Overview
- Minister Alexandre de Moraes declared the criminal action ready for judgment following the instruction phase and final arguments, and the Supreme Court began hearing the five defendants this week.
- First Panel president Flávio Dino will set the date for the in-person session, with the court’s Dec. 19–Feb. 1 recess pushing the trial into 2026.
- The defendants are Domingos Brazão, Chiquinho Brazão, Rivaldo Barbosa, Ronald Paulo Alves Pereira (Major Ronald), and ex-PM Robson Calixto; all are in preventive detention and deny involvement.
- Federal Police findings and Ronnie Lessa’s plea state the Brazão brothers and Barbosa orchestrated the killing over political and land interests tied to militia-controlled areas opposed by Franco.
- Executors Ronnie Lessa and Élcio de Queiroz confessed to the attack and have been convicted in Rio state court.