicide with the development of the investigation and the subsequent trial. Although the outcome is known, the narrative manages to capture the viewer thanks to a detailed assembly of the sequence of events, complemented with real images and dialogues that were revealed later. The performances of Candela Peña and Tristán Ulloa, playing Asunta’s parents, have been highlighted as some of the most outstanding of the year, according to critics’ advances.

Candela Peña as Rosario Porto in ‘El caso Asunta’ (Netflix)

Ramos Campos gave more details about the two theories that the series shows: “The only way to do it was to show them everything. “If we didn’t do that, there would continue to be speculation about whether a person of Rosario’s size could take the girl, about whether Rosario could have done it alone or with someone,” he reflected. “When showing it to the viewer, it is their decision to decide whether it was them or not. For different things that happened, for the moment in which they occurred. The judicial truth says that it was them, that Rosario was in the house and that, although it could not be proven that Alfonso was there, he was a collaborator in the girl’s murder. “The two were sentenced to 18 years in prison and we were not going to go against the judicial truth,” he concluded.

The Asunta case not only examines the crime itself, but also offers a critical look at the media and social scrutiny that surrounded those involved, immersing the viewer in a deep reflection on family dynamics and deceptive appearances. The series is positioned as a must-watch on Netflix for 2024, considering both its production quality and the rigorous analysis of the case that shook Spain.