An Irish couple were found dead in a jacuzzi by their own children at a rented villa on an upmarket residential estate called Cap Blanc in Cullera, Spain, prompting a homicide investigation.
The victims, a woman aged 45 and a man aged 50, were discovered yesterday afternoon at the property, which is located about 25 miles south of Valencia on the east coast. The town of Cullera has around 25,000 residents.
Puncture Wounds and Possible Evidence
No hypotheses have been ruled out, including accident or criminal act, as the couple had injuries consistent with “puncture wounds.” Homicide squad officers are leading the probe after crews first sent to the scene found “possible evidence” a crime had taken place.
Authorities were notified after the couple's two children alerted the homeowner of the villa, who then called the 112 emergency number. Local police employed by Cullera Town Hall were mobilised along with the Civil Guard, the force leading the investigation.
Civil Guard Confirms Nationalities
Confirming their nationalities this morning, a spokesman for the Civil Guard in Valencia said: “The bodies of a man aged 50 and a woman aged 45 were found yesterday at a residential property in the municipality of Cullera. Both were Irish.”
“Their children discovered the bodies in a jacuzzi and alerted the authorities. I’m not in a position to say exactly why but the first officers who reached the scene found evidence pointing to the possibility the couple might not have died of natural causes and therefore a specialist Civil Guard homicide unit in Valencia was mobilised to take charge of the ongoing investigation. Nothing has yet been ruled out.”
Water Sample and Post-Mortem Examinations
A sample of the water in the jacuzzi, described in one local report as “cloudy,” was taken for analysis in a specialist laboratory. It is unclear how long the family had been in the area at the time of the discovery.
An uncle of the two children is understood to have travelled to Spain this morning to support the youngsters. The bodies have been taken to a Forensic Medicine Institute in Valencia for post-mortem examinations, and they were removed from the scene just before midnight last night.
A source close to the investigation said today: “This is not necessarily going to have a quick resolution and the ongoing probe will take time to complete. It’s all very recent still and the autopsies which will help to determine how the couple died have not yet taken place.”
Another said: “It's normal a water sample was taken from the jacuzzi the couple were found in. The analysis could help investigators for example in finding out whether it contains DNA belonging to a third person.”
Cap Blanc is a popular golden-sand beach and residential neighbourhood in Cullera, situated near the resort’s lighthouse. The gated community’s villas and apartments have views of the Mediterranean Sea, and Cap Blanc beach is a 630-metre long semi-urban beach.
