In the first episode of “Linha Direta”, which returned to the Globo program this Thursday (4), witnesses and survivors spoke about the “Caso Eloá”. While Victor Lopes de Campos described the horrifying moments he experienced in the apartment, Simone Morais Duarte recalled the family’s reaction when they discovered the 15yearold girl was being held hostage by her exboyfriend Lindemberg Alves Fernandes became. The case ended tragically on October 18, 2008 with Eloá’s death.
Testimony of a survivor
Victor Alves was at Eloá’s home for a homework assignment. According to him, the friends were preparing lunch when they were surprised by the kidnapper’s invasion. “He didn’t expect us to be there, he wanted to get her alone. He knew Jago and Nayara were together and he didn’t know me. Then he hit me with his butt. I had agreed with my father to be home at 5 p.m., I don’t remember what we wanted to do,” he said.
According to the boy, his father was responsible for contacting the police and telling them what happened: “My father was very strict. He called and I didn’t answer. When my father arrived at the apartment and tried to break down the door. When he tried to break it down, Lindemberg yelled, “Don’t even try to break down the door or I’ll kill everyone in here.” My father was desperate and went after the police.”
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The young man also recalled the moment when he was released by the criminal after he passed out in the apartment. “All I know is that I woke up and Eloá shook me. He even said: “Do you want to go?”. I said “I want”. He even said, “It’s cute so you can see if I don’t shoot you in the back a lot.” I walked out and the first person I saw was my dad. I’m relieved that I left, but worried because my friends were there,” he recalls.
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Even after his release, Victor remained at the crime scene and followed the further steps of the police. In his testimony, he recalled the moment of the invasion and the horror with the state of Eloá carried away by the agents. “I was on the street, straight ahead. Nayara went first, hand to face, but walking. I said, ‘Well, at least it works.’ But Eloá left her bleeding in her lap. We wanted to know the news, but we already imagined the worst,” he said. While Nayara was hit in the face, Eloá was hit in the groin and head.
The boy also commented on his friends’ shock at the girl’s death: “When the news came that she was brain dead, that she was only alive because of the machines, my mother said, ‘Son, I don’t think this time will work’. Then we started crying, all the family, friends.” Regard:
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discovery of death
Simone Morais Duarte, a family neighbor, has followed the crime closely. Eloá’s parents and siblings stayed at the girl’s home the whole time while the girl was being held in a private prison. According to her, at first the family did not believe in Lindemberg’s intentions. “I went to Eloá’s mother to find out what’s going on. She said: “Lidemberg caught Eloá in the apartment but he has a hot head. This will pass, soon it will end’. She stayed at my house until the end,” he said.
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Simone also recalled that Ana Cristina, Eloá’s mother, had not imagined that her former soninlaw would have the courage to kill her daughter. Ana even spoke to the criminal over the phone and tried to convince him to release the girl. “We called from my house to the apartment. She said, ‘Liso, let go of my daughter, you’re young, when you get out of there you talk, don’t do that.’ And he yelled, ‘No, she’s only going out of here dead, if she doesn’t stay with me, stay her with anyone.’ Tina is crying and he is screaming on the other side,” he explained.
“I could hear Eloá saying, ‘Mom, calm down, he’s not going to do anything. He doesn’t have the courage.’ And Ana said: “Don’t do that, Eloá”. Then when he hung up, we couldn’t speak to him anymore,” he added.
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The witness recalled the moment when the family discovered the seriousness of the case and Eloá’s health. “We thought she was shot in the stomach. Halfway through, they said on the news that she was already dead. At the hospital it was different, they said she was going to have surgery to remove a bullet from her head,” he said.
“Ana Cristina didn’t know it yet and said, ‘I’m praying for Lindemberg. Because my daughter was only shot in the stomach. But he left there, they beat him, he will be punished and the population will probably kill him. Then I said, ‘Ana, let’s pray for Eloá now, because she needs prayer.’ Her son took her to the doctor and he explained that the case was serious,” he continued.
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Simone also criticized the performance of the press in the case, which would have made a “circus” out of the situation. With intense media coverage, the criminal was able to follow everything that was happening outside the building, including police actions. “Another thing that got in our way a lot was the press, which laid out all the facts, all the data, point by point, about what was going to happen. He was up to date, he followed everything that was happening on TV,” he lamented. “One night we woke up to a bunch of women screaming, ‘Hey Lindemberg, I just came here to see you.’ It became a circus,” he added.
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tragic outcome
Eloá was confirmed brain dead on October 18, a day after the police raid. The perpetrator, however, was not injured and was taken away by the police. “Lindemberg was sentenced to 98 years in prison. In 2013, the SP court reduced the sentence to 39 years in prison, less than half of the first. In 2021, Lindemberg benefited from the semiopen regime where the prisoner can work during the day and return to prison at night,” said Pedro Bial.
“The benefit was revoked after 4 months because psychiatric reports showed that Lindemberg displayed antisocial and aggressive behavior. Today Lindemberg is again in a semiopen regime. But prosecutors have appealed and the decision is pending,” he concluded.
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