Disclaimer: The article contains mentions of murder. Reader discretion is advised.
In August 2018, authorities discovered a woman’s burnt torso inside a suitcase in an abandoned warehouse in Usera, Madrid. Almost three months later, the police identified the victim as Heidi Paz. After further investigation, police apprehended popular chef and Paz’s ex-boyfriend Cesar Roman for the slaying. The court found him guilty of the crime and sentenced him to 15 years in prison. The brutal murder case is explored in the Netflix documentary Cooking Up Murder: Uncovering the Story of Cesar Roman.
According to the Spanish outlet 20 Minutos, Cesar Roman and Heidi Paz met in April 2018. The publication mentioned that Paz used to work in one of Roman’s restaurants in Madrid. Shortly after, the duo began a relationship and started living together. However, the relationship didn’t last long and Paz left him in June 2018. Almost two months later, Paz returned to the house the duo shared to talk to Roman. Unfortunately, no one saw her afterward, and Paz’s family soon reported her missing.
20 Minutos reported that police arrested Cesar Roman for the murder of Heidi Paz and revealed how the culprit killed his ex-lover. The outlet stated that Roman dismembered Paz’s body after brutally killing her, separating the head and limbs. He also cut off her breast implants so that authorities wouldn’t be able to identify the victim. Subsequently, Roman put her remains in a suitcase and took a taxi to an abandoned warehouse in the Usera neighborhood. In the following days, he visited the warehouse, sprinkled caustic soda on the remains, and burnt them.
Authorities discovered the body after responding to a fire incident in the warehouse. People Magazine stated that police identified the victim through DNA tests and arrested Cesar Roman after a taxi driver told the authorities that he had taken a taxi to the abandoned warehouse. The case went to trial and the court found him guilty. As a result, the court sentenced him to 15 years in prison. According to TODAY, Roman is serving his sentence at the Alcalá Meco Prison.
Did Roman plead guilty to the charges of murder?
During the trial, Cesar Roman pleaded not guilty to the murder charges. Spanish publication El Pais reported that Roman denied seeing her on the day of the murder and said he didn’t kill her. Roman said, “I could neither kill her nor kiss her, because I did not see her.” He also mentioned that he had called a taxi to go to his office, and the suitcase contained important documents and not Heidi Paz’s remains. Roman even accused one of the prosecutors of giving him death threats.
Another El Pais report noted that the prosecution team tried to characterize Cesar Roman as the sole suspect in the murder of Heidi Paz. Additionally, prosecutors told the jury that Paz’s phone was found with Roman when he was apprehended. Moreover, investigators found Roman’s fingerprints throughout the warehouse. After listening to all the arguments, the jury deliberated for just one and a half days to deliver a guilty verdict. The court sent to him prison for 15 years.
In 2022, Cesar Roman filed an appeal for his sentence. However, TODAY reported that the Supreme Court of Spain rejected his appeal and confirmed his sentence of 15 years. Additionally, he was told to pay a compensation of over €380,000 to Heidi Paz’s family. Two years later, in 2024, Roman eventually confessed to his crimes in a letter released by one of Spain’s leading media outlets.
Roman confessed to his crime in April 2024
Citing his letter, Telecinco noted that Roman begged for forgiveness from the victim’s family and admitted to killing Paz. He wrote, “I communicate to the Provincial Court of Madrid my acknowledgement of the crime committed, my repentance and in which I ask forgiveness from the victim’s family.” The letter also saw Roman feeling remorse for the crime he committed. He added, “After making a deep and intimate reflection, I come to express my recognition of the crime committed and for which I was convicted, wanting to make clear my total and sincere regret for it.”
Furthermore, Roman stated that he was ready to make an official statement and tell the judge what actually happened that fateful day. He said, “I am willing, if Heidi’s family so considers it, to make a statement before the judge and before these relatives so that they can rest for a long time.” once and know everything that happened.”
However, TODAY reported that Heidi Paz’s family was not pleased with Cesar Roman’s murder and noted that he wrote the letter so that he could acquire certain privileges. Meanwhile, Paz’s mother doubted the sincerity of Roman’s letter. Roman is still behind bars and serving his sentence at the Alcalá Meco Prison.
Cooking Up Murder: Uncovering the Story of Cesar Roman is currently available for streaming on Netflix.