Bodies of missing couple found buried in a vegetable garden

September, 2020 – Jacareí, Brazil. An elderly man identified as Benedito Moreira was arrested on Tuesday, September 22, 2020, after confessing in testimony to the Civil Police that he killed his own daughter, Marcela Bruni Moreira, and his son-in-law, Alexandre Moreira, both were 37 years old. The victims were found buried in a vegetable garden.

Fig.1 Alexandre Moreira and Marcela Bruni Moreira, both were 37 years old.

Fig.2 Benedito Moreira with his daughter Marcela Bruni Moreira.

He claims that the crime occurred after his granddaughter told him that she had been sexually abused by her stepfather. According to the Civil Police, the disappearance of the couple was already being investigated for days when the team became suspicious of the behaviour of the old man, who lived with the pair.

Fig.3 The body of Marcela at autopsy.

Fig.4 The body of Alexandre at autopsy.

Video from the morgue.

The old man reportedly presented contradictory versions when questioned by police officers about blood marks found on the couple’s mattress. Initially, he said loansharks invaded their home and killed his daughter and son-in-law, and then forced him to bury them in the backyard.

Fig.5 Marcela Bruni Moreira.

Fig.6 Alexandre Moreira.

Fig.7 Identifiable tattoo on Alexandre Moreira.

Before the confession, a news reporter visited the man and the home where he and the couple lived. He showed the reporter their bedroom and a box of insulin syringes that his daughter can’t be without. At one point he even participated in a search effort to find his daughter, knowing she was buried in his garden.

Fig.8 A local news reporter visited the old man a few times to try to get an insight of what might have happened.

Fig.9 In the interviews the man encouraged his daughter to come back home.

Fig.10 Mobile phones, ID’s and bank card’s owned by the couple, were left behind according to the old man.

According to the investigation, Benedito lured his daughter to the backyard, where he has a vegetable garden, and killed her with several sledgehammer blows. Then he went to the room where the son-in-law, who was asleep and killed him with an ax. To move the body he used a wheelbarrow. He then buried the two bodies in the back yard.

Fig.11 An old photograph of the old man working in the garden.

Fig.12 In one interview he got very emotional.

Fig.13 The old man seen here participating in a search event for the couple.

The old man admitted that the crime happened after his granddaughter told him that her stepfather, Alexandre, had rubbed her body several times. He then confronted his daughter about it, who said she did not believe the accusation and slapped her daughter in the presence of her stepfather. This behaviour irritated the old man, who then killed his daughter in the family garden, on September 12, and then killed his son-in-law who was sleeping. The alleged child abuse has not been proven by the police and they believe it’s all made up. The old man was arrested for apparent double murder and an illegal disposal of a body, and obstruction of justice.

Fig.14 The old man showing the interviewer the room of the couple.

Fig.15 During the interview he shows the reporter a box of syringes with insulin that his daughter needs and can’t live without.

Fig.16 The police arrested the old man after he confessed in testimony to the police that he killed his own daughter and son-in-law, and buried them in their vegetable garden.