Winchester Homicide Victim Identified By Coroner As 78-Year-Old Man

WINCHESTER, CA — A 78-year-old man who was found slain in Winchester this week was identified Thursday by the Riverside County Sheriff-Coroner's Bureau.

The body of Robert Bettencourt of Winchester was found at approximately 5:20 p.m.Monday by deputies who were called to the 28000 block of Whitaker Lane for a welfare check.

Inside a residence Bettencourt was found dead, the victim of an apparent homicide.

"When deputies arrived, they found signs of forced entry" and Bettencourt's body had "signs of trauma," according to the sheriff's department.

A crime scene was secured and the Central Homicide Unit assumed the investigation.

A possible motive for the killing was not disclosed.

No one else was on the property, the sheriff's department reported.

There were no arrests announced and the sheriff's department did not provide information about a suspect(s).

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact Investigator B. Cline of the Central Homicide Unit at 951-955-2777 or Investigator R. Barbie of the Riverside Sheriff’s Perris Station at 951-210-1000. Citizens may also submit a tip using the Sheriff's Homicide Tipline online form.