Two men who killed their respective female partners in the space of just four days were work colleagues, it has emerged.
The perpetrators of the two femicides in the administrative region of Sobradinho, estimated population 15,005, in Brazil’s Federal District worked together at a systems analysis company.
Leandro de Barros Soares, 41, who killed psychologist and teacher Melissa Mazzarello de Carvalho Santos Gomes, 41, was the boss of the other alleged wife killer, Osmar de Sousa Silva, 36.
Silva was caught on CCTV drawing a pistol and shooting his former partner, 27-year-old Thais da Silva Campos, in the face at point-blank range at her front gate on the night of Sunday 20th June.
He was filmed shooting the dental surgeon at least three times before fleeing the scene in his white Honda Civic, which was later found abandoned outside a supermarket.
Silva, whom a former partner had reported to the police for domestic violence in 2016, was arrested on the afternoon of Monday 21st June.
He and Campos had been together for five years and had separated five months prior to the crime. Their separation is believed to be the crime’s motive.
Their two-year-old daughter is currently under the care of Silva’s brother, whom the police believe had no prior knowledge of the crime.
Silva confessed to the police to killing his ex-partner with a firearm he had bought a number of months ago.
He said he had been drinking heavily throughout the day and said he was sorry for his actions in an apology the police believe is insincere.
He is currently in preventive custody.
Silva’s former boss was also arrested for the crime he committed on the morning of Thursday 17th June.
Soares told the police he attacked his wife out of jealousy, but denied intending to kill her.
He was arrested for domestic violence after discovering his wife had cheated on him in September last year.
A restraining order was subsequently taken out on him. However, he and Gomes later reconciled and rekindled their relationship in January this year.
Soares told officers he attacked his wife when he discovered she had been continuing to see the same man from the alleged infidelity last year, although it is only his claim that she had been unfaithful and that she had continued to cheat on him.
In his version of events, she passed out after he gave her a bear hug.
The police believe the killing was intentional, as he left the scene without seeking help and went to pick up the couple’s two children, aged 6 and 8, from school and dropped them off at their grandparents’ house.
He turned himself in on his brother’s advice hours later.
The fact the two perpetrators knew each other is believed to be coincidental to their respective crimes.