A beauty queen unwittingly set killers on her trail after sharing a picture of her food on social media.

Former Miss Ecuador contestant Landy Párraga, 23, snapped herself eating a plate of octopus ceviche at a restaurant in Quevedo, Ecaudor on Sunday. Just moments later, she was gunned down in a harrowing incident caught on CCTV.

She had shared the photo with her 173k followers on Instagram – and it has now been claimed that this is what led the killers to track her down.

Click for more of the latest news from across the world from the Daily Star.

Authorities believe they may have been able to recognise the "distinctive" dish. A police investigation into her death is now underway, but it was confirmed that Párraga was linked to a corruption investigation shortly before the incident, connected to her drug trafficking lover Leandro Norero who was killed in a prison riot last year.

CCTV footage from the restaurant shows the place coming under fire from gunmen, and it also shows the moment the young woman was shot three times. She died shortly after. Another man who she was with at the time was also shot, but his identity and condition have not been confirmed by officials.

According to local reports, her name was part of a conversation between the slain drug lord and his accountant, which came out during the corruption investigation.

The now-dead ex-lag said to his lawyer: “If my wife comes across anything about her, I’m screwed. My friend, her name cannot come out anywhere. Otherwise, my world will come crashing down.”

Photos of the model were also found in the man's belongings, as well as evidence that he had bought her lavish gifts including a car and an apartment – all of which was apparently detailed on the man's personal phone.

A source told local media:”While Párraga’s finances were under investigation by the Attorney General’s Office, she was never prosecuted for a crime and had never made any public comments on the case or her connection with Norero and his organization.”