Story By Marija Stojkoska
News Editor Ajda Ender
This is the moment a police sergeant accused of murdering his police captain wife carries her body out of their apartment building before taking her to hospital, where he claimed her injuries happened when she fell down the stairs after a sadomasochist sex session.
Video shows the soldier exiting the elevator with his wife on his shoulders before heading to hospital in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, July 20, 2026. ***Video Licence Restrictions: NEWS MEDIA PORTALS ONLY. Usage on social media is possible but we offer no guarantees. This video is offered under our ‘social and local media source’ licence. For details see https://newsx.agency/licences/ For terms visit: https://newsx.media/terms-conditions/
The footage was recorded at the couple’s apartment building in the city of Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais state, Brazil, on 20th July.
Picture shows Michele Leao Azevedo, 41, undated. She was killed in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Note: Private photo. (Newsflash/NX)
Security camera images show Sergeant Eduardo Abner Pereira de Oliveira leaving the lift with Captain Michele Leao Azevedo over his shoulders before walking through the building’s parking area and placing her inside a car.
Picture shows Michele Leao Azevedo, 41, undated. She was killed in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Note: Private photo. (Newsflash/NX)
He then drives towards the Hospital Odilon Behrens with the vehicle’s door still open, according to the footage released during the investigation.
Picture shows sergeant Eduardo Abner Pereira de Oliveira, 37, undated. He was arrested on suspicion of killing his wife in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Note: Private photo. (Newsflash/NX)
Michele arrived at the hospital at around 9.35pm in a private vehicle with no vital signs, according to the official medical report.
Picture shows sergeant Eduardo Abner Pereira de Oliveira, 37, undated. He was arrested on suspicion of killing his wife in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Note: Private photo. (Newsflash/NX)
The hospital record stated: “The patient arrived at approximately 9:35pm transported by a private vehicle, showing no vital signs or pupillary response. Resuscitation manoeuvres were unsuccessful.”
Picture shows Michele Leao Azevedo, 41, undated. She was killed in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Note: Private photo. (Newsflash/NX)
Medical staff found she had suffered a traumatic brain injury, a large wound to the front of her head, injuries to her legs, bruising, swelling and marks on her body consistent with being beaten with a lash or cord.
Picture shows sergeant Eduardo Abner Pereira de Oliveira, 37, undated. He was arrested on suspicion of killing his wife in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Note: Private photo. (Newsflash/NX)
Doctors estimated that Michele had died between four and six hours before arriving at the hospital.
Picture shows Michele Leao Azevedo, 41, undated. She was killed in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Note: Private photo. (Newsflash/NX)
The injuries raised suspicions among doctors, who contacted police after finding what they described as multiple and varied traumas inconsistent with an accidental domestic incident.
Video shows the soldier exiting the elevator with his wife on his shoulders before heading to hospital in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, July 20, 2026. Note: Photo is a screenshot from a video. (Newsflash/NX)
Civil Police delegate Saulo Castro, who is leading the investigation at the Department of Homicide and Personal Protection, said Michele had suffered “a very blunt, severe injury concentrated on her face”.
Video shows the soldier exiting the elevator with his wife on his shoulders before heading to hospital in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, July 20, 2026. Note: Photo is a screenshot from a video. (Newsflash/NX)
He added that “the nature and distribution of these traumas strongly suggest an intent to cause severe harm”, contradicting the explanation initially given by Eduardo that she had fallen down the stairs.
Oliveira told investigators that Michele had fallen at their home earlier that day, suffering a head injury.
He claimed he gave her first aid, cleaned her up and placed her to rest before realising later that evening that she was not responding.
The sergeant also said that he and Michele had consumed alcohol and tablets believed to be ecstasy after a gathering at their home, and claimed the injuries happened during consensual sexual activity involving physical domination.
Police later seized a small metal box containing tablets with characteristics similar to ecstasy after Oliveira was allegedly seen discarding it in a hospital bathroom bin.
Investigators also recovered a broken wooden stick from the building’s external rubbish area, which was seized as possible evidence in the investigation.
Michele’s family told police they believed the relationship had been marked by psychological control, humiliation and repeated break-ups and reconciliations.
Relatives also reported that Eduardo had previously threatened Michele with a knife during an argument when she tried to end the relationship.
The building manager and neighbours described the couple’s apartment as a “time bomb”, saying frequent explosive arguments could be heard inside the property.
Oliveira also had previous complaints involving alleged domestic violence recorded against him.
A former partner filed police reports in 2016 alleging that he pulled her by the hair, dragged her into the street, threw her to the ground and punched her in the face, according to official records.
He had also faced internal disciplinary action during his military career and was arrested in 2023 for driving under the influence.
Michele’s uncle, Marlon Leao, made a public appeal to people who attended the gathering at the couple’s home the night before her death.
He said: “We know there was a social gathering at their home the night before. We are making a public appeal to the friends and anyone who attended that party: please, come forward and tell the truth to the Civil Police. Help us understand what happened before everyone left that apartment.”
The Civil Police are investigating the case as femicide, the classification used under Brazilian law for killings involving domestic violence or gender-based reasons.
Oliveira was arrested, while his defence urged people not to reach conclusions before the investigation was complete.
His lawyers said: “The defence states that investigators must complete their work and wait for the official forensic reports before drawing any definitive conclusions. We trust the legal process, the technical collection of evidence, and the constitutional right to a full defence.”
Michele and Oliveira were active-duty officers in the Minas Gerais Military Police. Michele was a high-ranking Captain with a 16-year career, while Oliveira held the lower rank of Sergeant.
(Marija Stojkoska/Newsflash)
