The third day of the trial over the death of Argentine football superstar Diego Maradona saw  the initial set of witnesses take the stand. Police chief Lucas Borge, and officers Javier Mendoza, Carlos Carranza, and Lucas Farías, were the first who arrived on scene on November 25, 2020.

Using a model of the home where the former football star, the officers talked about their actions on the day of his death.

Borge said he dispatched Farías to the superstar’s home at around 1 p.m., and later received news the former football player had died. Upon reaching the scene an hour later, he found Maradona’s corpse with a“very swollen stomach,” wearing a black t-shirt and a pair of running shorts. 

While Mendoza said he did not enter the house, Farías testified that he interacted with Maradona’s family as the first officer on scene. 

“When I entered the kitchen, I met [Maradona’s ex-wife Claudia] Villafañe, who asked who had called the police,” he said. “I peaked into the bedroom while talking to her and saw a prominent bulge on the bed. When they uncovered it, I saw the body. It was a huge shock to see Maradona like that.”

He added he gave notice to the district attorney, set up a security perimeter, and stayed in the house in order to prevent others from entering the room.

“The house was in a normal state of hygiene,” he said. “There was some disorder, but nothing out of the ordinary. I don’t remember seeing any medical elements, serums, or instruments.”

He added the body was taken to the morgue at 5:30 p.m., and that the house was handed over to Gianinna, one of Maradona’s daughters, for safekeeping 20 minutes later.

The trial will continue on Thursday with the testimony of ambulance doctor Juan Carlos Pinto, who wrote Maradona’s death certificate, and Colin Campbell, the neighbor and doctor who the neighborhood security team rang when Maradona was found unresponsive.

With information and pictures from Ámbito.