A Widow’s Game: The Real-Life Murder That Shocked Spain

A Widow’s Game, the Spanish thriller that has gripped audiences, is rooted in one of the most disturbing true crimes in recent history. On the morning of August 16, 2017, Antonio Navarro Cerdán, a 36-year-old industrial engineer, left his home in Valencia, Spain, to go to work. He never made it out of the garage. As he approached his car, a man hidden among the vehicles ambushed him and stabbed him in the chest. Antonio died at the scene, and what initially looked like a senseless act of violence soon revealed itself as a chilling tale of betrayal and manipulation—engineered by his wife, María Jesús Moreno Cantó, also known as Maje.

Maje, a 27-year-old nurse described by those around her as sweet and charismatic, quickly took on the role of a grieving widow. Her public appearances showed her expressing disbelief and sorrow, but investigators were unsettled by her calm and calculated demeanor during questioning. What emerged was a double life filled with deception. Despite presenting herself as a loving spouse, Maje was involved in multiple extramarital affairs, one of which proved deadly.

Her relationship with Salvador Rodrigo Lapiedra, a janitor at her hospital, became the key to solving the case. Salvador was deeply infatuated with Maje, and she fueled his obsession with stories of abuse and promises of a future together—if only her husband were gone. Maje provided him with all the information he needed: Antonio’s routine, his garage access, and the perfect time to strike. Salvador waited in the shadows with a kitchen knife and carried out the murder exactly as she planned.

After the killing, the murder weapon was hidden in a cesspit on Salvador’s property. Months later, after a shocking confession, he led police to it. When both were arrested in January 2018, Salvador initially took full blame. But when he discovered that Maje had already moved on with another inmate, he changed his story. In a new statement, he revealed that Maje had orchestrated every detail and encouraged him to kill.

Despite her continued denial, overwhelming evidence—texts, calls, and testimonies—proved Maje’s involvement. In October 2020, she was sentenced to 22 years in prison, while Salvador received 17 years with a reduced sentence for cooperating. Both were ordered to pay €250,000 to Antonio’s family. The court found that Maje’s psychological manipulation of Salvador played a decisive role in the crime.

In 2023, Maje gave birth to a child fathered by another inmate convicted of murder. She now resides in a mother-child unit in Fontcalent prison, where she will stay with her baby until the child turns three. Her nickname, the “Black Widow of Patraix,” reflects the calculated way she manipulated her lover into committing murder.

A Widow’s Game brings this harrowing true story to life, exposing the darkest corners of human emotion—obsession, betrayal, and the lengths some will go to for control and personal gain.