British man’s death in Spain case provisionally closed; mother says authorities failed to pursue justice
Mother of Brett Dryden accuses Spanish authorities of prioritising tourism over justice after the homicide investigation is closed without charges
A Spanish judge provisionally closed the homicide investigation into the July 2024 death of Brett Dryden, a British man found at his Mojácar home with head injuries and signs of a struggle. The ruling comes more than a year after his body was discovered, and no arrests have been made. The case had previously been reopened as a homicide four days after his death, but Dryden’s family says they have been left without answers as investigators have not charged anyone.
Dryden, 35, who ran a cannabis bar in Mojácar and had lived in the seaside town for about five and a half years, was found on July 21, 2024. He had a four-centimetre wound above his right eye and multiple injuries to his legs, arms, head and neck. Police said the home showed signs of a struggle, including bloody handprints on walls and furniture, and the house had been burgled. Items including his phone, wallet, designer Gucci sunglasses and car keys were missing, and CCTV footage captured two men running from the property with a bag. The family has maintained that Dryden was murdered and has pressed for a fuller investigation.
Initially, Spanish authorities ruled the death as the result of a pulmonary embolism, with the embolism believed to be triggered by drug use. Four days after Dryden’s death, a judge ordered the case to be reopened as a homicide investigation. A post-mortem carried out by Spanish authorities indicated multiple injuries and internal head bleeding, including fingernail marks on the face and other abrasions suggesting defensive injuries. The post-mortem also noted "intense encephalic congestion" and other injuries, though authorities later cited the embolism as the primary cause of death at the time of the ruling.
The Dryden family says it only recently gained access to the full post-mortem report after hiring a lawyer, and they describe the document as revealing a broader picture of physical trauma than initially disclosed. They say the results show abrasions to both knees, a right arm bruise, a contusion to the left side of the face, a four-centimetre wound above the right eye, and additional wounds to the lips and neck. They also allege that police allowed Mr. Dryden’s friends to enter the scene twice to retrieve his dog, and that CCTV footage shows two men leaving the property with a bag, though those faces were not publicly traced by authorities.
Family members have repatriated Dryden’s body to obtain a second, independent post-mortem and are still awaiting its results. They say they feel the case has been deprioritized and accuse Spanish authorities of delaying or avoiding a full accounting of what happened. Dryden’s mother, Sandra Adams, has said the contact number associated with the case has gone inactive, fuelling her impression that investigators are not pursuing the murder angle with vigor. She has also criticized what she sees as a lack of transparency and timely sharing of findings with the family.
Relatives and friends gathered at Mojácar on the one-year anniversary of Dryden’s death to lay flowers and remember him, and his family has discussed potential protests to draw attention to the case. They previously planned a demonstration outside a local town hall for what would have been Dryden’s 36th birthday, but canceled the event after police said it would require a licence obtained well in advance. They say they intend to pursue advocacy in Spain and the United Kingdom to press for answers and accountability.
In the United Kingdom, Dryden’s family has stressed they will not give up on seeking justice and that they will continue to push for greater transparency in the investigation. While authorities have not disclosed any leads that have led to an arrest, the family’s campaign highlights the challenges that cross-border cases can pose for families seeking closure after a loved one’s death abroad. The case remains officially unresolved, with prosecutors and police maintaining that the investigation continues as a homicide inquiry, but without any charges filed to date.
World News editors will monitor developments closely as investigators review new material and any forthcoming post-mortem conclusions. The Dryden family’s pursuit of answers underscores ongoing questions about how foreign deaths are investigated in Spain and how families can navigate the legal and bureaucratic processes involved in seeking justice across borders.