Student killed by her boyfriend in SC: what is known and what remains to be known after the confession of the person under investigation

Who was the student found dead at her boyfriend's house in SC The Civil Police are investigating the murder of Joviana Evelyn Iankovski, a 19-year-old biology student found dead at her boyfriend's house in Sangão, in the south of Santa Catarina, last Monday (10). Investigated for feminicide, José Gustavo Rabelo de Souza, aged 21, confessed that he used a rear-naked choke to commit the crime. He is in pre-trial detention. ?Click and follow the g1 SC channel on WhatsApp Based on the investigations and reports from family members, check below what is known and what remains to be known about the case: Who was the victim? Who is the suspect and how was the arrest? How and when did the crime happen? How did the suspect try to deceive Joviana's family? How was the crime discovered? What was the couple's relationship like? How did the suspect hide the fact from his own family? What does the defendant's defense say? 1. Who was the victim? Joviana Evelyn Iankovski was 19 years old and worked as a machine operator. She had recently joined the Biological Sciences course at the University of Extremo Sul Catarinense (Unesc). Classes had started just a week before the crime. Described by friends as a free, curious and affectionate young woman, Joviana dreamed of backpacking around the world and doing volunteer work in Africa. Joviana Evelyn Iankovski, 19 years old, was murdered in Sangão and her boyfriend is arrested on suspicion of the crime Reproduction/Social media Joviana Evelyn Iankovski, 19 years old, was found dead in her boyfriend's house in Sangão, SC Reproduction/Social media 2. Who is the suspect and how was the arrest? The suspect is José Gustavo Rabelo de Souza, 21 years old. According to the Civil Police, he had no criminal record or previous records of domestic violence. The victim's family, however, claims that he already had a history of violence. After confessing to the crime on Monday morning (10), the same day the body was found, he was taken by his own family to the police station, where he surrendered. José Gustavo had his arrest converted into preventative arrest after undergoing a custody hearing. José Gustavo Rabelo was arrested after confessing to killing his girlfriend, Joviana Evelyn Iankovski, in SC Social networks/ Reproduction 3. How and when did the crime happen? According to the Civil Police, the feminicide occurred at the turn of Thursday (6) into the early hours of Friday (7). The victim's sister, Livía Iankovski, said that Joviana had gone out to a bar with friends on Thursday and then went to spend the night at her boyfriend's house. There, the two had an argument after the young woman discovered messages on José Gustavo's cell phone with other women. Joviana tried to leave the residence, but was prevented by the suspect, who followed her and applied a "rear-naked choke" type of attack. 4. How did the suspect try to deceive Joviana’s family? In the period between the early hours of Friday and Monday, José Gustavo used social media and the victim's cell phone to impersonate her in conversations with Joviana's mother. To justify his disappearance, he sent messages claiming that his cell phone was out of battery, that he had been ill due to drinking and that he had obtained a doctor's note not to go to work. 'I'm out of battery' and 'I'm going there tomorrow': boyfriend pretended to be a dead student in messages He even sent affectionate phrases like "I'm going there tomorrow night to talk, I love you" to avoid suspicion and ensure that the young woman would return home. 5. How was the crime discovered? The family began to suspect the tone of the responses and inconsistencies in the story given by the messages. On Monday morning (10), Joviana's sister, Lívia Iankovski, also consulted the company where the young woman worked and confirmed that no certificate had been delivered. Following his disappearance, the victim's mother went to her boyfriend's house and, upon noticing discrepancies in the information, called the Military Police. The police went to the scene and found Joviana's body inside José Gustavo's locked room, wrapped in blankets and with injuries to her face. 6. What was the couple's relationship like? Joviana and José Gustavo had been dating for around five months, after meeting at a mutual friend's birthday party. According to the victim's sister, the relationship was troubled and marked by fights, excessive jealousy, manipulation and controlling behavior — the suspect used to forbid Joviana from wearing certain clothes. The couple broke up at the end of July. On the night of the breakup, according to the family, the young man chased her on a motorcycle. Despite being separated, they continued to meet. 7. How did the suspect hide the fact from his own family? José Gustavo lived with his mother and grandmother. The delegate responsible for the case explained that the suspect used to isolate himself in his room on a daily basis, always keeping the door locked, which did not generate immediate suspicion among the residents. In a statement, José Gustavo's defense informed that his family had no prior knowledge of the crime nor participated in any attempt to cover it up. The text highlights that the young man's mother is hearing impaired and that, as soon as they found out about what happened on Monday morning, his family immediately took him to the police station. Prints show suspect pretending to be 19 years old after killing him Personal file 8. What does the defendant's defense say? In an official statement, José Gustavo's defense expressed condolences to Joviana's family and stated that he will act technically within the process, which is being carried out under judicial secrecy. The defense reinforced that the accused's family does not condone any form of violence against women and asked that conclusions not be anticipated before the end of the expert and police investigation (read the full note here). READ ALSO: Student discovered messages from her boyfriend with other women before she was killed Student was found dead a week after starting biology college Student killed at home