Mother Sentenced to 54 Years for Orchestrating the Murders of Sister, Brother-in-Law, and Niece

A mother, Simone Gonçalves Resende, has been sentenced to 54 years in prison for masterminding the murders of her sister, brother-in-law, and niece in a plot believed to be motivated by greed and a desire to inherit nearly £1 million. The shocking crime has sent ripples through the community in São Gonçalo, near Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Simone’s son, Matheus Resende Khalil, was also implicated in the brutal killings and received a 49-year prison sentence for his role in carrying out the murders. The other two men involved, Diego Moreira da Cunha and Gabriel Botrel de Araújo Miranda, were each sentenced to 50 years in prison.

The horrific events unfolded in the early hours of February 17, 2017, when the victims—lawyer Wagner da Silva, 43, his wife Soraya Gonçalves Resende, 37, and their 10-year-old daughter Giovanna Resende Salgado—were shot in their home while they slept. Emergency services arrived to find Soraya and Giovanna dead at the scene, while Wagner, who had been shot three times in the head, later succumbed to his injuries in the hospital, told Needtoknow.

Investigators believe that the motive behind the murders was a dispute over an inheritance valued at 7 million BRL (£949,200). Although not conclusively proven, authorities suspect that Simone ordered the killings of her adoptive sister and her family to claim the entire estate left by her late father.

Presiding over the trial in Rio de Janeiro, Judge Juliana Bessa Ferraz Kryhktine described the crime as particularly heinous. “The circumstances of the crime are severe. Firstly, the crime was committed in the early morning while the victims were asleep. Furthermore, the crime took place inside the victims’ home, which must serve as a safe haven for its occupants.”

She added, “The crime is doubly aggravated because it was committed for a base motive. And it involved methods that made it harder for the victims to defend themselves.” One of the convicted men, Diego Moreira da Cunha, continues to protest his innocence. His lawyer, Wallace Martins, claims that Diego only confessed after being tortured at the police station. All four convicts may appeal their sentences.