Businessman Convicted of Ex-Partner's Murder in Bahia Arrested in Minas Gerais

A 55-year-old businessman, previously convicted for the 2017 murder of his former business partner in Bahia, was apprehended on Tuesday afternoon in the Morada do Vale neighborhood of Governador Valadares, Minas Gerais. He was a fugitive from justice, with a preventive detention warrant issued by the 1st Criminal Court, Jury, and Penal Execution Court of Porto Seguro, Bahia. The court had sentenced him to 20 years and six months in a closed regime. Military Police received an anonymous tip that the suspect was in the area and potentially armed. Upon arrival, officers located the businessman, who exhibited nervousness. A search of his person yielded no illicit items, and subsequent searches of his vehicle and residence, with his authorization, did not uncover any weapons. Public security system checks confirmed the outstanding arrest warrant. The man was taken for medical evaluation before being transferred to the Civil Police station. The crime occurred in February 2017 in Arraial d'Ajuda, Porto Seguro, Bahia, where the victim, 31-year-old Leandro Reis Duque, disappeared and was later found buried in a shallow grave. Investigations indicated the murder stemmed from a professional dispute, with the victim lured into an ambush under the guise of a quote. After the homicide, the body was concealed in a wooded area, and the perpetrators fled to Minas Gerais. The businessman was tried in absentia by the Jury Court in January 2024 and convicted, leading to his fugitive status. A second defendant was also convicted for their involvement in the crime.