This pretty young dentist and mum-of-one has been strangled to death and cops believe her estranged husband was responsible.

Emelly Nayane da Silva Ribeiro, 24, died after being admitted to the Nossa Senhora do O Hospital in the Brazilian municipality of Paulista on 22nd February.

An autopsy on the young dentist’s body confirmed her cause of death as asphyxiation due to strangling. The police immediately opened an investigation believing the case to be femicide.

Emelly was buried at Vale da Saudade Cemetery in the nearby municipality of Igarassu on 24th February.

At her funeral, her mother Josymeri Bento accused her daughter’s estranged husband of three years and father of her two-year-old son of committing the crime.

She said: “I want justice. She wanted to work and to raise her son, but he did not accept their separation. He wanted her back by any means possible, but as she did not accept him back, he took her life.”

Emelly’s estranged husband, who has been named solely as Livio, has not yet been formally accused by the police.

Investigators, however, consider the 24-year-old man as the prime suspect and are in the process of gathering evidence to base a formal accusation.

The police officer heading the investigation, Augusto Cesar Cunha, told local media: “There was an investigation at the property belonging to the suspect.

“There were some indications that there was some kind of fight or confrontation. The neighbours have already been preliminarily interviewed, but they will also be summoned to appear at the police station.”

The victim’s cousin, Elisangela Moliterno, told local media: “She asked for a divorce and he called her over because he wanted to chat to her.

“They had a conversation there and she realised that she was determined to separate from him.”

Elisangela revealed that Emelly called her mother to tell her she was on the way home, but then she returned to the suspect’s apartment.

She said: “She called her mum again and said ‘I’m going back because Livio’s calling and saying he’s got a gun and he’s going to kill himself. I’m going there to calm him down and I’ll come back straight away’.

“When she went back there, she was killed.”

Elisangela told local media that neighbours reported hearing the couple arguing, but loud music was turned on in the flat shortly after.

She added: “There was already history of her having suffered psychological and physical domestic violence. He was extremely jealous.”

The investigation continues.

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