A missing camera may hold crucial evidence in the death of a young woman who was thrown to her death from a 130ft high bridge during a bungee jump in Brazil, police have said.
Incident Details
On Saturday June 13, Maria Eduarda Rodrigues de Freitas, known as Duda, was thrown from a 130ft high bridge in Limeira, in São Paulo state, Brazil. Footage of the horror incident showed the 21-year-old being carried to the edge of an abandoned bridge before being thrown off by two company employees. Moments later, it emerged she had plunged without being attached to a rope.
Arrests and Investigation
São Paulo's Civil Police have now released an update saying three people have been arrested in connection with the incident: a 29-year-old woman and two men aged 25 and 27. Police also confirmed that search and seizure warrants have been executed at their addresses. Lead investigator Andréa Levy said there was evidence suggesting "the possible suppression of relevant evidence, especially related to the disappearance of the image-capturing equipment used by the victim during the jump."
In an update, the police said they carried out three temporary arrest warrants on Saturday after court orders were issued by the 2nd Criminal Court of Limeira, which are valid for five days. The three instructors arrested on the day of the accident remain in custody.
Along with the temporary arrests, the court also authorised the execution of search and seizure warrants at the addresses of those being investigated. Mobile phones, electronic equipment and other materials that "may contribute to clarifying the facts" were seized.
Evidence Tampering Concerns
According to Andréa Levy, the investigation so far indicates that those arrested were part of the team responsible for organising and carrying out the activity. "During the investigation, evidence was gathered suggesting the possible suppression of relevant evidence, especially related to the disappearance of the image-capturing equipment used by the victim during the jump," Andréa said. Evidence was also found suggesting that digital content potentially relevant to solving the case had been deleted after the incident, which formed the basis for the requests for the warrants by police.
Legal Framework and Ongoing Investigation
Police confirmed the investigation is looking into the possibility of the commission of intentional crimes against life, in the form of implied malice, as well as possible procedural fraud. According to the director of the Department of Judicial Police of the Interior 9, Kleber Altale, the Civil Police are continuing their investigations to fully clarify what happened, all those who may be criminally responsible, and to find the camera used by Maria at the time of the fatal jump, which is considered important to reconstruct what happened.
Family's Grief
Maria's relatives have now described their grief in an exclusive statement to the Daily Mail through an attorney, saying her sudden death had left an unbearable void. The family said: "With an immeasurable pain and a desolate heart the Rodrigues family addresses to the public in this very difficult moment, after the tragic and premature loss of our dear Maria Eduarda Rodrigues de Freitas, affectionately known as Duda, at the age of 21."
The family statement added: "Her abrupt departure interrupts a life full of plans and dreams, leaving a deep absence in all of us who love her. Duda had many dreams for the future, she was dating and she planned to get married soon, with the desire to build her own family and give her grandparents the joy of meeting their children. All these life projects have been ripped away."
They added: "We greatly appreciate the support, the solidarity and the affection received from everyone, as well as the role of the press in the search for the truth and dissemination of this case." The family signed the statement: "With a broken heart, the Rodrigues Family."
Bridge Demolition
The abandoned bridge is now set to be demolished after years of complaints about unregulated rope-jump and bungee-style operators using the structure. Work to bring down the bridge began on Wednesday, less than a week after Duda's death.
