Goalkeeper who had his girlfriend kidnapped, murdered and fed to his dogs applies to be allowed out of prison 12 months into a 22-year sentence so he can continue to play professional football



Bruno Fernandes de Souza, 28, jailed for the murder of Eliza Samudio, 25



He was sentenced to 22 years and three months in prison last March

He could be allowed to leave jail on day release to train and play for club

Despite his confession he was allowed to sign contract with Montes Claros



Pair met at a footballers' party in May 2009 and Samudio later fell pregnant

Prosecutors claim he killed the model to avoid paying child support



Bruno's wife, cousin and a former policeman also on trial over her death

Admission: Former Flamengo goalkeeper Bruno Fernandes de Souza told a court that his girlfriend had been killed, chopped up and fed to dogs

A star Brazilian goalkeeper jailed for 22 years for ordering the kidnap and murder of his girlfriend, who was dismembered and fed to his pet dogs, could be released to play football.

Bruno Fernandes de Souza, 28, confessed to the horrific crimes last March after his ex-girlfriend Eliza Samudio was murdered.

But despite his confession and prison sentence, the goalkeeper was allowed to sign a five-year contract with Montes Claros of the Campeonato Mineiro, upi.com reported.

It means Bruno could be allowed to leave prison on day release, accompanied by a police escort, to train with the team and play in matches. But before the contract can be approved and the day release considered a judge will have to grant his approval.



The former Flamengo captain is said to have wanted his ex-partner dead so he could avoid paying child support after she gave birth to his love child.

Her dead body was allegedly fed to Bruno's pet rottweilers.

Bruno, who was tipped to play for Brazil at the 2014 World Cup, was sentenced to 22 years and three months for the murder.

He has been behind bars since 2010 and is said to be preparing a case to take advantage of a provision in Brazilian law that allows a prisoner more freedom after three or four years, so long as they have shown good behaviour.

Montes Claros club president, Ville Mocellin, confirmed the controversial decision to allow Bruno to sign a contract while he is behind bars.

'We want to give an opportunity to the man Bruno,' he told OTempo.



'For him, it is a chance to return to play. To the club, he is an athlete who can strengthen the team and a way to invest in the social side.'

Judge Marixa Fabiane Rodrigues said the goalkeeper, who played for Brazil's biggest team Flamengo, had 'meticulously calculated' Ms Samudio's execution.



He told the court in Contagem, south-east Brazil, that the footballer was 'twisted' and had 'instilled in his personality a total misunderstanding of values.'



He added: 'Bruno believed that, by making the body disappear, he could ensure total impunity.'



The former player had previously denied any knowledge of what happened to the 25-year-old, but told a court last March how his best friend Luiz Henrique Romao had paid someone to kill her.

He admitted that although he hadn't ordered his former lover to be killed, he had 'accepted' it.

Jailed: Bruno Souza, former goalkeeper of Brazil's Flamengo soccer club, has been sentenced to 22 years and three months in prison for the murder of his former lover

Model: Eliza Samudio is believed to have met Bruno at a party held by another footballer. She later presented a report (left) to police against the footballer, claiming he had got her pregnant

The goalkeeper is accused of planning Ms Samudio's abduction and murder with eight others including his wife Dayane, another former lover, a cousin and former policeman Marcos Santos.

It has been alleged that he watched as Santos tortured her and then helped him to chop her body.

Parts of the woman's corpse are alleged to have been fed to Bruno's pet rottweillers, while the rest was buried in concrete.

At an earlier trial, Romao was found guilty of Ms Samudio's murder and jailed for 15 years. Santos will be put on trial next month.

Fernandes, who before his arrest had been linked with a multi-million pound transfer to AC Milan, has always claimed Ms Samudio was alive and had left the country. Her body has never been found.

But he told the court in Contagem that his cousin, Jorge Rosa, who had witnessed the murder, had told him what had happened.

He claimed that after kidnapping Ms Samudio, Romao had taken her to a house in Belo Horizonte where hired killer Santos was waiting.

Broke down: Souza, 28, is seen in the Forum of Contagem, metropolitan region of Belo Horizonte, southeastern Brazil, this week

He said: 'There he held her hands and asked [Romao] to tie them in front of her, and put a tie around her neck.

'And [Romao] even kicked Eliza's legs away. That's what Jorge told me. And that they had chopped up her body, that they had thrown her body for the dogs to eat.'

The former star admitted that he feels 'guilty' for her death despite instisting that he never oredered the killing.

Ms Samudio, who had previously claimed to have had an affair with Real Madrid ace Cristiano Ronaldo, met Bruno at a footballers' party in May 2009 and fell pregnant by accident, it is claimed.

The goalkeeper demanded she have an abortion but she went ahead with the pregnancy, instead insisting that he assume paternity of the child.

Before her disappearance on June 4, 2010, Ms Samudio had approached police claiming she had been held captive by Bruno and his associates, who forced her to take an illegal abortion drug.

Bruno allegedly put a gun to her head and told her: 'You don't know who I am or what I'm capable of - I'm from the favela.'

The baby, Bruninho, was born in February 2010, but the player refused to acknowledge he was the father.

Prosecutors allege that Bruno ordered Ms Samudio's murder after she told him she would take legal action to force him to pay child support.