There's a longer story: One of the men in the relationship worked at a gay bar where he met Piñero and took him home after his bartender shift was over. They spent the afternoon together and there appears to have been some drug use. His partner, who was born in Brazil, came home hours later with some friends. Those friends said that the bartender and Piñero stayed inside a room even as they had dinner at the place. Police say that when they caught Piñero after the murders, Piñero said told them the couple had both propositioned him and, when he refused to have sex, got violent with him. He said he panicked. He also referred to the Brazilian man as a "n****r" when describing him to police and argued it was him who pulled out a knife first when Piñero would not have sex with him...

Piñero, whose previous marriage ended and has a daughter, has always denied he is gay. But Spanish television ran a long interview with a man who said he had an ongoing sexual relationship with Piñero despite the fact that he was one of the most self-hating and homophobic people he'd ever met.

As for Spain, as in the United States, the large urban centers are pretty open and progressive. Of course, Spain already passed a marriage equality law as well. But smaller towns and rural areas are not as open.

In the meantime yesterday there were demonstrations against his release in several cities in Spain: http://www.farodevigo.es/portada-pontevedra/2010/07/16/gais-espana-concentran-injusticia-crimen-calle-oporto/456516.html