Case Summary and Outcome

Alessandro Neves Augusto, known as Pitote, was found guilty of the 2013 killing of journalists Rodrigo Neto and Walgney Asiis de Carvalho. Both men worked to expose police corruption in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais. In June 2015, Augusto was found guilty and sentenced to 16 years imprisonment for the murder of Neto.  In August 2015, he was also convicted by a jury trial and sentenced to 14 years and three months imprisonment for the murder of Carvalho.

Human rights and other civil organizations have praised the government of Brazil for stepping up its effort in investigating and prosecuting individuals responsible for murdering journalists across the country. The Committee to Protect Journalists has described it as “a momentum [for the government] to identify and prosecute the mastermind and then double down on [its] effort to find justice for the more than dozen Brazilian journalists murdered in recent years.”

Columbia Global Freedom of Expression could not identify the official legal and government records on the case and that the information contained in this report was derived from secondary sources. It must be noted that media outlets may not provide complete information about this case. Additional information regarding this legal matter will be updated as an official source becomes available.

Facts

Alessandro Neves Augusto, known as Pitote, a hitman in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais, was found guilty of committing the 2013 killing of two journalists Rodrigo Neto and Walgney Asiis de Carvalho.

Neto was the host of a radio show called Plantão Policial (Police Shift). His work concerned police corruption, including its involvement in extrajudicial killings in the country. On March 8, 2013, he was allegedly shot dead by Augusto.

In August 2014, former police officer Lúcio Lírio Leal was convicted and sentenced to 12 years imprisonment for conspiracy to kill Neto. The evidence indicated that Leal hired Augusto to kill journalist Neto. The evidence also showed that Carvalho, who was looking into Neto’s murder, was subsequently killed by Augusto in a similar hitman scenario.

Decision Overview

In June 2015, a Brazilian court of first instance sentenced Augusto to 16 years imprisonment for the murder of journalist Neto. Subsequently in August 2015, the court sentenced him to 14 years and three months imprisonment for the murder of Carvalho.