Look, and Joxe Angel Munduate knew the story because they were told at home. On 25 August 1936, Franco killed his uncle Martzelo Lasa, a 17-year-old boy from Olaberria, and buried him in an unknown area in the Lizarrusti area. Eight decades later, Joxe Angel found the testimony of Patxi Lakuntza, pulling the data published in a book.
Patxi was 6 years old when, hearing the shots at Lizarrusti while fishing with his father and a friend, he saw two critters burying a corpse near the road, next to a trobledal. The boy, who was ordered to go home, fled, but the next day he returned and covered with branches the place to prevent the animals from carrying his body.

Tests in 47 kilometers

Two years ago, Aranzadi technicians met at the top of Lizarrusti with Joxe Angel and Patxi. The 86-year-old witness perfectly recalled the place where the body was buried: at the foot of a beech of 47 kilometres of road. On October 12, 2017, the first registration was carried out in a large area and the ammunition pods used by the Army in 1936 were located without tip. On that day, no trace of Marcelo was found, but there were clear signs that joined the testimony.

On 1 September 2018, with concrete tests, the earthmoving began with a excavator at 9 a.m., when the first bones appeared at noon. Thus, the corpse was unearthed the following day due to weather conditions, with the presence of public officials of the institutions and their relatives. They could not believe it, because it was very difficult for the bones to be there. Within a
few days Patxi Lakuntza passed away, but his testimony was very useful: The DNA tests confirmed that the remains found in Lizarrusti belonged to Martzelo Lasa, a neighbour of the Navarra locality.

Reinhumation

With this confirmation, an event was organised at the place of origin of the deceased earlier this summer, on 30 June. In the town hall of Olaberria, in front of dozens of people, the bones of Martzelo Lasa were handed over to the family. He is now buried with his family, 83 years after that infamous murder.

Remains in Olaberria. The aurresku of honor was danced and family and friends sang the Agur Jaunak in front of the coffin. The City Hall was filled with the neck (in the pictures above)

Bones to the surface. Patxi Lakuntza, as a child in 1936, discovered how Francoists buried Martzelo Lasa. Thanks to his information, in September 2018 human remains were found near the high of Lizarrusti, at the foot of a large beech by the road. At the time of taking the body to the surface, there were family members and representatives of various public entities. A few days later the lagoon died at the age of 86, but with its testimony the descendants of the shot were able to close the circle: “We have managed to break the silence, get out of the corners of the kitchen to the plaza.”

In light. A year ago, in October 2018, we released the case in this medium, in the photo of the week. We said that the finding of the bones of Martzelo Lasa would serve to “complete the wound” of his relatives. In the photo you can see Joxe Angel Munduate with the only photo of his uncle in his hand. Well, a few months later, another photograph represents the penultimate chapter of this story. Martzelo Lasa is at home.