A 45-year-old man has been remanded in preventive custody following the deaths of a French osteopath and his Romanian wife at their home in the Lagos area.
The suspect, identified as Natalino Cordeiro, is understood to be Brazilian and had reportedly worked with the couple for around seven years.
The victims have been identified as Jean-Marie Grenier, 79, and his Romanian wife, Milena, 62. The couple had lived in Portugal for approximately two decades, with their home in Vale de Coitos, Odiáxere, also serving as the premises of Mr Grenier’s osteopathy practice, JMG Clínica Osteo.
The Polícia Judiciária (PJ) arrested the suspect after investigators were called to the property following concerns raised by people who knew the couple.
According to the PJ, the couple died in what it described as a “context of extreme violence”.
Investigators believe the victims were attacked with a blunt object, sustaining serious injuries which proved fatal.
Their bodies were subsequently concealed inside a small water tank (cisterna) associated with the property’s swimming pool. Police say the suspect allegedly attempted to accelerate their decomposition by pouring chemical products over the bodies.
The recovery operation proved particularly difficult because of the location and condition of the remains. The bodies were eventually removed at around 1am, following what the PJ described as a “lengthy and complex operation” involving the Lagos Fire Department.
Containers containing chemical substances were also reportedly found at the scene.
Details published by national newspaper Jornal de Notícias indicate that the police investigation began after the suspect contacted a friend and asked him to collect him near the property.
The man reportedly appeared confused and spoke incoherently, prompting his friend to believe that something may have gone wrong. He subsequently contacted the GNR at around 1pm.
The victim’s sister also contacted the authorities after being unable to reach her.
GNR officers went to the property but received no response from the occupants. The PJ was then called in, while the suspect was located elsewhere on the street.
PJ investigators arrived at approximately 5.30pm and discovered the bodies around 7pm inside the small cisterna, reportedly measuring only around 40cm by 40cm.
Police believe the killings occurred the previous day, although the precise time of death will have to be established through autopsies.
The investigation has also uncovered an earlier connection between the suspect and the victims. Cordeiro was reportedly hired after the couple suffered a violent robbery.
At the time of his arrest, the man was allegedly carrying a “considerable amount of money and valuables presumably belonging to the victims”, according to the PJ.
Police have not yet established a motive for the killings.
The PJ said the suspect has no known criminal record.
Following his initial judicial interrogation, Natalino Cordeiro was remanded in preventive custody while the investigation continues.
The case remains under investigation by the PJ, with forensic examinations and autopsies expected to help establish the precise circumstances and timing of the couple’s deaths.
Grenier was a former winner of the Quercy Rally, a historic annual car racing competition held in France’s Lot department, which is part of the French Rally Cup.
The Algarve Automobile Club paid tribute to Jean-Marie while posting a photo of him in action, as it emerged over the weekend that he and his wife Milena were the victims of this horrible crime. Their tribute reads: “The Algarve Automobile Club hereby extends its heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of Jean-Marie Grenier, a French driver who had been based in the Algarve for many years.
Source: SIC Notícias / LUSA / JN / CMTV
