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Elize Matsunaga murder case resurfaces with Netflix film
Netflix released the feature film “Elize: Sombras de una mujer” on 22 July 2026. The dramatized thriller recounts the 2012 killing of São Paulo businessman Marcos Matsunaga by his wife, former escort Elize Matsunaga. According to court records, Elize shot her husband in the head, dismembered his body and scattered the remains in the forested outskirts of Cotia.
Elize was convicted of homicide and concealment of a corpse and, after serving part of a 16‑year sentence, was transferred to an open‑regime facility in 2022. The case drew renewed public interest after the Netflix release, which quickly rose to the platform’s top‑viewed titles in several countries.
Elize’s daughter, Helena Matsunaga, was born in 2011 and has lived with her paternal grandparents, Mitsuo and Misako Matsunaga, since the crime. A Brazilian court has barred Elize from any contact with the child. In June 2026 a judge authorized Helena, now 16, to travel abroad for school holidays – first to London, then to Punta Cana – under supervised accompaniment.
Journalist Ulisses Campbell has said that Elize received roughly R$ 900 000 from the division of marital assets after Marcos’ death, a sum that stems from Brazil’s partial‑community‑property regime and is not an inheritance. Brazilian law does not obligate media producers to compensate individuals portrayed in true‑crime adaptations, and neither Netflix nor the court has presented evidence of any payment to Elize for the film.
Entities
Elize Matsunaga · Helena Matsunaga · Marcos Matsunaga · Mitsuo Matsunaga · Netflix · Yoki
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] In July 2026 a judge authorized Helena to travel internationally to London and Punta Cana. timesng.com
- [● 4 SOURCES] The film dramatizes the 2012 killing of Marcos Matsunaga by his wife Elize Matsunaga. www.elsol.com.ar · www.lagaceta.com.ar · www.sitiosargentina.com.ar · www.elfinanciero.com.mx
- [● 4 SOURCES] Netflix released the film “Elize: Sombras de una mujer” on 22 July 2026. www.elsol.com.ar · www.lagaceta.com.ar · www.sitiosargentina.com.ar · www.elfinanciero.com.mx
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Brazilian law does not require payment to individuals depicted in true‑crime adaptations, and there is no evidence Netflix paid Elize Matsunaga. www.spacemoney.com.br
- [● 2 SOURCES] Elize Matsunaga received approximately R$ 900 000 from the division of marital assets after Marcos’ death. www.tnh1.com.br
- [● 3 SOURCES] Helena Matsunaga, born in 2011, has lived with her paternal grandparents since the 2012 murder. dev.tnonline.com.br · fatoamazonico.com.br · www.metropoles.com
- [● 2 SOURCES] Elize Matsunaga was convicted of homicide and sentenced to more than 16 years, and has been in an open‑regime prison since 2022. www.elsol.com.ar · fatoamazonico.com.br
- [● 2 SOURCES] A Brazilian court has prohibited Elize Matsunaga from any contact with her daughter Helena. fatoamazonico.com.br · dev.tnonline.com.br