Arnóbio Henrique Melo and Joana Mendes — Photo: PC-AL
The popular jury trial began this Monday (1st) for the man who killed his ex-wife, Joana Mendes, with 32 stab wounds, 30 of which to the face, in Maceió. The crime occurred in 2016 and the defendant, who confessed to the crime, is in prison. The trial will be led by judge Yulli Rotter and is expected to last two days.
The trial was postponed twice from previous dates. “The case is complex given the circumstances of the crime. 16 declarants were called, including the defendant. If the hearings are not delayed, we should continue the trial until dawn and on Tuesday morning, the sentence should be read”, said the judge.
Joana’s family hopes that the defendant will be sentenced to the maximum sentence. “After being postponed twice, we hope that the maximum sentence will be applied. He stabbed my sister 32 times, she had no chance of defense. Then he left her alone and she bled to death,” says Julia Mendes .
Arnóbio Cavalcante was arrested after presenting himself at the Atalaia police station, in the interior of the state, due to the court warrant he had against him.
“The relationship between them was always abusive. It was violent, he managed to take my sister away from social life, friends, physical activity and the family. To this day we suffer from this loss”, said Julia.
The crime took place in Conjunto Santo Eduardo, in the Poço neighborhood. Joana de Oliveira Mendes was found dead inside a car. Her body was in the passenger seat of the vehicle that was abandoned on a street with little traffic. At the time, the accused’s defense said that he confessed to killing his ex-wife, but did not remember the details.
Several witnesses were heard throughout the process and stated that the defendant was violent. The couple was in the process of divorcing and he could not accept the end of the relationship. The records state that the accused arranged a meeting with the victim to discuss a child support agreement for the minor child, then just two years old.
Shortly after the crime, Arnóbio was placed under preventive arrest. In June 2021, the defense obtained a preventive revocation so that he could await trial in freedom, under precautionary measures.
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