Murder of Marcos Matsunaga

The Matsunaga case refers to the murder of Japanese Brazilian businessman Marcos Kitano Matsunaga, which occurred on May 19, 2012, when he was the 41-year-old chief executive officer of the food company Yoki. The crime was committed by his wife, Elize Araújo Kitano Matsunaga, then 30 years old, who confessed to killing him with a .380 caliber pistol shot to the head and dismembering his body. According to her, the motive for the crime was her discovery of her husband's extramarital affair. According to Elize, she alone was responsible for the crime, ruling out the involvement of any other person. The case concluded in the early hours of December 5, 2016, when Judge Adilson Paukoski delivered the verdict sentencing her to 19 years, 11 months, and one day in prison. Elize was convicted of qualified murder under the provisions of Article 121, §2 of the Brazilian Penal Code. The case was listed by the Brasil Online (BOL) portal among the "22 crimes that shocked Brazil."