The Tragic Murder Of Soap Opera Star Daniella Perez

Twenty-two-year-old Brazilian actress Daniella Perez was on her way to the top until her life was tragically cut short (via CNN). In a tale full of jealousy and deceit, Perez would unfortunately be the victim of a fatal pact (per The New York Times). Born to screenwriter Gloria Perez, Thought Catalog reports that her mother cast her in a show she had written called "De Corpo e Alma" (which translates to "Of Body and Soul"). Perez played Yasmin and her on-screen boyfriend, Bira, was played by Guilherme de Padua. Here's where things get a little tricky.

Although CrimeBeat reports that both were married, some sources write that Perez and de Padua had an affair. Others believe that there was never an off-screen relationship and that de Padua had made it up. Whatever the case, it can be agreed that he was nervous that his role on the show was either going to be reduced or written off. He wanted Perez's assistance; perhaps a talk with her mother could help. De Padua, however, did end up telling his wife, Paula de Almeida Thomaz, that he was indeed having an affair. She calmly told him that he knew what he had to do. De Padua and Thomaz had made a deal before getting married; if he cheated on her, he had to kill his mistress.

Per Thought Catalog, on December 28, 1992, the couple took action. After a taping of their show, CNN reports that Guilherme de Padua and Daniella Perez drove to a beach. Unbeknownst to her, Thomaz was hiding in the back of the car. It's also claimed that the couple simply followed and ambushed her when she left the studio (via CrimeBeat). Regardless of how they got Perez alone, they reportedly stabbed her 18 times with a pair of scissors (per the Tampa Bay Times). According to The New York Times, de Padua and Thomaz then left her body in an abandoned lot. Almost immediately, de Padua confessed to the murder. He then recanted and put the blame on Thomaz.

However, the prosecution agreed that they had both murdered Perez as a product of what they believed was "envy, jealousy and ambition." They were sentenced to 19 years, but both only served six years. They divorced while in prison. Although it's unknown what Thomaz has been up to since her release, de Padua became an evangelical pastor for a megachurch (per Play Crazy Game). He does not answer any questions regarding the murder. News Tvs 24  reports that an HBO Max documentary is in the works about the life and murder of Perez. In light of this news, de Padua has recently deleted all of his social media profiles.