Murder of Otávio Jordão da Silva

Otávio Jordão da Silva Cantanhede was a 20-year-old Brazilian amateur football referee^[1][2] who was stoned, lynched, beheaded and quartered by football spectators after he stabbed a player to death in a match he officiated on 30 June 2013.^[3][4]

Murder of Otávio Jordão da Silva
Otávio Jordão da Silva Cantanhede
Location	Pio XII, Maranhão, Brazil
Date	30 June 2013
Attack type	Lynching, beheading, stabbing, stoning
Weapons	Various melee weapons, stones,football
Deaths	2
Victims	Otávio Jordão da Silva, Josemir dos Santos Abreu.
Accused	Luiz Moraes de Souza Raimundo da Costa Marçal Josimar Vieira de Souza José Márcio de Miranda Vasconcelos Francisco Edson Moraes de Souza

Incident

On 30 June 2013, da Silva was refereeing an amateur football match in Pio XII, Maranhão.^[5][6] He sent off player Josemir dos Santos Abreu, 31, who refused to leave the field and began a fight with the referee. Abreu threw a punch, which prompted da Silva to draw a knife from his pocket and repeatedly stab Abreu. Abreu died on the way to the hospital.^[3][7] When fans watching the game, including Abreu's friends and family, found out about his death,^[8] they invaded the pitch^[9] and stoned da Silva, before decapitating him, quartering him,^[10] and putting his head on a stake in the pitch.^{[3][11][12][13][14]} Police chief Valter Costa was quoted as saying "one crime will never justify another".^[3]

Clarification on Match Context

While some early reports referred to Otávio da Silva as a "referee" in an "amateur football match", later accounts and eyewitness testimonies suggest the game was informal and unsanctioned. The match took place in a rural area neighborhood setting with no official oversight. Da Silva was reportedly volunteering as a referee in this casual, local pickup game, which was not part of any organized league or sporting body.^[15]

"It is known that it was a typical pick-up game: the teams didn't have names and the referee was just a player who blew the whistle because he had injured his foot." ^[16]

Arrests

One suspect was arrested.^[4] However, police were searching for two more people,^[7] including Abreu's brother.^[17]

Video

A graphic video surfaced online shortly following the incident that shows medical personnel reassembling Otávio's body.^[18][19]

See also

• List of unsolved murders