Former Larchmont Resident and MHS Grad Killed in Spain

Laura Cerna, an American citizen teaching English in Spain, was brutally murdered in Seville a month ago.

Cerna, 49, spent her teenage years in Larchmont and graduated from Mamaroneck High School. She had been living in Spain for the past six years. On Aug. 30, her body was dismembered and thrown into a river, as stated in the Spanish press. She was reported missing on Sept. 4, and the suspect was arrested two days later. Cerna's decapitated body was found in a suitcase without an arm. The remaining body parts and some personal belongings were later found in a bag.

A man from Seville with a criminal history has been charged with and confessed to taking part in Cerna's disappearance and murder after police found abundant traces of the victim's blood in his residence, according to news reports. Antonio Gordillo Sala, 30, reportedly told police that Cerna had hurt herself after an argument between both parties, and that he had disposed of the body out of fear. An autopsy reveals that Cerna was stabbed twice, reports say.

If convicted, family members say Gordillo could face a minimum of 5 years and a maximum of 10 to 15 years in jail.

Gordillo and the victim lived in the same neighborhood and were reportedly friends.  The defendant was sent to jail without bail and is also being accused of rape. 

Cerna was buried in Spain on Sept. 23. She leaves many loved ones behind, including her parents and brother, who live in the U.S., and her son and ex-husband, both Spanish.

"Sevilla was her city, where Laura decided to live, and for that reason she will be buried here," Cerna's mother, Sandra, is quoted as saying.

"Laura, we will never forget the happy times—the laughter and the tears. Nor will we ever forget the love for life that you possessed and how you helped us to see it for ourselves," wrote the Cerna family on an online memorial fund created to help the family pay for the legal bills involved with this case.

To donate to the Laura Cerna Memorial Fund, click here. To leave a message, visit the fund's Facebook page here. You can also view a slideshow created in the memory of Laura Cerna here.