The exclusive Anantara Kihavah Resort in the Maldives, a paradise of overwater bungalows and crystal waters, became the setting for a horrific international crime.

On October 7th, 2023, the lifeless body of 27-year-old Rosalinda Santos, a Filipina, was discovered floating in the private infinity pool of her luxury honeymoon suite.

Her husband of just seven days, Hakeem Al-Manssuri, a 55-year-old Dubai real estate magnate, claimed it was a tragic drowning accident. He was found frantically pacing the deck, performing desperate CPR.

Initial impressions supported his story: a new bride, perhaps unfamiliar with swimming, meeting an unfortunate end.

But as Maldivian authorities began their standard investigation, troubling inconsistencies emerged, including bruising on Rosalinda’s neck and the fact that she was wearing a silk nightgown, not swimwear.

The investigation quickly shifted from accident to homicide, and Hakeem Al-Manssuri, a man of immense wealth and influence, was confined to the island as the prime suspect.

The Deception and The Motive

To understand the tragedy, one must understand the stark contrast in the couple’s backgrounds. Rosalinda Santos was born in the poverty-stricken outskirts of Cebu City, Philippines.

She dropped out of school at 16 to support her family after her father abandoned them and her mother worked tirelessly as a laundress.

Determined to escape poverty, Rosalinda developed a keen, strategic eye for the affluent. She observed and studied the wealthy, perfecting a persona of sophistication.

She secured a job as a cosmetics consultant at a high-end department store in Dubai Mall, positioning herself to interact with elite clientele.

Rosalinda’s path turned desperate in January 2023 when she discovered she was pregnant by a married former employer who promptly dismissed her.

With abortion illegal and her visa status precarious, she needed a solution fast. In Hakeem Al-Manssuri, a man worth over $300 million and accustomed to a polygamous lifestyle, she saw her salvation.

Their courtship was meticulously calculated. Rosalinda, already 18 weeks pregnant when she met him in May 2023, played the sophisticated, educated companion.

Hakeem, valuing his reputation fiercely, proposed marriage in July, believing he was securing a beautiful, compliant wife. The wedding was held on September 30th, with Rosalinda successfully concealing her 6-month pregnancy with flowing garments.

Hakeem, for all his business acumen, eventually grew suspicious. A week before the wedding, he contacted Falcon Security Services for a background verification.

He scheduled their honeymoon in the isolated Maldives Grand Residence, timing the trip to coincide perfectly with the expected delivery of the private investigator’s report.

That report, which Hakeem viewed alone on October 5th, was devastating. It confirmed Rosalinda’s true history as a former domestic worker, her falsified education credentials, and crucially, a pregnancy that predated their relationship by several months.

Hakeem, realizing he was a victim of immense fraud—and that his family’s honor was compromised—was seized by controlled rage.

The Final 36 Hours

The 36 hours between Hakeem receiving the report and Rosalinda’s de@th were marked by escalating psychological torment.

Resort footage shows Hakeem returning to the villa with a rigid posture and clenched fists. He systematically exposed her lies, watching her facade crumble.

The resort doctor, Dr. Aisha Nasim, was called on October 6th for Rosalinda, who Hakeem claimed was suffering “female problems.”

The doctor’s professional observation—that Rosalinda was obviously pregnant—reportedly caused Hakeem to exhibit “controlled fury” before quickly insisting they return to the villa to discuss privately.

Guests in adjacent villas reported hearing shouting and pleading that evening. Hakeem was psychologically dismantling Rosalinda, knowing her deception would destroy his business reputation and bring unbearable shame to his family.

At 2:15 a.m. on October 7th, perimeter cameras captured a physical struggle on the villa’s deck between Hakeem and a smaller figure. The forensic reconstruction suggests the confrontation began in the living area before the fatal act occurred near the deck railing.

The autopsy confirmed Rosalinda’s body had sustained crushing damage to the hyoid bone and trachea. Cause of death was manual strangulation. She had also been approximately 25 weeks pregnant with a male fetus, with DNA confirming Hakeem was not the biological father.

The 4-hour gap between the fatal act and Hakeem’s emergency call was his calculated attempt to stage an accidental drowning, as water was found in her lungs post-mortem, not as the cause of de@th.

Verdict and Legacy

Maldivian authorities formally charged Hakeem Al-Manssuri with premeditated murder. The case was complicated by intense diplomatic pressure from the UAE, but the Maldivian Supreme Court ultimately ruled against extradition.

The evidence—Hakeem’s forensic DNA under Rosalinda’s fingernails, the recovery of the investigator’s report on his phone, and the clear signs of strangulation—was insurmountable.

In February 2024, Hakeem Al-Manssuri was found guilty of premeditated murder and sentenced to 25 years imprisonment without parole, the maximum penalty under Maldivian law.

The court also ordered $2 million in compensation to Rosalinda’s family.

The verdict was hailed internationally as a landmark in holding wealthy, influential perpetrators accountable, regardless of their social standing or claims of “honor.”

Rosalinda’s tragic end exposed the dangerous fault lines where vulnerability and wealth tragically intersect.