Doctor says SHE'S the victim after her husband 'took out a hit on her boytoy lover'
Dr. Sabrina de Mello slammed the public for judging her without having direct knowledge of what led to the death of Ivan Bonotto, who was stabbed on March 22 at her husband's bar in Sorriso - a city in the west-central state of Mato Grosso - and died April 13 after going into cardiac arrest while hospitalized at Sorriso Regional Hospital.
'I, Sabrina Iara de Mello, a gynecologist and obstetrician in the city of Sorriso, express my profound indignation at the recent statements on social media from people unaware of the incident, accusing me of having an extramarital affair, covering up the murder of a lover, and slandering me without any basis in fact,' Dr. de Mello said in a statement that was posted on her Instagram account Thursday.
'These people ignore the facts, choosing to confuse my private life with a homicide that occurred, when there is no connection between these facts,' the mother-of-two said.
The Mato Gross Civil Police said Bonotto was set up by Dr. de Mello's husband, Gabriel Tacca, after he discovered that Bonotto, a longtime friend, his wife had been romantically involved.
Tacca invited Bonotto to the bar he owned and pretended to fight his friend, businessman Danilo Guimarães, who ended up stabbing Bonotto several times.
On Tuesday, police announced the arrests of Dr. de Mello, Tacca and Guimarães.
Dr. de Mello criticized the public for pinning Bonotto's death on her.
'Most people are choosing sides. And they chose the wrong side,' she said. 'These people don't condemn the confessed killer, but they make a fuss about invading my private life.'
Tacca and Guimarães voluntarily appeared before authorities in the days following Bonotto's stabbing.
Tacca claimed that the fight was sparked by argument over drinks and that he did not know who Bonotto was.
Guimarães told agents that he stabbed Bonotto in self-defense.
'They talk more about me than condemning the killer. I am a doctor,' Dr. de Mello said. 'When he arrived at the hospital, the entire hospital staff gave the victim their full support, in a pluralistic way, aiming to save his life.'
Authorities allege that Tacca instructed Dr. de Mello to sneak into Sorriso Regional Hospital and delete the video of the staged fight and attack that Bonotto filmed on his cell phone.
Video footage showed Dr. de Mello holding Bonotto's mobile device as she walked behind the hospital staff, who were transporting Bonotto to the operating room.
Dr. de Mello told investigators that she erased the video from Bonotto's phone because she wanted to 'protect the victim.'
The doctor, who owns works out of two offices in Sorriso and Tapurah, argued that she was never jailed.
'We reaffirm, as a woman and a doctor, the freedom of expression of people, but with responsibility and truth. I am not imprisoned,' she said. 'I was questioned and subsequently released, being investigated for alleged procedural fraud, an investigation that will open the way for adversarial proceedings and a full defense.
'Preempting judgments on people is dangerous. It denigrates their image and stifles freedom of expression through psychological torture,' she added. 'I humbly ask everyone to await the outcome of the investigation, refraining from making judgments, meaning, preemptively denying what happened.'
A surveillance video camera mounted on the garage of the Dr. de Mello's residence showed Bonotto pulling up in a motorcycle March 9.
They kissed for a moment before they walked into her home and did so again when they exited before he left.
Dr. de Mello stressed that Bonotto's murder and her personal life could not be tied together.
'There is no absolute connection between the homicide and my conduct regarding my private life,' she said. 'Pointing the finger at one side of the facts is not neutrality. It is complicity.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Kaylee Goncalves' sister describes what was like to face killer Bryan Kohberger: 'He is not human'
The sister of Kaylee Goncalves, who was murdered by Bryan Kohberger, has recounted the chilling moment she came eye-to-eye with her sibling's killer. Alivea Goncalves delivered a fiery and unwavering victim impact statement during Kohberger's sentencing in Boise, Idaho, on Wednesday, directly confronting the quadruple murderer and commanding him to 'sit up straight when I talk to you.' In an interview released Friday with NewsNation correspondent Brian Entin, Alivea recounted the moments leading up to her powerful courtroom statement, delivered in the harrowing presence of her sister's killer. She explained that no words could truly convey the reality of standing just feet from him - and the only way she could describe it was: 'He is not human.' 'When I tell you... there is not a human there,' she said during the interview. 'I'm not scared of this individual, I'm not intimidated by him - truly I'm not,' she added. 'But when I tell you there is... a primal sense of alarms. My body was telling me, "Run. Get out. This is a threat. This is not a human capacity."' Alivea has since been widely praised on social media for her powerful victim impact statement, where she spoke with unwavering confidence - directly confronting Kohberger and boldly calling out his failures. While speaking with Entin, she explained that although she initially felt confident in her words, once inside the courtroom, the overwhelming emotions made her fear that her statement might not fully do justice to the victims and their families. It wasn't until her father, Steve Goncalves - known for his outspoken presence since the murders - boldly turned the podium toward the defendant, despite warnings not to, that the atmosphere in the courtroom 'shifted.' As she sat in the pews, making last-minute tweaks and notes to her statement while listening to others deliver their emotional speeches, she steeled herself to deliver hers - determined to say everything she had been planning. 