Her Boyfriend Saw Her Being Raped and Set Her on Fire
He claimed she set herself on fire
At the age of 19, Isabela Miranda de Oliveira had accomplished almost everything she wanted. She was majoring in Business Administration, working at a multinational company, was becoming fluent in English, had gotten her driver’s license, and was buying her first car. Besides this, she was in a one-year relationship with William Felipe de Oliveira Alves, then 21, with whom her family did not approve. Isabela, unfortunately, was in love with the person who would be charged and convicted of her murder.
Friday, March 3, 2019, was supposed to be a good day with friends. Isabela had been invited by a childhood friend to a barbecue at a country house in Franco da Rocha, Southeast Brazil, and so she accepted. She went together with her boyfriend, William, and they spent the day by the pool having fun with friends. William’s sister, Kathlein, had also shown up, just like his 13-year-old brother and his brother-in-law, Leonardo da Silva, then 23, with whom William had a long-term friendship.
Isabela was not used to drinking alcohol, and after having a few shots of tequila, she felt sick. Around 9:00 pm, she was taken to a bedroom so she could rest in bed till she felt better. Her boyfriend’s brother-in-law, however, would take advantage of her helpless situation. Leonardo sneaked into the room where the intoxicated Isabela was resting alone and began to engage in sexual activities with her, although she could not consent to sex.
Ten minutes later, William and his sister, Leonardo’s girlfriend, opened the bedroom door to see Isabela and Leonardo in bed together. Leonardo quickly pulled up his pants, while Isabela allegedly covered herself with the sheet and sat down on the bed. William exclaimed “Are you kidding me?” as he grew enraged and, in a fit of rage, he started punching Leonardo and Isabela violently several times.
Other guests soon went up the stairs as they realized a fight had started, and unsuccessfully tried to break it up. Leonardo passed out after being repeatedly attacked by William and had to be taken to a hospital.
Isabela was bleeding when her friends locked her in the bathroom in an attempt to free her from William’s assaults ─ but she was not safe there as well. William headed towards the kitchen and, according to witnesses, he caught a knife and allegedly announced he would kill Isabela. After repeatedly punching the bathroom door with no response, William headed back to the kitchen and allegedly set fire to plastic bags. He then reportedly returned to the bedroom and set fire to the bathroom door where Isabela was hiding inside. In addition, he reportedly set fire to a mattress and threw it at Isabela when she desperately left the bathroom.
During the reconstruction of the crime scene, William stated that he filled a bucket with water and threw it into the fire before he and his sister dragged Isabela out of the flames, that according to those present at the scene, were caused by him.
Isabela suffered burns to 80% of her body and succumbed to her injuries on March 8, five days after the incident and two days before her birthday.
Leonardo and William pleaded not guilty to rape and second-degree murder charges respectively.
Leonardo stated that he does not remember what happened on the night of March 3, let alone having had any sexual activity with Isabela, but affirmed he is not a rapist. He told that they had been flirting for a long time and that he would never rape someone.
William confessed to attacking Leonardo and Isabela but denied causing the fire that seriously injured his girlfriend, eventually leading to her death. According to him, Isabela deliberately set fire to the room in an attempt to stop being assaulted. Despite his statement, the family’s attorney claimed that Isabela could not have caused the fire because she had no means of setting the fire and there was no flammable substance in the room. Kathlein, who witnessed her boyfriend and friend in bed together, and also saw when her brother attacked them, did not see the exact moment when the fire started.
In September 2019, William Felipe de Oliveira Alves was convicted of second-degree murder and was sentenced to 21 years and 7 months imprisonment. Leonardo da Silva was convicted of rape involving a vulnerable person and was sentenced to 14 years in prison.
“A piece of us died with her,” lamented Isabela’s aunt.
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