Brazilian Influencer Dies After Falling From Balcony, Husband Arrested

Brazilian lifestyle influencer Maria Katiane Gomes da Silva has died at the age of 25 after she fell from the balcony of her 10th-floor condo. Days after her devastating death, her husband, Alex Leandro Bispo dos Santos, was arrested for his alleged involvement in the potential homicide.

Silva was found dead on November 29 outside her building in São Paulo as Bispo dos Santos, 40, held onto her body. According to local outlet O Globo, he told responding officers that Silva committed suicide after they got into an argument.

The influencer’s death was initially deemed suspicious, and Bispo dos Santos was arrested 10 days later on December 9 for his suspected involvement in her murder.

Authorities obtained surveillance footage from the day Gomes da Silva died. In the footage, which has since been shared via X, Santos was seen allegedly beating her in the parking garage. The couple was also caught arguing in an elevator, in which he reached for her neck and was even seen violently dragging her out.

Following the altercation, Santos returned to the elevator and collapsed with his head in his hands, according to the outlet.

Soon after, neighbors called police to report that they heard screaming and a loud bang in the building.

Following Silva’s death, police launched an investigation into the matter. Authorities eventually came to suspect that Santos hurled his wife off their balcony and they ultimately arrested him. He is now in temporary custody as the investigation into her death continues, per the outlet.

Santos attended Silva’s funeral on December 1, where he reportedly appeared emotional and he tearfully knelt beside her casket.

A rep for Santos has not spoken out about his arrest as of press time.

Silva created an audience of more than 6,000 loyal Instagram followers. She frequently shared updates about her life on her profile, which also included lifestyle and makeup content. She also implied that she was happily married by including a diamond ring emoji in her bio.

She was born and raised in a rural district of Crateús, Brazil, according to local outlet g1. Silva worked in a restaurant and supermarket in her hometown before she relocated to São Paulo and met Santos.

It is not clear how the couple met, when they started dating, when they got married or how long they were romantically involved before her death. However, she did share affectionate photos with Santos via Instagram in September 2024. One selfie captured the couple leaning in closely as they looked directly at the camera, while another snapshot showed Santos planting a kiss on her cheek.

Her last Instagram post was shared on November 8. In the video, she appeared in good spirits and she prepared an energy drink. She was seemingly getting ready to workout, as she was wearing black leggings and a matching sports bra in the short video. “Nem é meme,” she captioned the clip, which translates to “It’s not even a joke” in English.

Shortly after news of her passing broke, several of her followers took to the comments section of a pinned post from June 2021 to express their condolences.