The dismembered body of a British girl aged 17 has been found in a suitcase after she was murdered in Brazil, allegedly by a man who had hoped to marry her.

The torso of Cara Marie Burke, from Southfields, southwest London, was identified by her mother from a photograph of a distinctive tattoo that said “Mum”.

Mohamed D’Ali Carvalho dos Santos, 20, is alleged to have admitted taking photographs of Cara’s dismembered corpse on his mobile telephone after killing her in Goiânia, central Brazil.

He told police that he murdered Cara on Saturday after she threatened to tell his parents, who live in London, that he was a drug dealer addicted to cocaine. He said that she was also considering turning him in to the police.

Mr dos Santos, a Brazilian of Turkish heritage, is believed to have been living in Britain illegally and had told friends that he wanted to marry Cara to obtain British citizenship.

Cara’s brother, Michael Burke, told The Times that she had travelled to South America three months ago with two Brazilian friends. Mr Burke, 30, said: “He met her out there. They were not a couple. They had only known each other for a short time.”

His sister had been due to return to London two weeks ago but was injured in a motorcycle crash on the way to the airport, he said.

“My mum had paid for the ticket home and we were looking forward to having her back,” Mr Burke said. “She was a wonderful sister.”

Lenita Aves, a spokeswoman for the Goiânia PolÍcia Civil, said that Mr dos Santos had admitted killing Cara with a single stab wound using a butcher’s knife with a 25cm blade.

“He has yet to show any remorse for what he has done. He has not cried or expressed regret of any kind,” she said. “He has told us that he and Cara argued on Friday after she threatened to go to the police to accuse him of being a drug trafficker.

“He has told us he murdered her on Saturday night, left her body in the bath and went to a party on Saturday night before decapitating her the following day.

“The murder was premeditated. He turned the music up on the stereo moments before the crime so neighbours wouldn’t hear her screaming.”

Detectives said that Mr dos Santos’s mobile telephone contained images of Cara when she arrived in Brazil as well as pictures of her dismembered body.

In a statement the secretariat for public security in Goias state said: “He took various photos of the chopped-up body with his cellphone camera, including photos like those of the Taleban, where the decapitated head is placed on top of the body.”

Police found Cara’s torso stuffed into the suitcase near a river in Goiâ-nia on Monday. Mr dos Santos is alleged to have admitted hiding her head, arms and legs in a rural area about 20 miles outside Goiânia and police were continuing to search for the remains yesterday.

The murder is alleged to have happened in a flat that they used to share near Goiânia University until Cara ended the relationship some weeks ago.

Cara was living with friends at the time that she was murdered while Mr Dos Santos remained at the flat.

Mr dos Santos told police that he had paid for Cara’s flight to Brazil. A police source said: “It’s probable that he was interested in getting married in order to allow him to stay in the UK.”

Cara, a former pupil at Southfields Community School in Wandsworth, southwest London, is understood to have played football for the Chelsea ladies team.

Mr Burke said that his mother, Ann, 53, was too distressed to talk about her daughter’s death.

Their father, Andy Ruff, died 12 years ago. Cara had another brother, Alan, 21.

Times Recommends

• No apology for Germany’s own Nazi victims
• Intricate web of fear and hope tying down deal
• Victims remembered a year after Mumbai attacks