Who was Eliza Silva Samudio? New Netflix true crime docu delves into fate of footballer's ex 'fed to dogs'
Warning: This article contains a recollection of crime and can be triggering to some, readers’ discretion is advised.
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL: Netflix in its gripping true crime documentary, 'An Invisible Victim: The Eliza Samudio Case', revisits the chilling murder of Eliza Silva Samudio, which garnered global attention in 2010. The 25-year-old Brazilian model once dated former football star Bruno Fernandes and was single-handedly raising their child before she was brutally killed and her mortal remains were fed to dogs.
It's been 14 years to the case and the details of her case still leave many questions unanswered. The Netflix documentary, directed by Juliana Antunes, promises to dive deep into her story, revisiting events leading up to her death and shedding new light on the people involved. With interviews and fresh perspectives, the aim is to explore the overlooked aspects of the case and the systemic failures that led to her tragic fate.
A look into Eliza Silva Samudio and Bruno Fernandes's twisted relationship
Born in 1985, Eliza Samudio grew up with a dream of becoming a model. Her parents were separated when she was an infant. When she turned 18, she left her hometown and moved to the capital of São Paulo to pursue her dream. While she was struggling to make a mark in the glamour industry, she met Fernandes at a sex party in 2009.
“Beautiful women would volunteer to have sex without commitment," said a source quoted by The Sun. Fernandes and Samudio had sex, during which his condom broke.
The duo kept seeing each other after the orgy party but things turned nasty after three months when Samudio found out that she was pregnant. Fernandes, who was already married and had two daughters at that time, asked her to get an abortion but she refused.
Who killed Eliza Samudio and why?
On October 13, 2009, the pregnant model went to the cops, claiming that she was kidnapped and assaulted by Fernandes and his friends Russo and Macarrão. She alleged that she was forced to take an illegal drug that would induce miscarriage. They beat her up and also pointed a gun to her head, she further claimed. Her complaint turned futile and even her request for a restraining order against the goalkeeper was denied.
In February 2010, she delivered the child, and four months later, she and her baby disappeared. Later, when her son was found abandoned in a slum in southeast Brazil, suspicion around Samudio's fate grew. During the investigation, Fernandes insisted that Samudio had left the country but her friends knew she would never abandon her child.
Bloodstains and woman’s items were found in Bruno’s car, yet he publicly claimed innocence, saying he prayed for her return, as per The Sun. However, the cops charged him for Samudio's initial claims against him, accusing him of abduction and forcing her into abortion, for which he was sentenced to four and a half years in jail. Though Samudio's disappearance was ruled out as homicide, her body was still not discovered.
Fernandes's role in her murder came to light when his teenage cousin confessed the truth. In the court, the prosecutors mentioned that the footballer arranged for his ex-girlfriend's murder after she took legal action against him to seek child support. Details of the crime were chilling. Samudio was strangulated before being dismembered and buried under a layer of concrete and some of her remains were fed to dogs. Bruno was sentenced to 22 years in March 2013, as per USA Today.
How to stream 'An Invisible Victim: The Eliza Samudio Case'?
The Netflix documentary will highlight the system's failure to save the young model despite her cries for help. The legal system let her down multiple times until her tragic end.
The official synopsis for 'An Invisible Victim: The Eliza Samudio Case' reads, "A star goalkeeper threatens a woman who is pregnant with his child. Her pleas for help go unanswered in the shadow of his fame - then tragedy strikes." It is scheduled to premiere this coming Thursday, September 26, exclusively on Netflix.
'An Invisible Victim: The Eliza Samudio Case' trailer