A 25-year-old Brazilian social media influencer has died after falling from the tenth floor of her apartment building in São Paulo, with authorities now probing whether her husband was responsible in a potential femicide case.
Suspicious Circumstances After Late Night Fall
Maria Katiane Gomes da Silva was found dead in the arms of her husband, Alex Leandro Bispo dos Santos, 40, on 29 November. The discovery came after neighbours alerted Military Police to hearing screams followed by a heavy thud, according to local reports from O Globo.
Dos Santos initially claimed his wife had died by suicide following an argument at their high-rise home. Da Silva was a mother to one child and had built a significant online presence, with over 22,000 followers on TikTok and more than 6,000 on Instagram, where she shared lifestyle and beauty content.
CCTV Footage Reveals Disturbing Altercation
Despite the husband's account, authorities swiftly ruled the death as suspicious. The Homicide and Personal Protection Department, working with local police, began analysing security footage from the building and the couple's apartment.
The CCTV evidence, reported by O Globo and g1, paints a troubling picture of the hours before da Silva's death. It allegedly shows dos Santos punching da Silva in the building's parking lot. Later, the pair are seen arguing inside an elevator, where dos Santos appears to attempt to grab his wife by the neck.
In a key moment, less than two minutes later, footage reportedly shows dos Santos pulling da Silva out of the elevator as she tries to hold onto the doors. He is later seen returning to the elevator alone, sitting with his head in his hands.
A Family's Anguish and a Call for Justice
Following a wake and burial in her home state of Ceará on 1 December, where dos Santos was photographed embracing her coffin, he was taken into custody on a temporary warrant just over a week later. The investigation continues to determine if this constitutes femicide—the killing of a woman because of her gender.
Da Silva's family have expressed their grief and fury online. Her aunt posted a scathing indictment of dos Santos, describing him as 'possessive' and claiming da Silva's voice was 'silenced by a man who claimed to love her.'
'Today, as her aunt, my heart is heavy, filled with indignation and so is her mother and our entire family. We demand justice for Katiane Gomes,' the aunt wrote.
Da Silva, who was born in a rural district of Crateús before moving to São Paulo and marrying dos Santos, had last posted on Instagram on 8 November, sharing a video of herself making an energy drink.
