A pregnant Brazilian teenager was killed by a woman who allegedly cut her unborn child out of her womb and claimed it as her own, according to local authorities.
In a press conference held in Brazil on Friday, March 14, Civil Police Chief Caio Albuquerque of the city of Cuiabá said that 16-year-old Emilly Azevedo Sena, who was nine months pregnant, had been missing since Wednesday, March 12.
Her body was found buried in the backyard of a home in the Jardim Florianópolis neighborhood the following day, according to Albuquerque. He stated that a woman has since been arrested for the crime.
Killer Suffered a Miscarriage but Continued to Act as Though She was Pregnant
Albuquerque said the suspect admitted to having experienced a miscarriage six months prior, but claims she did not tell her husband or family about the miscarriage and continued to act as though she was pregnant, per local news outlet g1.
In an official statement released on March 14, the Civil Judicial Police of Mato Grosso said police received a call from a local hospital on March 13, after a woman and her husband arrived with a newborn baby that the woman claimed was her own. The couple even published images of their baby shower and her alleged newborn daughter on social media.
Gente a assassina era tão doida que ela criou uma fanfic que a laqueadura dela falhou e chá de bebê e tudo, eles são psicopatas pic.twitter.com/D5rDHNY8Y9
— M A L E N A (@malenamalikx) March 13, 2025
Hospital Staff Grew Suspicious as Woman Showed No Signs of Recent Pregnancy or Birth
The hospital staff attended to the child, but the woman initially refused to be treated. At the insistence of the staff, the suspect agreed to undergo gynecological and laboratory tests.
The tests confirmed that the patient was not in the postpartum period, that is, she had not given birth. When she went to breastfeed the child, it was also found that she was not producing breast milk, which identified the possibility that the patient was not the child's mother.
Police arrived at the hospital to investigate, which ultimately led them to the couple's home and the discovery of Emilly's body. The suspect confessed to Emilly's murder and will be held responsible for three crimes: homicide, concealment of a corpse and registering someone else's baby as her own, per the March 14 police statement.
Suspect Lured Victim with Promise of Free Baby Clothes
Authorities also said that Emilly — whose body was found in a shallow grave with her abdomen cut open — had met the suspect on social media and was lured to the home after the woman told her she had spare baby clothes available for donation.
An analysis of the body revealed that the victim had been killed by hanging and asphyxiation, with internet cables wrapped around her neck, hands and legs, and a plastic bag over her head.
The Civil Judicial Police of Mato Grosso confirmed on Saturday, March 15, that the investigation is ongoing and that they are currently attempting to determine whether other suspects were involved in the crime.
While speaking to g1 during a memorial for her daughter, Emilly's mother, Ana Paula Meridiane, said, "I didn't just lose a daughter, I lost a friend, partner and companion. Only those who lived with her know how wonderful her heart was."
