An alleged fraudster businessman is accused of faking his own death by killing a homeless man and passing the body off as his own.
Edilson Peter and an unnamed accomplice were arrested on Friday (28 Feb).
Peter, 41, is suspected of staging his own disappearance and then attempting to fake his own death twice.
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He was already under investigation for fraud, having allegedly scammed clients of his solar panel company.
It’s believed he tried to fake his own murder to avoid having to pay his suppliers or customers.
Police chief Fabiano Toniazzo told local media: “His company sold solar panels, but he didn’t pay the suppliers or the manufacturers of the panels.
“He also sold solar farms, but didn’t deliver the panels to the customers who had paid for them.”
Investigations began on 12 February, when Peter’s disappearance was reported.
His burnt-out pickup truck was found with a blackened body inside on 15 February.
Unknown to detectives at that time, the body belonged to a homeless man allegedly killed by Peter and his accomplice, 38.
When Peter realised the body would be DNA-tested, he attempted to fake his death again.
His family and local news outlets were sent a video of him being tortured by alleged kidnappers.
It appeared to show part of his finger being cut off and two of his teeth being pulled out.
Toniazzo told local media: “The video is cut, and in a second one, you see tyres and branches being burned with fuel.
“Of course, you can’t tell if there’s a body underneath, and we know there isn’t.”
Shortly after the video was shared, a bottle containing the finger part and the two teeth was thrown at Peter’s girlfriend’s house.
The dead man was eventually identified as Vanderlei Weschenfelder.
The 59-year-old homeless man had been reported missing by his family around the same time the charred body was found.
The police knew Peter was alive because witnesses had seen him seeking treatment for his amputation at a health facility.
He and his accomplice were caught in Navegantes, Brazil, 150 miles by road from São Cristóvão do Sul, where the crimes were recorded.
They exercised their right to remain silent during questioning and were later remanded into custody.
The accomplice has served time for murders.
Peter’s lawyers, Larissa Pereira De Pin and Paulo Henrique De Pin Ramos stated: “We emphasise the importance of handling the case responsibly, with respect for due process and the presumption of innocence.”
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