BELÉM, PARÁ, BRAZIL – JULY 1, 2016 Tragic murder case of Lucia Ferreira de Azevedo shook the Brazilian city of Belém. The 31-year-old woman was found dead in one of the rooms of a local motel after staff or visitors alerted authorities to a suspicious situation. When police arrived at the scene, they found Lucia lying on the bed with no signs of life.
Lucia Ferreira de Azevedo
Investigators quickly determined that the woman had died a violent death. Clear signs of strangulation were visible on her body, indicating that the perpetrator killed the victim with their hands or by using a ligature. Particularly disturbing was the condition in which she was found – from the waist down, she was naked, and the words “X-9” and “cagueta” were written on one buttock and one leg. In the Brazilian underworld, these are very strong labels for a person considered an informant, snitch, or “rat.” This detail led police to the hypothesis that the murder could be connected to criminal circles or personal revenge.
Forensic experts from the Renato Chaves Institute analyzed both the crime scene and the victim’s body. The investigation focused on people who had communicated with Lucia or had been near her in the final hours of her life. It soon became clear that surveillance camera footage and witness statements would be key evidence.
Approximately three weeks after the murder, police arrested the main suspect – 30-year-old carpenter Adriel das Chagas Pincheiro. The man admitted that he had an intimate or romantic relationship with Lucia, but denied killing her. He claimed that at the time of the murder, he was with another woman and tried to establish an alibi. However, this alibi collapsed after the woman denied his version of events and confirmed that she was not with him at the critical time.
Police were helped by a combination of several pieces of evidence. Witnesses helped create a profile of the perpetrator, and specialists identified a distinctive physical feature – a cyst on the suspect’s back. This detail matched surveillance footage and investigators’ findings. According to available information, this unusual characteristic became one of the important pieces of evidence linking Adriel to the crime scene.
Although the exact motive for the murder was never fully explained publicly, investigators worked with the theory that it was either a crime of passion or a murder related to suspicion of informing within criminal circles. The writings on the victim’s body suggested that the perpetrator wanted to send a clear message.
The court ultimately found Adriel das Chagas Pincheiro guilty of the murder of Lucia Ferreira de Azevedo. He was sentenced to 28 years in prison, with the sentence initially to be served in a maximum-security prison.
