A murder-suicide investigation is now underway after a Brazilian woman was killed in Limerick and her husband was later found dead in Cork, gardaí have confirmed.
The woman, a Brazilian national, was found dead in Limerick in what investigators immediately treated as a suspicious death. Gardaí had been urgently trying to locate her husband, Judismar Wesley Batista, also a Brazilian national, who was known to the victim and considered a key person of interest in the case.
The search for Batista came to a grim conclusion when his body was discovered in Cork. Gardaí are now treating the two deaths as a murder-suicide, meaning the active investigation into a suspect is effectively closed.
The case sent shockwaves through the Brazilian community in the midwest of Ireland, where a significant number of Brazilian nationals have settled over the past two decades. Limerick in particular has become home to one of the more established Brazilian communities in the country.
Gardaí had put significant resources into locating Batista in the hours following the discovery of the woman’s body, with investigators keen to speak to him as quickly as possible. His death in Cork brought that search to an end.
The State Pathologist’s office is expected to carry out post-mortem examinations on both bodies as part of the standard process in cases of this nature. Gardaí are preparing a file for the coroner.
Support services for anyone affected by domestic violence are available through Women’s Aid on their 24-hour helpline at 1800 341 900.