Police at Mahdia on Wednesday detained a man after the lifeless body of his parter was found dead in a pool of blood close to a shop she operates.
Dead is 50-year-old Denise Vieira.
Reports are that sometime after 1:30 pm on Wednesday, neighbours heard the woman arguing with her partner. Shortly after , customers went to the woman’s shop but got no response. However, her partner told them ” look she lying down there” and an alarm was raised.
It was then that blood was seen on the floor near her head and a crowd gathered as persons grew confused since Vieira was seen around 1:30 pm talking to her partner. A neighbour related that during the confusion, the victim’s partner was seen leaving the town and the police were notified. He was promptly arrested.
Persons in the area related that the woman and her partner was always arguing and the victim related to neighbours that the man grew more abusive in recent weeks. It was noted that the woman moved out from her house which adjoins her shop and she was living at the shop. It was noted that her body was found at the house, raising suspicions about her last moments alive.
A police statement confirmed the murder, which took place at Pepper Hill, Mahdia. Enquiries revealed that the deceased resided in a flat concrete structure and operated a small grocery shop in the said building while the suspect who is her reputed husband, resides in the said yard in a wooden structure in a partly fenced yard.
Information received states that the suspect and the woman were together deceased for about eight years and that due to an ongoing domestic dispute between them for some months, the Vieira decided to build the mentioned concrete structure and lived by her herself about three months ago.
Further information received from the deceased’s neighbour states that on the date in question about 13:15hrs, she (neighbour) was at home when she overheard the deceased saying loudly, “Get out my (expletive) place, leff me alone.”
About 13:30hrs the suspect left his house and proceeded next door and was hanging with some friends when about 13:45hrs, a customer went to the deceased’s shop to purchase some items but the deceased was not seen and not responding to calls. This was communicated to the suspect who went over and was seen making checks around the yard and in the deceased’s shop.
The suspect then proceeded into his house via the back door and indicated to the customer that he discovered the deceased on the kitchen floor motionless and appeared to be dead with what appears to be blood oozing from her mouth, nose and about her face.
He attempted to revive her by shaking her but she was unresponsive and he put her to lie on her back.
A report was then made to the police by neighbours. The body of the deceased was examined for marks of violence which were recorded by the police.
The body of the deceased was taken to the Mahdia District Hospital where it was pronounced dead on arrival and was placed into the said hospital mortuary awaiting post mortem.
The suspect was contacted, told of the allegation, cautioned and he denied. He was arrested and placed into custody. Investigations are continuing
