The body that was found on the 4th of July last year in a small lagoon near levada Nova dos Cahas has now been formally identified as Gabriel Ionut Feraru, born on the 30th of April 1987, in Mangalia, a Romanian city by the Black Sea. He had been working in Germany.
It’s worth noting that the body, already in an advanced state of decomposition, was discovered by a passerby near an agricultural plot on the afternoon of the 4th of July 2025. The body was partially submerged. The Public Security Police arrived first, followed by the Judicial Police (PJ). At the time, PJ Director José Matos stated there was no evidence of foul play. He suggested the individual may have wandered 30 to 40 metres from the levada trail to bathe in a small lagoon at the site, as the man was naked and his clothes were neatly folded on a stone nearby.
The description circulated by the Judicial Police was that of an adult man, of indeterminate age, bearded and with a tattoo on his chest. Even then, his identity remained unconfirmed, since no one came forward or raised a missing persons report.
About six months after the discovery of the body, the PJ still had no idea who the man was. On the 15th of January this year, the police made a public appeal, sharing details that might help crack the mystery. The victim was about 1.80 meters tall, weighed around 60 kilos, and had four distinctive tattoos: a Romanian inscription across the chest and shoulders, a wolf on the stomach, a female figure on one arm, and a scarab beetle on the other.
Yesterday, the PJ announced that, following a public appeal, they received various tips from civilians, both Portuguese and foreign, as well as from the Romanian Embassy, with whom they maintained constant contact. This collaboration allowed them to link the case to the disappearance of a Romanian citizen in that country since March 2025. After exchanging information with international police forces, the PJ identified the man and reached out to his relatives and the Romanian authorities, initiating procedures to confirm the body’s identity through genetic comparison. Later that day, in a vacant house in a rural area near Levada Nova, in Arco da Calheta, about a kilometre from where the body was found, they also discovered the man’s belongings and identification documents.
The PJ didn’t disclose the man’s identity, but it matches a listing on the Romanian Police’s missing persons website. He is Gabriel Ionut Feraru, originally from Cluj-Napoca, who was reported missing in Germany, where he apparently worked. According to the same police source, he was 1.80 meters tall, weighed 90 kilos, had short black hair, a beard, and tattoos matching those found on the body.
On his social media page, Gabriel shared that he was unemployed but ready to work. He described himself by saying, “My name is Gabriel, and I have always been curious and eager to learn, exploring as many fields and areas of knowledge as I can. I see myself as a sociable person, adaptable, and creative. The qualities I value most in others are common sense, solid knowledge, and responsibility.”
Samantha Gannon
info at madeira-weekly.com
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