Wellington was murdered on March 13, 2000 as he was heading to his home in Canindé de San Francisco, Segipe. He was the host of two programs aired by Rádio Xingó FM radio station. Shortly before his death he had reported in his program on alleged wrongdoing in office by the then Mayor Silva.

Propriá Public Prosecutor João Rodrigues Neto, who led the prosecution, believes it will be very difficult for Silva’s defense attorney to get the conviction overturned by Judge Antổnio Henrique de Almeida Santos. Rodrigues considers the case closed, as the other two charged with having participated in the crime had already been convicted.

On March 12, 2003 tractor driver José Ferreira de Melo, known as Zé de Adolfo, was sentenced by the Oral Court of Aracaju, capital of Sergipe state, to 19 years’ imprisonment on a charge of aggravated homicide. Melo was accused of having fired the rifle shot that killed Wellington.

A young man identified only as R.L.S. and nicknamed Nininho, accused of driving the automobile used by the murderer on the day of the crime, was arrested early in March 2003 in San Pablo. As he was a minor at the time of the murder (he was 17) he served only three years in prison.

The trial of the former mayor was held in Propriá so as to avoid any pressure being exerted on members of the jury. He had already been sentenced by the Electoral Tribunal to 16 years in prison for the theft of ballot boxes, but the Electoral Superior Tribunal quashed the conviction and ruled that there be a retrial. In addition, Silva is facing other criminal charges of corruption.