A young nanny who police say was imprisoned and forced into prostitution by her boss was found dead in Brazil – with her employer suspected of being involved in the death.
Geovana Martins, 20, was reported missing on August 19 and her body was found the following day in a wooded area in the northern Brazilian city of Manaus.
Police arrested her employer, Camila da Silva, in connection to the death on Wednesday, saying Martins may have been beaten and tortured.
The young woman was hired a year ago to take care of da Silva’s daughter.
Police say Geovana Martins, 20, was forced into prostitution after she was hired to work as a nanny
Investigators alleged that da Silva used the home as a prostitution den and that she prevented Martins from leaving.
‘She was lured into a life of partying and drinking, but then Camila started forcing her to stay there,’ Civil Police Chief Marília Campello said, according to the Brazilian news outlet G1. ‘She wouldn’t let her go out, even though she wanted to and she was sexually exploited.’
A TikTok video posted on da Silva’s account in February showed her and Martins dancing together.
Camila da Silva (left) dances in a TikTok video with her nanny Geovana Martins, who was found dead in a wooded area in the northern Brazilian city of Manaus
While other young women were also forced to perform sex work at the residence, Martins was the only victim who lived in the house.
‘This victim was practically forced to perform sexual acts. From what we found out, the house operated as a massage parlor,’ Campello said. ‘In addition to Geovana, other girls also passed through there, but the victim lived there and could not have relationships with people from outside.’
Martins’ mother, Maria Costa, told G1 she was unaware her daughter had been forced to work as a prostitute.
‘So far we don’t know anything. She had never told me anything,’ Costa said. ‘It’s painful, knowing that she was working with someone and then finding out that my daughter is dead.’
Eduardo Gomes is wanted in connection to the death of Geovana Martins
Investigators allege that Geovana was prevented from leaving the home where she worked
The Amazonas Civil Police announced Thursday that it was searching for a second suspect, Eduardo Gomes, who allegedly owned the vehicle that was used to transport Martin’s body.
Gomes is the son of the owner of the home da Silva was renting.
‘The car belonged to Eduardo and had already been sold to someone else,’ Campello said. ‘However, the suspect lent the vehicle and returned it after Geovana disappeared. The car was returned clean to the new owner, who has already given a statement and the car.’
Campello said that da Silva, who had been arrested in the past for drug trafficking, scared Martins by telling her she had been married to Mano Kaio, a known drug dealer in Amazonas who is wanted by authorities, and threatened to harm her if she left the home.
Authorities discovered that Camila da Silva had purchased a flight to Europe
‘She said she would call the drug traffickers to break Geovana’s leg, threatening to make it “happen,”‘ Campello said.
Investigators found that da Silva had purchased a flight to Europe and that her family, including her mother and uncles, reside in France.
Martins had obtained her passport in June and the police believe that da Silva was going to use Martins as a drug mule and also force her to have sex outside of the country.
Campello said investigators are still looking into the motive behind Martins’ death.
‘We still cannot confirm the exact motivation, as the suspect denies having committed the crime,’ she said. ‘But we have sufficient evidence, and that is why she is under arrest.’
