Microsoft Manager Drowned by Acquaintance Hours After Restaurant Visit

CCTV footage shows Jennifer Symonds, 44, a former Microsoft executive, arriving at a Mediterranean-style bistro in Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, with Nelio Gouveia, 45, just hours before her body was found drowned. The pair were seen entering the restaurant together at 9:15 p.m. on March 6, but left after being told the kitchen was closed.

Symonds' body was discovered by the River Thames within the grounds of the Phyllis Court private members' club the following morning at 7:50 a.m. A commotion was reportedly heard near the club between 2 a.m. and 3 a.m.

Gouveia, who is understood to have worked as a kitchen porter at the club, was arrested at the scene and subsequently charged with murder. He pleaded guilty to killing Symonds at Oxford Crown Court on Thursday and was remanded in custody. His sentencing is scheduled for November 20.

Symonds had been a senior customer success account manager at Microsoft's UK headquarters in Reading for over six years before being made redundant in January 2025. It is understood she had arranged to meet Gouveia, though the nature of their relationship and how they met remains unclear.

Friends described Symonds as a "lovely, warm-hearted person" who had been struggling with her mental health due to unemployment and difficulties in her personal life, including a past accusation of assault against a former partner. She lived in a flat in Henley-on-Thames, a short walk from the river.

Detective Inspector Rob Underhill of Thames Valley Police stated that his thoughts were with Symonds' family and commended Gouveia's guilty plea, emphasizing the force's commitment to investigating violence against women and girls.