Francisca Roberta de Jesus Silva, 21, was shot dead in north-east Brazil three years after her partner, Fernando Rocha Alves, met the same fate, with police now investigating whether the two murders are linked
A 21-year-old influencer has been shot dead three years after her partner was murdered in the same way.
Francisca Roberta de Jesus Silva, known on social media as Robertinha, was killed in the street in Coelho Neto in the state of Maranhao, Brazil, on May 15. According to the Civil Police, two suspects on a motorbike fired shots before fleeing the scene. Francisca tried to flee, but was shot in the head, back and legs, authorities said.
It come after Francisca’s partner, Fernando Rocha Alves, was killed in February 2023 after the pair were ambushed by armed men. Francisca was also shot twice in the right leg during that attack but survived, reports local outlet O Imparcial. She later relocated to Nova Mutum in the central-west state of Mato Grosso before returning to Coelho Neto on May 13, accompanied by her sister and a friend.
Police are investigating whether Francisca’s murder is related to other crimes previously reported in the municipality, CNN Brasil reports. Security camera footage from the area is being analysed to assist with the investigation.
Francisca had 12,900 followers on one of her social media accounts, where she posted comedy sketches, snippets of her daily life and posts with her mother.
Brazil had a national rate of 16 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants in 2025, according to G1. There were 34,086 cases of homicide in Brazil in 2025, down from 38,374 in 2024, according to figures released by the Ministry of Justice and Public Security. Brazil reported a drop in murders for the fifth year in a row.
