A senior man, aged 65, extensively researched and planned a gruesome crime against his partner, drawing inspiration from a historical murder case almost a century old, according to investigators.
The man allegedly engaged in deceptive behavior by creating various fake online personas to deceive young women, pretending to be athletic individuals in order to lure them in, before escalating to more sinister actions.
Reportedly, he meticulously orchestrated the murder of his partner, and following the act, he dismembered her body, disposing of body parts in a suitcase left at a bus station, where surveillance cameras captured his movements.
Earlier, the man had a disturbing criminal record involving his family, as documented by CNN Brazil. Ricardo Jardim, an advertising professional, had previously been convicted in 2018 for the death of his mother, a charge he denied.
Although he admitted to concealing his mother’s body, claiming she had taken her own life, investigators suspected financial motives, as he stood to gain from a substantial life insurance policy.
After engaging in catfishing schemes and singling out his partner as the target, he reportedly drew inspiration from a chilling 1928 murder in São Paulo, where an Italian immigrant murdered his wife, dismembered her, and hid her remains in a suitcase.
Attempting to access funds from his partner’s account, Brazilian authorities inferred a money-driven incentive behind his violent actions.
Moreover, he impersonated his partner using her phone to mislead her family into believing she was safe, fabricating her whereabouts.
Described as having a psychopathic demeanor, being highly educated and intelligent, the Rio Grande do Sul Civil Police characterized his crimes as meticulously planned and calculated.
Allegedly, he left false clues and utilized disguises to mislead investigators and divert attention from his illegal activities.
Investigators highlighted his use of artificial intelligence to fabricate fake profiles for victim targeting, though it remains unclear if the victim in this case was linked to his deceptive online practices.
The victim’s torso was discovered in a suitcase at Porto Alegre bus station, with one leg found on a beach and other body parts in the city’s East Zone.
In an attempt to conceal his identity, Jardim wore a cap, mask, glasses, and gloves while discarding the body.