A Brazilian woman will take the stand against her father, who is on trial in the triple murder case of her ex-boyfriend and his parents.
Paulo Matias is accused of killing actor Rafael Miguel, his father João Alsisio and his mother Miriam Miguel in 2019 at Cupertino’s home in Pedreira, a city in the southeastern state of São Paulo.
Paulo Matias did not approve of Rafael Miguel’s relationship with his daughter, Isabella Matias. Miguel was 22 years old at the time of the murder and Matias was 18.
Isabella Matias’ request to testify at her father’s trial on October 10 was initially rejected by the Court of Justice of São Paulo, Brazilian news channel Metropoles reported.
Isabella Matias (left) will take the stand against her father, who is on trial for the June 2019 triple murder of her ex-boyfriend and actor Rafael Miguel (right) and his parents
Paulo Matias (pictured) asked a judge in São Paulo in June to release him from prison ahead of the October 10 trial for the murder of his daughter’s ex-boyfriend, actor Rafael Miguel, and his parents
The court reversed its decision on Thursday after accepting a prosecutor’s request asking for Paulo Matias to be removed from the courtroom while his daughter and her mother Vanesa Tibcherani are questioned by lawyers from both sides.
Sao Paulo prosecutor Soraia Munhoz said the request to ban him from the courtroom was based on the “well-founded fear and obvious embarrassment” of his daughter and her mother in the judge’s chamber.
Rafael Miguel and his parents visited Cupertino’s house on June 9, 2019 to talk to him about his relationship with Isabella Matias.
Surveillance video footage showed Paulo Matias shooting Rafael Miguel and his parents 13 times in front of the house as his daughter watched in horror.
A São Paulo court granted the prosecutor’s request to ban Paulo Matias from court on October 10, when his daughter Isabella Matias (right) testified against him in the murder trial of her ex-boyfriend Rafael Miguel (left) and his parents
Paulo Matias (pictured) fled to the state of Mato Grosso do Sul in central Brazil after allegedly shooting dead Rafael Miguel, his daughter’s then-boyfriend, and his parents in June 2019 before leaving for Paraguay. He was arrested in May 2022 in the Brazilian state of São Paulo
Paulo Matias fled to the central-western state of Mato Grosso do Sul before heading to Paraguay.
He returned to São Paulo, where he was arrested on May 16, 2022 while hiding in a hotel.
Rafael Miguel was best known for his role in the soap opera Chiquititas (Little Ones), which aired on SBT television. He also appeared in three soap operas on Globo television.
In June, Paulo Matias wrote a letter to the Court of Justice of São Paulo asking the judge to consider releasing him from prison.
He claimed the murder charge was based on “a story and facts that do not correspond to the truth,” in the letter obtained by Metropoles.