São Paulo prosecutor charges Military Police officer in wife's death

The Public Ministry of São Paulo has filed charges against Military Police soldier Vinicius Costa Silva, 26, for the death of his wife, radiology technician Larissa da Cruz Morata, 29, in Embu das Artes.

Morata was found dead in their apartment bathroom on September 6 with a gunshot wound to the head. While Silva initially claimed his wife committed suicide following an argument about their relationship, forensic examinations have challenged this version. Reports from the Medical Legal Institute and the Criminalistics Institute noted inconsistencies in the reported dynamics, including a bullet trajectory described as “from back to front and from left to right.” Additionally, necropsy results identified at least 16 bruises on the victim's hands, feet, knees, and left leg.

Silva was arrested on September 7 during the victim's wake. The weapon used, a .357 caliber revolver owned by the officer, was recovered at the scene. While the defense maintains there was no history of violence and suggests the victim may have had suicidal thoughts, the victim's family disputes the suicide theory, noting she had contacted her grandmother shortly before her death to say she was moving out following their breakup.