Spanish authorities are searching for three young Maghreb men suspected of the brutal murder of an American Jesuit priest, Richard Gross, in Malaga last month.
The 80-year-old priest, who lived in Boston, was found dead on Jan. 20 in the apartment he was staying in before embarking on a cruise scheduled for the following day.
His body was discovered by cleaning staff and forensic analysis confirmed that he had suffered severe facial injuries before being suffocated.
Investigators believe Gross was also the victim of a violent robbery, with police determining that the perpetrators had stolen his luggage and personal belongings before fleeing the scene.
Security camera footage captured at least one of the suspects fleeing with the stolen items. Authorities have identified him as a young man with a criminal record and are now working to locate all three individuals believed to be involved. All three suspects are of Maghreb origin.
Fingerprint evidence was also collected from the crime scene is undergoing analysis.
Neighbors reported hearing distressing noises around 9 p.m. on the night of the murder, with one witness describing shouts “as if someone was drowning,” according to OKdiario. While some residents called emergency services, police officers who responded to the area were unable to pinpoint the source of the disturbance and eventually left without further action.
Richard Gross was a respected priest and educator who had served as a teacher at Boston College High School and ministered at Our Lady of Good Voyage Church in the Port of Boston. His death has deeply affected his community, with parishioner John Haynes describing him as “a friendly and approachable person, someone with whom you could always talk.”
“We are deeply saddened to learn of the sudden and tragic passing of Father Richard Gross,” read a statement from the high school where he had worked.
It further remembered his “trademark self-confidence,” and his “characteristically independent and adventurous spirit.”