The Amazonas Court reaffirmed the decision that merchant Adeilson Duque Fonseca, accused of attacking and killing samba singer Paulo Juvêncio de Melo Israel, known as Paulo Onça, will be tried by the Popular Jury Court. The decision was made by judge Luiza Cristina Nascimento da Costa Marques and was handed down this Monday (9).
Paulo Onça was attacked until he passed out in the early hours of December 5, after colliding with Adeilson Duque's car on Major Gabriel Street, in the South Zone of the capital. Security cameras show the musician running a red light before the crash.
After the impact, the trader got out of the vehicle and began the attack. Paulo was hospitalized in serious condition and remained in health units until his death.
In October 2025, the Court had already determined that the defendant be taken to the popular jury to answer for qualified homicide, with the aggravating factors of a futile motive and an appeal that made it impossible for the victim to defend himself.
Adeilson's defense filed an appeal to try to change the classification of the crime, claiming that the defendant did not intend to kill, but the judge denied the request and maintained the understanding that the case must be analyzed by the jurors.
The decision took into account two circumstances that could make the penalty more serious in case of conviction. One of them is the suspicion that the attack was motivated by a trivial reason.
The other is the lack of possibility of defense, as the victim would have continued to receive attacks even after having fallen to the ground, when he could no longer defend himself.
Currently, Adeilson responds to the case on provisional release, based on the procedural conduct considered appropriate to date and compliance with the precautionary measures imposed, such as periodic appearances in court.
A security camera recorded the accident, which occurred shortly after midnight. The video, obtained by Rede Amazônica, shows that the composer's car passed the closed sign and collided with the merchant's vehicle, who attacked the samba singer until he left him unconscious.
At the request of the Civil Police, the Court ordered the preventive arrest of Adeilson Duque, who was now considered a fugitive for the attempted murder against the samba singer.
Adeilson Duque Fonseca handed himself in on the night of December 7th, at the 1st Integrated Police District (DIP). On May 30th of this year, in an investigation hearing presided over by judge Fábio Olintho de Souza, Adeilson began to answer for the crime of qualified homicide.
Adeilson Duque Fonseca had his preventive detention revoked by the Court of Justice of Amazonas (TJAM) on September 16. Since then, he has been monitored by an electronic ankle monitor.
In the decision that revoked the arrest, the TJAM considered that the accused had been detained for more than six months, was a first-time offender, had a fixed address and was exercising a lawful profession before his arrest. The court understood that there were no longer grounds for maintaining the measure of deprivation of liberty.
After the arrest was revoked, the president of the Court of Justice of Amazonas, judge Jomar Fernandes, sent a request to the General Inspectorate of Justice to investigate a possible breach of functional duty by the judge who granted the freedom.
Samba singer Paulo Onça, 63 years old, died on May 26, in Manaus. He had been hospitalized for more than five months after being attacked following a traffic accident in the capital in December.
Born in Manaus, Paulo Onça began his musical career at the age of 16 and, in 1990, he stood out at the Vitória Régia Samba School with the samba "Nem Verde e Nem Rosa", which made the school champion and became a true anthem of the local carnival.
He maintained a great friendship with singers Zeca Pagodinho and Arlindo Cruz, who helped him with his musical career in the capital of Rio. Furthermore, his songs were performed by big names such as Leci Brandão, Jorge Aragão, Dudu Nobre and the group Exaltasamba, becoming true samba classics.
