Netflix's latest crime drama, Elize: Shadows of a Woman, is climbing the Top 10 chart and retells the true story of Elize Matsunaga, who shocked Brazil after murdering and dismembering her husband. Told through a fictional lens, the drama explores the dark inner workings of a turbulent relationship and the decisions that led to a harrowing crime.
What Happened Between Elize Matsunaga and Marcos Kitano Matsunaga?
In 2012, Brazilian woman Elize Matsunaga shot her husband, Marcos Kitano Matsunaga, dismembered his body and scattered the parts in a wooded area outside Sao Paulo. She had killed him in her apartment, and police found his body parts in plastic bags along a road in Cotia, about 30 kilometres outside the city. Before the incident, she had hired a private investigator to follow her husband and collect evidence that he was cheating on her. She confronted him about the affair, which had previously been a problem in their marriage.
Conviction and Sentence
In 2016, Matsunaga, a trained nurse who has a daughter, was convicted of the murder. She had initially reported him missing but confessed a few weeks later. She was sentenced to almost 20 years in prison, which was eventually reduced to 16 years in 2019.
Where Is Elize Matsunaga Now?
Having served 10 years of her sentence, Matsunaga has been on parole since 2022. The Netflix documentary Elize Matsunaga: Once Upon a Crime reveals that the Matsunaga family wish to disassociate themselves by removing Elize's surname. While Elize dreamed of seeing her daughter again, she has not been in contact with her since and has not even seen photographs. Her child, who was only a year old when the murder happened, remains in the care of Marcos' parents, who have full custody.
