The case began today at the Central Criminal Court of Funchal in the Comarca da Madeira Tribunal.
According to the indictment by the Public Prosecutor’s Office, read by the presiding judge Teresa de Sousa, the murder occurred on the morning of October 30, 2024, while the victim was asleep.
The defendant, armed with an iron pipe, struck “at least” three blows to the side of the head, left the scene, and the victim remained in bed “as if still asleep.”
The suspect hid the victim’s wallet and the iron pipe in a wooded area, and the woman was found dead in the bedroom by one of her children.
The Public Prosecutor’s Office also states that the man “acted with total insensitivity and indifference to the victim’s life,” at a time when the woman “could not offer any resistance.”
The defendant, currently in custody, is charged with the crime of qualified murder.
The man is 53 years old and a native of Argentina, but holds Venezuelan nationality, and has two children with the victim.
Today’s session saw the court hearing the first witnesses, including the victim’s and defendant’s daughter, the son’s girlfriend, among other family members.
Incidents of jealousy and arguments between the couple were reported, but witnesses claimed nothing could have predicted the crime, denying any physical violence prior to the incident.
According to the witnesses, the man was not violent nor did he excessively consume alcoholic beverages.
The victim’s daughter, who mentioned visiting her father once in prison, stated in court that she asked him why he killed her mother, to which the man repeatedly replied that he “didn’t know” why he committed the crime.
