Brazilian footballer jailed for murdering & feeding girlfriend to dogs
Table of Contents
Former Flamengo goalkeeper Bruno has been sentenced to more than 22 years in prison for killing his ex-girlfriend, whose body was dismembered and her remains were fed to dogs.
The jury of five women and two men on Friday found Bruno guilty of ordering the kidnap and murder of model Eliza Samudio.
Bruno is accused of planning Samudio's abduction and murder with eight others including his wife Dayane, another former lover, a cousin and former policeman Marcos Santos.
It has been alleged that the 28-year-old watched as Santos tortured her and then helped him to chop her body.
Some of her body parts were fed to a group of Rottweilers, while others parts were buried under concrete.
Samudio met the Bruno at a footballer's party and fell pregnant by accident. She later presented a report to police against the footballer, claiming he had got her pregnant.
The goalkeeper demanded she have an abortion but she went ahead with the pregnancy, instead insisting that he assume paternity of the child.
The baby, Bruninho, was born in February 2010, but Bruno refused to acknowledge he was the father.
Prosecutors allege that Bruno ordered Samudio's murder after she threatened to take legal action that would force him to pay child support.
"I expected more," the mother of Samudio told local media after Friday's sentence. "They made it easy on him."
The case has attracted huge media attention in Brazil, where it has been compared to the trial of OJ Simpson.
"These crimes received a lot of attention not only because one of the defendants was a famous football player, but also because of the plot that they involved," said the sentence read by judge Marixa Fabiane Rodrigues.
Bruno was once among the brightest football stars in Brazil and was captain of the Flamengo team that won the national championship in 2009.
 | |
| Bruno, former goalkeeper of Brazil's Flamengo, sits in court during his trial Photo: Reuters |
The jury of five women and two men on Friday found Bruno guilty of ordering the kidnap and murder of model Eliza Samudio.
Bruno is accused of planning Samudio's abduction and murder with eight others including his wife Dayane, another former lover, a cousin and former policeman Marcos Santos.
It has been alleged that the 28-year-old watched as Santos tortured her and then helped him to chop her body.
Some of her body parts were fed to a group of Rottweilers, while others parts were buried under concrete.
 | |
| Eliza Samudio disappeared in 2010, a few months after giving birth to what she said is Bruno's child Photo: AFP/Getty Images |
Samudio met the Bruno at a footballer's party and fell pregnant by accident. She later presented a report to police against the footballer, claiming he had got her pregnant.
The goalkeeper demanded she have an abortion but she went ahead with the pregnancy, instead insisting that he assume paternity of the child.
The baby, Bruninho, was born in February 2010, but Bruno refused to acknowledge he was the father.
Prosecutors allege that Bruno ordered Samudio's murder after she threatened to take legal action that would force him to pay child support.
"I expected more," the mother of Samudio told local media after Friday's sentence. "They made it easy on him."
The case has attracted huge media attention in Brazil, where it has been compared to the trial of OJ Simpson.
"These crimes received a lot of attention not only because one of the defendants was a famous football player, but also because of the plot that they involved," said the sentence read by judge Marixa Fabiane Rodrigues.
Bruno was once among the brightest football stars in Brazil and was captain of the Flamengo team that won the national championship in 2009.
Also see:
