A 23-year-old student has allegedly been killed by a convicted rapist who was on temporary release from prison.
Vanessa Lara de Oliveira Silva was found dead in a thicket near a walking trail on Tuesday (10 February).
She was last seen leaving her place of work the day before.
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The psychology student’s body was found naked with signs of violence in a wooded area near the city of Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
According to her brother Matheus Henrique Silva, 31, she disappeared after finishing her shift at the city’s employment office.
He said: “She left home at 6am and, around 2pm, finished her workday to catch the bus.”
Loved ones grew concerned when she hadn’t arrived home by 4pm and wasn’t answering their calls.
Matheus added: “We thought the delay might be due to traffic, but we soon suspected something was wrong.
“We contacted the company, checked security footage, and called the police.”
The victim’s body was found with the help of drones at around 1.30pm on Tuesday.
Confirmation of her violent death shocked many local residents.
One 23-year-old woman told reporters: “We have become more careful, we walk accompanied, and always let people know where we are.
“We can’t pretend that nothing happened.”
A 66-year-old retiree said: “It’s truly a barbaric crime, something that has shaken the city.
“We see it sometimes happen in other places, but when it’s closer to home, the shock is even greater, especially when it involves such a young woman with her whole life ahead of her.
“She was in her last year of university, her dream was to become a psychologist.”
A suspect was arrested two days after Vanessa’s body was found, as reported by NeedToKnow.
The 43-year-old man, named as Ítalo Jefferson da Silva, reportedly confessed to the crime and stated that he was not remorseful.
He allegedly said he didn’t plan it and that the victim was chosen randomly.
According to the authorities, he admitted to strangling the victim with a telephone cord, although the motive he gave was considered inconsistent by investigators.
He has an extensive criminal record, with convictions for rape, robbery, theft, homicide, and drug trafficking.
The suspect was released from prison on a temporary licence after his drug trafficking conviction was downgrade to drug use in December 2025.
The investigation into Vanessa’s death is ongoing.
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