'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
The Netflix docuseries Angi: Fake Life, True Crime shines a spotlight on the case of María Ángeles Molina, also known as Angi. This Spanish true-crime series, directed by Carlos Agulló, premieres on Netflix on May 1, 2025. It unravels Angi’s crimes through detailed investigations and firsthand accounts.
The two-episode series follows Angi’s 2008 murder of Ana Páez and the suspicious 1996 death of her husband, Juan Antonio Álvarez Litben. The case starts when Páez was found dead in a Barcelona apartment, her identity briefly stolen by Angi. Years earlier, Álvarez Litben’s death raised questions that resurfaced during the 2008 investigation.
As per the official Netflix website, over 60 interviews and 2000 pages of case files reveal Angi’s web of lies. The series explores her multiple identities and calculated actions, showing how her seemingly ordinary life hid dark secrets. Police reports and family testimonies expose the depth of her deception.
Trending
Angi: Fake Life, True Crime unveils the chilling murder of Ana Páez and Angi’s husband’s mysterious death
As per The Sun’s report, published April 25, 2025, on February 19, 2008, 35-year-old fashion designer Ana Páez was found dead in a holiday flat in Barcelona. She had a plastic bag over her head and was nude, leading the police to suspect it to be a s*xual crime initially. Investigations soon pointed to María Ángeles Molina, known as Angi, a friend who killed Páez and impersonated her.
Labeled “The Near-Perfect Crime” by the Spanish media, Angi’s plan unraveled when police found inconsistencies in her statements. She was arrested in 2008 and convicted in 2012, receiving a prison sentence of 18 years for murder and a further four years for falsification of documents. Angi currently remains incarcerated in a Spanish prison.
The docuseries Angi: Fake Life, True Crime, premiering May 1, 2025, on Netflix, also examines the 1996 death of Angi’s husband, Juan Antonio Álvarez Litben. The 45-year-old businessman had died in Barcelona under unclear circumstances. Initially a cold case, it was revisited during the 2008 probe. No charges were filed due to insufficient evidence, however.
Directed by Carlos Agulló, the series uses police reports and interviews with detectives and family to detail both cases. According to an article published on August 2, 2021, by La Vanguardia, Angi’s motive for Páez’s murder was financial gain, as she attempted to access Páez’s assets.
As per Netflix's official website, over 60 interviews reveal Angi’s use of fake identities to evade suspicion.
Angi’s web of deception extended beyond murder to a life of hidden identities
María Ángeles Molina, aka Angi, crafted multiple personas to conceal her crimes. Born in Barcelona, she married Juan Antonio Álvarez Litben. According to The Sun, his 1996 death at the age of 45 initially raised some suspicions of foul play, but they remained unproven. Although the 2008 murder case prompted police to re-examine it.
Retired officers interviewed in the series noted suspicious timing, as Angi inherited assets post-death. But no forensic evidence linked her to it, leaving the case open. In 2008, Angi befriended Ana Páez, a fashion designer. She lured Páez to a rented apartment, killed her with a plastic bag, and posed as her to access Páez’s bank accounts.
As reported by El País in a March 20, 2012, article, during a search of Molina's home, police found an unopened bottle of chloroform. Molina's then-boyfriend provided authorities with Páez's original passport and ID card, which he found hidden behind the bathroom cistern in their shared residence.
These findings, among other pieces of evidence, led the Barcelona High Court to sentence Molina to 22 years in prison—18 years for murder and four for document fraud.
Angi: Fake Life, True Crime, produced by Brutal Media, includes family accounts. Agulló’s team reviewed 2000 pages of case files, uncovering Angi’s history of fraud, as reported on the official Netflix website.
Stay tuned for more news and updates, and watch Angi: Fake Life, True Crime as it releases on Netflix on May 1, 2025.
