Finnish trio shot dead in Brazil

December 5, 2011

It has emerged that three Finnish nationals have been shot dead in Brazil. Their bodies were found near in a  field on Friday.

The three were from but two of them &mdash; a married couple &mdash; owned a second home nearby where they spent winters. The retired surgeon, 72, and his wife, a retired gynaecologist, 68, had been trying to sell the nearby property. The third victim was a nurse, 60. All were from.

The bodies were found in beside a road connecting  and. has reported local police are questioning five people and treating all the deaths as homicides. The Finnish does not plan to get directly involved but is helping the investigation with background information.

Local cash, a Finnish credit card, a mobile phone, and jewellery had all been left after the crimes. There were blood traces inside the house. The  suggests a financial dispute relating to the house sale may have been the motive.

The couple has spent the last five winters in Brazil, but Finnish ambassador Jari Luoto called the area in question "dangerous and restless."