She told her school she couldn't trust anyone. She said her mother was giving her a "white powder." No one intervened in time.
In September 2013, 12-year-old Asunta Basterra was found dead on a road outside Santiago de Compostela, Spain, days before her thirteenth birthday. Her adoptive parents, who had reported her missing hours earlier, were arrested for her murder within days.
Who Asunta Was
Asunta was born in Yongzhou, China, in September 2000, and adopted at nine months old by Alfonso Basterra, a journalist, and Rosario Porto, a lawyer from a prominent Galician family — the first Chinese child adopted in Santiago de Compostela. She grew up in an affluent household and was, by every account, an exceptionally gifted child: fluent in multiple languages, a skilled violinist and pianist, a talented ballet dancer, and academically strong enough to skip a grade in school.
Warning Signs
In the months before her death, Asunta's behavior changed. Teachers and classmates noticed her appearing drowsy and unsteady on her feet. She told her school's headmistress that her mother had been giving her a "white powder," supposedly for allergies, that left her extremely tired. She also reportedly told people at school that she couldn't trust anyone. A post-mortem investigation later found that Asunta had been given the sedative lorazepam periodically for roughly three months leading up to her death.
Her parents' marriage had also unraveled that year — Alfonso discovered Rosario had been having an affair, and the couple divorced in early 2013, though they stayed in close contact.
The Day She Died
On September 21, 2013, Asunta's parents reported her missing. Her body was found within hours on a rural road outside the city. A coroner's investigation determined she had died of asphyxiation, and that she had ingested at least 27 lorazepam pills that day — more than nine times a standard adult dose. Investigators believe the drugging was intended to sedate her before she was killed.
The Investigation
Detectives grew suspicious of both parents quickly. Surveillance footage contradicted parts of their accounts of that day, and police observed Rosario Porto attempting to retrieve orange twine from a wastepaper basket during a search of their home. Both parents were arrested within days of Asunta's body being found.
Trial and Verdict
The trial, held in late 2015, lasted more than four weeks and included testimony from more than 130 witnesses. On October 30, 2015, a jury unanimously found both Alfonso Basterra and Rosario Porto guilty of murdering their daughter. The prosecution argued the couple had spent months planning to kill her; Alfonso's role was later characterized on appeal as an accomplice to Rosario's plan, though his conviction was upheld. Both were sentenced to 18 years in prison. No clear, confirmed motive for the murder has ever been established — theories have ranged from the strain of caring for the child to disputes over inheritance, though none have been definitively proven. Both parents maintained their innocence throughout.
What Happened Since
Rosario Porto died by suicide in her prison cell in November 2020, after multiple previous attempts. Alfonso Basterra remains incarcerated at Teixeiro prison in Spain. He became eligible for an "open regime" — a more flexible form of incarceration — in 2025, after serving two-thirds of his sentence, but will not be fully released until his sentence concludes in 2033. He has written letters from prison expressing an intention to disappear from public life entirely once released.
The Netflix Series
In April 2024, Netflix released "The Asunta Case," a six-episode dramatization of the investigation, which renewed significant international attention to the case and prompted the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs to issue a formal statement of concern when the case first broke in 2013.
Frequently Asked Questions
How did Asunta Basterra actually die?
She died of asphyxiation. She had also been given a large dose of the sedative lorazepam that day, part of a pattern of drugging investigators say had occurred over roughly three months, but the confirmed cause of death was asphyxiation, not an overdose.
Are Asunta's parents still alive?
Rosario Porto died by suicide in prison in November 2020. Alfonso Basterra remains incarcerated as of the most recent reporting.
Was a motive ever established?
No. Despite extensive investigation and trial testimony, no motive has ever been definitively confirmed.
Is "The Asunta Case" on Netflix based on a true story?
Yes, it's a dramatization of this real case, released in April 2024.