A woman has been taken into custody for allegedly orchestrating the killing of a young mother in order to gain custody of her daughter. Gabrielle Cristine Pinheiro Rosário, 21, surrendered to authorities after nearly two weeks since Laís de Oliveira Gomes Pereira was fatally shot while out with her youngest child in a stroller.
Authorities in Sepetiba, Rio de Janeiro, promptly investigated and determined that the motive behind the murder was a custody dispute over the victim’s four-year-old daughter. Rosário, 25, is accused of hiring two individuals to carry out the shooting on a city street on November 4.
Following the arrest of the woman, a police spokesperson stated, “The attorneys reached out to us this morning, indicating her intention to surrender. The case is closed. There is clear evidence that she was behind the crime, based on the information we gathered: including witness testimonies, cell phone records, leading us to request her pretrial detention.”
However, Rosário’s legal representative informed the press that she is not familiar with the two men detained in connection with the attack on Ms. Pereira. It is believed that they were paid approximately 20,000 Brazilian Real (equivalent to around £3,000) for their alleged involvement.
Law enforcement suspects that Rosário exhibited “obsessive” behavior towards the child. Authorities reportedly discovered text messages indicating this behavior, linking Rosário to the two individuals, and her awareness of Ms. Pereira’s whereabouts just before the incident. One of the men was reportedly identified by his own mother. Ms. Pereira is survived by two children, including a 20-month-old boy, with tributes portraying her as a caring and dedicated parent.
This development follows the conviction of an adult film actress who was found guilty of murdering her ex-husband after marrying her stepson. Devyn Michaels, 47, faces a potential life sentence for the killing of Johnathan Willette, 46, whose decapitated body was found soaked in chemicals at his residence.
Willette’s remains were discovered by his distressed mother, wrapped in blankets and bloodstained, according to police reports. Prosecutors alleged that the Las Vegas adult film star executed the gruesome act due to jealousy after Willette gained sole custody of their two children.
During Michaels’ trial, prosecutor John Giordani cautioned jurors to brace themselves for a turbulent journey as he presented crime scene photographs, including one showing the victim’s body. Michaels reportedly confessed to hitting Willette with a “candlestick-like” object while providing him a massage in his bedroom, as per court-released footage, as reported by the New York Post. “He didn’t say anything. He stopped moving,” she told investigators during the interrogation.