Police investigate death of man found in Rio Branco woods

The body of 25-year-old José Lucas Campos do Nascimento was discovered in a wooded area in the Albert Sampaio neighborhood of Rio Branco on Sunday. The corpse was in an advanced state of decomposition when found by a resident who noticed vultures circling the area.

Nascimento had been missing since Thursday, and local residents reported hearing gunfire in the vicinity during his disappearance. Civil Police are investigating the homicide, considering a prior incident from last year in which the young man had his right hand severed, an act allegedly linked to criminal faction punishment. Investigators are also looking into whether his history of drug use and theft played a role in the motive.