Prosecutors have charged Brazilian football player Bruno with ordering the murder of an ex-lover who allegedly was trying to prove he was the father of her young son, officials said Wednesday.
Prosecutor Gustavo Fantini filed charges in the state court in Minas Gerais against Bruno Souza and eight others, Fantini's office and court officials said.
Among those also charged are Bruno's wife, Dayanne Souza, and another woman whom police say is the player's lover.
Bruno was the goalkeeper and captain of Flamengo, Brazil's most popular football team. He helped lead the club to a national championship last year.
Calls to Bruno's lawyer weren't answered.
Bruno allegedly ordered the kidnapping and killing of 25-year-old Eliza Samudio, who has been missing since June. Her body hasn't been found.
Police said Bruno arranged for Samudio to be kidnapped in June in Rio de Janeiro and driven 280 miles north to a rural property he owns in Minas Gerais state. Police said the woman was imprisoned there, beaten and strangled to death by a former policeman and friend of Bruno's, Marcos Aparecido dos Santos.
Police allege that her body was then cut up and fed to dogs. No remains have been located.
Police have said that when Samudio was pregnant last year, she alleged that Bruno and others had kidnapped her and tried to force her to take medication that would abort her unborn child. Police in Rio de Janeiro affirmed that Samudio lodged a criminal complaint against Bruno last October in connection with the alleged incident, but that no charges were brought.
