More than two weeks have passed since the body of American Danielle Davila, 32, was found naked, with no signs of aggression, lying on the bed of an inn in Paraty, a historic city on the south coast of Rio de Janeiro that was just named a UNESCO world heritage site.
So far, the artist's family has not been able to return the body to the United States to cremate it, nor do they know the cause of death. The American consulate says that the body cannot be transported until the cause of death is defined.
Meanwhile, one of the sisters, the only one who speaks Portuguese (out of a total of six), has shared the saga they have been living through since arriving on June 27, about four days after Danielle's death. In addition to the sadness, the family has endured a lack of information, little assistance, and financial difficulties.
"Our main concern is to remove my sister from the IML [Legal Medical Institute of Angra dos Reis], take her home, cremate her and let her rest," says model Claudia Davila.
According to the Civil Police, the body was released to the family the day it was found, after the autopsy, which could not determine the cause of death. The impediment, therefore, is the consulate, which does not allow the return of bodies until the cause of death is defined.
Translated by Kiratiana Freelon