A 44-year-old influencer was beaten and set on fire in a brutal killing by a partner less than half her age before he left her for dead and went to work.

Victim Laine Mendonca had been throttled, beaten and had burns to 30 per cent of her body after the agonising attack in Japura, in the state of Parana in southern Brazil on Tuesday, 9th May.

She died of her injuries three days later in the intensive care unit at Fundacao Hospitalar do Parana on 12th May.

Her 21-year-old lover, who has not been named, was seized by police as the prime suspect for her murder.

Laine and her partner had been living together for four years and, say police, he has a history of domestic violence against his mother.

Investigators believe he killed her in a jealous rage.

After the brutal attack, the suspect told his father that he believed Laine was dead, with the latter then rushing to her aid and alerting the authorities.

Laine – who had nearly 30,000 followers on Instagram – is being mourned by her fans, and her brother, Laircio de Mendonca, has said: “He destroyed our entire family. My father is 84 years old and he is devastated. We are suffering a lot. We are finished, it makes me sick to think about it.

“The people here love our family, they love her, she was very dear to everyone. There’s no one who doesn’t like her.

“We are four siblings. It’s been very difficult, but we trust that justice will be done.”

The police investigation is ongoing.