One of Brazil’s most wealthy men has been found dead.
According to reports, Jose Bezerra de Menezes Neto, also known as Binho Bezerra, was found dead in his beachside mansion located in Guaruja (on the coast near São Paulo) on Saturday morning. Lying dead beside the 64-year-old was his wife Luciana, 62, and their dog. Oof. So tragic. And also incredibly eerie…
An autopsy report already confirmed the cause of death! Apparently, it was all due to carbon monoxide poisoning. Per The US Sun, Sao Paulo Civil Police believe the pair and their pooch died due to a leak of fumes from a boiler used to heat the building. That said, an investigation is underway to figure out if a technical malfunction was really the cause of the gas leak.
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A spokesperson said it seemed like a pipe burst — meaning the gas had no way to exit the building, and instead, built up inside the home. While the property was one of the most expensive in the gated community, the deceased neglected to pay for a carbon monoxide alarm. Jeez. If only they’d forked up a few more dollars for that…
Mysteriously, the couple’s 27-year-old son Rodrigo Passos Bezerra de Menezes and other family members were in the home at the time of the death, but they were not affected. In fact, Rodrigo was the one who found them. Huh.
So why weren’t the other family members affected by the gas? The best guess at present is that Jose and Luciana were sleeping on one of the upper floors — and the gas rose and filled those first. The house’s other occupants were just really lucky, we guess…
Jose — who was an accomplished banker and businessman — was once named the ninth richest man in the Brazilian state of Ceará by Forbes, with an estimated fortune of 1.5 billion BRL, which is over $311 million. He’s also reportedly number 205 on the list of the richest people in Brazil. He was a third-generation controller of the Brazilian bank BicBanco, which is now CCB Brasil, and comes from a very prestigious family in the area. Wowza. Our hearts go out to the couple’s loved ones who are no doubt mourning these very unexpected deaths.
[Image via Band Jornalismo/YouTube]
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