Naman Shrestha
Netflix’s ‘An Invisible Victim: The Eliza Samudio Case’ is a Brazilian true crime documentary film that sheds light on the sudden disappearance of Eliza Samudio in 2010, making headlines not just in Brazil but all across the globe. Upon delving deeper into the case, the detectives uncovered some unsettling truths about someone the entire nation of Brazil looked up to. With the help of exclusive interviews with the victim’s family and friends, the documentary provides the viewers with a detailed account of all the aspects of the case, including the investigation and trials.
Eliza Samudio Went Missing Months After Becoming a Mother in 2010
On February 22, 1985, in Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil, Eliza Silva Samudio was welcomed into the world by a working couple, Luiz Carlos Samudio, an architect by profession, and Sônia Fátima Silva Moura, who was a farmer. Due to the alleged toxic and violent nature of their marriage, Sonia decided to leave Eliza with Luiz when she was just six months old. After relocating to the central-western part of the country in Mato Grosso do Sul, Sonia started a fresh chapter of her life with a new man while still staying in touch with her daughter. At the age of 10, Eliza moved in with her mother in Campo Grande and stayed there for about a year or so.
Growing up, Eliza was a football enthusiast and used to dream of becoming a professional goalkeeper someday. Apart from that, she had the ambition of becoming a renowned model on the Rio–São Paulo axis since her early teens. In order to achieve her dreams, she relocated to São Paulo after turning 18. In the second half of the 2000s, Eliza faced a lot of financial issues and was forced to work as a sex worker and feature in adult films for a few years. Reportedly, in May 2009, she crossed paths with the Brazilian goalkeeper, Bruno Fernandes, at a barbecue party in Rio de Janeiro.
Despite being married to Dayanne Rodrigues since he was 19, he reportedly got engaged to a dentist named Ingrid Calheiros Oliveira in 2009. In the same year, Bruno started seeing Eliza. In the next few months, they grew closer, and in February 2010, she gave birth to a son whom they named Bruninho Samudio. With so many dreams left to fulfill, Eliza suddenly disappeared from the face of the earth in the summer of 2010. A few weeks later, when the police found no signs of her, they declared her disappearance a homicide and launched an extensive investigation.
The Father of Eliza Samudio’s Child Allegedly Assaulted Her
Right after the disappearance of Eliza Samudio, the authorities delved deep into the personal life of the missing woman. When they found out that she was associated with Bruno Fernandes, they investigated their relationship. Soon, the detectives learned that after Eliza announced her pregnancy to the football star and refused an abortion in August 2009, he ended their relationship and denied dating her. Putting her fearlessness on display, she went to the media and talked about her situation, revealing the truth about Bruno on national television. In response, he accused her of making false allegations because he was famous and rich.
When Eliza began tarnishing his public image, Bruno and his close associates allegedly held her captive for several days and forced her to take abortive measures. According to a complaint she filed on October 13, 2009, regarding the incident, they also physically assaulted her. When she began demanding child support from the former Flamengo goalkeeper, her presence was invited to his farm in Esmeraldas, Minas Gerais, seemingly to negotiate a settlement. Still having hopes of repairing her relationship with Bruno, she arrived at the location on June 4, 2010, and was never seen again.
The Perpetrators Behind Eliza’s Death Were Brought to Justice After an Unexpected Testimony
As per Bruno’s accounts, Eliza left the farm and abandoned her child with an associate of Bruno. The infant was found in a favela (slum) a couple of weeks later in possession of friends of Dayanne Rodrigues. The investigation saw a significant development when Bruno’s 17-year-old cousin testified against him and the others connected to the disappearance of Eliza. As per his claims, Bruno’s right-hand man and best friend, Luiz Henrique Ferreira Romão AKA Macarrão, kept assaulting Eliza while she was on Bruno’s property. He claimed that on June 10, 2010, she was transferred from Fernandes’ residence to the house of Marcos Aparecido AKA Bola in Belo Horizonte. There, he continued, Bola strangled her to death, after which her remains were allegedly fed to the dogs. It was alleged that her bones were also buried under a layer of concrete.
In order to search for Eliza’s remains, the investigators searched Bola’s property but found next to nothing. In light of the testimony from the 17-year-old cousin of Bruno, on July 8, 2010, Bola was charged with the murder of Eliza Samudio. By the following day, other suspects, including Bruno Fernandes, were also taken into custody. More than two years later, in November 2012, the trial of all the defendants commenced, except for Bruno as his trial was postponed. On November 24, 2012, Macarrão was sentenced to 15 years in prison for aggravated homicide, while one of Bruno’s ex-girlfriends, Fernanda Gomes de Castro, received a 5-year imprisonment sentence for being involved in the abduction and murder of Eliza Samudio.
Ultimately, on March 4, 2013, the trial of the former Flamengo goalkeeper Bruno Fernandes began. Four days later, he was sentenced to more than 20 years in prison for different counts, including triple-qualified homicide, kidnapping, and hiding a corpse, among others. Nearly two months later, on April 27, 2013, Bola was ordered to spend 22 years in prison. As far as Eliza’s remains are concerned, the investigators still have not been able to find them.
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