A PASSPORT belonging to a murdered model has been found 16 years after was killed – sparking new hope that she could be alive.
Years after 25-year-old model Eliza Samudio was thought to have been murdered on the orders of her footballer ex-boyfriend, an old passport of hers has mysteriously appeared in Portugal.
The bizarre new twist has even sparked hope that she could have fled Brazil and be alive in Europe, living under a new identity.
Bruno Fernandes de Souza, Samudio’s ex, was convicted of having her murdered and fed to his Rottweilers in 2010.
Her body was never found, because the 25-year-old’s killer had chopped it up and fed it to hungry dogs.
Former Flamengo goalie Fernandes had arranged his ex’s murder to avoid paying child support.
HORRIFIC CRIME
The tragic case of Eliza Samudio’s murder
The former model was tortured and beaten before being strangled – and her four-month-old son saw the whole gruesome attack.
The horrific case made headlines worldwide, even becoming the focus of a 2024 Netflix documentary.
Now, the document discovered in Portugal has raised new questions about the case.
The passport was found on a bookshelf at a rented apartment.
It turned up out of the blue last month, and has already been authenticated, according to local media reports.
The man who found it, known only as José, told Leo Dias: “When I found the document and saw who it belonged to, as it was someone who had been involved in a case that had had a huge impact in Brazil and around the world, I was shocked.
“From the photo, I already knew who it was, who the owner was.
There it was, on top of a book, clearly visible, this document.”
José said he came across the passport in a shared living room when he returned from a work trip.
When he found the passport, José had been away from the four-bedroom property he shared with other tenants for almost three weeks.
He added: “I live there with my wife and young daughter and there’s another lad and a lady who rent.
“The living room the passport was in is one of the areas we share and I’d gone to get some clothes from the clothes horse.
“I saw a book on the shelf and went closer to see what it was and that’s when I saw the passport lying on top of it.
“I had no idea what it was doing there but I knew I had to hand it in to the authorities immediately.”
An interview recorded before the passport was handed over to the Brazilian Embassy in Portugal, shows the mystery finder wearing blue latex gloves.
He holds the document up to a TV camera before turning to the page with Samudio’s photo.
The passport’s issue date was May 9, 2006 and although the document showed an entry into Portugal of May 1 2007, no exit date was visible, despite none of the 32 pages having been torn out.
The discovery has led to social media speculation that Samudio could be alive, which her brother commented on overnight.
Finder José said: “I imagine this is going to shake up Eliza’s family a lot because it’s a case where there was never a body, so the passport could give them hope she could still be alive and be living in Europe.
“I know I wouldn’t have the courage to enter Europe with the passport of someone who died and I don’t think anyone else would, unless they were involved in the crime.”
Arlie Moura, Samudio’s younger brother, insisted he did not believe that theory she had fled to Europe and was living under a new identity.
He said: “We need to investigate whether it was lost, whether it was stolen, what happened in relation to this.
“The reason why it was kept in that house and is only now being disclosed also needs to be investigated.
“It would be good if she were really alive, but we have to wait to find out what happened, wait for the authorities to give us their verdict.
“We hope so, but given the facts that were reported at the time, I find it difficult to believe it’s true.”
Samudio disappeared in June 2010 after going to Bruno’s farm to discuss child support for their son.
The relationship had turned nasty when Samudio refused her ex’s demands to have an abortion, and she had taken him to court for abuse and child support claims.
Cops said she was strangled, her body dismembered, and parts fed to dogs, though her remains were never found. A number of Bruno’s accomplices were also convicted.
Footballer Fernandes, a fan favourite and team captain while he was at Serie A side Flamengo, played for a number of other clubs after leaving prison.
Though he retired in 2023, Bruno was announced last month as a new signing for SC Capixaba for the 2026 season.