'My speech wasn't to Kaylee and Maddie - it was for them,' she said during the interview. 'If Kaylee and Maddie had been here today, it would have been something that I feel like would have rung true to them.' Her goal, she explained, was to hold eye contact with him for as long as she could - but as she stared into his eyes, every instinct in her told her she wasn't looking at a human being. 'The best description I can give you is, like, if I had come face-to-face with an alien,' she described. 'Because, back behind there, there's no human being - there's no humanity.' Alivea recalled seeing 'raw anger' and 'raw rage' in Kohberger's eyes as she confronted him, but despite the intensity, her focus remained steadfast - seeking justice for her sister Kaylee and Madison. 'I could feel that specific stare the entire time. It was unrelenting,' she explained. 'All I remember feeling is, "This guy's pissed,"' she added. 'This is anger I've never experienced firsthand before.' 'I was ready to stand on business. There was nothing that was going to make me back down from that moment. All I felt was rage, almost from the very beginning.' During Alivea's blistering impact statement on Wednesday, she said: 'I wont stand her and give you what you want. I wont give you tears instead. I will call you what you are: sociopath, psychopath, murderer.' 'The truth is you're basic. You're a textbook case as insecurity disguised as control. You spent months preparing and still all it took was my sister and a sheath,' she added. 'You're as dumb as they come. Stupid, dumb, weak, dirty', Alivea continued, before she then hit him with the very same questions that Kohberger posed in a survey on Reddit as part of his criminology degree at DeSales University. She went on to blast Kohberger's past and all his failings, including unanswered questions in the Idaho murder case. Alivea told Kohberger he was a 'delusional, pathetic, hypochondriadic loser' who 'thought you were so much better than everyone else.' In a damning conclusion, she added: 'If you hadn't attacked them in your sleep like a pedophile, Kaylee would have kicked your f****** ass.' The courtroom erupted in clapping at the end of Alivea's statement. Koberger remained emotionless throughout. 'My whole purpose of that speech was taking back this power and giving it back to Kaylee and Maddie. Xana and Ethan as well. I wanted to give them the hero moment that I truly feel like they deserve,' she told Entin regarding her statement. 'For me, it was about taking back that control from him… getting under his skin, as best as I psychologically could with my limited understanding of what he is,' she added. 'It was all genuine. It was all incredibly true. Everything I did say was accurate to who he is and who they were.' In the closing moments of her interview, filmed less than 24 hours after the sentencing, Alivea told Entin with conviction, 'I truly believe Kaylee would've kicked his ass.' Kohberger, a 30-year-old PhD candidate, declined to speak at the hearing as he was told he would spend the remainder of his life behind bars without parole.
Daily Mail
3 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Police finally make arrest after newborn twins were found dumped in rat-infested alley in New York City
A Bronx mother accused of dumping her newborn twins in a rat-infested alley has been arrested, five years after she committed the heinous crime. Stephanie Castillo, 36, was taken into custody Friday morning and charged with multiple counts of murder and manslaughter in connection with the deaths of her infant sons, law enforcement sources confirmed. The arrest follows a years-long investigation that recently linked Castillo to the crime through DNA evidence. On November 9, 2020, the babies were discovered in a filthy alley behind a College Avenue apartment building, near East 171st Street, in the Claremont section of the Bronx. One of the newborn babies was partially wrapped in a pet training pad with visible head trauma and an umbilical cord tied around his neck. The other was found about 20 feet away, tucked inside a black plastic bag. Both were less than 24 hours old and had been born alive, according to police. Castillo was arrested at a nearby shelter, just blocks from the apartment where she had previously lived - and from which police believe she may have thrown the babies out a fourth-floor window. 'The perpetrator in this case resided on the fourth floor of this apartment building, and we believe that the babies were disposed of out the window,' NYPD Assistant Chief Michael Baldassano told CBS New York. The twins, later named Zeke and Zane by detectives, were buried after officers raised money for their funeral. The case remained unsolved for years despite a $10,000 reward and repeated public pleas, according The New York Times. Castillo is now charged with two counts of murder and manslaughter. She is being held at the 44th Precinct and is expected to be arraigned in Bronx Criminal Court. 'This is exactly why we come to work every day. The NYPD, we don't give up. Our detectives are the best in the world,' Baldassano said.
