Police still searching for head of murdered woman found dismembered in suitcase

Investigators say there’s still hope of finding the head of 65-year-old Brasília Costa, whose alleged killer Ricardo Jardim was arrested in September

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Police in southern Brazil^[1] are still searching for the head of a 65-year-old woman who was brutally murdered and dismembered.

Brasília Costa was allegedly killed by her 66-year-old partner, Ricardo Jardim^[2], in Porto Alegre, the capital of the state of Rio Grande do Sul. A murder investigation began after the victim’s torso was found inside a suitcase in a locker at the city’s bus station on August 20. Jardim was arrested in September, with police alleging the murder took place on August 9. Prosecutors say the suspected motive was financial as Jardim reportedly tried to use Ms Costa’s credit cards.

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Jardim, an advertising executive, had previously been sentenced to 28 years in jail in 2018 for killing his mother and hiding her body in concrete, according to CNN Brasil^[5]. He was released in 2024 after being allowed to move to a semi-open prison regime.

Chief investigator Mario Souza said there’s still hope the victim’s head can be recovered, local outlet G1 reports. “With each passing day, it gets harder. But we will find [the head]. We keep working,” Souza said. He added that the suspect would not be asked to assist in the search, as he has previously provided false information that hindered the investigation.

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For example, Jardim reportedly told police he had put the victim’s head in a bin near the Usina do Gasômetro region, prompting searches of local landfills – but nothing was found. The Public Defender’s Office, representing Jardim, has said it will only comment in court documents.

Even if the head is not recovered in the next few days, police plan to close the investigation and formally indict Jardim for murder, G1 reports.

Police say Jardim first disposed of parts of the victim’s body on August 13 in a deserted area in the East Zone of Porto Alegre, where there were no surveillance cameras.

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On August 20, Jardim reportedly left a suitcase at the bus station, a busy area under surveillance. He is then said to have travelled to the North Zone, visiting a commercial establishment and later staying at an inn. He was identified from security footage showing him lowering the mask he had been wearing at the bus station.

The victim’s torso was discovered by station staff on September 1, while her legs were later found in two separate locations in the South Zone of the city on September 6 and September 7.

Forensic reports are being prepared to be submitted to the Public Prosecutor’s Office.

For confidential support, call the 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Freephone Helpline on 0808 2000 247 or visit womensaid.co.uk^[6]. If you or your family have lost a friend or family member through fatal domestic abuse, AAFDA (Advocacy After Fatal Domestic Abuse) can offer specialist and expert support and advocacy. For more info visit www.aafda.org.uk^[7].