José Luis Fernández Torres, accused of a gruesome homicide allegedly tied to cannibalism, has reportedly passed away while in custody for the murder of retiree Ángel Luis Mercantety Quiñones. Independent journalist Yosmany Mayeta Labrada shared this information on Sunday, citing accounts from the victim's family and hospital sources.
The Cuban authorities have yet to officially confirm Fernández Torres's death, leaving the exact date, the hospital where it occurred, and the medical causes shrouded in mystery.
A family source described the severe decline in his health during incarceration: “He wasted away in prison, reportedly dying skeletal, with something in his stomach,” the journalist relayed.
This development comes just over a year after the horrifying crime shook Santiago de Cuba in August 2025. The dismembered remains of Mercantety Quiñones were discovered in the Abel Santamaría neighborhood, also known as El Salao.
According to Fernández Torres's own admission—aged 60, originally from Holguín, and a worker in Santiago de Cuba's education sector—the murder took place on August 21, 2025, in his home. A shared drinking session with the victim escalated into violence over debts, leading him to fatally bludgeon the elder with a metal rod. He then dismembered the body, hiding parts in two refrigerators and discarding hands and feet in a nearby stream.
On August 26, 2025, workers from the Communal Services Company found Mercantety Quiñones's head in a trash bin outside a store in Abel Santamaría, severely decomposed. More remains were discovered in the suspect's apartment the following day, leading to Fernández Torres's arrest.
During the investigation, chilling evidence emerged: a jar containing human fat, two containers of fried meat, and a bag of ribs buried in the yard, feeding suspicions of cannibalism that authorities never officially confirmed.
In September 2025, an unusual police operation at the suspect's building resurrected fears of additional victims. Investigator Julio César González Pagés warned at the time about the possible disappearance of other neighbors, such as a man known as "Cuquito," although this was never substantiated.
The victim's relatives expressed mixed emotions of relief and a profound sense of incomplete justice upon hearing of the suspect's death. Their greatest frustration lies with the institutional silence: they claim no authority informed them of any trial proceedings against Fernández Torres or notified them of his death.
This case unfolds against the backdrop of a severely deteriorating Cuban prison system. According to Cubalex, between February 2024 and June 2026, there were 115 documented deaths in detention facilities, with around 80 linked to neglect or denial of medical care, 21 to severe malnutrition, and 12 to tuberculosis.
As Mayeta Labrada concluded in his report: "Dying in prison does not absolve the responsibility to clarify a crime, nor the right of victims to know the full truth."
Understanding the Santiago de Cuba Homicide Case
What led to the murder of Ángel Luis Mercantety Quiñones?
The murder occurred after a drinking session between Fernández Torres and the victim escalated into a violent altercation over debts, resulting in the fatal beating and dismemberment of Mercantety Quiñones.
Were there any official confirmations of cannibalism involved in the case?
Although there were suspicions of cannibalism due to evidence found during the investigation, such as human fat and fried meat, this theory was never officially confirmed by the authorities.
How has the Cuban prison system been portrayed in this context?
The Cuban prison system has been depicted as severely deteriorated, with numerous deaths linked to negligence, lack of medical care, malnutrition, and other harsh conditions.
What are the family's reactions to the suspect's death?
The family experienced a mix of relief and a sense of incomplete justice, largely due to the lack of communication from authorities about any trial or details surrounding Fernández Torres's death.