A 33-year-old miner has admitted to police that he choked his reputed wife, businesswoman Denise Vieira to death on October 13, 2021.
Vieira, 47, a mother of four was found dead in her home at Pepper Hill, Mahdia, Region Eight. She was choked and beaten to death.

According to an autopsy done on her remains, the cause of death was given as asphyxiation due to compression injuries to the neck, which is consistent with choking, compounded by blunt trauma to the head and face.

Reports indicate that Vieira resided in a flat concrete structure and operated a small grocery shop in the said building, while the suspect resides in the said yard in a wooden structure.

Information received stated that the suspect and the businesswoman had shared a relationship for the past eight years and due to an ongoing domestic dispute between them for some months, she decided to build the concrete structure and live by her herself, about three months ago.

Further information received from her neighbour revealed that on October 13, 2021, around 13:15hrs, the neighbour was at home when she overheard the businesswoman saying loudly, “Get out my (expletive) place, leff me alone.”

Reports indicate that around 13:30hrs, the suspect left his house and proceeded next door and was socialising with some friends when around 13:45hrs, a customer visited the businesswoman’s shop to purchase some items but she was not seen and did not respond to calls.
This was communicated to the suspect who went over and was seen making checks around the yard and in her shop.

The suspect then proceeded into the house via the back door and indicated to the customer that he discovered the businesswoman on the kitchen floor motionless and appeared to be dead. At the time, blood was oozing from her mouth, nose and face.

However, under intense questioning by investigators, the miner claimed that he had gone over at her shop that day just to have a chat with her while she was cooking.

He explained that he wanted to scare her and walked up behind her and placed his arms around her neck, but she began to resist him and a scuffle ensued.

During the scuffle, he told police he tightened his grip around her neck to keep the woman under control but she kept on fighting and they fell to the floor, where she allegedly hit her head and when he released his grip, she was already dead.

He claimed that when he saw that she was unresponsive, he panicked and began to shake her in an attempt to revive her.

After his attempts proved futile, the man claimed that he left her there and stepped outside and made some checks around her house before heading to a nearby shop where he was reportedly seen with friends.