A charred body that was found in a car outside of Rio de Janiero is suspected to be Greece’s ambassador to Brazil. Homicide detectives have been assigned to the case.

Ambassador Kyriakos Amiridis, whose office is based in Brasilia, was last seen in Rio de Janiero during the holidays.  Spokesman for the Greek Foreign Ministry in Athens, Stratos Efthimiou said that they are not optimistic that the body is not his.

The Brazilian newspaper O Globo reported that the car had been found and that a forensic examination of the body was underway. Rio de Janiero’s homicide division requested a warrant for the arrest of four suspects, which include the diplomat’s spouse and military police officer, Sergio Gomes Moreira Filho.

Filho has reportedly confessed his involvement with the crime as well as having sexual relations with the ambassador’s wife after investigators recorded him sneaking into the diplomat’s vacation home in Nova Iguacu, which is 25 miles north of Rio de Janiero.

The diplomat was in town for New Years celebrations at Copacabana beach.  According to his wife’s testimony, he left his home earlier this week, without saying where he was going and never returned. She reported him missing after a day with no communication from the Ambassador.

Amiridis was appointed Greek ambassador to Brazil earlier this year and had previously served as Greece’s consul general in Rio from 2001-2004 and then as an ambassador to Lybia from 2012-2016. The ambassador resides with his wife and daughter in Rio de Janiero.

Brazil has always had high rates of violent crime, especially within the huge seaside city. Kidnappings are very common outside of banks and ATM’S, but there was no report of a ransom in the ambassador’s disappearance so police are believing there was foul play involved.