Chronology

November 11, 1984 - Mário Eugênio Rafael de Oliveira is murdered

November 12, 1984 - Federal District Public Safety Secretary Colonel Lauro Melchíades Rieth is named by members of the National Congress as being responsible for Oliveira's death

November 14, 1984 - An anonymous letter arrives at Correio Braziliense implicating police officers in Oliveira's death

November 22, 1984 -Rieth denies to the Senate any participation in the crime

November 23, 1984 - The investigation goes off track and identified as suspects are detectives Ângelo Neto and Teodoro Rodrigues. Two waiters at the Caneco 14 bar say they recognized the detectives as the men who had been there asking questions about Oliveira's habits

January 8, 1985 - The names of 'Divino 45' and Iracildo appear for the first time. They are accused by a construction worker as belonging to an auto theft gang

January 18, 1985 - Under pressure because of reports in Correio Braziliense, the Luziânia police precinct reopens the case of a farmer murdered by mistake

February 4, 1985 - The names of Nazareno and Lieutenant Avelino are mentioned for the first time in the press as being implicated in the farm murder case

May 30, 1985 - The death of the farmer begins to be linked to that of Oliveira

June 5, 1985 - This allegation is confirmed by Loiola in a deposition made at the Luziânia police precinct

June 6, 1985 - Loiola is found at a remote spot, with several gunshot wounds to the head. He dies some days later. Although it was initially held to be a suicide, he is believed to have been the victim of an assault

June 26, 1985 - Nazareno confesses that he took part in the Oliveira murder and names the others involved. He says that his superior officers, including his immediate boss, Lieutenant Avelino, knew nothing about the crime

July 8, 1985 - The Public Persecutor's Office names those involved

1986 - Nazareno, Couto, Aurelino and Iracildo are convicted. Avelino flees. Army Corporal Dirceu Perkoski, charged as an accomplice in the murder of the farmer and Oliveira, is acquitted

1990 - Public Safety Secretary Colonel Lauro Rieth and Ary Sardella, coordinator of the Specialized Police, are taken out of the investigation into Oliveira's death

2001 - The Federal Supreme Court upholds the ruling of the Superior Court and denies an appeal by 'Divino 45' to overturn his prison sentence. After a delay of nearly 17 years in applying the sentence, Divino remains at large

Sources: Correio Braziliense (11/13/94, page 25) and Federal Supreme Court


Mário Eugênio Rafael de Oliveira
(January 3, 1953 - November 11, 1984)

"Here only the truth is spoken, only the truth, no matter whom it hurts"
(opening words in the Gogó das Sete program on Radio Planalto)

Date of murder: November 11, 1984

Place and circumstances of murder: Mário Eugênio Rafael de Oliveira was leaving Radio Planalto at 11:55 p.m. that Sunday. He had just finished taping his radio program "Gogó das Sete" for broadcast the following morning. He was shot seven times in the head as he headed to his car in the parking lot outside the radio station, in the Southern Radio and Television Center in Brasília.

Probable cause: Exposure of the existence of a "Death Squad" in Brasília, in which civil and military police officers were involved and in car theft

Suspects: The police investigation named as suspects as being the instigators Federal District Public Safety Secretary Colonel Lauro Melchíades Rieth and the coordinator of the Specialized Police, Ary Sardella. But the case against the two was dropped for lack of evidence. Three members of the Army were named: Sergeant Antônio Nazareno Mortari Vieira and Corporals David Antônio do Couto and Aurelino Silvino de Oliveira of the Criminal Investigation Squad (PIC). Also involved were police officer Iracildo José de Oliveira and Divino José de Matos ('Divino 45'), the latter being accused of being the one who shot Oliveira. Police officer Moacir de Assunção Loiola, also suspected of participating in the murder, died in unclear circumstances a few days after giving his deposition at the Luziânia police precinct in June 1985. With the exception of 'Divino 45,' who managed to have his sentence suspended for 17 years and is now at large, and Iracildo, who died in prison, the rest served their minimal prison terms and are now free.

Place of birth: Matozinhos, Minas Gerais state, Brazil

Age at death: 31

Marital status: Separated

Children (names and ages at date of father's death): None

Education: Graduate in Social Communication from the University of Brasilia (UNB)

Profession/title: Journalist, wrote and edited the crime page of the newspaper Correio Braziliense. He also hosted the program "Gogó das Sete" on Radio Planalto, a crime news show that since 1978 had been broadcast Monday through Friday at 7:00 a.m.

Journalistic background: He worked for the newspapers Diário de Brasília, Correio do Planalto and in the Federal District bureau of O Estado de S. Paulo

Leisure activities/hobbies: He liked riding motor-cycles

Other activities or roles: He lived practically only for journalism

Awards: The 1985 Esso Nacional Award was given for a series of reports written by a Correio Braziliense team on Oliveira's death titled "The Death Squad in Brasília and Mário Eugênio's Murder"