Spanish authorities are on the hunt for three young Maghreb men suspected of murdering American Jesuit priest Richard Gross in a violent robbery at a Malaga apartment.
Gross, an 80-year-old from Boston, was found dead on January 20, just a day before he was set to embark on a cruise. Cleaning staff made the grim discovery, and forensic reports confirmed he had suffered severe facial injuries before being suffocated.
Investigators suspect the attack was a robbery gone wrong, as the perpetrators stole his luggage and personal belongings before fleeing. Security footage captured at least one suspect escaping with the stolen items. Authorities have identified him as a known criminal and are working to track down all three men. Fingerprint evidence collected at the scene is still under analysis.
Neighbors recalled hearing disturbing noises around 9 p.m. on the night of the attack. One witness described the shouts as sounding “like someone was drowning,” according to OKdiario. Though some residents alerted emergency services, responding officers were unable to locate the source of the disturbance and left the scene.
Gross was a well-respected priest and educator, having taught at Boston College High School and served at Our Lady of Good Voyage Church in the Port of Boston. His passing has shaken his community. Parishioner John Haynes remembered him as “a friendly and approachable person, someone with whom you could always talk.”
Boston College High School issued a heartfelt statement mourning his loss, recalling his “trademark self-confidence” and “characteristically independent and adventurous spirit.”
