Marcelo Santoro allegedly confessed to killing his former girlfriend Cecilia Haddad

The ex-boyfriend of a mining executive found dead in a river has admitted to her killing, Brazilian police have reportedly revealed. 

Marcelo Santoro was arrested in Rio de Janeiro in early July and accused of murdering his former girlfriend Cecilia Haddad, 38, in Sydney.

It has been alleged the 40-year-old killed Ms Haddad as he ‘could not accept the end of their relationship’.

Santoro faced court in the Brazilian city on Wednesday, where it was heard he confessed to strangling Ms Haddad to death in a formal police interview, according to The Daily Telegraph. 

Marcelo Santoro (left) confessed to killing his former girlfriend Cecilia Haddad (right) in a police interview with Rio de Janeiro, a court has reportedly heard 

Santoro faced court in Rio de Janeiro this week following his arrest (pictured) in the Brazilian city in early July  

The interview had taken place in Rio de Janeiro shortly after Santoro’s arrest.

Ms Haddad’s fully-clothed body was discovered floating in the Lane Cove River on April 29, with Santoro flying back to his native Brazil on the same weekend her lifeless body was found.

The head of the Rio homicide squad, Dr Fabio Cardoso, reportedly gave testimony Santoro confessed to strangling Ms Haddad after the pair had an argument in their apartment.

Santoro said he had felt ‘unwanted’, according to the testimony. 

Santoro told the court he went and purchased juice from a shopping centre after leaving the apartment and returned two hours later to try and hide Ms Haddad’s body.

Santoro then drove her car with her body inside to the river close by.

He threw away the car keys on the Sydney Harbour Bridge while taking an Uber to Sydney Airport to fly back to Brazil.

Santoro (right) confessed to strangling Ms Haddad (left) after the pair had an argument in their apartment, according to a testimony from he head of the Rio homicide squad, Dr Fabio Cardoso

It has been alleged Santoro killed Ms Haddad (pictured) as he ‘could not accept the end of their relationship’

Dr Cardoso said police divers had found the cars after being alerted by the Uber driver.    

It has been alleged by Rio de Janeiro police that Santoro flew back to Brazil because he was of the belief that country’s constitution would not allow citizens to be extradited, meaning he could not be caught by authorities in New South Wales.

But Brazilian authorities, with the help of their NSW counterparts, are reportedly planning to try him for the crime. 

Santoro was arrested a day after police searched his home in Rio de Janeiro as well as the homes of his parents and relatives, after a warrant for his arrest was issued.

The arrest warrant said Santoro ‘committed the crime in a foreign country and came looking for refuge and impunity in Brazil, knowing that he could not be extradited, and so would avoid the actions of Australian justice’.  

The first hearing of Santoro’s case will be presided over Rio de Janeiro judge Daniel Werneck Cota. 

Santoro is being held in the Bangu 8 prison as he awaits trial.  

Ms Haddad’s body was found floating in Sydney’s Lane Cover River in late April (the river is pictured) 

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