Jury of PM accused of killing young man in Santa Isabel is postponed for the 2nd time

The popular jury of military police officer Thiago Cavalcante de Melo, accused of shooting Matheus Nunes Siqueira, aged 22, in Santa Isabel, was postponed for the second time this Thursday (12). The trial, which would begin at 9 am, was rescheduled for March 4, 2027.

The trial was initially scheduled for May this year, but was postponed until November after the defense questioned an alleged conversation between the prosecutor and a witness in the case, during the first scheduled session.

The lawyers requested access to the audio images of the conversation. As the material was not made available, the defense informed, on the eve of the trial, that it would not participate in the session without having access to the records.

Given the situation, judge Carlos Eduardo de Moraes Domingos decided to postpone the trial again. According to the magistrate, holding the session without access to the images could lead to the nullification of the jury in the future and oblige the Court to repeat the process, including the witnesses' testimonies.

The defense claims that the conversation could compromise the trial. The request for access to the images was analyzed, but the availability of the material by the Brazilian Bar Association (OAB) was suspended by the São Paulo Court of Justice (TJ-SP).

This time, the trial was postponed before the jurors were drawn. In the first attempt, in May, the jurors had already been chosen when the session was interrupted.

Matheus' family and friends followed the movement at the Santa Isabel Forum from the early morning and expressed frustration with the new postponement. The trial is scheduled for March 4, 2027.

Thiago Cavalcante de Melo is the police officer accused of shooting Matheus Nunes Siqueira to death — Photo: Alesssandro Batata / TV Diário

Remember the case

He and a friend were filling up the car and talking to the gas station attendant when they were approached by police officers Thiago Cavalcante de Melo and Paulo dos Santos Silva.

Security camera footage shows the two young people being searched. Then, Matheus ran and was shot in the back. He was rescued, but he didn't survive.

Initially, the case was treated as self-defense. However, security footage changed the direction of the investigation.

The two police officers involved were arrested a few days after the crime. According to the São Paulo Court of Justice, Paulo dos Santos Silva was not charged. Thiago, accused of qualified homicide, was imprisoned between April and September 2022, but was provisionally released and is facing the trial in freedom.

According to the Military Police, Thiago was expelled from the corporation. The decision was published in the Official State Gazette in September 2026.