A former officer in Nazi Germany's army was found dead of asphyxiation, bound and gagged in his rural home in the township of Ugarteche, 650 miles west of Buenos Aires, police said Friday.

A police officer in Mendoza, capital of the province where the victim lived, identified the former officer as Heinz Henrich Brucher, 76, who arrived in Argentina from Germany in 1949.The body was found Tuesday, the officer said.

The officer said nothing of value was taken from Brucher's home near the city of Mendoza, leading police to suspect that the motive for the killing was political, or revenge.

View Comments

Brucher was an agricultural scientist who taught at the National University of Tucuman.

Join the Conversation
Looking for comments?
Find comments in their new home! Click the buttons at the top or within the article to view them — or use the button below for quick access.