Three years after the death of artist Anna Cook: her mother denounces the murder of lesbians and activists demand justice
The death of Anna Cook, a 26-year-old DJ, was declared an overdose, but her family and activists denounce it as a hate crime.
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By Airam Fernández
Ana María Villarroel González, better known as Anna Cook, was 26 years old when she was found dead on August 2, 2017, under unclear circumstances. The official theory is that Anna died of an overdose. But her mother, Kattia González, has been denouncing a series of irregularities in the investigation for several months: Anna's body, who was a lesbian, had a bruise on her neck, several wounds, and fractures. According to the autopsy, she also had semen in her mouth.
On September 25, 2019, Kattia decided to use her and Anna's social media accounts to reveal all these details and demand that the justice system give her daughter's sexual orientation the importance it deserves. She believes someone killed her, and that the hypotheses should focus on a hate crime or a lesbicide.
“Many believe she died of an overdose, due to her extensive history of drug use, and because the people involved created the atmosphere to make people believe that,” Kattia wrote in a statement.
Five months after Anna's death, Katia received the reports from the Legal Medical Service (SML), the agency responsible for performing autopsies in Chile. Page 2339 states that Anna had five fractured ribs. The forensic report notes the presence of semen in her oral mucosa. In May 2018, the initial toxicology report indicated a 0.2% blood alcohol level and no drugs. The doctor who received the body described a 15 cm cervical bruise that covered almost her entire neck. This detail is not included in the SML report.
“The information I received from the Prosecutor’s Office is that the results from the Forensic Medical Service showed sperm heads in my daughter’s mouth. To which I replied that this is impossible, since my daughter, as everyone knows, was a lesbian. Upon stating this, the prosecutor responded that this case then became a case of rape with homicide,” Kattia adds in her statement.
The investigation is being handled by prosecutor Mitzy Henríquez of the local prosecutor's office in Ñuñoa. Presentes attempted to contact that office on Friday, July 31, but received no answer to the phones.
Anna's Last Night
Anna was a DJ and graphic designer, well-known in Santiago's electronic music scene. Those close to her say that music was her great passion. She also liked anime and dance machines.
On the night of her death, she was at the house where she was renting, in the Providencia district. There was a small party with several people. Raúl Azócar, the owner of the house, was with a boy named Matías Troncoso in one of the rooms.
In the statement, Kattia recounts how she found out: she says that another boy named Patricio Ávila sent her several messages around 2 p.m. on Wednesday, August 2nd, asking her to answer her phone. When she called him back, he told her that Anna was in serious condition in the emergency room at Salvador Hospital. Later, the hospital called and confirmed it.
“When I arrived at the emergency room, I found myself outside with her group of 'friends,' including Raúl Azócar (alias El Gato, who brought Ana to the ER), Patricio Ávila, Andrea Fierro, Nikolai, and Magno with his partner. I asked about my daughter, and they told me I had to go into a cubicle to wait for the doctor who would see me. The doctor came in, and they started questioning me: who she was, her age, whether she used drugs or not, what kind of drugs she used, etc. Then they told me, 'Ma'am, your daughter arrived at this facility already deceased.' That situation overwhelmed me, to the point that I told them I didn't believe them and demanded to see her to verify the facts,” Kattia recounts.
Azócar took Anna to the hospital, wrapped in a blanket and naked. In his first official statement, which Kattia also shared on social media, he said he found her unconscious in her room. He also said he didn't know her last name. In the statement, Kattia points out that she doesn't understand how he could have said that, since they had shared a house for a year.
Approximately six months later, the Prosecutor's Office ordered a comparison of the genetic profiles of three of the men who gave statements and who were in the house that night, excluding Matías Troncoso. The results of the analysis showed no matches.
When Kattia revealed that information, a former partner of Matías made a public complaint against him for psychological, physical and sexual violence.
Virtual tribute: “Justice for Anna Cook”
This Sunday, August 2nd, the third anniversary of her death, several dissident groups, including the Lesbofeminist Network, have organized a virtual tribute that will be streamed on the website https://justiciaparaannacook.com/ . The event will feature music, audiovisual recordings, and performances, and will continue until the early hours of the morning.
Yesterday, Kattia posted several photos of Anna again, along with a message demanding justice: “Let those who know speak! (…) Prosecutor Mitzy Henríquez insists that the cause of death was an overdose, with no third-party involvement. It’s a mockery! We demand #JusticeForAnnaCook ”
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