Cassiane Eugênia, a mum of three, was captured in a distressing video allegedly taken by her husband before she died in March, with police now hunting him on suspicion of murder
Police have launched a manhunt for a man who filmed his ex-wife choking on caustic soda he allegedly forced her to swallow during a domestic row.
Mum-of-three Cassiane Eugênia, 46, passed away in hospital after her ex-husband Rodrigo allegedly forced her to consume the deadly inorganic compound during a row at her home in Guianases, São Paulo, Brazil, on March 15. She was rushed to two hospitals, but medics were unable to save her life and she died the following day. Her ex-husband recorded some of her painful final moments, taking footage that showed her fighting for her death.
The couple had been in a troubled relationship for about a year, and, in the days leading up to the incident, Cassiane had left the house with her youngest daughter, four, after telling her relatives that Rodrigo had been threatening her.
In one message, the victim said: “When I get home, he said everything will be broken. He said he’s going to kill me today.” Rodrigo allegedly sent a video of him threatening Cassiane with a knife to her sister the day before her death.
On the day of the crime, she returned to the property to collect some belongings and found the suspect waiting for her. He then sent a video of the victim in agony to her relatives, claiming she had attempted suicide. He said in the distressing clip: “Look what she’s spitting out there.”
“That’s the coffee and acid she drank, you understand?” Emergency services arrived on the scene to find Cassiane with burns from her tongue to her oesophagus, consistent with forced ingestion of a corrosive substance. A bottle of caustic soda with a warning label was found at the scene along with a knife left under the bed.
Investigators have ruled out suicide following an autopsy conducted by the Forensic Medical Institute (IML), and after analysing the scene and taking statements. They are now investigating the case as qualified homicide and torture.
Brazilian news site Terra.com.br reported that witness had told police they heard screams for help coming from the mum’s home, and Rodrigo was reportedly seen entering the home with a watermelon and bottle before the incident.
Officers have not been able to track down Rodrigo, who disappeared after the alleged murder and currently remains on the run. He has been formally declared a fugitive as the investigation continues.
