A reserve policeman died “from a sudden illness” and his own pet dogs devoured his corpse.
Clédio Vilela Cardoso lived alone on his rural property in a secluded area without mobile coverage.
He was last seen alive on 10 April by a courier who was delivering sand to the ranch.
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His skeletal remains were found in the home on Sunday (21 Apr).
The grim find was made by his friends, who had become worried after noticing his absence at Sunday Masses.
The police searched the home and found that no valuables had been taken.
There were no traces of blood or signs of violence at the scene.
Because of this, they believe Cardoso, 53, died of a sudden illness.
Cardoso kept six dogs on the rural property 30 km from Pirenópolis, Brazil.
The police believe they had gone without food for at least two weeks following their owner’s death.
Police chief Tibério Martins told local media: “It’s likely the dogs ate the body out of hunger.”
Cardoso had gone to live on the ranch after losing his son in 2019, as reported on Need to Know.
His friends told the police he was not mentally well.
Martins said: “On the ranch, there was only his house. He lived isolated and far from other people.”
His relatives said he was last online on WhatsApp around 7 pm on 10 April.
Martins believes he died that night because the lights in the house were on.
The police chief said: “We’ll investigate to rule out the involvement of a third party in the death.
“And after the mourning period, we’ll talk to family and friends to learn about any medical history.”
If forensic analysis of the cadaver confirms that Cardoso died from natural causes, the police will close the case.
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