Russian oligarch and one of the top gas executives, Sergey Protosenya, was found hanged outside his Spanish villa. His wife and daughter were hacked to death inside the property. The incident is the second in recent days as another Russian businessman, Vladislav Avayev, was found dead this week in Moscow along with his wife and daughter.
Spanish officials are assuming that Protosenya, 55, could have killed his wife and daughter with an axe and knife and later took his own life in Lloret de Mar villa, which lies on Spain's Costa Brava.
No Fingerprints Found
But local reports indicate otherwise, stating that no suicide note was found in the area and it was also believed that steps were taken to ensure that no fingerprints could be found on the murder weapons.
Officials found the bodies of the three people on Tuesday. Notably, a day before Russian businessman Avayev was found dead in a Moscow apartment along with his wife and daughter. The trio's death also appeared to be a suicide at first sight.
Russian Businessmen Linked to Gas Companies Are Being Targeted?
The two businessmen have been linked to Russian gas companies, which are facing Western sanctions following the Kremlin's invasion of Ukraine.
Protosenya had a fortune of more than £330 million and had also served as Deputy Chairman on the Board of Directors for seven years for Novatek, a natural gas company. While Avayev was previously a Kremlin official and also served as vice president of Gazprombank, a bank that was created to work for Russian gas giant Gazprom.
Spanish Officials Found Blood-Stained Socks
In Protosenya's case, Spanish investigators believe that the Russian businessman killed his wife and daughter with an axe and a knife inside the holiday home as they were asleep in their beds, according to the Daily Mail.
However, neither a suicide note nor blood was found on Protosenya's body, which does not endorse the speculations that the businessman killed his wife and daughter.
Interestingly, investigators have found blood-stained socks on the floor of a room, which indicates that the killer could have used them as gloves to avoid fingerprints on the scenes.
Officials are also awaiting the autopsy report and making a check on the footage captured by the CCTV cameras of the villas to monitor if anyone entered the property from outside.
