Massachusetts – from www.everettindependent.com – The stabbing death of a 26 year-old Everett woman early Friday morning between 1:30 – 2:30 a.m. outside of the 154 Main Street building where she lived has led to an intense hunt for her murderer.

Sheila Santos, an immigrant from Brazil, who worked as an exotic dancer at a club in Stoughton, was found by the building superintendent where she lived at 4:32 a.m. Friday morning, said Middlesex District Attorney Gerard Leone.

Sources said that Santos had feared for her life and had apparently made complaints to the Everett police department claiming she was being followed and harassed.

The same source said police believe that a former boyfriend or a patron of the place where she worked likely killed her.

Leone and Everett police declined to say how she was killed but said that she suffered serious, obvious injuries.

A source familiar with the case said Santos was stabbed to death.

A sampling of resident interviews among Everett’s Brazilian community at restaurants and bakeries on Norwood Street on Monday morning revealed that the murder has not galvanized the Brazilian community with fear.

Those interviewed said they had not heard of the murder and when asked about the dead woman, said they had no knowledge of the name.

Acting Police Chief Robert Bontempo said Monday morning that the neighborhood where the murder occurred was being canvassed by investigators from the State Police and the Everett Police Department.

“We’ll get to the bottom of this,” Captain Bontempo told the Independent.

Investigators are piecing everything together, he said. Also, he said, police are seeking witnesses and are asking for the public’s help from those who might have been around the brick apartment building at 154 Main Street when she died. The building superintendent apparently found her body at about 4:30 a.m. about two hours after she had been killed according to the DA.

In addition, Santos, Leone said, was an exotic dancer at Alex’s in Stoughton and had formerly worked as a dancer at King Arthur’s on the Chelsea-Everett line.

She apparently lived alone but has two sisters living in the area.

Leone declined to talk about motive or how she was murdered.

Captain Bontempo would not discuss how she was murdered either.