Estibaliz Carranza

Case record: Estibaliz Carranza

Status and outcome

Estibaliz Carranza was sentenced to life in a secure mental institution on November 23, 2012 after pleading guilty.

Background

Goidsargi Estibaliz Carranza Zabala, 34, held joint Spanish-Mexican citizenship. She had been diagnosed with “serious mental and psychological abnormalities” and was ruled fit to stand trial. A psychiatric report commissioned by the court said that Carranza, who was in a unit for the “mentally abnormal”, was dangerous and was like a “princess ... who just wants to be 'rescued' by a man”. Court psychologist Adelheid Kastner predicted that Carranza had a “one in three” chance of committing another murder if she was set free.

Carranza made a confession in court and portrayed her ex-husband Holger Holz as a violent and lazy bully. She said that in her relationship to Manfred Hinterberger she felt like she was “in a prison”.

When arrested, Carranza was two-months pregnant by another man. She married in prison in March 2011. The baby boy was born in January and was immediately taken away from her; he was placed in the care of Carranza’s parents in Barcelona, Spain. Carranza said: “He is totally different. He is very gentle, the opposite of macho,” about her new husband, and said: “He would not bring me into such a situation.” Reports said she intended to apply to be transferred to a prison in Spain to see her son regularly.

The offence

Carranza killed two men and concealed their body parts in the cellar of her ice-cream parlour.

Killing of Holger Holz (2008)

Carranza shot her ex-husband Holger Holz, describing him as violent and lazy and as a bully who refused to move out after their divorce. The court heard that Holz was working at his computer when Carranza shot him. Carranza shot Holz at close range with a .22-calibre Beretta pistol three times in the head.

Carranza hacked Holz’s body apart with a chain saw. She embedded the parts in cement chunks and then concealed them in chunks of concrete. She stashed these in the cellar of her “Schleckeria” shop, which served as her ice-cream parlour.

Carranza made statements in court about the shooting. She said:

“I never thought I would be able to go through with it,”
“It was 3pm. There were children outside, it was nice weather, someone must have heard. “I thought the police would come. Then my mobile phone rang. It was the ice-cream parlour, saying they needed me to come over.”

She also told the court:

“I cleaned and cleaned in the days afterwards,”

Carranza at first froze the body parts in the apartment that also served as a store room for the ice-cream parlour. She concealed them in chunks of concrete that she mixed up in the cellar of her “Schleckeria” shop.

Carranza attempted to dispose of the corpse, including “the crazy idea” of setting fire to it. She later decided to resort to a chain saw.

Killing of Manfred Hinterberger (2010)

In 2010, Carranza dated Manfred Hinterberger, an ice-cream machinery salesman. A drunken argument occurred in November 2010. The court heard that Carranza believed Hinterberger was cheating on her, though there was “no proof to substantiate her suspicion”. Carranza told the court:

“He turned his face to the wall and started snoring,”
“I was so angry. I had the gun under the mattress. I took it out, loaded and shot.”

Carranza shot Hinterberger as he slept after the drunken argument, using the same Beretta pistol. She disposed of his body “in the same way” after killing him, including disposing of the remains in cement.

The court also heard that Carranza had taken shooting lessons and had taken a course in mixing concrete at a local hardware store before killing Hinterberger.

After the shooting, she said:

“In the morning she ‘asked him to forgive me for what I had done’.”

Carranza felt like she was “like in a prison ... like my head was in a plastic bag” during her relationship with Hinterberger.

Investigation and discovery

The grisly remains were discovered by chance during maintenance work. The remains of both men were discovered in June 2011 and maintenance workers found them in the cellar where Carranza had concealed the parts in cement.

After the discovery, Carranza went on the run to Italy. She was captured several days afterwards and later extradited.

Arrest and confinement-related personal events

After Carranza was captured and extradited, she was detained and later tried. When she was arrested, she was two-months pregnant by another man.

Carranza’s baby boy was born in January and was immediately taken away from her and was reportedly being looked after by her parents in Barcelona, Spain.

Trial

Proceedings and evidence

Carranza confessed to the court in a long and detailed testimony. Her guilty plea required the court to examine all evidence to decide whether to accept the guilty plea. The trial lasted four days. The trial attracted considerable media attention and involved a PowerPoint presentation by a court-appointed medical expert showing photos of the sawn-off heads and other body parts of the victims. The trial was scheduled to last several days, with around 50 witnesses and seven experts due to testify.

At times breaking into tears, Carranza told the hearing in Vienna how she shot and sliced up her ex-husband in 2008 and then her new partner in 2010, and concealed their body parts in cement in the cellar of her ice-cream parlour.

Statements attributed to people in court

Chief prosecutor Petra Freh said the killings were “depraved and horrific,” calling Carranza a “highly dangerous woman ready to do anything.”

During the trial, prosecutor Petra Freh told the packed courtroom:

“This woman has two faces,”
“She will try to play here the part of someone well-behaved, who would never do something like this. ”
“My task is to show you her other side... That she is a singularly cold-blooded and unscrupulous killer,”
“Do not be fooled.”

Carranza made a short final statement to the court in Vienna after a trial lasting four days:

“I can't say anything other than that I am sorry that I took Holger and Manfred's lives,”

Sentencing

Carranza was sentenced to life in a secure mental institution on November 23, 2012.

Other details

Carranza was described as being dubbed the “ice killer” by the Austrian media. She was also referred to as an “Ice Cream Killer” in reporting.

Reports said Carranza intended to apply to be transferred to a prison in Spain in order to be able to see her son regularly.