The three-year-old son of a British celebrity stylist has been found dead alongside his German designer father in a suspected murder-suicide in Portugal.
The bodies of Clemens Weisshaar, 44, and son Tasso were located early Sunday morning near the village of Santa Margarida da Serra, in a mountainous area 80 miles south of Lisbon.
Weisshaar was dead from a self-inflicted bullet wound to the head while Tasso’s remains were found inside a burned-out car, police sources have said.
The grim discovery was made a week after mother Phoebe Arnold – a well-known stylist with clients including Paloma Faith – reported the pair missing when Weisshaar failed to return Tasso following a custody visit.
A three-year-old boy named Tasso (pictured) has been found dead inside a burned-out car in Portugal, a week after he went missing along with his father during a custody visit
The boy was found dead Sunday alongside father Clemens Weisshaar (left), a week after British mother Phoebe Arnold (right) reported them both missing
Ms Arnold (pictured with son Tasso) had separated from Weisshaar in July this year and was living in Lisbon when the boy’s father came to visit his son
It is thought the pair had been dead for three days. A post-mortem investigation is underway to establish the exact time of death and the cause of the boy’s death.
Ms Arnold and Weisshaar had been dating since at least 2016, according to social media posts, and are thought to have been married – though it is unclear exactly when they tied the knot.
Ms Arnold and Weisshaar had been dating since at least 2016, social media posts show (pictured at a New York fashion show in 2017)
The globe-trotting pair had spent time together in New York, Germany and Portugal before separating which happened in July this year, according to Portuguese media.
Primary custody of Tasso was awarded to Ms Arnold after the split.
The pair had a ‘troubled’ relationship before breaking up, police sources told Jornal de Noticias.
She then moved to Lisbon along with Tasso, while spending time apart from her estranged husband.
Weisshaar, who had an office in the town of Grandola near Lisbon, is thought to have had no contact with Tasso since the split before visiting the pair in late October.
He is understood to have taken custody of the boy for the weekend, on a ‘promise’ to return him by November 1.
Ms Arnold reported the pair missing the same day after Weisshaar failed to appear.
Police launched a search, before the pair were eventually found on Sunday close to a plot of land that Weisshaar owned and was building a house on.
Contacted by MailOnline today at her London home, Ms Arnold’s mother said: ‘It’s a very upsetting situation and we don’t want to talk about it.
‘I’m sorry, it’s too distressing.’
Ms Arnold was a stylist to the stars – with clients including Paloma Faith – and was pictured with the likes of Gigi Hadid (above)
Weisshaar (pictured) was a renowned German designer whose works feature in collections at the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Centre Pompidou in Paris
Tasso (above) had gone to spend time with his father in late October with a ‘promise’ he would be returned by November 1. Ms Arnold reported them missing after they failed to reappear
British-born Ms Arnold was heavily involved in the world of fashion, having co-founded Ponystep magazine before going on to work as fashion director at magazines including Garage and Elle.
She was also a celebrity stylist who counts singer Paloma Faith among her clients, having worked with her since at least 2018.
The singer credited Ms Arnold with creating her look for the British Vogue fashion awards ceremony in February last year, and during Comic-Con in 2019.
Among her other famous friends were model Lady Eliza Cummings and designer Katie Jan Hillier.
She was also pictured alongside the likes of Gigi Hadid on her Instagram page.
Weisshaar was a famous German designer – born in Munich, he studied in London at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design and the Royal College of Art.
He founded his first independent design studio in 2000, before going on to create the KRAM/WEISSHAAR studio – based in Stockholm and Munich – in 2002 with American-born partner Reed Kram.
Their work features in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Centre Pompidou in Paris and Fondazione Prada in Milan, among others.
The grim discovery was made near the village of Santa Margarida da Serra (file image) on Sunday, close to a plot of land that Weisshaar owned and was building a house on