The killing of Evelin Carolina Enamorado-Cisnado, 26, in east Charlotte just over two months ago shocked both local residents and members of the immigrant and LGBTQ+ communities after investigators alleged that her girlfriend, Lhis Brito-Costa, 23, shot her, hid her body in a closet and left it there for days before police discovered the remains.
According to court documents cited by multiple Charlotte media outlets, officers were called to a residence near Central Avenue on March 10, 2026, for a welfare check after a DoorDash driver reportedly noticed a foul odor coming from the apartment. When officers entered the home, they found Enamorado-Cisnado’s body inside a bedroom closet, wrapped in towels and blankets and already in an advanced state of decomposition.
Police arrested Brito-Costa, 23, the following day and charged her with first-degree murder. Prosecutors said during a court appearance Brito-Costa admitted to detectives that she shot Enamorado-Cisnado in the head. According to an affidavit referenced by the Charlotte Observer, Brito-Costa allegedly told investigators she was angry because Enamorado-Cisnado “was cheating on her.”
Court records cited by local television stations and the Charlotte Observer indicate the two women had been dating and were temporarily living with another couple and their children in the apartment where the killing occurred. One resident reportedly told police they had noticed a “bad odor” in the home for several days but did not initially know where it was coming from.
Authorities have publicly identified Brito-Costa as an undocumented immigrant. Court documents cited by WSOC-TV stated that Brito-Costa “is not in the United States legally,” and the Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement placed an immigration detainer on her following her arrest.
Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Sarah Mastouri told the Charlotte Observer, “ICE won’t take custody of her until her charge is adjudicated or she is able to post bond.”
Brito-Costa is currently being held without bond in the Mecklenburg County Jail in uptown Charlotte.
There has been no verified public reporting confirming whether Enamorado-Cisnado herself was undocumented. Several Spanish-language news outlets identified her as Honduran, while Brito-Costa was identified as Brazilian.
However, no major law enforcement agency or court filing released publicly has detailed either woman’s immigration history, including how long they had lived in the United States or in Charlotte.
Although unconfirmed fully, Spanish-language reports from Honduras also stated that both women were deaf and communicated using sign language. One report said Enamorado-Cisnado dreamed of becoming a doctor.
The case has drawn additional attention because of emotional statements made by Enamorado-Cisnado’s family. In a Facebook post quoted by People magazine and Honduran news outlets, her aunt, Guadalupe Cisneros, described her niece as “a harmless girl” and questioned “how that miserable woman could take her life.”