TDoR list ref: tgeu/tdor2023/20-Jun-2023/Joana Smith / Joanna Smitt Joana Smith/Joanna Smitt [photo: atarde.com.br]
Joana was found dead with gunshot wounds shortly after being kidnapped by four armed assailants.
On the morning of this Tuesday (20), a [trans woman] identified as Joana, 20, was found with gunshot marks on the banks of Estrada da Vaquejada, in the municipality of Costa do Descobrimento, in the rural area of Eunápolis. The information is from the Radar News website, a partner of Bahia Notícias.
According to police authorities, Joana was allegedly kidnappedby four armed individuals on Rua Monte Serrat, in the Santa Lúcia neighborhood. At the time, she was accompanied by [two friends, one trans and one cisgender], both of the same age group, while returning from Vila do Forró, located in the Centauro neighborhood.
After analyzing the cell phones of the three friends, the criminals released the others and held Joana hostage. While the friends went to the police station to register the kidnapping, they received the tragic news that Joana's body had been found by a rural worker.
After the crime, the kidnappers continued to use Joana's social networks to post videos that she had recorded during the party, hours before her death. These posts were accompanied by messages implying that she had “gone over” or died.
Police authorities are considering the possibility that Joana's murder is related to an alleged romantic relationship with a member of a rival faction to the one responsible for the crime. Investigations are ongoing to establish the facts and identify those responsible for this act of violence.
Two suspects - named as Alongado, 24 years old, and Van-Van, 20 - were arrested on Tuesday 10th October 2023. One of the them was reportedly also involved in the kidnapping of five people, which led to the death of three others.
