On July 9, 2022, the Public Ministry requested DNA analyses from the arm of a deceased woman in Donai to determine if they match one of the two defendants on trial for murder.
The trial of a couple accused of murdering three people in Donai began today at the Bragança Court. During the proceedings, the Prosecutor revealed that traces were found on one of the victims, a 66-year-old woman, prompting the Public Ministry to request DNA testing.
The accusation states that on the night of July 9, 2022, the defendant broke into a family’s home in Donai, killing the 66-year-old homeowner and injuring her partner.
Allegedly returning on July 19 to destroy evidence and steal drugs, the two defendants are accused of killing the 69-year-old partner and his approximately 40-year-old son, who was reportedly involved in drug trafficking and had an affair with the female defendant. Before fleeing, they allegedly set the house on fire.
This morning, three witnesses, including two family members and a neighbor of the victims, were heard at the Bragança Court.
The three witnesses testified to the judges that they did not recognize the defendants or witness the homicides. However, the family members acknowledged the approximately 40-year-old male victim was a drug addict but claimed ignorance of his romantic involvement with the female defendant, who also reportedly had a “de facto union” with the male defendant, according to the Public Ministry.
The neighbor testified as the one who called emergency services on July 9, when the first homicide occurred.
He recounted that, on that night, the victim’s partner sought help, saying he was “covered in blood,” mentioning the woman was also injured, though “he was unsure if she was alive or dead.”
According to the Public Ministry, the victim suffered 10 stab wounds to the face, neck, chest, and abdomen.
The defendants chose not to testify today, though the female defendant indicated she would do so at a later date.
Additional testimonies from the firefighters who responded to the first fatality are scheduled for this afternoon.
The two defendants on trial face charges including two counts of qualified homicide, two counts of attempted desecration of a corpse, one count of arson, and one count of attempted qualified theft. The male defendant is further charged with one count of qualified homicide and one count of qualified physical assault.
