Bruno’s defense was bizarre: He claimed the mafia had killed Eliza because of a gambling debt. The jury didn't buy it.
Bruno claimed that Eliza was mentally unstable, a drug user, and a prostitute. He argued that she had abandoned the child and that he had merely "lost his temper." Even when confronted with the confession of Macarrão, Bruno refused to admit guilt for the murder, only admitting to hiding the body—a legal nuance that he hoped would reduce his sentence. Eliza Samudio
The break in the case came from an unlikely source: Bruno’s own cousin. A young man named Wemerson de Souza (known as "Coxinha") had participated in the initial custody of Eliza but was not present for the murder. Distraught and scared, he went to the police. His testimony provided the narrative that detectives needed to arrest the national idol. Bruno’s defense was bizarre: He claimed the mafia
: According to court testimony from Bruno's cousin, Eliza was held captive, strangled, and her body was subsequently dismembered. Her remains were allegedly fed to dogs to destroy the evidence; her body has never been recovered . Legal Proceedings and Sentencing He argued that she had abandoned the child