In 2008, the death of a fashion designer in a Barcelona apartment would reveal one of the most cold and disturbing crimes in recent Spanish history. The perpetrator? A woman who hid behind fake names, invented lives, and had an uncanny ability to manipulate others. This is the story of María Ángeles Molina—known simply as Angi—the main subject of Angi: Fake Life, True Crime, a documentary on Netflix on May 1.
Over two episodes, director Carlos Agulló dives deep into a case that shocked the country: the murder of Ana Páez—a woman Molina not only killed, but used to support a fraud scheme involving fake identities, life insurance policies, and a trail of lies as complex as they were cruel.
The murder of Ana Páez
Ana was a 35-year-old fashion designer who believed she had found in Angi a friend, a mentor, and a trustworthy figure. The two had known each other for about 10 years, after meeting when they worked at the same company, and their bond had only grown stronger over time. Molina presented herself as a successful entrepreneur, cultured and generous, and never hesitated to shower Ana with praise. What Ana didn’t know was that Angi had a plan to steal her identity—and eventually, her life.
On February 19, 2008, Ana was found dead in a rented apartment in Barcelona. She was naked, with a plastic bag over her head sealed with duct tape. The scene initially suggested a sexual crime, but the evidence pointed to something far more calculated. Just before the murder, CCTV footage showed Angi entering a bank wearing a wig and withdrawing €600 from Ana’s account.
She then drove a Porsche to Zaragoza, where she picked up her father’s ashes—he had died the year before. According to the court, this was part of a carefully constructed alibi. Once she was back in the apartment, Molina drugged Ana with an unidentified substance before suffocating her.
Read more: Our Fascination With the Serial Killer Next Door
Staging a crime that never happened
Angi…
