Jefferson Machado, a Brazilian actor who was reported missing in January, has tragically been found dead. Local media outlet R7 confirmed that the remains of the actor, who starred in the soap opera Reis, were recovered on Monday May 22 in the backyard of a home in Campo Grande, Brazil.
His body had been placed in a trunk, believed to be owned by the 44-year-old, and then buried six feet under ground.
In a statement on Facebook, the Machado family attorney Jairo Magalhae Pereira confirmed the star’s death, and shared that the family is now seeking "truth and justice".
“It is with regret that I share the sad news of the passing of actor Jeff Machado, whose body was found with strangulation signs," the statement read.
"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 is 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,” the statement concluded.
G1, another local media outlet, revealed that the property belongs to a woman who had rented the outhouse to a man who has been identified as a suspect by police, who believe Jefferson knew the man.
Jefferson had not been seen since January 27. His 73-year-old mother, Maria das Dores, had told police she had spoken to him on January 29 and that he had told her he had traveled to São Paulo for a job interview.
However, the family were concerned for Jefferson when his iCloud's password was changed, and his location was later deactivated.
He was officially declared missing on February 9 when it was discovered that his eight dogs had been left abandoned at his home in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.