Brazilian Teacher, 62, Arrested After Allegedly Killing and Burying 21-Year-Old Boyfriend in Her Garden

A 62-year-old beauty teacher in Brazil has been arrested after police discovered the buried body of her 21-year-old boyfriend in her backyard nearly ten months after her husband was found dead under suspicious circumstances.

Authorities say Jussara Luzia Fernandes, who worked as an aesthetics and beauty instructor, has confessed to killing Alex Sandro da Silva Rocha, 21, and burying him on her property in Bebedouro, in the interior of São Paulo state.

The grisly discovery was made last week after local police and firefighters searched Fernandes’ home. Rocha had reportedly been stabbed multiple times in the chest with a pair of scissors, and his body buried in a shallow grave just a few meters from the back door.

According to local reports from EPTV and G1 Globo, police visited Fernandes’ home after receiving a tip that a young man had gone missing and was last seen at her residence. When questioned, Fernandes initially denied any wrongdoing and told officers she had recently buried her dog in the garden.

However, investigators noticed freshly disturbed soil in the yard. When the Fire Department was called in to assist, they uncovered human remains later identified as Rocha’s.

After being confronted with the discovery, Fernandes reportedly confessed to the killing, claiming she acted in self-defense after an argument escalated inside the house.

“She said she grabbed scissors to defend herself and ended up stabbing him several times,” said Detective João Vitor Silvério of the Civil Police. “She later hired someone to help dig the hole where the body was buried.”

Investigators also allege that Fernandes’ adult son helped her move the victim’s body from inside the house to the backyard before it was buried.

Fernandes has been charged with homicide and concealment of a corpse and remains in custody pending further investigation.

The case has taken an even darker turn because Fernandes’ husband died just months earlier, in January, after reportedly being found dead in the swimming pool of the same home. His death had originally been ruled accidental, but authorities have now confirmed that case will be reopened in light of Fernandes’ confession to killing Rocha.

The Civil Police of São Paulo has taken over both investigations.

Rocha’s mother, Ivonete Ribeiro da Silva, has publicly accused Fernandes of manipulating, controlling, and abusing her son during their relationship. She said her son had been trying to leave the relationship before his death.

“My son lived in an abusive relationship,” she told EPTV. “Even when he went to the bathroom, the door had to stay open. He couldn’t take his phone anywhere because she was always there, controlling everything.”

Da Silva described Fernandes as “jealous and possessive” and said her son had become increasingly isolated from family and friends.

“She had already blocked all of us from his phone,” the grieving mother said. “She was aggressive toward him, and she was racist toward people. She controlled every aspect of his life.”

Da Silva also claimed that Fernandes pretended to be her son on messaging apps after his death, replying to family members to make it seem like he was still alive.

“On Thursday, I thought I was talking to him,” Da Silva recalled. “But it was her, pretending to be him. She said he had gone to Minas Gerais and taken all his things.”

The victim’s mother believes Fernandes planned the killing, alleging that the teacher drugged her son before stabbing him.

“My son was a young man, over six feet tall. She could not have fought him on her own. There was no self-defense, no struggle — she planned it,” Da Silva said.

She added that her son had been preparing to leave Fernandes for good. “He loved her, but he couldn’t bear living under her control anymore,” she said, claiming that in one argument, the teacher had even run over his foot with her car.

Police have not yet revealed a motive beyond Fernandes’ claim of self-defense. However, investigators suspect the killing may have been premeditated, given her efforts to hide the body and continue using the victim’s phone after his death.

Fernandes remains in custody at a women’s detention facility in São Paulo state. Detectives are now reviewing phone records, surveillance footage, and financial transactions as part of the ongoing investigation.

Authorities say that once the autopsy is complete, the results will be key in determining whether Fernandes’ claim of self-defense has any merit or whether the evidence supports the family’s allegation of a planned killing.

“We are continuing to gather information, speak with witnesses, and analyze the forensic evidence,” Detective Silvério said. “Our goal is to uncover the full truth about what happened.”

The case has drawn national attention in Brazil, not only for its brutality but also for its eerie parallels to the death of Fernandes’ husband earlier this year.