Add the Gazzetta del Sud as a source
The body of Larissa Brito, a 25-year-old Brazilian model, was found in her ex-partner’s car during a customs check in a rest area on the A8 motorway, in the Nice area, in the south of France. The 29-year-old man was arrested last Monday.
According to what was reported by the Nice prosecutor, Damien Martinelli, the discovery occurred during a random check. The young woman’s body had knife wounds and had been dismembered and hidden in plastic bags.
That same afternoon, a man reported the girl’s disappearance to the police in Nice. He said he went to his home and saw a man coming out with some bags, while the apartment had just been cleaned. The investigators linked the two events, identifying the victim and the driver of the car, who had a history of traffic crimes and related to drug trafficking.
The broken relationship and the last message to the mother
According to what was reported by the Brazilian Globo, based on family members’ stories, Larissa was a model and had had a brief relationship with the suspect, identified by the name of Mathieu. The young woman apparently broke off the relationship after discovering her alleged links to local organized crime in the Nice area.
The mother, Liliane Brito Nogueira, said that her daughter had tried in every way to get away from the man. The two spoke daily through messages: the last contact dates back to last Sunday, when Larissa had informed her mother that Mathieu was at her house. From that moment on he would stop responding.
The woman then contacted the man, who allegedly told her that Larissa was sleeping. When the mother announced she was going to call the police, he blocked her number.
Fundraising for the repatriation of the body
Larissa moved to France about three years ago and had previously worked in nightclubs in Sao Paulo. The missing person report was filed a few hours before the arrest of her ex-partner.
The family, reports Globo, is organizing a fundraiser to cover the costs of repatriating the body. The autopsy has been scheduled for Monday, September 28.