Man Kills His Four Children To Get Revenge On Their Mother

A man reportedly killed his own four children using a pillow and a knife to get "revenge" on their mother in Alvorada, southern Brazil.

The accused, identified as David da Silva Lemos, 28, plied his four children with a 'tea' to pacify them. After pacifying them, he suffocated them with a pillow and stabbed them with a knife, and killed them. The bodies of the four victims, 3-year-old Kimberlly, 6-year-old Giovanna, 8-year-old Donavan, and their 11-year-old sister Yasmin were found with stab wounds in the suspect's home in Alvorada, southern Brazil on Tuesday, Dec. 13 after family members called the police, the Mirror reported.

Following the gruesome discovery, officers launched a manhunt for Lemos and he was arrested in a hotel in neighboring Porto Alegre early the next day. Following his arrest, he was taken to the police station, where he then exercised his right to remain silent.

Meanwhile, the victims' maternal grandmother Idenise Martins da Silva revealed that Lemos had recently split with her daughter. She added that she believes Lemos killed the youngsters to get "revenge" on their mother, the Sun reported.

"He had already attacked my daughter. Their relationship had ended for good, but he did it to get to my daughter - I'm sure of it - in the worst way possible. He is a coward," Idenise Martins da Silva said.

Lemos and the children's mother had been together for 12 years. However, they got separated after Lemos assaulted his partner in Sept. Following the assault, his 24-year-old partner reported the incident to the police and took out a restraining order against him.

According to the relatives, at the time of the killings, the children had been staying with their father and had been due to go back to their mother in the coming days.

Lemos had sent his ex-partner threatening messages shortly before the time the killings are believed to have been carried out.

Despite his history of domestic violence, the incident is believed to be Lemos' first incident of violence toward his children.