Man Sentenced to Over 60 Years for Neighbor's Murder, Rape, and Body Concealment in Brazil

Valdinei Pedroso de Almecê has been sentenced to 60 years and eight months in prison, plus 10 months of detention and 20 days-fine, by a jury in Rondonópolis, Mato Grosso, Brazil. The conviction stems from the femicide, rape, and concealment of the corpse of his neighbor, Maria Selma Rocha dos Anjos, who was murdered in June 2025. The verdict was delivered on Tuesday, the 7th. Almecê was also found guilty of threatening his ex-partner, Grazyelle Pereira da Silva, to whom he sent images of the victim after the murder. The jury recognized the authorship and materiality of the crimes, accepting aggravating factors such as a frivolous motive, the use of torture, and employing a method that hindered the victim's defense. The presiding judge, Leonardo de Araujo Costa Tumiati, highlighted the extreme violence, the defendant's criminal record, a history of domestic violence, and the act of filming and sharing images of the victim post-assassination. The sentence mandates initial fulfillment in a closed regime, and the defendant was denied the right to appeal while free. He remains incarcerated at the Major PM Eldo Sá Corrêa Penitentiary, known as Mata Grande. Investigations revealed that Almecê lured Rocha dos Anjos to his residence out of revenge after she allegedly made disparaging remarks about him to his ex-partner. The victim was reportedly gagged, assaulted, and sexually violated before being killed. Her body was discovered buried in the backyard of a house, concealed under a water tank with a tarp and debris. The prosecution also stated that Almecê applied a chemical product to the body to mask its odor and impede its discovery. The investigation further indicated that Almecê sent images of the crime to his ex-partner via WhatsApp's 'view once' feature, prompting her to contact the Military Police, who, with the Civil Police, located the body and arrested Almecê.