Netflix's brand new true-crime series, 42 Days of Darkness, dives deep into the murder of Veronica Montes.
The series revolves around a woman's struggle to know the whereabouts of her missing sister. It is based on a real-life incident involving Viviana Haeger's disappearance and murder in 2010. Haeger was found dead in the attic of her own house - 42 days after her mysterious disappearance. It is directed by Gaspar Antillo and Claudia Huaiquimilla.
Let's dissect and understand the ending of Netflix's true-crime series.
Note: This article contains spoilers.
Analyzing the end of 42 Days of Darkness: The truth about Veronica's death
Viewers of Netflix's 42 Days of Darkness must remember that Mario Medina had called the police after finding his wife's dead body in the attic. At that point in time, this move potentially ruled out the possibility of kidnapping and gave rise to the case of a suicide or murder. According to forensic reports, no third party was involved in the crime, which meant murder was also off the table.
The discovery left Pizzaro and Cecilia shocked, making them relook through their timelines once again. They learned that Medina's statements had inconsistencies, which made them wonder if he actually found her body in the attic or if it was a well-thought-out strategy.
Lack of evidence
Twenty months after Veronica's funeral, her body was exhumed and sent to forensics again, but no conclusive evidence was found. Although it ruled out several possibilities, those possibilities were not enough to incriminate Medina, who had filed a lawsuit to close the ongoing investigation of his wife.
As people moved on with their lives, Pizarro found himself stuck. He still believed that the truth would reveal itself, and justice would be brought to Veronica. Pizarro had personally given his all to the case - he sacrificed a considerable amount of quality time with his son Joaco and, in the process, went broke too.
Kari and Emi were also suffering as they had a hard time understanding what was more gruesome and impactful - the death of their mother or the possible involvement of their father in their mother's death.
The killer
Towards the end of 42 Days of Darkness, viewers see a woman walking up to Pizarro, claiming that he had once helped her. She also revealed that she had important information about Veronica's case - it revolved around the resemblance between the perpetrator and Tomatito's psychopath ex-partner. After learning about the same, Pizarro informed the police and headed over to the address given by the woman.
A man named Jaimi Nunez Jara was found along with Veronica's missing camera. The man finally gave in and confessed to killing Veronica, further revealing that Medina had offered him money to do so. The two, Jara and Medina, were then taken into custody. This led Pizarro to think that he had found the missing piece, but it was short-lived when he could not establish a link between the killer and Medina.
Letting go
This also meant that it could not be proven in court that the killer did not act on his own accord. To better understand the entire case, Pizarro asked for a reconstruction of the crime scene in the hopes of finding missing details to prove Medina's guilt, but there weren't any. The alleged killer did not agree to testify before the jury, which meant whatever he had said did not hold any value. It also did not prove that Medina was involved in the murder of his wife, thereby acquitting him from the court.
As the case did not prove Medina guilty, Pizarro had to finally put an end to it and move on with his life. He tried to make things right with his son while Emi and Kari learned to fight the odds. On the other hand, Cecilia dealt with the constant feeling of going back in time to stop the mishap from happening. Medina's involvement in his wife's murder may have remained a big mystery, but 42 Days of Darkness reiterates the importance of letting go.
Viewers can now stream 42 Days of Darkness on Netflix.