Case In Death of Rapper Canserbero Reopened As Questions Swirl Over Suicide Determination

Nearly a decade after the untimely death of the fabled rapper Canserbero, born Tirone José González Orama, the Venezuelan prosecution has announced the reopening of the case, which shook the Spanish-speaking rap world and beyond. The initial investigation that attributed his demise to suicide is now under scrutiny, fueled by the persistent appeals of the late rapper’s family and friends.

“We have requested to file the case in the city of Caracas (after years in Maracay) and together with the 85th National Prosecutor’s Office, I have ordered the General Directorate of Support to the Criminal Investigation to transfer experts from the Field Criminal Unit to the place where the facts will be reconstructed,” posted state attorney general Tarek William Saab on X (formerly known as Twitter) on Sunday (Nov. 12). “Also, the relatives of Tyron Gonzalez ‘Canserbero’ (with whom I have already made contact again) will be interviewed in the next hours at the Main Headquarters of the Public Prosecutor’s Office. #Justice.”

Saab further detailed the investigations to be conducted at the scene. They are listed as:

#AHORA el @MinpublicoVEN luego de #Reabrir el caso “Canserbero”, hemos #Solicitado #Radicar el #Caso a la ciudad de #Caracas ( luego que por años estuviera en Maracay ) y conjuntamente con la #Fiscalía 85 Nacional Plena: he #ordenado a la Dirección General de Apoyo a la… pic.twitter.com/hHCdnMZn6L

— Tarek William Saab (@TarekWiliamSaab) November 12, 2023

On Monday (Nov. 13), Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro acknowledged Canserbero’s reopened case on his TV program Con Maduro+. “I congratulate the attorney general who reopened the investigation into the death of Canserbero. All my support to clarify what happened to him. One of the most important singers of Venezuelan and Latin American urban music,” Maduro said on his program while listening to the song “Jeremias 17-5” by the late rapper.

#AHORA… El @MinpublicoVEN bajo nuestra orientación #Avanza en las diligencias de #investigación del caso de Tirone Gonzalez "Canserbero" y en ese sentido instruí trasladar al estado #Aragua: a un equipo #multidisciplinario conformado por miembros de la Dirección General de… pic.twitter.com/tAAUnOGrBe

— Tarek William Saab (@TarekWiliamSaab) November 14, 2023

Canserbero passed away on Jan. 28, 2015, at age 26 after falling from a building, initially leading to the classification of his death as a suicide. According to Peru’s Infobae, on the day of the incident, Canserbero had arrived at his musician friend Carlos Molnar’s apartment on the tenth floor of a building in the Andrés Bello neighborhood of Maracay, Venezuela, where the rapper was attending Molnar’s daughter’s birthday. 

The official statement from Venezuelan authorities claims that Canserbero stabbed Molnar to death during a mental breakdown before taking his own life by jumping from the tenth floor. Natalia Améstica, Molnar’s partner, witnessed the scene and promptly contacted the authorities to report the incident. Supplementary accounts indicated that Canserbero’s actions may have been influenced by schizophrenia, a claim refuted by his family, who asserted that he had no mental health issues.

As investigations into the suicide explanation unfolded, several peculiarities began to emerge. To leap through a window, the rapper would have had to remove the glass forming the blinds, a process that would have taken considerable time and likely been noticed by Améstica. The manner in which his body was found also did not align with typical suicide falls, which tend to be vertical, causing damage to the upper part of the head upon impact. Reports suggested that the body might have been pushed, resulting in different types of injuries.

Amid discovery in the case, which indicated that a good friend of Améstica was in charge of Canserbero’s autopsy, Améstica and her daughter also allegedly fled Venezuela for Chile.

This 2015 event caused a significant uproar, given that Canserbero had already become a prominent figure not only in his native Venezuela but across the entire Spanish-speaking rap landscape.

Following his death, Canserbero’s influence endures and continues to grow, serving as an inspiration for artists like Myke Towers. Known for his dark lyrics reflecting the violence in his country and real-life experiences, Canserbero collaborated with notable artists such as Mala Rodríguez and Apache. His legacy includes two solo studio albums, Vida and Muerte.

In August, Canserbero was named by Billboard Latin and Español as one of the most essential Spanish-speaking rappers of all time.