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Assassination of Marielle Franco

SOLVED2018Estácio, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil3 SOURCESUPDATED JUL 2026
File:Velório de Marielle Franco.jpg
File:Velório de Marielle Franco.jpg — Credit: HenriqueCrang · CC BY-SA 4.0

Marielle Franco, a Rio de Janeiro city councilwoman and human-rights activist, was fatally shot on 14 March 2018 in the Estácio neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She had left an event at Casa das Pretas in Lapa when a car pulled alongside her vehicle and its occupants opened fire. Franco and her driver, Anderson Gomes, were killed. A parliamentary aide riding with them was wounded by shrapnel and survived. Police stated the vehicle had been followed for approximately four kilometers before the attack, and that no property was taken from the victims, supporting an early theory that the killing was a targeted execution.

The subsequent investigation was lengthy and, at points, contentious. Forensic analysis identified the ammunition as 9mm rounds from a lot originally sold to Brazil's Federal Police, matching ammunition used in a separate 2015 mass killing in Barueri and Osasco, São Paulo. Later reenactment evidence indicated the weapon used was actually an HK MP5 submachine gun rather than a pistol. Investigators pursued multiple leads over several years, including militia networks in Rio's West Zone, a cloned getaway vehicle, and testimony pointing to political and business motives connected to Franco's activism against militia-linked interests and police violence.

In March 2019, retired Military Police Sergeant Ronnie Lessa and former officer Élcio Vieira de Queiroz were arrested under "Operation Lume," accused of being the shooter and driver, respectively. Both later confessed. On 31 October 2024, a jury convicted Lessa and Queiroz, sentencing them to 59 and 78 years in prison, respectively.

The question of who ordered the killing took years longer to resolve. On 24 March 2024, federal lawmaker Chiquinho Brazão and his brother Domingos Brazão, an auditor for Rio de Janeiro's Court of Accounts, were arrested on suspicion of masterminding the attack. Former Rio police chief Rivaldo Barbosa, who had at one point led the investigation into Franco's death, was also arrested on obstruction-of-justice and corruption allegations. On 9 May 2024, Brazil's Attorney General's Office formally indicted the Brazão brothers and Barbosa for ordering the murder. On 25 February 2026, the Supreme Federal Court unanimously convicted the Brazão brothers, sentencing each to 76 years in prison, in a trial before the Court's First Panel that also involved other defendants, including Rivaldo Barbosa.

Ancillary prosecutions addressed obstruction of the investigation: in May 2024, former officer Rodrigo Ferreira and lawyer Camila Nogueira were convicted and sentenced to four years and six months for obstruction, and in September 2024 a chop-shop owner, Edilson Barbosa dos Santos, was sentenced to five years for dismantling the car used in the attack. The case drew significant national and international attention, including condemnation from Amnesty International and a formal expression of regret from the Portuguese Parliament, reflecting concern over threats to human-rights defenders and political violence in Brazil.

Key facts

Victims
Anderson Gomes, Marielle Franco
Date
2018
Location
Estácio, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Case status
solved

Case timeline

  1. 2018-03-14

    Marielle Franco and driver Anderson Gomes are shot and killed in Estácio, Rio de Janeiro, after leaving an event in Lapa; an aide is wounded.

  2. 2018-05-30

    Police arrest Thiago Bruno Mendonça, linked to a witness in the case, in connection with a related killing.

  3. 2018-07-24

    Police arrest former officer Alan Nogueira and former firefighter Luís Cláudio Barbosa, members of a militia group under investigation.

  4. 2018-12-13

    First arrest warrants in the case are executed against fifteen suspected militiamen.

  5. 2019-01-22

    Military Police Major Ronald Paulo Alves Pereira is arrested on suspicion of involvement in the murder.

  6. 2019-03-12

    Operation Lume: Ronnie Lessa and Élcio Vieira de Queiroz are arrested as suspects in the shooting.

  7. 2019-07

    Civil Police and Navy launch an operation to recover weapons allegedly linked to the crime; Supreme Federal Court temporarily suspends the investigation over evidentiary concerns.

  8. 2020-02-09

    Militia leader Adriano Magalhães da Nóbrega, cited in connection with the case, is killed in a police confrontation.

  9. 2020-06-30

    Lead investigator Daniel Rosa rules out the militia group 'Escritório do Crime' as directly responsible for Franco's killing.

  10. 2020-10

    Élcio Vieira de Queiroz is sentenced to five years for weapons and ammunition possession found at his arrest.

  11. 2022-08-07

    Ronnie Lessa is sentenced to five years for attempted international arms trafficking.

  12. 2023-12-07

    Luiz Paulo de Lemos Júnior, alleged driver for Ronnie Lessa, is arrested.

  13. 2024-02-28

    Edilson Barbosa dos Santos is arrested for allegedly dismantling the car used in the shooting.

  14. 2024-03-24

    Chiquinho Brazão, Domingos Brazão, and former police chief Rivaldo Barbosa are arrested on suspicion of ordering the killing.

