A young woman from Brazil who had relocated to Ireland in pursuit of a better life was reportedly strangled to death by her ex-boyfriend during a visit to his apartment, as revealed in court proceedings. The victim, Bruna Fonseca, was discovered at an apartment in Cork city center on January 1, 2023. The accused, Miller Pacheco, aged 31, has denied the charge of her murder. According to the prosecution, Bruna, a 28-year-old university graduate, had moved to Ireland in 2022 with aspirations of a brighter future.
The court was informed that Bruna and Pacheco, who both hailed from the same small town in Brazil, had previously been in a relationship in 2022 but had since separated, with Bruna seemingly moving forward with her life. Upon arriving in Ireland in September 2022 with her niece Maria, Bruna secured a job as a cleaner at Mercy University Hospital in the city. Pacheco, who arrived in Ireland in November 2022, was employed at a restaurant on McCurtain Street, as reported by Cork Beo.
Although Bruna had entered a new relationship by then, there was still interaction between her and Pacheco. Text messages from Pacheco to Bruna were mentioned, and by December 20, 2022, Bruna had expressed her desire for Pacheco to cease contact with her. Events leading up to the tragedy included a Christmas Eve gathering where Pacheco reportedly kept a close eye on Bruna, followed by a joint attendance at a New Year’s event in the city. In the early hours of New Year’s Day, Bruna visited Pacheco’s apartment to make a video call to their dog back home via FaceTime.
Approximately ninety minutes later, nearby residents heard loud screams, described as unintelligible yelling. Witnesses from a restaurant and a nearby Franciscan friary reported hearing the distressing screams. The trial was said to involve substantial evidence related to text messages and phone calls, including a call at 5:15 am on January 1, 2023, where Pacheco admitted to a friend that there was no turning back.
Upon a subsequent visit by individuals who had heard the screams, Pacheco was found at the apartment entrance holding a bed sheet, which he later discarded in a bin. He denied any involvement in Bruna’s death despite the discovery of her lifeless body in the apartment. Pacheco claimed he suffered an anxiety attack and alleged that Bruna had struck him, leading to a physical altercation where he inadvertently applied pressure on her neck in an attempt to restrain her.
The post-mortem examination conducted by Assistant State Pathologist Dr. Margaret Bolster determined Bruna’s cause of death as asphyxiation. Pacheco, a former engineer in Brazil, is receiving assistance from a Portuguese interpreter during the court proceedings, while members of Bruna’s family have traveled to Ireland for the trial.