Evelyn Lima Dantas, 21, was dragged from her home and executed on a sidewalk in front of her father early Wednesday in northeast Brazil, according to Brazilian outlet Globo.
Two men broke into the residence before repeatedly shooting the aspiring influencer, who had amassed more than 24,000 followers online through travel vlogs and glamour content. The attackers then spray painted the letters “TCP” on the front of the house, a reference to Terceiro Comando Puro, the second most powerful gang in Rio de Janeiro, before fleeing the scene.
Dantas was killed while already under investigation for her suspected role in the July 29 murder of retired police officer Antonio Anildo Alves da Silva, 56. Four hooded men had gunned down the retired officer outside a supermarket. Investigators believed Dantas had assisted the shooters before that killing, Globo reported.
She had been taken into custody in connection with the retired officer’s death but was released on Sept. 9 as the investigation continued. Her release came less than a month before her own violent death.
The young woman’s history with authorities extended beyond the current case. Police said she had previously been arrested on suspicion of drug trafficking for the gang whose initials now marked her family home.
“We are working with the hypothesis of a cover-up or retaliation by some criminal faction,” Rodrigo Lopes told reporters regarding the motive for her killing.
The execution-style killing in front of her father underscored the brutal nature of gang justice in the region. Investigators are now examining whether her murder represented retribution for her cooperation with authorities, her release from custody, or some other dispute within the criminal organization she had been linked to.
The case has drawn attention to the dangerous intersection of social media influence and organized crime in Brazil, where gang-related violence continues to claim lives across multiple states.
Dantas had built her online presence showcasing trips and personal content for her thousands of followers, a digital footprint that now stands in stark contrast to her violent end and the criminal allegations that surrounded her final months.