Brazilian police apprehended a new suspect on Monday in connection with the 2018 murder of Marielle Franco, a beloved councilwoman from Rio de Janeiro. The arrest came after a plea bargain confession by another detained suspect.
Justice Minister Flavio Dino confirmed the issuance of a preventive arrest warrant and seven search and seizure warrants during a press conference in Brasilia.
The newly arrested individual is identified as Maxwell Simoes Correia, a former firefighter. He is suspected of concealing the weapons used by the ex-police suspects currently standing trial for the shooting, as per Dino’s statement.
Previously, in March 2019, two former police officers, Ronnie Lessa and Elcio de Queiroz, were indicted for the shooting of Marielle Franco and her driver, Anderson Gomes. They have been in federal prison custody since then.
Queiroz, who is accused of driving the car used in the crime, made a plea bargain with authorities. He confessed to being an accessory to the crime and also confirmed Lessa’s involvement in the murder.
Marielle Franco, a 38-year-old black, openly gay, and progressive councilwoman hailing from a poor neighborhood in Rio de Janeiro, was a rising star in the Socialism and Liberty Party (PSOL). She was an outspoken critic of police violence against impoverished Rio residents. Her tragic death was believed to be a politically motivated assassination orchestrated by paid hitmen and sparked nationwide protests, expressing Brazilians’ frustration with pervasive violence.
