Bruno de Souza is the latest player signed by second-tier Brazilian side Boa Esporte. He’s made his name tending goal for prominent Brazilian teams like Flamengo and Atlético Mineiro—and also for being sentenced in 2013 to 22 years in prison after he was found guilty of arranging the murder of Eliza Samudio, his ex-girlfriend and the mother of his child.
Samudio gave birth in 2009, and later sued Bruno for child support. She went missing shortly after filing her lawsuit. Bruno was arrested and eventually confessed to arranging the capture and murder of Samudio. Some of Bruno’s friends held her a in a shed in Belo Horizonte, where they tortured her, killed her, then fed her to Bruno’s dogs, according to authorities. It was a tip from Bruno’s cousin that led to his arrest.
Bruno was released after serving about four years of his sentence. According to the Guardian, the lawyers were able to successfully petition for his release “because the country’s notoriously slow courts had failed for several years to rule on his appeal.” The newspaper added that three Boa Esporte advertisers have pulled their support since the club announced the signing. The club released a statement, trying to spin the signing as a benevolent move designed to help the rehabilitation of a former inmate, yet they neglected to mention the victim or the fact that Bruno pleaded guilty.
