Story By Marija Stojkoska
News Editor Ajda Ender
A jealous boyfriend has been accused of killing his partner and two of her friends after tracking her to a rural ranch where they had been listening to music and drinking beer.
Jainy Chaves, 29, poses in undated photo. She was killed by her boyfriend Leonardo Jose de Arujo, 43, along with two other people in Goiatuba, Brazil. Note: Private picture. (Newsflash/NX)
The killings happened at a ranch in the countryside near Goiatuba, in southern Goias state, central Brazil, on 28th July.
Jainy Chaves, 29, poses in undated photo. She was killed by her boyfriend Leonardo Jose de Arujo, 43, along with two other people in Goiatuba, Brazil. Note: Private picture. (Newsflash/NX)
Police identified the victims as Jainy Chaves, 29, Nathan Moraes Dutra Campos, 35, an agronomist and father of three, and Beatriz Soares de Souza, 27.
Leonardo Jose de Arujo, 43, poses in undated photo. He killed Jainy Chaves, 29, and two other people in Goiatuba, Brazil. Note: Private picture. (Newsflash/NX)
Investigators said Leonardo Jose de Araujo, 43, is suspected of carrying out the triple killing after tracking Jainy to the property.
Leonardo Jose de Arujo, 43, poses in undated photo. He killed Jainy Chaves, 29, and two other people in Goiatuba, Brazil. Note: Private picture. (Newsflash/NX)
Police chief Patrick Carniel said: “The victims were inside the house listening to music and drinking beer when the suspect arrived and killed them.”
Beatriz Soares Souza, 27, poses in undated photo. She was killed by Leonardo Jose de Arujo, 43, along with two other people in Goiatuba, Brazil. Note: Private picture. (Newsflash/NX)
According to the Civil Police, jealousy is the main line of inquiry, with detectives believing Araujo targeted the group after finding Jainy with the two friends at the ranch.
Beatriz Soares Souza, 27, poses in undated photo. She was killed by Leonardo Jose de Arujo, 43, along with two other people in Goiatuba, Brazil. Note: Private picture. (Newsflash/NX)
The Civil Police said in a statement: “The preliminary motive points to jealousy. The suspect was in a relationship with Jainy and allegedly committed the crimes after finding her at the ranch in the company of the other two victims.”
Nahtan Campos, 35, poses in undated photo. He was killed by along with two other people in Goiatuba, Brazil. Note: Private picture. (Newsflash/NX)
Jainy’s family later said Leonardo frequently phoned her to check where she was and who she was with.
Jainy’s mother, Maria Raimunda Barbosa Souza, said the suspect used her daughter’s mobile phone to call her just minutes before the shootings.
She told local media: “I answered thinking it was my daughter, but he said: ‘It’s not her, it’s Leonardo. Did you know your daughter is going to die? I’m going to kill her and then kill myself.'”
Maria Raimunda said Jainy was then able to speak briefly.
She recalled: “She said: ‘Mum, forgive me. I love you. I love you.'”
Police said Nathan was shot in the back of the head and back while sitting inside the ranch house.
Beatriz was then allegedly chased into another room and shot dead.
Jainy was wounded but still alive when Araujo allegedly forced her into a car and drove around 12 kilometres (7.4 miles) from the ranch along rural roads.
Despite her injuries, she managed to send her sister a message saying she had been shot and shared her live location.
The message prompted her sister to alert police, who rushed to the coordinates and discovered the massacre.
Investigators said Araujo then allegedly shot Jainy four more times inside the vehicle before turning the .22-calibre revolver on himself.
Officers found Jainy dead inside the car, while Araujo was discovered alive in the driver’s seat with a gunshot wound to the chest and the weapon between his legs.
Police later found the bodies of Nathan and Beatriz inside the ranch house.
Araujo was taken to hospital before being transferred to the State Emergency Hospital in Goiânia, where he remains in intensive care in a serious condition on a ventilator under police guard.
Detectives said he is expected to face charges of femicide over Jainy’s death and double-qualified homicide over the killings of Nathan and Beatriz if he recovers.
The Civil Police said officers are continuing to investigate the full sequence of events and whether the attack was planned in advance.
(Marija Stojkoska/Newsflash)
