A five-year-old girl who was allegedly killed by her own mother and stepfather was buried alive, according to a forensic medical report.
The post-mortem report found that Maria Clara Aguirre Lisboa died from mechanical asphyxiation caused by burial.
Her body was discovered in a shallow, cement-covered grave at the back of the house where she lived with the couple.
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Luiza Aguirre Barbosa da Silva and Rodrigo Ribeiro Machado are both in custody and have confessed to the crime.
The report indicates there was soil in Maria Clara’s windpipe, suggesting she was still breathing when she was buried.
It also identified head trauma consistent with assaults involving a blunt object prior to the burial in Itapetininga, Brazil.
Her body, found on 14 October 2025, is believed to have been buried for around 20 days, according to forensic experts.
Maria Clara’s paternal grandfather reported her missing to child services in early October, with the case passed to police on 8 October.
During the investigation, police uncovered a chilling audio message from Machado, then 23, to the girl’s father.
In it, he told him the child was dead and urged him to stop “bothering” him and Da Silva, then 25, for information, as reported by Need To Know.
He said: “Mate, are you deaf as well or something?
“Don’t wind me up, mate.
“I’ve already told you your daughter’s dead – she doesn’t even exist any more.
“Stop messing me about, all right? Stop sending me messages, yeah?”
Machado, who has a criminal record, is also accused of physically and psychologically abusing both Maria Clara and her mother, according to lead investigator Franco Augusto, who said Da Silva also abused the girl.
Police say Machado is linked to the PCC (First Capital Command) gang, where he is known as “ruthless brother”.
He and Da Silva are due back in court on 19 May. They face charges of murder with aggravating factors and concealment of a body.
Maria Clara’s aunt wrote at the time: “My heart is in pieces knowing that your life was taken in such a cruel and unjust way.”
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