On December 9, the Civil Police of Brazil held a press conference unveiling their primary investigation line surrounding the murder of professor Juliana Santiago. The police's findings indicate that João Cândido da Costa Junior, aged 24, is the suspected perpetrator who fatally stabbed Santiago in the chest inside a classroom while she was teaching at a private college in Porto Velho. Santiago, a professor of law and a civil police clerk, was attacked reportedly after rejecting the suspect's advances.

During his arrest, João alleged that he and professor Juliana were in a romantic relationship for several months. He claimed that he became emotionally disturbed when she decided to rekindle a relationship with her ex-boyfriend. However, the police dismissed this narrative as unfounded, revealing that the messages exchanged between the two indicated otherwise, showing that Juliana was clear about maintaining professional boundaries and not pursuing a relationship given their student-teacher dynamic.

The details surrounding this tragic incident highlight broader issues of gender-based violence and the complexities of authority dynamics in academic settings. It raises significant questions about how societal norms and interactions can lead to tragic outcomes, underlining the need for stronger support systems within educational institutions to protect individuals from such violent acts stemming from rejection or misunderstanding of relational boundaries.