- A 43-year-old Colombian bodybuilder was found beaten to death with a hammer in Spain
- Her husband was found dead with apparent self-inflicted knife wounds at the same location
- The couple had marriage problems and planned to divorce after a bodybuilding competition
A 43-year-old Colombian bodybuilder known as "She Hulk" was found beaten to death with a hammer, and her husband was also discovered dead with self-inflicted knife wounds. According to the New York Post, Zunilda Hoyos Mendez and her husband, Jarrod Gelling, 46, were found dead in their rental home in the Spanish town of Fuengirola on Thursday after a friend filed a missing person report saying that they had not seen the 43-year-old, who also went by Amy, in five days.
When officers arrived at the scene, they found Ms Mendez with injuries indicating she had been killed with a hammer, while her American husband was discovered with what police have described as "apparent self-inflicted stab wounds," per the Post.
"Her body showed obvious signs of violence and that of the man's signs indicating a suicide-type death which is something an autopsy will have to confirm," Spanish National Police said.
According to Ms Mendez's family, the two were suffering marriage problems. The 43-year-old reportedly told relatives that her husband was being aggressive toward her over the past year, and the two intended to divorce following their trip, which would have ended with a bodybuilding competition in Portugal in a couple of weeks. "She was being abused and wanted a divorce," her family said.
The couple had travelled to southern Spain from Dubai. Ms Mendez's niece, Yuleydis, said that her aunt was going to help Gelling following a knee operation before travelling to Portugal. "For my aunt, it was her last trip with him - a farewell. She had taken the decision to divorce him, because of his aggressive behaviour," said Yuleydis.
"They had broken up already once and were apart for quite a while but then got back together again to try to resolve things, although the mistreatment continued," she added.
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After news of her death, Mendez's bodybuilding coach, Branden Ray, posted a tribute and a photo of her posing on his Instagram Stories. "We had 17 days until we were going to hit the stage and shock the world, my friend. I told you that you could possibly be top 10 in the world by the end of this year, and I meant it. Rest in paradise, Amy," he wrote.
"We were so close to the end, but the closest person to you ended it too soon. Domestic violence should never be taken lightly, because it can leave many with a heavy heart," he added.
Police are still investigating the killing.
