MARIA Jesus Moreno Canto is the inspiration behind Netflix’s latest true crime movie after she was jailed for the murder of her husband.
The new film follows the story of the case known as the black widow of Patraix, but what happened to Antonio Navarro Cerdan?
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Who is Maria Jesus Moreno Canto?
Maria Jesus Moreno Canto and her partner Salvador R.L were both found guilty of the murder of Antonio on August 16, 2017.
She was sentenced to 22 years behind bars for the stabbing in Valencia, Spain.
The chilling story has been made into a film on Netflix, titled A Widow’s Game.
Maria, known as Maje, was 28 at the time of her husband’s murder, and she worked as a nurse.
She’d moved to Valencia from a small town to pursue a new and exciting life in the city.
Maje was her husband’s first and only girlfriend and was alleged to have frequently cheated on him.
A month before their wedding, she was discovered to be having an affair with a physiotherapist, but Antonio forgave her.
Salvador was a nursing assistant and worked with Maje.
His wife, Inma also worked in the same medical centre.
Ahead of Maje’s guilty verdict, her brother said: “If she really is guilty, she will no longer be my sister.”
What did Maria Jesus Moreno Canto do?
During her trial, she denied that she had anything to do with the planning or execution of her husband’s murder, but admitted to covering up the crime.
Jurors heard how Maje had asked Salvador to kill Antonio and had given him keys to her garage.
Salvador admitted to the fatal stabbing with a butcher’s knife, but said he only did it because he was scared of losing Maje.
He said that Maje had lied to him and said she was being mistreated by her husband and felt he needed to “protect her”.
Both Maje and Salvador were found guilty after it was revealed that she’d given him precise information about her husband to ensure Antonio’s death.
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A total of 52 pieces of evidence, including recorded conversations, photos and WhatsApp messages were presented to the jury.
Salvador was sentenced to 17 years in prison.
How can I watch A Widow’s Game?
The film, based on the actual crime, is available on Netflix from May 30, 2025.
It was produced by Bambu Producciones and written by the same writers as The Asunta Case.
It’s a Spanish film and stars Ivana Baquero as María and Carmen Machi as case inspector Eva and Tristan Ulloa as Salva.