  15. 2024-05-09

    Brazil's Attorney General's Office indicts the Brazão brothers and Rivaldo Barbosa for ordering the murder.

  16. 2024-05-28

    Rodrigo Ferreira and lawyer Camila Nogueira are convicted of obstructing the investigation and sentenced to four years and six months.

  17. 2024-09-30

    Edilson Barbosa dos Santos is convicted and sentenced to five years for obstruction of justice.

  18. 2024-10-31

    Ronnie Lessa and Élcio Vieira de Queiroz are convicted of the assassination and sentenced to 59 and 78 years in prison, respectively.

  19. 2026-02-25

    The Supreme Federal Court unanimously convicts Chiquinho and Domingos Brazão for ordering the killing, sentencing each to 76 years in prison.

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People

  • Anderson Gomes

    VICTIM

    Driver for Marielle Franco, killed alongside her in the same attack.

  • Rivaldo Barbosa

    CHARGED

    Former Rio de Janeiro police chief who investigated the case; arrested 24 March 2024 and indicted 9 May 2024 on suspicion of obstructing the investigation and orchestrating the crime.

  • Rodrigo Ferreira

    CONVICTED

    Military police officer, known as 'Ferreirinha'; convicted 28 May 2024 of obstructing the investigation and sentenced to four years and six months.

  • Marielle Franco

    VICTIM

    Rio de Janeiro city councilwoman and human-rights activist, fatally shot on 14 March 2018.

  • Ronnie Lessa

    CONVICTED

    Former military police officer; confessed and was convicted as the shooter, sentenced to 59 years in prison on 31 October 2024.

  • Élcio Vieira de Queiroz

    CONVICTED

    Former military police officer; confessed and was convicted as the driver of the attack vehicle, sentenced to 78 years in prison on 31 October 2024.

  • Camila Nogueira

    CONVICTED

    Lawyer convicted 28 May 2024 of obstructing the investigation, sentenced to four years and six months.

  • Chiquinho Brazão

    CONVICTED

    Federal lawmaker (also referred to as João Francisco Inácio Brazão); arrested 24 March 2024 as an alleged mastermind and convicted 25 February 2026, sentenced to 76 years.

  • Edilson Barbosa dos Santos

    CONVICTED

    Scrapyard owner known as 'Orelha'; convicted 30 September 2024 for dismantling the car used in the shooting, sentenced to five years.

  • Domingos Brazão

    CONVICTED

    Auditor for Rio de Janeiro's Court of Accounts; arrested 24 March 2024 as an alleged mastermind and convicted 25 February 2026, sentenced to 76 years.

Roles reflect public records and court outcomes at the time of writing — supporting citations are on file under Sources.

Archival records

  • File:Velório de Marielle Franco.jpg

    portrait victim

    File:Velório de Marielle Franco.jpg

    Credit: HenriqueCrang · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source

Places

Estácio, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

-22.9116, -43.1849

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Common questions

What happened to the victim?
Rio de Janeiro city councilwoman Marielle Franco and her driver Anderson Gomes were shot dead on 14 March 2018. Former police officers Ronnie Lessa and Élcio Vieira de Queiroz confessed and were convicted in 2024; brothers Domingos and Chiquinho Brazão were later convicted by the Supreme Federal Court in 2026 for ordering the killing.
Where did the crime happen?
Estácio, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Who was convicted?
Rodrigo Ferreira (Military police officer, known as 'Ferreirinha'; convicted 28 May 2024 of obstructing the investigation and sentenced to four years and six months.), Ronnie Lessa (Former military police officer; confessed and was convicted as the shooter, sentenced to 59 years in prison on 31 October 2024.), Élcio Vieira de Queiroz (Former military police officer; confessed and was convicted as the driver of the attack vehicle, sentenced to 78 years in prison on 31 October 2024.), Camila Nogueira (Lawyer convicted 28 May 2024 of obstructing the investigation, sentenced to four years and six months.), Chiquinho Brazão (Federal lawmaker (also referred to as João Francisco Inácio Brazão); arrested 24 March 2024 as an alleged mastermind and convicted 25 February 2026, sentenced to 76 years.), Edilson Barbosa dos Santos (Scrapyard owner known as 'Orelha'; convicted 30 September 2024 for dismantling the car used in the shooting, sentenced to five years.), and Domingos Brazão (Auditor for Rio de Janeiro's Court of Accounts; arrested 24 March 2024 as an alleged mastermind and convicted 25 February 2026, sentenced to 76 years.).
What is the current status of the case?
Status: solved.
More cases in Brazil

Sources

  1. ENCYCLOPEDICAssassination of Marielle FrancoWikipedia · 2026-07-07
  2. PRESSContemporaneous coverage — BBC NewsBBC News · 2026-07-07
  3. PRESSContemporaneous coverage — Associated PressAssociated Press · 2026-07-07

Record history

First published
JUL 10, 2026