September 22, 2021

20:09

Gabriel Abreu – from Cenarium

MANAUS – The defense lawyer of businessman Joabson Agostinho Gomes and Jordana Azevedo Freire, denied on Wednesday, 22, that the clients, owners of Vitória Supermarkets are involved in the death of Army sergeant, Lucas Ramon Silva Guimarães. Both gave testimony on Tuesday, 21, at the Police Department Specialized in Homicide and Kidnappings (DEHS).

Almicar Pinheiro denied that businessmen were fugitives and said that the two sheltered in relatives’ homes, until the lawyer arrived from travel. “They knew the facts through the media and called me to inform about the case. As I was traveling, I asked them to wait and as soon as I arrived they presented themselves to the authorities. At no time they ran away”. said the lawyer.

On the morning of Wednesday, 22, the couple left the DEHS to perform a physical examination at the Forensic Medical Institute (IML). The two were arrested temporarily, but during the press conference on Tuesday, 21, the delegate in charge of the case, Marna de Miranda, had already advanced on the preventive detention of Joabson and Jordana.

“They deny participation, for sure, they are innocent of the crime. I speak with conviction, as a lawyer. There is also no reason for them to remain in prison”, said the lawyer. According to the police, the couple will have a custody hearing this afternoon. And still according to the police, the couple was separated in different cells. An employee of the Vitória Supermarket was at the police station to bring meals for the two.

Extramarital relationship

Delegate Marna de Miranda said that during the investigations the police identified that Lucas Guimarães and Jordana Freire had an extramarital relationship since December 2020. For the investigators, Joabson discovered the betrayal through his wife’s phone. When the husband of the businesswoman began to make threats against Lucas and commit domestic violence against his wife.

“Lucas owned a print shop that, through contact from friends and clients, he started to provide services for the Vitória supermarket. But in dealing with Joabson, who according to the victim was rude and coarse, he no longer wanted to make contact. That’s when Jordana came in, the two got to know each other and started a relationship”, the delegate further detailed about the beginning of the relationship.

Also according to Marna, Lucas’ wife said that she saw the victim with “large amounts of cash inside the house, with the logo of Vitória Supermercados”. The investigations also found that Jordana embezzled at least R$ 200,000 from the company and passed the amount to Lucas.

“Lucas returned an amount of R$ 200 thousand that was picked up by an employee of Vitória in the Army Battalion, where Lucas worked. The employee went to pick up this order at Jordana’s request, so the embezzlement of money by Jordana is proven”, said the delegate. Six search and apprehension warrants, and two temporary arrest warrants were served on Tuesday, 21, at the couple’s residence and at the supermarket chain’s branches.

Read more: Crime and punishment: the stigmatization of women in cases of murder by passion

The murder

Lucas was murdered with approximately three shots to the head. The crime happened in a coffee shop located on Ayrão Avenue, Álvaro Maia Boulevard, Praça 14 de Janeiro neighborhood, south zone of Manaus, on September 1 st.

The victim was there, when a man entered the establishment, posing as a customer, ordered a coffee, and then pulled a gun and shot the victim. Lucas was still rescued and taken to the Hospital Santa Julia, but died.