Brazilian Actor, Missing For 4 Months, Found Dead Inside Buried Wooden Box

Jefferson Machado, a Brazilian actor who has been missing for several months, was discovered dead in a wooden box outside of a house in Rio de Janeiro, as per a report by the New York Post. His family friend Cintia Hilsendeger posted a message on the actor's Instagram page confirming his death. "It is with great sadness we report that Jeff was found on 05/22/2023 lifeless," she wrote.

The 44-year-old's body was found chained and packed inside a wooden box that had been covered with concrete and buried six feet under the backyard of a home, according to the authorities.

"He had his arms tied behind his head and buried in a trunk that is very similar to the ones in his own house," the family's lawyer Jairo Magalhaes said. The lawyer stated that the body was identified using fingerprints and had a "line" on the neck, indicating that he had been strangled.

"Jefferson was brutally murdered by jealous, evil and of course, unscrupulous people. More info coming soon RJ Township Police did an excellent job! Thank you so much to everyone who helped with every little detail," the family added on Instagram.

As per the outlet, the police is currently investigating a man who had rented the property. The suspect was last seen entering the house about a month ago. It is also to be noted that he supposedly knew Mr Machado.

The actor's family found out about his kidnapping after a non-governmental organisation contacted them to inform that his eight dogs had been abandoned at his house. For several months, the family continued to get text messages from someone they thought was impersonating Mr Machado. His mother Maria Das Dores said she was suspicious of the email since it was full of spelling mistakes and did not sound like her son.