A 34-year-old mum was found with her hands tied and her throat slit after two men posing as delivery workers struck her home.
The fake couriers were captured on CCTV arriving on a motorcycle, wearing helmets and carrying a large food bag.
They calmly entered the house, stayed for around 10 minutes, then fled on the bike.
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Alarm bells were raised when Ingrid Emanuelle Santos failed to collect her daughter from nursery and did not answer calls.
One of her nephews went to check on her, only to find the door open and his aunt lying in a pool of blood.
Her hands were bound with nylon straps, and there were two deep cuts to her neck, later confirmed to have been inflicted with a bladed weapon, as reported by Need To Know.
The attack took place in a quiet residential area of Governador Valadares, Minas Gerais state, Brazil, on Wednesday (10 Sept).
Police immediately launched an investigation to identify the suspects.
The pair were arrested in Itumbiara, Goiás state, early on Friday (12 Sept) while travelling on a coach.
One suspect is 36, from Tocantins state, the other 30, from Pará state.
Their names have not been released.
Jewellery belonging to Ingrid and her daughter was recovered from the suspects.
One has informally confessed to his role in the crime.
They now face charges including femicide with aggravating circumstances, aggravated theft, and tampering with a vehicle’s identification number.
Police believe the men spent around 10 days in Governador Valadares monitoring Ingrid’s movements and knew she would be alone at the time of the attack.
Investigators are examining messages and financial transactions to determine whether the murder was commissioned.
Ingrid’s estranged husband, who lives in Tocantins and had been attempting to reconcile with her, is expected to be questioned, although there is currently no evidence of his involvement.
An entrepreneur and CrossFit enthusiast, Ingrid ran an online business selling semi-fine jewellery.
Friends and family say she had no enemies.
A relative, speaking anonymously, told local media: “She only worked, looked after her family, the house, and her three-year-old daughter, who was her top priority.
“She was a loving, generous, family-oriented person.”
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