Ex-cop, 42, accused of killing the 2 mothers of his children after losing custody of child

A former French police officer was arrested in Portugal after he was suspected of killing his partner and ex-girlfriend after kidnapping them and their children.

On Mar. 24, near Meda, Portuguese police stopped a car which 42-year-old Cedric Prizzon was driving.

According to France24, two of his children, a 12-year-old boy and an 18-month-old baby girl, were inside

Portuguese police added that a day later, on Mar. 25, the two bodies of Prizzon's "partner and ex-partner" were found buried "in an isolated place".

Found with a shotgun

In the vehicle, officers found a pump-action shotgun, fake documents and number plates, and 17,000 euros (S$25,211) in cash.

According to a Facebook post by Portugal's Guarda Nacional Republicana, Prizzon was initially arrested on felony charges for falsification of documents and unlawful possession of a weapon.

Officers added that "procedures to identify the victims and consolidate the evidence are ongoing".

Prizzon is accused of aggravated homicide, desecrating a corpse and kidnapping, reported France24.

Authorities said both children will be returned to France.

Abductions

Since Mar. 20, French police have been searching for Prizzon since the women disappeared from their homes in the Aveyron area of south-central France.

His former partner, 40, did not show up for work in an insurance company, and her son was not at school.

His new partner, 26, and their baby daughter were also missing from their home.

Bitter custody battle

Prizzon was a one-time member of the Paris police and also a father's rights activist who was embroiled in a bitter public custody battle with his former partner.

He had his custody rights stripped and was previously convicted of harassing his former partner after unlawfully taking their son to Spain for several weeks in 2021.

Prizzon had mounted a social media campaign against his ex-partner over their son, accusing her of endangering him.

France24 reported that Prizzon took part in protests alongside fathers who had also lost child custody.

Top photo from Cedric Prizzon/Instagram and Guarda Nacional Republicana/Facebook