07/01/2024 – 15:16
The Civil Police of Amazonas arrested a couple suspected of the murder of Venezuelan artist Julieta Hernández Martínez, 38, who had been missing since December 23, when she was traveling on her bicycle towards Venezuela. According to police, she was raped before being killed. Her body was buried in a shallow grave, on the grounds of an inn, in Presidente Figueiredo, a city located 125 kilometers north of Manaus, the capital of Amazonas. The couple, owners of the inn, confessed to the crime, according to the Amazonas Public Security Secretariat (SSP-AM).
Julieta was part of the group of artists and cycle travelers “Pé Vermei”. She had been in Brazil since 2015 and also worked as a clown at Circo di SóLadies. The artist had left Rio de Janeiro by bicycle and planned to reach Puerto Ordaz, in her country. Along the way, she slept in other artists' houses or inns. In Presidente Figueiredo, she looked for some inns, but they were full. The artist ended up staying in the precarious inn where she was murdered.
On the night of December 23, she was sleeping in a hammock on the inn's balcony, when the owner, a 32-year-old man, grabbed her with a knife. According to police, the suspect had used crack and forced her to have oral sex. He then asked his companion to tie her feet and raped her. His girlfriend became jealous and threw alcohol at them both, setting them on fire. Even though he was hit by the flames, the man attacked the artist and killed her with a tie. Her body was buried 15 meters from the house.
The João Figueiredo police solved the case after a nearby resident saw parts of the bicycle near the place where the body was buried. He linked the find to the news about the artist's disappearance and notified the police. The couple was approached and ended up pointing out where the body was. The corpse had its hands and feet tied. The body, already in a state of decomposition, underwent forensic examination in an attempt to determine the cause of death. The report had not been completed until this Sunday, the 7th.
The man and woman were arrested red-handed. At a custody hearing, the court accepted the request from João Figueiredo's Civil Police and ordered the couple's preventive detention. The investigation investigates the crimes of rape and double homicide, for ill motives and the use of cruel means. They will also be responsible for the theft of the victim's bicycle and cell phone. Until this Sunday, the suspects did not have a lawyer appointed for their defenses.
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