Irish man who dismembered landlord has escaped from prison

Anderson had been granted third-level prison privileges and was allowed to make scheduled outings.

The killer fled the vehicle transporting him when it stopped at a traffic light, after taking a walk around the Born barcelonian district and having a coffee, accompanied by his therapist and his partner, who claims she knew nothing of what Morrow intended to do.

The day release visit was part of the Catalan authorities’ prison reform programme, which has sparked debate amongst members of the security forces, who claim that it does not work.

Immediately after his escape, the country’s emergency number was activated, the autonomous police force of Catalonia was alerted, and a search operation was launched to track him down.

Anderson was jailed for killing and dismembering the tenant of the flat where he was living in Barcelona on 23 November 2022. Several parts of the victim’s body, Alireza Rahideh, from whom the killer had rented the room, were found inside a suitcase by someone searching through rubbish bins a few days later.

He was sentenced to ten years and three months in prison, followed by five years’ probation. 

Anderson admitted to the offences, but under the plea agreement, a mitigating factor of mental disturbance was applied. At the time of the murder, it was taken into account that Morrow was suffering from chronic post-traumatic stress disorder.

The Crown Prosecution Service stated in its indictment that this could have caused him to “experience a slight reduction in his cognitive and volitional abilities.”

Although the investigation got off to a difficult start, CCTV footage from the area made it possible to identify the victim very quickly.

His escape constitutes a new offence that could extend his sentence by at least two further years, from October 2033 to 2035.