A 73-year-old French woman, a retired doctor living in Brazil for several years, was killed on March 8 in her apartment in Joao Pessoa. Her 59-year-old partner placed her body in a suitcase and had a homeless person burn it in the street. The suspect was later found dead with his throat slit.
The murder occurred on Sunday, March 8, 2026, in the victim's apartment in Joao Pessoa, capital of Paraiba state in northeast Brazil, according to investigating commissioner Thiago Cavalcanti. The 73-year-old retired doctor had lived in Brazil for several years. Forensic doctor Flavio Fabres stated that death was caused by «thoracic lesions (...) from a blunt object, probably a knife». The medico-legal expertise is not yet complete, and «it is not yet possible to establish if the crime was premeditated», the commissioner told AFP on March 17, 2026. Two days later, the 59-year-old partner placed the body in a large suitcase. Surveillance cameras captured him leaving the building with it. He paid a homeless person to burn it in the street. On March 12, as police sought an arrest warrant against him, he was found dead with his throat slit. Investigators hypothesize he was killed «in retaliation» by a local criminal faction for drawing police to the area. Commissioner Cavalcanti contacted French authorities, who pledged to locate any relatives. France's consulate in Recife did not respond immediately.
