Man's partially burnt body found in Güímar

[Janet]

The Guardia Civil is investigating the gruesome discovery of the partially burnt body of a man in a car in the Fátima area of Güímar this morning.  No doubt there will be more information as the investigation proceeds. JA

[Janet]

 Diario de Avisos' Tinerfe Fumero reports that the body not only showed signs of a blow to the head but was also tied and covered with an unidentified fabric, which suggests, even though the autopsy results are still awaited, that this could end up as a murder enquiry. The burns seem to have been the result of an attempt to set fire to the vehicle, a white Opel Corsa or Citröen C4, and it seems that due to the fire's failure to destroy the body or the car, there is quite some evidence for police to go on. JA

[Myrtle Hogan-Lance]

There was a similar case a couple of years ago somewhere around Arona town I think.  I think it was drugs related.

[Janet]

yes, there have been a couple of such cases, but in this case, reliable rumour (still to be confirmed) has it that this is a 60+ year-old orthopedic surgeon ...

[Janet]

Despite similarities with previous cases, usually involving drugs, where attempts have been made to burn a body, there are now reports, still officially unconfirmed, that in this case the victim is a 66 or 67-year-old orthopedic surgeon from La Laguna identified by the initials J. M. B. R. He is now said to have been discovered in the rear seat of a beige Citroën C4 Picasso, a vehicle said not to belong to the dead man, but which has not been reported stolen either: it appears to belong to a company in whose service it is used for medical visits and distributing supplies. JA

[Nova]

Very very strange... 

[Guanche]

Its just been on the news. Unfortunately I didn't understand most of the report, but the vehicle looked in good condition, on the outside at least.

[Myrtle Hogan-Lance]

Dodgy stuff.

[Janet]

Isn't it just ... !

A bit more detail, perhaps significant ... who knows ...

The doctor, now retired from his residency at Candelaria Hospital, continued to work in the private sector.  JA

[Janet]

sorry ... proper update after all:

The doctor's identity has now been confirmed, as is the fact that he was 68 years old, and had retired from his residency at Candelaria Hospital. He continued nonetheless to work in the private sector. The autopsy was carried out yesterday, but the results have not yet been released. The main thrust of the police investigation, however, is said to be that he was killed for "economic motives", and it might be significant that he was a director of the medical services and supplies company - Patas Canarias Torres SL - in whose car he was discovered. Police seem quite sure that there were two killers, and that  they and the doctor knew each other. A further hypothesis is that the killers only meant to frighten their victim, but that their actions got out of hand. Beyond this, for the moment, the whole case is now sub judice while the police investigation continues.  JA