*Twenty-one-year-old Maria Eduarda Rodrigues de Freitas’ death during a rope jump in Brazil has taken another dramatic turn after authorities revealed that a camera she was wearing at the time of the incident has disappeared.
According to Brazilian outlets G1 and CNN Brasil, police announced on June 20 that three additional people have been arrested in connection with the case. Investigators allege the suspects took a camera attached to de Freitas during the jump and may have attempted to conceal evidence after the fatal accident.
The missing device is now considered a key piece of evidence as authorities continue trying to reconstruct the final moments before de Freitas fell approximately 130 feet from a bridge in Limeira, in São Paulo state.
Police Focus On Missing Evidence
According to investigators, evidence gathered during the inquiry suggests that important material may have been removed from the scene after the incident.
“During the investigation, elements were gathered that indicate possible suppression of evidence relevant to the investigation, especially related to the disappearance of the image capture equipment used by the victim during the jump,” Civil Police Delegate Andréa Levy told G1.
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Police arrested Evelyne dos Santos Gonçalves, 29, along with a 25-year-old man and a 27-year-old man. Authorities also accused the trio of deleting digital content, according to G1 and CNN Brasil.
The device has not yet been recovered.
Witness Claims Camera Was Removed
The disappearance of the camera has drawn additional attention because of claims made by a witness who said he saw an employee remove the device after the fall.
According to reporting cited by The U.S. Sun, witness Rafael Goulart alleged that he observed someone taking the camera from the victim’s body after the incident.
“I saw the girl on the ground, [I saw] one of the employees removing the GoPro camera from the neck strap of the body that was already on the ground, either worried about the equipment or wanting to hide evidence,” Goulart said.
Suspects Deny Major Role In Jump
Police records cited by G1 and CNN Brasil indicate that the three newly arrested individuals were stationed on the ground near the landing area and were responsible for helping remove equipment from participants after jumps were completed.
Authorities allege the group fled toward a wooded area after the incident and attempted to hide evidence.
Attorney Vitor Aurélio, who represents Gonçalves, disputed suggestions that his client played a direct role in conducting the jump itself.
“They didn’t have a typical or active role in the jump. They only participated at the moment the jump ended,” Aurélio told G1. “One would pull the rope back up and the other would just take the rope off the jumper.”
Aurélio said one suspect saw the camera after the fall and maintains he was only providing assistance.
Questions Continue About Fatal Fall
The latest arrests follow earlier criminal charges filed against three rope jump instructors connected to the operation.
Luis Felipe Feliciano Egoroff, 32, Vitor de Freitas Goncalves, 27, and Maicon Fernandes Cintra, 42, were previously arrested and charged with homicide with eventual intent in connection with de Freitas’ death, according to NBC News.
Investigators have focused on allegations that a safety rope was never attached before the jump.
The Associated Press reported that Levy said the suspects told investigators they could not recall who was responsible for attaching or checking the equipment.
“They do not remember whether they forgot to attach (the ropes), or who was supposed to do it, or who failed to check. But the fact is the ropes were not attached to her,” Levy said.
The statement has become a central issue in the investigation as authorities attempt to determine how a fatal safety failure could have occurred.
Investigation Remains Active
Officials say the search for answers is far from over.
São Paulo’s Secretariat of Public Security told CNN Brasil that investigators remain focused on identifying every person who may bear responsibility and locating the missing camera.
“The Civil Police are continuing their investigations to fully clarify the dynamics of the events, identify all criminal responsibilities, and locate the camera used by the victim at the time of the jump, considered an important element for reconstructing what happened,” the agency said.
The missing camera remains a central focus of the investigation as authorities work to determine exactly how the fatal incident occurred.
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