A man who made multiple ‘catfish’ fake accounts posing as athletes to attract women later dismembered his partner’s body, and dumped her remains in a suitcase at a bus station
A 65-year-old man spent a long time researching how to commit a horrifying crime against his reported partner – and was inspired by a high-profile murder from nearly 100 years ago, investigators said.
The man is suspected of creating multiple fake online profiles that saw him catfish young women, posing as attractive athletes in an attempt to lure them in, but his actions would only become more sinister.
He allegedly “meticulously planned” the murder of his partner, and after killing her, is said to have dismembered her remains, dumping pieces of her body in a suitcase that he abandoned at a bus station – where he was caught on CCTV.
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The man had a terrifying criminal history involving his own family, CNN Brazil has reported. Ricardo Jardim, an advertising executive, had reportedly been convicted in 2018 of killing his mother – something he denied.
However, he did admit to hiding her body, alleging that she had committed suicide. It is believed that his motive was financial gain, and that he stood to receive R$400,000 (£55,666) from a life insurance policy his mother had.
After going on a catfishing spree and settling on his partner as his victim, he is said to have been inspired by a chilling murder that took place in São Paulo back in 1928, which saw an Italian immigrant murder his wife, chop her body up, and hide her remains in a suitcase.
Jardim tried to take money from his partner’s account – leading Brazilian investigators to believe that once again, he was motivated by money to commit a violent crime.
The advertising executive also used his partner’s phone to contact her family, leading them to believe she was alive, and lying to them about her whereabouts.
Jardim has a “psychopathic profile,” and is “extremely educated and intelligent,” the Civil Police of Rio Grande do Sul have said, adding that his crimes were characterised by meticulous and calculating” planning.
He is alleged to have left false clues and used disguises in an attempt to confound investigators and lead them away from discovering his crimes.
Investigators noted that he used AI to create his fake profiles to find victims, but it has not been announced if the victim in this case was someone he met through his catfishing.
The torso of the victim was found in a suitcase left at the Porto Alegre bus station, with one leg found at a beach, and the other limbs in the East Zone of the city.
Jardin tried to hide his identity by wearing a cap, mask, glasses, and gloves whilst he dumped the body.