Brazilian actor Jefferson Machado, who has been missing since January, was found dead inside a wooden trunk buried six feet underground in Rio de Janeiro.

According to Daily Mail, Machado disappeared from his home last January 27 but was only officially reported missing on February 9.

His body was reportedly found Monday tied up and stuffed inside a wooden trunk buried six feet under the concrete floor of an outhouse in the western Rio de Janeiro neighborhood of Campo Grande. 

Police were able to identify the body through fingerprints on Wednesday. The 44-year-old Brazilian actor, who lived in Rio de Janeiro, has reportedly known the person who rented the property where his body was found, and that person is now the prime suspect. 

According to Brazilian news outlet G1, the suspect, which was not named, was seen entering the property again last month.

Nine people, including seven Civil Police officers, were seen working together to remove the heavy trunk, which Machado's family lawyer confirmed belonged to the actor and taken out of the family home.

Following the gruesome discovery, the Brazilian actor's Instagram account was seen with a new post saying, "Jefferson was coldly and brutally murdered by envious, evil and, of course, unscrupulous people." Cintia Hilsendeger, a friend of the actor's family, wrote and posted it.

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Brazilian Actor Jefferson Machado's Mother Visibly Shaken After His Body Was Found

The family of Jefferson Machado only knew about the Brazilian actor's disappearance after a non-governmental agency contacted and told them that his eight dogs were left abandoned at his Rio de Janeiro home. 

Two of the dogs have already died, while six are being treated at a veterinarian center. After the body was found, Machado's 73-year-old mother, Maria das Dores Machado, was seen shaking in the corridors of Santos Dumont airport on Wednesday following her arrival in Rio de Janeiro. 

The Brazilian actor's mother traveled from Santa Catarina state to get her son's body. She previously told a Brazilian outlet that it has already been over 40 days since she last saw her son, and she has been praying constantly for his safety. She also admitted that she prayed for politicians to help them.

As recently as last week, Machado's mom was still hoping that her son was still alive. Das Dores told Notícias do Dia that she last spoke to Machado on January 29, and he told her he went to São Paulo to interview for a job and stay at a friend's home.

She said she became worried when her son stopped calling her and only received misspelled text messages from him. Machado.also told her that he could not make a video call because he dropped his mobile phone in the toilet.

Das Dores said the family became more worried when the actor's password on the cloud was changed, and his location was deactivated in February.

The Brazilian actor's brother, Diego Machado, stated in a separate interview that it was strange that the actor did not give them any details as they regularly texted each other.

He admitted they also found it odd that his dogs were abandoned because his brother would never do that.

Brazilain Actor Jefferson Machado

Jefferson Machado was born in Araranguá, Brazil. He reportedly worked between journalism, acting, production, and volunteering. Machado had also worked as a gossip columnist for several magazines in Brazil.

According to G1, his last known role was as a Philistine soldier in the Brazilian soap opera, "Reis," in 2022. He also appeared in the 2021 film, "Efeito Placibo." He also served as co-writer for this movie.

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This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH : Corpo do ator Jeff Machado é encontrado em baú enterrado no Rio - From SBT Brasil