Albergaria-a-Velha man charged with killing wife with homemade shotgun

The Public Ministry has filed charges against a man suspected of killing his wife with a shotgun shot in Albergaria-a-Velha this past April. The defendant, who is currently in preventive detention, faces charges of qualified homicide, four counts of aggravated domestic violence, and the illegal possession of a prohibited weapon.

According to the indictment, the victim had been separated from her husband for several months but visited the residence where he lived on the day of the incident. The man allegedly lured her to a private area of the home under the pretext of discussing household expenses before firing a shot at her head, causing immediate death. The weapon used was reportedly a homemade firearm capable of firing 12-gauge cartridges, for which the man held no license.

Following the shooting, the suspect hid in the home's garage until the GNR Intervention Corps arrived to arrest him. The investigation also revealed a long history of abuse; prosecutors allege that over the last 20 years, the man physically assaulted his wife and three children, issued death threats, and exerted strict control over the family's social interactions and personal lives.