A 41-year-old bodybuilder was stabbed to death by his female partner after a fight inside their apartment in which she was also seriously injured.

The incident happened on the morning of Sunday, 7th September, in Chapeco, a city in the west of the state of Santa Catarina, Brazil.

Police say the victim, identified as Valter de Vargas Aita, had wounds to his abdomen, back, face and neck.

Valter de Vargas Aita poses in undated photo. He was stabbed to death in Chapeco, Brazil on Sept. 07,2025. Note: Private photo taken from social media. (Newsflash/NX)

Images released by investigators show how he left blood marks in the corridors and stairwells as he tried to escape before collapsing dead on the stairs of the building.

Witnesses reported hearing the fight before officers arrived to find Valter dead.

The 43-year-old woman, who has not been named, was also stabbed and was taken to hospital in serious condition.

If she survives, officers say she will remain under custody for the alleged murder.

Picture shows the incident scene, undated. Valter de Vargas Aita was stabbed to death in Chapeco, Brazil on Sept. 07,2025. Note: Private photo. (Newsflash/NX)

Valter, originally from Rio Grande do Sul, had competed in bodybuilding for more than a decade.

He was a World Fitness Federation runner-up and five time state bodybuilding champion.

He also worked as a personal trainer and shared his diet and workout routines with thousands of followers on social media.

The studio where he worked announced it would not open on Monday as a mark of respect.

The Civil Police homicide division have opened an investigation and say the motive for the crime is still unclear.

(Mike Leidig / newsX)