Santa Coloma de Gramenet Man Found Dead Inside Dinosaur Statue

A 39‑year‑old man who had been reported missing by his family was discovered dead inside the hollow leg of a papier‑mâché Stegosaurus statue in Santa Coloma de Gramenet, a suburb of Barcelona. The body was found after a father and his son noticed a foul smell emanating from the sculpture and saw the corpse through an opening in the dinosaur’s leg.

Catalan police (Mossos d'Esquadra) classified the death as an accident, finding no evidence of violence. Investigators believe the man became trapped head‑first while attempting to retrieve a mobile phone that had fallen into the narrow cavity, possibly remaining stuck for up to two days. Three fire‑fighter teams had to cut part of the statue’s leg to extract the body. The statue, previously used as advertising for a former cinema, was later removed by the local council.

The incident attracted widespread media coverage across several countries due to its unusual circumstances.