On the day that marked six years since the murder of councilwoman Marielle Franco (PSOL-RJ) and driver Anderson Gomes, in Rio, the investigation into the crime was transferred this Thursday to the Federal Supreme Court (STF). The investigation was being processed at the Superior Court of Justice (STJ), which made the referral.
Criminal investigations are linked to the Judiciary sphere according to the profile of those investigated. Until then, the Rio de Janeiro Court of Auditors (TCE) counselor Domingos Brazão was on the list of suspects. The position of counselor has the right to a privileged forum in the STJ. Brazão is tipped to assume the presidency of the TCE, linked to the Legislative Assembly. With the change of court, investigators indicate that there would be another authority also suspected in the case.
The murder remains unsolved. Although those identified as the perpetrator of the shooting and the driver who drove it that night on March 14, 2018 are arrested, it remains to be seen who ordered Marielle to be killed. The former military police officer who participated in the execution Élcio Queiroz, driver of the car used for the crime, reached a plea bargain in 2023 and brought to light new pieces that are helping to unravel the planning of the murders.
At the beginning of this year, another person involved in the crime also decided to speak to the courts. Former Rio military police officer Ronnie Lessa, accused of killing Marielle and Anderson, reached a plea bargain with the PF. Former firefighter Maxwell Simões, better known as Suel, would have participated in planning the crime and hiding the evidence, having provided, a year after the murders, a vehicle used to dispose of weapons that belonged to Ronnie Lessa. In 2020, he was detained “for deliberately hindering” the investigations.
Investigators have not yet revealed details about the motivation or who ordered the crime. At around 9:30 pm on March 14, 2018, Marielle and Anderson were shot on a street in Estácio, in the north zone of Rio de Janeiro, by seven shots, fired from inside a car, when they were returning from an event promoted by the party of the councilor.
Journalist Fernanda Chaves, then the parliamentarian’s advisor, was in the vehicle and survived the attack. Since then, investigations have progressed slowly and several changes in command of the investigation have been carried out in recent years. Last year, new developments in the case rekindled the hope of Marielle’s family members for information that leads to the mastermind behind the murder of the councilor and Anderson.
The crime investigation gained national scope, with a partnership signed with the Ministry of Justice and Public Security in the investigation. Before leaving office to take up the position of minister of the Federal Supreme Court, former portfolio holder Flávio Dino had set a deadline of the end of the first quarter of this year for the outcome of the investigation into the case.
