96 rua Marquês de São Vicente

In May 1978, Reed Gwillim Law Jr. was sent by his employer to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to work on a contract. He was accompanied by Janice Black Law and Reed Gwillim Law III. After a week in hotels, they chose to rent an apartment in the Gavea area.

96 rua Marquês de São Vicente was a complex containing three 14-story high-rises: bloco "A", bloco "B", and bloco "C", lined up from the street toward a steep forested hillside. Their apartment was one of four seventh-floor units of bloco "C." It had five rooms: two bedrooms at the back, a living/dining room, a kitchen, and a maid's room that was never used.

At the street level within the complex there was a simple playground where one could meet other residents.

Within walking distance there were limited shopping facilities and a church with English-language services. For most shopping, recreation, and commuting to work, one used public transportation, mostly buses and taxis.

There were numerous visits from friends and family who came to Rio for their diverse purposes. Steven Inglis Law was the only one who stayed in the apartment at all.