Police are investigating the mysterious deaths of a model and her teenage daughter after worried neighbours reported their fears to the fire service
Police have launched an investigation after the mysterious deaths of an influencer and her teenage daughter, who were discovered following reports from worried neighbours.
Lidiane Aline Lorenco, 33, and 15-year-old Miana Sophya Santos were tragically found dead in their 11th floor flat after residents became concerned for their welfare.
Having not seen or heard from the mother or daughter for some time, they reported an unpleasant odour coming from the apartment.
The Fire Department arrived at the block of apartments in Rio de Janeiro and, after receiving no answer, broke down the door. Inside they found Lidiane in a bedroom and Miana in the living room, according to local reports. Both had been dead for some time, police believe.
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The Rio de Janeiro Civil Police said in a statement they are now investigating the circumstances surrounding their deaths, The Sun reports. Lidiane, who boasted over 54,000 followers on Instagram, was an influencer and model, and she had been studying medicine in the years before her death.
She had moved on her own to Rio de Janeiro from Santa Cecília a few years ago. Miana, meanwhile, had been studying at the Irma Irene Basic Education School in Santa Cecília. She had only recently moved into the Rio apartment with her mother, according to reports.
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It comes after the family of a woman who tragically died in a scalding bathtub alongside her boyfriend have shared their dark fears over her mysterious death.
Ana Carolina Silva, 41, a nail salon owner, and military officer Jeferson Luiz Sagaz, 37, and were found dead inside a motel room in Sao Jose, Brazil , on August 11.
The couple had spent the day celebrating their four-year-old daughter’s birthday at a food park, before later partying at a nightclub.
They dropped their child off at Jeferson’s sister’s house and then checked into their accommodation, the Dallas Motel, shortly after midnight. They were said to have last been seen around 11:30pm, according to local reports.
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Family members raised the alarm when the duo didn’t arrive to pick up their little girl the next day and police soon made a harrowing discovery. The couple were found dead – with no signs of injury – in their motel room bathtub. The water temperature had reached 50C, while a space heater was also set to high, according to police.
A toxicology report found traces of cocaine and very high blood alcohol levels for both Jeferson and Ana. Investigators, who also analysed CCTV footage and the couple’s car, say they passed out in the bath filled with scorching water.
“The cause of both deaths was exogenous poisoning, favouring the process of heatstroke with intense dehydration, thermal collapse, culminating in organ failure and death,” Chief Medical Examiner Andressa Boer Fronza said.
The report states that the substances combined with alcohol and extreme heat increased their risk. A total of 16 forensic tests, carried out by the Civil Police, ruled out possible causes of death including electric shock, drowning, carbon monoxide poisoning or foul play.
But Ana’s family have since expressed fears that the mum may have been forced to take drugs and are demanding ‘justice’. In a passionate statement released to the media, they said unequivocally that she was “not a drug user” and that they had “concerns of possible forced ingestion or poisoning”.
“It is with deep indignation that we, the family of Ana Carolina de Silva … repudiate the fake news that has been spread,” the statement says. “Although reports indicate the presence of substances in her blood, we affirm with complete certainty that Ana was not a drug user.
“Given the inconsistencies, we raise serious concerns about possible forced ingestion or poisoning and demand a rigorous, transparent and impartial investigation.” The heartbroken family said they wish to “preserve Ana’s memory and dignity, [and to] ensure that the truth prevails over cruel and unjust speculation”.
In response to the police concluding the case, the family added: “We will not allow her story to be tarnished by unjust assumptions. We will continue to seek answers, confident that justice will be served.”