Ohana Karolin Brazilian 7 month pregnant mom found slaughtered with womb cut out in ritual killing. Whereabouts of unborn child unknown.
A Brazilian woman pregnant with her fourth child was discovered slaughtered with her womb cut out, possibly as part of a ritual sacrifice, cops said.
The body of 24-year-old Ohana Karolin of Mogi Guaco was found by passers-by in Portal dos Lagos in the state of Sao Paulo on Wednesday, the Daily Mail reported.
Karolin’s genitals had been mutilated and her stomach and womb were sliced open, according to authorities. The mom was seven months pregnant.
It remained unclear what had happened to the woman’s unborn baby.
Police said they were looking into a theory that Karolin may have been sacrificed as part of some kind of a ‘macabre ritual.’
Ties to tough gang
The area where Karolin’s mutilated corpse was dumped, with her shorts and flip-flops tossed aside, is surrounded by evangelical churches of various denominations.
The houses of worship often use a wooded space to hold open-air prayer services and vigils.
Investigators contacted Karolin’s ex-husband, the father of her children, who identified her body.
They were trying to determine whether the victim’s new boyfriend played a role in the killing.
A friend of Karolin’s told Brazil’s UOL that the pregnant mom had alleged ties to a ‘tough gang’.
‘I even moved away from her a little bit because of that,’ the friend said. ‘But I don’t know what happened. She was really nice.’
An autopsy will be performed on Karolin’s body to determine how she died and what tool was used to rip her stomach open, authorities said.