What was meant to be a joyful milestone for a family of five in 2015 turned into a tragic nightmare. The family was gathered at a prestigious private school to celebrate the graduation of their eldest daughter, Samira, from secondary school.
Among the thousands of guests in attendance at the school’s gymnasium were relatives, friends, and colleagues of Sandro, the father who taught English at the school. Unfortunately, the celebration took a devastating turn when seven-year-old Beatriz Angélica Mota was found dead within the school premises just hours later.
During the event, Beatriz had asked her mother, Lucinha Mota, for permission to get a drink from a nearby water fountain. The school environment was familiar to the family as both the children attended the school where their father worked. Concern arose when Beatriz did not return after about half an hour, prompting Sandro to take the stage and call out for his missing daughter, briefly pausing the proceedings.
The search for Beatriz commenced immediately, with guests and staff joining forces. Late in the evening, around 11 pm, Beatriz’s lifeless body was discovered in a disused sports kit storage room near the gym. She had been brutally stabbed ten times, and the weapon used in the attack was found near her body.
Forensic analysis later revealed that Beatriz had not been murdered in the room where she was found. The absence of evidence in that location suggested that she had been killed elsewhere and then concealed in the room, which had become inaccessible to students in recent years.
Early in the investigation, eyewitnesses reported seeing a man in a green shirt lingering near the water fountains just before Beatriz disappeared. Furthermore, it was confirmed that a set of keys granting access to various parts of the school had gone missing a few days earlier. Additionally, the school’s CCTV systems were found to have been tampered with, with crucial footage erased.
As months passed with no breakthrough in the case, Beatriz’s father criticized the police for obstructing the investigation based on revelations from a private investigator hired by the family. The investigator uncovered irregularities and suggested misconduct by some officers involved in Beatriz’s case.
In the subsequent years, Lucinha Mota intensified her efforts through demonstrations, media appearances, and a remarkable 430-mile trek lasting 23 days from their hometown to the state capital, staging protests at the governor’s office. A major breakthrough emerged in January 2022, shortly after the high-profile march.
DNA evidence retrieved from the knife handle used in the assault was matched to Marcelo da Silva, then 40, whose genetic profile was already on file in the state database due to previous criminal activities, including sexual offenses against a minor. Marcelo confessed to the crime on camera, admitting to breaking into the school with the intention of stealing money.
According to Marcelo’s account, Beatriz became frightened upon seeing him and started screaming, prompting him to use the knife to silence her. Following Marcelo’s admission, Lucinha expressed her dismay at not being informed promptly by the authorities about his arrest, vowing to address the issue in a press conference.
Subsequently, she acknowledged the undeniable DNA evidence but raised doubts about the alleged motive. In the decision to proceed to trial, Judge Elane Brandão Ribeiro highlighted forensic findings indicating a possible sexual motive behind the crime. She referenced injuries on Beatriz’s body that suggested the offense may have stemmed from her resistance to Marcelo’s sexual advances.
Marcelo was formally charged with triple-qualified homicide, based on premeditation, extreme brutality, and deception that left the victim defenseless. Despite his detailed confession, his legal team has persistently sought to delay the trial by questioning the sufficiency of the evidence.
Currently serving as a federal congresswoman, Lucinha Mota continues to advocate for her daughter’s case through various platforms, including podcasts, interviews, and public engagements. In a recent social media post featuring a picture of herself at Beatriz’s gravesite, she reiterated her determination to ensure justice for her daughter by pushing for a fair trial and the prosecution of the perpetrator.
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