José Mascarenhas has been sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of Josielly Fontes in December 2022. The court found him guilty of crimes including qualified homicide, theft, desecration of a corpse, attempted card fraud, and computer fraud.
The court heard that Mascarenhas was aware of significant sums of money the victim earned through prostitution and devised a plan to steal her bank cards, using physical force to take her possessions.
On the afternoon of December 6, 2002, the victim left Vilamoura to meet Mascarenhas. They drove in a borrowed vehicle with Mascarenhas at the wheel. Josielly was murdered sometime between December 6 and 7, at an unspecified time.
Mascarenhas attempted to withdraw money in Boliqueime but entered the wrong code, eventually driving to Santana da Serra where he convinced a bar employee to facilitate a transfer of 920 euros from the victim’s account.
The vehicle used by Mascarenhas was found abandoned on December 22 in the Algarve, with the victim’s mobile phone inside. Her charred body was discovered about three weeks later in Santana da Serra, Ourique, now in the Beja district.
According to the court ruling, Mascarenhas, who had become close to Josielly and gained her trust, “showed no remorse or empathy for the victim,” whom he “intended to kill,” although it was not determined when he made that decision.
In August this year, Mascarenhas was also accused by the Public Prosecutor’s Office of murdering and desecrating the corpse of a driver for a ride-sharing service in June 2022, whose body was found inside a suitcase in Almancil.
Sandra Andrade, aged 49 and residing in Quarteira, was working as a passenger vehicle driver and tour guide.
MAD // JLG
Lusa/End
