costa rica gringo murders In September 2025, the bodies of a German man, Rüdiger Schickhaus, and his Austrian wife, Manuela Daxer, were discovered buried on their property in Quepos, Costa Rica. The couple, who had moved to Costa Rica three years prior seeking a quiet retirement, were found bound and hidden in a shallow grave on their 50,000-square-meter estate in Cerros de Quepos. The Judicial Investigation Agency (OIJ) confirmed the discovery and stated that robbery was the likely motive for the murders. The victims had recently listed their property for sale for around 500 million colones (approximately one million dollars), and investigators believe the suspects approached them with an offer to buy, signing an option to purchase but failing to make the required deposit. In October 2025, Costa Rican authorities arrested three individuals in connection with the killings: a 31-year-old Costa Rican man named Elizondo, a 33-year-old Colombian woman named Rubio, and a 25-year-old Costa Rican man named Sanabria. Elizondo, who worked in real estate, and Rubio were identified as the leaders of the group, while Sanabria acted as an accomplice. The suspects were apprehended during raids in La Unión de Cartago and Curridabat, near San José, and police seized phones, documents, and items belonging to the victims as evidence. Prosecutors have indicated that the motive was robbery, with the suspects aiming to seize the land without paying. Rubio is believed to have participated in the scheme but did not directly commit the killings. This case has drawn significant attention from both local residents and the victims’ families in Europe, highlighting the risks faced by foreigners who retire abroad, even in areas considered safe. The OIJ has emphasized that the arrests represent progress in the investigation, though questions remain about whether other individuals may have been involved. The suspects are currently awaiting court decisions on their legal status as the probe continues. This incident follows other high-profile murders in Quepos, including the 2020 rape and murder of Dr. Maria Luisa Cedeño at the La Mansión Inn, where the hotel’s owner, Harry Bodaan, was initially arrested but later acquitted. Bodaan has since claimed innocence in a book published in July 2025. Additionally, in August 2025, two suspects were detained in connection with the murder of U.S. citizen Eshraghollah Vatani, whose body was found in Cartago after he went missing in Quepos.