Soap actor found dead in a chest: the case of Jeff Machado

Brazil and the world had their eyes on Rio de Janeiro when on May 22, 2023, 44-year-old actor Jeff Machado was found dead in a chest, buried under two meters (6'56 ft) of concrete in the backyard of a house in Rio de Janeiro.

Photo: @jeffmachadocosta/ Instagram

Before the horrifying find, the actor's mother suspected that something strange had happened. She received messages that she did not recognize as being from her son. The report of his disappearance was made official on January 27.

Photo: @jeffmachadocosta  / Instagram

Jeff had been missing since January 2023. At the time, he played a Philistine soldier in the soap opera 'Reis', shown on Record TV.

Photo: @jeffmachadocosta / Instagram

According to information provided by CNN Brasil, the actor's body had a mark of asphyxiation, his arms were tied above his head and there were injuries to his neck.

Photo: @jeffmachadocosta / Instagram

There is still no official version of what happened and why the actor was murdered, but investigations continue.

Photo: @jeffmachadocosta / Instagram

Media outlets such as the 'Metrópoles' website claim that the Rio de Janeiro police already have a hypothesis about how the actor died. They also reportedly know who were the people involved in the crime.

Photo: @jeffmachadocosta/ Instagram

According to G1, Jeff's body was found with his hands and feet tied with duct tape, already in a state of mummification. He also had a cloth in his mouth and a telephone wire around his neck with a strangulation groove.

Photo: @jeffmachadocosta / Instagram

According to G1, the actor's body did not show any other symptoms of violence. According to the autopsy report, released on the 25th of May, 2023, the cause of death could not be exactly determined due to the advanced state of decomposition of the body.

Photo: @jeffmachadocosta / Instagram

However, the main hypothesis contained in the autopsy report is strangulation. The possibility had already been raised by the lawyer accompanying Jeff Machado's family, Jairo Magalhães, on May 24, when he had access to the investigation and mentioned the presence of the wire.

Photo: @jeffmachadocosta / Instagram

As revealed by the actor's mother in an interview with TV Globo, the family suspects a "new friend" of the actor who, in their opinion, would have approached him out of "interest."

Photo: @jeffmachadocosta / Instagram

As the mother explained, her son's new acquaintance had promised him that he would help him "succeed in life."

Photo: Dustin Scarpitti / Unsplash

As the family's lawyer explained: "This chest is Jeff's, it's similar to another one he has at his house and they took it from there. It's another clue that led the police station to suspect the person involved in the case, which is someone who had access to Jeff's house."

Photo: @jeffmachadocosta/ Instagram

The lawyer also revealed that the actor's body was found in the courtyard of a residence rented by a friend of the actor. This person is now the main suspect in the death.

Photo: @jeffmachadocosta / Instagram

The actor led a peaceful and homely life, surrounded by his dogs and with a healthy lifestyle, where his taste for exercise and surfing stood out.

Photo: @jeffmachadocosta / Instagram

Jeff loved his dogs unconditionally and would do anything for them. However, the animals were found abandoned in the municipality of Paciência (RJ) and rescued by the NGO Indefesos.

Photo: @jeffmachadocosta / Instagram

Through the chips contained in the animals, representatives of the institution were able to talk to someone who pretended to be the actor. This imposter reportedly said he had left his eight setters with a friend while he was out of state for work.

Photo: Radek Grzybowski / Unsplash

Days later, as reported by 'Fantástico' on TV Globo, a man who introduced himself as Giovani told the NGO Indefensos that he had helped in leaving behind the pets.

Photo: @jeffmachadocosta / Instagram

As reported by CNN Brasil, rescuing the dogs was important proof that Jeff was really missing. The family considered it unlikely that the actor could abandon his dogs.

Photo: @jeffmachadocosta / Instagram

In the report, lawyer Jairo Magalhães said: “With the dogs abandoned and, as they were all chipped, it was easy to draw conclusions. Everyone knows he had an unconditional love for dogs."

Photo: @jeffmachadocosta / Instagram

Jefferson Machado had a career spanning more than 20 years in the entertainment world, where he worked as a model, actor, and presenter.

Photo: @jeffmachadocosta / Instagram

The discovery of the actor's lifeless body and the circumstances in which it was found became viral news in Brazil and other countries.

Photo: @jeffmachadocosta / Instagram