Thales Naves Alves Machado
A text published before the crime insinuates that the motivation was betrayal and separation from his ex-wife.
The Government Secretary of the Brazilian municipality of Itumbiara, Thales Naves Alves Machado, will have shot at two childreninside the house, in the early hours of Thursday, before committing suicide. Miguel, aged 12, died instantly, while Benício, aged 8, passed away in hospital on Friday.
Thales Machado was part of the municipal administration of Itumbiara and was the son-in-law of the mayor of the local council, Dione Araújo, the children’s grandfather. After what happened, the municipality decreed three days of official mourning and temporarily suspended the operation of administrative services.
The investigation is being carried out by police authorities in the state of Goiás, who are seeking to determine the exact circumstances in which the shooting occurred. So far, no additional details have been released about the dynamics of the events.
Days before the crime, Thales Machado had made posts on social media, including a video in which he mentioned that “family is the most important thing in life“. A few hours before the crime, he also published a photo of his children and a message apologizing for the act and insinuating that the motivation was related to the separation from his wife.
After the events, a letter was published on his personal profile, which was later removed. According to sources, the text will be authentic.
In the message, the author alluded to a marital crisis and mentioned possible betrayal, in addition to including religious references and requests for forgiveness. Authorities have not officially confirmed the content of the letter nor established any formal link between the text and the crime.
The funeral of the eldest son has already taken place and, according to the local newspaper “Mais Goiás”, Sarah Tinoco Araújo, mother of the children, had to leave the ceremony due to be threatened. The youngest child’s wake should take place this Saturday.
In a social media post, Sarah Tinoco Araújodescribes the extent of the pain caused by the loss of children. “Today I write with a torn heart, overcome by a pain that words will never be able to describe. I lost my children, I lost my family and I lost part of myself forever”, she writes.
“I admit, in front of everyone, that I made mistakes in my marriage. Mistakes that hurt, that caused hurt and that should never have happened. But I also need to say that nothing justifies the tragedy that destroyed our family. My children were innocent, full of life, dreams and love”, he says.
The case reignited the debate in Brazil about domestic violence and mental health. The governor of Goiás, Ronaldo Caiado, publicly expressed his regret over what had happened, highlighting that episodes of violence within the family, especially when involving children, have a profound impact on the entire society.
