Eliza Samudio was 25 years old and had one simple request: that Bruno Fernandes de Souza, goalkeeper for Flamengo, acknowledge his baby and help support him. She disappeared in 2010. Her son was found alive. She never returned, and her body has still not been found. Even so, the investigation managed to piece together what happened: in March 2013, Bruno was sentenced to 22 years and 3 months for Eliza’s murder, her kidnapping, and the concealment of her body.
The story returned to the sports pages years later. Provisional release while he awaited his appeal allowed him to sign with Boa Esporte. There was outrage and a reversal, but changes to his prison regime eventually allowed him to return to the pitch.
A conviction, provisional release, and permission to work are not the same thing. And at the center of it all is still a young mother whose son grew up without her.
