The passport of Eliza Samudio, a model presumed dead since 2010, was found in a rented house in Portugal at the end of 2025, reigniting theories about her possible survival. Her brother, Arlie Moura, expressed skepticism but called for a thorough investigation. The Brazilian Consulate in Lisbon has already notified the Itamaraty.
Eliza Samudio, a Brazilian model murdered in 2010 by goalkeeper Bruno Fernandes, whose body was never found, has returned to the spotlight after her passport was discovered in Portugal. At the end of 2025, an unidentified man found the document on a bookshelf in a rented house in the European country. The passport, issued in May 2006, records only an entry on May 5, 2007, with no exit stamp.
The finder, in an interview with the LeoDias portal, suggested the discovery could indicate that Eliza is alive and living in Europe. 'People were convicted without a body... now they find the original passport. I've heard she was here in Europe, and now with this passport the authorities will know what to do,' he said, stressing that the document offers 'hope' to the family, especially given the lack of a body in the original case.
Arlie Moura, Eliza's 27-year-old younger brother, reacted to the episode in an interview with O Tempo newspaper. 'It would be good if she were really alive, but we have to wait to find out what happened,' he stated, adding that the police facts about Bruno's involvement are 'convincing' and make survival unlikely. He highlighted the psychological impact: 'It shook things up again.' Arlie spent little time with his sister, living together briefly in Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, when he was 1 and she 14. They lost contact around 2008 or 2009 when Eliza moved to São Paulo.
Bruno Fernandes was convicted in 2013 to 22 years and three months in prison for triple-qualified homicide, kidnapping, and unlawful detention. He has been on conditional release since 2023. The Brazilian Consulate General in Lisbon stated: 'The Consulate General of Brazil in Lisbon has already made an official communication to the Itamaraty in Brasília informing that the passport was found and delivered to the consulate. At this moment, we are awaiting instructions on what the next steps are regarding the document.' Eliza's family has not officially commented beyond Arlie's statement, and authorities await investigations to clarify how the document ended up there.
