Arrest and Charges

Federal authorities say they have arrested a man accused of strangling a woman to death inside her Massachusetts home. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) identified the suspect as Flavio Alcantara Dias, 43, a Brazilian national, who is being held without bail in connection with the murder of 33-year-old Brianna Connolly, according to reports citing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

Police responded to a home in Framingham, Massachusetts, on Thursday after receiving a 911 call reporting an assault and an unresponsive woman. Officers found Connolly dead inside, according to Boston 25 News.

Details from the Courtroom

During a court hearing, Middlesex County Assistant District Attorney Thomas Brandt recounted a 911 call that Dias made after an altercation with Connolly in her home. Brandt told the courtroom, according to Boston 25 News, that Dias said, "Can I have police? A homicide just happened here right now." Brandt recounted that Dias then said, "I ended up killing a woman by mistake," and "I went crazy and suffocated her later on," adding that Dias said he strangled her. Brandt noted that Dias had been speaking Portuguese.

Brandt said Dias had told police on the call that he and Connolly had been doing drugs inside her home and got into an argument because he wanted to have sex and she did not. Dias claimed he fell asleep and woke up to find Connolly not breathing.

Brandt added that police observed that Connolly had "blood marks on her forehead and also on the back of her head," in addition to a "fabric-y cord around her neck."

Immigration Status and Statements

According to a DHS statement, Alcantara Dias illegally entered the United States in April 2019. The statement said that in October 2024, an immigration judge granted his motion to terminate his immigration hearings based on a technicality, bringing his immigration case to an end despite his criminal history and unlawful presence. He was then released into the country by the Biden administration, DHS said.

ICE lodged a detainer against Alcantara Dias and asked police to arrange a controlled transfer if he becomes eligible for release, according to reports citing DHS.

In a statement, DHS said: "The safest way to arrest and remove criminal illegal aliens from our streets is by lodging arrest detainers." The statement continued: "7 of the top 10 safest cities in the United States cooperate with ICE. We are urging the Framingham Police Department to participate in a controlled transfer of this criminal illegal alien to get him out of our communities once and for all."

DHS added: "Our message is clear: if you come into our country illegally and break our laws, we will find you, we will arrest you, and we will deport you."