Daily Mail
3 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Murder trial shown haunting footage of dentist 'poisoning' wife he took out $4million in life insurance policies on
The adulterous Colorado dentist accused of fatally poisoning his wife had taken out life insurance policies totaling $4 million on her, the lead detective in his case testified on Friday. Aurora Police Det. Bobbi Jo Olson took the stand for the second time in the murder trial of father-of-six Dr James Craig, who was arrested on March 19, 2023 - the day after his 43-year-old wife, Angela, was taken off life support. Craig has also been charged in relation to an alleged jailhouse plot to order a hit on Olson – calling her 'the worst, dirtiest detective in the whole world' – along with other victims, jurors have heard during nearly two weeks of testimony. He's pleaded not guilty to murder, solicitation to commit murder and solicitation to commit perjury. Prosecutors argue Craig poisoned his wife's shakes and administered fatal doses of arsenic, cyanide and tetrahyrdrozoline, a chemical found in eye drops, amidst mounting financial struggles and multiple affairs – particularly a budding romance with a Texas orthodontist. Olson testified on Friday that the dentist had several policies with Kansas City and Lincoln Life insurance companies totaling $4 million in the event of Angela's death. The detectives also outlined Craig's alleged movements in the days before and after his wife first got sick on March 6 – as the court was shown in-home surveillance footage from the family's kitchen. Angela's relatives alternately smiled, wiped tears and laughed as they watched their late loved one interact with her children on camera. But all lightness faded from the courtroom as footage showed Craig get up before 5am on March 6 – the date Angela first exhibited mystery symptoms after drinking a shake he prepared – to mix something in the kitchen and use the microwave. He'd ordered arsenic to the family home two days earlier, Olson testified on Friday - and footage showed Angela consuming the drink he appeared to have made her. Craig affectionately dog-whistled at his wife twice on the morning of March 6, and they discussed their child's car seat before he left the home, footage showed. Angela began feeling ill and went to the hospital later that day, feeling 'heavy' and like her body wasn't working properly, jurors heard earlier in the trial. On Friday, they watched as Angela accused Craig of 'failing' her the day after that first futile hospital visit - when doctors simply sent her home and told her to speak to her primary care physician. 'It may not be your call that they didn't do their due diligence or anything like that, but it's your fault they treated me differently,' she said. 'It's your fault … they treated me like I was suicidal … like I did it to myself.' She complained that Craig 'didn't actually defend me' and his behavior was '100% selfish and had nothing to do with being there for me. 'You ask all the details, in every medical … everything, everywhere you go, and you didn't even ask. 'You didn't try to do anything,' she said. 'You just brought me home.' Olson testified on Friday that records showed Craig had also ordered oleander and cyanide in the days after Angela first fell ill. Date and time stamps from footage shown in court on Friday of Craig's trips to and from the family residence matched up with previous evidence about trips he made to the supermarket - where receipts showed his credit card purchased Visine - and the loading dock of a medical company from which he'd ordered cyanide. An expert testified on Thursday that Craig's phone had pinged off towers corresponding to the locations. Jurors also watched footage on Friday from the hospital on March 15 - the date of Angela's final admission - in which Craig appears to have what Olson called a 'thin white or clear object in his left hand.' He later entered his wife's room for 'exactly 60 seconds,' she testified, before coming out and telling the nurse's station that Angela's arm hurt and her condition was deteriorating. Doctors told Angela's family later that day that all brain activity had ceased - and she was taken off life support on March 18. Craig's defense team - his third, after two others dropped out as the dentist racked up more charges from behind bars - argues that Angela was 'manipulative' and suicidal. The jury has heard evidence about how Craig repeatedly claimed Angela wanted to end her own life, asked him to obtain poisons for her and engaged him in a game of 'chicken.' Angela's friends and family have steadfastly testified that she loved life and being a mother - and was neither suicidal nor a risk-taker. There was also no mention of the 'game of chicken' in a four-page explanatory timeline Craig detailed himself the day after Angela was declared brain dead, Olson testified. Reading Craig's own words, she told the court how he claimed to have returned from the Vegas conference where he met his latest paramour on February 25 - then asked Angela for a divorce. 'She said she was just going to end her life,' Craig wrote in the timeline Olson read out. 'I begged her not to do that, but she said she couldn't get a divorce. 'She talked about driving her car into a pylon but was worried she wouldn't die but just be maimed,' he continued. 'That's when she started talking about poisons ... she asked me to research some poisons for her to find one that would kill fastest with high accuracy and the broadest spectrum.' Angela asked him to poison her shakes and voluntarily consumed arsenic and tetrahydrozoline, he claimed. Olson testified there was no evidence Angela ever searched for poisons. The court previously heard, however, of her desperate searches of her symptoms as she tried to figure out what was making her so sick. The court has also heard that searches about poisons and their lethality were found on an exam room computer at Craig's dental practice. Witnesses, including a former cellmate, another inmate and even Craig's 20-year-old daughter, have testified about his attempts to plant evidence and bribe witnesses to lie for him. Annabelle Craig told the court last how week how her father, soon after his arrest, asked her to create a deep-fake video to clear him showing her mom asking for the lethal substances. Four of Craig's mistresses from the months before Angela's murder have also testified at the trial. That included three 'sugar babies' he met on - and lavished with gifts like cars, money and out-of-state trips - and a Texas orthodontist he love-bombed and exchanged 4,000 texts with in under three weeks after meeting at a Las Vegas dental conference. Two 'sugar babies' testified that Craig told them a divorce would financially cripple him.
