Court accepts complaint and defendants become defendants for murder of lawyer in the Center

Lawyer Rodrigo Marinho Crespo was shot dead in the center of Rio. Photo: Social Network

The Rio de Janeiro Court accepted the complaint offered by the State Public Ministry against three men accused of the qualified homicide of lawyer Rodrigo Marinho Crespo, which occurred in the Center, on February 26th. The lawyer was 42 years old and was shot dead on one of the busiest roads in the capital, close to the section of the Brazilian Bar Association (OAB-RJ) and the Public Ministry.

Judge Cariel Bezerra Patriota, of the III Jury Court of the Capital, ordered the preventive detention of the accused Eduardo Sobreira Moraes and Cezar Daniel Mondêgo de Souza, in addition to the removal of military police officer Leandro Machado from his public duties. The three accused remain in prison.

According to the MP’s investigations, the crime would have been motivated by the lawyer’s intention to enter the gaming and betting sector, which upset a criminal organization. The MP also highlights that the murder of Rodrigo Marinho Crespo sent a message to competitors and the democratic rule of law, indicating a possible infiltration of members of this criminal organization in the state.

The judge responsible for the case considered that the arrests were inevitable to guarantee the application of criminal law and prevent the accused from escaping. Investigations into the case continue by the capital’s Homicide Police, which raised the possibility of others being involved in the lawyer’s murder.

Watch the report from Web TV Eu, Rio! about the case: