Portugal: The bodies of a Frenchman and his wife were found in a water cistern; the house's caretaker was arrested.

A 79-year-old Frenchman and his partner were found dead in a water tank in Lagos, Portugal. The caretaker of their property was arrested on Saturday.

A foreign couple who had been living in Lagos, southern Portugal, for several years were found dead in their home. The suspect, a 45-year-old foreign national who worked as a caretaker, was arrested on Saturday with the assistance of the gendarmerie, the Portuguese Judicial Police announced. One of the victims, a 79-year-old man, was French, according to press reports. His partner was 62 years old.

Investigators describe the events as occurring "in a context of extreme violence." According to initial reports from authorities, the two victims were first struck with a blunt object. The blows caused them severe injuries that led to their deaths.

The suspect allegedly moved the bodies

The suspect then allegedly moved the bodies in an attempt to conceal them. "Subsequently, the suspect dragged the victims into a water tank located on the property, with the aim of hiding the bodies, even going so far as to attempt to decompose them using chemicals," the Judicial Police stated in a press release.

The motive for the double homicide remained unknown at the time of the authorities' announcement. However, the suspect was found near the scene with a large sum of money and valuables believed to belong to the victims. Police stated that he has no known criminal record. He is to be brought before an investigating judge in Portimão for initial questioning and to determine any further legal measures.

Homicide and desecration of corpses

Removing the bodies from the tanker required a particularly complex rescue operation due to their location and condition. Lagos firefighters participated in the operation alongside investigators. The Criminal Investigation Department reports suspicions of two homicides and one case of desecration of corpses.

According to the daily newspaper Correio da Manha, the French victim was an osteopath and former rally driver. The organizers of the Ronde du Quercy paid tribute to him on Facebook, noting that he had won the first edition of the event in 1976. "The French Embassy in Portugal is monitoring the situation and is in contact with the Portuguese authorities. We do not comment on individual circumstances," a French diplomatic source added.