[1][2] According to the Pará authorities, the crimes were committed for the purpose of satanic rituals and black magic, promoted by the "Superior Universal Lineage" sect, a mystical organization that, among other things, challenged the Western idea of divinity.
[3] However, after the case was closed, Maranhão police arrested Francisco das Chagas Rodrigues de Brito, a serial killer who claimed 42 murders committed against children, including 12 in Altamira, which brought uncertainty over the judicial outcome.
According to witnesses, these men participated in a sect called the "Superior Universal Lineage", a mystical organization that, among other things, challenged the Western idea of divinity and preached caution in living with children.
[24][25][26] At that time, searches were carried out on Valentina's estate, where hoods and videos were found, in which, according to police, she in a trance said: "...kill little children...".
[30][31] Based on this evidence and having no other lines of investigation, Éder Mauro closed the case and concluded that the murders were committed by sect participants during rituals of Satanism and black magic.
[33] According to the investigators, 74-year-old Agostinho José da Costa would have seen Dr. Brandão on the Trans-Amazonian Highway carrying a styrofoam box and a bloodstained machete.
[36] Among the defendants, only José Amadeus Gomes and Valentina de Andrade had no pre-trial detention and were allowed to walk free until their trials.
The then-responsible for the third criminal court for the district of Altamira, Orlando Arrifano, accepted the complaint and initiated the investigation phase, calling for testimony from the witnesses and informants.
Among the witnesses summoned was Duilio Nolasco Pereira, former husband of Valentina de Andrade and owner of a hotel in Altamira.
[48] The assistant prosecutor Antonio Cesar Brito Ferreira rebutted Pinho's arguments and summoned Frazão's testimony, a key witness in the inquiry.
Three days later, Edmilson returned to the court and reaffirmed his statements, claiming that he was urged and coerced to give further testimony by three men, named Hercilio, Arnaldo and Amadeu, which offered him money and he could not refuse.
The Second Panel acknowledged irregularities in the case, and issued a request to the state court, ordering the hearing of new defense statements, which reopened the investigation phase and nullified the defendants' conviction.
[51] On August 22, 1995, the First Chamber of the State Court of Justice decided to revoke the remand of Césio Brandão, who was held for more than two years in Bélem.
After the decision, Brandão declared his intention to sue the state, claiming to have been used as a scapegoat by authorities to hide flaws in the investigation process.