Police authorities 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, is believed to have been killed by her 66-year-old partner, Ricardo Jardim, in Porto Alegre, the capital city of Rio Grande do Sul. The investigation began when the woman’s torso was discovered inside a suitcase at the city’s bus station on August 20. Jardim was apprehended in September, with law enforcement alleging that the heinous crime occurred on August 9, driven by financial motives as Jardim allegedly attempted to utilize Ms. Costa’s credit cards.
According to reports from CNN Brasil, 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 released in 2024 under a semi-open prison regime.
The chief investigator, Mario Souza, expressed optimism about recovering the victim’s head, as reported by G1. Despite the challenges posed by time, Souza affirmed the commitment to finding it. Notably, Jardim will not be involved in the search due to previous instances of providing misleading information to authorities.
Jardim misled investigators by falsely claiming he had disposed of the victim’s head in a specific location, leading to fruitless searches. The Public Defender’s Office representing Jardim has chosen to reserve comments for the court proceedings.
Even without the recovery of the victim’s head in the near future, authorities intend to conclude the investigation and officially charge Jardim with murder, according to G1 reports. It was disclosed that Jardim initially disposed of parts of the victim’s body in an unmonitored area in the East Zone of Porto Alegre on August 13.
Further revelations highlighted Jardim’s actions on August 20, where he left a suitcase at the bus station before heading to the North Zone, engaging in various activities. Surveillance footage identified him removing his mask at the bus station.
The victim’s torso was initially found by station personnel on September 1, while her legs were later located in separate areas in the South Zone of the city on different dates in early September. Forensic reports are being compiled for submission to the Public Prosecutor’s Office.