Fonseca trial: Murder accused visited 'How to kill in three seconds' website, trial hears

Olivia Kelleher

A man accused of murdering his former girlfriend had a web history which included visits to websites entitled “How to kill in three seconds” and “Three ways to fight well with knives,” a trial has heard.

Miller Pacheco (32) of Formiga in Brazil denies murdering Bruna Fonseca (28) at his flat in Liberty Street in Cork city on New Year’s Day in 2023.

Mr Pacheco is on trial at a sitting of the Central Criminal Court in Cork.

The trial previously heard that Miller moved to Ireland in November 2022 to be with Bruna, who had left for Ireland two months previously.

The couple split within days of his arrival in Cork, having previously broken up for a period earlier that year

The jury has heard that gardaí carried out an analysis of Mr Pacheco’s phone. This involved looking at a large number of messages Miller sent to Bruna, as well as text exchanges with family and friends in Brazil.

Sgt Brian Barron said that the accused sent a message to his sister Millena shortly before midnight on December 19th, 2022, in which he asked her to look after his dog D’Eagle.

He then texted that he had “kind of decided” what he was going to do, but “won’t tell anyone.”

Search website

Miller did not make any further comment on this remark. His web history showed that five minutes after he sent this text to his sister, he visited a website entitled: “How to kill in three seconds.”

The website was about the massacre of a Brazilian family in Spain. A further three minutes later his web history indicated that he visited a website entitled “What are the necessary conditions to kill someone?.”

A minute later, there was a visit to the “Three ways to fight well with knives” website.

Sgt Barron was cross-examined by Ray Boland, SC, for the accused. Mr Boland said that his client told him that he had carried out a web search in relation to ending his own life.

Sgt Barron agreed with Mr Boland that Miller had undertaken web searches on how much it would cost to transport a body back to his native Brazil.

Sgt Barron also said that he could not give an indication as to what search terms the accused used to get to the websites he had cited or whether Miller typed a term that brought him to one website and then clicked on a hyperlink which took him to the other sites.

Text messages

Meanwhile, the jury of seven women and five men heard extensive evidence in relation to the texts exchanged by Miller and the late Bruna Fonseca.

Miller arrived in Cork on November 18th, 2022. He sent her almost 2,000 texts from that date until her death on January 1st, 2023.

On December 6th, 2022, Miller accused Bruna of liking seeing him “angry and furious.” In a text ten days later, he said that he had been “replaced like garbage.” He accused Bruna of trying to hurt him.

She responded telling him that there was “no love left” and “no admiration.” She appealed to him to move on repeatedly saying that the relationship was over.

On the same date, December 16th, 202,2 Miller texted her accused her of ruining his life.

“We had a plan and you led me to believe that here all our dreams would be wonderful and all our dreams (with their dog) D’eagle.

"Thank you so much, really.”

Later that day, he sent her an audio message saying that she wanted to be with someone else instead of him.

“You really want to get away and disappear and leave me alone without anything – I was left without anything, I sold everything and now I have nothing, really nothing – that’s what you want for me, that’s what you want for me, the father of your child (D’eagle the dog), that’s what you want, that’s what I deserve, right ?

On December 18th, 2022, he texted her about her decision to unfollow him on Instagram. He said that she was moving on with her life in a ‘cold way.”

Bruna texted that she was “very sorry” for what had happened, but that they were “not good for each other.

“I didn’t lie when I said I was happy you were coming, and everything happened so fast here, you have been living this experience, things happen at maximum speed and intensity.

"But I don’t love you, and I can’t be with someone out of pity, that’s why I need to distance myself, because for you, any sign of help is a light at the end of the tunnel, and I can’t give you hope because I don’t want us to get back together.”

In the days that followed, Miller sent various messages to Bruna as well as photographs and videos of their dog.

On December 23rd, 2022, Bruna told him to focus on work, and that would help him to move on. He replied that he didn't want to forget her and move on in life without her.

“I am going day by day until when I see that I can take the ton of things I am carrying but it gets heavier everyday and the more far from me you are, the weaker I get and the heavier the burden is – I apologise for everything and yes, I didn’t want to want you like this and love you like this.”

Christmas

On Christmas Eve 2022, Miller texted Bruna and said that if their roles were reversed, she would only feel anger hate and sadness.

On Christmas Day 2022, Bruna texted Miller saying that he was “playing the victim: and that the “terrorising” of him was “too much.”

She asked him not to talk to her or look for her again.

She asked him to stop all that he was doing as “no one can stand it anymore.”

On two occasions that day, he texted Bruna, telling her she was a “bad person.”

The texting continued during the Christmas period in 2022. On December 28th, Miller texted Bruna asking her to his place on New Year’s Eve for “wine and chocolate.”

There was also a suggestion of a FaceTime call to Brazil so that they could see their dog.

Bruna told him she was going to a New Year’s Eve party and said he should go so that he wouldn’t be alone. She said she just wanted to “dance and have fun” that night.

She sent him a text refusing to stay in his house on New Year’s Eve. She said she would try to drop in on him afterwards.

Bruna added that she just wanted “peace and tranquillity.” The trial will continue next Monday.