Brazilian beauty queen, 22, allegedly killed by jealous ex-boyfriend

The 22-year-old student was discovered dead two days after she went missing – with her former boyfriend now charged over her death.

A man has been accused of knifing his beauty queen ex-girlfriend to death after she broke up with him.

The trial of Rafael Fernandez Rodrigues over the murder of Kimberly Karen Mota de Oliveira began in Brazil on Wednesday.

Ms Oliveira‘s family told police the last time they had heard from her was on May 10 when she said she was with Rodrigues, according to local reports.

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Kimberly Karen Mota de Oliveira was 22. Picture: Newsflash/australscope

On May 11, her family went to her apartment but nobody was home and the next day police confirmed that Ms Oliveira’s body was found.

Police allege Rodrigues killed Ms Oliveira, crowned Miss Manicoré in 2019, out of jealousy on May 12 after the beauty queen broke up with him.

Her dead body was found inside Rodrigues’ apartment along with the knife used in the crime, according to local media.

Rodrigues was arrested on May 15, three days after the murder.

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Rafael Fernandez Rodrigues, 31, has been charged with her death. Picture: Newsflash/australscope

The 31-year-old was found hiding in a makeshift hut in the northern Brazilian state of Roraima, close to the Venezuelan border.

Authorities believe he was intending to cross the border into Venezuela and flee from there to Spain.

Investigators told local media that they do not believe the alleged murder was premeditated and was instead a crime of passion.

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Ms Oliveira was a dentistry student and competed in beauty pageants. Picture: Newsflash/australscope

Eight witnesses are expected to take the stand and the defendant will also be interrogated after a medical report ruled out claims he was suffering from a mental disorder.

Rodrigues, from Sao Paulo, had moved to Manaus in 2017 to work at the local labour court.

It was there he met Ms Oliveira at a nightclub and the pair had been going out for two months.

Ms Oliveira, 22, was a dentistry student and had plans to compete for Miss Amazonas.

The trial is ongoing.

This article originally appeared in The Sun and was reproduced with permission