French couple find severed 21-year-old’s head in Tavira lake, rest of body in Sagres

A severed head in Tavira, a decapitated body in Sagres. Both appear to belong to the same man, and were found yesterday, Thursday, in these two separate locations which are approximately 150 kilometres apart.

Authorities were looking for a 21-year-old who had disappeared a few days ago. The boy’s car was found yesterday morning, parked next to the Cabo de S. Vicente, near Sagres, which lead individuals working for the Shipwreck and Rescue Institute to begin searching along the coast, by land and by sea.

According to the captain of the port of Lagos, yesterday, at 3 pm, the searches were successful, as “at the base of a cliff, next to Cabo de S. Vicente”, officers found a dismembered body, whose identity is not yet confirmed.

“Half the body was wrapped in plastics,” said the port captain, adding that, “taking into account the way the body was found, the Judiciary Police were contacted”, and have now opened an investigation. However, also yesterday, almost at the exact same time, a second discovery was made of a human head, near the Pego do Inferno waterfall in the interior of the municipality of Tavira. According to national broadcaster SIC the macabre discovery was made by two French residents who were hiking in this area.

GNR officers searched the lake, one of Tavira’s most well-known natural tourist attractions, with a sniffer dog but found nothing else. The investigation of both cases is now under the responsibility of the Southern Directorate of the Judicial Police. Forensic examination results are awaited to confirm the individual’s identity.