Tragedy Unveiled: The Heartbreaking Journey of Patrícia Roberta, a Life Cut Short by Betrayal and Murder

What drives a man to kill a person who came to bring them love, affection, and companionship?” These were the words, filled with sadness and longing, spoken by the father of Patrícia Roberta, a 22-year-old native of Caruaru, Pernambuco, during her funeral on April 29, 2021.

Tragedy Strikes: The Untimely Death of Patrícia Roberta:

To understand how we arrived at this tragic scene where a father buried his daughter, let’s go back in time a little. Six days before, on April 23, 2021, Patrícia Roberta traveled from Caruaru, Pernambuco, to the capital of Paraíba, João Pessoa, with the intention of visiting a friend, Jonathan Henrique Conceição dos Santos, 23 years old. It was supposed to be a trip to create good memories of a weekend by the beach, with outings and good company.

A Life Cut Short: Patrícia’s Dreams and Aspirations:

Her parents, Paulo Roberto and Vera Lúcia, described her as a very kind, affectionate, and intelligent person. She was close to her family and enjoyed spending time with relatives and friends. They described her as playful, friendly, and joyful.

From an early age, Patrícia Roberta had two dreams. The first was to become a mother, which she saw as the greatest achievement in her life. No one who knew her doubted that she would be a very loving mother. Besides this dream, she also planned to attend college and become an entrepreneur in the field of aesthetics because she loved working with makeup and eyebrows.

The Fateful Encounter: Patrícia and Jonathan’s Connection:

At the time, she worked as a salesperson in a technical course store, gained her independence, left her parents’ house, and started living on her own. At her workplace, her colleagues viewed her as a dynamic, intelligent, and hardworking person.

In the early months of 2021, when the entire country was still under the shadow of the pandemic, people were cautious, and masks were worn everywhere, Patrícia exchanged messages on social media with an old school friend, Jonathan Henrique. They had known each other for at least 10 years, and some close people mentioned that he had tried to date Patrícia when she was 12, but her father disagreed with that relationship and did not allow it. The years passed, and even after he moved to João Pessoa, they continued to have some contact online.

Jonathan worked as a tattoo artist and lived alone in an apartment in João Pessoa. He already had one child from a previous relationship that didn’t work out, and he had been in a new relationship for about a year. His girlfriend was pregnant, and this fact did not deter him from corresponding with Patrícia online.

Deception and Tragedy: The Unraveling of Patrícia’s Fate:

In their exchanges, Jonathan repeatedly invited Patrícia to spend a weekend with him in João Pessoa, promising outings and pleasant moments. She was initially hesitant to travel alone and was also working a lot at the time, so she didn’t have time to rest. However, not knowing that her friend was in a relationship and expecting another child soon, Patrícia decided to accept the invitation and planned her trip on a Friday, April 23, 2021. She had recently ended a relationship and needed some relaxation and a change of scenery. She told her mother about the trip and asked a cousin to help her purchase bus tickets online.

Although some family members had expressed concerns about her safety when traveling alone to meet this friend, Patrícia assured them that everything was fine. After all, they had known each other for at least ten years, and she planned to return soon, in time to celebrate her grandmother’s birthday at a family event scheduled for the following week in early May.

She only asked her mother and cousin to keep the news of her trip a secret from her father, fearing that he might worry and not agree. Patrícia planned to return to Caruaru on Monday, April 26, and was excited about her first interstate trip.

Betrayal and Horror: The Nightmare Unfolds:

As planned, Patrícia boarded a bus to João Pessoa on April 23. However, something happened that was not part of the arrangement: Jonathan, who had promised to pick her up at the bus station, simply didn’t show up. He contacted her and said he would send a ride-sharing car to take her to his apartment.

After spending the night together in Jonathan’s apartment, around 11 a.m. the next day, Patrícia made a video call to her mother. During the call, Vera Lúcia quickly realized that Patrícia wasn’t doing well, and her expression was unusually sad. Concerned, she asked what had happened, and Patrícia explained that Jonathan had left the apartment, leaving her alone and locked in. He told her that he needed to deal with some “situation,” without explaining further, but assured her that he would return shortly, while she should wait in the apartment. On the same night of that day, the mother sent a new message to her daughter, who informed her that Jonathan had not returned and had not given any news.

Desperation and Search for Answers: Patrícia’s Parents Take Action:

In their continued messaging, Patrícia told her mother that Jonathan only returned on Sunday, the 25th, and that he had said he would return with her to Caruaru, and he had already purchased their bus tickets. Afterward, Patrícia’s mother tried to question her daughter about why Jonathan wanted to travel with her, but she didn’t receive any answers.

Unable to make contact with Patrícia throughout Sunday, Vera Lúcia revealed the news of her daughter’s trip to Paulo Roberto and who she had gone to meet with. She explained that she could no longer contact her daughter. Her father, who had never trusted Jonathan, spoke harshly and emphatically to Patrícia’s mother: “We’re going after her, but prepare yourself for the worst.”

Overwhelmed by anxiety, Patrícia’s parents traveled to João Pessoa on Monday, the 26th. Her father managed to find Jonathan’s address on his own, but when they arrived, there was no one in the apartment. They then went to the local police station and reported their daughter missing. The Civil and Military police initiated the search.

