Rayane and Rithiely Alves Porto, both in their 20s, and their brother were snatched on Friday night, with the siblings tortured and later found dead at the scene
An aspiring councillor and her influencer sister were kidnapped, tortured, and stabbed to death “over an innocent hand gesture”.
Rayane and Rithiely Alves Porto, their brother, and another man were abducted on Friday night (September 13th). They were reportedly taken to a hideout where all four were subjected to torture by about seven people.
One of the men managed to escape by leaping over a wall and alerted the authorities. He guided the police to the hideout, where the sisters were found dead. Their hair had been chopped off and some of their fingers were missing.
Their blood-soaked brother was discovered alive at the hideout in Porto Esperidiao, west of Brasilia, Brazil. His left ear and one of his fingers had been severed and he had stab wounds to the back of his neck.
The motive for the attack is under investigation, but police suggest it may have been triggered by a photo. The sisters had posed for a picture at the Jauru River, which was shared on social media.
It shows them making hand gestures, one of which may have been misinterpreted as a gang sign by a rival gang. The man who escaped said the suspects had identified themselves as gang members.
Police chief Higo Rafael stated: “A preliminary theory is that the motive was this photo.
“They grabbed the victims at a riverside party, searched the girls’ phones right there at the event, and then took them to a house. While torturing them, they called their families, demanding 100,000 BRL (£13,600).”
Police have arrested nine people linked to the case. At 25, Rayane had thrown her hat in the ring for the local council in the latest elections.
Her Republican Party said in a statement: “The circumstances of this brutal crime are quickly clarified by the authorities.” Meanwhile, Rithiely, aged 28, was an Insta-famous face with a whopping 87,600 followers.
The sisters hailed from a circus family. Their dad is a circus performer, while their grandad on their dad’s side was a clown. They were laid to rest in Gloria d’Oeste just yesterday (15 Sept).
