Lithuanian Tourist Murdered, Wife Raped During Holiday in Paraty, Rio de Janeiro

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – A tourist from Lithuania was gagged, attacked and killed, on Wednesday night, February 5th, inside a house he was renting to spend holidays in Praia do Sono, in Paraty, on Rio de Janeiro’s Green Coast. The criminal also raped his wife. The information is from the Civil Police.

The murdered tourist is Adam Zindul, 37. He was dead when the police reached the house. With several injury marks, the victim’s arms and legs were tied to a chair, and his head was covered with a cloth. There was blood at the scene.

Zindul’s wife is Brazilian, from São Paulo, and is 35 years old. They were newlyweds.

The woman was referred to the Paraty Municipal Hospital. Contacted by news site G1, the unit reported that the victim was under observation and would undergo a gynecological examination. The hospital staff also requested psychological counseling from a social worker.

A police report was issued by the Paraty Civil Police, who are investigating the case. A 37-year-old suspect was arrested and taken to the police station to give evidence. He is a resident of Paraty and is known to the police for drug trafficking.

Up to the last update of this story, the investigation was still being conducted at the crime scene and Adam Zindul’s body had not yet been taken to the Institute of Forensic Medicine.

The police did not report how long the couple had been in Praia do Sono, but the Federal Police stamp on their passport shows that the tourist landed in Brazil on January 28th. The rented house belongs to a Canadian.

Witnesses were also conducted to the police station to be questioned.

“We have a suspect and we are working to build a case on the evidence we are investigating. We have witnesses. We’re listening. We’re also bringing together local, criminal and forensics expertise,” explained detective Marcelo Russo, who heads the investigations.

“From the whole probative picture we may form a firm conviction regarding the perpetration and substance of the fact. It was a barbaric crime and we are succeeding in unraveling this case and arresting its alleged perpetrator, thank God”.

In a note, the State Police reported that the crime was a one-off case, that the location is frequently monitored by officers and does not feature a high crime rate.

The Consulate General of the Republic of Lithuania in Brazil told the G1 that the death of Adam Zindul had not yet been reported to it.

Crime happened in a peaceful community

Praia do Sono is a community of ‘caiçaras’ (traditional inhabitants of the coastal regions of the southeastern and southern Brazil, forming a distinct group of people, descended from indigenous people, Europeans and Africans) about 27 km away from the central area of Paraty, with some rental houses and camping areas, but no hotels or inns.

In order to reach this area, entering through a luxury condominium that controls the exit of boats to the beach is required. The boat trip takes approximately 15 minutes. Reaching Praia do Sono by a trail through the woods is also an option.