Who is Laura Gaston? Woman found dismembered, husband still missing

Authorities have made three arrests after a Belgian woman was found dismembered while her husband had been missing for more than two months in the Canary Islands.

The three people arrested by the Guardia Civil are linked to the death of Laura Gaston, 66, and the disappearance of Marc Francis, 71, Canarian Weekly reported.

Gaston and Francis were reported missing in April.

Gaston's body was found by a fisherman on April 27 off the east coast of Tenerife, the largest and most populous of the Canary Islands. His body was dismembered, missing a hand and both legs. His head was also covered with a plastic bag.

The Institute of Forensic Medicine determined that Gaston's death was a violent homicide-type death, Levante reported. The institute also determined that the death had occurred several days before the body was found.

Authorities are still investigating Francis' disappearance and whereabouts. He has been missing for almost two months. There were reports that a car with a body inside was found in the sea, not far from Gaston's body, but these reports have not been confirmed by authorities, Canarian Weekly said.

Two of the arrests took place in Belgium and one in Tenerife. Details are limited as this is an ongoing investigation, pending extradition of the detainees. The Arona courts also ruled that the proceedings were confidential.

The Guardia Civil and the Belgian Federal Police are working together to investigate this incident.

News week contacted the Guardia Civil and the Belgian Federal Police for more information.

In a previous report, authorities confirmed that the case was being treated as a murder investigation.

Francis is approximately 5 feet 9 inches tall with a slim build, gray hair and green eyes. He resides in Tenerife and has Belgian roots.

The Canary Islands are a group of islands in the Atlantic Ocean. It is an autonomous community of Spain. The islands have 2.2 million inhabitants, making them the most populous special territory in the European Union.

The community is made up of seven main islands and numerous smaller islands. The seven main islands are Tenerife, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, La Palma, La Gomera and El Hierro.

Several islands, including Tenerife, are major tourist destinations. More than 16 million people visited the Canary Islands in 2023.

Crime rates are not considered high in the Canary Islands, and the most common crimes on the island are petty crimes, such as vandalism, petty theft and drug abuse, according to Numbeo.