Former police officers will be tried for the death of councilor and driver

Former Military Police sergeant Ronnie Lessa and former police officer Élcio Queiroz, who was expelled from the corporation, will go on trial, starting at 9 am this Wednesday (30), for the death of councilwoman Marielle Franco and driver Anderson Gomes , on the night of March 14, 2018, in the central region of Rio de Janeiro. For the death crimes, the Specialized Action Group for Combating Organized Crime (Gaeco) of the state Public Prosecutor’s Office, will act on the prosecution, will ask the Sentencing Council of the IV Jury Court for the maximum sentence, which can reach 84 years of prison.

The two were charged to court for the crimes of double triple homicide, attempted murder, and receiving the Cobalt car used on the day of the crime. Ronnie and Élcio were arrested in Operation Lume, launched by the Public Ministry and the Civil Police, one year after the crime, in March 2019.

For the Jury Court, 21 ordinary people from society were selected. From this group, seven will be drawn on the spot to actually make up the popular jury.

During the trial days, the jurors are incommunicado and sleep in restricted areas of the Rio Court of Justice. For the trial, the Public Ministry of Rio de Janeiro intends to hear seven witnesses. The prosecution will feature testimony from the only survivor of the attack, journalist Fernanda Chaves, who was in the car with the councilor and the driver, as well as relatives of the victims and two civil police officers.

The process that led to the arrest of Lessa and Queiroz has 13,680 pages, 68 volumes and 58 annexes. Those reported will be heard via videoconference. Ronnie is imprisoned in the Tremembé Penitentiary Complex, in São Paulo, and Élcio, in the Complexo da Papuda, a federal prison in Brasília.