PJ police believe two young women murdered 21-year-old IT technician Diogo Gonçalves for money – cutting off his head, legs and arms and dumping them in different locations.

Expresso reports this evening that the women – one aged just 19, the other 23 – are believed to have killed Gonçalves in a “physical confrontation”, after which “they dismembered the body” so that it could be hidden.

The young man’s head was dumped at Pego do Inferno, a well-known beauty spot near Tavira, while his torso – minus arms and legs (which have still not been located) – was thrown in a black plastic bag off a cliff near Sagres.

According to a police source, one of the girls was a friend of Diogo’s “and knew that he had received a large quantity of money”.

“The two tried to extort the money from him and then there was a confrontation which ended in the victim’s death”, writes Expresso.

The police source told the paper that detectives have been working round-the-clock on this case since the body parts were discovered last week (click here).

Investigations have “allowed the recovery of relevant evidence, culminating in the identification and detention of the presumed authors of the crime this Thursday”.

Neither young woman is understood to have a criminal record. They will be appearing before a magistrate to hear bail terms shortly.

Diogo Gonçalves, who worked at Porches’ 5-star Vila Vita resort, was reported missing on March 18.

Updates to follow.

natasha.donn@algarveresident.com