Guarulhos trial of military police accused in Gritzbach murder annulled

On 22 June 2026 the popular jury for three São Paulo military police—tenente Fernando Genauro da Silva, cabo Denis Antônio Martins and soldado Ruan Silva Rodrigues—began at the Fórum Criminal in Guarulhos. They are charged with the 8 November 2024 execution of Vinícius Gritzbach, a businessman who had signed a plea‑deal exposing the Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC), and with the death of Uber driver Celso Novais and injuries to two other by‑standers at Terminal 2 of Guarulhos International Airport.

During the first day, after seven of the planned 21 witnesses were heard, the defence team left the courtroom following a dispute with the prosecutor. The judge dissolved the council of sentence, causing the juror panel of seven citizens to be disbanded and the trial cancelled. No new date has been set; the case will be rescheduled by the São Paulo Court of Justice.

The defence argues that the investigation was manipulated by the police civil, claiming the accused were not present at the crime scene and were victims of a “band of corrupt police”. The prosecution maintains that forensic, GPS and DNA evidence place the three officers at the scene. The trial’s abrupt end has drawn public attention to alleged police‑PCC collusion and the challenges of prosecuting high‑profile organized‑crime cases.