Woodlife Trails

I’m going to tell you a story so, if you are sitting comfortably, then I will begin…

When I was abroad I loved to climb up the steep, steep slope of the Cap des Llibrell. It was only 170 meters to the top, but it still took about 40 minutes by following the loose gravel path.

After the false summit, you can back-track and go up to the actual summit by following a smaller animal size trail. The tracks are wooded with Mediterranean pine and boulders on both sides. On the way, you are afforded spectacular views of the neighbouring cove of Santa Eularia and, in the distance to the south, the island of Formentera.

Once at the top, I came across what I can only describe as foundations of a round building. At least, they appeared circular and had a cross in the centre. At the time I had no idea what this was.

I sat down within the circle only to have a very strange feeling. Most of you who know me would say that I am the least spiritual person in the world, but still, I had this strange feeling I couldn’t put my finger on nor describe. Perhaps it had something to do with the utter silence of the place. I heard nothing – not even a bird-song. Nevertheless, I stayed where I was and enjoyed the sit-spot.

When I returned to the hotel I tried to find out what the foundations were and as luck would have it, there would be a guided tour going up the hill the next day.

My first question to the guide the next day was met with a knowing grin and I had to endure a slow route march back up the hill before I found out. As it turns out, the remains were that of a watch-tower.

The islands are famous for their pirate watch-towers, which were used as a surveillance system to protect the island’s rich salt resources from marauders. The look-out towers were constructed as far back as the Phoenician occupation from  3,000 years ago, right up until the 18th century when more substantial towers (or Torres) than the one at Llibrell were built. It was suggested that the tower at Cap des Llibrell may have been constructed around the Roman occupation. But on a more grisly note, it was said that human sacrifices were made in earlier times at the very same site, being right on the summit. It’s alleged that bodies were rolled down the nearby gully.

Is that the end of my tale? No. It’s just the start…

On Sunday 8 July 2001, following the family’s arrival at Calla Llonga , Jeffrey Hodgson, a mentally handicapped man with a mental age of an eight year old child, vanished from the reception area of the Sirenis Playa Hotel in the Cala Llonga while his parents Beryl and Derek were checking into the hotel. He was found dead 15 months later in a gully on the Cap des Llibrell.

[click to enlarge pic]

There appeared to be terrible mistakes made by the Spanish police (not least that they didn’t commence the search in earnest until 24 hours after Jeffrey initially went missing) and assumed to this day, contrary to the family’s conclusion, that Jeffrey had walked up the track and down the gully unaided where he curled up and died. I will let you read all the details for yourself. Linking this post to the last one, I would like to have thought that a team of SAR Trackers would have found Jeffrey well before  his unfortunate demise.

There is no mention of the tower or of the previous history of the Cap des Llibrell; nor does any report mention the state of Jeffrey’s body when he was found except that there was no evidence to suggest any form of criminality against Jeffrey. The only consolation for the family is that the Stockport coroner on 20th July 2004 declared an open verdict.

Can there be a link between the foundations of the ancient tower, the site of the human sacrifices and my own strange feelings around the area? The open verdict only adds weight to the mystery.

With limited information I can’t help agreeing with the verdict and that there must be more to the assumption that poor Jeffrey simply wandered off and got lost in the pine strewn woods, although I know first hand that that wouldn’t be impossible.

I suppose we will never know.

If you load this Cap des Llibrell Mystery file into Google Earth, I will take you on a tour of the route and show you where the body was found but you can also see the details on the map above.