AP News Syndication

Former boxing champ Arturo Gatti Murdered by wife Amanda Rodrigues?

Authorities investigating the death of Arturo Gatti have revealed Arturo Gatti’s wife Amanda is one of their main suspects.

According the statement from the Pernambuco state civil police spokeswoman, Arturo Gatti seemed to have been strangled with a purse while Amanda Rodrigues Gatti said her husband had suffered head injuries.

Inconsistent statements, changing stories, blood on her purse strap and a head injury have police pointing the suspect finger at Arturo Gatti’s wife, Amanda Rodrigues.

Police arrested 23-year-old Amanda Rodrigues because of contradictions in her story when she was interrogated, police said, explaining that she was “inconsistent and incoherent.”

Rodrigues, a Brazilian, could not explain how she spent nearly 10 hours in the room without noticing that Gatti was already dead, authorities said.

She has been detained.

Arturo “Thunder” Gatti , one of the most entertaining boxers of the decade, is being reported murdered in Brazil at the age of 37.

Gatti, best remembered for his fight against Joey Gamache in 2000 where Gatti had weigfhed in at more than 19 pounds from the previous day and his weight advantage over Gamache resulted in Gamache going into a coma.

A spokeswoman for the public safety department of Pernambuco state says the body of the former junior welterweight champ was discovered on Saturday morning in the posh seaside resort of Porto de Galinhas, where he arrived on Friday with his wife and one-year-old son.

She said it was unclear how the 37-year-old Canadian died.

“There were no bullet or stab wounds on his body, but police did find blood stains on the floor,” she said, adding that his wife and son were unhurt.

The spokeswoman, who did not provide further details, declined to be identified because she was not authorized to comment on the case.

Foul play is suspected.