Erinel Clementino, 63, and his son, Francinildo Clementino, 25, confessed at the police station to killing 25-year-old José da Silva Santana, whom they believed to be a "canaimé"—a malevolent figure in Indigenous belief systems. Both men are now in custody and have been charged with triple-aggravated homicide. A custody hearing is scheduled for this Thursday (5) in the state of Roraima.
The crime took place this past Tuesday (3) in the Caracanã Indigenous community, located in Uiramutã, in the northern part of the state. Following their arrest, the father and son were taken to the police station in Pacaraima, where the case was officially registered.
José was murdered with extreme cruelty: he was shot in the head, struck with a sickle and a knife, and subsequently set on fire. He was also decapitated. A portion of the crime was captured on video.
Following the suspects' confession, the lead investigator, Arthur França, charged both men with homicide aggravated by a trivial motive, the use of cruel methods, and the employment of tactics that left the victim unable to defend himself. Additionally, they face charges for the destruction and concealment of a human corpse, as well as the illegal possession of a firearm.
Context: In Indigenous belief, the "canaimé" is viewed as an evil entity—a figure associated with supernatural powers, sorcery, incantations, and the use of poisons capable of causing suffering or death. According to this belief, the canaimé can become invisible or shapeshift into animals to stalk and attack people, typically at night. Furthermore, it is believed that when a canaimé kills someone, it tears open the victim's body and stuffs leaves inside.
The Military Police seized a shotgun and a sickle from the suspects' home, as well as a knife at the crime scene. The suspects also set the victim's body on fire. Young man murdered after suspects mistake him for a 'canaimé'—a malevolent figure in Indigenous belief
Testimonies
In his statement to the Civil Police, Francinildo admitted to shooting the victim with a .28-caliber shotgun that belonged to his father, Erinel. He stated that the victim was running when the shot was fired, striking him in the back of the neck and head.
The father confirmed that his son had fired the shot. He stated that, after the victim fell, he used a sickle to strike him twice in the neck and approximately three times in the abdomen. According to his account, the young man was already dead when these blows were delivered.
In his testimony, Erinel further claimed that the order to set the body on fire came from a community security guard, whom he identified as "Osmar." The suspect linked this decision to an alleged "puçanga"—a type of enchanted amulet—that supposedly belonged to the victim.
Additionally, according to Francinildo’s testimony, José had initially been captured by members of the community and taken to the Flexal settlement to be questioned by community leaders regarding whether he was a *canaimé*. However, he managed to escape.
José was later located once again. Francinildo stated that family members and other community members had already decided to kill him. Erinel, however, provided a different account, claiming that the decision to kill José was made at the time of his capture.
The Civil Police are continuing their investigation to determine whether others were involved in the case.
The Murder
The Military Police arrived at the Caracaranã community around 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, following a report that a homicide had taken place. Upon arrival, residents led the officers to José’s body. After confirming the death, the team cordoned off the area and began searching for the suspects. According to the suspects' statements, the pair was taking the victim from the Flexal community when he attempted to escape, at which point they killed him.
The Military Police (PM) stated that the account provided by the suspects was corroborated by videos they recorded themselves. The footage was shared in WhatsApp groups. In one of the videos, José appears, confirming that he is a "canaimé" and claiming to have the "ability to transform into animals."
