A killer who butchered his doctor girlfriend with a knife and then stuffed her naked body in a suitcase has been sentenced to 31 years in prison.
Davi Izaque Martins Silva, 29, was found guilty of aggravated homicide by a jury at the 5th Criminal Court of Sao Jose do Rio Preto on Tuesday, 22nd April.
He had confessed to killing his 28-year-old girlfriend Thallita da Cruz Fernandes during a heated argument in August 2023.
Photo shows Thallita da Cruz Fernandes, undated. She was allegedly killed by her boyfriend, Davi Izaque Martins Silva, in Sao Jose do Rio Preto, Brazil. Note: Picture is private (Newsflash)
Silva told police he had been drinking and was high on drugs during the row and grabbed a knife and began stabbing Thallita wildly.
But prosecutors accused calculating Silva of murdering Thallita out of fear she might end the relationship and kick him out of her luxury apartment.
The couple had been together for almost three years and Thallita paid all the household bills while Silva blew his money on drugs, the court heard.
After stabbing her to death, Silva crammed Thallita's butchered body in a suitcase and left it in the laundry room.
Photo shows Davi Izaque Martins Silva, undated. He is named as the main suspect in the death of doctor Thallita da Cruz Fernandes in Sao Jose do Rio Preto, Brazil. Note: Picture is private (Newsflash)
Police believe he planned to dump the suitcase and get rid of the body but it was so heavy that it broke when he tried to lift it.
Instead, he calmly left the apartment and took a taxi to his mother's home.
Thallita's body was found on 18th August (2023) after her worried mum asked one of her pals to go to her flat to check on her.
She became anxious after her daughter stopped answering her phone the day before.
The friend messaged Thallita on WhatsApp on what she knew was her day off but received a reply saying: "I can't talk, work is really hectic."
Photo shows Thallita da Cruz Fernandes, undated. She was allegedly killed by her boyfriend, Davi Izaque Martins Silva, in Sao Jose do Rio Preto, Brazil. Note: Picture is private (Newsflash)
When she found Thallita's third-floor apartment locked, the friend called the police, who quickly arrived at the building in Sao Jose do Rio Preto with a locksmith.
Inside they found the body crammed into the broken suitcase in the laundry room and bloodstains in the bathroom and bedroom.
Silva, the last person seen on CCTV footage leaving her apartment, was arrested the next day.
Judges sentenced him to 31 years, six months and 20 days behind bars for the murder and for attempting to conceal Thallita's corpse.
His defence team has not yet confirmed if they plan to appeal the sentence.
(Simona Kitanovska / newsX)