A Brazilian couple has been sentenced for the brutal murder of a female clown, Julieta Ines Hernandez Martinez, who was raped, burned, strangled, and buried alive. Known by her stage name “Jujuba,” Julieta had been cycling from Brazil to Venezuela as part of a feminist performance troupe when she stopped overnight in Presidente Figueiredo and never emerged alive.
Her body was discovered days later in a shallow grave near a guest house run by the killers, who confessed after police traced bicycle parts back to the property. According to investigators, Julieta had been resting in a hammock when Thiago Agles da Silva, high on crack, attacked her with a knife. He bound her legs and ordered his girlfriend, Deliomara dos Anjos Santos, to drag Julieta into the kitchen. Da Silva then raped and assaulted her, while Santos poured alcohol over Julieta before Da Silva set her on fire. She survived the flames but was subsequently strangled with a rope and buried behind the house.
Santos, 29, received a prison sentence of 37 years, 11 months, and 10 days, while Da Silva, 32, was sentenced to 41 years and three months. Both were convicted of robbery, murder, and concealing a corpse. The case drew international attention when Santos posted a disturbing photo of herself smirking while wearing Julieta’s distinctive red-and-black crop top, later confirmed to belong to the victim. The couple eventually led authorities to where Julieta’s belongings had been hidden.
Julieta’s fellow performers paid tribute to her as a fearless artist, writing: “Our great Julieta, our Clown Jujuba, carried her dreams on the bike and created smiles all over Brazil. Her vivacity was a victim of femicide, and her bike was destroyed, as were our hearts.”
The murder has become one of Brazil’s most shocking femicide cases, highlighting the dangers faced by women traveling alone across the country.
