Jefferson Machado, actor from the telenovela Reis, missing for 44 days [Foto: Reprodução]
The body of actor Jeff Machado was found inside a trunk with his hands tied over his head and a kind of wire around his neck. The wooden box was buried more than a meter and a half deep in the backyard of a house in Campo Grande, West Zone of Rio, the same neighborhood where the actor lived.
The remains were located on Monday (22) after complaints and identified only on Wednesday (24). Despite the advanced stage of decomposition, the identification was made through the fingerprints of the corpse.
Jefferson Machado had been missing for four months. The case came to light after her eight dogs were abandoned on the streets.
How it all began
The NGO Indefesos started a campaign at the end of January to locate the owner of eight dogs that were found in Santa Cruz and Campo Grande, West Zone of Rio.
After taking the animals to Clínica Vet Angels, in Recreio dos Bandeirantes, the veterinarian identified Jeff as the guardian through a chip implanted in the animals. Two of them died from being run over.
The actor was heavily criticized on social media for having “left the animals”. The family came to his defense, claiming that he was extremely passionate about dogs and would never abandon them.
After the publication of the case on the NGO’s social networks, a person, who identified himself as Jefferson, told the organization that he had traveled and left the dogs with a friend in Jacarepaguá, but the eight animals had fled. As he would only return to Rio de Janeiro on February 10, he said he could not help with the searches.
supposed jeff
This wasn’t the only time someone impersonated Jefferson. After the disappearance, the actor’s mother Maria das Dores received WhatsApp messages from Jeff’s profile. He said he couldn’t talk on the phone or send audios, because the cell phone would have fallen into the toilet.
Maria das Dores says she found it strange that her son had been away since then. In addition, mistrust was reinforced by grammatical errors in the messages. Jefferson Machado was a journalist and always wrote very well, according to his family.
According to lawyer Jairo Magalhães, he was murdered earlier this year. Despite this, the actor’s social networks continue to work.
On February 2, he published a photo with the caption: “Restart. Gratitude!” The profile even responded to some comments, but none that asked about his disappearance.
On February 7, another post was published. This time in stories, stating that he was not well and saying that he needed to “be at peace”. The author of the text apologizes to the people involved in the “confusion”, especially Jefferson’s mother.
main suspects
The report by Super Rádio Tupi found that the case was a “succession of crimes”, in the words of one of the agents from the Whereabouts Discovery Police Station (DDPA).
The Civil Police did not give details about what would have motivated Jefferson’s murder. According to the corporation, the main suspects have already given statements. Among them, Jeff’s friend Bruno Larrubia, who kept his assets after the disappearance, according to the victim’s relatives.
The report from Super Rádio Tupi got in touch with Bruno in early February. He declined to answer if he kept the actor’s car and house key. Since then, Bruno has not responded to our attempts to contact him.
fake friends scam
In an exclusive conversation with Tupi, Jefferson’s mother said she believed he was the target of a “false friend coup”. According to her, there was a colleague who promised to get work in soap operas on a large broadcaster. This friend took the keys to Jeff’s house and car, which are now in the possession of the police.
A resident of Santa Catarina, Maria das Dores arrives in Rio de Janeiro at the end of the day to continue the procedures for her son’s wake.
