Murder of Jeff Machado

Jefferson Machado da Costa, known professionally as Jeff Machado, was born in Araranguá, Santa Catarina on 19 January 1979. He was a journalist and actor and had worked on the soap opera Reis, on RecordTV. In 1997, Machado had moved from Santa Catarina to Rio de Janeiro to pursue an acting career. He returned to his home state, specifically to Florianópolis, in 2008, when he returned to work in the field of journalism. Later, in 2014, he moved back to Rio and got a job at telenovela Reis in 2021–2022. Machado was passionate about setter dogs, he had eight dogs in the house where he lived, in the neighborhood of Guaratiba. About four years before his death, Machado met Rodrigues, who presented himself as an artistic producer at Globo, where he had actually worked until 2018. Rodrigues harassed Machado financially, saying that he would get a contract between the actor and the broadcaster for payment. ==Crime==

Machado disappeared on 23 January 2023. His mother, Maria das Dores, revealed to Fantástico on May 28 that Diego, the actor's brother, had still spoken to him on 23 January. "It was the last day we heard Jefferson's voice. He called me every day", said Machado's mother, who began to wonder when she started receiving only text messages. On one of them was written: "my phone fell into the toilet" and Maria das Dores suspected "private? This is not Jefferson's word". He also sent word that he would be moving to São Paulo to work and when his mother asked about the dogs, he replied that he would leave the animals with friends. "Jefferson wasn't going to leave the dogs with friends. This isn't right," said Machado's mother. The family's distrust increased on 27 January, after Machado's eight dogs were seen roaming the streets near their home. They were taken in by an NGO that reached Machado and then his family through the animal chips. The family was informed on 24 May, that Machado's body had been found. ==Investigation==

As Rodrigues avoided contact with the victim's relatives, Diego, the victim's brother, traveled to Rio de Janeiro. There he registered the occurrence, accompanied by the accused, and discovered that Rodrigues had the keys to Jeff's house. Rodrigues justified having the keys at the actor's request and used the same excuse to justify having other assets of the victim. Also in the same week, an alleged farewell letter was published on the actor's account. Machado's body was found on Rua Itueira, Campo Grande, West Zone of Rio, on 22 May. The victim had been buried and concreted two meters deep inside a trunk, which, according to police findings, was the same as the one at Jeff's residence, which increased suspicions that the crime had been committed by someone known to the actor. The body was in the fetal position, naked, with its hands tied above its head and a wire around its neck. According to the DDPA police, Rodrigues killed Machado after hitting the actor. • Jeander Vinicius da Silva Braga - 29 years old; mason, baker and call boy; frequented Machado's house ==Arrest, trial and imprisonment==

On 31 May, Bruno de Souza Rodrigues and Jeander Vinícius da Silva Braga were indicted. On 1 June, the Public Ministry (MP) of Rio de Janeiro asked for the arrest of both. Vinícius was arrested on June 2 in the Santíssimo neighborhood, in the West Zone of Rio, after trying to flee. ==See also==