Santarém judge orders jury trial for artist's killer

Sandro Corrêa de Carvalho will face a jury trial in Santarém, Pará, for the 2020 killing of visual artist Manoel Apolinário Oliveira de Sousa. Judge Gabriel Veloso de Araújo accepted the prosecution's charge of qualified homicide, citing futile motives and the use of a resource that hindered the victim's defense.

The incident occurred on November 15, 2020, during a political celebration. Following a dispute regarding a dog, a confrontation escalated on a sidewalk where Carvalho allegedly shot Apolinário in the abdomen with a .380 caliber pistol. Although the artist underwent surgery, he died on December 1, 2020, due to complications from an infection.

Defense attorneys argued for the charge to be downgraded to bodily injury resulting in death, claiming the defendant acted in perceived self-defense. The judge rejected these arguments, stating that the jury must determine the intent to kill. Carvalho, who had been a fugitive for over four years, was arrested in Barueri in January 2025 and has been authorized to await trial in liberty.