A Brazilian couple has been sentenced to a combined 79 years in prison for the brutal rape and murder of Venezuelan circus performer Julieta Ines Hernandez Martinez, whose body was discovered buried near their guest house in the Amazon region.
Deliomara dos Anjos Santos, 29, and her partner Thiago Agles da Silva, 32, were found guilty of robbery, murder, and concealing a corpse. Santos was sentenced to 37 years and 11 months, while Da Silva received 41 years and three months, both to be served in a closed prison regime.
Julieta, known by her clown stage name “Jujuba,” was travelling through Brazil by bicycle as part of a feminist performance tour when she stopped to rest overnight in Presidente Figueiredo, Amazonas, on December 23, 2023. She was never seen alive again.
Investigators said Da Silva, allegedly under the influence of drugs, attacked Julieta as she slept in a hammock, tied her up, and sexually assaulted her. Santos reportedly poured alcohol on the victim before Da Silva set her on fire. Forensic reports revealed Julieta was still alive after being burned but was later strangled with a rope before being buried behind the couple’s home.
Police traced parts of Julieta’s bicycle to the property, leading to the pair’s arrest. Both confessed to the crime during interrogation.
Weeks after the killing, Santos posted a photo of herself wearing Julieta’s red-and-black crop top — the same garment later found among the victim’s belongings.
Julieta’s disappearance sparked a widespread search by family, friends, and fellow performers. Her feminist troupe, Circo di SoLadies, paid tribute to her, describing her as a “fearless artist who carried her dreams on a bicycle and created smiles all over Brazil.”
Judge Tamiris Gualberto ruled that both convicts remain in custody until all appeals are exhausted.
The case has drawn national outrage, becoming one of Brazil’s most shocking examples of femicide and highlighting the dangers faced by women travelling alone through the country.
