Marielle case: Prosecution seeks maximum sentence for murderers
The Rio de Janeiro State Public Prosecutor's Office’s Specialized Group to Combat Organized Crime (Gaeco) will represent the prosecution, requesting the maximum sentence from the IV Jury Court's Sentencing Council for the murderers of councilwoman Marielle Franco and her driver Anderson Gomes. The sentence could reach up to 84 years in prison.
Former military sergeant Ronnie Lessa and ex-police officer Élcio Queiroz, who was dismissed from the force, will go on trial this Wednesday (Oct. 30). Both face charges of double homicide, attempted murder, and possession of the Cobalt vehicle used in the crime. They were arrested in March 2019 during Operation Lume, a joint operation by the Public Prosecutor's Office and Civil Police, exactly one year after the murders.
For the trial, 21 citizens were selected, and from this group, seven will be chosen at random to form the jury of peers.
During the trial, jurors will be sequestered, staying in secure accommodations provided by the Rio de Janeiro Court of Justice. The Public Prosecutor's Office plans to call seven witnesses, including journalist Fernanda Chaves, Franco's adviser and the sole survivor of the attack.
The case resulting in the arrest of Lessa and Queiroz comprises 13,680 pages, 68 volumes, and 58 annexes. The accused will be heard via videoconference. Lessa is currently incarcerated at the Tremembé Penitentiary Complex in São Paulo, while Queiroz is held at the Papuda Complex, a federal prison in Brasília.
