An 83-year-old Athens priest was found dead in his home early on Friday morning in the central neighborhood of Aghios Panteleimonas in what police are investigating as a homicide.

According to reports, the cleric was found with a cloth gag in his mouth, which is believed to have caused his death by asphyxiation.

Police found no signs of forced entry or of the house being ransacked, and believe that the priest knew the perpetrator of the crime, which they suspect was of a personal nature.