A suspect has been arrested in connection with the murder of Brazilian actor Jefferson Machado who was found dead in a trunk.
Jeander da Silva, 29, was taken into custody on Friday following his attempt to escape the clutches of local police in Santíssimo, a small neighborhood approximately an hour away from Rio de Janeiro.
Bruno de Souza, another suspect in the case who has not yet been arrested or charged, has been considered "on the run" since da Silva's arrest as per a report by the Daily Mail.
The news comes just 11 days after Machado, 44, was found dead stuffed inside a wooden trunk that was buried under an outhouse at his friend's home.
The actor, who was best known for his role in the show Reis, was last seen back in January and last spoke to his mother Maria das Dores on the phone two days later, before he was reported missing the following month.
Dores realized something was wrong when her son started texting her instead of his usual calls, claiming that he was unable to ring her because his phone wasn't working properly after dropping it in the toilet.
However, his follow-up messages contained multiple spelling mistakes and seemed like they were written up by someone else, and this combined with the fact that his eight pet dogs were found abandoned near his homes, prompted the concerned mother to contact the authorities.
The 44-year-old was declared missing on February 9 and an investigation to locate him was underway.
Unfortunately, just three months later, Machado's body was discovered in a trunk and buried six feet underground on May 22 after clues led the police back to the garden of a friend's home in Campo Grande.
The actor was identified by his fingerprints and pronounced dead.
Jairo Magalhai Pereira, the family's attorney announced the tragic news via a statement posted to Facebook.
"It is with regret that I share the sad news of the passing of actor Jeff Machado, whose body was found with strangulation signs," Pereira wrote. "This discovery confronts us with the cruelty present in our society, motivating us to seek truth and justice in the face of such impactful cases.
"Preliminary information indicates that the actor's body was found in a trunk, buried in a hole of considerable depth," he continued. "This situation deeply saddens us and indignant in the face of the suffering faced by Jeff."
The statement concluded: "My commitment as a lawyer is to seek tirelessly for truth and justice. It is my responsibility to ensure that everyone involved in this brutal crime is held accountable and punished and that Jeff’s family finds the support they need to get through this very painful time."
Speaking to G1, a local news outlet, Machado's mother said she believed that her son was murdered because of greed and money.
The Daily Mail reported: "He believed in these false friends who led him to believe he was going to make it, even taking money [from him]. He was deceived, totally deceived, he died thinking he was going to join Globo [a Brazilian media conglomerate]."
Our thoughts and prayers are with Machado's family and friends during this incredibly difficult time.
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