2-year-old girl disappears on farm and is found dead; police investigate
The Civil Police of Goiás are investigating the death of Maria Fernanda Cândida da Rocha, aged 2, found this Tuesday (17) after being missing for two days in the rural area of Doverlândia, in the southwest of Goiás.
The girl was found dead on her birthday. Her body was found by teams from the Civil and Military Police and the Fire Department, submerged in a dam near the farm where she lived with her family. On the margins of the site, the child's diaper and clothes were also found.
The body was sent to the IML (Legal Medical Institute), where it will undergo expert examinations that should define the cause of death.
According to the Military Police, on Monday morning (15), around 9 am, the parents left the girl at the residence for a few minutes while they went to a pond located about 70 meters from the house.
According to Lieutenant Silva Filho, who is following the case, they reported hearing the child scream and returning to the residence. However, when they arrived at the farm, Maria Fernanda was no longer there.
After the disappearance, the parents filed a police report and a task force was mobilized to search. In addition to the Civil and Military Police and the Fire Department, family members, residents and the mayor of Doverlândia, Amílcar Júnior, participated in the mobilization.
Helicopters and drones were also used in operations on the margins of rural areas.
"Searches began in the region where the child's footprints were located, indicating that she had passed through that location. Even more energy and search were concentrated in the region where the footprints were located, close to a river", informed police chief Ramon Queiroz.
See images of the teams' work:
https://admin.cnnbrasil.com.br/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2026/06/WhatsApp-Video-2026-06-17-at-11.40.07.mp4
The region where the girl disappeared is considered high risk as it has areas of dense forest, as well as rivers and dams. Therefore, the police are also working on the hypothesis that the child accidentally fell into the water.
"Unfortunately, today the body was found lifeless. Now, the investigations are the responsibility of the Civil Police, which will seek to understand and answer the questions that still remain, such as how this child got to that location and what was the cause of death. This definition will be up to the IML, where the body was sent", concluded delegate Ramon Queiroz.
Investigations into the case continue.
*Under the supervision of Carolina Figueiredo
Source: CNN