It was a hot August morning in 2017 when Antonio Navarro Cerdán stepped into his parking garage in Valencia. He was a 36-year-old engineer, a "good guy" by all accounts, heading to work like any other day. He never made it to his car. A man was waiting in the shadows with a kitchen knife. Antonio was stabbed multiple times—some reports say seven—and left to die on the concrete floor.
At the center of the subsequent media firestorm was his wife, Maria Jesus Moreno Maje, known to the world simply as "Maje."
Initially, she played the part of the grieving widow perfectly. She was 27, a nurse, and seemingly shattered. But the mask didn't stay on for long. You’ve probably seen the headlines or the Netflix dramatization A Widow's Game, but the real story is honestly way more twisted than the movies.
The Double Life of Maria Jesus Moreno Maje
Detectives in Valencia noticed something off about Maje almost immediately. Her grief felt... performative. While the public saw a mourning wife, investigators were looking at a woman who had been juggling multiple lovers before and after her wedding.
Basically, Maje was living two lives.
One of those lovers was Salvador "Salva" Rodrigo Lapiedra, a nursing assistant at the same hospital where she worked. Salva was obsessed with her. To him, Maje was a damsel in distress; she had allegedly convinced him that Antonio was abusive and that she was trapped. There is no evidence that Antonio was ever abusive, but Salva bought it hook, line, and sinker.
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He didn't just buy the story. He became the weapon.
A Meticulously Planned Trap
This wasn't some spur-of-the-moment crime of passion. It was cold. Maje gave Salva the keys to the garage. She told him exactly what time Antonio left for work. She even coordinated her own schedule to ensure she was far away when the "job" was done.
After the murder, Maje didn't run away with Salva. Instead, she kept seeing other men. She even went on dates while the investigation was active. It was this lack of loyalty—even to her co-conspirator—that eventually blew the case wide open.
How the "Black Widow" Was Caught
The police weren't just guessing. They had the phones.
The Homicide Group tapped Maje’s calls and monitored her WhatsApp messages. The evidence was damning. They heard her talking to Salva, not as a grieving widow, but as a partner in a cover-up.
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- The Arrest: Both were picked up in January 2018.
- The Betrayal: At first, Salva tried to take all the blame. He wanted to protect her. But then he found out that while he was pining for her in a jail cell, Maje was already moving on with other inmates.
- The Confession: Hurt and disillusioned, Salva flipped. He admitted everything, detailing how Maje had manipulated him into the killing.
The Sentence and Life Behind Bars
In 2020, a jury in Valencia found them both guilty. Because of the "aggravating circumstance of kinship"—meaning she killed her own husband—Maje received a heavier sentence.
The Final Verdict:
- Maria Jesus Moreno Maje: Sentenced to 22 years in prison.
- Salvador Rodrigo: Sentenced to 17 years (he got a slightly lighter touch because he cooperated).
They were also ordered to pay €250,000 in damages to Antonio’s family.
The 2023 Pregnancy Scandal
Just when people thought the story couldn't get any weirder, it did. In 2023, it was revealed that Maje had become pregnant while serving her sentence at the Picassent prison. The father was another inmate, a man named David who was also convicted of murder.
She gave birth in July 2023. Under Spanish law, she was moved to a "mother's unit" in Fontcalent prison, where she is allowed to stay with her child until the child turns three. After that, the child will likely be placed with family or social services, and Maje will head back to a standard cell to finish her two decades of time.
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Why This Case Still Haunts Spain
People often ask why she didn't just get a divorce. That’s the million-dollar question. Prosecutors argued it was about the money—the widow's pension, the inheritance, the life insurance. If she divorced him, she got nothing. If he died, she was set.
But experts who studied the case, like those featured in recent true crime documentaries, suggest it was also about her "image." She didn't want to be the "divorced woman" or the "unfaithful wife" in her social circle. She wanted to be the tragic victim.
Honestly, the level of manipulation is what makes this case a staple of Spanish true crime. She used Salva's devotion as a tool, then discarded him the moment it was convenient.
What to Keep in Mind
If you're following this case or watching the adaptations, remember these key takeaways from the legal proceedings:
- Physical Evidence: The murder weapon was recovered months later from a cesspit on Salva's property only after he confessed.
- Digital Footprint: Text messages showed the pair discussing the "problem" of Antonio long before the garage ambush.
- Current Status: As of 2026, Maje remains incarcerated in the Alicante region, focused on raising her son before the mandatory separation at age three.
If you are looking for more information on the legal nuances of the case, you can review the public archives of the Tribunal Superior de Justicia de la Comunidad Valenciana, which detail the jury's findings on the psychological manipulation used during the crime.