Police in the southern region of Brazil are continuing their search for the missing head of a 65-year-old woman who was brutally murdered and dismembered.
The victim, Brasília Costa, was allegedly killed by her 66-year-old partner, Ricardo Jardim, in Porto Alegre, the capital of the state of Rio Grande do Sul. The investigation into the murder began after the woman’s torso was discovered inside a suitcase at the city’s bus station on August 20. Jardim was apprehended in September, with authorities claiming the crime occurred on August 9. Prosecutors believe the motive behind the murder was financial, as Jardim allegedly attempted to use Ms. Costa’s credit cards.
Jardim, who works as an advertising executive, had previously served a 28-year sentence starting in 2018 for the murder of his mother, whose body he concealed in concrete. He was granted release in 2024 under a semi-open prison arrangement.
Chief investigator Mario Souza expressed optimism about finding the victim’s head, stating that despite the increasing difficulty each day, they are determined to locate it. Souza mentioned that Jardim would not be involved in the search due to providing misleading information that impeded the investigation.
Despite Jardim’s claim to have disposed of the victim’s head in a specific area, searches yielded no results. The Public Defender’s Office representing Jardim declined to provide further comments outside of court proceedings.
Authorities plan to conclude the investigation and formally charge Jardim with murder if the victim’s head remains unrecovered in the coming days. It was revealed that Jardim initially discarded parts of the victim’s body in an unmonitored area of Porto Alegre on August 13.
Jardim was observed leaving a suitcase at the bus station on August 20 before traveling to different zones of the city. Surveillance footage identified him removing his mask at the bus station.
The victim’s torso was found by station personnel on September 1, while her legs were discovered separately in the city’s South Zone on September 6 and 7. Forensic reports are being compiled for submission to the Public Prosecutor’s Office.