Who Were the Partial Prints From the Madrid Train Bombing Wreckage Match To?

By Alice Nichols

On March 11, 2004, Madrid was hit by a series of bombings that left 191 people dead and more than 2,000 injured. The attacks were carried out by al-Qaeda operatives, who placed bombs on four commuter trains during the morning rush hour. The investigation that followed was one of the largest in Spanish history, involving thousands of police officers and experts from around the world.

One of the key pieces of evidence in the investigation were partial prints found on bags that had been used to transport the bombs. These prints were analyzed by forensic experts in an effort to identify the individuals who had handled or assembled the explosives.

The first breakthrough in the analysis came when investigators discovered a full print on a plastic bag that had been used to transport one of the bombs. This print was found to match that of Brandon Mayfield, an American lawyer living in Oregon. Mayfield was arrested and held for two weeks before being released when it was determined that the print did not actually match his.

Despite this setback, investigators continued their analysis of the partial prints found at the scene. Eventually, they were able to identify several individuals who had handled or assembled the explosives based on these prints.

One of these individuals was Jamal Zougam, a Moroccan immigrant who ran a mobile phone shop in Madrid. Zougam had been under surveillance prior to the attacks due to his suspected involvement with Islamic extremist groups. His partial print was found on one of the bags used to transport a bomb.

Another individual identified through partial prints was Abdelmajid Bouchar, who had also previously been under surveillance for suspected ties to Islamic extremism. Bouchar’s print was found on a bag used to transport one of the bombs.

In addition to these individuals, several others were identified through their partial prints as having played a role in either handling or assembling the explosives used in the attacks.

Overall, while not conclusive evidence on its own, these partial prints were a crucial part of the investigation into the Madrid train bombings. They provided important leads that helped to identify and ultimately bring to justice those responsible for this horrific act of terrorism.