Mom and Stepfather Confess to Burying 5-Year-Old Alive; Investigators Reveal Chilling Audio

A couple has been arrested after their five-year-old girl was found dead. According to a forensic medical report, the child was buried alive and died from mechanical asphyxiation. The mother and the stepfather have confessed to her murder.

Luiza Aguirre Barbosa da Silva and Rodrigo Ribeiro Machado were both taken into custody for the murder of Maria Clara Aguirre Lisboa.

According to authorities, on October 14, 2025, her body was found in a shallow, cement-covered grave at the back of the family’s home. The post-mortem examination determined her death was from mechanical asphyxiation after she was buried alive.

The examination indicated that there was soil in the child's windpipe, which means she was still breathing when she was buried. Head trauma was also consistent with assault involving a blunt object before she was buried.

According to The Express, the forensic report also indicates that her body had been buried for around 20 days. Maria Clara was reported missing in early October. Her grandfather first contacted child services, and then the case was passed to police on October 8.

Investigators uncovered a chilling message sent by Machado, the girl’s stepfather, to her biological father. In the recording, he informed the father that the child was dead. He also asked him not to “bother” anymore for answers, as reported by NeedToKnow.

Machado said in the message, “Mate, are you deaf as well or something? Don't wind me up, mate. I've already told you your daughter's dead—she doesn't even exist anymore. Stop messing me about, all right? Stop sending me messages, yeah?"

The brutal killing shocked the community. The girl’s aunt wrote at the time, “My heart is in pieces knowing that your life was taken in such a cruel and unjust way."

According to authorities, Maria Clara’s body was laid to rest on October 15. However, a wake could not be held because her body was showing signs of advanced stage of decomposition. At the funeral held at Colina da Paz Cemetery, her father’s side relatives were present.

Franco Augusto, a leading police officer handling the case, revealed that the child was regularly abused by her mother and her stepfather. Machado even psychologically abused the mother and used the girl to coerce her.

Machado has an extensive criminal record. According to authorities, he had ties to the First Capital Command (PCC) gang. He goes by the alias “ruthless brother.” Both Machado and da Silva have been charged with murder with aggravating circumstances and concealing a corpse.

They are scheduled to appear in court on May 9.