#Lebanon #AinJrain — Lebanese Maronite Catholic priest Father Samir Mikhael Daou was found murdered on Thursday inside a house he owned in his hometown of Ain Jrain in the Jbeil district, authorities and local reports said, roughly a day after he went missing.
Daou, who served the parishes of Hsoun and Ferhet, disappeared on Wednesday afternoon. His phone’s last signal was detected in the city of Jbeil around 1 p.m., after which it was switched off. Surveillance footage near Michan showed him for the last time around 2 p.m.
Family members located his body on the second floor of the house, which he did not regularly occupy, with visible signs of blood. Local accounts described blunt-force trauma to the head. The Internal Security Forces’ Criminal Investigation Department responded, collected fingerprints and other evidence, and launched a formal investigation.
Preliminary information indicated that suspicion centered on a Syrian worker who had accompanied Daou earlier that day to help with the olive harvest. According to family sources and statements relayed by Jbeil MP Simon Abi Ramia, the worker was believed to have taken the priest’s vehicle and fled after the killing. Security forces were working to locate him. Officials emphasized that the investigation remained ongoing and that full circumstances had not yet been established.
Daou, a native of Ain Jrain and approximately 62 years old, was married and the father of one son and three daughters. He had dedicated his life to parish service in the Jbeil area.
The Daou family collective condemned the killing in a statement as a “heinous crime,” describing the priest as a man who had lived sincerely and left behind only love and a positive reputation. The family called on judicial and security authorities to fully investigate, pursue those responsible, and apply the harshest penalties permitted by law.
The Maronite Archbishopric of Jbeil, under Bishop Michel Aoun, also issued a statement expressing profound sadness, offering prayers for Daou’s soul, and extending condolences to his family and parishioners. The archbishopric thanked security forces for their efforts and urged the public to exercise responsibility and restraint while avoiding the spread of unverified information.
As of late Thursday, the suspect had not been publicly identified by name, and no official determination of motive had been released.
Cover Image: Fr. Samir Mikhael Daou in liturgical vestment – image provided by the victim’s family through Facebook.
