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Murders of Liana Friedenbach and Felipe Caffé

SOLVED2003Embu-Guaçu / Juquitiba, Greater São Paulo, Brazil3 SOURCESUPDATED JUL 2026

Documents violence · sexual violence · torture — written to inform, not to shock.

Illustrative

Liana Bei Friedenbach, 16, and her boyfriend Felipe Silva Caffé, 19, were students who traveled from São Paulo to camp at an abandoned farm in the rural area of Embu-Guaçu, Greater São Paulo, in late October 2003. They had told their families different stories about their plans: Liana said she was going to Ilhabela with a group from the Jewish community, while Felipe's family believed he was camping with friends. After spending the early hours of October 31 near MASP on Avenida Paulista, the couple traveled by bus to Embu-Guaçu and then walked about 4.5 km to their campsite.

According to the Wikipedia account, two men — later identified by the nickname "Champinha" and an accomplice known as "Pernambuco" — encountered the couple while fishing and initially planned to rob them. Finding the students had no money, they instead kidnapped them. Liana, believing her family could pay a ransom, proposed this to her captors, but no ransom demand was ever made. Over the following days, Liana was raped by multiple men involved in holding the couple. Felipe was shot in the back of the head near a ravine and killed. Liana was later killed by stabbing on November 5, 2003, in a wooded area, reportedly after the group became aware that police search efforts (initiated by Liana's father through the Special Operations Command) were closing in. The bodies were discovered on November 10, 2003.

Those arrested in connection with the crimes were tried and sentenced in the years following the murders. In July 2006, Antonio Caetano da Silva, Agnaldo Pires, and Antônio Mathias de Barros were sentenced to 124, 47, and 6 years in prison, respectively. In November 2007, Paulo César da Silva Marques ("Pernambuco") was sentenced to 110 years and 18 days in prison. Roberto Aparecido Alves Cardoso ("Champinha"), described as the group's leader, was 16 at the time of the killings and therefore tried under Brazil's Child and Adolescent Statute (ECA) rather than the adult criminal system. He was interned at a CASA Foundation unit and later, after turning 18, was evaluated as posing a high danger to society and transferred to indefinite civil interdiction, citing diagnoses of antisocial personality disorder and mild intellectual disability. He briefly escaped custody in May 2007 before being recaptured within hours.

The case drew significant public attention in Brazil, particularly after a December 2007 television broadcast showed Champinha living in comparatively comfortable conditions at his health-unit placement, prompting criticism of state officials, including then-governor José Serra, who defended the arrangement. The case remains frequently cited in Brazilian debates over the minimum age of criminal responsibility.

Key facts

Victims
Felipe Silva Caffé, Liana Bei Friedenbach
Date
2003
Location
Embu-Guaçu / Juquitiba, Greater São Paulo, Brazil
Case status
solved

Case timeline

  1. 1987-05-06

    Liana Bei Friedenbach is born in São Paulo.

  2. 1984-07-01

    Felipe Silva Caffé is born.

  3. 2003-10-31

    Liana Friedenbach and Felipe Caffé spend the early hours near MASP on Avenida Paulista, São Paulo, before beginning their trip.

  4. 2003-11-01

    The couple arrives in Embu-Guaçu and walks to an abandoned farm to camp; they are seen and later approached by two men who decide to kidnap them.

  5. 2003-11-05

    Felipe Caffé is shot and killed near a ravine; Liana Friedenbach is later stabbed to death in a wooded area.

  6. 2003-11-10

    The bodies of Liana Friedenbach and Felipe Caffé are found.

  7. 2006-07

    Antonio Caetano da Silva, Agnaldo Pires, and Antônio Mathias de Barros are sentenced to 124, 47, and 6 years in prison, respectively.

  8. 2007-05-02

    Roberto Aparecido Alves Cardoso ('Champinha') escapes from a Fundação Casa unit and is recaptured about 11 hours later.

  9. 2007-11

    Paulo César da Silva Marques ('Pernambuco') is sentenced to 110 years and 18 days in prison.

  10. 2007-12-17

    A television broadcast shows Champinha in comfortable living conditions at his health-unit placement, prompting public criticism.

Best coverage

No approved coverage links are attached yet.

People

  • Felipe Silva Caffé

    VICTIM

    19-year-old student kidnapped and murdered in November 2003.

    citation on file

  • Antonio Caetano da Silva

    CONVICTED

    Sentenced in July 2006 to 124 years in prison for his role in the kidnapping and murders.

    citation on file

  • Roberto Aparecido Alves Cardoso

    CONVICTED

    Known as 'Champinha'; considered the leader of the group, was a minor at the time and was interned under the Child and Adolescent Statute, later civilly interdicted due to assessed danger to society.

    citation on file

  • Paulo César da Silva Marques

    CONVICTED

    Known as 'Pernambuco'; sentenced in November 2007 to 110 years and 18 days in prison for the murders and rape.

    citation on file

  • Liana Bei Friedenbach

    VICTIM

    16-year-old student kidnapped, raped, and murdered in November 2003.

    citation on file

  • Agnaldo Pires

    CONVICTED

    Sentenced in July 2006 to 47 years in prison; raped Liana Friedenbach.

    citation on file

  • Antônio Mathias de Barros

    CONVICTED

    Sentenced in July 2006 to 6 years in prison for involvement in holding the victims.

    citation on file

Places

Embu-Guaçu / Juquitiba, Greater São Paulo, Brazil

-23.8272, -46.8125

View on the map

Common questions

What happened to the victim?
In November 2003, students Liana Friedenbach, 16, and Felipe Caffé, 19, were kidnapped while camping in rural Embu-Guaçu, Greater São Paulo, then raped and murdered by a group of four men and a teenager over several days, in a case that sparked national debate on Brazil's age of criminal responsibility.
Where did the murders happen?
Embu-Guaçu / Juquitiba, Greater São Paulo, Brazil.
Who was convicted?
Antonio Caetano da Silva (Sentenced in July 2006 to 124 years in prison for his role in the kidnapping and murders.), Roberto Aparecido Alves Cardoso (Known as 'Champinha'; considered the leader of the group, was a minor at the time and was interned under the Child and Adolescent Statute, later civilly interdicted due to assessed danger to society.), Paulo César da Silva Marques (Known as 'Pernambuco'; sentenced in November 2007 to 110 years and 18 days in prison for the murders and rape.), Agnaldo Pires (Sentenced in July 2006 to 47 years in prison; raped Liana Friedenbach.), and Antônio Mathias de Barros (Sentenced in July 2006 to 6 years in prison for involvement in holding the victims.).
What is the current status of the case?
Status: solved.

Sources

  1. Murders of Liana Friedenbach and Felipe Cafféwikipedia · Wikipedia · 2026-07-07
  2. Contemporaneous coverage — www1.folha.uol.com.brnews · www1.folha.uol.com.br · 2026-07-07
  3. Contemporaneous coverage — g1.globo.comnews · g1.globo.com · 2026-07-07
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