Discovery of a Gruesome Act: Jonathan’s Dark Secret Revealed:

On Tuesday, with still no clues about Jonathan and Patrícia’s whereabouts, the police returned to the neighborhood where Jonathan lived. A neighbor played a crucial role by informing the police that he had seen the accused leave with what looked like a wrapped-up body in some sort of carpet during the early hours of Monday.

The police gained access to neighborhood surveillance camera footage, which showed Jonathan pushing a wheelbarrow with what appeared to be a garbage drum. Later, he appeared on the footage again, this time rushing away on a motorcycle, carrying something that resembled a body wrapped and lying on the motorcycle.

On April 27, a few hours after the search began, the police finally found Patrícia Roberta’s body. She was found with her feet tied, wrapped in a sheet and a plastic bag, in a wooded area in the Novo Geisel neighborhood, near where Jonathan lived. The forensic expert who examined Patrícia Roberta’s body described the meticulous and organized way in which she was tied up and then wrapped with a towel on her head, a sheet around her body, and then placed in a large plastic bag as an indication of the premeditation of the crime. According to the autopsy, Patrícia was killed by asphyxiation or strangulation.

Justice for Patrícia: Jonathan’s Trial and Sentencing:

A cousin of Patrícia who lived in João Pessoa was called to identify the body on-site. Due to her advanced state of decomposition, the forensic expert photographed one of Patrícia’s tattoos and showed it to the cousin, who was able to identify and confirm her identity.

There was a great deal of sorrow and sympathy from her family, friends, and the people of Caruaru, where Patrícia lived. Many people were moved and gathered outside her family’s residence, waiting for her body to arrive the following day to say their goodbyes. Reporters from various television channels were also there, documenting and reporting the entire case.

Patrícia Roberta was buried on the night of April 29, in the Dom Bosco Cemetery in Caruaru, her hometown. After seeing his daughter’s casket set off for the funeral march, Patrícia’s father said, very emotionally, “What I wanted most was to take my daughter back alive, even if she were hurt.”

Hours after the body was found, Jonathan was eventually located and arrested in a residence in the Mangabeira 2 neighborhood. The discovery was made when the police noticed Jonathan’s motorcycle parked in front of the house. When they entered the premises, they found Jonathan lying on a mattress on the floor in one of the rooms, showing no reaction. Upon being detained, Jonathan tried to lie to the investigators, claiming that he had accompanied Patrícia to a bus bound for her home. Later, he changed his story, saying that he had arranged for a ride-sharing car to take her to the bus station.

In Jonathan’s apartment, a list with the names of around 20 women was found, with Patrícia Roberta’s name among them. There was also an altar with books on magic and the occult and some “disturbing writings,” according to Amanda Melo, one of the forensic experts on the case. In one of Jonathan’s writings, there were things like “at night, I go out to kill” and “you’re a good girl, and I’m a bad guy, you can’t understand me.” Jonathan’s writings also indicated that he accessed the ‘dark web.’

The Verdict: Patrícia’s Legacy and the Search for Answers:

After two years of waiting, especially for Patrícia’s parents, Jonathan’s trial took place on a Thursday, May 25, 2023, lasting for approximately 13 hours. During his testimony, Jonathan finally confessed to causing Patrícia’s death and concealing her body but claimed it was an accident that occurred during sexual activity. He stated that he panicked when his pregnant girlfriend and her mother arrived at the location, prompting him to hide the body in another room. Jonathan also admitted that he had used marijuana, alcohol, and LSD, which impaired his ability to recall specific details.

He also alleged that Patrícia arrived on Friday night, and they spent the night together, consuming alcohol. According to Jonathan, on Saturday, he had gone out to fix his motorcycle while Patrícia stayed in his apartment. On Saturday night, they went to a party in the Valentina de Figueiredo neighborhood, where they consumed various substances. After returning from the party, they slept, and the tragedy occurred on Sunday.

However, the prosecutor, Demétrius Castor, challenged Jonathan’s version regarding their visit to the party. A friend of the accused provided a statement, asserting that Jonathan had visited her apartment on Saturday while keeping Patrícia locked up. Furthermore, the prosecutor mentioned the existence of images showing Jonathan leaving the friend’s apartment on Sunday morning.

In the end, no one believed Jonathan’s version that it was all an accident. It was clear that the crime was premeditated and intentional. Consequently, Jonathan was convicted and sentenced to 20 years in prison for the triple-qualified homicide and an additional 1 year and 2 months for the concealment of a corpse, totaling 21 years and 2 months in closed custody.

Remembering Patrícia: A Life Cut Short:

]All we can do today is mourn the death of Patrícia Roberta. She was intelligent and ‘quick-witted,’ in the words of her father, and yet she became another victim of feminicide. She traveled trusting an individual who didn’t give her a chance to defend herself and simply took her life for no reason. Patrícia Roberta was a loving, playful young woman full of dreams; she wanted to be a mother, an entrepreneur, and was cherished by everyone who knew her.

For all of these reasons, the question that remains among us is the same as Patrícia’s father: “What drives a man to kill a person who came to bring them love, affection, and companionship?”