The body of Deborah Custodio Arruda, aged 56, has not yet been found by the civilian police of Balneario Pizarras, a month after her disappearance. Delegate Rodrigo Andrade, who is in charge of the investigation, said there was no new information on the woman’s whereabouts.

The body of Deborah, dead after being picked up, has yet to be found in South Carolina. Photo: Civil Police and personal archive/Disclosure/ND

Deborah disappeared a month ago, on May 6, after giving a lift to a man at the exit of a supermarket in Balneario Pizarras. Her car was only found in Guaratuba, Parana state, a few days later.

One of the suspects came to the Paraná city police along with the pastor and confessed to killing Deborah by asphyxiation. She would have given the first suspect a ride, who would have strangled her until she passed out. Then two more suspects, who were detained on May 23, allegedly got into the car. All three were to travel to Joinville, where Deborah was killed and her body, according to the suspects, was left on the shore of BR-101.

Even given the location, so far the body has not been found by the police. Having received no answer about the whereabouts of his mother’s body, Deborah’s son, Lucas Arruda, conducts his own parallel investigation. He traveled to Guaratuba and Joinville, the locations indicated by the suspects, in search of the body.

“I only ask for justice to tell them where the body was hidden so that we can say goodbye with a worthy wake that my mother deserved,” says the son.

The stolen car was discovered by him through social networks. He went to Guaratuba in search of his mother and a small dog that had stayed in the city and was supposed to be with the family.