Suspects, versions and investigation: What is known about the death of actor Jeff Machado

The body of actor Jefferson Machado, 44, was found, on the 22nd of May, inside a concreted wooden trunk on a street in the neighborhood of Campo Grande, west zone of Rio de Janeiro (RJ). This Friday (2), one of the two suspects in the crime was arrested by the Civil Police and gave testimony about the case.

Gradually, the whole story is being dismembered by Justice. See, below, the main confirmed points about the case of Jeff Machado:

WHO IS JEFF MACHADO AND WHEN HE DISAPPEARED

Jefferson was born in the city of Araranguá, Santa Catarina, and left the state in 1997 to work in Rio de Janeiro. At the age of 44, he had acted in the telenovela “Reis”. He was reported missing on January 27, according to the Rio de Janeiro Police Station for Whereabouts Discovery. The family reported the incident two weeks later. Until the official record by the family, the actor’s mother said that his killer had kept in touch via text messages, pretending to impersonate Jeff.

WHEN AND HOW WAS JEFF MACHADO FOUND

Jeff Machado’s body was found on May 22, inside a concrete wooden trunk two meters deep in a street in the Campo Grande neighborhood, in Rio de Janeiro. Identification was possible through the analysis of fingerprints and confirmed by the mother. Jeff was found in the fetal position with his hands tied and a steel wire around his neck. The trunk belonged to the actor and was removed from his house. Police officers from the Whereabouts Discovery Police Station discovered the location with the help of witnesses, cross-referencing data from cell phones and social networks, in addition to anonymous information sent to the Hotline.

WHO ARE THE SUSPECTS

Two suspects had their temporary detention decreed by the Justice, last Thursday night (1): Bruno de Souza Rodrigues, former Globo employee and TV producer; and call boy Jeander Vinícius da Silva Braga, who had a “close relationship” with Jeff. The two were indicted by the Civil Police for triple-qualified homicide and concealment of a corpse.

WHAT IS THE VERSION OF BRUNO

Bruno has been on the run since Friday (2) and has not been located by the police. According to the Civil Police, he was the one who registered Jeff’s disappearance, in February, and had the keys to Jeff’s house and car, under the allegation that the actor would do a job in São Paulo. In a statement given at the police station to the authorities on May 26th, Bruno said that he went to Jeff’s house accompanied by Jeander and a supposed third person named Marcelo, on January 23rd, to record a sexual relationship between the prostitute and the man mentioned by the suspects.

The producer also said that, after recording, he went down to the ground floor of the house and, minutes later, the other two appeared carrying Jeff, unconscious. When he questioned Jeander about what happened, he would have said that Marcelo gave the actor a “rear naked choke”, as he would have discovered that he had the HIV virus and the two would have had sex without a condom. Then the trio would have gone to the land to hide the body.

WHICH VERSION OF JEANDER

Jeander was temporarily arrested, this Friday (2), and gave a statement to the Civil Police about his version of what happened. He said he would have met Jeff on a dating app and would have gone to the actor’s house on January 23rd. There, there was a third person present. At one point, the suspect would have gone to shower for 15 minutes and, when he returned, he would have found Jeff already dead. In his version, Jeff would have been drugged by Bruno and the sexual act would not have taken place – the producer would have strangled the actor with a telephone wire.

Jeander also said that the supposed third person named Marcelo, mentioned in the crime scene, is an invention by Bruno to harm the investigations, which has already been confirmed by the police. In this Friday’s testimony, according to delegate Ellen Souto, Jeander drove the car and Bruno was the one with the trunk. “They opted for a longer, more secluded route, with the aim of not running the risk of being stopped by the police, which in fact happened. Jeander narrated that there was even a chase to the vehicle and he managed to get away”, added the delegate, to Brasil Urgente.

WHAT THE AUTOPSY SAYS

The victim’s autopsy report points out that Jeff had a sexual relationship before he died and that asphyxiation may have occurred when he positioned himself with his back to the killer, according to the newspaper O Globo.

WHAT IS THE POLICE’S FINDING

In a press conference this Friday (2), the delegate responsible for the case, Ellen Souto, gave details of the version being designed by the Civil Police. The existence of more people involved in the crime, as defended by the suspects, has already been ruled out. Ellen corroborates Jeander’s version, in which Bruno would have drugged Jeff and strangled the actor. “The corpse was immediately taken to the kitchenette rented by Bruno and the trunk, deposited in the backyard of the house. Days later, a mason was hired by Bruno to concrete the floor of that backyard”, said the delegate.

WHAT IS THE MOTIVATION OF THE CRIME?

According to Ellen, in an interview given this Friday, the motivation is entirely financial. “Given the amount that Jefferson would have paid to get this vacancy in the soap opera, around R$ 20 thousand, which he would have charged, since he would not start any recording”, he explained, about Bruno’s promise about a role in a plot. In addition, Jefferson’s house in Guaratiba was valued at between R$500 and R$600 thousand, and Bruno tried to sell it for R$250 thousand, according to the investigation. He would also have tried to sell Jeff’s car, but the transaction did not take place because he did not have the purchase and sale document for the vehicle. Jeander’s motivation is still unclear.