TV Producer In Custody After Actor Is Murdered, Buried in Trunk

The horrifying discovery was only the final act in a depraved situation.

By Andrew Roberts

A suspect is in custody related to the death of South American soap opera star Jefferson Machado. The actor was discovered dead, buried in a wooden trunk six feet under concrete beneath an outhouse. The ghastly discovery came back in June and was the cap to an insane chain of events involving the victim and De Souza.

According to The Daily Mail, Bruno de Souza was arrested in connection to the death. He had avoided capture for two weeks after being named a suspect in the murder of Machado. De Souza is a former television producer and employee at TV Globo. He was found in hiding at a Rio de Janeiro apartment in the Morror do Vidigal neighborhood.

A second suspect was arrested on June 2 and has been in custody since. Both Jeander da Silva and de Souza are the only suspects in the slaying. According to the outlet, de Souza allegedly drugged and strangled Machado with a telephone, opting to hide the corpse in the wooden chest. Investigators believe Machado's murder was the result of a scam he became wise about, paying de Souza $5,000 in assistance landing a role on a TV Globo soap opera. They also allege that the murder was premeditated at least a month in advance.

"Jeff was the perfect victim for anyone to obtain economic advantages to his detriment, since he was a young man who had no family members in the city of Rio de Janeiro, who lived alone in a property located in a remote location without having a steady job," the police report showed, according to The Daily Mail.

Machado's last acting role was as a soldier in Record RV's soap opera Reis, when it aired back in 2022. Machado was hopeful for his big break, something it seems de Souza allegedly took advantage of when planning the slaying.

Da Silva told authorities that he and de Souza visited Machado's home, placed a drug in the actor's drink, and later told him to "enter the shower so that he could film a pornographic scene, according to The Daily Mail. He later claimed he found Machado's body tied up on the bed after exiting the shower.

There was even allegedly a tense run-in with police, a passed checkpoint, and some evasive maneuvers while carrying Machado's body in the trunk in the back of an SUV. The whole situation just seems to keep rolling up the drama, with de Souza even attempting to sell Machado's car to local dealerships and trying to sell the actor's home for half of its actual worth.

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