CAXIAS DO SUL, RIO GRANDE DO SUL, BRAZIL – SEPTEMBER 6, 2017 Body of 28-year-old Ana Paula Taffarel was found in bags near the Barragem da Maestra reservoir. Parts of her body were discovered by a municipal water service worker during a water quality inspection. Police subsequently determined that Ana Paula had been murdered and that her body had been dismembered.
Ana Paula Taffarel
The main suspect was her then-partner, 31-year-old Alessandro Barbosa. According to investigators, the motive was allegedly related to a conflict over drug trafficking. After being released from custody, Barbosa allegedly shot Ana Paula twice in the head, then dismembered her body and hid the remains in the reservoir. He then allegedly set her house on fire and fled to Santa Catarina.
Alessandro Barbosa
Barbosa was arrested in Lages in October 2017. In August 2025, a jury in Caxias do Sul found him guilty of aggravated murder, concealment of a body, and intentional arson and sentenced him to 37 years and 4 months in prison.
