A cop who married a woman 26 years his junior has shot her dead in a jealous rage after suspecting her of cheating on him during a heated row.

Francisco de Oliveira Souto, 48, fatally shot his wife Aurea Nascimento, 22, before shooting himself in the head in the Brazilian municipality of Caninde in the early hours of Tuesday, 10th August.

Local media reported that when the police arrived at the residence, they found the suspect still breathing and called for an ambulance. However, when the paramedics arrived, he was dead.

Photos taken at the scene show Souto lying on the floor in a large pool of blood and his wife slumped over a plastic chair in what appears to be an outdoor area with her top soaked in blood.

A knife is also seen on the floor next to the perpetrator’s body, but it was not reported if it was also used in the crime.

The police, who seized a firearm from the scene, questioned witnesses, who confirmed that the two had been arguing prior to the crime taking place. It is not clear if they witnessed the shootings.

According to Amazonas News, the row between the couple broke out after the perpetrator claimed that his wife had been cheating on him with other men.

Souto entered the police force in 1993, years before his wife was even born. The police corps of the north-eastern state of Ceara, where Caninde is located, expressed regret at his death.

The police are investigating the case.