Topics: World News, News, Crime, Celebrity
The body of Brazilian actor Jefferson Machado has been found inside a wooden trunk buried six-feet underground.
The soap actor, who was best known for his appearances in Brazilian show Reis, was last seen on 27 January.
Two days later, on 29 January, his mother Maria das Dores said she spoke to Jefferson about a job he had been interviewing for - but that was the last time she heard his voice.
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Maria started to worry about her son when she began receiving text messages from his number with spelling mistakes, and stopped getting phone calls from him.
It was also reported to the police that Jefferson's video cloud password had been changed and his phone's location had been deactivated.
On 9 February, Machado was officially declared missing when the eight pet dogs he owned were found alone at his home in Rio de Janeiro.
Finally on Monday (22 May), the actor's remains were recovered by Brazilian authorities after they discovered a trunk encased in cement, buried in the backyard of a home in Campo Grande.
According to local media outlet R7, the home where Jefferson's body was found had been rented out by a friend of his, whose name has not yet been made public.
It took nine people to hoist the trunk up from beneath the floor of the property's outhouse.
By checking the body's fingerprints, authorities were able to identify the body as that of Jefferson Machado.
Following the discovery, the Machado family's attorney, Jairo Magalhai Pereira, announced the news in a statement posted to Facebook.
It read: "It is with regret that I share the sad news of the passing of actor Jeff Machado, whose body was found with strangulation signs.
"This discovery confronts us with the cruelty present in our society, motivating us to seek truth and justice in the face of such impactful cases.
"Preliminary information indicates that the actor's body was found in a trunk, buried in a hole of considerable depth. This situation deeply saddens us and indignant in the face of the suffering faced by Jeff.
"My commitment as a lawyer is to seek tirelessly for truth and justice. It is my responsibility to ensure that everyone involved in this brutal crime is held accountable and punished, and that Jeff’s family finds the support they need to get through this very painful time."
