Daniel Correa case: new evidence in São Paulo player's murder probe

New evidence has emerged in the investigation into the death of São Paulo midfielder Daniel Correa, whose semi-decapitated and castrated body was discovered in a wooded area in Sao José dos Pinhais a week ago.

The main suspect, Edson Brittes Júnior - who has been detained and apparently confessed to killing Correa - said that he had acted after finding the 24-year-old in a bedroom in his residence attempting to rape his wife, Cristiana.

The events took place at the family home of Brittes, his wife and their 18-year-old daughter Allana, both of whom have also been arrested on suspicion of participating in the crime.

Correa had been invited to a party at a nightclub in Curitiba to celebrate Allana’s 18^th birthday and was among a group of people who went to the Brittes residence in suburban Sao José dos Pinhais afterwards. It was there that investigators believe Correa received a blow to the head and was placed in the boot of a car before being “tortured” and killed.

In an apparent confession on Brazilian television, Brittes said he had simply “done what any man would do” when confronted by a scene he described during the interview: “I knocked on the door to my room and when I opened it he was on top of my wife and she was screaming and begging for help.”

Correa suspect makes no reference to rape allegation in phone call

However, investigators have now recovered a telephone conversation Brittes had hours after Correa’s death in which he described the “devastation” wrought on the family by the news but during which makes no mention of the alleged attempted rape he reported to police after his arrest.

“Allana was such a good friend [of Correa’s] that he came here just for her birthday. He was very fond of my daughter, you can imagine. He came a long way just for the party and everybody liked him,” Brittes says in the recovered conversation, which was obtained by Brazilian new outlet UOL. “I can hardly talk about it. My daughter is in shock. Jesus, I had to give her a tranquiliser…”

Brittes went on to say that Correa had left the house earlier and he didn’t know where he had gone. “Nobody knows what happened. You know how big my property is. He went outside and the door was open because there were more people coming in. He was very drunk. He was crazy, absolutely hammered. He could hardly stand up.”

Investigators are still looking into the case and are seeking three unidentified people who arrived at Brittes’ house at the same time as the primary suspect. His wife and daughter remain in custody for questioning.