Key Facts
- Three brothers aged 10, 8, and 6 were killed with their mother in Jaboticabal, SP
- The victims were murdered by the stepfather, Milton Gonçalves Filho, and his son, Leonardo Gonçalves
- The children tried to intervene during a domestic dispute on December 18
- The suspects buried the bodies in a forest area after disabling security cameras
- Both suspects confessed to the murders and are in preventive custody
Quick Summary
Three brothers, aged 10, 8, and 6, were murdered alongside their mother, Sabrina de Almeida Lima, in Jaboticabal, São Paulo. The victims were killed by the woman's partner, Milton Gonçalves Filho, and his son, Leonardo Gonçalves.
According to police reports, the children attempted to intervene during a violent argument between their mother and the stepfather. Leonardo confessed to killing Sabrina with a machete after she allegedly attacked his father. Milton then used a sledgehammer to kill the three boys who were trying to protect their mother.
The bodies were wrapped in silage bags and buried in a nearby forest area. The suspects disabled the property's security cameras before disposing of the bodies. Both men are currently in preventive custody and have also confessed to the murder of another of Milton's former partners, who had been missing since the previous year.
The Attack and Confession
The crime occurred on the evening of December 18 in the external area of a farmhouse in the rural zone of Jaboticabal. According to the suspects' testimony to the police, the violence began during a discussion between Milton Gonçalves Filho, 48, and Sabrina de Almeida Lima, 27.
Leonardo Gonçalves told police that he killed Sabrina after witnessing the argument. He claimed that Sabrina attacked his father, prompting him to grab a machete and strike her multiple times in the head.
The children immediately tried to defend their mother:
- Victor Hugo Lima dos Santos, 8, ran toward Leonardo to protect Sabrina
- Milton grabbed a sledgehammer and struck the boy in the head
- The other two brothers were restrained by Milton and also killed with the sledgehammer
All four victims died at the scene. The suspects, a caretaker and his son, confessed to the crimes during police testimony on Tuesday, December 23. Both are currently held in preventive custody.
Concealment of the Crime 🕵️
After the murders, Milton and Leonardo transported the bodies to a wooded area near the farm. Before leaving the residence with the victims, Milton disconnected the main power switch to prevent security cameras from capturing their exit.
The suspects used aluminum silage bags to wrap the victims' bodies. They then placed the bodies in pits that they had dug themselves. Police recovered the weapons used in the crime, including the sledgehammer and machete, as well as a shovel used to excavate the burial sites.
In addition to confessing to these murders, father and son also admitted involvement in the death of another of Milton's former partners. This woman had been reported missing since October of the previous year.
Timeline of Disappearance
Sabrina de Almeida Lima and her three sons were last seen on Thursday, December 18. Following the murders, Milton provided false information to police and family members regarding their whereabouts.
Milton claimed that Sabrina had left the home to use cocaine and taken the children with her. He only notified Sabrina's family about the disappearance on Saturday, December 20, after her mother and uncles went to the police to file a report.
Sabrina's mother, Joviniana Braz de Almeida, disputed Milton's version of events. She stated that her daughter had been a former drug user but had been clean for ten months.
According to the police delegate, Milton killed Sabrina on the same day he claimed she disappeared. He stated that he found her, but she refused to return home, so he ended her life. Because the children were present and would be witnesses, he gave them the same fate.
Search operations began on Sunday, December 21, involving the Fire Department, Military Police, SAMU (Mobile Emergency Care Service), and GAED (Group of Emergency and Disaster Actions), which brought a tracking dog from São Paulo.
On Tuesday, December 23, Milton confessed to the killings and led police to the burial locations. He was arrested in the act alongside his son.
"He visualized the message, however not responded. On Saturday, he already arrived home with this information 'look, Sabrina disappeared'. In no moment did he ask if she was there, already arriving saying that she had vanished." — Anderson, Sabrina's uncle
Key Facts: 1. Three brothers aged 10, 8, and 6 were killed with their mother in Jaboticabal, SP 2. The victims were murdered by the stepfather, Milton Gonçalves Filho, and his son, Leonardo Gonçalves 3. The children tried to intervene during a domestic dispute on December 18 4. The suspects buried the bodies in a forest area after disabling security cameras 5. Both suspects confessed to the murders and are in preventive custody FAQ: Q1: What happened in Jaboticabal, SP? A1: Three children were killed while trying to protect their mother from her partner during a domestic dispute. The stepfather and his son confessed to the murders. Q2: How were the bodies discovered? A2: The stepfather confessed to the crimes on December 23 and led police to the burial site in a forest area near the farm where the family lived. Q3: Who were the victims? A3: The victims were Sabrina de Almeida Lima, 27, and her three sons: Eduardo Felipe Lima dos Santos (10), Victor Hugo Lima dos Santos (8), and Luiz Henrique Lima dos Santos (6)."He said that on the very day she disappeared, on Thursday, she left the residence, he went looking for her, found her, but she must have refused to return home, this detail he did not explain, and he decided to end her life. Since the children were together and would be witnesses, he ended up giving the same fate to the children." — Delegate Oswaldo José da Silva
