A well-known fitness influencer, Debora Michels, 30, was reportedly discovered dead on a sidewalk in Montenegro, Brazil, in the early hours of Friday, January 26. Her body was allegedly dumped outside her parents’ house by her husband following a fatal argument.
Police believe she was killed by her husband of 10 years, who then heartlessly ditched her lifeless body outside her parents’ home.
Michels, known as Deby, was found covered in a red blanket yards from the house.
The suspect reportedly told the police that the pair had gotten into a heated argument that became physical.
The husband, named Alexander Gunsch, is said to have grabbed Deby around her neck before lifting her and throwing her against a wardrobe.
At this point, he told police his bodybuilder wife started to feel sick and soon lost consciousness, according to local reports.
He then took Deby to hospital for medical attention, but after realising that she was dead, he ditched her on the pavement in front of the house, local media said.
Citing the Military Brigade (BM), the Correio Do Povo newspaper reports that CCTV footage captured the moment the suspect removed Deby’s body from his car and placed it on the pavement.
He has since been remanded in custody by the police.
Debora’s funeral took place on Saturday, January 27, before being buried in the Municipal Cemetery of Montenegro at around 11am the same day.
Her heartbroken brother Alex Michels told local media: ‘This situation is revolting. What our family wants is justice. You cannot leave anyone unpunished.’
He added that Deby had wanted to leave Gunsch before the tragedy.
‘The family is having a lot of strength to endure this situation,’ Alex Michels said, according to Correio Do Povo.
‘The community is terrified. The day before the crime, he and my father talked about separating. Everything seemed to be fine until my parents woke up to find their daughter dead in front of the house,’ he said.
Her close friend Deise Chemelo said: ‘Debora was a magnetic person. She lit up every place she went; she only had friends, and she only did good.
‘A fighter, an entrepreneur, there is no explanation for what happened. She didn’t deserve it. We don’t understand.’
According to Cleusa Spinato, a women’s aid advocate at a Specialised Police Station, Gunsch surrendered and confessed to the crime when police visited his address on Saturday.
Ms Spinato said police were treating the case as femicide, and that Gunsch was the main suspect in the death of his wife.
The police investigation is ongoing.
