Jury sentences man to 29 years in prison for murder motivated by factional war in Sorriso (MT)

Jhonatan Toscano da Conceição, known as “TJ”, was sentenced to 29 years and nine months in prison for killing Israel Oliveira da Cruz, aged 22, in 2022, in the municipality of Sorriso, 420 km from Cuiabá. The decision was taken by the Jury Court on Wednesday (11).

The defendant was convicted of the crimes of qualified homicide, criminal organization and corruption of minors. The jurors recognized that the murder was motivated by rivalry between criminal factions and committed in a way that made it difficult for the victim to defend himself.

According to the complaint from the Public Ministry of Mato Grosso (MPMT), Israel was shot dead in the early hours of August 13, 2022. The body was found in a property on Rua Tangará. The expert identified 11 perforations caused by gunshots.

To prove the defendant's participation, the MPMT presented images from security cameras that recorded four people passing through the street where the crime occurred. The Civil Police identified Jhonatan as one of the armed men who appeared in the recordings.

The images were reinforced by statements from investigators, expert reports and seizures made two days after the homicide. On that occasion, the Military Police found three suspects in a house, where two .38 caliber revolvers, a .40 caliber pistol and pieces of clothing were seized.

Two of those involved were 16 and 17 years old at the time of the murder. The jurors recognized that Jhonatan committed the crime with the participation of teenagers, which resulted in two convictions for corruption of minors.